I haven't painted anything 10mm for ages but have finally managed to get around to start work on the custom minibits terrain boards
This is all 20 boards laid out. 88 inches long by 55 inches wide if I wanted to use all of them in one go. This is with just the base coats added. I need to finish off the sand texture on the rough ground, add the ridge lines in and then work on the target and AAA hexes. Halong Bay also needs finishing off as I haven't done the islands or marshes yet.
(https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-AkqU26tOx1s/VSJVV4emyPI/AAAAAAAAF0s/2H5Er_8CxXs/s640/blogger-image--1509377493.jpg)
This is a shot of a game in progress using just six boards replicating the Northwest Railroad photo recce route. Yen Bai in the Northwest corner to Hanoi.
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Looking impressive already. :)
Wow!! very impressive. :-bd
Looing good to me Si.
Awesome Si! 8)
wonderful ! =D>
:-bd =D> :-bd
Good to see these again, nice work!
8)
That really does look excellent already ! :-bd
Cheers - Phil
Remember to paint in Thud Ridge. :P
Pretty impressive :)
Wow! Just wow! =D>
QuoteRemember to paint in Thud Ridge
Thud Ridge is the long finger pointing towards Hanoi from the LHS of the map. Need to put the ridge line features on a couple of hex sides (which have an effect on game play). Phantom Ridge is the one coming down from Haiphong and Banana Valley is on the bottom right
Thanks for the comments. This took about three days of work to get it to where it is now. I have made a start on the Hanoi area in terms of adding the detail to the target hexes. My idea is that the target hexes, which correspond to the AAA zones, will be in a brown/green mottle as will the surrounding barrage zones just to make it easier to see. Painting these boards up has been straight forward and without any warping issues. I just ran out of sand to do the chinese buffer zone and the areas around Haiphong so will get those done over the coming weeks. As I am back at work I will only get about half a day so will only progress a couple of hexes a day as well as hopefully getting some games in
Looks superb, makes me wanna order some SAM sites and actually have a game of Thud Ridge (a set of rules from Tumbling Dice), as usual bought the rules & planes, painted them then shoved them in a box. Now which box was it? :-\ :-\
That's some project, Sy. Congratulations on a brilliant job.
Thud Ridge was the game that got me into this to start with. More aligned to 1:1 represenation that a raid with 40+ aircraft involved.
Try these pages out which are my random Thud Ridge musings
http://cag19.blogspot.co.uk/search/label/Rules%20-%20Thud%20Ridge (http://cag19.blogspot.co.uk/search/label/Rules%20-%20Thud%20Ridge)
Work on the Hanoi area from last night.
(http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-92_bO4Ua8BQ/VSPAf5XEoaI/AAAAAAAAF5Q/NVTJRyNehLA/s640/IMG_0230.JPG)
Wow
That's looking excellent - like those town sectors, think they'll pan out very nicely!
Quote from: toxicpixie on 07 April 2015, 12:20:17 PM
That's looking excellent - like those town sectors, think they'll pan out very nicely!
Agree completely, the scale is fantastic.
The Hanoi area is still WIP. You can just about make out the sketch lines. THe one that sits in between the two airfields and Paul Doumer bridge will almost be completely filled with squares and rectangles, and the one to the North West has a large area that will also need filling in.
There is a smaller area to do in between the two bridges and the ones heading out towards the Phuc Yen (No Bai) airfield are single components.
Haven't decided how to paint these yet. Tempted to do white sides with orange roofs. Might have a scout round for some air to ground pictures of the region
Quote from: Si Tyler on 07 April 2015, 12:34:20 PM
The Hanoi area is still WIP. You can just about make out the sketch lines. THe one that sits in between the two airfields and Paul Doumer bridge will almost be completely filled with squares and rectangles, and the one to the North West has a large area that will also need filling in.
There is a smaller area to do in between the two bridges and the ones heading out towards the Phuc Yen (No Bai) airfield are single components.
Haven't decided how to paint these yet. Tempted to do white sides with orange roofs. Might have a scout round for some air to ground pictures of the region
Could try and get an aerial photo from the same height and mimic what you see. :-\
Hanoi and environs completed need to get on with the painting and adding in the roads and rivers
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Absolutely love this; so clever! =D>
This looks absolutely brilliant
Take care
Andy
Looking good
It certainly is !! 8)
Cheers - Phil
Coming along nicely. Are you going to add any physical features, other than roads and rivers?
Looking fantastic.
Gordon - I've got the Thud Ridge rules, too, but also never played them. I like them, they have some interesting mechanisms and are pretty straightforward.
V/R,
Jack
I was looking for something like Bag the Hun but with jets and missiles, plus just like me it was cheap ;)
Gordon - I'm hurrying, man :D :D
V/R,
Jack
Are the hex boards available on the minibits website or did you special order them? I may have missed it, how big are the hexes?
I can think of a number of uses for the hex boards - none of which involve keeping money in my wallet. :)
Very impressive!
Quote from: Shecky on 11 April 2015, 04:26:48 AM
Are the hex boards available on the minibits website or did you special order them? I may have missed it, how big are the hexes?
These were a custom job, although really I should add a section to the website so that we can list handy things like these.
QuoteComing along nicely. Are you going to add any physical features, other than roads and rivers?
Terrain and Features.
Roads
Railways
Rivers/Canals
Built up areas
runways
installations
Beach
Marsh
Rough ground
As they are all for my aircraft to fly over they are being kept in low relief.
Painted sand for the rough ground. Need to add the ridge lines in and delineate the hex sides on the large areas of rough ground
(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-D-ch8N5krQA/VSvsQscRK9I/AAAAAAAAGIk/-pcvTnoRlsM/s640/blogger-image-1899468313.jpg)
plasticard representations of buildings and bridges. You can just make out the two bridges which are about 1mm high in this photo.
(https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-yG5NFtIYrEM/VST6-XaCdXI/AAAAAAAAF9I/gmlsTH0Ke8Q/s640/blogger-image-1808293299.jpg)
Just starting work on the Haiphong area
QuoteAre the hex boards available on the minibits website or did you special order them? I may have missed it, how big are the hexes?
There was a discussion on the minibits section about custom MDF work. Leon and I then developed these back and forth trying different orientation and combination of hexes and then Leon sent me a pair of test pieces to confirm before I placed my order. These are 38mm across flats which is about 1 1/2" so are fine for jet aircraft. The larger twin engined support aircraft make it a bit crowded. As there were 20 boards made up I arranged to collect from show rather than risk damage in the post.
In game shot using the boards
(http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ayT58cUgMe0/VSo9Z3owGsI/AAAAAAAAGFQ/8xl8McEWT0E/s1600/IMG_0252.JPG)
(http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-33xSz9Wdq9A/VSo9suDeepI/AAAAAAAAGFY/JRXwzSef3K4/s1600/IMG_0253.JPG)
Wow! :)
Lookin good! How bugs the total table area?
That's just awesome!
=D> =D> =D>
Just brilliant
Take care
Andy
That is really excellent ! :-bd
Cheers - Phil
Each component board is 8 hexes across by 15 hexes long. When all 20 are put together it is 232cm x 133cm (if I measured it correctly yesterday) or 55 inches by 88 Inches which is 4' 9" x 7' 4").
I have just started work on the Haiphong area which is the next set of targets needed and I hope to get some more shots up tonight plus another game flying a US Navy strike against Kep and Vu Cha which are on the top half of the boards. No SAMs needed so can get away only using the top 10 boards. My plan is that as I fly a mission I will do the detailing on the boards used to try and keep progress moving along.
Nice, Si - that's a big area :)
And two of those hex sets would make a Battletech board, I think...
Good luck cracking on!
Not my period but looks awesome!
Started on the Haiphong board. The rivers need to be lightened up using gloss brown in the middle of the channels and I also need to work on the sea and beach hexes. Built up area is all cut out and will get added tonight.
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Why the beach?
Charlie don't surf! ;)
That's brilliant Si. :-bd
QuoteWhy the beach?
Charlie don't surf! Wink
My bad, the beach is actually mud flats. In the game they are treated as sea hexes so not really important. So that will slip until the very end. Not convinced on the green shade for the sea, so might have a mess around later.
As I am just planning to Fly the D2 - Beginnings mission it means that the 5/02 board is in need of some serious work as it borders the Haiphong one and looks odd next to it, plus it has two flak zones which need work. So tonight's job might be that board first and the 3/03 which also has two AAA hexes on it. Never said this was going to be easy. Worst case is that I might trace out some of the rivers in pencil ready for tomorrow night
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That is so brilliant
This is very cool. The board with the extra detailing looks great.
Are you doing the AA hexes directly on the map, or as separate hexes that can be placed as needed?
Bravo! =D> =D> =D>
AAA exists in two forms. There are fixed batteries which are always active. These tend to be at important or frequent targets so I am placing those directly on the playing surface. Scenario specific AAA and targets will be on moveable prices which is how I used to do all the targets and AAA. It is do much easier and quicker with modelled on features.
I have changed the green rivers to a green-brown which I am a lot happier with. VJ Field Drab mixed with gloss varnish. Will need a second coat
(https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-VEv-DePRpFo/VS7GPfkycYI/AAAAAAAAGJ8/8XrItqm5WZA/s640/blogger-image--1732732168.jpg)
Really does look damn good !! :-bd
Cheers - Phil
As part of my 20 minute a day challenge I have added a little bit to the boards since last night, but no where near the amount of inroad I made early in the project. I have done some more work on the rivers and shoreline to the North East of Haiphong. The brown over green I think is my preferred way of doing the rivers. I will also add some of the brown to the shore line and then graduate the sea colour in. But that will be a while yet.
What I do think this means is however that I only have 3 target hexes to add in which means I can concentrate on the painting after the weekend
Work on the row 3 boards 03 and 05 as far as I have got.
(http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-eKbh34JJUsg/VS_IzHdMqTI/AAAAAAAAGLs/L51RA_mo_IY/s1600/IMG_0268.JPG)
Hai Doung and Me Xa bridges
(http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cksPZHDn46k/VS_IzJ4OlVI/AAAAAAAAGLs/_H5fxF2rc3w/s1600/IMG_0267.JPG)
Thai Binh and Nam Dinh target and AAA hexes
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I think those are brilliant
:-bd =D> :-bd =D>
The brown over green rivers definitely works
Bit of work done and a game played out over my lunch hour
(http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TRexOh6evKE/VTD2PGagSSI/AAAAAAAAGQM/nAUAVjI9YHI/s1600/IMG_0272.JPG)
(http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-V7KyTMgSzec/VTD2PBNiIXI/AAAAAAAAGQM/YJl2RlnCCaM/s1600/IMG_0275.JPG)
(http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XNu-0lbrj2Y/VTD2PM_c7BI/AAAAAAAAGQM/-5PA84cj09w/s1600/IMG_0280.JPG)
More photos etc here http://cag19.blogspot.co.uk/2015/04/downtown-d2-aar.html (http://cag19.blogspot.co.uk/2015/04/downtown-d2-aar.html)
That looks like SO much fun !! :-bd
Cheers - Phil
Those Migs look to be having a bad day ;)
Are your aircraft 1/300th or 1/600th? I would guess the former from the size of the hexes.
1/600th. The hexes are 38mm across the flats
Wow! I was sure they were 1/300th!
1/600th :o
Impressive :)
You might like these then :)
(http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MYznUDj1Zhc/U71fDkgTzhI/AAAAAAAAECI/S4DQ10f0kSQ/s1600/IMG_0210.JPG)
(http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RF_dkxKdqx4/VAlhESQoamI/AAAAAAAAEyM/AmzSC9ETnS8/s1600/IMG_0557.JPG)
As this isn't a new project I have lots of enthusiasm for getting the terrain finished. I have spent ages working on the aircraft so I am able to get games in using the new terrain a lot quicker which in turn keeps up the enthusiasm and interest.
Amazing. :o
Really great project. =D>
Wow!! those are great! m/
Excellent work, particularly at 1/600th. :-bd
Tumbling Dice again! :)
:-bd =D> :-bd =D> :-bd
:o :o :o :o
Cheers - Phil
I have bitten the bullet a little bit and cut down the height of the eastern boards to match the original map. It now means that the total length is approximately 80" I have had a few games on it and must admit to falling behind on the painting a little bit. I have done some work on the islands around Haiphong and still need to get on with getting some new sand to add to the relief.
I have changed the sea colour to a darker green but need to go and lighten the coastal areas and add the mud flats. As usual other projects have bubbled up and I haven't been as diligent as I should have been in getting this finished.
(http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AKj1RUyl6Hk/VUjXTmHBlzI/AAAAAAAAGgw/ggSF5QJgquI/s1600/IMG_0338.JPG)
I have now removed all the pencil markings on the target hexes and they will be getting a coat of paint this week. I have also nearly finished redefining the hex sides on the western boards with dark green paint.
Keep playing on it rather than finishing it. Played out 3 games so far (two USAF, one USN) have one in planning which might get played this week.
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My Blog has more info and shots http://cag19.blogspot.co.uk/search/label/Vietnam%20-%20Air%20Combat%20-%20D3
Really nice, I really like the look of this :)
I am too lazy to look , what size are the hexes again please?
38mm across the flats
Thanks
Superb!