32 replies to this topic

[Doug's Workshop]

(cross-posted on my blog)

So, GenCon meant that I got to play a few games that don't seem to have many players in the local area. Specifically, Reaper's Warlord game. I really like the new version, despite the fact that there doesn't seem to be a local following.

Therefore, when a friend's children got excited about gaming at GenCon, I got excited about roping them into playing. Luckily, my friend is a cool sort of woman who doesn't mind her pre-teen sons playing with little metal figures against a crotchety old fart like me. By the way, I got pwned by a 12 year old during our first game. Dangit.

Nonetheless, I've been excited about creating a battleboard for us to game on. I already have several building from the Miniature Building Authority, so I can construct a pretty big village right now. But, playing on a kitchen table leaves a lot to be desired. It worked, but I want something bigger and better. Yes, at this point you should begin to be afraid. Mrs. Workshop was.

Games Workshop put out a battleboard of their own, and I really liked the concept. Modular plastic tiles, 2 ft by 2 ft, held together by clips so that the modules don't move. Six by four feet. Since I wanted a four by four area, their board would provide a good amount of variation. In addition, it stores fairly easily, is rugged, and expandable. You know, should I ever want an absolutely huge area to play on! The downsides, though, were enormous. First was the price. Almost $300 retail. Second, all that gets you is the molded plastic. You still need to paint the thing! And, some of the sculpting is wacky. I suppose it works for GW, but I wasn't really getting into it. Especially for $300. Oh yeah, no rivers, no extra hills (the battleboard modules have small rises sculpted into them).

Thus my brain started churning. Images of modular terrain filled my imagination. Rivers carved into the base, craggy hills rising to provide an overlook. Standing stones, ruins! I could construct a frame of 2x2's, supported by 1x2's, and place the terrain modules inside so that they wouldn't be knocked around. I even came up with a way to add hinges so that I could store the frame easily.

For the past two weeks, I made plans to buy the lumber, the MDF for the modules, the polystyrene for the hills. I tweaked the frame design, trying to find a way to get a stronger hinge. I started thinking about just how much flock I would need to cover all the modules I had envisioned.

This morning, reality hit me square in the face. I was tasked with watching Little Workshop while Mrs. Workshop went to lunch with friends. Little Workshop was tired, he cried, he couldn't get comfortable in my arms. Today was going to be the big day! Menard's was calling! And there was going to be no way I could get all the stuff I wanted while making sure my son didn't have a melt-down in the store. After our morning nap (because I napped too!), I loaded him into my truck and off we went. As I was driving, I realized there was no way I could dedicate the time to build the terrain I wanted. Gaming is fun, but my son deserves more of my time.

So I caved. Instead of Menard's, I drove to a fabric store. A half-yard of blue felt. A half yard of tan felt. For rivers and roads, repectively. I lucked out in that the store was having a half-off sale, so I managed to spend about $5.50 and get material for more roads and rivers than I will probably ever use.

I also stopped by Michael's Craft Store. They had their Christmas Village stuff out, and I found some birch trees I might pick up later. They also had a roll of rubber flagstone that may work for city streets. A quick check online showed there's a 50% off coupon, so I may not have to wait until after Christmas for some of this stuff.

As I ate dinner, I resigned myself to playing on MDF painted green. I could still do the polystyrene hills, since those smaller projects could be accomplished without interfering in my fatherly duties. But the big cool modular terrain, the rivers, the crags . . . those would have to wait. Of course, what about trees? It's a shame Michael's didn't carry the Woodland Scenics stuff like Hobby Lobby does. That 50% off coupon would come in handy. . . .

And as I was going to bed, I realized that Hobby Lobby routinely runs a 40% off coupon. I wonder if they had the large grass mats that Woodland Scenics makes . . . . A quick internet search says yes.

So I've been unable to sleep for the past two hours as my creativity has been sparked again. Creativity coupled with 40% off coupons is a scary thing for me. Mrs. Workshop agrees, and she's resigned herself to the fact that tomorrow I'll likely have a 4' x 8' mat of grass spread over our dining room table.

[Alex3]

My Warhammer friends bought three wooden boards from Home Depot for their games. They lay them on the floor to play, and they aren't very heavy and they were p cheap. They painted em brown (with latex paint) and sprinkled some sand on to make some parts a little rough. Then we made separate terrain that can be set down on the boards.

We also have the GW grass-mat, it was more expensive but it's pretty good too. Especially for delicate tabletops.. though on the floor minis can fall over if someone leans on it wrong.

If you make any modular terrain I'd like to see em. We have about 10 pieces but with the new GW book there are many new ones and I'm always looking for ways to make them. I have kind of been winging it so far. :P

[kristof65]

I have a 4x8 piece of particle board edged with some 1.5 x .25" strips that I set on top of my RPG table. I have a piece of green felt cut to sit inside that, then strips of tan and blue felt I can use for rivers/roads. On that I have some flocked foam hills and a small set of geo-hex. Trees and vegetation are represented by model trees and a couple bags of lichen. I have a selection of terrain like walls, rocks, statues and such, some resin pieces from Armorcast and Epicast, the rest made by me, usually out of foam core.

Felt is a great (and usually inexpensive) to represent terrain features, IMO.

The only modular board terrain system I've played on was a dungeon/space hulk type system a friend of mine built. He took 2x2 pieces of particle board and cut 1/8 grooves in them on a grid pattern, then cut various lengths of 1/8" thick by 2" wide plywood to place as walls.

[masterofnone]

(cross-posted on my blog)

And as I was going to bed, I realized that Hobby Lobby routinely runs a 40% off coupon. I wonder if they had the large grass mats that Woodland Scenics makes . . . . A quick internet search says yes.

So I've been unable to sleep for the past two hours as my creativity has been sparked again. Creativity coupled with 40% off coupons is a scary thing for me. Mrs. Workshop agrees, and she's resigned herself to the fact that tomorrow I'll likely have a 4' x 8' mat of grass spread over our dining room table.

In Fact Hobby Lobby is running that very coupon right now. And usually Michael's will honor competitors discount coupons, or at least mine does if you need something from them when Hobby Lobby's is running. Good luck on the project and make sure to give us some photos when you are done.

[Doug's Workshop]

I've managed to pick up a whole bunch of stuff, and will likely begin making the board this weekend.

Supplies:

2 boards (2ft x 4ft x 5/8" particle board) @ $7
3 "furring strips", 8ft long, 2"x1" @ $2.40
Wood screws (already have)

Particle board was chosen mainly for cost. I was initially looking at MDF, but the 1/4" thick sheets didn't seem like they'd stay in place well enough once on the table. The 1/2" sheets were over $8 each, and the first one I picked up had been smashed on one side. This didn't fill me with confidence as to the durability I want for storage. I really liked some sanded plywood, but each board cost $11. So, I went with particle board that is thick enough to not warp and cheap enough to not break the bank. The furring strips were purchased so that I can create a lip on the edge of the board so that dice don't roll off, and to protect against the rather sharp edges of the particle board. This should also reduce splinters.

I also bought a 50" x 100" Woodland Scenics grass mat from Hobby Lobby and a jar of vinyl adhesive that was on clearance. Total price: about $22 with tax.

Pictures will be posted as I begin construction.

[ixminis]

A buddy of mine has a modular 2 x 2 square system that got built up slowly over time. Each tile has a matching 2" x 2" tile for planning purposes. It's something that can be done over time, but only needs 4 tiles to start with.

If you follow this route, just be sure to start with thick enough polystyrene so you can dig down to make the rivers. Walking up to a river always seemed funky to me, so that's the route I intend to go in... down.

Good to hear you are back on the track of custom built spiffy looking terrain.

This is definitely not a dig on those that don't feel like / can't afford doing more than felt or bits and bobs. Felt (or otherwise) gets the job done in a pinch. It's just a preference on my part.

regards,

[Doug's Workshop]

A buddy of mine has a modular 2 x 2 square system that got built up slowly over time. Each tile has a matching 2" x 2" tile for planning purposes. It's something that can be done over time, but only needs 4 tiles to start with.

If you follow this route, just be sure to start with thick enough polystyrene so you can dig down to make the rivers. Walking up to a river always seemed funky to me, so that's the route I intend to go in... down.

Good to hear you are back on the track of custom built spiffy looking terrain.

This is definitely not a dig on those that don't feel like / can't afford doing more than felt or bits and bobs. Felt (or otherwise) gets the job done in a pinch. It's just a preference on my part.

regards,

Oh, I'm still going to have to go with the felt. I totally want to do the modular boards; my original plan was to use 1/2" MDF for basic boards, with two 1/4" boards sandwiched when I made rivers. That would've allowed me to dig down like you say.

Felt isn't my preference. I'm far too much of a perfectionist to be fully satisfied with felt. And for the cost, buying rivers that lie on top of the board just seems wrong. Plus, there's that perfectionist part of me that says "NO! FOR THE LOVE OF GOD NO!" But, I can't escape the fact that my time is limited, my storage space is limited, and my son requires that I spend some time with him. He's eleven months old, so its not like he can really be trusted to not get into trouble while Dad is out playing with power tools in the garage!

I'm calibrating my expectations. I still get a cool board to play on. And I can still use the basic boards to work with modular terrain in the future. But I can't devote the time necessary to do the uber-cool stuff I've always wanted to do. I joked that "reality hit me like a wet fish."

Not to worry. I've got a couple cool resources for homemade trees, and hopefully the project will show that even someone with a family can still create some pretty cool stuff.

That was one of the things that hit me when I was searching for ideas. I found the cheap "use two panel doors and connect them with duct tape" and "Here's how I build a massive table that I store in my basement." But I didn't see anything in the middle. I don't have a basement. Heck, my painting room will be taken over should my wife and I have another child. What can the "average" wargamer do with some time and modest amounts of money?

But I definitely like hearing everyone's stories and opinions! I'm always amazed by what people come up with, and I'm very happy that we now have a forum to share ideas! Of course, this is coming from someone who's been gaming for 25 years and remembers photo-copied rule books and 25-cent miniatures.

[Castlebuilder]

If I'm not mistaken, Hobby Lobby is runing all of their Woodland Scenics stuff at 30% off this week.

And you are on the right track already. Start playing now with whatever terrain you can create. As you keep playing, you can add more. And once others see you having fun with the game, they will want to try it out too.

[Doug's Workshop]

If I'm not mistaken, Hobby Lobby is runing all of their Woodland Scenics stuff at 30% off this week.

Yes. Yes they are.

Unfortunately, with the school season starting, the Hobby Lobbys in the area replaced most of their normal Woodland Scenics stock with the "Make A Diorama" box sets, which are considerably less useful to a gamer. I'll have to wait until they move that stuff out and restock their normal line of landscape materials. I'm really thinking of doing fall trees, since those are never seen on the miniature battlefield!

Still, I managed to pick up a couple packs of blue spruce trees, and the coupon came in handy for some lichen I'll use for some homemade trees.

[WizardOne]

Workshop, I have a story or two:

About ten years ago I wandered into an upholstery store. It's like a fabric store, but they specialize in drapery for the windows and matching/complimentary fabrics to recover the furniture with (so the furniture goes with the drapes). I found that it was possible to buy 2 yards of fabric for about $26 bucks in USD. That gave me a piece of fabric that would cover a 6 x 4 foot Warhammer table. The color? ...they called it "Apple Green". I initially got a real strange look from the 20-ish coed clerk when I asked for "Goblin Green", she continued giving me the evil eye even after I modified my request to "Grass Green", but it was all better once I 'settled' for "Apple Green". The fabric I got was very close to one of those flocked grass mats, it had a bit of a fuzz texture AND it's totally machine washable.

At the time I made this purchase the Goblin Green Games Workshop Grass Battlemat retailed for about $30 USD.

To recap: I have a "Battlemat" that came from a store Mrs. Workshop would probably enjoy hanging out in, that would be machine washable in the event Little Workshop did something interesting with his porridge, and I paid less for it than I would've for the GW product.

Morals to the story: use the lingo that makes the locals comfortable and machine-washable gaming gear is a wonderful thing.


Story #2:

I have this roll of silvery, mirror finish gift wrap paper. If pond and stream shaped pieces are cut out and laminated they will lay flat and look amazingly like still, reflective water. (I get them laminated at a store that sells visual aids to school teachers---apparently school teachers like to laminate everything.) If you had such a roll of gift wrap paper Mrs. Workshop could also use some of it to wrap gifts.

Moral to the story: dual-use products are a wonderful thing.

[Alex3]

Moral to the story: dual-use products are a wonderful thing.

Alton Brown would be proud...

The laminated lake thing sounds pretty beast. Do you have photos? :)

[Doug's Workshop]

I've put the full story up on my blog (warning: not safe for sane people), but here are the highlights thus far:

The materials:
2 boards (2ft x 4ft x 5/8" particle board) @ $7
3 "furring strips", 8ft long, 2"x1" @ $2.40
1 Woodland Scenics Grass Mat (summer color) and jar of vinyl adhesive @ $22

The mat I picked up using Hobby Lobby's 40% off coupon, and they were also getting rid of the adhesive on their clearance table.


If you include $3 for the wood screws (I already had them sitting in the garage), and $9 for the primer (I already had it sitting in the garage), I've spent under $44. In truth, it's $31 and change. Way cheaper than what GW wanted for their board.

I primed the base boards, per the instructions on the adhesive package. Makes sense, since particle board is so porous.


I cut the furring strips so that I had two at 49" long, and four at 24" long (actual lengths may vary due to me having a brain freeze when it came to the actual math part of this project. Never forget that boards have two ends . . .).
I also trimmed the mat so that when the side boards were secured, they wouldn't press on the mat, causing a bubble that I couldn't fix.

I used a thin nail to hold the board in place while I drilled out the spots for the screws. I used 2 1/2" wood screws. Probably a bit of overkill, but this way I'm certain they aren't going to come out.


After sanding the rough spots off the furring strips, and shaving down the edges so there are no sharp corners, I'm ready to start on the next phase of the project!


I might go back and add a small latch so that I can lock the boards together. I also thought that a little velcro might work. I don't need a full fledged latch; maybe some small pieces of velcro will be strong enough to prevent minor bumps from disrupting play.

Now that I have a board, I'll be working on other pieces of the project. Trees and hills, for instance.

One thing I did learn: I didn't need such thick particle board. I probably could have used thinner board and built a frame under it. I like the side boards (they'll keep dice and terrain on the table), but a lighter board could probably have been just as easy. Oh well, maybe for the next board!

[Inarah]

Here's a tip for you, you can make hedges out of dish scrubbers. Those green plastic ones they sell in the grocery stores. You can find them in dollar stores, too.

[Doug Sundseth]

For easy water features, find a piece of plexiglass (or that clear plastic that is used in the packaging of every child's toy ever) and cut it to the right shape. Spray paint one side a muddy brown or a brownish olive drab*. Once it's dry, turn it over and put it on the table with the shiny side up. This also works well for river water once you get to sculpted banks.

For roads: At pet stores you can find packages of ground walnut shells that are used (I think) as bird litter. This works well for dirt and gravel roads (just pour it in a strip where you want the road to go). It looks better than felt and it cleans up much better than clay cat litter.

* Not blue. Water only looks blue from a distance and when there isn't overhanging vegetation.

[Doug's Workshop]

For easy water features, find a piece of plexiglass (or that clear plastic that is used in the packaging of every child's toy ever) and cut it to the right shape. Spray paint one side a muddy brown or a brownish olive drab*. Once it's dry, turn it over and put it on the table with the shiny side up. This also works well for river water once you get to sculpted banks.

For roads: At pet stores you can find packages of ground walnut shells that are used (I think) as bird litter. This works well for dirt and gravel roads (just pour it in a strip where you want the road to go). It looks better than felt and it cleans up much better than clay cat litter.

* Not blue. Water only looks blue from a distance and when there isn't overhanging vegetation.

I like that idea. I'll have to see about doing that for The Terrain Project 2.0. Unfortunately, the blue water is kinda an issue of "What color is an alligator?"

Actually, that's a fun game. Ask various people what color an alligator is. Nine out of ten times, the answer is wrong, but we are conditioned to think of alligators as green. In truth, they're closer to black (in wet or in water), or gray (if sunning themselves). By putting a blue river down (even if it is felt), players instantly know "river." (As a side note, artists have the same issue when it comes to tree bark. Most times it isn't brown, but ask anyone to paint a tree, and they'll usually choose brown for the trunk.)

Besides, I want something I can play with NOW. My long-term plan is to develop the cool terrain I want, but I can't spend the time to do it the way I want. Heck, it took me two days of work to do the two hour project of putting the board together!

Speaking of the project, I'm gonna start work on trees, and try to figure out some quick'n'dirty road/river sections. Pictures will follow, probably this weekend.