I'm hoping I can recover from this in the second half of the year. I should have some more time to paint during the week after this month so we'll see. Maybe I can still get to an average of 10 models painted each month, even after losing 2 months!
Whenever I did have a spare moment recently, I was working on putting together some paper terrain test models from Dave Graffam Models. I downloaded the pdf's from Wargame Vault and put them together on some black foam core, instead of building them from cardstock.
They are not as awe-inspiring as, say, a fully painted resin building from Tabletop World would be, but they are a heck of a lot cheaper, easier to get, and quicker to finish than those are as well! I started considering these after my friend Bill was raving about flat-packed MDF scenery. I've always hated that stuff because they look too "2D" to me; there is no texture on the stonework, etc.
But after they are all built and on the table, they don't look too bad. Here is a post showing how they look on a fully set up table:
Terrain: The seach for cool terrain that wont break the bank and is easy to set up.
The Dave Graffam models are the same idea - 3D buildings, but with no "relief" texture if you know what I mean. I've always been a fan of the artwork though, and after seeing Bill's 4Ground buildings I figured I would give them a shot.
Overall, I'm pretty pleased! They will never be as nice as fully painted 3D models, but they have a bunch of advantages over those too. In addition to being cheap, quick, and easy - they are lightweight and easy to duplicate! Once you own the pdf's, you can print them as many times as you want.
This is great for me, since some of my best gaming buddies are spread all over the country. I am usually the one responsible for providing the miniatures and terrain though (I have a lot of gamer friends, but not many who want to be bothered with buying and painting models and terrain!). We can easily keep a set of these buildings at everyone's houses; throw them down on a game mat (one of my other new favorite things), and we're good to go for a game of Mordheim anywhere!
I'm not at the point yet where I can prove it, but I think a table full of these on a cobblestone gaming mat would look pretty cool for Mordheim. I've seen a few other people's attempts on various web sites and they look pretty good. And the whole table costs less than the price of one resin building!
They look great!
ReplyDeleteThese look very cool. I do love the laser cut MDF, pre painted and all. They have come a LONG way, you can see be making some on my blog, and they are not FLAT, they do have some relief, it's actually pretty cool. I shop the 4Ground stuff.
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