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Author Topic: +500 plants jungle: a mathematic approach of the jungle issue  (Read 10068 times)

Offline Geudens

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+500 plants jungle: a mathematic approach of the jungle issue
« on: September 18, 2009, 11:24:15 AM »
You know how wargamers are: they buy stuff and it sits on the shelf unfinished for ages...  (In my case  lol) this isn't just true with figures, but also with scenery.  Certainly more than 5 years ago I bought around 150 trees (in bags, can't remember the brand), a mix of pine and leaf.  After basing and flocking 20-30 I had enough for an average game, so I did no more, untill last year we needed around 150 for a large participation game, when I finished the remaining lot in 2 days...  >:(

Same thing happened with my stock of jungle (plastic aquarium) plants and palm trees, untill - about a month ago - I picked up the 2 remaining Heroscape Ticalla jungle sets from my local store.  Not only did this provide me with 6 palm trees with a difference, but also with some (more  lol) aquarium plants, but this time cleverly & firmly mounted on Heroscape hexes.  This was it! fixing plastic aquarium plants firmly to a base is a pain, so I planned to buy more (and more...) to provide me with an instant jungle (the only work to be done being some highlighting and flocking of the hex bases).  (Un)fortunately, this Ticalla stuff seems to be out of production and I could only get them from the States which would cost me an arm and a leg.

But, wait a minute...  I had 7 Heroscape basic sets on the shelf (bought for very little money - for the hexes), so perhaps I could find a way around it, finally use my strings of aquarium plants and create a jungle at no cost at all (there is a crisis going on, you know...).

The only thing lacking on the basic Heroscape hexes are the pins to take the aquarium plants, so I drilled 5-6 holes in a one hex piece and screwed tapering screws in (diameter equal to the little ring at the bottom of the plants) and pushed them on firmly.  To have a more prominent centrepiece on each hex, I used plastic parsley which looks like a small tree and glued it in place, kept upright by the other plants whilst the glue settled.


I covered the tops of the screws and the plastic plants' ring as well as the top of the plastic hex with Polyfilla, thus firmly embedding the lot, safe for transport and tabletop handling.  Some paint, highlighting and flock finished the thing.

(left to right) my effort, a Ticalle Jungle tree and a Ticalla jungle plant set:


Since I use the Kallistra Hexon II system for my terrain, I now sat down to do some calculations.  One box of Hexon II covers about 1.1m2 of tabletop or 126 hexagons.  If all were filled, this would mean the plants would be about 6 cm apart; a very dense jungle indeed.  So I went to work, incorporating 6 large and 15 1/72 Pegasus palm trees (from the shelf...) and about 20 "cake" ones I already based on washers and that had represented my tabletop "jungle" for some years.  This is the result: a 1.1m2 jungle with over 500 plants (note the eight 28mm figs in the front for scale comparison):


Though very dense, this is no jungle to game in, so I took away half the plants, effectively resulting in a jungle TWICE as large.  There is now some space to move units and vehicles and this is what 1.1m2 looks like:


Finally, I removed again 1/3rd of the remaining plants, thus being able to cover a 3.3m2 table with the lot.  Now there is enough open space for buildings and units to move around in battle:


All the above assumes there is nothing but the jungle on the table, but this is what it looks like when some hills are added, effectively reducing the available "open battle space" to about 50% of the table's surface (quite a challenging terrain, tactically speaking):


All the above pictures assume that the tabletop jungle is evenly spread, which would rarely be the case: often a (centre) plain would be present, concentrating the trees in perhaps 4 spots/m2.

This is a "clean" setup: for demo purposes fallen leaves and other debris can be added to give a more "diorama look".  You may also imagine the Hexon II's not being there.

Rudi
« Last Edit: September 18, 2009, 10:40:17 PM by Geudens »
do visit my websites & photobucket:
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http://s298.photobucket.com/albums/mm262/geudens_photos/

Offline Remgain

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Re: +500 plants jungle: a mathematic approach of the jungle issue
« Reply #1 on: September 18, 2009, 01:07:13 PM »
Rudi,

great stuff! :-* :-*
The first picture is awesome!
Sooner or later I will have to start my own jungle!

Marco

PS BTW what are you hidding in that chest (see the last picture)? ???


We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing.

George Bernard Shaw

Offline answer_is_42

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Re: +500 plants jungle: a mathematic approach of the jungle issue
« Reply #2 on: September 18, 2009, 01:38:25 PM »
For a bunch of plastic plants glued to bases, that's bloody impressive! Will you ever need to use all 500?
I told you so. You damned fools.
 - H.G. Wells

Offline Geudens

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Re: +500 plants jungle: a mathematic approach of the jungle issue
« Reply #3 on: September 18, 2009, 02:16:09 PM »
Rudi,
PS BTW what are you hidding in that chest (see the last picture)? ???

Cigars & whisky and (occasionally...) wild, wild women!!!  lol

Cheers,

Rudi

Offline Geudens

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Re: +500 plants jungle: a mathematic approach of the jungle issue
« Reply #4 on: September 18, 2009, 02:16:48 PM »
For a bunch of plastic plants glued to bases, that's bloody impressive! Will you ever need to use all 500?

Oh yes, dear sir, yes...

Cheers,

Rudi

Offline Hitman

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Re: +500 plants jungle: a mathematic approach of the jungle issue
« Reply #5 on: September 18, 2009, 02:31:02 PM »
Very nice indeed. I have a lot of trees (deciduous and conifers) finished this past year...don't know the number excactly, however, I still need to complete the "jungle trees" still, so you have inspired me today. Perhaps I can get them started during our Thanksgiving Day weekend in October if I don't have to go to the in-laws!!

Thanks for sharing.
Regards,
Hitman
 8)
Victory is guaranteed to the last man standing, but always remember those whom you stepped on to get there!!

Offline Forager

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Re: +500 plants jungle: a mathematic approach of the jungle issue
« Reply #6 on: September 18, 2009, 03:17:36 PM »
Looks Great, Rudi!   :o  I'm definitely inspired by at that jungle scenery.  Maybe now I'll finally do something with my own box of palm trees and aquarium plants that I've been sitting on for years!

Craig

Offline chicklewis

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Re: +500 plants jungle: a mathematic approach of the jungle issue
« Reply #7 on: September 19, 2009, 01:17:07 PM »
Fantastic job, Rudi, and a fine idea which I may well Steal !

Chick
"Sufficient for the day is the evil thereof."

Offline marianas_gamer

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Re: +500 plants jungle: a mathematic approach of the jungle issue
« Reply #8 on: September 19, 2009, 11:54:08 PM »
Wow Rudi, Now thats what I call jungle!!  You put mine to shame, and I have worked on it for a while.  I also like your comment about "open battle space" and think that the 50% option suits my ideas of gameability but at the same time really constraining line of sight and communications.  There is a reason that large bore shotguns and machine pistols and submachine guns are such effective jungle fighting weapons as opposed to rifles.  Of course it also gives indigenous folk with spears, clubs, and sword a fighting chance too.
LB
Got to kick at the darkness till it bleeds daylight.

Offline Geudens

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Re: +500 plants jungle: a mathematic approach of the jungle issue
« Reply #9 on: September 20, 2009, 06:42:06 AM »
Fantastic job, Rudi, and a fine idea which I may well Steal !

Chick

Chick,

Be my guest!  Invoice follows...  lol

Rudi

Offline Hammers

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Re: +500 plants jungle: a mathematic approach of the jungle issue
« Reply #10 on: September 20, 2009, 08:17:51 AM »
Some people on have recently really moved terrain making forward on this here board. Thanks for sharing, Rudi. You'll be teaching Advanced Scenery at the university next

Offline Geudens

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Re: +500 plants jungle: a mathematic approach of the jungle issue
« Reply #11 on: September 20, 2009, 12:34:00 PM »
Some people on have recently really moved terrain making forward on this here board. Thanks for sharing, Rudi. You'll be teaching Advanced Scenery at the university next

Now that would be a job-improvement!   lol

Rudi

Offline warrenss2

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Re: +500 plants jungle: a mathematic approach of the jungle issue
« Reply #12 on: September 20, 2009, 03:49:28 PM »
Most excellent jungle you have there, sir.

Looks like one will need a machete and a few weeks of supplies to get through it.

Where's Lord Greystoke?
Never underestimate the power of human stupidity.

 

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