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Okay I have been thinking about this alot. I mean ALOT.. here is an idea I have developed and stay with me as I explain it and then please critique or make suggestions, remember this is the "Ideas / Blue Sky's Thinking Bracket". This thread is building on my Objective Markers Thread, and I will add a few as my own for private local games in my house.

I want a really high Quality Board that looks Permanent, e.g lots of Hedges and walls and then the adaptability comes from modules for key terrain that I will base on a standard size. The routed out sections will ensure that the edges are all flush and the edges should be quite tight and therefore less visible ( I will route out a 25mm hole in the lower board so I can push the Modules up and out of the board as they will be difficult to remove. I can also build high features on them, such as Trenches or whatever.

Okay so a Standard Sized Gaming board, will be created with a River up the centre (This will possibly be sawn directly in half along this line allowing the board to be re-arranged to be Land to Land, or side by side. I will have approximately A4 sized sections that will be routed out of the upper board (there will be a 5mm Fibreboard glued ontop of the base board probably a 2 x ( 3 x 4 ft MDF) ).



The aim is to have the same Flocking, painting and terrain so they are all seamless. this will take alot of effort and drawing on the boards with pencil before commiting to the landscaping.

The A4 sections will be interchangable so for example point C could be

1. A small Village straddling a bridge across the river.
2. A Canal Bridge ala Orne or a stand alone bridge like Pegasus or the Sonn Bridge in Market garden .
3. A pontoon bridge e.g. a Forced Assault.
4. A River Section with a small fordable section.

Point C is the major investment as it's spare parts can only be used in that section.

So from a Design Priciple if i bought one of these:-



I would Build the C section like this (this is an enlarged image of the section C from the Board above)... Ya digg'it!





Point A, B & E are easily inter-changable and could have multiple pieces of the same terrain.

1. A Straight road and field section.
2. Another small hamlet.
3. A military base or installation.
4. A Chateau or farm just on the edge of the Road.
5. A Hill
6. Trench systems and Emplacements.

Point D could be

1. A Chateau
2. Large Farm
3. A Rail head (if you add in some HO/OO/TT gauge or whatever.
4. A radio attenna or something like this.

As I alluded to early the two halves could be arranged in the following manner for variation.

A channel of land between two bodies of water (like between Canal bridges etc)


I could use the two C sections at either end, if they overlap outside the board by 6” each end I’ll live with it.

A Beach Type one (probably only suitable for

I could make small D-Day section or the 2 x Half C sections, e.g Landing Craft or a Jetty or Mulberry caisson... This board will only be useful for Grand Campaign type battles, maybe with a board or two behind to give it some depth.

All these are ideas and open to change and input from my fellow dakka's and also anyone who has any experience or suggestions etc. It is fairly ambitious but if anyone has any ideas for the Modular Sections if you mock up a 2d plan in paint or photoshop it’ll probably help my fragile little mind understand.

I hope this all makes sense...Maybe i'll just make it and then stick up photo's it's probably easier.

I think that is a neat (and quite ambitious) idea but wouldn't be easier to make the whole board out of modular peices (say 2x2)?

This was an Idea my friend and I bounced around for a little while. The only problem with ours was we simply did not have the room to begin such a project.

The way we had it addressed is the average board size is

6x4

With this in mind we then went to the FoW "random" terrain generator which mentions bringing a board up of that side into equal parts. so you would be doing a 2x2 section. The most direct and probably easiest method to begin with is to take 6 Sheets of paper and lay the basic outline of your Terrain down. Once that is done, mix and match. move them around. See how your board hands being rotated, moved to a different position of the board.

Remember, if this is indeed going to be a modular board, you can always start out small or rather simple and then get more complicated and grander as you prove that your idea works, and you can improve upon it. No reason to try an eat a Whale in one bite!

Somethings though, you may need to make adjustable. Like Roads. You can certainly build them into your Terrain but this makes it now, more complicated. Roads will have to match up in most ways. This is where the paper layout comes into play.


As for the Table itself. the easier way would be to take your board, (larger then the 6x4 playing area) and build walls. Make one of them removable so you can slide your module pieces in an out. I think that would be better then cutting a hole in the base of it. (of course, this is up to you). But building it "depressed like that" will keep the pieces locked into place, which I believe you were planning anyway.


Your Idea though is a great one. I have seen a few Utube FoW engagements on boards like that and they are pretty exceptional. Our Board is not so complex but it has served us well so far.

http://charlestonara.blogspot.com/

a pathetically modest Blog, but its a work in progress, much like my Fallschirmjagers

Ah, I like your method as well. How did you get that nice "Mottled" Green effect? Just with Green Sprays or Airbrushing?

Big questions i need answering is the use of Water effect (the liquid stuff that sets hard and shiny), Does this saw well when Dry? or should I do each section of the river seperately and try my damnedest to mave both sides even and when they are next to each other? Am I better off using Clear Acrylic sections cut to size and then putting a thin film of Water effect on top for ease?

What I could do, is when I am integrating the Beach/Bank sections down to the waters edge is use the Plywood and Acrylic sections together. The put on the polyfilla beach then build a case around the section and then pour the liquid Water.. I will do a diagram of the cross section to show...



Any Thoughts

Im not exactly the sure the kind of material used to create the river templates. I have heard it before cause there is a store in Altoona, PA that has used it and he mentioned it. For the life of me I cant recall it. Im sure there is someone on this board that can identify the substance you speak of.

As for the Board. Its simple green Turf. We picked out a base green paint, did the board and then applied the turf. Once that was done, used "scenic cement" glue in a spray bottle and doused it rather well and let all that dry. So far, unless you get in there with a scrapping tool, it wont come off. Have been using the board regularly since it was completed and its still in great condition as well as provides excellent surface tension for terrain pieces that are set down.

However, back to the topic at hand. I want to say that it clean cuts pretty well once it dries, allowing you to segment it up like you intend. As far as your method, that is exactly what youll need to do. lay the "river-bed" first with the putty filler and then apply your water affect once you have painted the river bed.

Comintern, are pictures of your Fallschirmjaegers up online yet?

Your points above are spot on, I have spoken to a more "senior" FoW player over at our HQ and he said when he did his D-DAY beach board and echoed everything you have said. I will post up some progress photo's. This will be a slow burner of a project but stay tuned.

Next week!

Getting my wife back along with my digital Camera. Granted, its like one platoon so far completely painted, plus a few odds and ends. Once all is said and done, should have about 1500pt force for both Cassino & Market Garden (thats the plan anyway).

We are doing the Firestorm - Market Garden campaign in mid-September over a weekend. I am signed up as the Wehrmacht, I will be using my Lehr Division as Fallshcirmjaeger Kompanie, (Gen Kurt Students finest) with some Stugs and a pair of 88mm. The rest of my armour will be donated (for the tournament only!) to others to make more historically accurate units. Should be good and allow for some more interesting and dynamic Campaign driven play (I really enjoy this kind of play, you feel part of an overall war and your impact can have ramifications beyond the here and now).

Here is what I have form my 6th Fallschirmjager!

Company HQ - 150
CC w/ SMG PanzerFaust
2iC w/ SMG PanzerFaust
2x 8cm GW42
1 Panzershcrek
Combat Platoons
Fallschirmjager Zug - 185
+2 Sections w/ Cmd SMG PanzerFaust
Fallschirmjager Zug - 185
+2 Sections w/ Cmd SMG PanzerFaust
Fallschirmjager Zug - 185
+2 Sections w/ Cmd SMG PanzerFaust
Weapon Platoons
Fallschirmjager Heavy Machine Gun Zug - 170
2 Sections
Divisional Support
Herman Goering Tank Platoon - 180
+4 Stug D
Motoristed SS-Artillery Battery - 375
+4 15cm sFH18 w/ SdKfz 7 half-tracks
Heavy Anti-Aircraft Gun - 65
1x 8.8 FlaK36

Not a million miles away from what I was thinking in all honesty. The lack of substantial armour should be countered by the 88's.

Any Heavy Armor runs risk of the 15cm guns and the 88s. American armor can be dealt with by the Stugs for the most part. The games I have played they can go toe to toe with Shermans and hold their own. Not the sexiest German Tank, but certainly effective.

Granted, probably not enough AT to deal with armor heavy lists like a British Tank force or Soviet Armor, but I dont really face those. For what I have to fight, which is alot of American Infantry w/ Armor Support. Its a fairly good list.