The beginning
I knew about Brushfire, mostly from posts on TGN, but never really gave it any attention. That all changed at Templecon 2013. Being a supporter of Endless, I passed more time at the On The Lamb booth than any other during the Con. Brushfire stuff being in my face all the time, I gave it a new look, and found the concept and sculpts more entertaining than I previously thought so. To fill the time, I got a demo from Emily with my road trip pal Paul, and got the book after that. Skimming through it during the evening, as well as watching a part of the mega-battle, sealed the deal. I didn't plan to bring anything back with me after the event: I already play far too many games. However, in the end, I came back with the book and a starter and unit box for Mare-Civitas. Those Chipmunk Weapon Teams just look too damn good!

Since then, I've read thought most of the book, concentrating on the rules, generic fluff and my own army fluff and stats. I really dig the humour that can be found all over the book, either in the stories or some of the special rules. Launching Hamster Berserkers at the enemy with a trebuchet, how funnier can it get!?! I wasn't sure at first to get into it, but now, the more I read, the more I get ideas for new armies.

I will try to post in this thread as I get into the game more and more. Painting, rule inquiries, custom sculpts, battle reports, anything that fits. Your comments are welcomed.




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Being an hobbyist before being a gamer, my first official step into this journey had to be some painting. This is a WIP of a Chipmunk Weapon Team for Mare-Civitas. The weapon is almost done, with only some washes left to finish the metal. No pictures of the chipmunks, but they have started getting their base coat, and as tonight is our group's painting night, I'll probably have some new WIPs or completed pictures for you tomorrow.

I'm extremly happy to hear that the mega battle convinced someone to pick up the game! I put alot of time and effort in that board and I'm glad it wasn't all for naught.

I'm already running a few ideas around in my head for next year's mega battle and board. I'll also be sure to formally subit the event so it will go on a schedule.

I look forward to seeing you painted stuff.

Chain gun is looking great!

 Catyrpelius wrote:
I'm extremly happy to hear that the mega battle convinced someone to pick up the game! I put alot of time and effort in that board and I'm glad it wasn't all for naught.
I'm already running a few ideas around in my head for next year's mega battle and board. I'll also be sure to formally subit the event so it will go on a schedule.

The Megabattle was a load of fun, I'm sorry we missed the first one.

Feel free to run ideas for the next one by me before you build a massive obstacle in the center

Looking great, I'm just about to start my own journey so I'll be watching your thread for inspiration.

Awesome! More Brushfire content! Glad to hear you got hooked. I was interested in it by sheer aesthetics, but didn't buy in until an excellent demo day with Emily and friends.

Also, that gun looks awesome. If that's the first entry I can't wait to see more.

Gun looks great, and I look forward to following your foray into Brushfire . I also hope to attend TempleCon again next year, and the laidback atmosphere is perfect for this game!

Thanks for the good comments everyone. Casey's Law, post your stuff too when it's in the work.

 Catyrpelius wrote:
I'm extremly happy to hear that the mega battle convinced someone to pick up the game! I put alot of time and effort in that board and I'm glad it wasn't all for naught.

It was truly inspiring, and a bit intimidating at the same time. By the way, I like the idea of the plugs for the tree; I will borrow it for some upcoming tables. How deep are your sockets? The same height as the plug? Did you do something to help solidify it?


Last night group painting session was fun, as always. However, listening to Iron Sky at the same time as painting, when you haven't seen it before, is not productive. Entertaining, yes, but productive, no. I was able to paint the fur and some other base colours on my chipmunks, but that's all. I think they are a bit too "orangey". I might come back to the fur after the rest is done, if it doesn't bland well.

Actually I think the fur on the faces of those two models is some of the best I've seen. I'm probably going to have to steal the idea...

I'm not sure yet if I really liked the trees and plugs. It was alot of work and they didn't come out the way I liked them.

The plugs themselves are just 3/4" female to female pvc pipe connectors cut in half. The little bits on the trees are just a short section of 3/4" pvc pipe. The plugs are attached to the board with hot glue. I ran out of time working on the board and I never got it 100% complete, if I had more time I would have drilled out the plugs in the board a bit, making it esier to attach the trees.

Keep up the good work painting!

Chipmunks are looking quite nice, and I love the color on the prow of the chain gun! Very nice

Very nice!

I'll be sure to set up a blog when the time comes. Tonight I'll just try and build as much as possible.

 Catyrpelius wrote:
I'm not sure yet if I really liked the trees and plugs. It was alot of work and they didn't come out the way I liked them.

The trees themselves might benefit from a bit more work, but they still looked fine, and were not in the way of the game. That's a big plus. It's mostly the plug concept that really caught my eye though. I use magnets for some stuff, but with their size, those tree wouldn't hold. Great idea, even if it might need some more tinkering. I cannot wait to see what you come up with next.


I did some more work on the chipmunks last night. Coats, pants and leather are done. That leaves the goggles, chest pieces and the metal to finish. I still wonder if I should paint some trims on the coats thought. Any comments on that subjects would be appreciated.

My Civitas are very... barebones, and were "speed" painted for GenCon, I did them in 2 nights lol. My mice are primer white with red wash eyes, and my Civitas's colors are White and Red...

I'd put trim on them though if I cared lol yours are looking quite nice though

 Tonio wrote:

 Catyrpelius wrote:
I'm not sure yet if I really liked the trees and plugs. It was alot of work and they didn't come out the way I liked them.

The trees themselves might benefit from a bit more work, but they still looked fine, and were not in the way of the game. That's a big plus. It's mostly the plug concept that really caught my eye though. I use magnets for some stuff, but with their size, those tree wouldn't hold. Great idea, even if it might need some more tinkering. I cannot wait to see what you come up with next.


I did some more work on the chipmunks last night. Coats, pants and leather are done. That leaves the goggles, chest pieces and the metal to finish. I still wonder if I should paint some trims on the coats thought. Any comments on that subjects would be appreciated.

I really like the face on the one on the left, I'm looking forward to seeing what your going to do with the one on the right. Trim on the coat would probably look nice but for the life of me I can't figure out which color would work the best.

I took some pictures of the process I used for making the trees with the intention of throwing something together for Wher, it's on my list of things to do... There were a few more steps with the trees that I didn't have time to get to and I really rushed their assembly, covering and painting. I'm tempted to try them again to see what I can do when time isn't an issue. Maybe I'll work it into a small 2' by 2' demo board for myself or as a donation to spruce up OTL's demo boards. Awsome, another project added to the list.

I actually coppied the idea for the plugs from a magizine I got awhile back. Overall I was happy with them but their not without drawbacks, although IMO they work better and cost less then magnets. On the drawback side I found that even in a perfect world they fit abit too tight, when you add in glue, sand and paint getting into the plug it only makes the problem worse. Unfortunatly there isn't an easy way to solve this as PVC piping only comes in a few sizes and the difference between the sizes is pretty drastic, leaving me unable to use 1/2" pvc piping in a 3/4" plug. The easiest way I found to solve this is to bore out the plug using a fostner bit the next size up, so a 3/4" plug would get bored out using a 13/16" fostner bit. This brings me to the next problem with the plugs. Ultimatly the plugs are made from a 3/4" inch female to female PVC pipe connector cut in half, this makes the plug itself only 3/4" long. The plug is then mounted in a whole in pink foam and attached using hot glue, needless to say this isn't much of a mounting solution. I do have an idea to fix this and make the plugs more resiliant, but it's going to require alot more planning from the beggining of the project on my part. Basically the new style plugs will be mounted directly to the wooden base of the terrain.

This will probably be my next project after I finish my CNC router.

Love the chipmunks so far!

Got a nice evening with the lady, put her into bed, then came down for *some* more painting. I wasn't planning on finishing it, but hey, now it's done. Tomorrow will be a long day at work...

I settled on some off-white triming for the coats. Look nice, but a pain to paint. By chance, most of the other Mare-Civitas models dont' have coat. Puffy shirts, yes, but that's a problem for another day.

Looks great man, wonderful depth! Totally worth dragging ass at work tomorrow

Really impressive work, dude!

Fantastic. More.

Catyrpelius wrote:I actually coppied the idea for the plugs from a magizine I got awhile back. Overall I was happy with them but their not without drawbacks, although IMO they work better and cost less then magnets. On the drawback side I found that even in a perfect world they fit abit too tight, when you add in glue, sand and paint getting into the plug it only makes the problem worse. Unfortunatly there isn't an easy way to solve this as PVC piping only comes in a few sizes and the difference between the sizes is pretty drastic, leaving me unable to use 1/2" pvc piping in a 3/4" plug. The easiest way I found to solve this is to bore out the plug using a fostner bit the next size up, so a 3/4" plug would get bored out using a 13/16" fostner bit. This brings me to the next problem with the plugs. Ultimatly the plugs are made from a 3/4" inch female to female PVC pipe connector cut in half, this makes the plug itself only 3/4" long. The plug is then mounted in a whole in pink foam and attached using hot glue, needless to say this isn't much of a mounting solution. I do have an idea to fix this and make the plugs more resiliant, but it's going to require alot more planning from the beggining of the project on my part. Basically the new style plugs will be mounted directly to the wooden base of the terrain.

I go from memory, but doesn't 1/2" pipe fits right into 3/4" one? I remember doing a custom cannon with that stuff. This would give you longer to set the pipe into the foam. That long, it could probably go down to the wood board and let you fix it.

Zygrot24 wrote:Fantastic. More.

The "more" part will have to wait, sadly. I have some Malifaux and a Trollkin on my painting queue, before coming back to Brushfire with my starter. I might start a Conquistador conversion during that time though. And I have to finish reading the rule book anyway.

As a Malifaux henchman, and an avid Trollbloods player, I would like to see more of those as well

 Alfndrate wrote:
As a Malifaux henchman, and an avid Trollbloods player, I would like to see more of those as well

I already put some in my Gallery. It is less than 30 pictures, so it won't eat too much of your time, if you want to take a look. I'll remember to add the new stuff in as I finish it.

I Looooooove that Pyretroll! I have never been satisfied with my ability to paint fire; I am going to be using that fellow as a reference next time I try!

 Tonio wrote:

Love the red and the white on the coats! Absolutely charming finished paint job

 Tonio wrote:

Catyrpelius wrote:I actually coppied the idea for the plugs from a magizine I got awhile back. Overall I was happy with them but their not without drawbacks, although IMO they work better and cost less then magnets. On the drawback side I found that even in a perfect world they fit abit too tight, when you add in glue, sand and paint getting into the plug it only makes the problem worse. Unfortunatly there isn't an easy way to solve this as PVC piping only comes in a few sizes and the difference between the sizes is pretty drastic, leaving me unable to use 1/2" pvc piping in a 3/4" plug. The easiest way I found to solve this is to bore out the plug using a fostner bit the next size up, so a 3/4" plug would get bored out using a 13/16" fostner bit. This brings me to the next problem with the plugs. Ultimatly the plugs are made from a 3/4" inch female to female PVC pipe connector cut in half, this makes the plug itself only 3/4" long. The plug is then mounted in a whole in pink foam and attached using hot glue, needless to say this isn't much of a mounting solution. I do have an idea to fix this and make the plugs more resiliant, but it's going to require alot more planning from the beggining of the project on my part. Basically the new style plugs will be mounted directly to the wooden base of the terrain.

I go from memory, but doesn't 1/2" pipe fits right into 3/4" one? I remember doing a custom cannon with that stuff. This would give you longer to set the pipe into the foam. That long, it could probably go down to the wood board and let you fix it.

That's basically what I plan on doing, if need be I can bore out the pipe on my lathe. This terrain project just ran into alot of time constraints so I had to cut corners.

I really like whqat you did with the weapon team and gun. I really think your white trim is going to have to make it onto some of my models, it does a really nice job of seperating the parts of the jacket form the rest of the model.

The past week has been all glue and putty, no paint. I'm done with two big Trollbloods conversions, I assembled some stuff for Bloodbowl, cleaned some Malifaux and prepped contest minis. With all that in the work, I still took some time for Brushfire, to assemble my Mare-Civitas starter. The cast were far better than the Chaingun from the Weapon crew, which had me a be affraid for the rest; crisis averted. Painting should start this week, as my Malifaux is missing some bases and thus has been postponed.

Oh noes, what happened to the chaingun cast? You gotta let me know about that sort of stuff, even if just to let me know what to look for/fix in the future!

 Wehrkind wrote:
Oh noes, what happened to the chaingun cast? You gotta let me know about that sort of stuff, even if just to let me know what to look for/fix in the future!

I should have taken photos during building, but I was too eager to paint it...

Both chipmunks were absolutely fine, no problem with them.

The worst piece was the front piece, with the wood panelling. The top part that connect to the mounting plate of the chaingun was miscast on the inside, so I needed to cut and file a lot. Even then, the fit wasn't really good, and after 2 failed gluing attempts, I green-stuffed a "bed" for the plate, to have a better contact zone. That top piece would benefit from a small cylinder protruding under it, to enhance the contact with the wood panel piece, and thus make it easier to glue. The two wheels also had a lots of flash. With the two rows of teeth, it was a pain to file and correct.

Another thing I had problem was simply finding how to assemble it. The two points of contact between the chaingun and the rest of the mounting piece are flat, while the gun itself is round. This was a bit misleading. If the back one was concave instead of flat, it would be clearer. Also, the small stub in the front could be cut in a point, instead of a tube ending flat, as it needs to fit between two tubes of the chaingun anyway.


Nothing a regular hobbyist could not arrange himself, but a beginner might have a hard time with it.

Ahh yea, I had some trouble assembling the two I painted as well. Took me forever to figure out how they went together, and I think even in the end they are not quite identical. The prow thing has little pegs the chassis sits on, with the curved front butting up against it then, but it isn't perfect and some GS is definitely recommended. And those wheels... those are definitely on the list of "things to tweak for version 1.5" along with some clearer connection points.

Yours looks really great though, so good work!

Yeah I had a little trouble fitting my Valkyrs together due to inside protrusions on parts, but they came out fine . And the gerbils are an absolute revelation, I love them and the casts are great!

Painting of the Starter has begun. I wasn't able to put lots of time tonight, but I still had enough to get a feel of the colour scheme on the conscripts.

Here's a quick phone picture. The fabric and leather are done. Apart from the fur, these stripped pieces were the part I feared the most coming into it. Metal should go easy, so I will probably have it done tomorrow or Friday at the latest. The off-white stripes are too washed out in the picture, losing the shadows. I hope my camera will be able to render it better, when it's done.

It's looking good, keep up the momentum. Personally I'm more worried about the jacket then the pants.

Conscript one is done! Pretty happy with him, especially with the red and green that tie in well with the Chipmunks shown earlier, and the face.

Looks fantastic. I really like the shield. Nice touch.

That Conscript looks like serious business! It works fantastically as an entire model and I love the face, pants, and shield in particular. You and Gymnogyps (who painted a lot of the "studio" models) should compare notes

I started putting paint on the second Conscript and the three Lancers last night. With our Club painting night later today, I hope to finish at least the Conscript, and have all of them done by the end of the weekend. Which would leave me with only the Capitan to go.

---

Change of subject. Now that my Mare-Civitas starter is well on its way, and that people are getting curious seeing me paint little mice, I'm starting to think about what other warband to get to run demo with.

Right now, based solely on the figs and fluff, I'm looking at Aquitar, Ribenguo and Zabar. Of those three, is there one that would be better/worse for demo purpose, when faced against my mice conquistadors? All comments are welcome.

 Tonio wrote:
I started putting paint on the second Conscript and the three Lancers last night. With our Club painting night later today, I hope to finish at least the Conscript, and have all of them done by the end of the weekend. Which would leave me with only the Capitan to go.

---

Change of subject. Now that my Mare-Civitas starter is well on its way, and that people are getting curious seeing me paint little mice, I'm starting to think about what other warband to get to run demo with.

Right now, based solely on the figs and fluff, I'm looking at Aquitar, Ribenguo and Zabar. Of those three, is there one that would be better/worse for demo purpose, when faced against my mice conquistadors? All comments are welcome.

I tend to run Aquitar vs Civitas, it's decently balanced, as is Aquitar vs Ribenguo.

Mice Lancers are done! A bit quicker job than the conscript, but I'm still happy with the overall look. They fit nicely with the other models.

Conscript number 2 is halfway done. Should be completed during the weekend, and after that, I'll take my time on the Capitan, as any leader need to have more time invested on him. But not too much; I want to play!

They look great, keep them comin'!

Really inspiring, wish I could pick some up!

Fantastic lancers! I love the green striping on the... err.... pantaloons and the red on the sleeves, it's a very nice touch.

Those with a keen eye will see that I modified the title of this plog to include some Endless stuff too. I think that grouping both games into the same thread is fine, especially as I don't post that often anyway.


Endless Custom Boards
For the official coming of the game, I want to have some more boards ready, as I'll be running event at my FLGS. The demo board I previously made works fine (you can see it here), but is a bit small (15x15) for full games. Also, I want to be able to run more than a game at the same time, or small tournaments, so having 2 or 3 full size boards would be nice.

The first of those boards is a Old Crystal Mine, to tie in with all the crystals we see in the Endless imagery. Building started a while ago, but life got in the way, and I only was able to give it a good go this weekend. Here is what is done up to now. It's mostly basic building and dry fitting. Glueing and texturing will start soon.

Wip1 - Rough sketch


Wip2 - Cutting started


Wip3 - Building mid way


Wip4 - Basic leveling done


Wip5 - Basic leveling with fake columns


Wip6 - River, bridges and platforms coloured on the map

I think Tonio and I are going to be the major pushes behind the larger scale Endless games

That board looks awesome

Sometime after AdeptiCon, I'll probably start on an EFT board we'll have to see

Looks like you're off to a great start!

 Alfndrate wrote:
I think Tonio and I are going to be the major pushes behind the larger scale Endless games

It's only 20x20, nothing bigger than the recommended size in the last build of the rules. Not that I am against bigger games though.

However, I do find that size a bit big. 10 crystal games played really well into the 15x15, and already at that size, big part of the board weren't used. I am not sure of the impact a bigger board will have on the game. Probably just a bit longer jockeying for position before getting into the thick of it, with as much board unused.

 Tonio wrote:

 Alfndrate wrote:
I think Tonio and I are going to be the major pushes behind the larger scale Endless games

It's only 20x20, nothing bigger than the recommended size in the last build of the rules. Not that I am against bigger games though.

However, I do find that size a bit big. 10 crystal games played really well into the 15x15, and already at that size, big part of the board weren't used. I am not sure of the impact a bigger board will have on the game. Probably just a bit longer jockeying for position before getting into the thick of it, with as much board unused.

I'm sure I will be that guy that has 1 of every model and will spend his days looking for "apoc" sized games on huge boards

It seems much larger than 20x20, though I did count the squares before I posted. I think the thing to remember about board size is you're going to want that extra space. for the most part, I could probably play most of the games I play (Warmachine/Hordes/Malifaux) on a 1/2y by y sized board. Because most of my armies revolve around me charging forward, i rarely use the outer parts of the board.

I do look forward to seeing this board progress though

I might missed if you wrote it but what material is this made of exactly?

Pink and Blue boards of insulation foam.

I'm not sure where you could buy it in Hungary, but my bet is at any sort of home improvement store, construction store, or DIY store.

You can buy it in America at places like Home Depot or Lowes.

Wow. I've been debating a material for my board. Totally stealing this idea. YOINK.

It's a very, very handsome start and I can't wait to see it after being painted to your calibre!

 WhiteRoo wrote:
I might missed if you wrote it but what material is this made of exactly?

I didn't, so that's not your fault. I just assumed people would know what it was, but with an international forum, I shouldn't have.

The pink and blue parts are Sheet Insulation Foam, used to insulate walls. The blue one in denser, so harder to cut and sculpt, but provide a sturdier foundation. That's why I used it for the back walls and the first levels of elevation.

I used 1 inch sheets and half a inch sheets, but I learned too late that "half an inch" is more like 5/8", so it doesn't all fit nicely. I'll have to remember to use only half inch if I do use it on other projects, and not to mix both.

The base is just a 20x20 1" foam piece, over which I layed a the paper sheet I drew my grid on. It's not glued, and have been removed since last picture, to work on the river. The paper have all the details drawn on (elevation, walls, columns, bridges, rivers, etc.), but it's a bit hard to see with the pictures.


Edit: Ninja'ed by Alf, but I'll leave the post as I put some more details in my answer.


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 Zygrot24 wrote:
Wow. I've been debating a material for my board. Totally stealing this idea. YOINK.

It's a very, very handsome start and I can't wait to see it after being painted to your calibre!

Insulation foam is a great material to work with. It's easy to cut, you can press some texture straight into it instead of gluing stuff on (that's what I did with my demo board; took a big rock and rolled it onto the foam), and it's light, so easy to transport. Most of the terrain I work on has that as a base, or foamcore.

I'm not familiar with Endless, but what is the reason behind the stair-like structure? It looks really nice because many models would fall over on a non-flat surface.

Is it based on a one inch by one inch square grid?

 WhiteRoo wrote:
I'm not familiar with Endless, but what is the reason behind the stair-like structure? It looks really nice because many models would fall over on a non-flat surface.

Is it based on a one inch by one inch square grid?

Endless Fantasy Tactics is OTL's other table top wargame, it's based off of the old JRPG games like Final Fantasy Tactics, Tactics Ogre, etc... A grid based tactical wargame if you will. And movement is done on a 1 inch by 1 inch grid

If I make it a two by two, that's big enough to play Brushfire on it.

I'm planning to build a modular set of scenery for Brushfire and I really like the idea of this stair-like structure.

 Tonio wrote:
Insulation foam is a great material to work with. It's easy to cut, you can press some texture straight into it instead of gluing stuff on (that's what I did with my demo board; took a big rock and rolled it onto the foam), and it's light, so easy to transport. Most of the terrain I work on has that as a base, or foamcore.

I've worked with that foam tons. It just somehow never occurred to me to use it for EFT boards. Thinking about my EFT board has been deciding how much I want to compromise between modularity (replayability) and aesthetics (good lookin' games).

A bit more work done on the Mine board. I transcribed what should appear on the base board (level 0), and tiled the parts that needed to be. I did it a bit different than with the demo board, and it worked really great, saving me a ton of time.

Here is a quick rundown:
1 - Put a gridded paper on the foam board
2 - Using a small pick or other pointed tool, punch a small hole in all the grid intersections that appear on that level.
3 - Using a metal ruler and a exacto knife, simply follow the holes and make straight cuts. This give a narrow line
4- Finally, using a broader tool, pass in each line made with the knife to broaden them. I used a woodeen sculpting tool, made to work with clay.

Wip7 - Tools for tiling


Wip8 - Wip8 - Base board tiled

If you do alot of work with foam I highly recommend looking into a hot knife.

I recommend this one:
http://www.micromark.com/electric-hot-knife,10875.html

It's fairly in expensive but it has some nice features including an adjustable depth gauge and temperature that would work really well for transcribing your lines.

I'm not sure if it's of any interest to anyone but me but in the next month or so I'm going to be experimenting with urethane foam to see if it can be used with hirst arts molds. If it can it should be pretty economical to produce a number of tile sets.

Your boards really starting to come together. I can't wait to see the finished product.

I have one, but with a really flimsy blade, and a wire cutter. The one you linked at seems like a buy to me. Bookmarked!

However, for the tiling, I just can't see using that kind of tool. The heat eat the foam at a variable speed, and I would need a crazy steady hand to mark my lines as straight and regular as I did with the exacto knife and sculpting tool. However, I plan to use it a lot to texture the wall and rock pillars.


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 Catyrpelius wrote:
I'm not sure if it's of any interest to anyone but me but in the next month or so I'm going to be experimenting with urethane foam to see if it can be used with hirst arts molds. If it can it should be pretty economical to produce a number of tile sets.

It would be of interest to me. Building the basic of the board is fine, but applying a rock like texture on the floor is not that simple. Having thin, light tiles that could simply glue on the foam would be great. Keep us posted.

The hot knife I linked to comes with an ajustable depth gauge that you can angle. If I had to make the lines like you did I'd probably setup the knife using the gauge then use a straight edge. It might take some fiddleing to get the temperature right but I'm pretty impatient. I'll try and take some pictures tonight so I can show you what I'm talking about.

How much of a rock texture are you looking for with the walls. If you want them to look rocky like a cliff face or a rocky mountain side newspaper balls covered with plaster cloth then painted.

I may have missed it somewhere but are you going with one half inch per elevation level in game terms? I was looking at different building materials and trying to decide on a thickness for each elevation increase. It has been tougher without the models in hand to use for scale.

On the board size discussion: The table can seem to shrink really quickly when Commands like the Rhapsodist's Lullaby, or Dark Priest's Aetheric Void can restrict enemy action on large swaths of the board (7x7 square in both of the above cases.) I also want to see scenarios with multiple objectives, making players send models all over the board.

Galen wrote:
I may have missed it somewhere but are you going with one half inch per elevation level in game terms? I was looking at different building materials and trying to decide on a thickness for each elevation increase. It has been tougher without the models in hand to use for scale.

On the board size discussion: The table can seem to shrink really quickly when Commands like the Rhapsodist's Lullaby, or Dark Priest's Aetheric Void can restrict enemy action on large swaths of the board (7x7 square in both of the above cases.) I also want to see scenarios with multiple objectives, making players send models all over the board.

The actual thickness of each level is irelavant so long as your consistant.

Galen wrote:
I may have missed it somewhere but are you going with one half inch per elevation level in game terms? I was looking at different building materials and trying to decide on a thickness for each elevation increase. It has been tougher without the models in hand to use for scale.

On the board size discussion: The table can seem to shrink really quickly when Commands like the Rhapsodist's Lullaby, or Dark Priest's Aetheric Void can restrict enemy action on large swaths of the board (7x7 square in both of the above cases.) I also want to see scenarios with multiple objectives, making players send models all over the board.

I thought we had scenarios with multiple objectives .

Don't worry, hopefully you all will feel free to pilfer from the Miasma War Campaign when we get it out.

I must admit I haven't more than skimmed through the campaign section of the rules.

Galen wrote:
I may have missed it somewhere but are you going with one half inch per elevation level in game terms? I was looking at different building materials and trying to decide on a thickness for each elevation increase. It has been tougher without the models in hand to use for scale.

As mentionned by Catyrpelius, thickness of elevation is irrelevant. That is why even using a battle mat with elevations drawn onto it works out. For my own boards, I do use half an inch. I find it is a good height to use with the size of the minis, without making the board too tall and so making it hard to transport. I also use chibi proxies a lot (SDE mostly), so half an inch works out about right with their size. The final models, from those I have seen at Templecon, are a bit taller, but it should work well too.

Galen wrote:
On the board size discussion: The table can seem to shrink really quickly when Commands like the Rhapsodist's Lullaby, or Dark Priest's Aetheric Void can restrict enemy action on large swaths of the board (7x7 square in both of the above cases.) I also want to see scenarios with multiple objectives, making players send models all over the board.

We played with those a bit, and event then, the 15x15 seemed fine. It wasn't intensive play-testing, mind you. Bigger isn't bad, it might just makes for an additionnal turn of movement/placement, which isn't that bad. I don't complain though, bigger board lets me make cooler terrain.


Automatically Appended Next Post:

 Catyrpelius wrote:
The hot knife I linked to comes with an ajustable depth gauge that you can angle. If I had to make the lines like you did I'd probably setup the knife using the gauge then use a straight edge. It might take some fiddleing to get the temperature right but I'm pretty impatient. I'll try and take some pictures tonight so I can show you what I'm talking about.

How much of a rock texture are you looking for with the walls. If you want them to look rocky like a cliff face or a rocky mountain side newspaper balls covered with plaster cloth then painted.

Looking at the knife in question again, I think I can see what you propose. I'm not sure how the cut will look like though; wouldn't it come out like a U instead of a Y? I like the later a bit better, but that really depends on your tests. We'll see.

Small break from the Endless board last night for our Club's painting night. I was able to put the finishing touches to my second mouse conscript. I only have the Capitan to do now, then I'll do a group shot.

I like your conscripts, they look really top notch

Question, and I'm sure you've explained this. How do you do the grit for the basing?

 Alfndrate wrote:
I like your conscripts, they look really top notch

Question, and I'm sure you've explained this. How do you do the grit for the basing?

Thanks, I'm really happy with how they turned out. Not sure I'm really looking forward to painting the 5 others I have on order, but hey, that's what you need to get a bigger army...

For the basing, it's simply sand. I bought a bag of construction sand some years ago, $5 for 20 pounds or something like that. It a bit on the coarser side, but look great on bases. For the Conscripts, as they have a mini bases under their feet, I smoothed that out with putty, ending in a little mound, like a pitcher mound if you like, then glued the sand on top. I always do a last "wash" of really watered glue after, to block the sand from coming off the base. It also gives a nicer surface, looking more ground like then pile of small rock like.

I've been debating about playing with some of the Vallejo pastes... They look like they might be able to do the job pretty easily too...



Basing is something I'm actively trying to work on

I tried the GW texture paint, which I didn't like, but I haven't tried the Vallego paste yet. Seems like it would do about the same job as Polyfilla, which is also good for basing.

The sand comes out nice and is easy to do, but I think both those would come out even better. I need to try it soon.

 Tonio wrote:
I tried the GW texture paint, which I didn't like, but I haven't tried the Vallego paste yet. Seems like it would do about the same job as Polyfilla, which is also good for basing.

The sand comes out nice and is easy to do, but I think both those would come out even better. I need to try it soon.

Yeah, I did the bases of my Skorne Battlebox with the Texture paint... it didn't come out too well either... My only concern about the Vallejo Paste is that it's like 13 USD... I'd rather try some out first before I commit to buying a jar of it.

Ouch. I didn't know the price. As I mentioned, you could take a look at Polyfilla, or whatever that might be called in the States. It is used to fill holes in walls, but it's not plaster. It's light, it has a great texture, apply easily, and it doesn't shrink or crack. I used it on terrain before, but haven't gotten to try it for bases yet.

 Tonio wrote:
Ouch. I didn't know the price. As I mentioned, you could take a look at Polyfilla, or whatever that might be called in the States. It is used to fill holes in walls, but it's not plaster. It's light, it has a great texture, apply easily, and it doesn't shrink or crack. I used it on terrain before, but haven't gotten to try it for bases yet.

Polyfilla is just spackle, which I have a large tub of I use it occasionally, but it doesn't contain the grit... It works great for snow and when I need to do frozen mud, like I did for my Khador

Polyfilla base, with watered down GW texture paint on top then. You have the ground-like effect, plus the grit.

I ordered a big tub of the vallejo Earth brown with the mud and sand pigments. The stuff is great. It's really, really fine grit so it works well with the scale, and it has a nice consistency that makes it easy to apply. The grit is very fine, much finer than the GW texture paints. With the pigments it makes a very realistic mud/dirt.

I'm quietly watching and enjoying your progress.

Just thought I'd tell you as I just realised I hadn't posted for a while.

A small update about the board. Tiling is done, and my texture tests are almost done too. I only need to make a painting test on them to see which texture look the best. I'll upload a pic of the texture test board up once it painted, to get your opinions.

Here is a not so nice picture of the board with all the tiles:


Next step will be starting to glue elevations together. I won't glue them to the base board yet, to make it easier to work on them, especially on the cliff at the back of the board.

Looks great!

Mini update: I painted my texture test board. Less of a difference than I thought came out after painting, but that might also be the foam taking part of its shape back in the last day too.



My favourite ones are squares A1, A5 and B5. The last two were done with the same technique (real rock, with hard edges, but not real gritty sections). Those are the one I find look the more like "worked" stones, as I imagine the floor of a mine would be.

Also, all elevations are now glued in sections. The board is easier to move now, with no piece flying off everywhere.

Next steps will be texturing all the tiles and making the river. It will be carved out, to be filled with resin/water effect. After that, I'll start the textures on the cliff, wall and side of elevations, as well as the crystal piles and columns. That will be a huge block of work.


No more advancements before next week, as we are going out of town for the Easter holidays. However, I did bring some paints and my Civitas Capitan, so I might still have something to post coming Monday.

Hmm most of the A line looks to worn for my tasted, but I do agree with B5 although B4 would be a close second.

If you haven't given it a try yet I highly recommend Liquitex Modeling Paste. I use a ton of it on bases and terrain, just make sure not to get the flexible version of it.

One note on those walls: some of the small based models will overhang their bases a bit, so they might be really awkward around those. A small space, say 1/4", between the edge of the board's squares and the walls would probably be a good idea.

Looking really great all around. I gotta try that rock on foam when I get some time, say, 4 years from now!

Speaking of models fitting on the board, has anyone thought about how they will keep large madels balanced on these stepped terrain boards?

 Galen wrote:
Speaking of models fitting on the board, has anyone thought about how they will keep large madels balanced on these stepped terrain boards?

Placing a die underneath... Dealt with a lot of wobbly model syndrome with 40k

The board is looking fantastic, thanks for all the WIPs!

 Wehrkind wrote:
One note on those walls: some of the small based models will overhang their bases a bit, so they might be really awkward around those. A small space, say 1/4", between the edge of the board's squares and the walls would probably be a good idea.

I put some thought into it, and for a time planned to do my squares 30mm instead of 1inch, but I finally went with the easy (lazy?) to calculate way. The back wall will be sloped away from the tiles a bit, but not enough to really prevent the problem. However, the same problem could happen anywhere with 2 levels of elevation of more, or with other models. We'll just need to be careful with placement when we have figs there.


Onto today's work. I did put some paint on my Civitas Capitan during the weekend, but nothing warranting a picture. My 3 years old son had a big weekend, so he went to bed early today. I put that free time to good use, finally being back at home. (Probably not what my wife would say... )

So, tonight I did:
- rock texturing of all the tiles and side elevations
- cut out the river bed
- textured the river bed with putty, and some small rocks for decoration
- sculpted the rocky river bed section at the end of the board, going under the cliff
- started "sculpting" the foam for the cliff.

Wip11 - River cut-out


Wip12 - Tiles textured


Wip13 - River textured


Wip14- Back cliff texturing began


Wip15 - Overall view at this stage


This last step will need more work, and putty to hide the foam gluing lines. I will also add some crystals in the cliff, while working in the putty. That's probably all I will have time to do next, but I might also start working on the back walls, and other crystal piles/sections.

That's all for today.

Yep, it's amazing!

Is the "texturing" just achieved by scraping the foam with a razor blade or the like?

For the tiles, it was done by rolling/pressing a rock onto the foam. Simple as that. I roll two or three times everywhere, then go back pressing it in by hand where I missed some spot, or I want more texture.

Very cool! The rock pressing technique is a great idea too.

I guess if you are almost done all your models for Brushfire I had better get mine done too so you can have an opponent. Good thing I am home sick and not useful for anything aside from assembling and cleaning models. If I am feeling up to it I will attend the painting club tomorrow night and work on my Valkyr some.

Let me know when you are ready to start painting that endless board, my Airbrush is at your disposal.

Never did I thought my Brushfire figs might be painted before yours. Still one to go thought, so I can't call it done. Too many termies on your painting table I tell you.


Some more work done on the Endless board in the last two days. I textured one of the back wall, and made the wooden tunnel entrance frame in it. I am not satisfied with the wall texture though. It's too "linear", and also too "clean". I might add some putty/spackle on it and press some texture in. Not sure yet what to do.

I also started work on the small platform that goes at the bottom of the board. The slope under it[ will be textured a bit more, with rocks and sand, maybe a crystal too.

I also did the smallest of the two bridges. Tat was easy. When the glue is dry, I will simply need to carve the two bottom beams to fit into the river, so that the bridge doesn't pop out that much.

Wip16 - Tunnel entrance and back wall


Wip17 - First platform and bridge

Nice progress. Is that balsa?

I gave you a mention in the Infinity: Terrain thread by the way. Feel free to drop by if you want to add anything.

 Casey's Law wrote:
Nice progress. Is that balsa?

Yep. I really like that material.

Yeh it's a great 'pre-scaled' material and you've used it well.

Do you have any issues getting paint to stick to balsa (with all the pores / etc) or do you just leave it bare? I've always wondered as I've thought of using wood in conversions before but wasn't sure if it would paint up correctly.

I haven't had problem painting balsa; the pores help more than they hinder.

You have two options with it. First is tinting it using washes. This looks good, but if you want to use that method, you must be really careful during assembly, as any glue that leaked from a joint will seal the balsa and leave it untinted.

You can also simply paint it like any other material. It soaks up a bit more paint, especially in the first couple of layers, but otherwise takes paint well.

 Tonio wrote:
I haven't had problem painting balsa; the pores help more than they hinder.

You have two options with it. First is tinting it using washes. This looks good, but if you want to use that method, you must be really careful during assembly, as any glue that leaked from a joint will seal the balsa and leave it untinted.

You can also simply paint it like any other material. It soaks up a bit more paint, especially in the first couple of layers, but otherwise takes paint well.

I just either dip mine in Quickshade, or I throw a bit of Agrax Earthsade on it, comes out great! I'm sure the Quickshade works well because it's basically a polyurethane floor coating!

I put some paint on the Capitan Wednesday, but in the end only finished the green on his pants. Not worth a picture...

Some small progress on the board. I was able to finish both bridges and the first platform, and I also began the second platform. None of these element are glued to the foam, to help with painting.

Wip18 - Platform 1 done


Wip19 - Bridge 2 done, and beginning of platform 2

Looks really nice!

 Tonio wrote:

You can also simply paint it like any other material. It soaks up a bit more paint, especially in the first couple of layers, but otherwise takes paint well.

Balsa also takes primer just fine. I use it all the time for trench bases and just paint it like normal.

Tinting the balsa with washes is a cool idea! Nice to know it's a viable material to use (and that you can prime it, too) I've always shied away from it.

Hobby night yesterday with Fragjuice, and some time today to, so stuff advanced quite a bit.

On the Brushfire side first, I was able to finish the cloth sections (pants and sleeve) of the capitan, but then mishandled the model, and it plummeted to the floor. Results: a broken ankle and some paint chips. I need to get my pinvise out...




Most of my time was put in the Endless board though. I was able to finish the second platform, did a first texture pass on the long wall, and I started installing crystals. Next steps are going to be more texture work on the long wall, more crystals everywhere, then finishing the slopes under the platforms, and finding what to do to break the monotony of the long wall. I already got some ideas, but I need to check if I have the space to do them without being in the way of the models too much. We will see.

Wip20 - Platform 2 still in progress


Wip21 - Platform 2 done


Wip22 - Crystallization begin


Wip23 - Second wall textured and more crystals

Love it! Both of the 'its' that is.

The board is coming together wonderfully and the Capitan is looking kick ass. If the foot reattachment gives you hassle it might be a good idea to give him a peg leg.

I must say Tonio, that board is looking amazing! I'm trying not to let it discourage me from my more humble EFT board projects. I haven't speant any serious time modeling/painting in a few years and my attempts were never up to the level of what you have here.

Thanks guys. I'm really happy with how both projects are coming along. Some more progress pictures of the board incoming tonight, and of the captain tomorrow, after my club's weekly painting night.

 Casey's Law wrote:
If the foot reattachment gives you hassle it might be a good idea to give him a peg leg.

lol I thought about that, but I like his small ballerina's iron slippers. We'll see how the reattachment turns out before going for the peg leg.

Haha, cool.

Hobby time has been light in the past few days, but I still got to do some stuff. I'll begin with the Endless board. I was able to finish the crystal pile that go in one of the back corner of the board, and I textured the under of the two platforms. I started gluing some of the elevations to the base board, starting at the front. I'll glue them all by the end of the week, except one in the back, to be able to work on the cliff and platform going there.

Basic work is pretty much done. I still have to do the pillars, but they could easily be done in a second wave, especially if I keep them separate for ease of move and re-playability. I'll think about that. Another thing I have to do is glue the fine texture on the board. That's gonna be a mix of sand of different grit. It will ge wherever there is already some rough spot (walls, piles, platform, a bit in the river), but I'll also put some scaterred on the tiles, to spice it up a bit during painting.

And then, I have a huge decision to make. My sketches include a mining cart rail track, going from the back entrance to one of the side, with a part of it broken off. It would look kick-ass, but the board could do without it. However, I have not yet been able to figure how to do it without making it difficult to place model on/around. My initial plan was a classic bed of wooden beams and plasticard h-beams running on top. But no matter how I look at it, it wouldn't work with game play. Another possibility would be to keep the wooden beams, but replace the h-beams with simple flat plates to represent them. That would be flatter and easier for model placement, but I fear the beams and the plates would still be too much in the way, especially in curves. If anybody got an idea about how to model that without interfering with game play too much, share!

Wip23 - Crystal pile


Wip24 - Under platform



Onto Brushfire next. Operation Ballerina has been a success. The break was clean, with no part missing, and I was able to pin it back in place without it being apparent at all. On top of that, the armour is now done. That makes pants, sleeve, plate and slippers done. Here a wip picture. I took the opportunity of it being off the base to paint it.

Great work. I'm not sure how I'd go about the tracks on the board, it's hard to say without having it in person. It's all looking good though, I'm sure it'll work with or without it.

Actually, you could have the tracks coming in and then being broken, after that just throw in the odd section and some rubble. That might help you keep movement space free. You could also try having it enter from a height so the models can possibly move underneath.

The Capitan looks good, I really like the armour. How did you go about painting that?

 Casey's Law wrote:
How did you go about painting that?

That is pretty simple, just long to do. Base mix of a dark metal and black. Then a black, brown and blue wash. After that, it's lots of layering and blending, with less and less black, more and more shiny metal. I ended with pure Vallejo Air Chrome. Like I said, simple, but the blending is time intensive.

Progress

The Endless board saw some glue today, but that's all. Not worth a picture.

Brushfire wise, I did work on the Capitan. All metal is done, both gold and iron. I might do some more green and brown wash on the gold when I see it with rested eyes tomorrow, but that's all. Not too good cellphone picture:

That metal paint job does look beautiful. He should really make a good centerpiece for your force. I also approve of the Chronopia dwarf next to him I have been thinking about pulling out some of my darktusks to get back in the swing of painting in preparation for my Bones and EFT kickstarter minis arrival.

 Galen wrote:
I also approve of the Chronopia dwarf next to him I have been thinking about pulling out some of my darktusks to get back in the swing of painting in preparation for my Bones and EFT kickstarter minis arrival.

It's my piece for our group monthly painting challenge. This month theme is "old minis"; I think he fill the role perfectly. My only gripes with Chronopia is that I didn't get enough dwarves when it was put on sale everywhere. I should have hoarded them!

Nice progress and thanks for the run down on the armour. It's a great effect and worth the effort.

What about the fade out towards the bottom of the main armour plate? I'm not certain what it's representing, wear and tear I guess, but I think it would work really well as distressed leather if the technique were applied somewhere else. How did you do that bit?

 Casey's Law wrote:
What about the fade out towards the bottom of the main armour plate? I'm not certain what it's representing, wear and tear I guess, but I think it would work really well as distressed leather if the technique were applied somewhere else. How did you do that bit?

That's only a painted shadow. But the lightning during the picture might have accentuated it a bit too much. I do try to paint everything like that, but I always go all out on metal, which I find easier to paint. However, it doesn't take to picture too well. Most of the time, the rest look a bit dull. I am on my way to build a light box, to help with that. With indirect lighting, I hope that pieces with a lot of metallic will come out better overall.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
No painting during the weekend (one most play some times ), but some work on the board.

After looking at the board a lot, at my various height of balsa, my tiling test piece, my sketches, I finally came to the conclusion that the rail system wouldn't work. In my initial plan, I had it going 2 inch large, which is far too large now that I have have the board in front of me. I could make it only 1 inch large, but the design of the board doesn't fit well with that. Instead, to fill up the space, I chose to do more columns. Which bring me to what I did this weekend: columns. The three that goes up to the ceiling have specific spots with magnets, but the smaller stalagmites don't have specific spots and can be moved around from game to game.

Wip25 - Magnetizing a column


Wip26 - Column in place


Wip27 - Overall view


Wip28 - Zoomed in view



Next step will be to build the brige in the back of the board, between the two cliff sides. The rail was supposed to pass there, but even without it, it's going to look good and tie in the board. Once that is done, all I will have left to work on is some accessory squares with mining tools (wheelbarrow, pick axe, shovel, buckets, etc.) on them, to add some blocked out squares during the game. As with thestalagmites, those will be movable.

After that, it's painting time!

Excellent stuff. Sorry, I see shadow on the metal now. As you say it's just not translating well in photography, I'm sure it's obvious in person.

The board is coming together brilliantly, that'll keep you coming back to play!

Board construction is done! I'm really happy with how it all came along. Can't wait to start painting.

Last steps were construction of the back bridge, applying sand for some more texture, and final putty work here and there.

Wip29 - Accessories


Wip30 - Sand texture close up


Wip31 - Board fully textured


Wip32 - Final shot : board done!


Wip33 - Final board close up


I made the last two votable, if anybody want to give them a coolness rating.


Tomorrow is our club's hobby night, but it's probably going to be a play night, instead of painting. I just got the latest SDE extension, so I need to destroy heroes with my new undead minions. Painting of the board will start later this week, and I hope to have the Capitan done by next week.

Brilliant job! I'm sure you'll do it justice when painting too! Off to vote now.

I have published two articles about the making of the board on our Club's blog. Nothing you haven't seen here, but if you read French or just want to look at all the pictures in a single shot, you can do it there.

Part 1:
http://www.clubchaos.net/2013/03/plateau-de-jeu-maison-pour-endless.html

Part 2:
http://www.clubchaos.net/2013/04/plateau-de-jeu-maison-pour-endless.html


By the way, the Civitas Capitan is coming along nicely. I will probably have final (or almost final) pictures of him this weekend. After that, it's gaming time!

Last night saw some work on both fronts.

The Endless board go a coat of Gesso, to work as a primer. It was my first time with that material, and it worked great. The feel is a bit coarser than sprayed primer, but for terrain, it's perfect. It also sticked to foam well, which is not always the case with brushed on products.

On the Brushfire side, I put some more coats on the Capitan. Skin, weapons and jaguar pelt are done. Leaving feathers, eyes, bases and some small details for next sitting. I'm positive it will be done by the end of the weekend now.

That's great, Tonio. I've probably said it before but it's impressive how much realism you get into quite cartoony miniatures. You are a very skilled painter, sir.

Your work is inspiring, Tonio! Can't wait to see that Endless board painted

Thanks a lot guys. Reading your comments is always encouraging.

---
For the sake of it, here is a picture of the board primed with gesso. The color is not flat, as I did the priming in batches and some touch ups, and my color mixes were not the same each time. It shouldn't matter once I start the real painting.

Wip34 - Primed



---
Onward to the more interesting part of the weekend's work: the Capitan is done, as promised! I made a single pic and a group shot. I'm not really happy with both pictures. With all the metalics, it's really more apparent that I need to change the lighting of my hobby zone, or get a light tent asap. A brighter room, but with indirect lignting, would probably make for better metalics' pictures. The other solution would be to pass to NMM, which is camera friendly. But I'm not sure I'm there yet for whole forces... However, I'm really happy with the model itself. It's different enough to all the smaller rodents with the yellows, but still tie in smoothly. Not sold on the jaguar "dots", but that's more of a comment on the sculpt than the paint job.

Only thing left to do is a coat of matte varnish once it gets a bit hotter outside, before hitting the table with them! (If Fragjuice ever finishes his termies and get to painting his Vandalands. Who knows, I might get, and paint, my Ribenguo starter before that happens... )

Gesso is great stuff. It's one of my go to products for painting foam atleast in the beginning. Wood glue works great in a pinch as well, but I find paint sticks to gesso better then dried glue.

It's going to be interesting to see what direction you take with the painting. I wasn't expecting you to paint the plastic gems but looking back it would be more of a pain not to.

Nice work, Tonio. The Capitan has come through excellently!

So much beautiful work...

Very inspiring. You and Alf are going to make me paint something Brushfire sooner than I should.

Tonio wrote:

The finished capitan is awesome, and I Love the groupshot. That is a fantastic little waband you have going there

If you and Gymnogyps could play against one another, it would be a beautiful match . Unfortunately, you're both stuck with opponents who are behind on their painting or have other projects that need painting first.

Catyrpelius wrote:It's going to be interesting to see what direction you take with the painting. I wasn't expecting you to paint the plastic gems but looking back it would be more of a pain not to.

It didn't even occured to me to let them stay clear, but a local buddy also made the same comment. With the number of crystals on the board, and their position, I just can't see how it would not have been a nigthmare to do it. I'll go for flat color on the crsytals, and glow on the surronding walls. Not sure yet if I will use the same color everywhere or change it though. My inspiration is based on the first SDE display Sodapop did at GenCon:

RiTides wrote:If you and Gymnogyps could play against one another, it would be a beautiful match . Unfortunately, you're both stuck with opponents who are behind on their painting or have other projects that need painting first.

I can't really complain about Fragjuice's speed. If it was not for his ton of terminators and his crazy work overload right now, he probably would have finished his whole starter before I got throught the first couple mice. I'm sure he will catch up quickly.

I hope the game get some hold locally, and more people get into painting and playing with those funny/furry models. I have a Ribenguo starter on order with my FLGS to do demos for that exact purpose. But hey, there is still conventions to go play with you guys. I'm aiming at TheWarstoreWeekend and Templecon again next year. I'll be happy to bring less Trollbloods if it opens space for my conquistador rodents.

The original SDE boards were awsome. I hope you have an airbrush for that glow...

If you make it to the Warstore Weekend there is going to be a beginners tournament... I'm actually hoping to start on the boards and terrain for that next week.

An EFT Beginner's Tournament?

 Alfndrate wrote:
An EFT Beginner's Tournament?

No one asked you! Go away!

 Alfndrate wrote:
An EFT Beginner's Tournament?

If somebody want to run one, I could bring a board or two for sure.

RiTides wrote:If you and Gymnogyps could play against one another, it would be a beautiful match . Unfortunately, you're both stuck with opponents who are behind on their painting or have other projects that need painting first.

Tonio wrote: I can't really complain about Fragjuice's speed. If it was not for his ton of terminators and his crazy work overload right now, he probably would have finished his whole starter before I got throught the first couple mice. I'm sure he will catch up quickly.

You could complain Tonio, and I would understand. There are a number of reasons I'm so behind, but I did try to start my Brushfire. I got my Valkyr assembled and then I green stuffed, and green stuffed and filed and green stuffed, and then I gave up and basecoated it. lol It will probably get finished some day soon. I have to find my faction starter again though as it is lost in my miniature room and all attempts to locate it thus far have failed...

 Tonio wrote:

 Alfndrate wrote:
An EFT Beginner's Tournament?

If somebody want to run one, I could bring a board or two for sure.

It's actually going to be a brushfire tournament...

My experiance with Endless is much more limited at this point. I'm not sure how well it would work in a tournement setting.

 Catyrpelius wrote:

 Tonio wrote:

 Alfndrate wrote:
An EFT Beginner's Tournament?

If somebody want to run one, I could bring a board or two for sure.

It's actually going to be a brushfire tournament...

My experiance with Endless is much more limited at this point. I'm not sure how well it would work in a tournement setting.

I'll think of a way

They'd either have to be large games, or really quick tournaments (possibly a best 2 out of 3 sort of deal) since you can play a decent sized game in about a half hour.

I Love that SodaPop SDE GenCon board! If yours turn out anything like that in the painting, it will be amazing

Small update on the board. I don't have an airbrush myself, so I'm waiting a bit before starting work on the rocks, which will be far easier to do with that tool. In the meantime, I'm working on the other sections. Earlier today, I put the final touch to all the wooden parts, painting and weathering.

Wip35 - Platforms and bridges painted



Unrelated to my ongoing projects, here is an early sketch for another Endless board. It's supposed to be an the decrepit entrance to an old forest temple. In the final version, I'll probably move the temple entrance to the middle of the board, instead of a corner, to have a board with LoS blocking in the middle, instead of a valley like my demo board and the mine. I'm not ready to start work on it at all, but the sketch is done, so why not share it.

Totally outside the scope of this section, but here is a quick picture for Galen.



This one shows the limitations of my photo taking setup. I have asingle source of lightning (a good one, at least), and it's direct. For minis with lots of metallics, I need to try something else, like indirect lightning, diffusers, multiple sources, a light tent, anything really. Also, this mini is quite dark, but darker backgrounds don't shuffle enough light around, and picture quality drops even more... I'll need to invest and test a bit.

Nice work, Tonio. I like that the balsa planks aren't all exactly the same shade, very realistic.

Love the walkways, and Galen too . Could you PM me or post here what range that figure is from? Might make a decent standard bearer for my chaos dwarfs...

 RiTides wrote:
Love the walkways, and Galen too .

By "Galen", I was meaning our fellow Dakka user, who previously mentionned liking that model when it crept up in a wip of the Capitan. The model is a Dark-tusks Standard Bearer from the long defunct Chronopia. It can still be bought from a place or two online, as I think a company bought up the moulds to continue production until they broke down. Or they are just selling what's left, I'm not sure.

Thanks for the walkways. Since then, I went back to them with a black pigments, as I previously only had brown ones. In my humble opinion, they look even better, but I won't make a pic just for that, as it a really minor change. I should get hold of an airbrush this week, so the board is going to get some paint soon. On the Brushfire side, I'm waiting on my FLGS to get my first order through eFigures to start painting some more, and on my pal to paint his own stuff to start playing. Either would be fine with me.

Tonio wrote:Totally outside the scope of this section, but here is a quick picture for Galen.

Simple, clean, and well done. Its no Chipmunk artillery, but I like it! Thanks for the update.

Tonio wrote:

 RiTides wrote:
Love the walkways, and Galen too .

By "Galen", I was meaning our fellow Dakka user, who previously mentionned liking that model when it crept up in a wip of the Capitan. The model is a Dark-tusks Standard Bearer from the long defunct Chronopia. It can still be bought from a place or two online, as I think a company bought up the moulds to continue production until they broke down. Or they are just selling what's left, I'm not sure.

"Galen" is a much harder handle to get now that The Force Unleased brought the world a Star Wars character with that name. I prefer it as a reference to the main character's name in the old 80s fantasy movie "Dragonslayer." Also I am just lazy sometimes and use it because it IS my given first name

...And for (hopefully) my final Off-Topic comment for awhile. While I don't believe I have that particular dwarf figure I do have probably two dozen unopened blister packs of Chronopia dwarves in my basement. If anyone would have interest in some of them, or just wants to know more send me a message. I should really get around to inventorying my old minis and throwing the list up on the Swap/Trade forums


I can't wait to see the Mine board painted up. If your painted figures are any gauge then I'm sure it will look stunning.

Airbrush lesson Thursday evening with Fragjuice, so the board painting should start moving after that. However, real life will get in the way, as I'm starting home repairs next week, and will have no time for painting other stuff than walls for some weeks...

On the Brushfire side, my FLGS got my Conscripts' box, but not my Ribenguo starter. Just based on the product (starter vs extra models), I was assumingI would get the starter first. No painting on the mice planned for a while, but I was toying with the idea of converting a Conquistador, and one of the five mice in the box will end up the base for it. I might bring some green stuff at work and work on it at lunches, as that will probably be my only free time for a while.

I also have a pretty cool board project for Brushfire, but I need to do some more sketching and scanning before sharing it. Again, that is stuff I can do during work's breaks and in my commute, so it should advances even while the painting doesn't.

 Tonio wrote:
On the Brushfire side, my FLGS got my Conscripts' box, but not my Ribenguo starter. Just based on the product (starter vs extra models), I was assumingI would get the starter first.

We were completely out of Otter Ashigaru (So we couldn't pack anything that included them) when E-Figures placed their initial order, and have not placed a new order since we got them back instock. Have your FLGS remind them that they should get more Brushfire stuff instock.

You can see what e-Figures has instock at any given time by visiting this page.

 Cyporiean wrote:
Have your FLGS remind them that they should get more Brushfire stuff instock.

I'm pretty sure they will stock it a bit if people show interest once Paul and I start playing. Right now, I always get questions when I work on the Civitan minis I have, and people seem open to it.

I'm almost tempted to wait for the plastic Ashigarus and go for another faction in the meantime. But do I really need plans for three factions when there is only another player locally right now... (@Cyp: I'm pretty sure you'll say I need more than 3, no matter the number of players. )

 Tonio wrote:

 Cyporiean wrote:
Have your FLGS remind them that they should get more Brushfire stuff instock.

I'm pretty sure they will stock it a bit if people show interest once Paul and I start playing. Right now, I always get questions when I work on the Civitan minis I have, and people seem open to it.

I'm almost tempted to wait for the plastic Ashigarus and go for another faction in the meantime. But do I really need plans for three factions when there is only another player locally right now... (@Cyp: I'm pretty sure you'll say I need more than 3, no matter the number of players. )

I work on the game and she says I need more than the 2 factions I have (and 3.66 starts I have)

Thanks for the update, Tonio

 Tonio wrote:

 Cyporiean wrote:
Have your FLGS remind them that they should get more Brushfire stuff instock.

I'm pretty sure they will stock it a bit if people show interest once Paul and I start playing. Right now, I always get questions when I work on the Civitan minis I have, and people seem open to it.

Aye, having a few active players does wonders for getting a shop interested.

 Tonio wrote:

I'm almost tempted to wait for the plastic Ashigarus and go for another faction in the meantime. But do I really need plans for three factions when there is only another player locally right now... (@Cyp: I'm pretty sure you'll say I need more than 3, no matter the number of players. )

It does give you more options for showing people how to play. "I'm kinda interested in trying out X Faction" "Oh? Well I just happen to have a warband for them."

And yes Alf, you should have alittle bit of everything because you work on the game.

 Cyporiean wrote:
And yes Alf, you should have alittle bit of everything because you work on the game.

Psh, Hook a brotha up and we can talk

On Topic: Tonio, just a quick question (and because I;m lazy) did you use half inch pink foam or full inch? I'm in the process of building an EFT board, and I think I could do a little better with half inch over full inch...

 Alfndrate wrote:
On Topic: Tonio, just a quick question (and because I;m lazy) did you use half inch pink foam or full inch? I'm in the process of building an EFT board, and I think I could do a little better with half inch over full inch...

I used both. The elevations on the board are half an inch. I find that it's a perfect mix between playability and looking good. The full inch foam was used when I needed two steps or more, and as the base and back of the board, which needed to be more sturdy. However, if I had to do it again, I would only use the full inch for the base and the back, not for heights: the "half inch" foam I have is more like 7/16". When you stack it, it doesn't build up to the same height as the the full inch one, which IS 1".


Automatically Appended Next Post:
Or this post oif you want the original answer:
http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/30/507221.page#5429086

@Cyporiean, what material is the part coloured in red made of? Is that hardened leather bands, metal bands or something else entirely?

I'd go with leather

After a well appreciated airbrush entry level course, as well as being loaned said airbrush for a week, I was able to get some work done on the Endless board. Basic painting is about over, I'm now getting at the weathering stage. Next will be the crystals' glow and the crystal themselves. It's slowly getting there.

Wip36 - Airbrush basecoat


Wip37 - Airbrush tiles


Wip38 - River and elevation shadows


Wip39 - Shadows close-up


Wip40 - Drybrush and elevation edges (and some more colouring of the river)


Wip41 - Base painting done

FETH ME That's awesome D:

I need to get started on our EFT board for GenCon, but I've got a severe lack of funds atm to buy the foam and base of the board (I've got tiles and some scenery for it, but nothing else) D:

Amazing work Tonio! It'd be awesome to play on that board at any stage of completion.

Aye its looking great

Awesome progress Tonio! That looks boss!

Glad to see my intro to airbrushing paid off! Looking really good man, can't wait to see what else is coming as you progress!

Another step done: weathering is finished. It's not that clear in the picture, as the light hides a lot of it, but it is in fact different than the previous picture (wip40). I added shadow on the lower horizontal part of all elevations, with black pigment, some brown and black in most dirt piles, and also some on random tiles. I also painted the exterior sides of the board and top of the back walls and columns black, to separate the playing surface from the structure, but I might go back and do a dark gray instead, as I'm not sure if I find it a bit too harsh of a contrast. Seeing it in the light of day tomorrow might help with that decision.

Wip42 - Weathering is done


With that step behind me, the board is almost complete. First, I have to do the wooden frame in the tunnel entrance at the back of the board, to match the other wooden pieces. After that, I have the crystals to paint and add the glow effect around them. It should be done Saturday, as we have a little painting pow wow planned at Fragjuice's place, and I'll be able to use his airbrush for the glows. I also have some accessories to add piecemeal on the board, like shovels and pickaxes. Once those three steps are done, it glueing time for the platforms and other to-remain-loose-pieces, and finally, resin for the river.

Overall, I'll probably be done by next week, as most of those steps should be quick to do. After that, it's play time!!!

Looking awsome!

Excellent, I'm really looking forward to seeing it finished! I think it's going to come together really well.

Nothing big, but as I'm working from home today, I took some time during lunch to paint the mine entrance wooden frame. It's nice as it breaks up the wall of gray of the back walls. Can't wait to do the crystals!

Wip43 - Mine entrance

It's really starting to come together, Tonio. Great work!

Here is a question I have been asking myself for a while, and hearing other opinions on the subject might finally help me take a side:
Should I paint some kind of lines in the river to separate water squares? On this map, I almost never have more than a single tile in width for the river, except at the far back end of the board. I think it's easy to abstract the squares from the adjacent tiles, but I worked so much on the board that I don't have a unbiased opinion.

What's your take on it ? Should lines be added for clarity sake? Should the river be left as it is to preserve the look?

My vote is to leave the look.

I don't see much of a value in adding ugly lines to the water.

As long as the water is only 1 block wide I don't see an issue not adding lines as you can just line it up with the lines on either side of the river.

Lines is better in keeping with the theme but you run a high risk of it going wrong. So unless you have an exact plan and know how it'll go just leave it.

Maybe not a line, but something that represents it. Things like rock formations, nets across the water or something like that, if it's needs any.

The thing that I see though, just looking at that picture above, where are you going to ever look at it and say, "I'm surrounded by water, idk where the lines are?!" Nevar! Why? Because there are always at least two squares of "not-water" whether it's the land or a bridge. It's honestly not a big deal.

Or, get a clear piece of plexiglass that can sit flush with the base level of ground, that has lines off of it. But make it removeable so you can have the table in "game mode" and "display mode"

WhiteRoo wrote:Maybe not a line, but something that represents it. Things like rock formations, nets across the water or something like that, if it's needs any.

That was my first idea, as it would be nicer than just a simple line. Especially with the resin over it. However, I would need to modify the board, then paint it again. Steps I'm not sure I want to take now, as other deadlines are creeping up and I need to finish sooner this project than later. That's why the lines are mentioned, and not actual scenic separations.

Alfndrate wrote:The thing that I see though, just looking at that picture above, where are you going to ever look at it and say, "I'm surrounded by water, idk where the lines are?!" Nevar! Why? Because there are always at least two squares of "not-water" whether it's the land or a bridge. It's honestly not a big deal.

That's my point of view too. If water was a bigger feature of the board, like a small lake or a large swamp, I could see the board needing the lines. But with the actual river, I don't think so.


Thanks for your input guys.

I'm agreeing with Alf.

It's a toss up really. It solely depends and what you are trying to achieve. I'm sure you'll make the right call whatever way you go!

 Cyporiean wrote:
I'm agreeing with Alf.

Alf, copy this quote for posterity and so that you can paste it into future threads.

I'm just gonna sig it.

Got my hand on Fragjuice' airbrush again last night, and I did the glow effect on all the crystals. That was a first for me, and even if it's not perfect, I'm happy with out it turned out. Now, I have to do some work on the crystal themselves, especially those that a close together and got overspray from a wrong colour. I did some tests tonight, but didn't take pictures as I'm not satisfied with the look yet. I also need to do the glow effect on the wooden sections of the board that are near the crystals, namely the back brige and the biggest platform. That's only two of them, but I'll have to do it by hand. The hardest part will be to match the colours from those used with the airbrush.

Wip44 - Glow effect on the crystals


Wip45 - Glow effect close up



I also started work on the props that will be added on the board. The platicard is 1"x1", and will serve as a base for half of the items on there. It will be a movement blocking tile that can be repostionned every game, like the two smaller stalagmites. The other items will be glued directly on the board, near the major crystal zones, as discarded/forgotten tools.

Wip46 - Extras preparation

looks great.

The one thing I was thinking about the board was that it needed a splash of color, and using those crystal glow effects really does the trick.

If you're worried about how the glow effect comes out on the wood, I don't think anyone would judge you if you left them as is.

In either case, great job Tonio!

Looks awesome man

Mate, that looks ace! Those little details are going to finish it off very nicely too. A board to be proud of!

Here are some of the tests I did for the crystals. The other one I did, full colour and white edges, I forgot to take a picture of. The pictures were taken with my phone and might be a bit unclear, so here is a small explanation.
A - individual cell shading, top is light, bottom is dark, edges are white;
B - individual cell shading, middle is light, round gradient toward the darker edges, no specific treatment of the edges;
C - general shading, top is dark, bottom is light, edges are white.

My favourite one in the end is C, the one with a general shading and the dark top. On with the painting.

It may be the color choice, but I like A the most. B looks off, but C looks okay.

C all the way for me, very pretty and it really speaks of crystal to me.

I agree that C is fantastic, A is also Very good, and B doesn't look right to me. The glow on those two is amazing, though!

I went with C in the end. A looks better in the picture than in person, to be honest.


I now am about halfway thought the crystals. I'm done with both the grren and orange ones. It leaves the pink ones, the more numerous, for tonight. Cell picture of the progress.

Wip47 - Crystals halfway done

Very nice! I'm not sure if my phone is taking the edge off the picture or the photograph isn't brilliant but I think the dark bits on the orange gems could go darker? They look more like the pinks than greens in that picture I think.

Still... beautiful work!

 Casey's Law wrote:
Very nice! I'm not sure if my phone is taking the edge off the picture or the photograph isn't brilliant but I think the dark bits on the orange gems could go darker? They look more like the pinks than greens in that picture I think.

Still... beautiful work!

It's not your phone, the problem comes from mine at picture time. Bad ligthning, late at night, not setting up my good camera, etc. The orange crystals go from an almost white to a bright orange peel colour. It could go darker, but In person, it does look fine.

Ah good stuff! Keep at it mate!

fine don't listen to my suggestion

 miskatonicalum wrote:
fine don't listen to my suggestion

To balance that out, I reserve you a game at Warstore Weekend or Templecon on that board, where you'll be able to beat me to the ground for that great injustice.

You got it!

Ah, another reason for me to try to make it to the Warstore Weekend! (or TempleCon, which I was at this year for the first time)

Are you using an airbrush for the lighting effect on the rock around the crystals? That is very well done, too

 RiTides wrote:
Ah, another reason for me to try to make it to the Warstore Weekend! (or TempleCon, which I was at this year for the first time)

Warstore Weekend is just a "maybe" for now, as I'll be moving around the time of the convention. It will probably be a last minute decision, depending on the exact date of the move. Templecon is a sure thing thought.

RiTides wrote:Are you using an airbrush for the lighting effect on the rock around the crystals? That is very well done, too

Yes. A friend lent it to me for the painting of the board. I'm slowly getting used to it. I'm quite happy with the overall effect for the glows. My main gripes is that I sprayed too thick. I would have preferred to still have some of the colour show underneath the glow, but it the end, it still looks good, so I'm happy for a first try.

Just consider it the 'limitations of working with a 16-bit engine'

God, I'll be so happy with Super Endless: Fantasy Tactics comes out, and we can get some 32-Bit action.

Nah, that'll just bring load times, optical drives will never be as good as cartridge technology.

Painting of the crystals is done, which mean that painting of the board is complete! (outside of the accessories...) With everything painted up, I was finally able to glue down the pieces that weren't yet (back-left elevations and all wooden bridges and platforms. I'll apply a couple coats of varnish tonight, and start to fill the river with resin once it is dry, probably Saturday morning. The end is near!

Wip48 - Crystals are done


Wip49 - Painting done, pieces glued

Looks great!

Amazing work. I love the little vein of crystals (even if it takes a bit of fluff twisting to explain in the setting )

Amazing looking table, Tonio!

Wow! So is it "done done" now? Can we get a pic with the pillars in place?

 RiTides wrote:
Wow! So is it "done done" now? Can we get a pic with the pillars in place?

Almost! I still have to add the resin (tonight), and it is also missing the accessories (shovels, pickaxe, etc.). I might also go back over the pink crystals' glow effects with a pink glaze, as it's a bit too whitish. I can grab a picture with the columns in before doing the work that is left though, it is no problem.

Okay great . What do you mean by "add the resin", though?

 RiTides wrote:
Okay great . What do you mean by "add the resin", though?

I believe there will be some resin on the river to prevent it from chipping while in use

As Alf said, it is for the river. Not really to protect it, but more to "fill" it so it has the same height as adjacent tiles, and to add a "watery" look. The product I'm using this time is Realistic Water by Woodland Scenics. It's a first try, so I hope it will comes out ok. I have had problem in the past with two parts resin for water effect, but this one is a single product, so no mixing problem. (Damn you, Gremlin swamps bases not yet dry after 3 years! )

First, just for you RiTides , a picture of the board with the pillars, before the water effect. It has received a coat of gloss then matt varnish since last picture. Followed by a collage of the assembly for the pouring of the first layer of resin. They don't recommend pouring more than an height of an inch at a time, so I'll have to do at least 2 or 3 pour. Last picture of the collage has the product poured in the river.

By the way, anybody has already used it? They don't mention a drying time on the bottle, only that it varies based on temperature and humidity; not really helpful...

Wip50 - Painted and varnished


Wip51 - First water effet pouring

Looking good, would it be possible to add some dividers or wire on the last pour to make those lines you wanted designating tiles? Something that can be removed after the pour leaving a slight indent across the top. You might have to give the indent a little wash too if you do it so it shows up. just a dark blue.

We have used WS water and it is much better than the 2 part stuff.

Thanks for the pics you are at the last step!

 Casey's Law wrote:
Looking good, would it be possible to add some dividers or wire on the last pour to make those lines you wanted designating tiles? Something that can be removed after the pour leaving a slight indent across the top. You might have to give the indent a little wash too if you do it so it shows up. just a dark blue.

That point was discussed a bit earlier in the thread. I thought about doing something like that, but in the end, as the river is only a square wide with adjacent tiles to judge the virtual lines, I decided to go for the look and have the river unmarked.

Where we're going, we don't need gridlines.

I remember. Thought you'd like the option before it was too late to add.

I like the river with no gridlines, fwiw

Oh god, I'm really sorry! I love it without the lines I'm just playing devils advocate! Sorry again, I've been a bit irritable the last couple of days and I think a lot of what I've been posting on Dakka has been a bit negative sounding. Not intentional though, bud.

No offense taken, I didn't read it like that anyway. On a forum, yiu can't be sure another user read the whole thread, and I wasn't even sure if I clearly stated my decison.


Automatically Appended Next Post:

 Tonio wrote:
No offense taken, I didn't read it like that anyway. On a forum, you can't be sure another user read the whole thread, and I wasn't even sure if I clearly stated my decison.

That's good, I'm glad! I had just read my posts back and they seemed really negative.

Haha, nevermind! On with the blog!

Here is the result after the second pour. It's not fully cured yet, which explain the "milky" look to it. I think the third pour tonight will do the job to finish filling the river. The resin does contract quite a lot, so it's not easy to judge when pouring. I also started painting the accesories, which should be done tonight, or tomorrow at our painting night (as I'm missing a colour I borrowed when doing the grey) at the latest.

Wip52 - Second pour

Almost finished!

Yep, I'm still watching and can't wait for "finished" photos . A painting night, that is a very good idea... I wonder if any of my local group would be up for such a thing. Would be good for motivation / encouragement, I think

 RiTides wrote:
Yep, I'm still watching and can't wait for "finished" photos . A painting night, that is a very good idea... I wonder if any of my local group would be up for such a thing. Would be good for motivation / encouragement, I think

Those recurring nights are great. Most of us in the group are father with young childrens. We can't really get in stores to play early like younger folks do, as we need to take care of the families before having our free time. We're lucky as one of the local store stays open really late, usually until we're all ready to go, as most of the staff just join us in painting. So we set-up a day, early in the week so it doesn't interfere with job's 5-7, or familiy dinners, which all usually happen Thur-Fri anyway. We get at the store between 7 and 8, and stay there past midnight. Great time for painting in group, and for a game once in a while. We call them Oldies' Hobby Nights.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
Third pour done. The picture is at half-cured state. Once dry, the river should appear darker. The resin contracted again a lot, but this time, I think I'll leave it like that. I fear that if I put more in, it will overflow through the lines between the tiles. So the river is probably done. Now, I'm only missing the accessories, that should be painted tonight.

Wip53 - Third pour


Here is a question for the "after" of the board. It might be easier to visualize on other pics, but I wonder if I should make a background for what is the back of the board in this picture. Something to cover the "hole" that is the tunnel entrance, and the chasm where the river passes. I have a painted backdrop in mind, to give the illusion of continuity.

Any opinion/comment on that idea?

I don't think it suffers without a backdrop. Most tactical games did not have backdrops to ellude to further distance. In battle, as far as you were concerned, the world did not exist beyond your battlefield.

We've tried doing painted backdrops and it is a lot of work. Not saying you aren't up for it, but its very easy to do it wrong.

A basic black backdrop would work pretty well I think, but all in all, I think you've earned a rest!

Speaking of this, Misk... idk if I'm going to be able to get the EFT table done for GenCon, I don't have the cash monies

 miskatonicalum wrote:
A basic black backdrop would work pretty well I think, but all in all, I think you've earned a rest!

Yeah, I think that too. It's a future project, not something I would do this week.

Rest wise, I'm taking a week to finish stuff before putting the house on sale, but after that, I need to jump on the next project. I have a deadline for this one, and I'm really happy for the couple of long weekends coming soon here.

 Alfndrate wrote:
Speaking of this, Misk... idk if I'm going to be able to get the EFT table done for GenCon, I don't have the cash monies

Speaking of Gencon, I'm still looking for someone making the drive down there from Montreal, but if I do find someone, you'll have my table to help out.

Looking forward to that next project

As for Gencon, We've got the big heavy board.. but I'd prefer to use that as a secondary table. I'm hoping to have 2 EFT Demo tables and 2 Brushfire Demo tables at the booth, just gotta see if we can get another 2 Popup tables.

 Cyporiean wrote:
Looking forward to that next project

I'm sure you do.


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 miskatonicalum wrote:
Amazing work. I love the little vein of crystals (even if it takes a bit of fluff twisting to explain in the setting )

Matt, I've been meaning to ask you to elaborate on the part in bold, but forgot to until today. Care to give some details? I've skimmed over the fluff section a couple of time, but was waiting for the final version before doing it thoroughly.

It's a really beautiful table Tonio! Backdrop wise I agree with what's been said already although it might be nice to see how it looks with a simple black backdrop just to fill the gaps so to speak. That might even be more aesthetically pleasing than trying to trick perspective with something painted? Worth testing out I think.

I took the table out for our hobby night yesterday. There is some small stuff to finish, but the board was still ready for a go.

I won't do a full battle report, as it was a massacre, which is not that interesting to read. But I took pictures, and those ARE interesting. Models are from Super Dungeon Explore, while I wait for my KS pledge to get here. Their relation to the classes we played with from Endless are a bit vague, but I was going with what I have painted, and I also only have a single set of cards given to me at Templecon to use (thanks againg Cyp ), so no double take on classes or equipment. The stack of bases in the middle is the objective, as we were playing the King of the Hill scenario.

Let's just say something quick before the pics: I'm REALLY happy with how it turned out.

I want it... I want it so much...

Is this something you can also use with Super Dungeon Explore? I'm guessing not with the set "missions", but with other scenarios.

Can't wait to see some Endless models on it but I think a fantastic grid-based board like that will always have a use . Amazing work!!

 RiTides wrote:
Is this something you can also use with Super Dungeon Explore? I'm guessing not with the set "missions", but with other scenarios.

Straight out of the box, no, it doesn't fit. The game tiles (12x12) are quite important in the game, even more when you get to the last extension, where you can turn them during play. But like you mentioned, it could easily but customized to play with it. I know we plan on doing it.

I think OTL would like to hear your battle report, or at least any opinions on the rules.

We're in the midst of doing our next pass on the EFT PDF and would be glad for any critiques or insight!

On Topic: The board looks great with minis on it. Great job Tonio! What size did the board end up being? Did the game feel appropriately sized for the number of minis/board size?

Whoa, it really lifts another notch when you see models on it! Endless fun to be had!

 Casey's Law wrote:
Whoa, it really lifts another notch when you see models on it! Endless fun to be had!

I get it!

Don't lie! That joke was so subtle and witty no one will ever see it!

What joke?

Better...

Sorry about the derail Tonio.

 miskatonicalum wrote:
I think OTL would like to hear your battle report, or at least any opinions on the rules.

We're in the midst of doing our next pass on the EFT PDF and would be glad for any critiques or insight!

On Topic: The board looks great with minis on it. Great job Tonio! What size did the board end up being? Did the game feel appropriately sized for the number of minis/board size?

I'll try a quick BR then. I don't remember all items and commands, and didn't take notes, so it's probably not fully accurate. We were playing King of the Hill.

I had, deployed from the back of the board to the bottom: Archer, Rune Fencer, Cleric a couple square back, Dragoon, Pugilist

My opponent had, in the same order: Sorcerer, Thief, Templar, Alchemist, Berserker.

First turn: everything move up a bit on both side. I misjudged distance, and the sorcerer do an Ice blast on my Archer, for some damage. The Dragoon Jump. The Rune Fencer got to the objective, giving me 2 points.

Second turn: The dragoon get in the back of the sorcerer, but whiff his attack, then move to the other side of the pillar with On the bounce. The archer, instead of shooting the sorcerer, do a AoE 2 down in the melee to tag the Thief and the Templar, but I only do a point on each. The sorcerer then get behind the Dragoon (forgot his Teleport command) and one shot him with Ice Blast. The Rune Fencer revive the Dragoon, staying close to the objective. My opponent gets 2 models in b2b with the objective, giving him 1 points.

Third turn: Archer take a shot at the sorcerer, but only a point of Damage. The sorcerer re-kill the dragoon. The Pugilist finally reach the flank, and attack the Chemist in the back, but doesn't do a lot. (There is a trend going on...) The berkersker attack the Rune Fencer and push him back, making him close enough for the Thief to get in his back and finish him. The Cleric is still too far to contest the objective, but shy try her big attack on the Berserker, for nothing... 2 more points for my opponent.

Fourth turn: The Archer try another AoE down the bridge, but once again, do almost nothing. The sorcerer then kills him. The pugilist reach the Templar, and for once in the game, I roll good and one shot him. Berserker attacks the cleric for some Damage, while the Thief begin to chip at the Pugilist. 2 points for my opponent.

Fifth turn: The cleric try her big attack on the Berserker again, to no avail. She then fall to his axe. The thief get in the back of the Pugilist and finish him.

Results: I have 3pts (2 from kills), and my opponents have 19 (10 from kills).


Comments: the game was fun, even if we were both a bit rusted. We also played aggressively, not really keeping stuff behind, as we were restricted on time. The limitation on classes and items was a bit hard on party selection (we played with only the cards from Templecon, which also mean we might be playing some stuff not up to date, as I didn't double check before the game.

It seemed strange to us that the Archer got Jump 3, while the Thief only had Jump 2. Sure, the Archer is a kind of forest Ranger, but the Thief should be able to move more easily. He got stuck a couple of time, not reaching where he wanted to go because of that.

The board was huge. 10 spaces between deployment is fine, but there is no need for 5 squares of deployment, and the 20 squares wide were never used. I need to play some more, but I would probably suggest a bit smaller board for 10 Crystals. 16 or 18 would be big enough for that size of game.

In scenarios other then Skirmish, should we continue the game after a party wipe, to count the right objectives points? Or does a party wipe gives you the game fair and square?

 Tonio wrote:

In scenarios other then Skirmish, should we continue the game after a party wipe, to count the right objectives points? Or does a party wipe gives you the game fair and square?

Hrm, that's something to think about. Coming from Malifaux, I like the idea that I could still potentially win the game even if I'm tabled, and I think that is something we thought of while designing the scenarios. I'll have to discuss it with Matt.

I'd say in other game scenarios that kill points would be used in tiebreakers only. Otherwise every game is a skirmish AND another game type.

On the Thief....after review of the stat line....It has lower stats than it should. Its too late to reprint the first line of cards, but the book will be fixed. It was supposed to have more ITM than the Archer, because of Mug. Thanks for pointing that out, and thanks for the quick review of your match.

Edit: On further review! The final cards for the Thief have ITM 3. So they are equivalent in power, but different from the Archer. These aren't Garret or Ezio. No parkour for them, but their pockets are deep!

Tonio, I request turn-by-turn pics for next time . I'm guessing you're just using the SDE figs for now, right?

In exchange, I have cookies...

 RiTides wrote:
Tonio, I request turn-by-turn pics for next time . I'm guessing you're just using the SDE figs for now, right?

In exchange, I have cookies...

I have them, in fact. But they are top down pics, and doesn't look as good. That's why I skipped adding them. But for cookies, I could go back and add them...

For SDE, yea, I'm using them while I wait for my KS minis to get here. Also, those are already painted, so I limited myself to them to have better looking pics.

I think that was smart... can't have unpainted minis on such a fantastically painted board!

And I think you're right, isometric / from an angle pics look best (I've discovered this from bat reps, too)

I worked on my Conquistador conversion during the weekend (a three day one up here in Quebec), but to no real results. I discovered that the metal used for the Conscripts has a tendency to break more than bend. Also, when it breaks, it's not a nice cut, but two jagged ends that need filing, pinning and resculpting. After three breaks just for the legs, while trying to simply adjust their angle a bit, I gave up. It will be less work just sculpting new ones in the end.

 Tonio wrote:
The board was huge. 10 spaces between deployment is fine, but there is no need for 5 squares of deployment, and the 20 squares wide were never used. I need to play some more, but I would probably suggest a bit smaller board for 10 Crystals. 16 or 18 would be big enough for that size of game.

I spoke to my opponent about that during the weekend, and he has the same view as I had. The board could be smaller by a square or two all around, giving 16 or 18 squares wide boards. Either that, or adjust Move and Range on all models to be able to make use of the space. I think 20 squares would work nice once we get to 15 or 20 Crystals.

Are they resin? Did you try heating them? Wehrkind has told me in the past that if I want to bend that material I need to heat it up.

 RiTides wrote:
Are they resin? Did you try heating them? Wehrkind has told me in the past that if I want to bend that material I need to heat it up.

The conscripts are still metal.

 RiTides wrote:
Are they resin? Did you try heating them? Wehrkind has told me in the past that if I want to bend that material I need to heat it up.

WHO SUMMONS ME?!


Heating sometimes helps bend metal too, but generally if they are breaking really rough, like with a grainy texture inside, you are pretty much hosed no matter what you do. I think that's a question of the metal composition and how hot it was when poured, though don't quote me on that. It's been a little since I studied metallurgy.

Table looks great Tonio. Seriously, you really outdid yourself.

 Wehrkind wrote:
Heating sometimes helps bend metal too, but generally if they are breaking really rough, like with a grainy texture inside, you are pretty much hosed no matter what you do. I think that's a question of the metal composition and how hot it was when poured, though don't quote me on that. It's been a little since I studied metallurgy.

That's how it looks, yep. I know I had the same results when I casted my own pieces year ago. Luckily, I didn't really have to bend anything at the time, and since then, the casting cauldron has been used only for flat stuff anyway. I do use that trick with plastic and resin thought. I have a cool (I think) Rök conversion for my Trollbloods that only need painting which used that method.

Wehrkind wrote:Table looks great Tonio. Seriously, you really outdid yourself.

Thanks a lot. I agree with you, it's really a outstanding piece fro stuff I did previously. I just hope I'll be able to get the same result on the next one.

By the way, I forgot to mention it, but I also worked on the accessories last night. Two barrels done, 1 bucket almost done, wood done on the 4 pike/shovels. Depending on how long my Dystopian Legions take at this evening gaming club night, I might have enough time left to finish them. I only have to do the content of the bucket, the metal parts of the 4 tools and finish the base for the barrels' tile. So it seems like I will probably be able to take and post final pictures this week.

Accessories, I didn't even think of that! They sound fun and should round things out very nicely

 RiTides wrote:
Accessories, I didn't even think of that! They sound fun and should round this out very nicely

I finished painting them yesterday, and sadly, apart from the group on their own base, they don't really look good on the board. :( I think it is probably the fault of the different scale and style. I'll take some test pictures tonight to gather your opinions on that matter, but I might be leaving them off in the end.

I also put some water effect around the rocks that pierced the water, and that's another case of not so great looking mod. It doesn't look terrible, just not as good as I thought it would.

Tape walls for the river went away too. I just have some touch up to the exterior paint to do, and after that, it is really over. Final photoshoot this weekend.

Sounds great, Tonio! Bummer that the accessories don't work, but you can always use other accessories / etc... not really crucial to the project, imo.

June is done, and so is the board! Right in time for July and next project. We're in the last days of home repair and sell preparation, so hobby time was low, explaining the lack of photos of the accessories, but I went with the OFF option. I'll use the base in game, but the other tools will find use elsewhere.

First, I have the three last WIP pics. One of the accessories, both the base and the separate tools. The two others are to cover the holes and difference in size of the foam once assembly is complete. It is also good for durability, as wood filler dry pretty hard. One pic with wood filler, the other after sanding and painting.

Wip54 - Wood filler


Wip55 - Side filled and painted


Wip56 - Painted accessories




And after 3 months of part time work on it and other projects, here is board in all its foamy glory. The only things missing are the models for the game, which I hope are in the mail already, or will be soon. Comments, criticisms (and orders ) are welcome as always. Voting is open on those by the way, if you want to get your voting ratio higher.

Final - Front view


Final - Left view


Final - Right view


Final - Platform close-up


Final - Crystals close-up


Final - Bridge close-up

That looks fantastic!

Really cool!

Great work Tonio!

Feth me I'd love that board...

The final pics are as fantastic as expected and the accessories look just fine! You have outdone yourself, I think... amazing project to see from start to finish!

That board is top notch.

That is a real triumph, Tonio! I've really enjoyed following this project. I wish you many a happy game upon it!

Thanks everyone. I'm overly pleased with the final results. Now, it's only missing some Gels to fight on it.

Sketches and layout of the next board are on the way, as well as a scale drawing, to be sure everything fits well with the minis. It's gonna be a demo board for Brushfire, but more about that when the images are ready.

My Endless board is done, home repairs will be done tomorrow: it's time for my next project!

Chatting with Cyp, I had mentioned a couple of times that I would be happy to help OTLG in any way I was able to. The work I did on the Endless board must had pleased them, as some time ago, I got asked if I would be willing to do a demo board for Brushfire, for them to use during conventions, starting at GenCon. I jumped on the offer. Here is the start of it.


Setting
We went back and forth with ideas on the setting to use, but we finally settled on the "Assault on St. Cyrien". Summarily, it's an attack by Mare-Civitas on an Aquitaran military academy that's near the ocean. It's straight from the book, featuring two good factions to pit against each other in a demo, and the theme could provide a nice terrain to fight on. We had a winner.

St. Cyrien is in the south of Aquitar, but instead of going with the warm colours we would get in the real southern France, it was decided to pick a colder palette, found in northern regions like Brittany or Normandy. Grey/white stone walls, blue tiles roof, you get the idea.

The board would be a 2'x2' demo board, but might be extended to a 4'x4' eventually, so I needed to keep that in mind.


References
I then started my research for reference pictures. I needed to look for a northern look, an harbour town, and a possible military or academic building.

Here are some links to pictures I kept as inspiration. Some don't allow hot linking, so if you get an error message, just get to your address bar and press Enter, you should be able to see them that way.

For the harbour:
http://www.ulmeis.com/JeremyAndImogen/pix/2002/2002-08-Summer-Perugia-Belves-Carcassonne/04Dinan/66-12-PortOfDinanFromBridge.png.reduced.jpg
http://www.tourismebretagne.com/var/crtbre/storage/images/media/images/decouvrir/emblematiques/dinan/dinan-port-1/493227-1-fre-FR/dinan-port-1_diapo_crt_page_1_colonne.jpg

For the military academy:
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2297/2749756842_9a0cdccd19.jpg?v=0
https://medias.immovision.com/photos/p0/14874/110vm01.jpg

Houses and streets:
http://villagesdefrance.fr/dept/dept_images/ph29_daoulas.jpg
http://www.linchanvrebretagne.org/docs/images/actions/maison_des_toiles.jpg
http://image1.masterfile.com/em_w/05/80/37/700-05803749w.jpg


Sketches
Once the setting and references were found, it was time for some sketches. I first did some pencil ones, and once the overall shape was fine, I imported it in Illustrator and started to do a scale version of it, to make sure models would be able to pass where they needed to, and that nothing was too big or getting in the way. You'll see that some stuff moved a bit or extended between the first sketch and the final draft. The pencil sketches are for the whole table (4'x4'), in case we get to them, but the vector part (2'x2', lower left) is just for the demo board. My Illustrator skills are pretty lacking, nothing will be as straight as they are on the vector map, especially the roads.

I'll try to add a statue somewhere in the harbour part, instead of having only pile of crates and barrels. The real board will be slopped a bit, the top part being higher than the bottom one, near the water. It's not clear, but the area with a darker gradient will be recessed a bit from the main harbour, slopping up. You can see in the reference pictures an example of that.

Wip1 - First sketch


Wip2 - Sketch divided by board, with annotations


Wip3 - Initial vector rendition


Wip4 - Vector over pencil sketch


Wip5 - Final vector rendition



Right now, I'm working on the wooden base the board will go on. The board will travel, so I need a more solid frame than just the foam I used for the Endless one. Basic foam work will start after that, hoping for the basic shape to be ready by the end of the week.

That's all for today.

Sounds awesome, Tonio . The amount of planning you put in is incredible!

I'm going to be following this, since I was planing a similar project for my own uses.

RiTides wrote:Sounds awesome, Tonio . The amount of planning you put in is incredible!

I have a long commute with access to wifi. That does help a lot.

Lockark wrote:I'm going to be following this, since I was planing a similar project for my own uses.

Cool! If you have any suggestions or ideas to share, I'll be happy to see them and brainstorm a bit.


Free time was low this week, so I only was able to cut the foam needed for the basic shapes of the board. However, I have my afternoon off, and an hobby evening planned with fellow Dakkanaut Fragjuice , so there should be good progress and pictures later during the weekend.

That sounds brilliant, Tonio. I'm looking forward to it.

 Tonio wrote:

Free time was low this week, so I only was able to cut the foam needed for the basic shapes of the board. However, I have my afternoon off, and an hobby evening planned with fellow Dakkanaut Fragjuice , so there should be good progress and pictures later during the weekend.

I know we can't wait to see more!

I had a bunch of pictures taken, but my card got corrupted. I still managed to save some, enough to give an idea of the progress.

Basic shape of the board has been cut in the foam. After that, I cut and sanded the slope going up the back of the board.

I then made the stones for the whole front of the dock. It's a three steps process, following a tutorial by terrain guru Rob Hawkins.
1 - cut your stone pattern with an hobby knife.
2 - Pass through the lines with a pencil
3 - Using your fingers and an eraser, press on the stones to vary their height and put texture in them.

I do not have a completed picture ( memory card...), but I'll take another one after I get a new card. The whole front of the dock is done. I now have to glue the separate parts together and adjust the stone pattern where it went through a cut. After that, I'll trace the layout of the design on the board with a sharpie to use as a guide, then do the stone work for the roads and the market.

Wip6 - Basic foam shape


Wip7 - Back slope sanded


Wip8 - Stones traced


Wip9 - Stones textured

Looking great!

Tonio already has more dedication to this project than I ever could >_< I would buy some stone walls just to avoid what he's done.

The wall does look cool though, and very realistic

Wow, that stone cut is incredible. How long did the little piece take you?

 miskatonicalum wrote:
Wow, that stone cut is incredible. How long did the little piece take you?

The long piece in the last picture is about 13" long by 2" high. I have not timed myself, but it probably took me around 30-40 minutes for the three steps.

That's really lovely work, dude.

The stones are awesome, very convincing even unpainted!

Quick update: I made a new shot of the dock front with the texture all done. More to come at the end of the week.

Wip10 - Dock front textured

Dock looks great! Will you do the water similarly to how it is done on your Endless / SDE board?

 RiTides wrote:
Dock looks great! Will you do the water similarly to how it is done on your Endless / SDE board?

Something similar, but using another product, as what I used for the EFT board cannot go higher than 1/2 of an inch. For the Brushfire board, I'll try to have it go just a bit lower than the two stone ramps, so about 3/4 to an inch high. I chatted about that with Mr Hawkins, mentioned previously, and he suggested a product that would do the trick, and is available locally. I'm picking it up next week.

We've tried doing large patches of scenic water, and it has never come out right, especially at the edge of a board.

I cannot wait to see you're work on that part!

Your board is looking great!

Let this be an inspiration to you, Tonio... scroll down for amazing pics! My favorite diorama, ever:

http://massivevoodoo.blogspot.com/2011/05/frutti-di-mare-finished.html

I think it could be helpful because you can see how he did the edge, too. I've been looking for some WIPs on how he did the water in case it might apply to your method, too, but no luck so far.

Yes, that's an incredible piece.

I won't do the water as agitated as that. I don't think I can, really, not with my skill level. Someday, maybe.

For the water, I'll probably follow Mathieu Fontaine's tutorial. It has a simpler look, but should work well for what I intend to do. I'll only add some effect on top of the water, if I'm able to.

I think that is an excellent look, too and I didn't necessarily want to suggest you go for crazy waves, just to share that amazing piece as inspiration

Here are some pictures of the progress.

First one is at the same state as my last post, but with figs and mock-up terrain to check that the size really works.


levelled the foam "steps" with wood putty, then sanded it smooth. After that, I cut the foam to have harshly level spots for the house.


In the next picture, you'll see some rough embossing were the roads will go. After doing some more research on old Britanny towns, it's the way they drained water from the streets. Here some link to some of the reference pictures I'm using:
http://farm5.staticflickr.com/4007/4340162805_db9c3e49cd_o.jpg
http://cdn.c.photoshelter.com/img-get/I0000iKg4mvvL5A8/s/880/880/print-Brittany-Locronan-Street.jpg
http://farm8.static.flickr.com/7158/6735486581_43022af24b.jpg



The last pictures are after starting the brick work on the roads. Same technique as with the docks, but mostly with rows of stones, so even easier to make. . One pic of the whole board, with about 60-70% of the brick work done. The other two pictures are some close-ups of a road and of the pattern to separate the market place from the rest.







Next update will have the brick work done, and most probably the various low walls, the garden section, and the river bed. The whole base board, if you will.

Bricks/cobbles are looking good! In this last pic, what is the pattern in the square in the bottom right square section of the pic for? Looks cool

It's an Herringbone pattern, such as this one, but far less successful.

Wow, great! I wasn't sure if you'd actually etched that in... it's quite intricate.

 RiTides wrote:
Wow, great! I wasn't sure if you'd actually etched that in... it's quite intricate.

I didn't actually etch all that by hand with an exacto. That would have taken forever!

Following an article I saw online, I took an old pencil, from which I removed the eraser, but not the metal holder. Using some small plyers, I formed the metal part in a rectangle. That's what I pressed into the foam, to mark the pattern.

Well Tonio, I think it all looks really great. Keep it up. I enjoy seeing your projects progress.

For non standing water I've had pretty good luck using Modeling Paste, Paint and Varnish. Put a thick coat on the area your working with then run your fingers through it to make it look like ripples/waves in water. Once it dries you can paint it then varnish it.

Vacations and a looming deadline are getting the better of me for wip picture taking and posting. I do have a bunch taken to sift through, upload and comment, but it will be done after the board is completed.

In the meantime, here is a quick shot of the board pre-resin for the river, which I am starting tomorrow. The black zones are for the buildings, and the green-brownish zone at the back will received flock.

Wow, It already looks ready to play on. Seriously, Bravo!

Looks great! Can't wait to see it in person this weekend.

Tonio, that cobblestone is amazing. There is a lot of love and dedication in there getting the cobbles different colors. Be proud!

Lovely work, Tonio.

Wow those cobbles look great. I bet there must be a really nice even base coat under all that hard work of yours.

Seriously guys, this picture doesn't do the board justice. I was over at Tonio's place last night and he's added a ton of little details since this picture was taken. I am crazy jealous of this mans talent and attention to detail. You should see how the buildings are shaping up... I would go insane before doing half the detail work Tonio is doing.

I can't wait to see the finished product at Gencon!

Fragjuice wrote:
Wow those cobbles look great. I bet there must be a really nice even base coat under all that hard work of yours.
I would go insane before doing half the detail work Tonio is doing.

I totally agree. This is beautiful. It does inspire me to work harder on my own projects if only to not be embarrassed by them in comparison

Thanks all for the nice comments.

Here is a pic of the board just before it was packed up for shipping. The add-ons (buildings, accessories, etc), will be delivered in person by none other than Fragjuice, but the board didn't fit in a plane legal suitcase.



I am REALLY happy with how it turned out.

The resin was a first time use of that specific product, and I was fearing that it might damage the board. Crisis averted, it looks super nice.

Once the rush on the smaller pieces is done and they are on their way to Gencon, I'll come back with the wip shot I passed over in the last two weeks.

Really cannot wait to see this in person