1914 Belgium - UD 18/12 - news re German infantry paint scheme

[Silent Invader]

I think I have settled on a layout for town tile 3.

It comprises a cottage fronting the main road with side streets to either side, one with two linked houses and the other with a linked shop (tobaccanist or butchery, maybe?) and a workshop for cycle repairs. It's a bit contrived to have the two parallel side streets but it will provide open space versus the yards at the back of the other residences on tile 1.

[pocoloco]

Glad to see the thread unlocked! 

That 3rd tile arrangement looks the business. I like the two parallel side streets idea, will make gameplay interesting.

I'm sure this will be a third great tile in a row 

[Silent Invader]

Thanks  

The more I think about it the more it makes sense to have 3 different road layouts to the tiles: it will make for other interesting layouts if they are shuffled around, especially if I eventually make a fourth town tile so they can form a square.

Glad to see the thread unlocked!  

Me too!  

[gamer Mac]

Looking great Steve
You should build wheels for the plane though just to finish it off.
The buildings you are using must cost?
Always wanted to do a destroyed town will keep this thread for my ideas file thanks

[Silent Invader]

An interesting question on cost to which the answer is yes and no.  

One angle is that the cost wasn't my problem as they were all a Xmas present from my wife  

Another angle is that though they were from my wife I actually bought them so hunted out bargains. The first few I paid list price for, working out at perhaps twice as much as building from foam core with embellishments but perhaps half the cost of lasered Mdf without embellishments. Don't forget that the starting point is 1/76 mass production toys that are significantly cheaper than 28mm specialist collectors pieces.  Even better, Airfix had an outstandingly good Black Fruday sale with many of the buildings on special. By way of comparison, the bakery was a much bigger 4 storey model costing £16.99 that I butchered almost to elimination (some you win, some you lose) but the pair of small terraced houses on the first tile cost only £3.99 each.

Obviously having many buildings to a tile increases the overall cost, as if they were individually based I'd be tempted to spread them out and use less. Maybe one day I'll work out a rough cost per tile but the meadows will, of course, significantly reduce the average spend.

[Andym]

Sha-mazing!!

[Silent Invader]

 

Progress!

Town tile 3 has had the structural alterations made to its buildings:







The plastic kits weren't as enjoyable to work with as the resin buildings and have been so butchered that I gained little versus making them straight from plasticard.

The cycles have also arrived. I've bought six styrene 'silhouettes' which coming from an architectural model suppliers cost a small fortune. They are 1/50 and just need a few alterations to bring them into scale.

I've also started on the test piece that is the first of the countryside tiles. This will be one of two areas of copse/wood though I need to make the rest of the trees. To continue the test, I shall probably make a tile with the road and ditch.

[Slayer]

both tiles looking great 

[Silent Invader]

Thanks, though tbh since posting I've further butchered the plastic kit building to drop floor heights and add more windows. 

[Mason]

Nice work on those kits, Steve.
You really are getting the best out of them.
 

That mud on the countryside tile looks proper grimy.
Nice.
 

[Captain Blood]

That's some of the best looking earth I've ever seen. Well done Steve.
 

[Silent Invader]

Thanks very much but the credit really belongs to Elladen's blog, which to my mind is the gold standard of teddy bear terrain 

http://www.elladan.de

I mostly did as he did, except for a smaller surface area (39cm sq tile rather than a whole table cloth) and simpler tools (scissors, Gilette BlueII razor and a wide-toothed comb instead of the hair clippers).

As for the mud, it's just carefully burned fur.  Elladen used a butane 'match' - the sort used for lighting burners and fires, it has a small flame.  The gas ran out on mine so I resorted to the butane torch I use for soldering pipe joints - not recommended of course as it has the potential to burn down one's work piece, one's home and oneself.  Fresh air is also essential.

Incidentally, for gaming purposes the earth area will demarcate the extent of the wood.   

[Captain Blood]

The gas ran out on mine so I resorted to the butane torch I use for soldering pipe joints - not recommended of course as it has the potential to burn down one's work piece, one's home and oneself.  Fresh air is also essential.

I do love the fact, Steve, that nearly all your wargames terrain making is dangerous somehow 

[Mason]

I do love the fact, Steve, that nearly all your wargames terrain making is dangerous somehow 

 

My thoughts exactly!

Life really is lived on the edge in the Invader household, by the sounds of it.
 

[Silent Invader]

 

Funnily enough, when my wargames room is eventually finished it'll also house a traversing wall (a low height 'rock face' for core training). I have all the holds but 'must' finish the kitchen first, otherwise I'll be in real danger!