Pillars of Darkness
BUILDING A DARK ELDAR TOWER

On worlds inhabited by the Dark Eldar, great spires as black as obsidian reach towards the night sky. The contents known only to their keepers, one can only guess at the horrors that lie within.

Dark Eldar Tower

Materials for this project include a sheet of foam board, a section of 4" diameter plastic tubing, a small plastic lid or dome slightly larger than the circumference of the tube, a variety of sizes of wooden dowels, and at least two 24"x 36" sheets of hardboard or MDF.

Click on the images below to see a larger picture.

STAGE ONE - PREPARATION

 

To make the graceful buttresses that will support your tower, start by creating a template out of foam board. Try to make a shape with large sweeping curves that taper into a point. When you’re happy with the shape, trace the template onto the MDF eight times (or fewer depending on how many buttresses you want) and cut these shapes out with a band saw. Next, mark your base with a crosshair pattern by using a compass and a ruler. When you’re done it should look something like a star of Chaos. This will serve as a guide to keep your buttresses evenly spaced. When your cross-hairs are drawn, trim the edges of your base until you have an irregular shape. Bevel the edges of the base with a belt sander, and you’re ready for construction.

Stage One - Preparation

 

 

STAGE TWO - ASSEMBLY

 

Use the cross-hairs on the base as a guide and superglue the tubing and side pieces together. When this step is complete, glue the dome atop the tube. When everything dries, use a power drill and make holes along the sides and on top of the tower. Be sure to choose a bit slightly larger than the size of your dowels. Glue the dowels into place. Texture the base by gluing down sand and rocks with wood glue, and the construction phase is complete.

Stage Two - Assembly

 

 

STAGE THREE - PAINTING

 

Prime the structure black and use a variety of spray paints (purple and blue in this case) to bring out the colour of the structure. Spraying about 2' from the tower and lightly misting the surface should keep the effect subtle and attractive. This technique requires a bit of practice, but if done properly, the end result is quite attractive. When satisfied with the spraying, paint the base to match your gaming surface, highlight the very edges of the tower by hand, and pick out the dowels with a contrasting colour.

Stage Three - Painting