WIP WWI-Trench Board (Completed Pics 4/24)

[TheEyeOfNight]

So, being inspired by a Behind the Scenes from Miniwargaming, which showed how Green Leaf Terrain built their modular boards, I decided to take a swing at it myself. I've always wanted to do a WW1-style trench board, and cutting into the foam seemed like a good plan at the time. Remains to be seen if it's still a good idea, but whatevs.

 

In any event, not having some of the in-between pics on hand, here's the before and after-ish shot. (haven't done the detail work on it, but the drybrushing is finished and I'm excited)

 

http://i.imgur.com/5uw6ysAl.jpg

 

 

The trenches were cut out with vigorous knife-twistiness, and the whole thing was scoured, doused in Scenic Cement (watered-down PVA), and dumped with playground sand. I prefer it over aquarium sand, just because it gives you a great variety in the little rocks and textures and all that garbage. Drybrushed with a couple of cheap Wal-mart craft paints, and the bulk of the work is done.

 

http://i.imgur.com/JliGTKhl.jpg

 

http://i.imgur.com/F5cGllkl.jpg

 

http://i.imgur.com/AKSObp4l.jpg

[Terminal Maxocity]

Wow! Really nice! 

For your glue mixture you literally just water down some PVA glue, spread it over the Styrofoam and pour sand over it?

[TheEyeOfNight]

Essentially. I like to use Scenic Cement, not for product placement, but because they use a thinning agent to keep the glue from clumping. I just pour it on liberally, smooth it out with a brush, and throw playground sand on it. Give it a day or so to dry, spray with some more Cement if you really want to seal it, but that's really all there is to it

[TheEyeOfNight]

After pushing it hard to get finished this weekend, I'm calling Board 1 complete, including some scatter terrain and movable ladders and bridges:

 

http://i.imgur.com/IReGkr3l.jpg

 

http://i.imgur.com/CUOlDdGl.jpg

 

http://i.imgur.com/7urkgR4l.jpg

 

http://i.imgur.com/EJsAkMyl.jpg

 

http://i.imgur.com/HAL3eyil.jpg

 

http://i.imgur.com/PdeScL6l.jpg

 

http://i.imgur.com/3VKxXzgl.jpg

[NTaW]

I love the look you have achieved but the trenches themselves don't look much like they are a part of a larger trench system. Are you planning on expanding this idea? It looks like you have made a 2'x4' table section here.

[TheEyeOfNight]

Appreciate it, and yeah there will be other sections added later on. The original design had the trenches canvassing the back half of the board (the farthest front trench wall is right at 12" up), but I felt that would unnecessarily hamper our vehicle-heavy players, so it got modified into more of a "trench system in progress" thing. The next board will have similar lines facing off from the other side, and we'll see what sections get added from there.

 

Thanks for commenting

[NTaW]

Awesome. I have a 4'x4' trench board that has dual lines of trenches on each side. My only regret was that the trenches weren't deeper and also there could have been a section of no man's land to make it into a 6x4 table (trenches on the short sides). There are scatter terrain bridges to allow vehicles to pass over trenches unfettered which worked nicely for allowing tank heavy lists to function. Need a lot of destroyed vehicles to block LoS though, otherwise combat oriented armies will need double the points to reach a gunline :lol:

 

I look forward to seeing this develop!

[TheEyeOfNight]

Ha, yeah, gotta start sticking some ruined buildings or something into No Man's Land, otherwise the board turns into Tau Party.

 

(Ain't no party like a Tau party, cuz a Tau party don't stop til literally someone flips a table stupid wall of mirrors)

 

But anyways, once the second board is done it'll be a nice 4'x4' for some small-scale action. Will probably do a hilly, debris-filled No Man's Land board to put between them after that. We'll see, the Chaos gods are ever fickle