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I have alot of CoD sprues and I have built one of each of the 3 types with a big basillica, small admininstration and small manufactorum.  I am basing everything on 1' x 1' mdf to define the building/ruin's area.   I think the kits are pretty great in that you have alot of building options.  After playing my first CoD game today I want to make sure that I get the most playing enjoyment out of my buildings and that they look pretty good also.  Anyway, I wanted to start a thread about suggestions for building construction.  What have you tried that worked/ didn't work?  What configurations do you recommend for game play?  What makes a building easy/difficult ot attack/defend?  What additional supplies do people use for their modeling?

I would like to eventually gt some pictures up to see what everyone is doing with their buildings.

Right now I have the 3 mentioned above and a Forgeworld Administratum and Tank Factory.

I am ready to make some rubble but I haven't been happy with how my rubble is turning out so far.  What  is the best recipe for rubble.

I have supplemented my GW kits with a plastic chemical factory kit which has a series of gothic looking tanks and pipes.  Additionally, one of th eother guys in my group is using a tamiya WWII kit for sandbags and other accesories.  Looks like a good way to go.  What are other good ways to make realistic sand bags?

Rubble is easy, but labor intensive. I use coarsely broken chunks of styrofoam for concrete, various sizes of sand, bits of cut-up sprue bitz, small cardboard rectangles for bricks, balsa wood planks, etc Personally I love plasticard I-beams from architectural & RR hobby stores. Use pins sticking out of concrete blocks to look like rebar reinforcements. For a varied floor I often glue down squares and "planks" of cardboard to create contour under the sand/bitz I glue over top. It makes it look like boards and doors are buried under the rubble without creating raised surfaces thatr models canot stand on.

If I may...

I suggest using foamcore (it looks like bristol board with firm foam sandwiched in between) for the bases instead of MDF, the issue with MDF is that it is too thick and you end up with LOS issues coming up because the MDF itself almost the height of a model.

MDF the height of the model?

MDF is at most 1/2" thick. At most. Normally it is anywhere between 1/8 to 1/4".

I can only assume he was thinking of styrofoam?

Personally, I wouldn't use foamboard...seems too vulnerable to getting bent or warped.

Posted By happypants on 06/12/2006 7:24 AM
If I may...

I suggest using foamcore (it looks like bristol board with firm foam sandwiched in between) for the bases instead of MDF, the issue with MDF is that it is too thick and you end up with LOS issues coming up because the MDF itself almost the height of a model.

I'm thinking you might be confusing MDF (Medium Density Fiberboard) aka Hardboard with OSB (Oriented Strand Board).  As Hellfury mentions above MDF can be found in thicknesses which shouldn't have any major LOS issues.  I tend to use 1/4" which is also what you'll typically see GW use in their terain articles. 

While foamcore is lighter the major problem with using it as a base is that it's not as durable as MDF.  Foamcore edges & corners will tend to get beat up a lot quicker. 

GW boxes show a bunch of examples of buildings the most common being the L shaped walls with a series of floors betwen those walls. Other configurations are the tower with external floors, and that cross shaped small building. I am not to fond of either of thos confguations. So far 4 of my 5 buildings are of the L shaped variety so I really want to change the other ones up a bit. The last one of mine is a Manufactorum with 2 L shaped sections defining opposite corners of the building. I want to make a catwalk from one side to the other. What are some good materials for catwalks?

Has anyone found any other good configurations that you can describe here?

I could describe them, but I rather post the pics.
this one is buld from the normal Manofactorum Set: two Manofactorum sprues and one floor-sprue



the second one was a bit larger
I used one floor sprue, 3 Manofactorum sprues, some Necromunda Walls, some SF-looking wall ruins made of resin and a small ventilator from a PC



btw. the Manofactorum IS my favorite Building in the whole line, but that might has soemthing to do with my Necromunda Gang

Very nice. I especially like the second one, I will have to assemble one with a high"tower" structure. My Manufactorum is still in progress maybe I will snap a couple pics of it today though. I spent a long and grueling night this week cutting up sprue for rubble. What size base is that on? I have been using 12" x 12" on mine so far.

Get yourself a meatgrinder and grind some sprue bitz through it :-p

I don't know the exact base size. the shopkeeper bought a lot of them a few years ago and I'm using them on almost every piece of terrain I'm building for the store

Posted By Infantryman on 06/18/2006 1:45 PM
Get yourself a meatgrinder and grind some sprue bitz through it :-p

what he said.

seen in the new black gobbo.

the rest of the guys are speaking words of wisdom too.You wont get easier rubble from plasticard,balsa and other whatnot that you find.Hell,you could even try using cork.

here's some stuff a friend of mine build.

this is the highest building.


this one will be attached to the next one, using a bridge


and the biggest and most impressive Building he built. the Adeptus Mechanicus Factory hall




can't wait to use my Necromunda Gang in there

Figured I'd pop in and contribute, since I just finished a Manufactorum as well, though a bit different design...
(Funny how it's the popular one, huh?)

This one used 2 Manufactorum sprues and 1.5 floor sprues, plus a window out of the Sanctum for the top floor.
I'm also planning to base on 1' x 1' MDF once I get a chance to hit the hardware store and a thrift shop for a meat grinder to make all those empty sprues into something useful.

for building & other bases i have used thin louon (lew-on)( i'm not sure on the spelling) plywood. i have been thinking about using some flooring tile i have hanging around it has a neat granit marble design i think would look cool & easy to put rubble on & not look out of place.

@ Anung Un Rama:
These buildings are well done!
Do you know what material your friend used to build the floors shown in the fourth picture from above (Lagerhalle2) ?

For cat walks get yourself some HO or O scale railroad iron trestle bridges, IMEX hex builder, or Architectural Plasiticard which has trusses and railings premade.

Good stuff. I love the inclusion of the Necromunda bulkheads. Now I finally have a use for them!

I decided to rebase my buildings. I went for just over 12" square pieces of 1/4" thick MDF, I then routed the edges and used evergreen styrene sheet sidewalks to make side walks around each base. I was originally going to make separate sidewalk pieces but I realized it was way too complicated. Anyway, the 3 buildings I had already built have all been rebased and now I am working on the details. I decided on 12" because I realized anything less than 12" would allow the possibility for jump troops to jump right over no penalty or roll. I am thinking I might have a house rule for the sidewalks though. Something along the lines of no penalty to move along the sidewalk but if you cross it it counts against your movement. And vehicles can move along it without penalty. Anyway once all three are detailed and primed or panted I will get some pics up.

Wow those building look pretty cool. Im impressed with the height you guys are getting, adds a whole new dynamic.. My terrain is like the suburbs all 1 story.

I kept saying I was going to get some pictures but I still haven't, but I can go one better I found a great tool for trying out configurations without having to break out the glue. I created this image in Google Sketchup in about 5 hours time. Considering I wasn't familiar with it when I started I think that is pretty good. Plus I have all the pieces made nw so I can copy and paste them in. Anyway, it is better than trying something and then having to rip it apart to do something different ( which I have done quite a few times).

COD Building