Terrain Extravaganza - Part Three

This week, we take a closer look at some of the scratch-built Oil Rigs and Derricks, and how the whole collection looks together...

It struck me as appropriately ridiculous to build a stone smoke-stack/cooling tower out in the middle of the ocean

As with the Gun Tower featured last week, the Derrick is made from various resin drop-ons over a base of plasticard, detailed with parts from various model railway kits

The Derrick is heavily weathered, with scattered "clean" areas offering contrasting flashes of colour

Parts from many different sets feature on this Derrick, including the command tower from a Prussian Dreadnought

The smaller platform features two gun towers, for limited protection

Adding clockwork and cogs in random places makes everything look more "steampunk"

Far larger cogwheels on these platforms were taken from a model railway set

ACTION SHOTS!

The Manticore lurks in the cover of a rig as the Reapers finish off their prey

Chinese Destroyers fire their flame-throwers perilously close to two Oil Rigs

The FSA Airship patrols close

Airships liking flying past these, it seems

The Sturmbringer sails close to an abandoned fort

GROUP SHOT!

The collection as it stands so far - with some Merchant ships for scale

Most of the resin buildings, gun towers, smoke stacks and cranes were taken from two kits - the Industrial Complex kit and the Military Installation set. The plasticard and random supports, struts, cogs and clockwork pieces were found in a model railway shop - I cannot remember which kits in particular, as I literally walked around looking for stuff that fit the vision in my head, regardless of how inappropriate the source seemed. 

Building the platforms was more a case of stick it down and hope rather than any grand plan - who knows what could be achieved with some prior planning! 

I hope this inspires you in making your own platforms, derricks and oil rigs! The hobby does not end with what Spartan have released, though they have done a marvellous job so far. 

Thanks for reading, 

George