It can’t be overstated how much a fully painted battlefield adds to a game. Necromunda is no exception – two gangs clashing on a Zone Mortalis board is a thrilling spectacle. Today, we’re joined by Matt Crowther of Sprues & Brews, who painted just such a battlefield and is here to share how he did it. Take it away, Matt.
Matt: There is nothing cooler having a battle over a table of painted scenery, and this is never more true than in games of Necromunda. When the Dark Uprising box came out, we got claustrophobic Zone Mortalis terrain in plastic. This allowed us to put together the twisted, filth-ridden corridors of the underhive in our own homes!
Excited to build my own little corner of the underhive, I snapped up a couple of Dark Uprising boxes along with some Zone Mortalis Floor Tile Sets. This gave me enough scenery for multiple layouts and varied set-ups for my games of Necromunda. I was conscious that I wanted to get these kits ready to hit the battlefield as soon as possible, so I came up with a colour scheme that is really quick to paint up, while still looking good enough for my gangs to fight over.
The first job once you have assembled the scenery is to get everything primed. I used Chaos Black spray here, as this base would work well with the dark colours I wanted for the scenery and allowed me to cheat a little by leaving this darker black in the recesses for some easy shading.
Next, while the black was still drying, I quickly added the rest of the base colours. You may well be calling the Inquisition to report me for heresy against painting here by not allowing the primer to dry properly, and normally you would be right! However, letting the colours run together really adds to the overall effect of a filthy, grime-ridden industrial complex. For this stage I used an airbrush and the Citadel Air range, but this can be easily replicated with Citadel sprays. Just make sure you are using short, contained bursts of paint.
First up were the silver sections. Using Leadbelcher, I sprayed all the metallic areas, including the pipes on the top panels of the columns, the staircases, and the panel edges on the tile set. At this stage you don't need to worry too much about keeping things neat and tidy, as any overspray will be covered by the next few steps and will add to the worn, lived-in feel that we are going for here.
With the silver down, the next step is getting some colour on the main surfaces. For this I used Mechanicus Standard Grey Air, focused on the raised areas. Make sure to leave the darker base in the crevices. I highlighted this with a stronger blast of Mechanicus Standard Grey. This gives the raised areas more definition and brighter colour while leaving a transition down to the dark base colour. On the tiles, I used this same principle by giving the centre of each tile a stronger, more solid layer of Mechanicus Standard Grey while fading out towards the edges. Take your time here, as getting this down across the pieces consistently really adds to the overall effect.
With the base colour sorted, it was time for the really fun, really messy part. I'd recommend putting down some paper here to protect your work surface, as there's lots of potential for making a mess – appropriate, as we’re adding some realistic filth and grime across all the scenery pieces. While you could apply these in specific areas, what I find is that it tends to look a lot more realistic if this is allowed to flow and spread randomly across the pieces.
With the largest Shade brush I had, I liberally spread water all over the scenery and tiles. You don’t want to be subtle here – absolutely flood the surfaces with water and allow it to pool in areas.
Next, I used the same large brush to heavily apply Agrax Earthshade and Nuln Oil to the wet areas. I allowed it to flow and spread as it pleased. The colour starts to pool naturally in areas that water and muck would in the Underhive, making the final effect look a lot more realistic. It's important here to not try to control where this paint flows – let it go where it will. It may look like you’ve gone over the top at this point, but don’t fear!
For some more realistic weathering, I used weathering powder to add much more filth to my terrain. I sprinkled it into some of the pools of water and again allowed it to flow naturally into the crevices. You can also apply this in areas directly with a wet brush. Focusing on areas where the dirt would collect will strengthen how realistic this will eventually look.
I left the scenery to dry overnight. In the morning, all the water had evaporated, leaving the colour from the washes and the pigment from the weathering powders behind. This is a surprisingly effective technique and a really easy way to get a large battlefield ready without spending a long time highlighting and shading the individual pieces.
For variety, I added spot colours in the form of signifier markings on the doors and hazard stripes on the floor tiles. These are really easy to do by masking off areas on the models with tape, then spraying with a colour such as Averland Sunset. If you don't have an airbrush, you can use a small piece of sponge to spread the paint over the masked area. Once dry, carefully remove the tape to reveal your nice, sharp hazard stripes!
That’s how I got my Zone Mortalis scenery ready for the battlefield as quickly as possible. Why not give it a try, and create your own filthy corner of the Underhive.
Thanks, Matt, for the detailed guide! If you’re inspired by Matt’s work and decide to create your own Zone Mortalis battlefield, you can get started with a Floor Tile Set and a pack of Columns and Walls. Remember to share the results with us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.