Cave Wars table + game for BLAM. P.35 - Giant Apes!

[pocoloco]

I will

Most excellent! 

Of course all the surprise encounters will make themselves present first time in the BLAM but still great to see the "normal" stuff here:)

[Silent Invader]

Richard, probably not the thespian's choice but if you check out The Descent and it's sequel there's some great cave 'scenery' and ambience.

http://m.imdb.com/title/tt0435625/

[Captain Blood]

Richard, probably not the thespian's choice but if you check out The Descent and it's sequel there's some great cave 'scenery' and ambience.

http://m.imdb.com/title/tt0435625/

Thanks for that Steve.
I watched that movie when it came out. Most unpleasant. Couldn't face the sequel 

The problem is that I need to leave the cave interiors fairly bare in order for them to be playable.
If I fill them with stalactites/gmites, rubble, scree, detritus, and heavily model the cave walls, they're just not going to be passable for figures on 25mm round bases.
So it's going to be a compromise, alas, between asthetic value and playability... 

[Dewbakuk]

You've inspired me to get my hex cave layout back out and use it for.... Something...

[Silent Invader]

Thanks for that Steve.
I watched that movie when it came out. Most unpleasant. Couldn't face the sequel 

The problem is that I need to leave the cave interiors fairly bare in order for them to be playable.
If I fill them with stalactites/gmites, rubble, scree, detritus, and heavily model the cave walls, they're just not going to be passable for figures on 25mm round bases.
So it's going to be a compromise, alas, between asthetic value and playability... 

No worries - it's all sounding great though - btw 20mm bases as you will be constrained on space?

[Captain Blood]

No worries - it's all sounding great though - btw 20mm bases as you will be constrained on space?

I've put the new Lucid Eye Simians and one or two cave children on 20mm bases. But most of the Copplestone cavemen are pretty big. They really need to onto 25's for appearance and stability.
The space constraint is not so much about fitting the 25mm bases along the caves - more about getting the fingers of the players into those narrow spaces...
But fear not. I shall work out a way 

[Mason]

This is coming along really nicely, sir.
Most promising.
 

I still have not dug out those cave dwellers from my lead pile..
Will do soon soon....

[OSHIROmodels]

Aha! Progress 

Coming along nicely and I like the idea of figures not fitting but be aware of eager gamers stuffing your lovely painted miniatures down small holes... I see plenty of scuffing going on 

A word on the cave pool, having done some limited caving in the Lake District these things are incredibly clear and if you're not careful it's easy to fall into them (speaking from witnessed experience).

My suggestion would be to make the pool the right depth and then use a layer of thin acrylic for the waters surface. Just bare in mind that the bottom of such pools would be covered in a lot of debris and, well, mush so should be treated differently than the rest of the cavern floor 

cheers

James

[Silent Invader]

Aha! Progress  

Coming along nicely and I like the idea of figures not fitting but be aware of eager gamers stuffing your lovely painted miniatures down small holes... I see plenty of scuffing going on  

A word on the cave pool, having done some limited caving in the Lake District these things are incredibly clear and if you're not careful it's easy to fall into them (speaking from witnessed experience).

My suggestion would be to make the pool the right depth and then use a layer of thin acrylic for the waters surface. Just bare in mind that the bottom of such pools would be covered in a lot of debris and, well, mush so should be treated differently than the rest of the cavern floor  

cheers

James

I was going to write something substantive but the thought of James caving .......  

Edit: Nick on the other hand.... Perfectly feasible.

[Captain Blood]

Thanks for the advice James.
I shall have a mull... Does sound like quite a good plan... 

I was going to write something substantive but the thought of James caving .......  

Edit: Nick on the other hand.... Perfectly feasible.

Small openings no barrier.

[Dr. Zombie]

Coming along nicely and I like the idea of figures not fitting but be aware of eager gamers stuffing your lovely painted miniatures down small holes... I see plenty of scuffing going on 

I can imagine a game with a lot of comment about tight fits and "that's what she said" jokes.

[Mason]

I was going to write something substantive but the thought of James caving .......  

Edit: Nick on the other hand.... Perfectly feasible.

I always thought he was a Hobbit, not a Dwarf.....

I can imagine a game with a lot of comment about tight fits and "that's what she said" jokes.

 
I have no idea why you would say that.....?

[kidterminal]

I've put the new Lucid Eye Simians and one or two cave children on 20mm bases. But most of the Copplestone cavemen are pretty big. They really need to onto 25's for appearance and stability.
The space constraint is not so much about fitting the 25mm bases along the caves - more about getting the fingers of the players into those narrow spaces...
But fear not. I shall work out a way 

Some sort of padded figure tongs for placing/removing the figures in the tunnels?

[NurgleHH]

The captain acting as a weekend-mole. I think it is the most amusing thread in the LAF. 
Very nice, Richard. For the BLAM 2016 I think you will do the War Of the Roses-Dungeoncrawl (King Richards London caves)
Very excited about gaming your beautyful table.

[Captain Blood]

Thanks Dirk.
I nearly understood that   

A little more completed...
I’ve chamfered off the top edges of the cave tunnels, partly to make them look a bit more organic/rock-like, but also just to make it that bit easier to get fingers into the narrow passageways to move figures around.



I’ve also recut the cave openings in the escarpment to allow some cork bark to be inlaid to create some suitably forbidding cave entrances.
The cork bark pieces are loosely in position at the moment - they will be cemented into place use woodglue and sawdust.







Next, I’ve used some wall filler to smooth the floors of the passageways down to the lower cavern, and have added a couple of natural ‘steps’ at the bottom of each subterranean path. These are just slate chippings, set into wall filler. They will allow figures to stand up, even at this steep point on the descent…





I’ve fixed the three foamboard layers of the cave system 'massif' together, using wood glue for the lower layers and UHU POR styrofoam glue for the upper layer.
As part of this, I've reassembled the upper layer - I had to cut it jigsaw-like into sections to allow me to cut out all the tunnels using the hot wire cutter.



Finally, I've shoved rather a lot of cocktail sticks thrust through the layers of foam to peg the three levels together, and hammered a few cut-down length of bamboo kebab skewer  through good measure.
I don't think this lot will be coming apart in a hurry (famous last words)





Next I'll use a flatbed sander to smooth off the side faces of the cave system block – the slabs were fractionally different sizes, so didn’t line up perfectly.
Then start 'icing' the inside of the caverns with wall filler.