Starting Portable Wargaming - First based units on pg 3

[redzed]

some interesting ideas so far

[AndrewBeasley]

Next idea is to use felt for a wadi or other terrain and I found these sheets in Hobbycraft:

I could not find any that matched at the edge though!

It is tempting just to cut the sheet up and use it for hills / dry areas and use a plain brown one for dried up roads so keeping the whole game reasonably flat…

[AndrewBeasley]

153 Windows, 46 Doors and 2 domes 

Buildings done:

Undercoat in Halfords grey car primer
Two coats of Vallejo Dark Sand
Doors done in Gryphonne sepia wash
Windows done in Badab black wash
Touch up on the over spill from the ink running in a couple of places
Domes done in Vallejo dead white

I did wash the fort in a watery Badab black and highlight the tops of the crenellations to make them show up a bit more:

Next the mountains…

[fastolfrus]

For your grid I would recommend corner dots, or even crosses if you feel so inclined.
We play a lot of PBI at school (which uses 6 inch squares) so have cloths for the tables (storage is an issue) marked with dots or crosses at the corners of each square.
If we are not playing PBI we either ignore the dots (although they come in handy for some games, eg EOTD defining deployment zones etc) or turn the cloths upside down, where (mostly) the ink didn't come through, so either the dots are very faint or completely invisible.

[AndrewBeasley]

For your grid I would recommend corner dots, or even crosses if you feel so inclined.

Thank you for the insight from a real game - it confirms the ideas that have been bubbling around my head all week.  I had reached the same conclusion that the points needed to be subtle and not as intrusive as the balsa.  As such I have picked up some small sticky backed gm stones from Hobbycraft (3mm black) and each these are now my starting point  

I'm going to put these on each corner first, spray glue / varnish and then paint over them to help hold down.

Did you, for your games, use the RFCM sets and made your own cloth?

[fastolfrus]

We have a lot of home made cloths (over a dozen now).
All green, but some are more green than others:

http://leadadventureforum.com/index.php?topic=11923.0

By RFCM sets do you mean the figure boxes?
If so, no.
We have quite an eclectic mix of players who tend to buy what they like the look of. One 10mm player, one 20mm player, and a few platoons of "club figures" (mostly Dutch but also Poles, Russians, and Germans) who appear by proxy as any nation.
Quite a few Plastic Soldier Company vehicles, or Zvezda. (Local Boyes store stock both)

[AndrewBeasley]

Just one more thing for today - the hill are done.

A basic black spray (after a good wash) and then the dark sand and pale umber where used in a dry brush.  Not sure if I will add some green flock long term?

Assembly of the basic board next 

[Eric the Shed]

looking good

[YPU]

Hm, probably my monitor but they look more grey then brownish. However with the colours you are describing I would inmagine they would blend in with dessert like terrain more so then my colour settings show.

[AndrewBeasley]

Hm, probably my monitor but they look more grey then brownish. However with the colours you are describing I would inmagine they would blend in with dessert like terrain more so then my colour settings show.

I think your monitor is fine - I've since looked at them in daylight and the colour is really subdued and flat - a very slight tint is present but not compared to the paints I used.  Only thing I can think is the black being enamel is stronger then the three coats of acrylic I used.  I can live with them as is.  If I add anymore I may as well have painted them rather than dry brush…

I have got the dots added to the board - no picture yet (too dark in here now) but will show a white square with black dots tomorrow if I get time.

[FramFramson]

They look a little green to me - rather like the forum background!

[AndrewBeasley]

Right - the most exciting picture of the evening (well from me at least)…

The start of the board:

I know - its a white rectangle with black dots on it but admire the quality and evenness of the dots - OK I give up!

I've decided to put dots on the edge of the board as well to help define the squares but I'll save you the picture till I have it coated in sand spray 

(No comments about the grey looking on 2 down 2 in from the left - its black honest guv)

[AndrewBeasley]

The spots do not stick 

The glue on the bottom of the dots is a rubber type gunk and as well as peeling off the carrier film has not hardened in the last few days and a knock with my finger moves them.  Out with the superglue.

[YPU]

Sorry to hear about your dots not sticking around... They do look like a very visually clear layout, this whole minimalist approach really keeps appealing.

[AndrewBeasley]

To add to the woe, looks like the gem colour runs when superglue is added.

Not to worry paint goes on tomorrow if I get time.