Terrain Building layout notes.

[inrepose]

Some notes and thoughts about this layout which was built 3 years ago.

The base going down and the layout using the hard yellow (same as hard pink foam). All the pieces here are cut up and ready to glue down. Basically checking and moving the layout around.




Base colours on and some drybrushing. The built up area has battery powered lights from Kato which can illuminate buildings place on the lights. The battery compartment was built underneath the foam.


Before weathering was applied to the concrete dock area on the dry riverbed. These were pieces from the Old Crow 6mm dockside range.



Close up on the detail. Featuring some GZG Crustie models. I used a battery powered mini soldering iron to carve lines into the side of the foam area, which added some detail. I think I could have gone further and added more detail..


Bridge being base sprayed with an airbrush.


Using sand coloured static grass with the odd spot of colour to add detail.



The bridge in all its glory. The base board is split in two via the river bed. The bridge is then placed on supports which brings the whole thing together.

[vince]

This is amazing. I always shy away from projects like this because I'm afraid they aren't modular enough.
Also, I have to ask - are those model railway buildings?

[inrepose]

Yes those are Kato N-scale buildings. I know what you mean about the modular approach vs static layout. An argument I have with a friend who helped build this.

He preferes flatish terrain with drop on pieces. My argument with him always comes back to one thing... Which is that he never bloody plays enough games anyway! What I mean by that is he wants ultimate flexibility with the layout to change for every game, so the layout is varied. But he plays games so rarely that I argue that the variation is wasted on him. I prefer something more creative on the basis that some key areas still allow for different terrain to be dropped on and I play often.

So a bit of compromise for me is where certain things can be moved around. This layout could easily be played without the bridge and due to the small size of 15mm, there are unlimited small skirmishes that could be played out. I have had many games just around the bridge which presents a great location to have a firefight.

[Mr. Harold]

Love the table, and I love the idea of chokepoints on a table.

My group have started doing larger modular pieces... kinda a compromise of both schools of thought

[vince]

It's true, 15mm doesn't suffer that much from static terrain as there is much more room for maneuvering. Well I'm envious but for now I'll have to stick with drop pieces since I don't play 15mm exclusively....yet.

[inrepose]

Here is another layout. This one uses the Messa resin terrain pieces made by Critical Mass Games.

Having the messa rocks built in makes it look nice and integrated and the line of sight being blocked makes the board feel bigger (it is 3'x3'). The small sizes means you can get straight into a game (ideal for show games) and we have had some interesting games played out used the launch pad as an objective. The launch pad is from Games Workshop but works perfectly for 15mm.

I used lots of weathering pigment washes on this layout before sealing them down with dull coate. The pigments added a lot of nice natural looking change and detail in the base terrain, without being difficult to wash on.

Look at the very far right near the top on this photo. You can see a little red APC. Above the APC is a rock area and you can see the result of using the pigment washes in the top levels of the rock.


I think the layout works well for 6mm and 15mm games. The little wrecked space ship is a 6mm Dark Realm miniatures model which in 15mm looks like a crashed drone or in 6mm a crashed drop-ship.

[Mr. Harold]

Another beautiful board. I keep looking at that landing pad because of you! I think starports are great objectives and terrain pieces.

The pigments really help that board stand out! I'm working on an ashwastes board that has ribbons of desert sand in it, i'll have to try some washes... maybe wood stain.

[vince]

These look like bought commercially. Better even. Good job!