TTCombat CHROMA Gothic Ruins: 5 Tips To Not Go Crazy!

 

Hi folks,

A couple of people have posted about this kit from TTCombat and there is a consistent theme to the reviews; it is a grueling process. I have to say, I was also taken aback when the instruction document weighed in at 253 pages. Each piece of terrain has 20-25 instructions, ensuring that only printed surfaces can be seen from each angle This provides you with a great finish, if (and it is a capital IF) you can avoid a number of pratfalls. 

Here are my tips for completing this epic undertaking:

1) Be gentle when removing the pieces from the frame. They have a tendency to delaminate around the printed layer, which is hard like a shell. I pressed patiently with my fingers or a broken piece of frame. Sometimes I ran a hobby knife across the back to loosen some pieces. Some corners still delaminated, but I was able to glue them back together.

2) Sand rough edges and pieces that need to fit in small spaces. I used a course emery board for this, because they are cheap. The pieces have a tight fit, which is again great for the finish, but can require you to use huge amounts of force. Sanding a fraction off the "pegs" makes this so much easier. Just be prepared to be sanding... forever... with this kit.

3) I used a black whiteboard marker to colour over any sanded or exposed MDF, e.g. when gluing two pieces back-to-back you often get a light line between them. It is cheaper than spraying the back of each frame, which I know some other hobbyists have done.

4) The pieces are not numbered, you have to look at the shape carefully in the instructions then find them on one of the frames. One terrain piece will have parts across multiple frames. Many (MANY) pieces are almost identical, but not. Keep an eye out for distances between features on the terrain and the presence of straight or curved lines. Treat it more like a puzzle and you won't go crazy.

5) Sometimes the placement of pieces in the instructions is not clear, but if you look at the next step it shows you how the previous step should look like if done correctly. This is particularly useful for the rare occasions where steps are completely missing! 

At this stage I am falling a bit behind in my posts, mainly due to end of year work shenanigans. Hopefully, over the next couple of days I will be able to post the others terrain pieces I have been working on.

See you across the table,

Marc