Mike Radcliffe is one of the managers at the Glen Burnie store in the USA and is eagerly anticipating the release of the new High Elf Armies book. So, with pencil and paper in hand and an idea based on a old cardboard mansion, we left him to perform his magic and record the steps taken to transform this scenery piece from concept sketch to magnificent building.

My favourite High Elf scenery piece was always the mansion from the 'Tears of Isha' scenery pack. I wanted to make my version bigger to reflect a more senior nobleman's house. To start I first dug up my old White Dwarfs for some reference photos, then, after an initial sketch, I worked out some detailed plans.

Using my plans as a guide, I drew the individual patterns onto a single sheet of foamcore board. Foamcore is a great, cheap building material you can pick up at any craft store. The next step was to cut the initial foamcore patterns out and fit them together. I recommend a sharp hobby knife and a French curve (also available at craft stores) when cutting curvy shapes out of foamcore, take your time and make a series of little cuts - do not try to cut the curve in one cut. The pieces were fitted together with PVA glue and held in place with a couple of straight pins until the glue dried.

The decorative edging around the walls was made using a scallop shaped paper edger. You can can get a pair of these and some wildly-shaped hole punches from a local craft store pretty cheaply, and the effects they create can look really professional. I cut the edging out of thin card and cut some more strips of it for a layered effect.

To save money, I used the card inserts from a few White Dwarf issues back. The cardstock is thin, so it’s easy to cut. And, really, what am I gonna do with 2nd edition Warhammer 40,000 Wargear cards, anyway...?

The front doors were made from sheets of balsa wood scored with a hobby knife to resemble planks. I used a teardrop-shaped hole punch for the door plates behind the rings, and I made the rings by wrapping a length of wire around the handle of a needle file and cutting straight down the length of the coil with clippers.

Then, for the statue alcoves on the sides, I cut out the arches and layered some more decoratively-edged card around the insides of the openings to make them stand out more. Then, a piece of balsa wood was used to create the jutting edge, and I grabbed some scrap foamcore to make the back walls of the alcoves. Furthermore, another smaller door was added at the back of the mansion, about halfway up the wall.

The floor of the balcony was created from some more scrap foamcore, and I used some more thin card to make the railing. I drew a grid on the back of the card and alternated which squares I cut into with the teardrop hole puncher. Then I used the scallop edging shears on a bit of more card for the top of the railing and a thin strip for the bottom. All of this was held together with a bit of PVA glue, and then I started to make the roof.

This was basically one large sheet of card cut so that the peak of the roof overhangs both the front and back of the mansion. I used more PVA glue and straight pins to attach and hold it to the slopes of the front and back walls while it dried.

To make the towers on either side of the mansion, I started with the best and cheapest tower-like material: a toilet tissue tube. I formed two cones out of card and stacked the thinner, taller one on top of the wider, shorter one for a more Elven feel. Then I used a toothpick both to hold them together and serve as a banner pole later when I added the pennants. Then I cut some foamcore to match the bottom of the cones and glued it to the balsa wood supports I had edged with some card.

After the towers were done, the only things left to do were to add a few details. Click here to find out how I did the runic relief sculptures, and painted the mansion!