Monday 26 March 2012

Ishoo Fifty-Wun: Mordheim Corners

Greetings once more hippo fans!
A few years back we looked at how to make your own Mordheim ruins. Well, that ishoo proved to be very popular, and 'mordheim ruins' is now the second most popular search to find this blog (after 'Terrain For Hippos'), so I figured it was time to once more visit Mordheim.
Last time we looked at fairly large ruins which involved complete buildings. This time, we're looking at smaller and more versatile ruins - corners. You can use them individually, or as part of a larger building in a thousand ways. They really are the most useful piece of terrain for mordheim. So, I hear you ask, are they hard to build? Let's find out!





And there you have it! It's quick and easy to get a whole batch of ruins done at once, and a set like this easily covers a square foot of table space.
Stay tuned for next ishoo when we tackle the Toll Bridge!

Wednesday 21 March 2012

Ishoo FIfty: Ruined Temple (then and now)

Holy freaking hippo spit! It's Ishoo Fifty! Way back in 2009 I had no idea I'd ever do fifty of these... Heck, I wasn't even sure I'd do five. The really amazing thing is that even after fifty ishoos, I've still got things to teach.
I figured it was time for something special for Ishoo Fifty. I'd thought about maybe comparing the first ishoo (half timbered townhouses) with how I do things now, but honestly, my style has not changed much. So I set the dials to 'way back'. Way back in the 90s when I was a teen and just getting into wargames, one of the biggest appeals to me was all the pretty terrain I saw in White Dwarf. So when my Grandmother gave me the original red 'How To Make Wargames Terrain' book for my birthday, I had to have a go - even though I didn't actually play anything at that point! How did I do? Well, the original is long lost, but I've built a replica. Let's get 90s Grot to explain!




Well, there you go. Terrain making then and now. I hope this encourages you to have a shot - in all likely hood I was much worse than you when I started. My other great claim to fame for that era was an Ork hut based on those in the red book. Since I had no figures, I guessed the size. It ended up so small a Gretchin would find it cramped...
Anyway, stay tuned for the next fifty ishoos hippo fans - and don't forget the latest reader's choice poll at the top of the page!

Wednesday 14 March 2012

Ishoo Forty-Nin: Sinister Hippo Sphinx

There are some shapes which just cannot be made from foamcore. Sometimes you just have to get creative and carve things from polystyrene. Such is the case with the Sinister Hippo Sphinx; it's a quick and simple introduction to the world of carving polystyrene. It's easy to build, and it looks... well sinister. How easy you ask?
Cue Grot!



And there you are! Remember when sanding polystyrene to always wear a dust mask - the dust is all pervasive and really nasty stuff.
Well, that's about it until next ishoo... holy freaking hippo spit! Next Ishoo is Ishoo Fifty! Guess we'll have to do something special!