As I begin to prepare the table for our next Frostgrave game, still a few weeks off, I was laying out my buildings & thought, there just doesn't seem to be enough terrain to block archers from shooting across the board.
Then I began to think about alleys, a harbour, etc. So how do I create an effect of raised areas with cobblestones, & stone walls easily.
Some time ago I had managed to save some pink foam from going to a landfill, asking the guys on the site if I may take some of their scraps. It's been stashed away for the most part.
Taking a larger piece, I decided on a size & keeping it simple for my test, just created a rectangular piece with a ramp to allow wagons to reach it.
Then I had the issue of how to make a pattern (which wouldn't take me all day)
I then remembered the cobblestone/flagstone rollers I got from Greenstuff World.
Ok, time for the leap of faith. I rolled the roller using a fair bit of weight across the foam & sure enough the pattern transferred!!!
I am guessing this would not work on the usual white foam packaging, it needs to be the good quality insulation.
Once the patterning was done, it was a coat of black gesso to seal the foam. Then coats of Charcoal Grey, Dove Grey, Yellow Ochre & finally Gravel, going lighter drybrushing as I went.
Below is the final product, thrown on the table & covered with some terrain
It's my hope that with these raised platforms it will create some more channelled avenue's for the warbands, as well as blocking lines of sight from the dreaded long shots by archers. Yes I am notorious for this myself!
I plan on building some more once I dig the foam from the crawlspace. Perhaps with ramps close to the edge (for a harbour/dock setting) & maybe even some curved walls.
I am even thinking of perhaps building some basements into 1 or 2 with fixed buildings ruins, with the added bonus of perhaps entrances to sewers & catacombs!
I am quite satisfied with the result. The roller applies a surface just deep enough to allow the weathering of the pattern to stand out & was quite a time saver!
I have a couple more fountains in the works, I think one will have a ruined statue once I figure how best to cut the figure. As well I just primed the 3 boars I purchased from Malifeaux, so expect to see them in the next couple weeks.
Thanks for stopping by!
Last night at the club, Bruce brought out his Gangsters & used the Osprey Black Ops ruleset.
The scenario was that the Gangsters had an illegal Still hidden somewhere in this city block. The FBI was determined that it should be destroyed.
A couple of the gangsters are deployed as 'guards' meaning until something occurs that causes them to raise an alarm, they will perform dice driven actions whenever their activation card is drawn. Below, Lovely Rita is observing from a street corner.
The cards on the buildings are blinds which until revealed can be bluffs or actual gangsters.
In the first game, I had my entire band wiped out before I could even get a shot off. This left me with just my Boss to try & take down some of the Agents. Eventually the Gangsters turned the tide & after slaying Jake the Snake (demolition expert) were able to prevent the FBI from succeeding.
We then switched sides & started again. This time we brought all the FBI onto the board at the same location & spammed observation until the building was revealed. We then swarmed the 2 gangsters inside & attacked them hand to hand (to help limit the noise)
The 2 FBI bosses & Jake the Snake.
Lovely Rita (a gangster guard) kept wandering into walls. Not the most observant
The melee continued inside & the 2 goons were taken out of action.
That was the last photo I took, however Bob was also taking a bunch & he will likely be showcasing the game on his blog as well.
The FBI went on to decimate the Gangsters. Combat is quick & deadly. Roll to hit, roll to save, fall if failed save & 2 turns later push up daisies.
I think the players caught onto the rules fairly quickly. Thanks Bruce for bringing this out.
I suppose stating that my figures are just for Frostgrave is a bit of a misnomer, as they can be used for a lot of other systems, however as that is my current interest, it works!
First up are another Infantryman & Archer. Both are plastic figures, the polearm one being an ad-hoc model, which may be a Perry. Not overly keen on this fellow, but I need some Infantrymen with Polearms.
The Archer is another GW bowman.
Adding to my critters, I found several of the older RAFM metal Wolves. The larger Dire Wolves will be my Wolves for Frostgrave, so I am painting these older figures up as Wild Dogs.
So here is the first one off the paint table. Nothing too fancy, though I will attempt some more elaborate fur schemes on future ones.
I've also been getting some more Fog terrain pieces & 3 more Fountains started.
There are stories told of a Saytr named Yoot whose desire to guzzle wine oft led to his having to relieve himself in the most offensive places. However one noble found this quite amusing, as he was never the receiver of the Satyr's attention.
Thus he decided to thank the gods that be by creating a monument to the exploits of Yoot.
"Yoot" was another of my garage sale finds. The look on his face immediately set in my mind that I would use him in a fountain. The next step of putting thoughts to deed is what took some time.
Finally I opted to use another of my CD coasters to form the base. Some white foam & my foam cutter provided a quick wall in which to encase the water effects.
Then after getting the fountain painted, the multiple thin layers of Water were added, & allowed their 24 hours drying time. Some Secret Weapon Baby Poop paint squirted & spread through a couple of the layers allowed the murky effect.
Last was a piece of sprue, trimmed & drilled with a pin vice to insert a piece of wire which forms the spray. Then some of the thick water effects was applied & a bit of a spume/circle added to the water within.
One last image showing the fountain with a couple Frostgrave adventurers.
Now its time to get back to painting some more of the miniatures I have festooning my paint table.
Thanks for stopping by.
Today we continued our Frostgrave Campaign & played the Living Museum scenario.
After pillaging the Library, rumours have led the warbands to the ruins of the home of a Wizard. Unfortunately the Wizard had some rather odd statues.
Craig's warband was the first to encounter the denizen's of the area. These 2 wild dogs were quickly dispatched.
Andy's warband began fogging off the ruin to prevent the treasures being Telekinesed from the ruin.
Scott's apprentice & archer have some unwanted company in the form of an Ice Toad
Having placed Fog in front of 2 opposing warbands, Andy begins to swarm the ruin trying to snag the treasures & awakening the statues. (We had modified the scenario, so that even if a treasure was moved by Telekinesis, it would awaken a construct)
Embers warhound charges Craig's thief. The hound was taken out with the arrival of the barbarian & a Infantryman.
As one of the fog spells dissipated, it allowed a long bow shot. Andy's member was smote by a 20.
Meanwhile Scott's apprentice & archer were busy running from the Ice Toad & boar which also spawned. The Archer falls to another 20.
The ruin is quite the melee.
One of the constructs attacked Ember's man-at-arms & was slain (natural 20!)
Twenty was becoming a common occurrence as Craig's infantryman was taken out by a boar.
We then saw the arrival of a Frost Giant. Everyone managed to avoid this fellow & he eventually left the field of battle
Ember's Templar slays Craig's treasure hunter. Yes another 20!
Another Frost giant arrives on the field.
One of the constructs takes out the Templar.
An arrow drops the boar
One of Scott's archers drops Andy's soldier
Another construct falls.
Scott managed to get his treasure hunter into Ember's warband & took out my Treasure Hunter. We eventually slew the intruder.
Scott had his Medium Construct & archer engaged with Andy's soldier. The soldier who was I believe wounded, managed to kill both the construct & archer.
Eventually all the treasures were removed, thus ending the game.
Scott:
Apprentice suffered a close call.
An Archer was killed.
Treasures: 200gp, Scrolls - Monstrous Form, Telekinesis, Grimoire - Banish
Andy:
2 Crossbowmen & a Marksman miss next game
Treasures: 120gp, Grimoire - Fleet Feet
Craig:
Barbarian, Infantryman & Thief miss next game
Treasures: None
Terry:
Treasure Hunter killed
Thief miss next game
Treasures: 260gp, Horn of Destruction, Grimoire - Summon Demon, Poison Dart
The past couple of months saw us play 2 more scenarios of the Operation Martlet campaign.
Scenario 3 - German Counter Attack
After being forced out of Fontenay a Counter attack by the Germans using Panther tanks & Panzer Grenadiers mounted in Halftracks attempting to catch the British unprepared.
It was a race for the stone buildings. One of the Grenadier teams races ahead while covered by a Panther. A Grenadier team occupied the building missing the roof.
The British also made a rush to get to the building. However the Germans managed to slip in & a fierce battle ensued ending with some vicious hand to hand fighting. The British squad though suffering quite a few casualties did manage to wipe out the Germans.
The British dropped a smoke barrage which blanketed the hedge edged field at the top of the next image. Their troops are moving through it.
Meanwhile one of the Panthers turned the corner & opened up on another British squad caught in the open.
A British Sherman emerged & got a rear shot at the Panther, but missed. All was not lost however as the PIAT team hidden within the building also got a rear shot & knocked the Panther out.
The other British squad that was rushing through the smoke assaulted the Grenadier team in the other stone building & after a vicious engagement, had won. This left the remnants of the Germans withdrawing, although they had inflicted quite a few casualties on the Tommies.
Scenario 4 - Striking at St Nicholas
With the fall of Fontenay, the British are now fighting in the more open countryside to the south.
The British deploy within the orchards (the orchards limited visibility to 6")
The Germans also arrived quite quickly & were deployed around the farm, using the stone walls for cover.
The British armour arrives. There ended up being quite a battle between the Churchill & the Panzer IV, where each hit the other quite a few times, but were unable knock each other out. The Churchill suffered the loss of its MG's, while the Pzr IV had its commander wounded (reduced his commands to 1)
The Sherman plunges into the orchard to attempt to force an impass. The Germans responded with a Panzerfaust. The British played an interrupt using command dice & after firing on the squad had inflicted 2 kills on the squad.
The Panzerfaust then fired & knocked the Sherman out.
Lady luck was then with the Germans who managed to roll double sixes for the next 4 rounds. This allowed one of the German squads to engage a British squad who were not on overwatch & decimated them, before pulling back.
At this point the British morale failed them & they withdrew from the field, thus ending Operation Martlet.
Thanks to Dave for hosting this campaign. It's certainly a tough fight for the British who for the most part are always attacking defenders in hard cover, but I would certainly play it again.
