Simple 3D Mine/Tunnel system for 28mm gaming

[Malebolgia]

Really, really cool mine (or cave) system. Love how practical it is and it looks ace. Top job.

[HvM]

The painting of the texture is truly brilliant! Really cool

[xNickBaranx]

More great work Rob! Keep it coming.

[Peithetairos]

Very effective and a beautiful end result. I love the interior. The rock looks very natural and the colours are very natural too. However, I am not entirely sold on the box itself. Maybe the black rims are a bit too stark for me and they don't seem to be entirely straight. Did you consider using HIPS instead? The tops could be painted with the same colour as you painted the rocks or maybe just a dark brown. Anyhow, I still think this some beautiful terrain and I will follow this project closely.

[robh]

Did you consider using HIPS instead? The tops could be painted with the same colour as you painted the rocks or maybe just a dark brown.

I have used plastic, foamcore and mdf/wood for scenery boxes in thepast but did not consider it for these.
As l said these are designed to be simple and cheap (each one takes about 3 hous to make and costs about 3 euros in materials). The top edges are a bitty tatty looking but that does not worry me. The card is cut straight but does get a bit dented during building. The black enamel does actually stiffen it abit and prevent it getting too bad.

My original idea for these was make the inside terrain height fill the box and use the existing fold over lid to cover over the bits l now paint brown leaving just the rock faces showing.

[Peithetairos]

Fair enough. 3 Euros and 3 hours per box is actually excellent. Can't complain about this ratio.

[eilif]

Really beautiful work.  Your mine boxes are very well done.

I would quibble with the term "simple" though.  You've created a fairly accessible project with truely lovely results.  However truely a "simple" solution would -IMHO- be something more like this: http://chicagoskirmish.blogspot.com/2012/08/terrain-tutorial-caverns-and-rocks-fast.html

Tear foam, paint, done.

[The_Beast]

... However, I am not entirely sold on the box itself. Maybe the black rims are a bit too stark for me and they don't seem to be entirely straight. Did you consider using HIPS instead? The tops could be painted with the same colour as you painted the rocks or maybe just a dark brown...

Maybe a tape on the top to tie the boxes together, removable when done?

Doug

[xNickBaranx]

You've created a fairly accessible project with truely lovely results.  However truely a "simple" solution would -IMHO- be something more like this: http://chicagoskirmish.blogspot.com/2012/08/terrain-tutorial-caverns-and-rocks-fast.html

Hey! I know those Chicago Skirmish guys!

I can't speak for Robh, but when Broken Contract was conceived it was based around 8"x10" game tiles (it was originally going to be released as a board game). It's still going to come with map sections that revolve around that structure, so having "board tiles" someone can just drop onto the table to conform to the map sections will make playing any published scenarios easier. If you have a collection of straights, t's, and intersections you have the groundwork for the game nailed down. Over time you'd just add some unique rooms.

Though, if you are like the Chicago Skirmish guys, you might play 1 or 2 "out of the book" scenarios and then go straight to creating your own. That's how they roll.

[eilif]

Hey Nick!
That is indeed how we roll.   I didn't mean in any way to detract from the lovely mine boxes you or the OP made.

A couple of us CSW memebers tried Broken Contract at Adepticon and it's a very nice system.  I just wanted folks to know that if anyone is considering getting into the game, but is intimidated by building their own caves, don't be.   It's not nearly the level of a custom built set of cave boxes, but it is possible to get pretty good results by tearing up chunks of foam rubber salvaged from thrown out couches (smell the couch first...) and adding a few layers of paint.  It looks even better if you lay them out on a piece of hardboard, wool or felt that matches the color of the caves rather than on a black tablecloth as we did.

[xNickBaranx]

Hey Nick!
That is indeed how we roll.

Haha. I didn't realize it was you Karl. I even sent a message to Josh saying, "Hey, someone invoked Chicago Skirmish on Lead Adventure!" Whoops. Thanks for the kind words and offering suggestions to help people along.

I hope you guys give the game a go on your own. I know Josh was talking about it. The OP, Robh, just sent me a bunch of great feedback. I'm looking forward to getting more of it from the world at large. 

[robh]

Played through a simple scenario for Broken Contract using the mine sections over the weekend (pictured is the one used above for the step by step photos).



Forgot to mention the sizes before, the mine corridors are roughly 4 to 5 inches wide and 3 1/2 inches high so plenty of room for moving the figures around.

I still hold to my view that these are simple things to make. Compared to a lot of the amazing gaming scenery around these pages, these are no effort at all.

[Poiter50]

I think your modular 3D work is fantastic and really allows for storage, the bane of many gamers with scenery. Don't know the rules but mines have been of some interest for some time and I'm thinking of a small rail system for a raid in a Wild West setting or perhaps a "retrieve the looted items" scenario for WW2.