wolpertinger_press

Thanks!

I think you get the idea. 

My "board" is actually nine 12"x12" dark cork tiles, sold at craft stores for hanging on walls. Each one is built a bit differently, with grassy areas, water, mud, and other features. Having the board made of separate tiles not only allows me to rearrange it for each game, but the flip side of the tiles can be used for a different board. These are the tiles I use.

To create the water features, I used a craft knife to carve out shallow areas, then brushed them clean of dust and sealed them with a 50/50 mix of Elmer's glue and water. Once dry, I painted the carved out areas in shades of green to simulate algae, using black to make areas appear deeper. Then, I used Vallejo's Water Effects gel in thin layers to build up the water, alternating between clear coats and coats mixed with green wash, to make the water look suitably swampy.

The grassy areas are self explanatory, similar to how you'd base a miniature, just in bigger areas. 

All the structures were built with popsicle sticks, built on simple frames of foam board, then stained with layers of ink wash to bring out the grain. I used bendy straws painted with Tinny Tin as chimneys. You can go crazy with the structures, and if you find an area that looks messy, just board it up with more sticks, or jam some foliage in. Remember: it's the bayou, so everything is crawling with kudzoo and moss. You can check out this board on Pinterest for some of the visual examples I used when making the buildings. 

The building roofs are made from corrugated cardboard split in half, then painted tin and covered in crawling vines and rust.

The walkways are straight-up popsicle sticks, stained again, with lots of broken edges and holes so they look beat up. Underneath them, each section has two runners that lift the walkways above the surface of the board, the way an elevated path through a swamp would. 

All my trees were bought from companies who make model train scenery, and were cheap. I just glued them onto cork bases, and covered the bases in my "mud" paint mixture (baking soda, brown acrylic, and sand) and tufts of grass. The bases are wide enough to be stable during gameplay, but blend into the texture and color of the cork underneath, so they don't have that super "terrain-" look. 

Also, I have fences, junk piles, bones, pennants, a moonshine still built from a tin can, an outhouse, a pumpkin patch with Sculpey pumpkins, and various other detritus, most of which double as counters and markers for various schemes and strategies. 

TL;DR: use junk and get creative. A swamp board is a great place to start playing with making terrain, because it's not supposed to be clean and tidy! Plus, you get to decide exactly what your board looks like, and it is SO MUCH cheaper than buying pre-made terrain.

Good luck!

And some more: 

Gotcha. I'm going to put a pin in this, and get some photos of my stuff to go along with my suggestions. Building ramshackle swamp structures is much easier than it might seem, because inconsistency and messy lines work in your favor. 

For the time being, here's a wide shot of some (not all) of my board:

Are you looking for pre-made terrain pieces, or interested in making your own? I have an entire bayou board that I made myself, and can share tips, if you'd like.

Let's talk Ophelia.

I've been playing with different lists each session for a bit, and wonder if anybody has any amazing (or just fun) Ophelia crews that work well for them.

Here's my entire painted and game-ready Gremlin faction (also have So'Mer and Brewmaster crews, but still on the sprue):

Ophelia
3 Young Lacroix
Francois
Pere Ravage
Raphael
Francois
Ophelia
Rami
3 Bayou gremlins
Hog Whisperer
Whiskey Golem
Pigapult
War Rabbit
War Pig
Old Major
Penelope
5 Piglets
Mah Tucket
Little Lass
Trixiebelle
3 Bayou Bushwhackers

Totally. It's the duel actions that seem to confuse them, and then they get annoyed because it slows the game down. I suppose that's a part of learning it, though!

8 minutes ago, solkan said:

Because part of it's "Why would they put a suit in the attribute and the target number, isn't that the same as not putting it on there at all?"  

 

EXACTLY. Thank you.

What's happenin', all?

Seeking the expertise of veteran players. 

I'm introducing my weekly game night group players to Malifaux, and am seeking some advice on great, simple ways to explain "fiddly" rules. An example:

1. Ca 4(tomes); TN 14(tomes); Res. Df

They're getting caught up every time on the suit name in an attack action, and its mechanics. "Do we have to FLIP the tomes to succeed, or is it GIVEN to us?! Bargle, bargle, bargle..." I'm not sure I'm doing a fantastic job at explaining. I play Gremlins almost exclusively, and am guilty of knowing how MY faction works, but not studying up on anyone else's. :\

Anyone have some spare time to put this in the simplest terms that I might use to suck more people into the Breach?

 

3 minutes ago, Omenbringer said:

Krylon does come highly recommended as well. I use their Satin and Matte finishes for sealing my models when they are done. Much less prone to issues caused by challenging conditions (heat/cold and Humidity) than other products. Also easier to find and usually cheaper (especially cheaper than the oft recommended Testors Dull Coat)

Let me ask: do you normally prime on the sprue, or wait until the models are built? I've found with some, it's much easier to lightly prime before I build and glue, but obviously it's a horrid mistake for others.

3 minutes ago, Omenbringer said:

I would recommend an actual "primer" such as Duplicolor sandable primer (Aerosol). This will adhere better to your models than many of the so-called primers put out by the game companies. The better adhesion also helps with preventing chipping later on. You can usually find it at the local auto parts stores such as Autozone, Kragen, etc.

Many people recommend brush on primers, however Duplicolor has never failed me (and I have used it in some of the most challenging environments in the US) and I find it easier (more consistent) to apply (especially when batch painting models).

I use Krylon spray for plastics, and it's never failed. I agree - most game company primers leave a LOT to be desired. Gloopy, pebbly, uneven, dry...

Yes, BOOMPIGS YOU ARE MINE.

PM'd!

Retarder is used with acrylic paints to slow the drying time, useful when you want to blend wet paint into another section of wet paint.

Flow improver helps you get harder edges or flatter, more even color. It isn't used a ton in miniature painting, as far as I know.

Generally speaking, you can get away with using distilled, not tap, water for thinning paints for miniatures. Tap water can have junk in it that causes it to dry strangely, so picking up a bottle of distilled and only using it to think paints is a great idea. You can rinse your brushes in another container with regular tap water, and not have any problems.

It's a good question. I've done an Arcanist lab in past games that was set up as a large "main" floor area, with passages that led to other rooms: boiler room, storage, etc. That way, I could (basically) fill the entire 3'x3' board, but still maintain some visual interest and unique opportunities for movement. Terrain rules are really useful when mapping out this kind of location. I'm not sure it's always necessary to have the entirety of a 3'x3' space for use in the game, so long as deployment zones are included properly, and strats/schemes work in the space you create.

I'd love to see a multi-tiered approach, though I have no clue how to do that within the ruleset. 

13 minutes ago, Myyrä said:

Yes.

...but no one knows what it is.

TOO SPOOPY

I hope I'm not embarrassing myself by asking a question that's already been answered, but...

...is there a time tomorrow that the sale goes live? 

ROOSTERS.

Oh, hi. Didn't see you there.

Long time listener, first time caller. I'm a professional writer, semi-pro painter, amateur chupacabra. I play Gremlins, Tweet only (ONLY) when on the toilet, and speak three languages. I'm the designer and Alpha Buck at Wolpertinger Press. We make digital RPG maps, available at Roll20 and DriveThruRPG, and all my tattoos are inspired by books I've written.

Things I Like:
Watching people fall down
Novelty socks
Seizing control of the modes of production from the bourgeoisie
Green Jolly Ranchers
Children who say curse words
Huge chunks of bonus celery in stew
The sweet, sweet music of Ms. Janelle Monae

Things I Dislike:
Disabled animals with wheels for back legs
Kale
Genius balloon animals
Disney princess-related nonsense
Kale
The word "pumpkin"
Kale
People asking, "So do you like your Kindle more than REAL BOOKS?!"