Ruins of Numenor

Faffing about with that building toy Patrick gave me, and following the Mad Padre's occasional Lord of the Rings gaming post, got me thinking that these clay bricks could make a jolly good ruin or three. Middle Earth of course is dotted with the ruins of ancient Numenor and the fallen splendour of Men, so I thought I'd like to knock a few together for the Padre.

So on a Sunday afternoon I grabbed the bricks, the Aleene's Tacky Glue, my trusty side cutters and some old CDs (because all terrain is based on old CDs now) and set to work!

I just started gluing at a corner and worked out from there without any but the vaguest of plans. When I decided it was time for the wall to be crumbled I chopped a brick with the side cutters to give it an irregular edge.

Once I built things suitably high, I added some more rubble around the base trying to be mindful of still letting figures occupy the area. I also nibbled away at edges with the side cutters to make them look distressed.

I'm using a Ashigaru archer for scale and to make sure figures fit.

The rest of the CD is then covered with glue and sand prior to painting.

Painting was pretty simple. Black on the stones, burnt umber on the sand. Then dry brushing lighter shade over top. I've lined up the colours I used in the back of the pictures.

Then it's just more glue and some flocking and foliage.

Tucking the grass tufts into gaps both makes things look weedy, old and overgrown plus hides awkward to paint bits.