Scenery hints and tips

[SteamHammer]

Malifaux needs scenery. Scenery costs money. Even if it's just paint and glue added to scrap found around the house.

We all know and have our cardboard buildings and balsa wood fences but like sticking popsicle sticks to the outside of the buildings are there any other nice tricks you've learnt to make your constructions look better?

Or, have you found a technique that saves time?

[edonil]

I'm very seriously considering raiding my lego collection and using them for the framework of printout buildings...

[SteamHammer]

Colourful. But if used for the framework I guess it would be hidden. Now I just need to find if my lego is in a cupboard somewhere. Although I guess the framework idea could be expanded to other things. Wood strips, plastic straws, anything that can support the printouts. Of course, if these are buildings the models can enter then they need to be stronger (back to lego) for staircases etc.

Good idea. Is there anywhere you can get the building printouts?

[Yazza]

practice?

flock works too

but just raid your or others bitbox for small items to add those little touches

[LonelyPath]

I used left over sprues from model kits as framework in buildings and so on. Heck, if it's a thicker wall I'll use it in those to before covering it with card.

My hills have always been made from polystyrene/styrofoam and cut into shape with a knife before being sanded. I then add a coat of PVA and sand, then a coat of mid-brown paint, then flock. I can get about 20 hills cut and shaped in a afternoon if I wanted to (and had enough supplies to do so, lol).

My trees are usually made from small branches I find lying around, painted and have lichen and stuff added. If I need a forest I'll put about 4 or 5 on a large enough base (and pin them so they can be removed).

I spent years modeling on a shoestring budget and quickly got the knack of making things on the cheap, in the end they started turning out very well.

[SteamHammer]

Do you need to treat the branches (twigs?) in any way? What's the base of the forest? As in how thick is it if you can pin the trees in?

I need to find somewhere locally that does bulk PVA.

[Ratt]

Years ago, GW released a template for some buildings - really easy to make one up - I've got a sheet of foamboard (cost - $10) that will do at least ten buildings of village hut size. Combine with some PVA (which most hobbyists would have - or buy some for $5) Add some trimmed card (hell even cereal boxes) for details, and paint accordingly.

I'm actually planning on doing some this weekend...

As for bulk PVA - pending on how much you need... I work for an educational supplier, we sell it ranging from the usual 250ml, right up to 20L tubs.

[SteamHammer]

The only size I've found in shops here are little 250ml ones. Fine for glueing houses together but not coating hills or bases of terrain pieces.

[Ratt]

The only size I've found in shops here are little 250ml ones. Fine for glueing houses together but not coating hills or bases of terrain pieces.

Check educational suppliers and hardware stores. Even at the hardware store I can get a 2L PVA.

[dublindawg]

for basing hills and terrain pieces you don't need a thick layer of PVA, you can water it down to a 50/50 ratio and apply it with a paint brush. This not only extends the PVA but gives a more even coat. Another option is to place it into a spray bottle and apply it that way. I use to have one that I picked up at a model train store. Just make sure to wash it out with warm soapy water to avoid gunking up the sprayer.

[harbinger]

for basing hills and terrain pieces you don't need a thick layer of PVA, you can water it down to a 50/50 ratio and apply it with a paint brush

Exactly. It doesnt take near as much glue as some seem to worry. Here is a pic of one the practice buildings Ive made recently...

The sand is held on by a mixture of at most 50/50 water and Elmers white clue. In all honesty I figure its closer to 70% water. To show the sand is held solid enough, same building turned on side...

You'll note the lack of sand pile on the table. After spraying primer and then a layer of paint its defiantly pretty solid. Add a layer or two sealer and figure Ill have cement....

[SteamHammer]

Ooo, nice building. Are those wooden strips or cardboard?

[LonelyPath]

Do you need to treat the branches (twigs?) in any way? What's the base of the forest? As in how thick is it if you can pin the trees in?

I need to find somewhere locally that does bulk PVA.

I've never treated and of the twigs and branches I've used. However I do make sure they are completely dry and sometimes make them for about a year before I use them.

For pinning I tend to use some form of wooden base for the forest, about 2 or 3mm thick and a small 1" tack or two to pin them in place, it keeps them pretty secure and easy enough to remove. Just be cafeful you don't impale yuorself moving the models

I hope that helps. For a little looking outdoors and few pound/bucks you can collect a large selection of forestry

@ Harbinger - Awesome building!

[Yazza]

you need tips? those look awesome, better give us some tips

[harbinger]

Ooo, nice building. Are those wooden strips or cardboard?

Combination of both. Generally wood and cereal box for trims.

As said, the current batch is practice buildings as Im nailing down sizes, construction order and such. Basically they are experiments so far. The final copies will mostly likely be all wood.

[Doctor Amos]

Malifaux is a good place to create "scenery vomit." My friend got up and built a whole town after playing the game for a month. It really just begs you to make more.

...myself, I buy little hobby house pieces.

[dublindawg]

I have 2 building in mind that I would love to build. One would be an old frontier town church and the other a 2 story bar/hotel. I will probably build them in cardboard first for sizing comparisions and then build the with a mixture of foam board, wood and molded plastic pieces.

[harbinger]

the other a 2 story bar/hotel.

Not as fancy as you mean but heres my practice saloon...

and the "unfinished" stairs to the 2nd floor

[SteamHammer]

Full of a cold this weekend so no miniature painting done. Don' want to sneeze at the wrong moment. But made some rock outcrops out of packing foam bits.

[thatnicguy]

You're going to have a great game table! Takes time and then when your finally done you'l just want to do another!

[Naravus]

[ame]

[/ame]

Great stuff here.

[SteamHammer]

That's the sort of thing we need, a step by step guide. Thanks for posting it.

[david_s]

Found these with all sorts of goodies, and even a guide to how hard they are.

This one has more than just basing but that just happens to be what i was looking at when i bookmarked it:

Hand Cannon Online » Blog Archive » Tutorial: Thematic Basing – Part 2: Base Building Basics

Terrainthralls Home Page

Necrotales -- Painted Miniatures, Galleries & Tutorials

LUDstuff!: TABLETOP GAMING - "Making a MAMMOTH CAVE" Pt.6

Found some really cool things on all of these although they might take a little bit of finding from the links that are here. hope they help

[DAGabriel]

Nice, if you haven`t seen it already, the way i am going is the lazy one! Look at my wyrd village link below.

[harbinger]

Nice, if you haven`t seen it already, the way i am going is the lazy one! Look at my wyrd village link below.

Nice buildings to be sure (especially the interior,) real snazzy with correct paint job. That being said we all have to agree there would be a hefty price tag attached to a full set up like that. The materials for the entire practice town I posted cost less then that companies Merchant House.

One thing Im trying to decide is if interiors are worth the time/expense/effort. I made those with removable roofs. Im finding people dont go in buildings that much and when do its mostly a bad situation. Just leads to arguments of "my model can shot yours out the window but you cant hit me." Im seeing same issue arise with too much roof access. Shooty type crews running straight up the ladders and picking off the melee as they advance.

Not saying I think either structure examples should be removed. Will need more input (test games) to see how works out in long run. Something Im finding out; terrain designers need to realize their responsibilities are same as level designers in vid games; designing in a way that rules cant be abused to point giving one player too much of an advantage.. Even though height differences and such was considered during game design... most games are played on a reasonably flat surface. When you throw in a bunch cover and buildings and such (as game was designed to be played) the dynamics change quickly. Takes some adjusting to by the players.