So I built a Death Star surface to play on.
I like the game well enough, but my primary opponent is nine years old and needed a little extra inspiration to really get into the game. After some discussion and thought, we got to work and built something fun.
I bought a few sheets of 1/8" hardboard and started cutting and gluing and, eventually, painting.
Just the Surface
The full board measures 3x3, but was constructed in two pieces so that we can eventually add a trench in the middle for some added variety. The square pieces with the big holes are designed to have towers placed on them. The smaller holes can eventually be used to mount other objectives/things - power nodes, comms towers, whatever.
With Towers
The towers come from Fight's On! I think they're great. Great size, great price, good detail, excellent service. The top of the turret spins and comes off, so they can be mounted with a little variety (the holes in the tower mounts are to accommodate the turret peg when used without the full tower).
Low View
I'm not sure that it's finished, yet. I kind of want to add some additional low-profile surface detail (even something as simple as metal washers, wires, and other unobtrusive greebling and maybe some highlighting or a darker wash) but it's been a lot of work, and it still hasn't even been played on, yet.
Interceptors Flying CAP
The scaling works pretty well. I think it gets the idea across well enough to be a suitable Death Star (the inevitable addition of a trench will only help) while being generic enough to function as any sort of large station kind of thing.
Being constructed of hardboard allows it to overhang my slightly too narrow dining room table, which is a plus.
Close up Interceptor/Tower
Despite my churlish and amateur painting skills (it's been a LONG time since I've painted anything, and this is my first experiment with doing a wash - I was always a drybrushing highlights sort of guy) I really like the detailing of the towers. They do come off looking a little more tarnished and weathered than a lot of Imperial equipment, so I guess this Death Star must have been around for a little while.
Straight on
Close up to demonstrate tower scale and detail.
Interceptor with Tower Head Only
And another to show the head-only style on the turret.
I can't help but be pretty proud of this technological terror I've constructed (from wood, glue, and paint) so I thought I'd show it off.
As I mentioned, I may yet start back up with greebling and detail work, but now that this is finished, I can't help but thinking that building a Star Destroyer board might be a LOT less time-intensive since it wouldn't need the same sort of surface detail...
So, like, what do you think? Aside from actually being played on, what does it need? What have I missed? I'd love to hear anyone's thoughts on how to best put it to use.