Got bored with the regular flat mat games. So I decided to put together a Death Star trench. The turrets weren't finished for our first game on it (200pts of imperial vs. 200pts of Rebel and Scum).

Even though I ran a fat Han and rolled pretty hot, Imperials won anyways, but we had fun.

Trench rules were simple:

If you finish a move that doesn't clear the trench, you stop at the very edge. If you're inside the trench and hit the walls, you automatically gain a stress token and roll a single attack die at yourself. Models inside the trench gain a single defense die when being attacked from outside the trench. Models outside the trench gain a single defense die when being attacked by models inside the trench.

Construction:

I started with 5 sheets of insulation Styrofoam to build up the base of the board. Using foamcore I cut the various shapes using a very sharp hobby knife. Dull blades make it difficult to get clean cuts. The pieces were all glued on with regular PVA glue.

Additional sub-divisions were added to prevent model bases from tipping into the crevices.

Painting:

I went to Home Depot with paint chips using Citadel Codex Grey (as a base), Celestra Grey, and White. Their sample sizes (7.5oz tubs) were more than enough to get the whole board painted (board is 3.8' x 4'). I used Behr latex indoor paint, which provides a strong, colorfast, waterproof seal.

Additional pics:

Turrets (they were not ready in time for our game):

I used foamcore for most of the turret body and wall spackle compound to fill and smooth them out (sanding as needed). For the barrels I used Plastruct cut to various lengths. The pivot mount is also Plastruc tubing (hollow on the base, and solid for the top).

Painted and unpainted turrets:

They were painted using citadel miniatures paints; Codex Grey as a base, followed by a Celestra grey drybrush and finished with Skull White. Barrels were Mechanicus Grey with a Nuln Oil wash and Celestra Grey highlight. The panel lines were done with a hobby lining paint pen. There are imported from Japan and are used with lining Mech model panels.

Feel free to throw any questions my way about the whole process!

Impressive, most impressive.

I love your turrets. They look...adorable, somehow

One of the coolest things I've seen on the forum!

That is awesome! A few weeks back I found a Death Star Trench run 'mission' on another forum (Dagobah Dave's if your wondering, found here: http://www.outworld-studio.com/xwing/pdf/Dagobahs-DSTR-v01.pdf ) and we ran it on the template that came with it, but this would be so much cooler to have and do it with!

That is 'maximum the awesome'. That's right, it is so fantastically bad-ass that I forget how to English.

Well done mate, truly inspirational.

While I love the board and all...

...there is an unforgivable crime against Star Wars in this picture.

Scum teaming up with Rebels? It was a necessary evil, since everyone wanted to play on the board that night, so in the interest of sharing we had 2v2 team ups.

Nope. Nothing wrong with factions teaming up! No, the ghastly crime is in the top left.

It is a true travesty!

Nope. Nothing wrong with factions teaming up! No, the ghastly crime is in the top left.

It is a true travesty!

The Lambda flying with its wings up. And I agree.

Nope. Nothing wrong with factions teaming up! No, the ghastly crime is in the top left.

It is a true travesty!

The Lambda flying with its wings up. And I agree.

The Lambda flying with its wings up. And I agree.

He's on a landing approach. Leave him alone.

Nah, that pic was at the start of the game. The wings were down during the whole game, in fact the owner of that lambda specifically takes issue with the wings being able to unfold fully.

So uh... Did your TIEs forget to charge their lasers up before the fight? Or did they graduate from the Japanese Flight School of Kamakazi?

Alternatively, it looks like they're all waiting at a red light. And the Interceptors look like they're just sitting around talking to the TIE Fighter up there too.

I give it an A for Awesome!

It looks like it was fairly easy to build but the end result came out great.

Any chance this could be something that might be reproduced and available for purchase? I believe I know several people who would be interested in it who are not crafty enough to make one of their own.

Any chance this could be something that might be reproduced and available for purchase? I believe I know several people who would be interested in it who are not crafty enough to make one of their own.

If they're willing to negotiate the price do to the labor involved, that's definitely doable. I'm also open to more X-Wing standardized sizes such as 3x3, 3x5 or 3x6. The one issue would be shipping.

In terms of casting it (high density poured foam), do to the size, it may be cost prohibitive for me right now. I don't know what the demand for a table like this is, and odds are it's low. But I agree, it'd be cool if a more established company with all the right equipment were to make a wood or fiberglass master and then make high density foam castings of it (like the real death star tiles).

Very cool!

That is way too cool!!

Any chance this could be something that might be reproduced and available for purchase? I believe I know several people who would be interested in it who are not crafty enough to make one of their own.

If they're willing to negotiate the price do to the labor involved, that's definitely doable. I'm also open to more X-Wing standardized sizes such as 3x3, 3x5 or 3x6. The one issue would be shipping.

In terms of casting it (high density poured foam), do to the size, it may be cost prohibitive for me right now. I don't know what the demand for a table like this is, and odds are it's low. But I agree, it'd be cool if a more established company with all the right equipment were to make a wood or fiberglass master and then make high density foam castings of it (like the real death star tiles).

I think your foam one looks fantastic enough as is!

those turrets do look way too cute

I agree that Dagobah Dave's mission is really fun.

Amazing workmanship, thanks for sharing your table. Great to see something different than the usual flat mat.

Looks awesome. I'd immediately start making one if I had the room to store it!

Congratulations on an amazing table.

I'm very tempted borrow your idea and make one for our gaming group. How did you decide on the dimensions for the trench and what are they if you don't mind me asking?

Again, top work on the board!!