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Author Topic: Scratch Building a High Fantasy Gaming Board  (Read 16644 times)

Offline King Arthur

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Scratch Building a High Fantasy Gaming Board
« on: March 11, 2020, 04:18:19 PM »
Fellow hobbyists,

I finally begin a project that has been on my mind many a year, that of building a gaming board from scratch! The project will be a board that will measure 80 x 60 cm and will be made in 2 parts for ease of storage. The setting for the board will be High Fantasy, echoing games such as Baldurs Gate or Pillars of Eternity and will be used to play skirmish games such as Rangers of Shadow Deep or RPG's using miniatures.

This first board piece will feature a backdrop of a rock face with a waterfall cascading down in to a pool. The base materials used were hardened white polystyrene and blue xps. I begun by cutting out cubes so I would have a base on which to attach my rock formations:









Now try and imagine that collection of polystyrene blocks as a rock face with a waterfall  ;)

I also cast my rocks out of good old Plaster using the excellent Woodlands Scenic silicone rock moulds:



Next up I will attach the rocks and begin adding the foundations for the earth and grass flocking using a modeling compound. Sty tuned for more!

« Last Edit: March 12, 2020, 09:48:16 AM by King Arthur »
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Online OSHIROmodels

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Re: Scratch Building a High Fantasy Gaming Board
« Reply #1 on: March 11, 2020, 05:10:33 PM »
Promising start  :)

I’ve got the WS moulds myself and they are very useful although some of the really tiny ‘rocks’ seem a bit pointless to me.
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Offline King Arthur

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Re: Scratch Building a High Fantasy Gaming Board
« Reply #2 on: March 11, 2020, 05:14:18 PM »
Promising start  :)

I’ve got the WS moulds myself and they are very useful although some of the really tiny ‘rocks’ seem a bit pointless to me.

I agree, the larger rocks are really good though! For the smaller ones I use actual stones etc

Offline AKULA

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Re: Scratch Building a High Fantasy Gaming Board
« Reply #3 on: March 11, 2020, 05:20:01 PM »
Great start, will watch your progress with interest

 :)

Offline King Arthur

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Re: Scratch Building a High Fantasy Gaming Board
« Reply #4 on: March 11, 2020, 08:20:10 PM »
Next phase done, I attached the rocks and started to apply the modeling compound to the surface in preparation for the flocking>











I covered the base of the pool in plaster to give it an uneven surface.

Next up I'll fill in the gaps on the rock formation.

Offline Elk101

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Re: Scratch Building a High Fantasy Gaming Board
« Reply #5 on: March 11, 2020, 08:56:19 PM »
Cracking start. That rock face looks good.

Offline Digits

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Re: Scratch Building a High Fantasy Gaming Board
« Reply #6 on: March 11, 2020, 09:04:45 PM »
Looking very good.  Is the plaster significantly lighter than using real rock?

Offline Michi

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Re: Scratch Building a High Fantasy Gaming Board
« Reply #7 on: March 11, 2020, 09:33:01 PM »
Good to see it here! :)

Offline Blackwolf

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Re: Scratch Building a High Fantasy Gaming Board
« Reply #8 on: March 11, 2020, 09:46:24 PM »
Looks good!
I’ll be interested to see what you do with the pond :)
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Offline Codsticker

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Re: Scratch Building a High Fantasy Gaming Board
« Reply #9 on: March 12, 2020, 01:40:22 AM »
Really great work so far; the cliff face looks excellent.

Online OSHIROmodels

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Re: Scratch Building a High Fantasy Gaming Board
« Reply #10 on: March 12, 2020, 07:50:15 AM »
Good progress  8)

Offline King Arthur

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Re: Scratch Building a High Fantasy Gaming Board
« Reply #11 on: March 12, 2020, 08:05:47 AM »
Looking very good.  Is the plaster significantly lighter than using real rock?

Hey Digits,

I'd have to say yes, it certainly is, I'm not in a position to explain my answer in a Scientific capacity, but the plaster rocks have a weight to them but far less than a real counterpart would have. The board is still light enough to lift one handed.

Offline Sunjester

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Re: Scratch Building a High Fantasy Gaming Board
« Reply #12 on: March 12, 2020, 08:07:39 AM »
Looking really good so far! ;)

Offline King Arthur

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Re: Scratch Building a High Fantasy Gaming Board
« Reply #13 on: March 12, 2020, 08:07:56 AM »
Good to see it here! :)

 :D

Indeed, I didn't think it right to keep the project and all the pictures stored on my iPhone!

Online Daeothar

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Re: Scratch Building a High Fantasy Gaming Board
« Reply #14 on: March 12, 2020, 08:15:10 AM »
I'd have to say yes, it certainly is, I'm not in a position to explain my answer in a Scientific capacity, but the plaster rocks have a weight to them but far less than a real counterpart would have. The board is still light enough to lift one handed.

I can confirm this.

As it is, I'm working with exactly the same moulds at the moment for my own new table, and even though the pieces will not be shifted by a strong draft, they are significantly lighter than actual rocks.

The only material that I can think of that is lighter and nets comparable results is tree bark, but I must admit I'd much rather work with the plaster moulds instead (less beasties, repeatable results and predictable material characteristics).

Your table is looking pretty promising and I'm curious as well as to how you will be going about the pond and waterfall.

May I ask; why this unusual size for this table?
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