WarFactory - Arid Rocky Outcrops

Arid Rocky Outcrops

In the background, a Schutztruppe officer from HLBSCo supervises a column of bearers.

Materials

Not surprisingly, the best thing to make rock from is real bits of stone. In addition to the basic arid terrain base, as described here, you will need a good bit of rock. Some form of sandstone is best, you don't want anything too smooth. Round pebbles would look unrealistic for large scale rocks.

The 'Great White Hunter' motions a halt to his bearers as he senses his quarry is near. This rock is a little vertical to be strictly realistic but it looks dramatic.

Construction

Sticking on the Stone

A generous quantity of PVA is best for sticking down the stone. Make sure it is stuck down over a good area, or the weight of the stone will pull it off. Alternatively you could use epoxy resin.

Fill any gaps underneath and around the stone with filler, so it appears to be firmly embedded in the ground.

Sikh infantry from Wargames Foundry line up behind two small hillocks. There is nothing on the scenery which implies a particular scale, so they could easily be used at 15mm.

Painting

I like to leave the natural colour of the stone showing as much as possible, but it can look a bit flat. Usually I just drybrush it with a 'Beige' Sandtex. masonry paint. This also makes it look pleasingly dusty.

To give it bit more texture you could apply a dark brown wash before the drybrush, but take care because some stones a very porous and the wash will soak in evenly instead of gathering in the recesses.