Rebuilding Mordheim

Hey guys, Figured I start posting up my terrain works in progress for some C&C. Finally talked my friends into reviving a campain and am building a table. I have a couple of months to get atleast the basics down as thats about time our RPG game will be ending. Some of this stuff I had done a little while ago but others I have just did since now I have a deadline. I would ask my friends to help but I am the most knowlegable in terrain building and a little anal retentive so I am going to tacke this thing on my own.

Here are some pics:



Now I have added a large stone on top ove the fountain for the statue to rest on but you get the general idea.

This is a piece I did a year ago when I first got bitten my the mordheim bug again, it was a test piece but it will be used initially until I can replace it. I tried using wall plaster to creat the texture and still on split decision on it:




Heres a piece I just finished the base structure on, just need to add embellishments and texture:



And this is my most recent piece that I am working on, the base structure might be finished, I haven't decided yet:




This is what the over all town will initially look like:


My kooky idea to make the map is getting insulation foam board, painting it with the magnet primer and then applying magnetic tape on the bottom of the building and disguising it with rubble along the base so the hold still during play while still being modular.

Progess on this thread will be sporatic as during this I will be building a gaming table the board will rest in along with boards I will make for my 40k and fantasy stuff (4'x8)

PLease feel free to C&C

NICE START...I particularly like the Fountain. The first building looks fine; with some embellishments it should work well with any of your newer pieces.
From the look of your map, this is going to be quite an ambitious project...have FUN!

Now there are some nice ideas in there. Never heard of magnetic primer before... The houses look just fine, even if my heart usually bleeds when I see a perfectly fine mini used for a statue.

Heres a link to the magnetic primer:

http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc1v/R-202351175/h_d2/ProductDisplay?langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053

It is a complete pain to use from a painter friend of mine, but he says you do it right and follow some rules (that most people usually do not) it works extreamly well.

As far as using a perfectly good mini for a statue, I rather have something look good versus something I would not be happy with, and it only cost me $5 USD so it made the choice easy.

Oldschoolgameroo,

Can you give us those tips for applying the magnetic primer? It sounds like a good idea, but my gut reaction was that the hold wouldn't be particularly strong. If you have any tips for using the primer, I would like to fiddle with it myself.

Also, your board looks like it is laid out well. You have a lot of LOS blocking corners and angles, which I think is essential to keep ranged weapons in check. I am a huge fan of crowded boards, but they can be a bit of a challenge to play on. How wide are the spaces between your buildings going to be?

I think your test house looks very good. Like DeafNala said, a little detail would put it over the top.

I tried spackle on the walls of some of my buildings, but I ultimately decided on using fine grain play sand to create texture. It was cheaper, quicker, less of a hassle, and increased the structural integrity of the piece.

I like the look of using spackle to texture walls, but for me it just took too long to feasibly apply to mass produced buildings and retain my sanity.

weeble1000 wrote:

Oldschoolgameroo,

Can you give us those tips for applying the magnetic primer? It sounds like a good idea, but my gut reaction was that the hold wouldn't be particularly strong. If you have any tips for using the primer, I would like to fiddle with it myself.

Ask and yea shall recieve, though for laziness sake, just copied and pasted from the other forum I frequent (one dedicated to all things Nurgle). Not from my friend on this, the magnets do actually hold pretty well. He explained to me that the paint has particles that have an opposite charge to what common magnets are. A friend and I mused on this on my other forum, we figure rare earth magnets be fine, not 100% about the tape yet (in theory it should be).

IF you plan on using the magnetic paint, let me offer a few words of advice given to me by my friend who has worked with it before:

1) It smells absolutely aweful, be prepaired to have windows open and fans going for several hours up to a day, the have a scented plug in going aftr all that. Also be prepaired to top coat ASAP as it will help 'tone down' the odor.

2) Have the area well prepaired (plastic dropcloth, old clothes, rags and mineral spirits on hand) and this stuff is messy as hell and it is a pain to get up once it is on. Also be prepaired with your supplies. Foam rollers for the smoothest application and a disposable roller pan as once again it is hell to get up. Basically, anything you use this for should be easily disposed of or only intended to be used for this paint again, besides the actuall rollers themselves.

3) Have your surface prepaired ahead of time, go get the paint and have them use the can mixer to shake it up ahead of time to allow for the proper dispersion of the particles that allow this stuff to work. Go home and immeadiately apply, allow an hour or two to dry and apply another coat. Repeat several times. Make sure you do each coat as even as possible so you have no weak spots and shake the can up well before each coat to keep that dispersion as equall as possible. His best results have been with 5 or more coats. On a 4x4 area, you should have plenty in one can to do this.

4) Try to apply only two top coats (three at most and that is only if you use another primer) for the best magnetic effect. Too many more coats and the 'stick' lessens. Now this one both him and I are unsure about because it is taking into account for magnetic tape and common magnets. I know rare earth magnets have a stronger pull so effectively might be able to do more. I am going to try to ere on the less side as I plan on using the tape. I don't wan't the magnets too strong less they pull out of the terrain.

5) If possible, try to used all the paint up as the longer it sits the harder it is to re-mix for the proper dispersion after the fact. It can be done, you might have some dead spots though.

If you follow those rules, my buddy says this stuff works great. If you don't you will have a hard time using the stuff that might ultimately end at least a weak hold up to total failure. It will be probably a few monthes before I do mine as I want to get all the buildings done so I can at least play on a table top but as soon as I do I will let you know how it turns out. OR you can do it and tell me how yours turns out if you prefer

Quote :

Also, your board looks like it is laid out well. You have a lot of LOS blocking corners and angles, which I think is essential to keep ranged weapons in check. I am a huge fan of crowded boards, but they can be a bit of a challenge to play on. How wide are the spaces between your buildings going to be?

Thanks I appreciate that. Yeah the spaces are only about 2" thick for the most part on the streets which I know can be a pain. That said though, some of the buildings will be missing walls and corners of course so that will make things a little easier to move around in. The idea when I planned the map was to get as much terrain in as possible to make a crowded street but make it modular so we can switch out and mix and match. I plan on doing at least another half board full of terrain for massive battles and when it is all said and done (I say this now of course) I want enough to have 2 boards to be going continuosly as I am trying to spark mor interest at my flgs to get a decent size campain going.

Also I have a ton of broken wall pieces cut and ready to textured and painted (thank my wives step father, also a modeler, whom gave me a hot knife for christmas, made it a breeze to make them ) that can be added in and out along with the buildings to create more space at the players whim.

Quote :

I think your test house looks very good. Like DeafNala said, a little detail would put it over the top.

I tried spackle on the walls of some of my buildings, but I ultimately decided on using fine grain play sand to create texture. It was cheaper, quicker, less of a hassle, and increased the structural integrity of the piece.

I like the look of using spackle to texture walls, but for me it just took too long to feasibly apply to mass produced buildings and retain my sanity.

Thanks to you guys for that, and yeah I plan on adding a bit of embellishment on the outside. I like the spackle to for the most part but on this piece I rushed it, so in parts it comes off a bit thick. I plan on using it still but I am also going to use sand as well. Figured you don't see the same facade in every building in any city, why should mine be different.

Only thing I actually be dying to try with the spackle is to lay it on thicker like if you were doing a wall in a home but instead of scraping it down smooth, leaving it thick and getting some hirsch molds (or simuliar and cheaper ones) and press the negative into it. Figured this be a quick and easy way to create brick wall patterns or 'river' rock walls.

oldschoolgameroo wrote:

Only thing I actually be dying to try with the spackle is to lay it on thicker like if you were doing a wall in a home but instead of scraping it down smooth, leaving it thick and getting some hirsch molds (or simuliar and cheaper ones) and press the negative into it. Figured this be a quick and easy way to create brick wall patterns or 'river' rock walls.

I think Instant Mold might be a good way to go for something like that. The way Hirst Arts molds are laid out, and their depth, would probably make it hard use them for that purpose. However, you could press some instant mold onto whatever type of texture you wanted and then use that to texture the spackle. You could try something similar with green stuff or miliput too.

And thanks for the tips about the paint.

Ok boys and girls next (almost) finished building for the board. Still have to decide where the roof is going to go and and what other walls are going to be destressed.



I know the one set of walls is croocked that is has been fixed and is setting as we speak.





As you can see I have a post for a pulley to attach to, if I find some pieces in my bitz box thats what will go there, otherwise I will just have a rope hanging from it as one way up. As always C&C is welcome.

nice looking statue my only recommendation is to remove the pointy ends in the material it doesnt look to reall to have all the sharp turns on the ruins good work and im going to make my own map of my city good idea thats gonna save some time!!!

show us more please

bimbi

Bimbi wrote:

nice looking statue my only recommendation is to remove the pointy ends in the material it doesnt look to reall to have all the sharp turns on the ruins good work and im going to make my own map of my city good idea thats gonna save some time!!!

show us more please

bimbi

Yeah, Right now I am going for function over form because I am on a deadline to get the terrain at least to a playable state by Feb. as thats when we are starting our campain. Loooking at this building, there are also a couple of things I willl add and will update those as I get it done.

The map is tons of help, that way instead of looking and trying to figure out how I will lay stuff out as I make it I have a game plan, though just watch out. I have made the mistake starting on a building getting excited to get it going that I have made cuts the wrong way, so just be patient and think because if not you might have to alter some thing slightly as I have had to do slightly

VERY NICE WORK! The woodwork, especially the floors, & all the interesting angle to the Beasty look TERRIFIC. Keep up the SPLENDID WORK!

Great work on the buildings - looks like you have a lot of work cut out on the board.

I have been using Jo Sonja's Texture Paste for a finish on my stuff. I t is relatively easy to work, and gives a good finish. It can be coloured using acrylics. I have been using it for walls and slate pavements.

I will have to try out that paste, is it moldable like maybe really soft GS?

Sorry for the lack of updates, it is the beginning of the year and in the pharmacy biz it means we get our butts handed to us with insurance changes and what-not. I did stop by a craft place today and loaded up on some balsa wood beams and some tacky glue so hopefully this weekend I can get some serious geek time in and churn and burn some buildings out.

I have one building put together (just needs flooring), and two more cut and prepped for assembly so that shouldn't take too much. I also stopped by my local rail road store and got some styrene strips and rods for one of the three story building which will be a constanables office complete with jail cells and barracks.

Cheers!

oldschoolgameroo wrote:

I will have to try out that paste, is it moldable like maybe really soft GS?

It's not like GS, it's more like a really thick PVA glue, but it can be worked to take impressions, brush strokes etc. I use it to create the sort of rough plastered finishes on walls. I also use it for texturing slate pavements.

Cheers ....

Been awhile, life happened and I been busy. The other day I had a bit of free th=ime and an itch to hobby so I banged out the painting my fountain:

That REALLY looks COOL...very believable oxidation on the metalwork & the stonework ROCKS ( ). VERY WELL DONE!

That looks superb. That statue is awesome! Now, water to go in the pool?

Theo

Thanks for the kind comment guys!

As for water going into the pond, I am as yet still undecided...

So I started working on one of my houses and I rememberd four things when using sand for your texture (of course, all after the fact ):

1) Do not over thin your PVA as it makes a mess of things and is hard to control
2) Try not to lay it on too thick, Thinner PVA can help with this, too thin though causes you to have multiple aplications which makes it thicker.
3) Too much sand soaks up a hella lot of paint and is hard to allow complete coverage.
4) More sand = increased dry time

All that being said here is the WIP house:





Now the wood will be getting treatment too, but saving that for last so I can sand of places where I slopped paind. Also didnt think the interier would be that bright, so working on dulling it down.

This house is going to be a pseudo disappointment to me as it is my first forray into texturing buildings I have had in over a decade so it gets to be the subjuct of me relearning how to do things.

Thoughts?

Try using a texture medium for the buildings - any where that has craft materials, paints etc should have this. I paints on with a brush and you can work it to provide the uneven texture.

I really like the "Classic" Mordheim look of your city well done!
Just one thing. You seem to have whole floor over acceceble rooms. That is, in my expirience, a pain when you play the game. Or is there some trick the pic diddnt show?

Stronzo wrote:

I really like the "Classic" Mordheim look of your city well done!
Just one thing. You seem to have whole floor over acceceble rooms. That is, in my expirience, a pain when you play the game. Or is there some trick the pic diddnt show?

Other then trying to have large open ends, no there is no trick. And yes I do agree with that bu consider it a needed evil as I like the dimension it gives game play. I have had a lot of people suggest unattatched levels but those to have caused me no end of hassle during game play from bumping into them and knocking askew not to mention it is hard to move the upper levels when you have model on those levels.

The 'easiest' way we have found around it is versions of 'movement' sticks. Kinda like what you see in movies set in WWII with tactitions considering strategies over a large map, though smaller.

Wow! Great start indeed!

The paintjob on your statue/fountain is REALLY cool, and I like how you've planned out your map!

*lurks*

The building is coming along very nicely...I like the roof tiles.
Terrain for war games does have to take into consideration what oafs most gamers are or become during the course of a game. Avoiding things that can be knock around/off the table & allowing some extra room for ham fisted fellows is advisable.

Small update, first the first building I did, this one with the plaster texture. Its painted, just need to add the window framing on one side:




And a pic with my future 'Boss' to show the scale:



Now adding some touches to my shop, first some brick that is showing:




then some windows (blatently stolen from ferret ):



Have one more window to do then texturing then it will be ready for priming and paint. Hopefully tomorrow I will get all that done.

Great!
You have a lot of pending work to do =D