Author Topic: Diablo Jon does Darkest Africa - now with my first Swahili buildings (Read 68554 times)

Diablo Jon · « **Reply #390 on:** April 28, 2021, 06:15:20 AM »

So I’ve managed to build fifteen tiles for my new modular gaming board, so far, but I still have 4 double height tiles, 6 slope tiles, 5 river tiles and a double sized 2x2foot tile (for use as a base board for urban areas) to complete. As my gaming table is a rather bijou 5×4 foot I need 20 1×1 foot tiles to fill a table so I should have enough to give me plenty of variety when they are all completed.

Unfortunately I have run out of Polystyrene sheet so new tiles are on hold for a few days at least. I’ve started building some, hopefully, African looking trees. In the mean time I thought I’d lay out the 15 tiles I’ve completed just to see what they look like and keep me motivated. I took a few photos so I thought I would share.

First up a picture of what I’m trying to achieve with my new table the African Savanna. Nice isn’t it?

A few pictures of my first 15 tiles laid out I don’t think its to bad a representation though I do think I need a bit more scrub and a few more trees.

Roo · « **Reply #391 on:** April 28, 2021, 07:17:42 AM »

Simply superb!

Plynkes · « **Reply #392 on:** April 28, 2021, 08:39:33 AM »

Champion stuff there, Jon. Looks real nice.

Grumpy Gnome · « **Reply #393 on:** April 28, 2021, 10:01:46 AM »

Aye, looks brilliant!

Mick_in_Switzerland · « **Reply #394 on:** April 28, 2021, 10:37:14 AM »

Well Done - that looks superb

Diablo Jon · « **Reply #395 on:** April 28, 2021, 08:28:04 PM »

Thank you kindly gentlemen

marianas_gamer · « **Reply #396 on:** April 28, 2021, 08:38:52 PM »

Very nice tiles! They look realistic and very gameable. I am not sure you need more scrub.

Diablo Jon · « **Reply #397 on:** April 30, 2021, 06:39:13 AM »

A little change from terrain tiles in this post. For Christmas my kids gave me some laser cut MDF kits from SARISSA PRECISION including this little Colonial Steam Launch its clearly based on the boat from the movie The African Queen. I had wanted to add a model of the steam boat S.S. ILALA that had supported the African Lakes Company, on lake Nyasa, during the Karonga war. I struggled to find any decent pictures of the ILALA online though so I decided to use this model. As fate would have it, after finishing this model, I found a great picture of the ILALA in a Chris Peers article, on British central Africa, in a old Wargames Illustrated. The actual ILALA was a larger boat and had sails as well as a steam engine.

I’ve worked with a few MDF kits before but was never really happy with them because, try as I might, they still looked like an MDF kit when I was finished in particular the the connecting tabs and burnt edges tended to to give away the origin of the model even after a paint job. So for this kit I thought I would go all out and pimp it up to see if I could hide its origins as an MDF kit.

I used a wood filler, and a lot of sanding, to cover and smooth the joints and hard edges on the hull, I replaced the steam boiler with a resin one I found on eBay and changed out the shade tarpaulin with one made of balsa wood and PVA soaked tissue. I painted the model up and then added in some resin crates and barrels to give the impression of a boat carrying trade goods or supplies.

Gaming wise I’m not sure what ill do with the boat. My chosen rules for Darkest Africa “The Men Who Would be Kings” doesn’t actual have rules for boats but I guess it wouldn’t be to hard to crate a house rule for its use. Alternatively it could just be a pretty little piece of scatter terrain. Anyway here are few photos.

Mad Guru · « **Reply #398 on:** April 30, 2021, 07:50:03 AM »

Beautiful work, Jon!!! I share your same skepticism re: MDF kits, and think you did a great job "pimping out" that vessel so one who hasn't visited this thread will know its true origin!

Grumpy Gnome · « **Reply #399 on:** April 30, 2021, 08:56:54 AM »

Loving it! That water is particularly brilliant.

has.been · « **Reply #400 on:** April 30, 2021, 08:58:46 AM »

Rick, you beat me to it.
I was going to say that the boat is fine, but the river...Swell.

Plynkes · « **Reply #401 on:** April 30, 2021, 09:57:56 AM »

"Well I ain't sorry for you no more, you crazy, psalm-singing, skinny old maid!"

Just need a Königin Luise now!

has.been · « **Reply #402 on:** April 30, 2021, 12:46:13 PM »

Quote

Just need a Königin Luise now!

Model it AFTER it hits the torpedo. A few matchsticks should do it.

OSHIROmodels · « **Reply #403 on:** April 30, 2021, 12:53:04 PM »

Great stuff

bc99 · « **Reply #404 on:** April 30, 2021, 04:47:58 PM »

One of my favorite threads. I still can’t get over how wonderful the water looks, especially the look of the wave it seems you’re really out there on the river looking at those launches! Great all around.

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Author Topic: Diablo Jon does Darkest Africa - now with my first Swahili buildings (Read 68554 times)

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