Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

Hello all, first time post.

I am creating a board for FOW Vietnam in a tile format (so I can click in and out depending on the scenarios I want to fight). One of the tiles I want to have is scrubland, (i.e- this http://goo.gl/l7C9Q). However, all static grass, when applied, looks like a carefully manicured golf course IMO; and I was looking for a way to apply large areas of relatively long grass (that miniatures can easily move about it).

Any help would be appreciated, thanks.

My neighbour used to be a professional terrain maker for war-gaming so I've got a couple of the magazines that he published which mention how to make fields (But he never really got them off the ground). He used to use astro-turf matting, similar to this, which he would cut into the desired shape then paint. I've never tried it myself, but it looks quite effective for long wheat fields, rice paddies etc. depending on how you paint it. Just a suggestion.



EDIT: Welcome to Dakka

I've also seen long bristled doormats used to great effect as wheat fields.

Coarse brush bristles (from cheap chip brushes and the like), door mats (coconut husk fiber, especially), and unraveled jute twine can all make for convincing tall grass, if you don't want to buy dedicated products (like Woodland Scenics' Field Grass).

The main issue I see is that models can't be conveniently placed on top of anything tall enough to look the part. You'll likely need to use a normal turf mat or static grass for the bulk of the area, with smaller clumps of tall grass scattered about, leaving sufficient room for movement. With FOW infantry bases being so large, relative to the troops on them, any real density to the scrub is going to result in troops floating above the grass, instead of moving around it (let alone through it).

Personally, I'd use static grass for the bulk, making sure to vary the lie from place to place - some applied electrostatically (built myself an applicator out of a $3 electronic fly swatter and a tea strainer - you could easily do likewise), some matted down by hand, some sprinkled and blown in various directions. This would keep the "flat" areas varied and avoid much of the "manicured golf course" issue. Taller patches of grass would be kept pretty minimal - just enough to carry the theme without messing overmuch with model placement. You might even want to make individual grass stands on small bases which can be moved around to accommodate troops and vehicles, like using individual trees on an area base to represent forests.