Lead Adventure Forum

Other Stuff => Workbench => Topic started by: traveller on September 20, 2009, 09:10:24 AM

Title: Gangster/Victorian small terrain board - help needed!
Post by: traveller on September 20, 2009, 09:10:24 AM
So, I have this board, 100cm x 65cm and I was thinking about making a terrain board for skirmish games in the 1850-1930 period. I see visions of Gangs of NY, Victorian mobs, Vampire hunting, Sherlock Holmes, Al Capone etc

I have buildings but I want to save the bulk of these to be used as drop on items for my regular gaming table to have full flexibility and not to build them into this board.

The question is then what to build.... I want a lot of obstacles/objects on the board to provide a good game but not necessarily buildings. Some ideas:

-sewer terrain
-some kind of staircase environment, maybe the interior of a huge train station or of a park(?)
-church/tomb and graveyard
-harbour area
-?

Grateful for any ideas or recommendations!

Title: Re: Gangster/Victorian small terrain board - help needed!
Post by: Citizen Sade on September 20, 2009, 09:28:17 AM
An urban-style park has got to be the easiest option, hasn't it? Trees, shrubs, a boating lake or river, gates & railings, bandstand, monument(s) etc.
Title: Re: Gangster/Victorian small terrain board - help needed!
Post by: gamer Mac on September 20, 2009, 09:53:44 AM
I like the idea of the train station.
Grand Central station- The untouchables.
Stair cases in that.
You could have a platform at one bit. Offices and shops at another bit.
Train stations never changed that much over the period you described.
Title: Re: Gangster/Victorian small terrain board - help needed!
Post by: traveller on September 20, 2009, 02:25:02 PM
Thanks for your advice. After some more thought it feels like I have three main options:

1. Train station with staircase, platform and track

2. Park (maybe a city street with adjoining park)

3. Harbour area, I saw some great pictures on the WI.net page

Decisions, decisions...
Title: Re: Gangster/Victorian small terrain board - help needed!
Post by: former user on September 20, 2009, 02:55:50 PM
OK, lets see

so you fancy a multilevel table

well, the houses You have you can use without fixing - would be pointless to fix haouses anyway

so:

lowest level: channel flowing through the table
1st level - underground train station
street level - some train station on top of the underground, with the stairway from beneath opening to the hall of the train station
the underground levels should be open to the sides, so you can game them
the underground line should run along the long side
the channel cutting the table in two
make secret accesses from the underground tunnel to the channle water level, along the short sides (open)
on the long side opposite the underground station you make the central sewage, big enough to put strange vehicles or boats in it
now the train station is on one side of the table, connected with the underground station
make the side of the Hall to be opened to the Hall
the streel level entrance is slightly ascending to the Hall level
from Hall level there is a stairway to the Train Platforms
so the train track crosses the channel over a trunnion bridge and continues on the other side on a viaduct (since You have gained height through the raising of the station hall floor), the street runnig between channel and train station and passing under the trunnion bridge should be accessible for traffic

don't forget to make a short traffic bridge on street level to get cars and people on the other side of the channel

you get a table with 4 main levels and interlevels, to be used with boats, trains and cars
if You still have space, you can add some of your buildings in predesigned spaces between the streets
playable all around and on top

urban enough? ;)
Title: Re: Gangster/Victorian small terrain board - help needed!
Post by: Michi on September 20, 2009, 03:58:24 PM
Brilliant! I will adopt this multi-level urban terrain idea for my own project...

BTW: I can provide underground tunnels and sewers!!!
Title: Re: Gangster/Victorian small terrain board - help needed!
Post by: traveller on September 21, 2009, 05:32:43 PM
Wow, former user, you seem to really have put some thought into this. Thanks, seems I need some of your tracks after all  ;)
Title: Re: Gangster/Victorian small terrain board - help needed!
Post by: former user on September 21, 2009, 06:15:54 PM
Wow, former user, you seem to really have put some thought into this. Thanks, seems I need some of your tracks after all  ;)

brillant sale strategy right? ;)
actually, I was thinking myself of such terrain and was also inspired by stuff I've seen

there are even trams, check out Michi's
or toy trams ba Faller for 0 gauge, but these we would have to buy first for Your Underground
or - if there is space left, a street level tramline on the other side of the river
Title: Re: Gangster/Victorian small terrain board - help needed!
Post by: Bungle on September 21, 2009, 10:22:49 PM
New York Subway on O gauge 1/48

(http://www.collect-corner.net/R-40%20non-powered.jpg)

only $220

(http://www.mth-railking.com/photos/30-2797-3.jpg)
or $170

http://www.collect-corner.net/subways.html bottom of the page

http://www.allcitystyle.com/
downloadable free paper model of subway train (no idea about scale)
Title: Re: Gangster/Victorian small terrain board - help needed!
Post by: former user on September 22, 2009, 01:40:52 AM
very cheap indeed  ;)
but nice

for what time can they be used??
Title: Re: Gangster/Victorian small terrain board - help needed!
Post by: Cory on September 22, 2009, 04:32:22 PM
Those would work for modern and maybe KKBB in the 60's but nopt for earlier. Corgi makes some fairly nice 1930s streetcars in 1/50 scale and some 1/50 trolleys that would be good for the 1890s on.