Last Days of the Horus Heresy

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Project Entry by GrayPrimer

Making the diorama base

November 21, 2023

Base material

I used an EVA yoga block measuring 305mm x 205mm x 25mm, which I bought from Amazon. Yoga blocks have bevelled edges which give them a clean finish around the edges. The high-density foam cuts smoothly doesn’t deform with aerosol spray or superglue, and has become my go-to for medium-sized dioramas like this one.

Contours

I marked the base with a chalk pen and then added XPS layers to give the feeling of a contoured hillock. I also used XPS to create an artillery shell crater which has a groove cut into one side to allow the tank track to nestle into it.

Texture

I used DAS clay over the entire surface of the base to create smooth transitions between the various contours. This clay takes a while to dry, which is a pain when you’re in a ‘creative flow’, but is the best around for jobs like this.

A coating of texture paste mixed with some crackle paint gave this whole thing a lovely granular and cracked finish.

I sprayed the lot with Tamiya Fine Gray Primer and test-fitted the miniatures.

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