Anyone ever painted a realm of battle board?

[Axineton]

I’m thinking of buying the realm of battle boards. I especially like the forge world thunderhawk one and was wondering how easy these boards are to paint and any tips on doing so?

[Aeternus]

The soaking was a bit of a pain in the arse, had to put it through a bathtub about three times :P but then after that and some primer painting it went fine really, provided you have the necessary space. Tips wise, drybrushing is your friend? At least for the ground sections :)

[Kisada]

I've had the WORST time working on the FW zone mortalis boards.   Soaked, cleaned, scrubbed ... prime ... paint peels right off.  Strip, soak, clean, scrub, degreaser ... prime ... paint peels right off.

 

Repeated again but this time used some automotive bonding primer .. finally sticks ... but even then it still peels/scratches very easily after a gloss coat (tried future floor polish through an airbrush, clear matte varnish rattle can).

 

These boards are going to be used in a store so I'm planning on multiple thick layers of future floor polish topped off with dullcote once they are completely painted ... wish me luck 

[treadhead]

I'm currently working on the plastic city board from gw, I've so far base coated them black, masked off the pavements and gutters, sprayed it mechanicus grey, masked off the building plots and roads, sprayed it boltgun metal

 

Now all i have to do is some general tidying up ahead of detailing and so many pots of wash that my wallet will feel like Tokyo after Godzilla is done with it.

 

I'll try and snap some pics to make an album with next time i see sunlight (uk resident)

Edited March 19, 2018 by treadhead

[Axineton]

Seems like bit of a mixed bag regarding them then. I still want to get this once I’ve got the space or I could make my own I suppose.

[Mileposter]

I can't speak for the Forge World ones, but I got the six-piece Realm of Battle set from Games Workshop when they first hit the shelves. The first one for Age of Sigmar, with the hills and skulls, because I thought the Sector Imperialis one was too flat.

 

I had a blast texturing the whole board and painting it. All priming and basecoats were done with spray can, and then the blending and detail work was done with brush. I didn't get super-detailed with it like I originally planned (I had wanted to add grass tufts and little bits like that) but it worked out for the best - that stuff wouldn't have survived all the packing and unpacking I've had to do to the boards over the two years I've had them.

 

For the group I played with previously, my having those boards was almost more important than having any terrain at all. We enjoyed them that much.

[Major_Gilbear]

Seems like bit of a mixed bag regarding them then. I still want to get this once I’ve got the space or I could make my own I suppose.

 

I think it's actually more a difference between the FW boards and the GW boards; FW board sections are resin, and GW's are all plastic.

 

Whilst you can just start working with the plastic GW stuff right away, the FW ones need a good wash/degrease (like all their resin stuff) first. Additionally, the FW ones may not be as square, flat, or dimensionally-accurate as the GW ones because of the material and manufacturing differences.

 

Another thing to keep in mind is that the boards will see a fair bit of wear - dice rolling, models, terrain placed on it, tape measures, templates (well, in previous editions), etc. I would therefore recommend priming them with a good quality automotive primer and letting this cure for at least 24 hours before you paint them (even if the primer is touch-dry after an hours, let it cure for the full time). Similarly, I would consider sealing them after you've painted them with a few good coats of a matte spray sealant. This will help ensure that any scuffs through the usual wear-and-tear are keep to a minimum.

 

Finally, if you keep an eye out on eBay or local car boot sales, you can often get a cheap copy of the old Battle For Macragge starter set. That came with crashed Aquila Lander plastic terrain pieces that could work well for you - either modelled on suitable bases as loose terrain, or modelled directly onto the board. :)

[Axineton]

 

 

I think it's actually more a difference between the FW boards and the GW boards; FW board sections are resin, and GW's are all plastic.

Whilst you can just start working with the plastic GW stuff right away, the FW ones need a good wash/degrease (like all their resin stuff) first. Additionally, the FW ones may not be as square, flat, or dimensionally-accurate as the GW ones because of the material and manufacturing differences.

 

Another thing to keep in mind is that the boards will see a fair bit of wear - dice rolling, models, terrain placed on it, tape measures, templates (well, in previous editions), etc. I would therefore recommend priming them with a good quality automotive primer and letting this cure for at least 24 hours before you paint them (even if the primer is touch-dry after an hours, let it cure for the full time). Similarly, I would consider sealing them after you've painted them with a few good coats of a matte spray sealant. This will help ensure that any scuffs through the usual wear-and-tear are keep to a minimum.

 

Finally, if you keep an eye out on eBay or local car boot sales, you can often get a cheap copy of the old Battle For Macragge starter set. That came with crashed Aquila Lander plastic terrain pieces that could work well for you - either modelled on suitable bases as loose terrain, or modelled directly onto the board.

 

 

 

 

Nice one Major!  I never thought about the dice rolling etc I have the Battle for Macragge starter set because I wanted that Aquila Lander

Edited March 19, 2018 by Fr33Dom

[Bryan Blaire]

If I might suggest: have people roll dice in something that is not the battlefield - dice can't scuff the terrain, board, or models or knock anything over that way.

[Xhris the Unpronounceable]

If I might suggest: have people roll dice in something that is not the battlefield - dice can't scuff the terrain, board, or models or knock anything over that way.

Sometimes the simplest solutions are the best!

[Hawklynn]

 

If I might suggest: have people roll dice in something that is not the battlefield - dice can't scuff the terrain, board, or models or knock anything over that way.

Sometimes the simplest solutions are the best!

 

Did I hear someone mention "Dice Towers?"

[Koryn]

I found auto paint primer was the best way to start with the FW cityscape boards after washing with fairy and scrubbing with a large nail brush in the laundry sink. From here I went to the local hardware store and got them to replicate the gw paint colours I used into 2L acrylic tins and watered the paint down to get consistency without loss of detail. I saved a bucket load on paint doing it this way considering what I spent on paint at the local gw store when I did the original realm of battle board set.

 

One thing I find is the heavier the model used on the board (the Spartan tank). The easier the board scratches up.

 

The depressing part with these boards is if you live in a hot and humid area the boards seem to warp inward in the centre of them. 

[Axineton]

No chance of the UK being hot and humid anytime soon

[Koryn]

for 8 months of the year it is hot and humid here.

 

The boards are spectacular. I need another 8 boxes of imperial sector to finish it off after seeing the the set up at warhammer world. I might be delusional...