Zona Alfa - New Anomaly

So, several times I've gone into local cheapy shops... the $2 shop... penny saver... reject shop... whatever they call them in your regional area.... looking for hobby 'stuff'. I don't have anything in mind normally. Something useable for quick and easy terrain filler perhaps. 

Yesterday I made the rounds in a local shopping hub, mainly looking for aquarium plants for use as mutated plants perhaps.

Instead I found this...

A glass globe on top of a 'garden solar nightlight thingemy'. Had a nicely visible crackle effect and was a suitable size. At 4 bucks it was hard to go past.

Used a diamond grinder tip on the dremel to cut off the threading and reduce the size a little. The bottom 1/6th was also without the crackle pattern.

Cut out and painted a simple mdf base and hot glued it on. Done. Didn't want an even larger base as the anomaly needs to theoretically slot onto the board next to a hot spot etc, and it's already quite large.

The mdf was painted with darker in the middle, hopefully implying a hollow depth inside the sphere.

It does have a connection line running around the centre of the sphere which I don't 100% love but it's not visible at arms length so [shrug].

One of the easiest and probably most effective pieces I've even done.  Almost feels like I cheated somehow. Where's the pain? The blood spilt to hobby blades? The burns from hot glue guns?

Couldn't resist a quick and dirty impromptu diorama shot...

I did toy with the idea of using the solar light setup inside the anomaly but decided against. In the STALKER game (which is my primary head-canon for what I make for the game) anomalies are mainly not visible. You might see a swirl of leaves, or a distortion of the air and what's behind it like a lens - but in general anomalies aren't glowing objects.  Even this one is more solid than they appear in the game.

In the end I just went quick and simple option and tbh I really like it.

I think it might end up mainly used as a focus point for missions due to the size of it. It's potentially a tiny bit large to drop onto all maps/terrain areas. Not sure. Am hoping to set up a board this (extra-long-)weekend.

And that's that.

Until next time...