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Post by ooiittee on Jun 3, 2015 21:33:51 GMT
I am curious to know the type of tables people are using for thier games. I see hundreds of photos online of beautifully painted and based figures on flat green terrain tables with the odd hill (2 dimensional). Could get a feel for you reasons. A. It makes handling of the figures easier. B. It makes the rules easier to manage. C. Dont have the time/money/ability to do more. D. Dont care how my table looks. Here is a playmat I painted up last night for your enjoyment while you post your answer.
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Post by tim on Jun 3, 2015 21:45:02 GMT
Just started using a mat. Here is a shot set up for a WW2 punch up in Normandy. Tim
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Post by ooiittee on Jun 3, 2015 21:47:12 GMT
Hey Tim. So that is a mat over moveable hills? It looks sweet.
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Post by tim on Jun 3, 2015 21:52:20 GMT
Most kind yep I just put some books under it for hills, its a good compromise giving nice realistic slopes but still being able to put trees on the flatish bits Tim
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Post by tim on Jun 3, 2015 21:56:25 GMT
Just had a thought! Should I give myself(as a newly appointed moderator)a telling off for putting a picture of a WW2 setup on this forum? Discuss.
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Post by ooiittee on Jun 4, 2015 2:47:13 GMT
No figures on the board so it doesnt count. ?
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Post by bruce on Jun 4, 2015 3:41:10 GMT
No penalty for the WW2, Tim. I see no troops or vehicles, and it's in France. Play on! Very attractive layout.
Believe it or not, I use use marine vinyl fabric layed over my 4 x 12 table. It comes in 54 inch widths and I get it by the yard. It is strong, flexible, low gloss, has irregular texture surface, looks like ground. And it's inexpensive. Comes in a variety of colors. I have two shades of green, a brown, white for winter, and a blue for naval games. It is fairly heavy, I just stuff plastic bags or shaped MDF blocks under it where I want hills or to create a rolling terrain and it lays down nicely. It's a smooth surface, I do not use flock on it but do flock fields and other features.
my figures are based on fairly heavy felt covered board. The felt bases move very smoothly across the textured vinyl. I handle my figures less and sometimes even move the bases with a wooden push stick. I add buildings, trees, roads, rivers and lots of fields. Lots of features, maybe too cluttered, but I like to have it look fairly busy. Some of my buildings are based diorama style, some not. I must have at least 60 Leven buildings and accessories.
So the look and feel of the table scenics are very important to me and at least half the fun. My big weakness, I actually like that typical green color. Very cheery in the winter, makes me feel like it's late spring!
I am not good with photos but will eventually post some when I figure out how to put them on the net and download them here Your new mat is very nice indeed, more artistic then my methods, which are more of a compromise between diorama quality scenics and practical game elements easily rearranged. Bruce
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Post by Richard on Jun 4, 2015 5:56:54 GMT
I just picked up a games workshop battlemat for just £15 they look very good will post a pic when arrives, my first battle on it will be epic 40k, then a lot more naps to paint
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Post by ooiittee on Jun 4, 2015 7:27:26 GMT
I just cant bring myself to by battle mats. I have spent about $80au on 12 by 4 feet of cloth and paint. Thats about £40 and i can make two mats for that 6 by 4.
Do you place items under the mats or on top of. GW products seem to play fairly flat games, not that they sell 6mm anymore.
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Post by Richard on Jun 4, 2015 7:32:18 GMT
I will try with bits underneath if I don't like I will make hills to place on top, will have a play and see this is rubber backed anti crease so should work ok with stuff underneath
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Post by Richard on Jun 6, 2015 13:54:25 GMT
Here's a very quick pic of the Matt with a couple of objects underneath would look better with some sort of cloth underneath to round the edges of the hill
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Post by ooiittee on Jun 7, 2015 23:50:20 GMT
Well I finished the mat finally. 12 by 6 feet. It will go over foam cut hills and be dressed up. Planning to use these across 3 6mm scale boards after we finish using it for our 28mm event. Its not shaped in this photo.
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Post by tim on Jun 8, 2015 5:46:27 GMT
Thats gonna look nice when its all put together!
Tim
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Post by steve on Jun 8, 2015 20:52:48 GMT
Tim your mat is from these guys I seem to remember? www.terrainmat.com/TerrainTypes1.1.htmlthey are quite expensive but it looks nice. how well does it form hills over things underneath - does it give smooth changes in evaluation or sharp ridges? Is it stable to putting things on top (troops and terrain pieces)? How easy to store and doe sit crease? Any other pros and cons? I notice Antenocitis workshop do a mat and much cheaper, out of stock but they do samples. I was goign to get a sample but the basket tried to add £6 postage which is not worth it - I have emailed them. I will be doing a post on my blog soon called "wargames tables through the ages" talking about what I have used and what I currently have (I still have the subuteo cloth I used when I first started so this is all a bit of a deja vu moment really) Steve
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Post by tim on Jun 8, 2015 21:38:47 GMT
Hi Steve,
Yep thats where it came from. It's quite a heavy weight mat and drapes over things well. Seems to support stuff ok but never tried putting massed battalions on a hill slope yet (that will be a test 'cos mine are all metal based). It's fine for WW2 stuff but of course that does not involve hundreds of figures like Naps. Should be easy to store , it comes in a very thick heavyweight cardboard tube you can just roll it up and put it in for storage. Wargames tables through the ages sounds interesting, I remember the days when a sand table was the most wanted thing...just don't put one upstairs, they weigh a ton (literally).
Tim
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Post by bruce on Jun 9, 2015 3:50:57 GMT
Richard, I think your mat looks quite good indeed. I love green! You can try some rounded objects, cut foam like oolitee's, underneath for hills, books sometimes tend to look like books in my experience, although Tim's excellent mat does look great with them. I use a small rolling pin to flatten down the edges of craft foam blocks to help them slope. I keep my hills and ridges on the low side. The straight line creases disappear for most material the longer the mat lays out. Heavy material like vinyl does well for creating low rolling country and supports units on the slopes well, lighter material will bunch up better for rougher terrain but slopes may need some support.
Looking forward to oolitee's finished table, looking good and lots of color. Anybody remember Chessex battlemats? I still have three 4 x4s for my table. You can draw on them with the right markers and they are gridded, squares one side, hexes the other, go well with classic older rules, could be part of Steve's table history! Bruce
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Post by ooiittee on Jun 9, 2015 21:15:47 GMT
Just wanted to put up some final shots of the mats setup. Apologies for 28mm scale, this post is about the terrain design though. Getting to work on the British ridge. Reille's II Corp 6th Div taking position on their left before Hougoumont. The only troops we placed last night. Building up la Haie and Papelotte.
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Post by ooiittee on Jun 9, 2015 21:18:16 GMT
I will post the final finished (dressed) board before we start play next week.
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Post by Richard on Jun 9, 2015 21:28:34 GMT
It worked out really well great job looking forward to seeing you games on there
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Post by ooiittee on Jun 18, 2015 2:39:45 GMT
Ok so its game day prior to the opening of the ball. French before Hougoumont. British behind Hougoumont. Napoleon's view of the British right. We are expecting some dirty fighting in Frichermont. The British line. The French line. Should be a great day. Prince of Orange - 1st Corp.
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Post by tim on Jun 18, 2015 5:21:59 GMT
you are gonna have fun with that! Looks great.
Tim
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Post by tim on Jun 18, 2015 5:34:34 GMT
I have sorted that last picture out for you, hope you don't mind Tim
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Post by ooiittee on Jun 21, 2015 21:06:08 GMT
The French host took the day.
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