Space Hulk - Massive Deathwatch Space Hulk Crawl

Space Hulk Construction:

This Space Hulk Crawl was constructed of very few materials.  The rooms were built of black-black core foam core with some paper and a few “Hirst Arts” plaster casting accessories.  The corridors were built using short sections of 1 1/4″ pvc pipe holding aloft foam core walkways.  Buttresses are attached foam core, floor grating was made of needlepoint plastic mesh (Granny Grate).  Warning stripes were just printed paper glued down and piping along the sides made of painted bamboo skewers.  Panel lines and rivets are drawn on white pencil.  Blast doors are printed paper sandwiched with mat board so they are easily removable for effect.  Laying the sections out on a black tablecloth gives the illusion of bottomless depths…the feeling of danger and one step away from the disaster.

Other decorative elements are made of mat board, paper tubes, and more PVC pipe.  Bogus ladders were made of foam cord, construction staples and parts of a paper clip.  The Savior Pods were made from irrigation sprinkler heads as was the boarding torpedo.  The boarding torpedo  was easily constructed by rearranging the parts inside the sprinkler head, cutting out a cockpit, adding some foam core fins, treble fishing hook grapples and half a Death Watch figure.  Everything was painted with cheap craft paint.  Blips were made of plastic golf balls painted fluorescent green.  The missiles were Estes Model Rocket part, easily obtainable.

To enhance game play everything is modular and made of separate sections and components allowing infinite possibilities for layouts.  As everything for the most part is made of paper and plastic tubes it was very inexpensive to build.  Everything fit in 3 plastic storage tubs for safe and easy transport.

Spotlight on the Deathwatch Boarding Torpedo:

The Mark 6 Imperial boarding torpedo is an essential piece of kit for the insertion of Imperial Space Marines forces into any Space Hulk or enemy capital ship.  Designed as a single use vehicle the Boarding Torpedo it is typically used to deliver 5 Marines as well as a Terminator.  As the pilot approaches the targeted entry point grappling hooks are deployed to assist pinpoint insertion.  Once the outer skin is penetrated the nosecone pivots, a boarding ramp is extended and forces are able to quickly deploy surprising any potential threats.

The Boarding Torpedo is made from a large “Orbit” pop-up sprinkler head used in irrigation.  The interior spring was removed, the sprinkler extended to its full length and the internal filter removed to be used as the main engine exhaust shroud.  Exterior detail was cut from fun foam and styrene rivets applied to the outside to give it Imperial character.  Fins were cut from a suitably sturdy material Styrofoam foam core.  Grappling hooks were made of treble fish hooks, filed down to prevent injury and inserted into the fins.  Booster engines were fashioned from discarded glue stick containers. The booster engines were attached using stand offs made from foam core as well to give it a menacing look.  The filter element was glued to the back and a domed egress hatch was constructed of hard foam and styrene.  A short section of styrene diamond plate serves as a boarding ramp.  Since this was a Boarding Torpedo used by the Deathwatch a spare Deathwatch figure was used as the pilot in an exterior blister cut from a medicine bottle.  Painted very Dark Grey with red accents purity seals were applied in commemoration of past victories.  A big hit at convention such a simple construction adds significantly to any 3D rendition of the ever-popular Space Hulk Game.

Spotlight on Walkway Platforms:

Simple, cheap and easy to build walkway structures were built using easy to acquire materials.  Everything is lightweight and easy to transport.  Modular construction allows for infinite variation and pieces are stable enough to need no attachments.

If so-equipped characters can jump across open space but are not allowed to enter room structures.  This gives the board 100% use of the entire board but in a very controlled way.  For gameplay it is assumed that scanning and preliminary C.A.T. activity has provided rudimentary mapping of the area so everything is generally visible but hardcore threats.  Pieces could be laid out one by one but I found this slowed the frantic pace the game needs to be successful.

• Black core foamcore
• Black core mat board
• 1 1/4″ O.D. pvc pipe cut to length
• Black Granny Grate…round and square
• Printed hazard stripes
• White  pencil or pen
• Bamboo skewers/meltable “Perler” beads
• Hotel pass card to make a template
• Hex styrene rod (optional)
• White Glue
• Paint

The images below show parts and pieces of  typical walkway sections showing supports with side buttresses, the walkway frame and dress elements to give it character.  It is intentional that there are no side rails in this design offering plummeting down into the black void a real threat.  It is important to note that while the grid is 1 1/2″ square to acc0modate larger models a 5/16″ edge boarder is added for hazard striping.   A black and gray pallet was chosen to reinforce the scary, grim dark of the environment and to contrast with painted models.

Spotlight on Intersections:

Decision points are a critical part of any Space Hulk game.  To that end a couple types of intersections help spice up the game.  Small intersections provide a cramped environment which might need careful tactics to achieve good fields of fire.  Larger intersections provide variance and interest as a space that can have an item of interest or purpose. Intersections simply abut adjoining straight walkway sections.

Doors can be opened with or without extreme efforts.  Slotting between a sandwich of mat board they can identify the purpose of the next room or be blank as part of a simple passage.  Intersections can have one or more doorways depending on the scenario.  A bright red strip of mat board helps define the floor from the walls.  Simple corrugated scrap booking paper helps break up the space and provide color.  Other bits and bobs can be attached to the walls as desired to add interest.