2011, Local Terrain Competition

Since we were bored, I issued a challenge to our group to take a pre-cut wood art's & Craft building and turn it into a 20mm, WWII terrain piece.

Here were the rules:

1st Annual Dragon's Lair Terrain Building Competition

Rules

1. The Model to be used is the pre-cut wood puzzle ‘Villa’ from Creatology. Also included is a 7”x8”

rectangular, 1/8” thick, MDF base.

2. You must use all of the pre-cut wooden pieces to create a 20mm scale building(s), mounted to

the base, and appropriate for WWII, European gaming. (I.E.: France, Germany, Russia, Italy,

and etc.)

3. You are not required to put the model together per the puzzle instructions and may cut the pieces

in various ways. You are encouraged to ‘not’ follow the instructions as included.

4. All terrain must fit on the 7”x8” base provided.

5. You may, and are encouraged to, add any number of terrain details, materials, or textures as you

wish. (I.E.: plaster, card stock, balsa wood, styrene, flocking, rocks, trees, and etc., to name a

few.)

Here is the $1 craft kit.

Cover

 

Wood Sheet #1 

Wood Sheet #2

 

Here is my submission (and a sort of step-by step process):

 

 

German/Italian House (with a Nazi/SS secret inside)

 

Here, I've redrawn the 'new' wall sections to the back of the two sheets of wood provided. (The old walls are die-cut into the sheets, so I had to add some glue to keep all the pieces together.)  Yes, I did not use the wall shapes as provided. (It wasn't against the rules.)

 

 Here is a mock-up of the building using card stock. ("Measure twice, cut once!")

The site actually has two buildings, with the smaller shed structure detachable from the main base.  See below. 

 Here, the walls take shape.

You can see the 'detached portion of the base.  It still makes a 7"x8" base as required. 

The roofs are added for their initial fitting.

Here, the interior is taking shape. It has entries at the lower level and main level, and an upper story. (3 total stories, with removable floors.)  

More details are added. Cereal box is added to the shed for a wood shingle appearance. Corrugated cardboard sheet strips are added to the roof for a 'mediterranean look.'  A foam chimney was cut, and stones carved into it. More cereal box 'squares' are added to the lower level as 'flagstone' paving.

 

Here, the stone steps up to the main level, and the retaining wall are taking shape. (More use of the wood scraps from the original model.)

 

Here we see the 'front' of the house and the main entry and walled entry garden.   

 "shhhh!"

One of the main secrets of the house..a hidden communication & planning room located below the entry.  It is accessible from the interior lower level, from behind an actual sliding bookcase.

Here we see the hillside taking shape around the house. Where'd that secret room disappear to?

Here is the model, primed black and ready for paint.

 

 Here is an aerial (from the bombers?) after paint has been applied.

 Here's the back.

 

 Here's the side (chimney).

 Here's the front.

 Here's the front entrance patio.

 Surprise I tell you...a secret Nazi Communication/Planning room below the house.

 There's a radio system in the corner on a desk, with assorted Hitler pictures and propagansa on the walls.

 The other wall has a bookshelf full of codebooks and etc., as well as another portrait of Hitler.

(It just wouldn't be complete without the details.) 

 The roof is off.  Here's the top level at the top of the stairs. 

There are numerous rugs on the floor.

 The third floor is removed to reveal the main level (2nd floor).  A door goes out to the balcony.  There are a few tapestries and paintings on the various walls.

 The second floor is removed to reveal the lower level (1st floor).

A door goes to the outside, under the balcony.

 On the lower level, here is the bookcase.

(Of course the hidden entrance is located behind the bookcase.)

Here's the hidden entrance to the secret (or not-so-secret anymore) nazi communication/planning room. The bookcase slides to the left under, underneath the stairs.



Some Tips on Painting...

I'm trying something new right now, so I thought I'd put down a few thoughts about the strategy for painting miniatures.

Painting 'Now' Technique(s)

I was reading about a different painting technique and decided I'd give it a go on my 28mm wild west figures.  Essentially the process is this:

1.  Prime the miniature black.
2.  Dry brush the figure with white. (black will remain in all the low spots.)
3.  Paint your figure with a layer of color(s).
4. Add a layer of lighter shades over the base color.
5. Dry brush white over the top to highlight the uppermost details.

The result is a figure that shows a better amount of shading and highlighting than I am used to doing. (progress pics to come soon showing the stages.)  The results have eliminated the need to do a dark wash and the shadows are still in the appropriate places.

Painting 'Past' Technique(s)

Here is how I've painted my miniatures in the past:

1.  Prime the miniature. (Black, White, or Gray.  See notes below.)
2.  Paint your figure with a layer of color(s).
3.  Add a layer of dark wash (thinned down black or brown paint and water) to get some shadows in the low spots, folds, and etc.
4.  Add a layer of lighter shades over the base color.
5.  Dry brush white over the top to highlight the uppermost details.

Selection of Primer Color:

Here are a few colors to choose from:

White: All of my early figures, 15mm and some 25mm, were painted white.  This was because they were 15mm ACW and Napoleonic figures, and 25mm Star Wars with brightly colored uniforms.  The white base coat makes the colors come out that much more brighter.

Black: I now paint all of my figures with a black base coat.  I started with my 20mm WWII skirmish figures and carried it through to all of my newer 10mm Zulus, and 28mm ACW, Seminole Indian, and other skirmish figures. The black base coat tends to dull the colors somewhat, giving them a muted/dirty/used tone, exactly what I wanted for those time periods.

Gray: I tried to use a gray base coat, but I just didn't like the results, not to mean that you won't.  It gives a result somewhere between white and black.  Some of the pro-painters swear by it?

Painting 'Future' Technique(s)

With this 'new' technique, at least to me, I've eliminated the dark paint wash step. I keep reading about doing ink washes and I know some live by it.  I'll probably give it a try on some future miniatures and will report on the results.

Here's some pictures of my Deputies in Progress using my 'New technique'.

(Color Schemes are taken from 'Pale Rider')

#1: The Primed Black Figures.

 #2: The figures are dry-brushed white.

#3a: Color being added to the figures, under-layers first.

 #3b: Color being added to the figures, outer layers second.

#4: Additional lighter shades & highlights.

#5: Final shading. (Coming Soon.)

#6: Bases, flocking and details. (Coming Soon.) 

20mm D-Day Invasion: Omaha Beach

In honor of the upcoming anniversary of the D-Day landings, our local gaming group hosted a large 20mm game, using the Brother Against Brother, WWII Variant rules.

The terrain was quickly thrown together as I hadn't constructed my Atlantic Wall terrain yet.  (Simple green sheets over stacked styrofoam, paper models of concrete bunkers, rocks, and some lichen.)  We did however try a couple of different terrain techniques, such as using real sand (about 6 pounds of it) for the beach...sort of creating a mini-sand table.  The terrain set up quickly, since I want to run this at future conventions. The Scenario is not an actual OOB, yet, but certainly gave the feel.  The terrain was meant to represent the Omaha landing, somewhere between White and Green Beach, with three fortified bunkers and two draws into the terrain.

The Allied invasion started with about 10, 12-man units ('squads') in various landing craft, two engineering Shermans, and 3x DD Shermans with engineering units.

The German defenders started with about 4, 12-man units ('squads') with plenty of MG's, 3 AT guns in the bunkers, and plenty of defensive positions.

Here are some pictures of the game and the progress of the invasion:

 Here's the initial setup form the west end of the beach. Note that the seawall was also 'formed' form the sand, so no extra terrain.  There was also some crude barbed wire coils that I made the night before.  Better barbed wire (with barbs) is coming soon. I've got lots of hedgehogs, most made with plastic-styrene angles glued at the proper angles.

 Here's a look at the beach from the east end. Note the craters in the sand, created by making a little mound of sand, and then crushing it with a golf ball to make the crater with raised sides.

 We never had to use it, but I had to take a picture of my P51's (1/72nd Corgi die cast) over the beach.  See one of my recent posts on how I made the new flight stands.  

 Here was have the landing craft making their way to the beach in relatively good order.  The middle LCM-3 is taking hits from a German mortar and causing many pains for the crew and landing party.  One of the DD Shermans at the extreme left rolled badly and began to flood, creating a water obstacle for later landing craft. The tanks crew did manage to bail out successfully and hitch a ride on a passing LCVP heading back to the LST for the second wave.

 The center units are taking a murderous fire form the German MG's above. Once DD tank is ashore  while the Engineering Sherman prepares to land. The LCM-3 in the background is now sinking and ablaze with the entire landing party as a casualty.  There were no survivors.

 Here's another view of the entire beach. Alpha and Bravo company have reached the seawall in the foreground relatively unscathed. The Engineering Sherman dozer is on the beach.  The DD Sherman that hit the beach took a critical hit to the engine from a German Pak-40.  It will veer to the left and come to a stop...a mobility kill, and sitting duck. In the background, the other engineering unit, a Sherman Crab tank is on the beach flailing away. (However, the mines are on the 'other' side of the seawall !)

 Several more units have made it to the seawall, however with fewer numbers than when they started.  The Sherman crab is advancing as well as another DD Sherman, with AT shells falling around them both.

 Another good view of the battle.  Finally, one of the Shermans successfully placed a smoke round in front of the central bunker.

On the extreme left, the troops look at the draw they have to assault.  They are keeping the dug-in Germans suppressed with gunfire.

 

On the extreme right, the troops are evaluating the draw they have to cross.  German casualties are mounting and the MG fire is slackening from the heights.

 The stationary troops along the seawall start putting together their bangalore torpedoes and strategically place them through the seawall.  There will be a big 'bang' the next turn. 

 On the left, the engineering squad blows a hole in the seawall, and the Sherman crab proceeds through the breech.  The infantry also proceeds as their exploded bangalores have created a line of rifle pits to enfilade the German rifles above.

 Another view of the Allied left. A couple of straggling landing craft make it to shore with reinforcements to take advantage of the breach.

 On the Allied right, they have blown three new breaches through the sea wall and the Sherman dozer is about ready to make a 4th.  A few well placed shots and an HE round have all but silenced the German MG fire along this draw.  Alpha and Bravo company should make it to the top of the defenses first. "Dog three is now open!"

Here's one last picture of the beach assault before the game was called as there were very few Germans left on the ridges to return fire. The Germans did well to inflict almost 70 casualties (53%), disable one DD-tank and sink one LCM-3. Fun was had by all, and with a couple of modifications, it should make for a lively convention game.