Not the usual map making medium

[Tonnichiwa]

Hello everyone,

Today I wanted to share with you all my completed map project that I have been working on for two years. This isn't the standard map making project though because I am not drawing a map by hand nor am I using computer aided drawing. This is a map I created using Games Workshop's hex map system called Mighty Empires and mixed it with their other hex map system called Planetary Empires. Once I figured out what pieces from those two systems I wanted to use, I put the map together to see what it would look like. Then I sat at my painting desk and painted every single map piece. I didn't time myself so I am not really sure of the exact length of time it took me to paint this but after two years this is the end result. I just thought you all might like to see it.

I use this map for my Warhammer 40,000 Campaigns.

Enjoy.

EDIT: Sorry about the weird angles on the pictures, I can't seem to get them to load up at the proper angle.

[Chick]

That's a pretty amazing project! Sure looks like a nice job, too

[Tonnichiwa]

Thanks Chick! Yeah, it was quite a labor of love. I've been fascinated with maps for many years so when this mapping system came out I bought 3 copies and began painting. There are 45 tiles in each set and each one except for the mountains, airports, and the large city are double sided so you can mix and match many of the tiles to whatever kind of map you feel like making. You can make the map resemble a fantasy world or a futuristic world. They also come with many different 3d cities or bunkers and in one case, even a dwarven brewery!

The funny thing is, a lot of people think it is the 3d version of Settlers of Catan and that it came pre-painted....If they only knew!

Anyway, thanks again for the kind words.

Cheers,

Tonnichiwa

[arsheesh]

Huh, that's pretty cool! I have no familiarity with the game, but seeing this makes me want to play it. Great job man.

Cheers,
-Arsheesh

[Tonnichiwa]

Thanks Arsheesh!

[Sapiento]

Very unusual, very cool!

[Tonnichiwa]

Thanks Sapiento!

[Greg]

Really cool and well done idea. Thanks for all the photos for us to appreciate you efforts fully!

[J.Edward]

Indeed, very cool. Very nicely done.
Did you make the click-together hexes? Those are cool.

[Tonnichiwa]

@GLS: Thanks! You're welcome, I wanted to show people all of the little details on the map that are hard to see unless you get close and at the right angle. For the Volcano, I drilled a hole in the mountain and then painted the lava coming out of it so that it looked like the lava was cooling on the sides as it came out. I've got more hexes that have rivers on them and I will be transforming them into beaches in the future. It should look really cool when its done.

@J.Edward. Thanks!, sadly, no, I didn't make the snap together hexes, a wargame miniatures company did. They are called Games Workshop. They made two different sets of these hexes. One for a fantasy style map called Mighty Empires, and one for a futuristic looking planet called Planetary Empires. Sadly, since the re-structuring of Games Workshop in mid 2015 with a new CEO, they have stopped making the Mighty Empires set and you can only get the Planetary Empires set from them.

When I bought the sets a few years back, each set cost me $45.00 American. The extra large city on the center tile that you see cost me $8.00 American dollars for two hexes. Now, if you do a search on Games Workshops website for Planetary Empires, you can still get it, but it will cost you $57.75 American per box, and the extra large city tile is now $10.00 for two hexes.

You might still be able to get the Mighty Empires set from Ebay, and there are three map pieces that you used to be able to get and cannot unless you go to ebay. They are the Wizards tower, the Dwarf Brewery, and the Orc Idol.

Oh yeah, they also used to make a tile that had the rivers coming together (you can see one on my map), but they don't make that one anymore either, so again, maybe on Ebay.