Asteroid and Planetoid models

[Zoe Brain]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EPwjIbzqpG0

[Zoe Brain]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NGxxMYV6zfU

[Naharaht]

Thank you for those two good videos, Zoe! :thumbsup:

[Zoe Brain]

Colouration of asteroids - see the video of the duel with Scar.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=11-TN5yjtns

[Zoe Brain]

Next - my own attempts to make asteroids, using scrap LDPE low density polyethylene foam, fencing wire, and black hexagonal flying bases.

[Zoe Brain]

The picture says it all. Basic polyethylene (LDPE /4\) foam piece, another cut to shape with scissors, fence wire to group together, black plastic hexagonal stand, some completed asteroids, and a few ships at different altitudes to show scale. Just a thick coat of black spray, then a light coat of grey primer.

Naturally you can paint different shades of grey, highlight with light grey, glue rather than just stick stands in etc. But these will do just as they are. No knives, just kitchen scissors to cut the foam and pliers to cut the wire (notch then bend repeatedly till it breaks).

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[Zoe Brain]

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[Baxter]

Hi Zoe,

I was thinking about asteroids and ambush. The Viper pilots should not know where the cylon is hiding therefore the cylon pilot should record on a notepad the asteroid and position eg. Asteroid 6, 9 oclock side and not show that unless discovered or springing the ambush. Otherwise an ambush cannot be a surprise. Do you have rules for this situation. I guess the same could be said for WgF and WgS and clouds. :confused:

[Flying Helmut]

My take on Asteroid construction, as posted on the 'Vapnartak' AAR thread..................


The Asteroids look pretty astounding too Tim.
How are they made?

Rob.



The secret ingredient is...............................a BATH SPONGE!!!!!
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The best feature of such a sponge is the honeycomb of different-sized holes, ready made and randomly placed in the structure.
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If the sponge is TORN using fingertips, it produces irregular, jagged edges.
Cutting it is a bad idea, because cutting, with a knife or scissors, produces far too many straight edges and lines; the exposed end pictured above was pulled apart by me using nothing but my fingers.


My sponge is a bit grubby, because it was the one my father used to use to wash the family car!
When he bought a new sponge, rather than let him throw it out, I rescued it and turned it into asteroids! Well, it was 35 years ago, I was young.............I wanted them for "Full Trust" space gaming.


The 3/5 of the sponge I used created all these asteroids -
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I still have 2/5 left!


The Method:
Glue each chunk of sponge to the top of a 'Games Workshop' flying base (I used "UHU", a glue with an elastic flexibility when dry).
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Spray each asteroid matt black (ensure you rotate the asteroid so that the spray gets deep into every nook and cranny). Allow to dry.

Heavy drybrush 'Games Workshop' "Shadow Grey". Allow to dry.

Medium drybrush "Ghost Grey" (don't remember the company - it was 35 years ago!!!). Allow to dry.

Very light drybrush "White".


Job done!
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Bonus Feature! - they can be used as packing around models, since the painted sponge is still, well, spongy!



I have used them for "X-wing" games for the last couple of years, but didn't need many, owing to that game's small 3' x 3' 'battlefield'.

As soon as "Battlestar Galactica" came out, I dug out the remaining Asteroid Ingredients, with the intention of producing more.



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I had intended to try tearing up some of my left-over "KR Multicase" blue foam inserts, removed from my "Wings of Glory" and "X-wing" transport systems.........
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The only drawback with these is the extremely small and very regular-sized holes (and the small size of the foam pieces).

Having written this post, I think I will abandon that idea, and get another bath sponge instead! ;)

[Naharaht]

They are very realistic looking, Zoe and Tim. Well done! :thumbsup:

[Marechallannes]

Nice. :)

Visual candy for each game.

[malachi]

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Please forgive my machinations :p

Excellent crafting ITT and I'll be looking to make some 3D asteroids. My goodies are arriving and I'm a little familiar with the rules, but how do you adjudicate the ships touching the asteroid field without using a template on the playing surface? Or are the rules for that different with altitude? Thx

[Flying Helmut]

I declare the asteroid to fill the entire circle of the base - if any part of the ship base overlaps this, Impact!

For simplicity, assume that the 4 "altitude" levels are all encompassed by the same base, but in a vertical plane.

[malachi]

I declare the asteroid to fill the entire circle of the base - if any part of the ship base overlaps this, Impact!

For simplicity, assume that the 4 "altitude" levels are all encompassed by the same base, but in a vertical plane.

Well that makes sense, thanks, Tim. :cool: Then just determine difficulty/density by how closely they're placed, derp. :ssmack: