Lead Adventure Forum
Miniatures Adventure => Age of Myths, Gods and Empires => Topic started by: xpalpatinex on 11 July 2012, 12:24:35 AM
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So after seeing the frankly bonkers yet amazing Harbor terrain by Frank http://leadadventureforum.com/index.php?topic=40074.0 (http://leadadventureforum.com/index.php?topic=40074.0) I decided to embark on a rather large project.
I have a good number of Classical Greek figures and wanted to try a skirmish/small battle game in a city fight style scenario. Sort of like an ancient Greek Mordheim. I've read all sorts of accounts of fighting to take the Agora of a town, defending the acropolis and battling through the streets as villagers throw clay tiles from the roofs.
I started small just attempting to bash together a quick Greek hut. The final layout will include a full table with a marketplace, temples, gymnasium, streets and a ton of houses.
Here is the first attempt during construction. Knocked together in an afternoon with some obvious mistakes (I'll call them learnings for now).
Here it is in bare foam
(http://i1149.photobucket.com/albums/o581/xpalpatinex/IMG_1123.jpg)
And now I've added texture and a roof. Apologize for the sketchy photos.
(http://i1149.photobucket.com/albums/o581/xpalpatinex/IMG_1136.jpg)
Next up is painting! And then I just need to do about 30 more buildings, carve some foam terrain boards, paint civilians and create some statues :o
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I off to fun island of Mykanos for little break,
I will keep my eyes open
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Welcome to the LAF! Sounds and looks like a promising start. Keep us posted! :)
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Looks fun! Will follow with interest.
Cheers, Simon
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Impressed already!
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Is that roof corrugated cardboard? If so, it looks surprisingly effective.
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The roof is corrugated cardboard cut into strips (roughly the size of tiles but scaled up) and glued onto the roof. Gives it a little irregularity which I think helps the look. I'm off to the paint shop (hopefully tonight) to get the larger sizes for my ground colors. Then I can get the next stage going on this test building. After that, onto some larger buildings I think.
Any advice on where to find stamped plastic sheeting/styrene in a course stonework pattern? Apparently they used stone foundations with plastered brick above that so I want to mimic the look.
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So i've done a quick update showing the painted model. This means house one is done and only about 20-30 more to go not including the larger buildings. I'll be working on a two story U shaped home next with a courtyard in the middle.
(http://i1149.photobucket.com/albums/o581/xpalpatinex/IMG_1141.jpg)
(http://i1149.photobucket.com/albums/o581/xpalpatinex/IMG_1143.jpg)
(http://i1149.photobucket.com/albums/o581/xpalpatinex/IMG_1149.jpg)
My reference materials have shown up in the mail so I get to start tackling slightly larger challenges next (slanted roofs intersecting). I learned a lot of things not to do on this first slapped together house so I'm expecting the next one to go better. I'm getting a better idea of what to create for the city setup itself but for now I'm just focussed on getting some houses done and improving my techniques.
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This is inspiring! Please keep us updated. I look forward to the rest.
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What did you use for the wall texture? It looks great!
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Small update since last time.
I'm happy with how my houses are coming along and need to do some city planning before I make to much progress. I needed to do a quick mockup and make sure I'll be able to create enough city walls to surround a portion.
Here is the beginning of that process...
Extruded Polystyrene sheet (2 inch thick) cut down so that the width is the length of my wall sections (11"). I decided on about a 7 inch wall height but that might change as I test them next to my buildings.
(http://i1149.photobucket.com/albums/o581/xpalpatinex/IMG_1156.jpg)
Here they are chopped down into the sections and ready to be sanded.
(http://i1149.photobucket.com/albums/o581/xpalpatinex/IMG_1158.jpg)
After that I scribed rock texture into them with a ball point to represent the rock base Greek walls were built on. This is pretty dull work and was accomplished while watching Alien Directors cut. Apparently in 5th century Greece they put about an 8' base of heavy rocks as a foundation and then built the mud brick wall above that (plastered over). You can see the height of the wall next to the figure. Currently it is to scale but sometimes you have to fudge buildings smaller to make them work in miniature scale.
(http://i1149.photobucket.com/albums/o581/xpalpatinex/IMG_1162.jpg)
Next up...more scribing, more planning, more buildings!
@Alxbates - I use basic wall spackle applied with a putty knife and then dry brushed.
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A very interesting project
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Very cool!
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Another small update. I textured and chopped one of the walls to make it look more like something to defend a city and less like a piece of cut up insulation foam. Still needs to be sanded and have texture added to the rocks section on the bottom. Then it is on to painting. After that I'll make some tower sections but I'm still planning how to do that.
(http://i1149.photobucket.com/albums/o581/xpalpatinex/IMG_1163.jpg)
(http://i1149.photobucket.com/albums/o581/xpalpatinex/IMG_1171.jpg)
Thanks
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Been busy working on this but not really updating as much as I should. Holiday weekend so I took the buildings I've got so far onto the back porch and captured some sketchy images. I've been mainly making generic buildings to fill out the town and finishing up the town walls. Here is the state of things so far.
(http://i1149.photobucket.com/albums/o581/xpalpatinex/IMG_1246.jpg)
I'm at 7 building complexes so now and need to get a bunch more done to round out the town. The mat underneath is just there for now. The final project will have terrain boards featuring the same texture/color as the building bases. There are also more wall and tower sections I just couldn't be bothered pulling them out for this.
Some more shots
(http://i1149.photobucket.com/albums/o581/xpalpatinex/IMG_1248.jpg)
(http://i1149.photobucket.com/albums/o581/xpalpatinex/IMG_1250.jpg)
(http://i1149.photobucket.com/albums/o581/xpalpatinex/IMG_1258.jpg)
Next up are some more specialist buildings, a terraced section and statues.
-Brinton
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:-*
Your city is coming around very nicely.
Looking forward to see your next creations.
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Yes, great looking buildings, will do justice to a game.
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Oh wow! :-*
That is one lovely town you got started there. Ok really need to steal your ideas. lol
What are you using for reference material?
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My reference primarily came from the following two books I picked up at the beginning of the project.
http://www.amazon.com/Greek-Metropolis-Franklin-Watts-Paperback/dp/0531153797/ref=pd_sim_sbs_b_1 (http://www.amazon.com/Greek-Metropolis-Franklin-Watts-Paperback/dp/0531153797/ref=pd_sim_sbs_b_1)
http://www.amazon.com/The-Ancient-City-Classical-Athens/dp/0195215826/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1346969205&sr=8-1&keywords=ancient+city (http://www.amazon.com/The-Ancient-City-Classical-Athens/dp/0195215826/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1346969205&sr=8-1&keywords=ancient+city)
Most of my info I got from the Peter Connolly book with just some inspiration and ideas from the more kids book by Watts. Honestly though, my own lack of modeling skill is keeping these from looking exactly like they should. Most buildings should have more connecting roof lines and larger walls surrounding courtyards. I kept things shorter for ease of play and had more single sloped roofs as they are way easier. The walls were made based on descriptions of Athens (stone base, plastered brick for the rest).
The idea was first to make a bunch of generic Mediterranean buildings and create the more specific "ancient Greek" stuff next. There will be a lot more columns coming soon. It's coming along and since I'm spending so much time on it I keep thinking of other uses for the town as well (Gustav line, Napoleonic Skirmish etc...). I'll be going for a certain amount of quantity wow factor to keep people from looking to closely at the individual buildings ;)
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Pretty cool, I will have to check them out. I was hoping to some day do some thing smiler, with a generic Greek/Rome/Mediterranean town. To use for Greek, Roman, and fantasy or alternate history games.
Keep up the good work and I will steal all of your ideas lol.
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Next update on the towns progress. I'm sorry for the lack of quality pictures...but I snapped these in-between other things and had to hurry.
1st up - a Stoa. These were administration/government/shop buildings in the Agora. Basically just a colonnaded open air building to the front.
(http://i1149.photobucket.com/albums/o581/xpalpatinex/IMG_1264.jpg)
I also knocked up a couple statues for placement around the city and general atmosphere. 28mm figures on columns.
(http://i1149.photobucket.com/albums/o581/xpalpatinex/IMG_1266.jpg)
(http://i1149.photobucket.com/albums/o581/xpalpatinex/IMG_1270.jpg)
I also made a small terraced building section to give some different heights to the town. I wanted to avoid the one large flat expanse some modular towns get.
(http://i1149.photobucket.com/albums/o581/xpalpatinex/IMG_1284.jpg)
(http://i1149.photobucket.com/albums/o581/xpalpatinex/IMG_1290.jpg)
(http://i1149.photobucket.com/albums/o581/xpalpatinex/IMG_1272.jpg)
(http://i1149.photobucket.com/albums/o581/xpalpatinex/IMG_1274.jpg)
Enjoy. I'm next going to tackle a prison and some more generic houses to round out things before starting the rather daunting temple complex. I might take a break soon and actually paint some figures for the project.
-Brinton
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They look great! Were did you get the columns?
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It's starting to look very impessive! The steps/heights are a very good idea.
Where did you get the figures for the tops of the column, please? Is that Socrates?
Simon
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Looks to me like Reaper's Socrates. :)
It's starting to look very impessive! The steps/heights are a very good idea.
Where did you get the figures for the tops of the column, please? Is that Socrates?
Simon
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Thanks Poiter. Ive not come across him, before.
Simon
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Columns are for cake decorating. Picked them up at Michaels (craft store in the US) as there is one near my house.
The statue tops are from reaper (Socrates and Perseus) which I got at a sale a while back. Used a small plaster flooring stone on top of the column to cover the rather large hole they have in them.
I'm currently working on a small prison and will then move on to the temple and gymnasium.
-Brinton
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Coming together quite nicely. The steps make for a very believable Mediterranean scenery somehow - not to mention, it strongly reminds me of a village in "Titan Quest" I used to hunt through for monsters and dropped items. lol
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Lovely work,very evocative :-* :-* :-*
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So any thing new? :D
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Been extremely busy and traveling for work so the project has slowed a little. Worked on a few more buildings and started making more of the odds and ends for the project.
Here are a number of casualty and disruption markers I'm making (nominally for Hail Caesar but can be used for other items).
(http://i1149.photobucket.com/albums/o581/xpalpatinex/Battle%20City/DSC03067.jpg)
(http://i1149.photobucket.com/albums/o581/xpalpatinex/Battle%20City/DSC03070.jpg)
(http://i1149.photobucket.com/albums/o581/xpalpatinex/Battle%20City/DSC03082.jpg)
(http://i1149.photobucket.com/albums/o581/xpalpatinex/Battle%20City/DSC03079.jpg)
I find the best thing to do when enthusiasm is low is to schedule a game so thats what I did. Getting the toys out, seeing what you have and having people actually user it inspires me to add to the stuff. Had some people over for a skirmish in the city. I'll post more pictures when I get a chance but here is a teaser of the city setup for battle.
(http://i1149.photobucket.com/albums/o581/xpalpatinex/Battle%20City/DSC03083.jpg)
Let me know what you think! I still have a lot of items to add (terrain boards, real agora, acropolis and temple, some more specialty buildings etc...) but its coming along.
-Brinton
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Your city looks great!
:-*
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Amazing dude! :o
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That's a mightily fine Ancient town I would say. 8) Perhaps just add some different ground levels, e.g. set the acropolis on a hill or create raised areas to give the impression of an "organically evolved" settlement. In game terms that could break up sightlines as well or provide bonuses for warriors defending a hilltop.
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The city is certainly coming on nicely!
Simon
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Man it looks awesome! :o
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Thanks for the kind words.
Thanks for the advice. I'll definitely need to add some more hills/changes in levels to make it appear more natural. The plan calls for terrain boards (instead of just the current mat) that will have some small undulations. There will be a mighty acropolis with a temple complex on it for sure. I also want to build a couple more buildings with integrated hills or elevation changes to help break up sight lines like you said.
The battle report (and more pictures) are up here...
http://leadadventureforum.com/index.php?topic=47760.0 (http://leadadventureforum.com/index.php?topic=47760.0)
I'm still working on casualty bases and should have those done over the weekend.
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Very impressive stuff. I came here after reading the battle report thread and was surprised to see that you have sctatchbuilt everything as I was convinced you had used Warbases' modular mdf buildings! Very well done.
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Good eyes...the towers are from Warbases modular (I had doubts about building sturdy tall structures). I ended up doing a small test order with Warbases (still have an unbuilt stable on the plan) and the blank modulars seem like a great product. I just kept making things with the materials I had on hand and never got around to another order. I should have just ordered a bunch and saved myself some time as I ended up using the same widths, heights so it would work with the towers.
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It's no less of an achievement for it. In fact you have convinced me to pick some up myself. Warbases owe you a commission I think! The overall look of the town just looks great and I love the terrace level change. The only problem I have is that it is weakening my resolve for the small scale Greek skirmish project that I must not start! I have way too many partly finished projects already. I'm looking forward to seeing more of your work.