Sunday 16 December 2018

Western Desert terrain

No games played this weekend with most of my free time taken up with painting some desert terrain and a few more WW2 units. The first challenge was to create some hills to fit into the hex grid. I decided to make all the hills at once so when painting I would get a consistent look.

Newly painted units
British tanks
To begin a hill I cut out the MDF base and two cardboard circles to make the hill. These were stuck together and covered in masking tape. After which the hill was covered in PVA glue and flock sprinkled over to create texture for the later painting.

Cardboard used to give form to the hill and a base of MDF cut to fit the hex grid.
The hill is constructed.
Beginning to cover the hill with masking tape.
Fully covered in masking tape
Glue to seal the hill and flock is added for texture
Once the glue was dry the hills were painted using stippling effects and washes to match as best possible the battle mat colours.

The finished hill
All the hills completed
In addition to the hills I wanted to create some terrain to represent a wadi or depression. These are always problematic to show on a tabletop. In the end I opted to use brown felt which I painted to represent the sides of a wadi. Taking inspiration from how terrain is represented on boardgames.
A unit taking cover in a wadi. 
Close up of the wadi.


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18 comments:

  1. Ross Mac rmacfa@gmail.com16 December 2018 at 22:58

    Nicely done especially the wadi.

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    Replies
    1. Peter17 December 2018 at 07:11

      Thank you, I am happy on how the wadi eventually turned out.

      Delete
  2. KEV. Robertson.16 December 2018 at 23:31

    Peter,
    Your a clever fellow- great craft work there- well done. Cheers. KEV.

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    Replies
    1. Peter17 December 2018 at 07:13

      Hi KEV, fun to do and see the results, but it did get a bit repetitive towards the end. Thanks, Peter

      Delete
  3. Jonathan Freitag16 December 2018 at 23:39

    Good job on the terrain.

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  4. Anonymous17 December 2018 at 08:40

    Peter, I have always had a great interest in the North African campaign - my late father was in the British First Army 42/43. Excellent work to date. I watch with great interest. Which rules do you intend to use for your ensuing battle?
    Peter David Green.

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    Replies
    1. Peter17 December 2018 at 18:05

      At the moment my plan is to use a variation of the Tank on Tank game rules by Lock n Load (which are free to download).

      Delete
    2. Anonymous20 December 2018 at 01:11

      Peter, I see the rules are on the lighter side, four pages plus and cover turns with chits, action points, headquarters bonus etc. combat resolution (no hit roll, just a roll for destroyed or not destroyed) and personnel units. I'm should many would be most interested in your "variation". Do you intend to publish on your blog the rationale of your design?

      I do agree a lighter set of rules enables the wargamer to develop suitable small unit tactics, rather than mastering pages and pages of rules.
      Thanks, Peter David Green.

      Delete
    3. Peter20 December 2018 at 07:20

      Hi David - yes I will be posting the variations and the reasons. I am hoping to get some test games in with the completed units over the Christmas holidays. Peter

      Delete
  5. Gonsalvo17 December 2018 at 14:03

    Very effective terrain!

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    Replies
    1. Peter17 December 2018 at 18:07

      Thanks, a little bit of trial and error to get there.

      Delete
  6. Archduke Piccolo17 December 2018 at 15:14

    I'm impressed by the way your hills turned out. I didn't think making them frankly 'hexagonal' would work - how wrong I was! The wadi/depression hex-sides work very well, too. Food for thought there!

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    Replies
    1. Peter17 December 2018 at 18:11

      Thank you. I am very pleased the way they worked out. I am enjoying the look of the battles being played out on you hex gridded tabletop.

      Delete
  7. Unknown18 December 2018 at 21:16

    Thank you for sharing! I'd been struggling with the hill 'thing'... I've just made some trial hills(with a few half-hexagon ones) - though the ones I've done are for Europe. They do look good. When I've finished putting together my N Africa armies, I'll try out your wadi concept.
    Bill

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  8. Peter19 December 2018 at 07:09

    You are welcome. Good to hear your trial hills are working out.

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  9. Phil19 December 2018 at 18:53

    Beautiful units and great job on the hills, creative and effective...Now a member!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Peter19 December 2018 at 21:26

    Hi Phil, Thank you and welcome. I am really enjoying this project as this is the first time I have used 6mm models and terrain. Peter

    ReplyDelete

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