Representing Heresy-Era Tallarn (or any virus-bombed plant...)

[Piousservant]

Hi all - I've got a few different projects im starting based around the battle of tallarn during the Heresy, but I'm struggling with how to approach basing in particular... Noting I'm someone prone to overthinking these things...!

Cliffs notes for those not already familiar with the story - Tallarn wasn't originally a desert world as it is in 40k, it was virus bombed during the Heresy which led to a massive battle of largely armoured forces due to the lethal atmosphere. 

The virus bomb is described as reducing all organic matter to goop and making the atmosphere corrosive and lethal for millennia (breathable again by 40k ofc). It does seem to start drying out fairly quickly,  as whist the HH Tallarn novels talk about it being like sludge to start with, they turn to dust kicking up quite quickly. I'm therefore leaning away from doing dark muddy bases - I like the WW1 trench-esque style but I'm not sure it feels right for Tallarn. Proper desert also seems to be too post-heresy, so kind of wondering if a crackle approach (e.g. agrellan earth) is the way to go? Not sure if that gives the right vibe either, so really appreciate some thoughts or advice from the learned folk here - particularly if anyone has already tackled this! Thanks!

[Noserenda]

I do vaguely recall a description of sludge from the Tallarn books, but typically they light up the atmosphere with a firestorm just after the bomb hits, so i imagine everything would be pretty crispy and burned, at least on the surface. Ofc they might not have done that at Tallarn for reasons! 

Id probably go with some horrible mud mix with the black crackle paint sparingly across the tops? You can at least go pretty wild with bases as nothing infantry sized can exist there, even Terminators struggled! 

 

[Arkhanist]

From a quick perusal of wiki descriptions, the sequence of events seems to be the virus bombing killed all organic life, leaving a heavy sludge that was failing to rot as even bacteria were destroyed by the virus. The outgassing from the sludge poisoned the atmosphere. The sludge dried, then became dust as it dried further and was pulverised by the fighting. Within a thousand years of the end of the invasion, the whole planet was a bone dry desert of dust and sand, with what water was left as vapour in the thin atmosphere.

So I think you're right, desert is later on than during the war itself. I too think the start of the war would fit a western front style thick mud and craters (or trenches) look, e.g. like this without the grass (howto), or other DKOK style bases to represent the initial sludge/mud stage post-virus bombing.

As the war progressed, the surface dried and was pummelled into a dust and ash wasteland. So either a dried, cracked earth base or some sort of rubble/small stones wasteland (for formerly settled areas) would work. Add pigment dust to taste.

There's this artwork on the 'Tallarn' book which is the latter stage.

And similarly, this is from the old hexwar licenced 'Tallarn' game - toxic mist and dry wasteland.

And this beautiful fan artwork from joazzz2 "The Battle of Tallarn", I think is really evocative.

 

Personally, I'd probably go with something like Luke Aps 'Arid Earth' (pre-made basing material you just glue on), with added small bits of rubble, skulls and various splodges of brown/mud colour pigment dusts. (and maybe some tank traps)

I.e. a combo of this:

And these (need painting, obvs)

 

But I do think a classic cracked pale brown earth base absent any grass or plants would also work well too if that's your preference, and represent former plains/agricultural land dried out, just waiting to be pummelled and turned to dust by countless treads! Just a layer of agrellan earth alone is a bit dull, so you can add some grit patches (e.g. armageddon dunes) and/or do areas of agrellan earth and agrellan badland on the same base to get different crack patterns (badland being grittier with bigger but fewer cracks). Prime and basecoat to get a uniform shade, or they blend together quite nicely out the pot with some shades/drybrushing.

 

Edited September 19, 2022 by Arkhanist

[Piousservant]

17 hours ago, Arkhanist said:

 

Personally, I'd probably go with something like Luke Aps 'Arid Earth' (pre-made basing material you just glue on), with added small bits of rubble, skulls and various splodges of brown/mud colour pigment dusts. (and maybe some tank traps)

[...]

But I do think a classic cracked pale brown earth base absent any grass or plants would also work well too if that's your preference, and represent former plains/agricultural land dried out, just waiting to be pummelled and turned to dust by countless treads! Just a layer of agrellan earth alone is a bit dull, so you can add some grit patches (e.g. armageddon dunes) and/or do areas of agrellan earth and agrellan badland on the same base to get different crack patterns (badland being grittier with bigger but fewer cracks). Prime and basecoat to get a uniform shade, or they blend together quite nicely out the pot with some shades/drybrushing.

 

Thanks, that's really helpful! I hadn't thought about Luke's basing stuff but I'm familiar with them,  as I've used them on a different project before. I think you're right that would look the part.

Youve also helped me see part of the problem (of my own making) - which I didn't mention in the op - is that I'm doing this both for 30k and Titanicus and was trying to find a solution for both, and in retrospect that wasn't ever going to be feasible! I think the base-ready solution is the way to go for 30k for sure and so maybe the cracked approach to use for Titanicus, I've always been a bit wary of being able to blend the different types together satisfactorily as you mention but I'll give it a try...