Monday, October 11, 2021

Some Figures and a Trench Idea

I don't usually post so quickly but it was a busy weekend!

Early days on my Venusian forces yet. However, there are now three completed Armies in Plastic French Foreign Legionnaires ready for basing and a game.

 



Yes that's a pumpkin.
 
The more I paint Armies in Plastic figures the more I like them. They paint quickly - the hardest part is mold line removal. No matter how often I tell myself I'll just leave them, I end up removing most of them (I don't mind a little here and there but long lines running across a helmet drive me crazy). A heated pin, clamped in an X-acto handle has made this task far easier and a great deal more consistent.  
 
I only plan to paint up a 10-figure GASLIGHT unit, with an additional 4 figures to man a Gatling (provided by the British as I don't feel like painting another just yet), so I'm actually pretty far along on this force!

Next up are three 28mm lizard warriors from the Reaper Bones line.

Still a pumpkin in the background.

Despite my attempts to make the orange different on each figure, my "random" markings ended up remarkably similar. I chalk it up to my human eye being unable to discern the distinctions that seem so natural to the lizard folk themselves.

Finally, the trench idea.

While I love the Atherton Scenics trenches as well as some other vacuum formed offerings, for a larger game where I want to put say, two or three trench lines on the table, they are somewhat large (given my small table space) and expensive for that. More importantly, they also are very "realistic" looking and if there is one thing I am not known for, it's realistic looking terrain.

And so, let us consider trench tiles:

Hand painted MDF coaster and craft paints.

This idea was borne of some of the fine Portable Wargame playing areas on the facebook group for those rules as well as the inclusion of some top-down trench section cutouts in Wargames Illustrated #235. The latter provided the inspiration for exactly how I approached the illusion of depth . 

This is a roughly 4" square MDF coaster available on Amazon. I use them for my WW2 AT guns and for bases for my One Hour Wargames medieval armies.  

I'm not an artist but it certainly is functional, cheap (relatively, depending on the brand. A 9x9 table is still 81 squares after all but I've seen other brands for as little as $20 for 100), has the right "look" for my tables and is easy to produce.

I'm not sure about the bare MDF -I may paint the space at the bottom by the sandbags the same color as my figure bases or perhaps a basic green. Inside the trench is another story - brown? grey? just MDF? the jury is still out.

For a 1:1 trench raid involving a handful of figures, or for Trench Hammer, I think I'd prefer something 3-D (which i can fake using books and foam under my ground cloth), for a battalion attack on the first and second trench lines, this would work for me..

It probably helps that I have long been a fan of dungeon tiles, which these remind me of.

This also makes me think you could make a fun "dungeon crawl" type game for Vietnam tunnel rats. Which means I'll probably have to buy some figures for that now, too!

14 comments:

  1. The trench tile is a practical approach to the issue of trenches on the tabletop and does have a visual appeal.

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    1. I know for some it will surely be off putting, but I am quite taken with the tile idea at this point. Worst case scenario, should I decide to pursue a different route in the future, I'll have some unusual coasters!

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  2. I love the trench coaster - very innovative!

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  3. I may have to try your hot pin trick; I go at mold lines with a sharp knife and fine file, but with that kind of plastic it always looks terrible. Nice looking paint jobs on the figures and a great idea for trenchworks.

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    1. Thank you, Peter! I had the same problem with the soft plastic which is what lead me to using heat. I had seen recommendations for using a heated hobby knife blade but i found they took too long to heat, they cool quickly, and they melt more surface than necessary. I even tried one of those fireplace lighters, which worked, but had a tendency to melt the figure if my attention faltered for even an instant. The pins cool quickly but they heat up quite fast and you can attack just the mold lines with, dare i say it, pin point accuracy! I use a small candle to heat the pin. Makes for some nice ambiance as well!

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  4. If you want to make the coaster a little more 3D for trench raids and the like, lay a Lincoln log on the front and back of the trench. It doesn’t provide deep cover but still gives the visual break.

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    1. Hi Reese,
      That's a great idea! Plus I've seen you use them to make villages to great effect for skirmish gaming.
      Cheers!

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  5. The figures are looking great, especially the Reaper lizard men. As for the trench , what an excellent idea, most effective indeed. Well worth continuing with l would say.

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    1. Thank you! I do need to order more of the coasters - but I am committed to the idea at this point. I think the most difficult part will be making sure the trench enters and exits at the right place on the sides, whether straight pieces or corners. I'm working on some other tile ideas too - barbed wire, craters, shattered trees, rocky terrain, etc. In for a penny, in for a pound and all that!

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  6. The trench tile is genius John, and your figures are wonderful! You are really making excellent progress!

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    1. Thank you, Brad! I make no claim that using tiles is original, but I haven't seen anyone else make trenches this way. I suppose the real proof will be when I have enough to field them in a game.

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  7. Brilliant 3D effect with the trench coasters John. Those legionnaires look great too.
    Regards, James

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    1. Thank you, James! I'm quite pleased with the coaster idea. Now to churn out a few more.

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