Lead Adventure Forum
Miniatures Adventure => VSF Adventures => Topic started by: Westfalia Chris on March 17, 2012, 11:08:24 PM
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Hi all,
got bitten by the Dystopian Wars bug when I bought two blisters just to paint them, and a week and two games later, I have this 1500p fleet... o_o speaks volumes for my resolve not to start new game systems, but the DW stuff is so lovely. I adore the cuddly (for lack of a better word) heft of the designs, and the casting quality is great to superb.
I went for Antarctica first, as I really, really liked the designs (a fleet, half of which looks like the Disney Nautilus' second cousin), and I may actually go for another, smaller one now that I now how the games play out; I'm leaning towards the Japanese due to the outrageously charming streamline locomotive style, but will wait for the Russians to come out. If those are as spot on as the recently-released French, stylewise, I may go for the Czar's fleet instead.
Also contemplating what kind of scenery to get. I built a quick 6x4 table out of MDF, paint and transparent adhesive foil, but I still wonder what kind of terrain would not look too out of place. You may recall my short foray earlier this year into Foochow 1884, and I'm still leaning to a naval yard and one or two coastal batteries, with maybe a coaling station thrown in, but I'm still unsure if they can actually be built in a reasonable size that looks proper but does not take up too much manoeuver space.
(http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg236/Christian_S_1979/Modelling%20and%20Miniatures/Dystopian%20Wars/CoA_Task_Force_Leibniz.jpg)
Battleship and Escorts:
(http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg236/Christian_S_1979/Modelling%20and%20Miniatures/Dystopian%20Wars/CoA_BB_Aristotle_and_Escorts.jpg)
Armoured Cruisers:
(http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg236/Christian_S_1979/Modelling%20and%20Miniatures/Dystopian%20Wars/CoA_CA_Zeno_Squadron_1.jpg)
Cruisers:
(http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg236/Christian_S_1979/Modelling%20and%20Miniatures/Dystopian%20Wars/CoA_C_Plato_Squadrons_1_2.jpg)
Destroyers:
(http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg236/Christian_S_1979/Modelling%20and%20Miniatures/Dystopian%20Wars/CoA_DD_Plutarch_Squadron_1.jpg)
Torpedo Boats (actually they are called frigates, but I always refer to them otherwise):
(http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg236/Christian_S_1979/Modelling%20and%20Miniatures/Dystopian%20Wars/CoA_FF_Diogenes_Squadrons_1_2.jpg)
Some more frigates, with a single bow chaser:
(http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg236/Christian_S_1979/Modelling%20and%20Miniatures/Dystopian%20Wars/CoA_FF_Thales.jpg)
Some land-based air support:
(http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg236/Christian_S_1979/Modelling%20and%20Miniatures/Dystopian%20Wars/CoA_Ptolemy_Bombers_VB-1_Red_Flight.jpg)
(http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg236/Christian_S_1979/Modelling%20and%20Miniatures/Dystopian%20Wars/CoA_Ptolemy_Bomber_Closeup.jpg)
Really love the little ships, and the game plays great.
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Your fleet looks great, very daunting and definitely a fleet to contend with. I too enjoy Dystopian Wars, however my main complaint is whoever put the rule book together did a very poor job as far as organizing the rules in any particular order. :(
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Great looking fleet, Chris. :-* :-* :-*
We also dipped our toes in the water with this game.
We had our first game of this last weekend seemed like fun.
I am thinking of a prussian fleet with my brother going for the new french.
Not sure about scenery either. So will watch this thread for ideas.
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Very nice. I picked up a brand new set of the rules at Cold wars for $10 so I'm itching to give the game a try.
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I am thinking of a prussian fleet with my brother going for the new french.
That's going to be an interesting matchup. I really like where they went with the french, design-wise, and the Prussians are interesting to play, rules-wise, with their short-range and boarding potential.
Not sure about scenery either. So will watch this thread for ideas.
I was complaining to my brother (who plays an American fleet) that with the "official" forums still offline, there is only a handful of DW stuff to be found on the web. Now that you two are getting into the game, though, I'm sure that will change for the better! :-)
Anyway, in our games, we found that some LOS blockers are quite useful, plus some items to impede movement to some sizes of ships. I'm personally leaning to having bigger islands or port installations towards the board edges, which means they'll somewhat "funnel" movement towardsthe table center and serve as a visual backdrop rather than dwarving the ships. I'll try to upload pics of what I built so far later today.
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Very nice. I may be tempted to get into this game.
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The miniatures are astonishing and even perplexing in detail, but every time I hear anything about the rules it is utterly negative. ???
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We had limited success with a league here, but never heard serious complaints about the rule set.
Also contemplating what kind of scenery to get. I built a quick 6x4 table out of MDF, paint and transparent adhesive foil, but I still wonder what kind of terrain would not look too out of place. You may recall my short foray earlier this year into Foochow 1884, and I'm still leaning to a naval yard and one or two coastal batteries, with maybe a coaling station thrown in, but I'm still unsure if they can actually be built in a reasonable size that looks proper but does not take up too much manoeuver space.
Have you looked at the Amera stuff?
http://www.amera.co.uk/product.php?range=u
It's supposed to be for the Uncharted Seas, but I picked up the Island and Harbour set, and with the exception of the largest ships, looks like it'd work fine but leave plenty of space. Well, you sort of want challenges with 'terrain'.
Says volumes about my completion anxiety issues that it's neither mounted or painted yet, though.
Doug
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The miniatures are astonishing and even perplexing in detail, but every time I hear anything about the rules it is utterly negative. ???
Well, you won't hear it from me. The rules themselves are perfectly solid and make for an extremely enjoyable game with lots of explosions, but the book's sequence of presenting them makes getting into it quite daunting for the beginner. In our first games, there was a lot of fore-and-backflipping involved, and the index, useful as it is, could be better as it is not strictly alphabetical, but topical.
But once you get into the game and make use of some of the playsheets (the new one that comes with the 1.1 rulebook and the firing matrix from the older one), it flows quite nicely. I hope to use flyers in our next game on Wednesday, and will be facing a French fleet tomorrow evening, so I'll hopefully get some idea how a substantial amount of aviation integrates with the rules.
Have you looked at the Amera stuff?
http://www.amera.co.uk/product.php?range=u
Yes, I have (but thanks for pointing it out) - not bad at all, and I had some Amera thingies in the past which I was rather happy with. That said, in the time it would take me to order (and receive) some of those items, I could build islands from styrofoam at a fraction of the price and with more haptic enjoyment (they are great though, and if I didn't have to order them but could get them in a store where I live, I would certainly get at least the island set).
Maybe I should clarify that I am not really stumped by the act of building the stuff, but rather deciding WHAT to build, and how - better to do them as islands or peninsulas, and/or as a four-part set that can either slot together to form a large-ish island or be placed on their own in corners... I tend to get caught up in the planning stages and then run out of time to actually build it.
But the main issue is the playing surface, and that is all done. The rest is window-dressing, and honestly I am not too fond of having naval scenery pieces unless they form part of the scenario. Looks a bit strange, IMHO. I'll admit, though, that in a game like Dystopian Wars, where you are not obliged to use "historical" formations and tactics, having LOS blockers is quite useful.
I'll probably go for flat-top islands which allow the placement of various items, so it could be an island fortress or a small settlement. Having lived in Hull for the last few years, I had thought about doing the north coast of the Humber estuary, but that would be a bit boring after a couple of games, even if one takes into account its stunning, entrancing natural beauty.
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I love this game since I picked it up in Derby last October have been a complete addict.
For scenery I've played some great games with none at all where the onus is on manoevure and also some awesome ones betwen islands wher (as I am not a great modeller) hills and islands suffice as islands. The key our group has found, though, is to create depths of water for naval battles. That way the leviathans can't miss an island by a millimetre or so and plough on regardless.
So for example having areas small ships can cross but carriers can't adds some interesting dimensions to movement and means opponents have to worry about whether to take out the big capital ships or worry more about the corvettes and destroyers zooming over the board to close range where they are so hard to hit.
For the rules I think Spartan deserve a lot of credit for listening to gamers between the first and new rules. Tiny flyers now work really well and the ordering of the rules is much better, in particular AA and boarding IMO.
I am especially fond of the new critical hits where last week my carrier was picked up and dropped on my dreadnought causing general mayhem and considerable laughter!
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Lovely fleet, mate! :-*
Resisting this line is very, very difficult.
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Ah Ray join us on the dark side of Dystopian lol you know you want to.
Our club (Burton, UK) is working on the first (that we know of) tournament for later this year...
IMO as an addict it works well as a tournament idea albeit an unpredicatble one. Anyone else lost a battleship to two destroyers with torps lol
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Ah Ray join us on the dark side of Dystopian lol you know you want to.
Our club (Burton, UK) is working on the first (that we know of) tournament for later this year...
IMO as an addict it works well as a tournament idea albeit an unpredicatble one. Anyone else lost a battleship to two destroyers with torps lol
lol
Didn't have that much success with my torpedo boats, but I've used them primarily to go after cruisers so far. IMHO, the Diogenes is far more useful than the Thales, and I will be getting another pack so I can field three full squadrons, then see how that works out.
On the idea of tournaments, though, my brother noted during our last game (and I agree with him) that he wouldn't want to play Dystopian Wars in a competitive environment. I could see a multi-player campaign day working out quite nicely, but a tournament (depending on your local group composition) might not end well, especially when there are prizes involved. That said, I would like to hear how it turned out.
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Greetings
aah .. another one bitten by the bug... I mean by the forces lurking beneath antartica. :D It's interesting though as you are the first one (I know) who went for the antartica fleet. Most go, for whatever reasons, for the prussian fleet.
Have you seen the official Antartica Poster (http://www.spartangames.co.uk/wp/wp/wp-content/spartanimg/poster-coa.pdf) ? I love your's way better than our japanese one. lol
I own an Empire of the Blazing Sun Fleet and stuff. And with those bunker pieces (http://spartangames.co.uk/shop/index.php?route=product/product&path=62_64&product_id=513) available next wave my wallet will be more than empty ;D
You have an interesting colourchoice.
Thank you for showing
Jo
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i agree not an obvious tournament game but, and this is very much my opinion, I actually reckon it is a great tournament game.
My rationale? Well basically have played too many tournaments where power forces rule whatever you do. What I really love about DW is that however powerful your force is on paper there is a chance that an exploding dice will rip your strategy apart. That (and again it's just me) is the beauty how do you react to losing your prize ship against two snivelling corvettes in turn three of six. To me that's a real test. But I recognise for many it is not an obvious tournament game because of that!
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Greetings
aah .. another one bitten by the bug... I mean by the forces lurking beneath antartica. :D It's interesting though as you are the first one (I know) who went for the antartica fleet. Most go, for whatever reasons, for the prussian fleet.
Must be the Tesla coils. I cannot get over the fact that (in our world) Tesla would only have been 14 in 1870. :) Also, I don't think the Prussian ship designs are as "spot on" as the other ones; I think they present an "uneasy" mix of 19th century and 1930s design styles, and it doesn't really work except on the dreadnought. But their Zeppelins are awesome.
Have you seen the official Antartica Poster (http://www.spartangames.co.uk/wp/wp/wp-content/spartanimg/poster-coa.pdf) ? I love your's way better than our japanese one. lol
Ah yes... call me an art snob, but my FLGS proprietor offered me a complimentary poster of those TWICE, and twice I declined as I thought it so crummy that I even deleted the FREE PDF version from my drive. lol
You have an interesting colourchoice.
Thanks. I briefly considered doing splinter camo, but decided it would not work with the smooth lines broken up by the spherical turrets and stuff. I finally settled for the lagoon blue base with brass accents based on a Necron army I painted as a commissions some 6 years ago to give them a "non-military", more "artisan" feel. Furthermore, I'd imagine they'd be able to camouflage a moving fleet using some "shroud" generators on a strategic level - not much use in an engagement, but to prevent discovery by recon planes.
i agree not an obvious tournament game but, and this is very much my opinion, I actually reckon it is a great tournament game.
My rationale? Well basically have played too many tournaments where power forces rule whatever you do. What I really love about DW is that however powerful your force is on paper there is a chance that an exploding dice will rip your strategy apart. That (and again it's just me) is the beauty how do you react to losing your prize ship against two snivelling corvettes in turn three of six. To me that's a real test. But I recognise for many it is not an obvious tournament game because of that!
After re-reading, I noticed that I didn't make my reasoning clear, so sorry about that - I fully agree with you, the exploding die is the great equalizer, yet the main problem I see is with the (fiddly at times) movement and turning rules, and the pre-measurements.
I've seen too many games of Classic Battletech on maps to underestimate what disputes and tedious manoeuvering this approach can yield. If you have a "friendly" tournament with people you know, I guess it won't be that much of a problem, but considering that the "ship centre point" actually isn't that clearly defined on most models, that might provoke quite some discussion with the more competitive type. That's one thing I would do if I ever start a Japanese fleet - I'd place a rising sun roundel on the centre point of any vessel that can accommodate it, as an aerial recognition sign, fluff-wise, and to aid manoeuvre and aiming, rules-wise.
On a power output level, I agree - some fleets may have an edge over the others, but the exploding dice tend to pull them down to an even field somewhat.
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Hmmm interesting and useful insights. I reckon the movement is sorted in the new book which specofies measurement points for movement.
On the pre-measuring point you are completely right. I am thinking needs a little bit of thought before tournament playing. Maybe a measurement phase strictly time limited before each turn or even a pre-measurement limit by number might be in order I don't know yet.
Have to say have had a few games where, wearing appropriate bacon and eggs caps, have revelled in measuring everything and making suitably tactical significant hmmm noises as if I might receive inspiration. In a time limited game though can see that being a real pain.
Perhaps there is a balance to strike. I think the leveller aspects outweigh the other bits personally but does need thinking aboout. Chris you show much wisdom in your comments i need to mull over. Thank you
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Hmmm interesting and useful insights. I reckon the movement is sorted in the new book which specofies measurement points for movement.
I agree, in theory, the system is sound, and the templates handle turning etc. quite nicely, but some of the issues can be problematic. For instance, the "measure turns from the centre point" works if you have a visible centre point, or a base marked in the centres of its long sides; but for unbased ships, it can become an issue.
On the pre-measuring point you are completely right. I am thinking needs a little bit of thought before tournament playing. Maybe a measurement phase strictly time limited before each turn or even a pre-measurement limit by number might be in order I don't know yet.
The problem with that, as I see it, is as to how to enforce it. I wonder if a time limit for squadron activations could be implemented, such as 5-10 minutes maximum, but again, this is going to be lawyeristic and formal, and might take the fun out of the game.
Have to say have had a few games where, wearing appropriate bacon and eggs caps, have revelled in measuring everything and making suitably tactical significant hmmm noises as if I might receive inspiration. In a time limited game though can see that being a real pain.
It just drags on and on. I once witnessed a CBT game where a player (a bona-fide local anorak, I should point out) took about 10 minutes to move one of his mechs as he counted off hexes, trying to estimate his best options. The thing, again, is the type of players you come up against. In a local group, familiar with each other, it shouldn't be that bad.
Perhaps there is a balance to strike. I think the leveller aspects outweigh the other bits personally but does need thinking aboout. Chris you show much wisdom in your comments i need to mull over. Thank you
I definitely do not want to discourage you, but I do have grave misgivings whether DW is really open-tournament-friendly. I also admit I might be paranoid, having played a local 40k tournament cycle for a couple of years, and that tended to bring out some of the worst kinds of people, even though it was conceived and billed as a friendly environment.
Where I think DW shines is the possibility to have a multiplayer game, and possibly a campaign day format. If you design decent missions, with specific objectives for each of the players, I am sure this could be a marvellous event. I am currently pondering ideas for a CoA/FSA mini-campaign which my brother and I intend to play in two weeks time, and I hope that one works out as I plan.
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Yes, I have (but thanks for pointing it out) - not bad at all, and I had some Amera thingies in the past which I was rather happy with. That said, in the time it would take me to order (and receive) some of those items, I could build islands from styrofoam at a fraction of the price and with more haptic enjoyment (they are great though, and if I didn't have to order them but could get them in a store where I live, I would certainly get at least the island set).
Maybe I should clarify that I am not really stumped by the act of building the stuff, but rather deciding WHAT to build, and how - better to do them as islands or peninsulas, and/or as a four-part set that can either slot together to form a large-ish island or be placed on their own in corners... I tend to get caught up in the planning stages and then run out of time to actually build it.
But the main issue is the playing surface, and that is all done. The rest is window-dressing, and honestly I am not too fond of having naval scenery pieces unless they form part of the scenario. Looks a bit strange, IMHO. I'll admit, though, that in a game like Dystopian Wars, where you are not obliged to use "historical" formations and tactics, having LOS blockers is quite useful.
They can be beasts to work out, but I'm a fan of 'caught in the harbour', and I think the set looks perfect, wish (Edit: with) some special rules for fliers having to come around the mountain.
Doug
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You know Chris you might be completely right. Rather than a pure tournament of head-to-head games a campaign day might well be the way to go albeit still competitive.
I would love, though, to find a way through the lawyers and perfectionists and also not to have time ideas cause there are loads of people with Caesium clocks timing to the thousandth of a session.
Maybe if we do the tournament there is an over-riding rule. If the ref thinks you're being a c**k then you are and your battleship immediately sinks in a vortex that sucks your whole fleet with it into oblivion!
I jest
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Ahhh i do so enjoy playing dystopian wars, and the new rule book ,, still hard to find some bits is far superior to the prevouse rendition.
Im currently loving the land battles..
great looking fleet :)
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Hi all, some scenery pieces:
First, a rocky island with a CoA outpost. Not too happy with how the cupolas turned out, it's too futuristic, and a glass cupola framed in steel girderwork would have been better. Well, that's something for a future piece, then. :) The piece includes a pushlight from Poundland to illuminate it from the inside.
(http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg236/Christian_S_1979/Modelling%20and%20Miniatures/Dystopian%20Wars/Scenery_CoA_Base.jpg)
A volcanic island. This one also has a light source integrated, this time a flicker LED to illuminate the cloud from below. A bit weak, though, and therefore only really visible in dimmer ambient light. I like how the foliage worked out, though, and my only complaint with it is that I didn't have enough clump foliage left to cover the whole island surface right to the cliffs.
(http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg236/Christian_S_1979/Modelling%20and%20Miniatures/Dystopian%20Wars/Scenery_Volcania.jpg)
A little lighthouse made from model railroad printed brickwork sheet. Drastically overscale bricks, but they work with the Dystopian Wars design aesthetics (regarding planks et al). Slight irony: this one is NOT illuminated.
(http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg236/Christian_S_1979/Modelling%20and%20Miniatures/Dystopian%20Wars/Scenery_Lighthouse1.jpg)
Some rocky cliffs, to work as LOS blockers on their own or to define a reef area as cornerpoints.
(http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg236/Christian_S_1979/Modelling%20and%20Miniatures/Dystopian%20Wars/Scenery_Rock_Cliffs1.jpg)
And a single-piece reef "template".
(http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg236/Christian_S_1979/Modelling%20and%20Miniatures/Dystopian%20Wars/Scenery_Reef1.jpg)
Thanks for looking, all!
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Very nice, indeed!
'it's too futuristic' seems apropos of CoA, at least.
If I have a problem with DW models, it's that for most of them. :-I
Doug
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So I painted up the dreadnought, which is a terrific piece of resin. I went for the all-energy turret loadout since it gives me decent long-range firepower and the option to link fire from the turrets and the broadsides at shorter distances.
(http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg236/Christian_S_1979/Modelling%20and%20Miniatures/Dystopian%20Wars/CoA_BB_Prometheus_and_Escorts_1.jpg)
Also, I painted up another little island, about 7" long and 1,5 high. More North Sea trouble rather than South Sea bubble, but it should work for any theatre of operations (except the polar regions proper).
(http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg236/Christian_S_1979/Modelling%20and%20Miniatures/Dystopian%20Wars/Scenery_Island_1.jpg)
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:-*
That is an impressive addition to a great looking fleet!
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When you’re on a golden sea
You don’t need no memory
Just a place to call your own
As we drift into the zone
;)
Cheers Chris, nice Atlanteans.. again!
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Deceptive piece of scenery would be a Sargasso mass.... ships not traveling at high rate of speed could be "bogged" down ;)
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WOW! those are sweet! :o :o :-* :-*
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Some little fortifications (Spartan Games resin pieces):
(http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg236/Christian_S_1979/Modelling%20and%20Miniatures/Dystopian%20Wars/Scenery_Forts_1.jpg)
(http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg236/Christian_S_1979/Modelling%20and%20Miniatures/Dystopian%20Wars/Scenery_Forts_2.jpg)
A lock I built for the campaign day we held today:
(http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg236/Christian_S_1979/Modelling%20and%20Miniatures/Dystopian%20Wars/Scenery_Gatun_Lock.jpg)
And my new aircraft carrier and aerial light cruisers:
(http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg236/Christian_S_1979/Modelling%20and%20Miniatures/Dystopian%20Wars/CoA_CV_Pericles_and_Wings.jpg)
(http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg236/Christian_S_1979/Modelling%20and%20Miniatures/Dystopian%20Wars/CoA_A_Icarus_Squadron.jpg)
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That carrier is pretty spectacular but I must admit I'm drawn more to flying stuff like the light cruisers.
If they do more of that for each faction.... o_o
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That carrier is pretty spectacular but I must admit I'm drawn more to flying stuff like the light cruisers.
If they do more of that for each faction.... o_o
It appears that the fleet lists have become quite definitive, and that would imply that the current spread of one superheavy, one large, and one medium class of aeronefs, plus a medium and light bomber for each faction seems to be the end of the line. Some seem to get a bit more, depending on whether it suits the faction fluff, and the French get a bunch of "skimmer" warships which look tremendous, but are tricky to handle in purely naval games.
That said, I'm eagerly awaiting the release of the Russian faction. I'll bet they'll include some kind of "Popovka" thingie, and I cannot wait to see how that turns out.
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Hi all,
after our campaign day last week, although a bit frustrated with my fleet's showing, I concluded that my Covenant Fleet now is pretty much rounded out with the stuff I want to play. Also, with some payment for commissions coming in, I decided to indulge my original desire and get a Japanese Fleet for some variation, both on a tactical (how they play) and strategic level (whom they will be able to fight without twisting the background fluff too much).
When I first noticed Dystopian Wars, it was the Empire of the Blazing Sun whose ships took my fancy first; I really, really like that streamline locomotive thing they have going.
So, I went to my FLGS and bought a starter box, a dreadnought and a pack of flak escorts, which would bring the fleet to a comfortable 1000 points (which, from our experience, is a nice compromise between game duration and tactical scope).
Those I painted over the last few days. Originally, I wanted to do them in a mid-stone grey, based on original camouflage, but in the end I settled for a darker green-grey tone, subsequently washed with a jungle green/black filter layer, with khaki and sepia wash for the deck and some muted white accents (smokestack bands and breech bags, and aerial recognition signs.
Anyway, here's the fleet. I don't plan to expand it much beyond that, except for a carrier element (which I cannot show yet), maybe a second battleship and a squadron of battlecruisers ("gunships" in DW parlance).
(http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg236/Christian_S_1979/Modelling%20and%20Miniatures/Dystopian%20Wars/RengoKantai_South_Atlantic_Squadron.jpg)
The dreadnought "Fusō", flagship of the South Atlantic Squadron.
(http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg236/Christian_S_1979/Modelling%20and%20Miniatures/Dystopian%20Wars/RengoKantai_BB_Fus.jpg)
Battleship "Satsuma":
(http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg236/Christian_S_1979/Modelling%20and%20Miniatures/Dystopian%20Wars/RengoKantai_BB_Satsuma.jpg)
Reconnaissance Frigate Squadrons "Ichi", "Ni" and "San":
(http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg236/Christian_S_1979/Modelling%20and%20Miniatures/Dystopian%20Wars/RengoKantai_FF_Screening_Squadrons.jpg)
Cruiser Squadron "Go":
(http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg236/Christian_S_1979/Modelling%20and%20Miniatures/Dystopian%20Wars/RengoKantai_CA_Squadron_Go.jpg)
And finally (for the time being) two wings of air support, torpedo bombers (green) and fighter craft (light grey)_
(http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg236/Christian_S_1979/Modelling%20and%20Miniatures/Dystopian%20Wars/RengoKantai_Air_Wings_1.jpg)
That's it so far. Next up, some more scenery pieces.
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You've done a great job on those Chris :-*
cheers
James
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Lovely paint job Chris :-* :-* :-*
I am afraid I ain't too keen on the ships though, they all look the same.
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Hi all,
I finished a couple of "cliché tropical islands" and would like to get some comments and critique, as I am not 100% convinced by the concept so far.
(http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg236/Christian_S_1979/Modelling%20and%20Miniatures/Dystopian%20Wars/Scenery_Tropic_Island_Prototype_1.jpg)
(http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg236/Christian_S_1979/Modelling%20and%20Miniatures/Dystopian%20Wars/Scenery_Tropic_Island_Prototype_2.jpg)
(http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg236/Christian_S_1979/Modelling%20and%20Miniatures/Dystopian%20Wars/Scenery_Tropic_Island_Prototype_3.jpg)
My main issue is the "flatness" of the "palm fronds". They look far less authentic as foliage than the Woodland Scenics flock I used for the other islands, and I am very much leaning towards the "volcanic atoll" variant rather than the coral variety that these prototypes should depict - I have actually already started a terrain set loosely inspired by Truk Lagoon Naval Base, but I still see some potential in the palm variant, but don't really know how to "unleash its full potential", if you'll excuse the marketingspeak.
Therefore, comments and critique are welcome, even more so than usual.
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I can get some fairly decent tiny palm trees from work Chris. Let me know how many you need :)
cheers
James
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I am loving the work on your fleets.
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Hi all,
I finished a couple of "cliché tropical islands" and would like to get some comments and critique, as I am not 100% convinced by the concept so far.
...
My main issue is the "flatness" of the "palm fronds". They look far less authentic as foliage than the Woodland Scenics flock I used for the other islands, and I am very much leaning towards the "volcanic atoll" variant rather than the coral variety that these prototypes should depict - I have actually already started a terrain set loosely inspired by Truk Lagoon Naval Base, but I still see some potential in the palm variant, but don't really know how to "unleash its full potential", if you'll excuse the marketingspeak.
Therefore, comments and critique are welcome, even more so than usual.
Have you considered a simple scribing of the fronds? A few pin scratches might do the trick. I'm a bit more uncomfortable with the size and the claustrophobic feeling of the inlet. However, then we would have the whole overcrowded table discussion. :D
Edit: I hate 'on second thought', a constant occurrence of mine. At this scale, wouldn't the palm trees be the size of pin heads?
Doug
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Have you considered a simple scribing of the fronds? A few pin scratches might do the trick.
I have to try that. The "fronds" are a type of metal-coated plastic (to make garlands or stuff like that) and are a bit too flexible to hold that, I'm afraid, but I'll try it. That said, I don't really want to do that on some 100+ palm leaves.
'm a bit more uncomfortable with the size and the claustrophobic feeling of the inlet. However, then we would have the whole overcrowded table discussion. :D
Well, those are not really supposed to be an entire atoll. The whole thing would be a set of them, and the individual ones are obviously "condensed scale".
Edit: I hate 'on second thought', a constant occurrence of mine. At this scale, wouldn't the palm trees be the size of pin heads?
Not necessarily so. Some palm trees can grow to be 30m/100ft in height, and some species have single leaves 12m/40ft in length, so in 1/1200 scale (which the game pieces are supposed to be in, ho-hum), the tree size I have (trunk height 10-15mm, frond diameter 11mm) isn't too far off, although a bit bigger than I would prefer myself.
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A really cool looking fleet.
Not something I would usually look at getting into,
but enjoy looking at what you have painted.
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Hi all,
over Easter, I built a couple of scenery pieces which will eventually form a set inspired by "lagoon style" naval bases such as Pearl Harbor and Truk Lagoon.
First off, a high-power Radiotelegraph Station:
(http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg236/Christian_S_1979/Modelling%20and%20Miniatures/Dystopian%20Wars/Scenery_Naval_Base_01_Radiotelegraph.jpg)
Next, an airfield, with some EotBS flyers for scale. I'll have to retouch the tarmac'ed surface, though, as the markings are far too untidy for my liking.
(http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg236/Christian_S_1979/Modelling%20and%20Miniatures/Dystopian%20Wars/Scenery_Naval_Base_02_Airbase.jpg)
An ammunition storage facility built into the caves of another island. The buildings on top are separate pieces for variability - could also place an AA tower on top...
(http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg236/Christian_S_1979/Modelling%20and%20Miniatures/Dystopian%20Wars/Scenery_Naval_Base_03_AmmoStores1.jpg)
(http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg236/Christian_S_1979/Modelling%20and%20Miniatures/Dystopian%20Wars/Scenery_Naval_Base_04_AmmoStores2.jpg)
And finally, for now, two smaller islands in the same style as filler pieces.
(http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg236/Christian_S_1979/Modelling%20and%20Miniatures/Dystopian%20Wars/Scenery_Naval_Base_05_SmallIslands.jpg)
I'm planning to build two more island pieces, one coaling station featuring fuel tanks and coal silos, and a wharf, although in place of the latter, I might build a floating drydock instead.
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Damn you, Westfalia Chris. Damn you. That is some damned fine work and you've sold me on Dystopian Wars. Damn you. :'(
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:o
Yikes!
Those came out really sweat! ;D
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Very nicely done Chris :-*
Do you still want some decent looking palm trees?
cheers
James
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Very nicely done Chris :-*
Do you still want some decent looking palm trees?
cheers
James
Hey James, really sorry as I must have failed to reply to your original post somehow. Yes, of course, I would be most interested, but could you post (or PM me) a link to the manufacturer or a picture of the trees? Wouldn't want you to go into all that trouble to get those, and then find out they are too large (about 1-2cm high and about 1-1.5cm across for the fronds would be great).
Damn you, Westfalia Chris. Damn you. That is some damned fine work and you've sold me on Dystopian Wars. Damn you. :'(
Ah, to corrupt the resolve of stronger men, and to hear the lamentation of their women as more stuff clutters up the house... lol
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Chris,
I really like this. Some of your best work that I have seen so far :o
LB
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Okay, I'll mark these as the perfect compromise of table space saving and crunchy beauty. "as the markings are far too untidy for my liking." is too fiddly for me. lol
The local lads were playing with small hills as islands normally used for land battles in 28mm, and while they worked well enough, I shall show these images to show how it should be done. :D
Doug