144artist paints Mantic’s Terrain Crate

The final (of three) Tavern set is now complete. I’m calling the three Barracks sets finished as well even though two of the parchments aren’t.  I know what I’m going to do on them; a second Hobbit Map and something else I’m not going to share yet. To be honest, just deciding what details to go with is the hardest and most time consuming part of all this for me.  Every set is finished or on the table except the Throne Room where my characteristic indecision has been a major hurdle. I’m happy to say I think I’ve solved most of it but we will have to see.  A little hint at the end of my next posting.

I just got an email saying Mantic’s HQ in England is packed full of rewards while the US shipping center is expecting the containers any day now.  Stay on target…

Another set, Torture Chamber, is complete and photographed.  Fun little bits that really came together quickly.  Good thing too because the email from Mantic said the cargo ship with Terrain Crate2 on board is due to US soil around the 18th of this month. I had a WizKids Ironmaiden figure waiting on the table as well so threw it into the mix as it was a natural fit.

I have now finished painting the last set of Scatter Terrain as well as the second of three Tavern sets.  One of the stretch goals added extra bits of stuff so I have three of these sets. Hmm, wonder if someone I know would want one.  Anyway, I just received an email saying the Terrain Crate 2 rewards on ships leaving China and only weeks from the various distribution centers around the world so I am running out of time to get all these done before the next plastic crack arrives. I started the Temple set that is cast in white as I want to use the fountains in my Wolsung set ups.

Now back to the painting table. These Barracks aren’t going to paint themselves after all.

It has been quite some time since I last posted progress on actual Mantic Terrain Crate minis what with the last couple posts actually being of Reaper Bones pieces but that is to be remedied now.  I have been working on this collection, in between other minis, but haven’t been photographing much of it.  Funny how all these little,”I’ll do that later” projects are getting done right now.  I finished off my second cart set which means all I have remaining of the Battlefield Crate is the Campsite collection. I’m looking forward to those, actually because I want the square tents to be decorated in the heraldry of some of my knightly figures.

Next are the last of the Tables and Chairs from the Town Crate.  Not much left in this one either, beyond some from the Guard Room and the Tavern as well as the Throne Room.  Gotta admit to finding the last one a little intimidating as I just don’t know what to do with either the carpet or the wall hangings.  I better decide quickly, Terrain Crate2 just verified my shipping address and word is the rewards will be en route soon.

I finished off the last two sets of Reaper Bones floor tiles this weekend.  Not sure how I will use them in games yet but I know they will be fun backgrounds for photographing the rest of Mantic’s Terrain Crate pieces.

Okay, these pieces are from the Reaper Bones4 Kickstart rewards, not Terrain Crate, but I have already shown one of them with Bilbo’s Map and I still have yet to set up a Reaper Bones Project Blog.  So I am posting my progress here as they fit the theme.  There are four different double sided tiles, so eight different surfaces and I have finished two sets.  Some of them look like they were designed to be combined.  While they fit perfectly with my Secret Weapon Dungeon Tiles, they also work well all on their own.

As soon as I saw the parchment pieces in the Barracks set I knew what one of them had to be, the map from the front of The Hobbit, or as I think of it, Bilbo’s Map.  As fellow Tolkieniphiles  I think @brennon and @dracs will appreciate this one.

I wanted to show it at an upcoming convention, KublaCon but it lacked something all on it’s own.  That’s when I realized I could just Blu-Tac Terrain Crate pieces together to make a nice frame work.  To be honest, there was less of the Blu-Tac showing when I entered it and it has gotten a little messy since.  Add in one Bones4 Dungeon Tile and I had a vignette.  I have to admit that while I am pleased with the display solution it is the map itself I’m proudest of.  It came out better than I thought my old eyes and arthritic hands could muster.  Chuffed to say that despite the BluTac it earned a gold.

Now, what am I going to paint on the other two parchments?

With completion of the last Mine and Treasury details I have now finished all the pieces that came in the Dungeon Crate. The following two images are the two sides of the contents sheet. The gallery is of these recent pieces.

So here are shots of the full sets.  Well, minus the white plinth from the Treasury I painted previously as I seem to have misplaced it.