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Miniatures Adventure => Gothic Horror => Topic started by: Funghy-Fipps on July 04, 2011, 08:08:58 PM

Title: A Graveyard to Call My Own (picture heavy)
Post by: Funghy-Fipps on July 04, 2011, 08:08:58 PM
If you're going to do Gothic Horror gaming properly then terrain is probably almost as important as the miniatures themselves for creating the right atmosphere and one of the most obvious pieces of terrain is a cemetery.  I'm setting most of my games in Victorian Britain so the grandiose burial sites of that era like those at West Norwood and Highgate (London, both) have provided much inspiration.  A visit to the latter last year was particularly inspiring; especially the wild, overgrown aspect of the place.  Anyway, here's what I've knocked up so far using Renedra, Fantascene and Grendel graves:   

(http://i217.photobucket.com/albums/cc93/sicluceatlux/graveyard5.png)

(http://i217.photobucket.com/albums/cc93/sicluceatlux/graveyard3.png)

(http://i217.photobucket.com/albums/cc93/sicluceatlux/graveyard2.png)

(http://i217.photobucket.com/albums/cc93/sicluceatlux/Graveyard1.png)

(http://i217.photobucket.com/albums/cc93/sicluceatlux/graveyard6.png)

In the future I plan to add a ruined church and Fantascene mausoleum (http://www.fantascene.net/cart/index.php?act=viewProd&productId=33).  Oh yes, and a railing fence! 

Title: Re: A Graveyard to Call My Own (picture heavy)
Post by: gamer Mac on July 04, 2011, 08:13:24 PM
Great stuff :-* :-* :-*
I have been sitting with some of these graves stones for a while and was wondering how to base them. You have just solved my problem, thanks :D
Title: Re: A Graveyard to Call My Own (picture heavy)
Post by: Malamute on July 04, 2011, 10:25:32 PM
Yep, they look the part. Very spooky, I particularly like the overgrown parts :-*
Title: Re: A Graveyard to Call My Own (picture heavy)
Post by: 6milPhil on July 04, 2011, 10:35:54 PM
Those are very good indeed, really have the right feel to them. Which scale are these?

On a mild tangent... my favourite grave is that of "Lord" Sanger in nearby Margate graveyard.

(http://berksfhs.org.uk/journal/Sep2000/sep2000images/sep2000SangerGrave.jpg)
(http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2765/4348029633_e0cb547974.jpg)
(http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3633/3373495532_c192179914.jpg)
Title: Re: A Graveyard to Call My Own (picture heavy)
Post by: Funghy-Fipps on July 05, 2011, 09:00:11 AM
Thanks fellas.  Phil, they are 28mm scale.  Sanger's tomb is certainly very impressive!  Here's a quick and dirty snap I took of me play-testing the Cemetery Sweep scenario I'm writing yesterday (as you can see terrain-wise much more needs to be done!) to give an idea of size:

(http://i217.photobucket.com/albums/cc93/sicluceatlux/Errata004.jpg)
Title: Re: A Graveyard to Call My Own (picture heavy)
Post by: Malamute on July 05, 2011, 09:10:22 AM
Its looking good already. Can't wait to see it develop further ;D
Title: Re: A Graveyard to Call My Own (picture heavy)
Post by: 6milPhil on July 05, 2011, 11:52:48 AM
That's a really good layout.
Title: Re: A Graveyard to Call My Own (picture heavy)
Post by: Commander Vyper on July 05, 2011, 12:37:31 PM
Very nice mounting ideas there, so far I've got twenty of so individually mounted, with loads more to do, I may well do multiples as well now.

The problem with grave yards I find is that you almost always want to build one large grave yard with static graves as they always look more in keeping rather than separate scenry pieces, but then you lose the variety of mix and match that separate pieces provide.

Oh decisions decisions! ;)
Title: Re: A Graveyard to Call My Own (picture heavy)
Post by: Geoff and Dani B on July 05, 2011, 01:25:09 PM
Brilliant attention to detail with your painting and layout.I like the overgrown look too.
Title: Re: A Graveyard to Call My Own (picture heavy)
Post by: Belgian on July 05, 2011, 01:42:30 PM
Excellent! Great details and painting!  :-*
Title: Re: A Graveyard to Call My Own (picture heavy)
Post by: ballistic_bro on July 05, 2011, 03:54:43 PM
Great basing, love the overgrown graves. :)
Title: Re: A Graveyard to Call My Own (picture heavy)
Post by: Skrapwelder on July 05, 2011, 04:14:48 PM
As all have said, very nice.
Title: Re: A Graveyard to Call My Own (picture heavy)
Post by: Colonel Tubby on July 05, 2011, 06:51:38 PM
They are great, I can already imagine the dead rising there - I love the way you've based them.

The game shot is pretty impressive as well.

Can't wait to see what else you come up with.
Title: Re: A Graveyard to Call My Own (picture heavy)
Post by: The_Beast on July 05, 2011, 08:10:35 PM
Isn't it grand when you scroll down a group of piccies, just going 'oooo' and 'ahhhh'. ;->=

Reminds me, I' picked up some simple resin graves, filled and open, and the graves with the grass just starting to fill in suggests maybe I can make one or two open ones overgrown, as if dug but never used.

Don't know why, but the graveyard abandoned before entirely used seems even creepier. ;->=

Especially as some of the graves are still 'heaped up', and therefore probably recent.

Doug
Title: Re: A Graveyard to Call My Own (picture heavy)
Post by: 6milPhil on July 05, 2011, 10:31:23 PM
Quote from: Commander Vyper on July 05, 2011, 12:37:31 PM
The problem with grave yards I find is that you almost always want to build one large grave yard with static graves as they always look more in keeping rather than separate scenry pieces, but then you lose the variety of mix and match that separate pieces provide.

That's very true... with the seperate pieces, which never occurred to me, you can really change it plus get a healthy mix of neat and overgrown and the variety you mention. I deffo think this is the way to go.
Title: Re: A Graveyard to Call My Own (picture heavy)
Post by: Galloping Major on July 06, 2011, 04:21:17 PM
Very effective  8)


www.gallopingmajorwargames.com
Title: Re: A Graveyard to Call My Own (picture heavy)
Post by: Yankeepedlar01 on July 06, 2011, 04:47:13 PM
Oh, I do like that! Excellent work, very atmospheric. Now, where is The Great Detective himself....
Title: Re: A Graveyard to Call My Own (picture heavy)
Post by: Gluteus Maximus on July 06, 2011, 05:18:04 PM
The Renedra gravestones fit in perfectly with the Fantascene and Grendel stuff and the modular bases work really well.  Those overgrown autumnal bushes are the Dog's B's - really well done! I'd love to see one of those horsey monument thingies seen in 6milPhil's pics.

It's going to be superb once you get it all finished and should make for some great games  :D
Title: Re: A Graveyard to Call My Own (picture heavy)
Post by: archangel1 on July 06, 2011, 08:54:54 PM
Nicely done, although I think you may have too much foliage in too close an area on a couple of the pieces.  You should just hint at it to be more effective otherwise you start to wonder why all the leaves are just 'there' and not more spread out.  Maybe some moss or lichen on the actual monuments? Good to see some autumn colours, though.  Have you tried any black & white photos for atmosphere?

A graveyard project has been on my to-do list forever.  Maybe now I'm retired, I can actually start it.  In my case, though, I'll build one as a diorama.  Your pieces, nice as they are, show the biggest limitation of gaming scenery - no depth.  I want to actually model a hole without having to artificially raise the ground level and I think only a proper diorama will allow me to do that.

I love cemeteries, the older the better, and I collect photos off the net and elsewhere.  I've got over 1200 at the moment, some of which I've taken myself and, in fact, I had already planned to grab my camera and visit one of the local ones I missed tomorrow.  The only problem with the city grounds, though, is that they're not really that old, compared to England or Europe or even colonial America.  This one only goes back to 1890.  I'd love to see something like Highgate or Brompton or any of London's 'Magnificent Seven'.

The oldest legible gravestone I personally know of is in a 'restored' pioneer cemetery, within walking distance of me.  It dates back to 1813.  The cemetery is also home to a rather unfortunate family.  From what I can work out, the mother died at 32, giving birth to twins on June 26, 1838.  The newborn daughter died on July 25 and the son on August 5.  To make it worse, another son, just over 2 years old, died on October 12 the same year.  A whole family gone in about 3 1/2 months.  Sad.

Just as an extra...this thing gives me the creeps! How you like to have that staring down at you for eternity?

(http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2231/2448122704_ea69ffa1cb_z.jpg)
Title: Re: A Graveyard to Call My Own (picture heavy)
Post by: Funghy-Fipps on July 06, 2011, 09:36:11 PM
Thanks for comments one and all: sometimes it's gratifying to know that I'm not just micturating into the wind with all this stuff (it does feel like it at times!).  As I noted there is a lot more to be done yet and I'm hoping to be in a position financially and time-wise to do this over the next six weeks.  I must say that the Fantascene pieces are especially superb and I'm quite tempted to get another pack or two and make up another couple of stands!  Anyway, I'll keep you posted on further developments.  Oh, did I say six weeks?  How silly of me: the ruined church pieces are coming from Monolith Designs, so better change that to six weeks months!   ;)
Title: Re: A Graveyard to Call My Own (picture heavy)
Post by: 6milPhil on July 07, 2011, 06:08:16 PM
On the tomb/mausoleum front I've been reminded of the one by Fenris Games...

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Resin-Mausoleum-temple-wargame-scenery-kit-/380186094366?pt=UK_Toys_Wargames_RL&hash=item5884db6b1e
Title: Re: A Graveyard to Call My Own (picture heavy)
Post by: Funghy-Fipps on July 07, 2011, 09:26:54 PM
Quote from: 6milPhil on July 07, 2011, 06:08:16 PM
On the tomb/mausoleum front I've been reminded of the one by Fenris Games...

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Resin-Mausoleum-temple-wargame-scenery-kit-/380186094366?pt=UK_Toys_Wargames_RL&hash=item5884db6b1e

Wow: that's absolutely immense!  Very, very nice indeed, but size-wise possibly a bit too ostentatious for my cemetery.  You'd need a 4'x4' board absolutely chock full of graves and other graveyard paraphernalia to make that look plausible.  Still, I have added it to my 'Watch List' so...
Title: Re: A Graveyard to Call My Own (picture heavy)
Post by: 6milPhil on July 07, 2011, 09:54:44 PM
Tbh Funghy old thing if anyone is going to have a top notch massive graveyard I've a feeling it'll be you. Also remembered the AoW "Family Plot"...http://www.architectsofwar.com/familyplot.aspx
Title: Re: A Graveyard to Call My Own (picture heavy)
Post by: Anatoli on July 08, 2011, 11:54:11 AM
That looks fantastic, would be perfect for Strange Aeons/Malifaux games  :)
Title: Re: A Graveyard to Call My Own (picture heavy)
Post by: dinohunterpoa on August 24, 2011, 08:25:03 PM
WOW!!!  :o

Looks perfect! Separate pieces is definetively the way to go! You cannot get tired to search for new add-ons!
I use this concept when in need to expand my old Citadel Graveyard; otherwise I simply surround it with pieces of  woodland to build the "forgotten graveyard deep in the old woods" scenario.