"Ulakhan, Siberia - To Inspire Your Fantasy, Pulp, SF Terrain" Topic

I could see this isolated place in Yakutia, near the Arctic Circle (nicknamed "Granite Town" by today's tourists), easily becoming the backdrop for a Conan or other Fantasy film epic, or perhaps some SF Offworld, Prehistory, or VSF/Pulp Lost World explorers show or movie.

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But, MOST IMPORTANTLY, I can see these 65-foot towers of granite rising from the tundra as inspiring some of us to turn this into some awesome terrain for our gaming tables!

QUESTIONS
1) What other game genres could you make these for? What other uses do you see for them?
2) Would you make the columns out of cork layers, carved foam, paper mache, or something else? How would you replicate that granite texture?
3) How would you base them, to prevent them from tipping? Would you reinforce their interior with dowels?
4) How would you replicate those incredible colors and weathering?
5) Anything else?

Thoughts?

Dan
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More of those spectacular images can be found here:
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You can really see the grainy texture of the granite columns ("kisilyakhi") here.

Dan

Check out Devil's Postpile some time:

That must be the same type of stone as The Giants Causeway in Ireland:

Emckinney and Codsticker

Those basalt hex columns in your photos remind me of Nan Madol in the South Pacific. And of Gunung Padang.

Dan

Did anyone dig down to see if there is a Dragon sleeping here?

wow.

"basalt hex columns"

Columnar Basalts is the technical term, even.

The Siberian examples above don't appear to be the same sort of formation, but if the granites are weathering that way, the basalts buried deep beneath them might be columnar. Basalts weather a lot faster than granites, typically, so free standing basalt columns are rarer.

PzGeneral: "Did anyone dig down to see if there is a Dragon sleeping here?"

Perhaps it's Godzilla! Plus, apparently he's not alone.

If so, digging down just for curiosity might be a VERY bad idea. :)

Dan

Great pictures, thanks.

Big rock formations on a gaming table serve to block line of sight, to force units to go around them, to provide cover, to interfere with helicopter and possibly grav vehicle operations, and to provide very high firing platforms for snipers. And to look cool! Let's not forget that feature!

Oh, right, you asked specific questions:

1) What other game genres could you make these for? What other uses do you see for them?

They could be used in any genre or period.

2) Would you make the columns out of cork layers, carved foam, paper mache, or something else? How would you replicate that granite texture?

I think I'd go with carved foam or insulation regardless of the size, because it's fairly easy to work with, and isn't too heavy.

Plaster, clay, or modeling clay might work, but I'm not sure my plastic terrain box or my little folding dolly would handle the weight when I tried to take them to a convention -- never mind my back.

I'm thinking of 25mm games. For micro games with, say, 1:1000 ground scale, modelling clay might work. It would be faster than carving foam.

3) How would you base them, to prevent them from tipping? Would you reinforce their interior with dowels?

I would glue and, for larger pieces, nail them to an old clipboard (clip removed, of course), which I would paint and flock appropriately. A clipboard might hold multiple columns.

4) How would you replicate those incredible colors and weathering?

Spray primer – spray base coat – wash – dry brush – wash – dry brush.

5) Anything else?

See my opening comments on how to use them.

Angmar

Oberlindes: "And to look cool! Let's not forget that feature!"

So true! Who wouldn't want to play in the middle of a bunch of eye-candy wargame terrain, right? :)

Dan

Oberlindes: "for larger pieces, nail them to an old clipboard (clip removed, of course), which I would paint and flock appropriately. A clipboard might hold multiple columns."

I've found myself looking at clipboards a lot in the last few weeks. I used to be able to handle jig saws and such, but I fear that it's going to be a while before I can do so again.

There's gotta be an easy way to remove the clips though.

Dan

CC, you really need to make a trip to Idaho. Gooding City of Rocks and Craters of the Moon are only a couple hours drive from each other, but you're going to want to spend at least a day at each one.

Fly into Boise and I might even be able to play tour guide!

Wow, very cool. And yes, I need to start traveling again, and get to awesome places like those!

And, if I do make it out there, I'll definitely have you join us on the tours.

Dan

AMAZING photos! I love rocky terrain and have made a ton of it in my time, almost always using 1/8", 1/4", or 3/8" thick Masonite for the baseboards.

CC and Oberlindes: Nothing wrong with scavenging terrain baseboards from clipboards, but in my experience it's also pretty easy to have a small (2'x4' or similar) Masonite or other hardboard cut into multiple pieces of any size you'd like (within reason) for a very minimal added fee, and often for free, at the local lumber yard, larger hardware store, or Home Depot -- as long as you buy it, of course!

Haven't been there, but there's plenty of interesting stuff in Eastern Siberia, like Granite Pillars park near Krasnoyarsk
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or Stone forest in Khakasia

while we're in Khakasia, there's a number of micro-Stonehedges there…I've seen some of these several years ago.

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or this location in Uzbekistan

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Barin1

Wow, those are incredible! Thanks for the pictures and links.

Dan

Wow! This is incredible stuff! Thank you for posting, CC!

Alex

You know me. The moment I found it I had to share it. I just can't keep stuff like that to myself. :)

I hope it helps or inspires your projects.

Dan

Totally inspired, Dan. I appreciate your giving nature ;)

The look like the'd lend themselves to some Hound of the Baskervilles style setting – Victorian Pulp gaming? Or, a great setting for a game of Manna Press' Tribal rules using the Primeval supplement: link

I think I'd use foam with acrylic texture over it then paint. Hmmm. Really got to get myself a hot wire foam cutter.

Thanks mate, great inspiration.
Alan

…and been thinking about how I can integrate some LED lighting onto my tables – imagine a flickeding fire set in the middle of this – would look awesome. Cheers A

Alan

I agree. That fire would give it amazing ambiance.

Check these out:

YouTube link
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YouTube link

Dan

Dan, those links have sent me into a TP, tea light, PVA frenzy!
Thanks👍🏻
Alan

One type of rock formation down:

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Maybe it's time for me to try making these Siberian ones, don't you think? Of course, I could never make them anything to scale. Those things are absolutely huge! :)

Dan
PS. This other one could end up pretty massive too:
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Alex

You know me. The moment I found it I had to share it. I just can't keep stuff like that to myself. :)

I hope it helps or inspires your projects.

Dan

Heck yeah! This is great! Man… I want to hike there!