Lead Adventure Forum
Miniatures Adventure => Fantasy Adventures => Topic started by: Ramirez Noname on April 08, 2023, 08:34:36 AM
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Playing Frostgrave, Rangers of Shadowdeep and Dungeons and Dragons (amongst others) has meant I’ve built up a good sized collection of terrain and miniatures. What follows are the various projects I’ve been working on, including build details.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52785437038_4f0d14a960_c_d.jpg)
All set up ready for a game of Rangers of Shadow Deep …
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52784431972_3ed2b2b35a_z_d.jpg)
… and looking from the other way.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52785378500_21b1a2892b_z_d.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52785437053_b43f0936f9_z_d.jpg)
And some action shots of a couple of intrepid rangers exploring the area.
RMZ
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Brill 8)
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Very nice dungeon table!
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Thanks both,
Like most of the Rangers of Shadowdeep scenarios, the “Burning Light” campaign (which we are half way through) uses various sized “rooms”; for this (and other campaigns) I’ve built some recessed game boards from OSB and strip timber. The completed boards are double sided and the inlays are semi-modular and can be used in a multitude of ways.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52785246384_8925074b16_z_d.jpg)
Basic recessed board built and ready for removable styrofoam details
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52785463043_fd4a24c238_z_d.jpg)
The 10mm thick styrofoam fits flush with the top edge of the timber frame
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52785402465_1a85047ab8_z_d.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52785244159_ffc2974b8c_z_d.jpg)
Setting up the semi modular styrofoam sheets ; these will eventually be hand etched with a biro and then painted.
RMZ
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Great idea
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looks ace
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very nicely done.
How do you store the boards and "insterts"
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The terrain is excellent. Love the tile work.
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Thanks all,
How do you store the boards and "insterts"
Luckily enough I have a small workshop where I can store the boards and most of the larger piece of scenery.
RMZ
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I enjoy playing table top roleplaying games and always try and provide a bit of context scenery.for the players; this is very much to add a bit of flavour - although I have learnt not to include any superfluous bits and pieces as the players will only want to interact with them …
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52803292932_f088bbcc1f_z_d.jpg)
The adventuring party about to enter a small cave system, unaware of what is lurking just around the corner …
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52803292972_f27cc7480e_z_d.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52804106499_7e41c7f746_z_d.jpg)
Hearing the not-to-quiet party approaching, the Gnol bandits rush out of one of the caverns,m ready to ambush their unwary foes.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52803852121_12cd476797_z_d.jpg)
A Gnoll bandit waits with arrow knocked.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52803292982_b651f02c31_z_d.jpg)
Will the party survive or will they end up Captive?
The terrain is mostly Styrofoam textured with sand and painted and dry-brushed. The cavern detritus is parts from various Mantic “Terrain Crates”, Grendel, and other mankes, and the Gnolls are the Frostgrave ones with a bit of kit mixing to make the bandit leader. The hapless party are a mix of old Grenadier and a Frostgrave tracker.
RMZ
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Looks like a fun game! I like your approach to the caverns - I imagine they can do double-duty as low ridges and berms for “outdoor” settings.
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Thanks,
They are useful for outdoor adventures, too.
I managed to finish some individual ruins, which had been built a couple of years ago but not painted. A quick small town with some recently painted miniatures.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52855605492_b24f4abac6_c_d.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52856122936_519ec370a2_c_d.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52856561463_84e7cbcea4_c_d.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52856123056_c529f4398f_c_d.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52856290329_bdab68e48d_c_d.jpg)
Will the ruins ever be safe?
Styrofoam ruins and rubble piles with Oathmark soldiers and Colonel Bills warrior and treasure chest from Bad Squiddo.
RMZ
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Nice ideas, well realised and very well photographed. A most enjoyable topic.
Doug
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Great stuff. :)
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yeah I love the set up
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Very nice work
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Those buildings are superb - any chance of a tutorial on how you made them?
The miniatures are also a great bunch together - they form a very cohesive theme.
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Thanks for the positive comments.
A brief tutorial on making styrofoam ruins and detail (or at least, this is how I do them …)
Because we are running the “Burning Light” campaign for Rangers of Shadowdeep at the moment, a lot of my inspiration comes from the scenario details, otherwise I have a fairly clear idea of what I want the ruins, etc to look like.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52803292047_cab8ed65a0_c_d.jpg)
I usually start by etching the stonework pattern on to the styrofoam sections with a biro, having drawn a light pencil grid onto the sections earlier. I find the etching process quite therapeutic, and doesn’t seem to take too long to cover large areas such as dungeon floor tiles. The largest sheets I’ve worked on is 450 x 450 mm/ 18” x 18”. Any designs, such as circles or diagonal tiles can be lightly added with pencil before etching with a biro.I use cheap biros, which can be bought in quantity packs from places like Poundland/ Dollarama (?). The finished sections are “distressed” with a small stone wrapped in several layers of tinfoil which adds texture to the surface of the stone. By carefully pressing the covered stone into the surfaces and changing stone and styrofoam orientation, a believable finish can be achieved.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52785365250_6eda299735_c_d.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52785423623_e27f69e994_c_d.jpg)
With the individual parts etched and distressed, they are then glued together using white PVA glue, the joints being pinned whilst the glue sets. To add strength to the glued joints I usually score the styrofoam surfaces with a diamond pattern to increase the bonding area. Once set, the pins can be removed and the whole painted with a brush applied acrylic black undercoat.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52785377680_6afd511446_c_d.jpg)
Once the undercoat is fully dried (this might take a couple of days on rubble piles), I apply a dry brush coat of DecoArt “English Ivy”,followed by a slightly lighter dry brush with “Westport Grey” and a highlight dry brush of “Morning Mist Grey”. Occasionally, I may touch the highest point’s of rubble piles with a 50/50 mix of “Morning Mist Grey” and “Light Antique White”.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52872266328_3402394e0d_c_d.jpg)
For the cobblestone areas and details, they are dry brushed with “Cinnamon Brown” with a highlight of “Cashmere”. All paints are named are from the DecoArt range.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52785461443_63e48cc572_c_d.jpg)
Timber elements are built from balsa sheets, overlaid with coffee stirrers and painted in a variety of browns and khaki, usually finishing with a light dry brush of 50/50 “Cashmere” and “Light Antique White”. Large doors are made from strip timber and are fitted on wire loop hinges to allow them to be opened. Other doors are scribed balsa inserts, stained with Vallejo Game Colour Wash “Sepia Shade” and are friction fits to the openings.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52785461473_4c427e865f_c_d.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52785461453_3395313749_c_d.jpg)
For finishing touches I normally paint the exposed (undecorated) outer faces of the standing ruins a medium grey, which matches the recessed boards used for each scenario.
RMZ
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Very effective stuff. Those Deco Arts paints are great for terrain.
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Very effective stuff. Those Deco Arts paints are great for terrain.
They certainly are - I was lucky enough to pick up a load when the local art shop closed some years back.
RMZ
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A few more monsters and generic human infantry painted this month.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52934426225_3af74207be_z_d.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52933435087_8487d4447d_z_d.jpg)
A couple of Reaper Miniatures Moor Trolls from their “Bones” range.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52934033006_2edcdd738e_z_d.jpg)
Oathmark human infantry, with a few head and arm swaps from other kits.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52934033031_1d83da0b54_z_d.jpg)
Another novice, about to cast a spell. Frostgrave Wizard II.
RMZ
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Brill 8)
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Those all look excellent, smooth painting!
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Great terrain. The beauty of terrain making is that a few techniques can carry you to wonderful pieces.
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September already …
Here’s a few Oathmark Dwarves and Iron Gate Scenery Giant Centipedes painted recently.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53160272728_dee6fa1d62_z_d.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53159783801_17bc09f491_z_d.jpg)
And then letting them loose to rampage around a dungeon …
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53159648054_428b60601c_z_d.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53159866510_58ca521b93_z_d.jpg)
RMZ
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Lots to love in this thread. Great work! 👍
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I'm always impressed with people's creative abilities, and what we see here is a wonderful example. Your pictures are very nice too: I particularly love the trolls guarding the entrance of the dungeon / fortress... Thank you for posting, a lot of inspiration here.
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Great stuff Harvey, Only just caught up on this thread. Very nice indeed. :)
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Thanks for the positive vibes :)
Starting to hack around some more styrofoam to make some “ledges” for our next game of Rangers of Shadow Deep.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53165025773_a127fa7eef_z_d.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53164974310_25147cd58a_z_d.jpg)
RMZ
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Looking good. :)
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Very effective
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Looking good. :)
Thank you :)
Continuing our Rangers of Shadowdeep campaign, we played the “Laughing Columns” scenario from the Temple of Madness adventure a couple of weeks ago. Twelve columns are required for the scenario, so I quickly made these -
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53160540696_c0772120a1_z_d.jpg)
… and all set up to play -
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53160968245_d46f5440dd_z_d.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53159953467_0e4eff3510_z_d.jpg)
A great scenario to play with some interesting outcomes … our Rangers have now dropped into “The Pit of Ghouls”. I wonder what we’ll encounter ???
RMZ
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Very effective 8)
I wonder what we’ll encounter ???
Clowns!
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Very effective 8)
Clowns!
Blimey :o I hope not …. I haven’t painted any lol
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lol
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Great commitment to knock those off for one scenario. Effective as well. Excellent.
Doug
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Could split the difference and paint the ghouls wearing clown makeup…. Kind of a terrifying thought, actually. Would fit right into some Mordheim warbands, though (I’m thinking of someone on LAF’s Nurgle circus warband).
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Great commitment to knock those off for one scenario. Effective as well. Excellent.
Doug
Thanks Doug,
I enjoyed building and painting them and they’ll be useful for other adventurers in the future.
RMZ
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Could split the difference and paint the ghouls wearing clown makeup…. Kind of a terrifying thought, actually. Would fit right into some Mordheim warbands, though (I’m thinking of someone on LAF’s Nurgle circus warband).
Now there’s a thought …
But knowing what the “Rangers” scenarios are like there could be all sorts of beasties waiting …
RMZ
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I put together a few cultist a while back, and they made an appearance in one of our recent Rangers of Shadowdeep scenarios. The scenario also called for a specific beastman, and luckily enough I had one of the old Citadel Marauder minotaurs lurking around.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53531498081_36f1933760_z_d.jpg)
The Frostgrave cultist boxed set is also very versatile when mixed with other plastic sets< here are some cultist kit bashes which also make regular appearances in our scenarios
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53530601562_9674e3e3ba_z_d.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53531814694_1182c811fd_z_d.jpg)
These include bits from the Frostgrave soldier and the Mantic skeleton sets.
RMZ.
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Very cool!
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Brill :)
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Top stuff ;D
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Continuing our Rangers of Shadowdeep campaign, we played the “Laughing Columns” scenario from the Temple of Madness adventure a couple of weeks ago. Twelve columns are required for the scenario, so I quickly made these -
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53160968245_d46f5440dd_z_d.jpg)
A great scenario to play with some interesting outcomes … our Rangers have now dropped into “The Pit of Ghouls”. I wonder what we’ll encounter ???
Nice columns. I like the overspray for the effect of glowing runes. I tried something similar but failed (my purple was too dark to easily show the yellow).
Our group is most of the way through Temple of Madness too (albeit I'm converting to Sellswords). Is a fun little scenario set.
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More Rangers of Shadowdeep terrain produced.
Several of the later scenarios are set in a desert wasteland, with only sparse terrain required. One of the more unusual pieces is a hole in the ground with a lifting frame over it. This is my interpretation for it, along with a couple of work-in-profess phots.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53668357223_d534efb2b3_z_d.jpg)
The basic set up - a sheet of 10mm blue styrofoam cut to an irregular shape, with chamfered edges and a hole cut roughly central.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53668357228_5658619c25_z_d.jpg)
A timber base frame helps set up the pyramidal lifting frame.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53668496474_c5a9270927_z_d.jpg)
The finished piece, with sand texture ground cover and a few sickly yellow grass tufts. The hole has a piece of thin black card glued to the underside to give the impression of depth. Also, I quickly built a lifting winch from a few bits and bobs I found in my bits box.
RMZ
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Also required for the scenario was a barracks building. This was made out of scraps of styrofoam, textured and rendered with some ready mixed filler and dry brushed.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53668155701_5b66095248_z_d.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53668612840_1964cc4982_z_d.jpg)
The basic shell built and some preliminary stonework details added.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53668357233_a9f61dfb7b_z_d.jpg)
The basic building finished and awaiting painting
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53668496449_db713a30ce_z_d.jpg)
Undercoat.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53668357308_3c4b60e491_z_d.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53668370773_1e39854bf4_z_d.jpg)
Painted complete, inside and out.
RMZ
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And a few in-game photos
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53668599165_00083fa2f4_z_d.jpg)
A general view of the board setup.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53668357143_23fa5d86bb_z_d.jpg)
Lifting frame with a “Bones” Ogre as the muscle power.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53668177451_3a9f2064b2_z_d.jpg)
About to knock on the door …
RMZ
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Brill 8)
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Looks great! The scratchbuild is really impressive, certainly payed off :D
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Great building. I like the well too :-*
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Nice columns. I like the overspray for the effect of glowing runes. I tried something similar but failed (my purple was too dark to easily show the yellow).
Our group is most of the way through Temple of Madness too (albeit I'm converting to Sellswords). Is a fun little scenario set.
Thank you.
Hope you managed to get through the ToM.
RMZ
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Brill 8)
Thank you.
Hope you managed to get through the ToM.
RMZ
Looks great! The scratchbuild is really impressive, certainly payed off :D
Thank you.
I do enjoy scratch building :D
RMZ
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Brill 8)
Great building. I like the well too :-*
Thanks chaps.
Who knows what lurks down the well … :o
RMZ
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The barracks and “hole” turned out very well! Both could be handy for games in other settings, too.
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Great scratch building!
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Thank you.
I do enjoy scratch building :D
Clearly :D