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Offline Ailaros

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trench line
« on: January 3, 2009, 12:10:49 PM »
So, while I'm working on my next destroyable building, I decided that I should also have a simpler terrain project going on for when I go crosseyed from trying to precisely balance and line up stuff.

As such, I've started work on a generic fortified position. The problem, of course, is that I can't do a trench proper due to the fact that I can't bring a movable hole. What I can do is to build it up, and have a "trench" system that is built above ground, rather than below.

Here it is in it's assembled state:





Basically, it's a bunch of "boards" that have been stuck in the ground with sand and dirt blown up  on it (along with some natural unevenness). Nothing complicated, but it should be pretty easy to finish without a lot of motivation.

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Offline Black Hawk

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Re: trench line
« Reply #1 on: January 3, 2009, 12:20:39 PM »
I like the idea. It's simple and easy. If it's above ground, it could be seen as firestep for the guys in the trench.

Offline Commissar Fidel

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Re: trench line
« Reply #2 on: January 3, 2009, 02:06:05 PM »
very nice there ailaros,then again I can;t remember a piece of your terrain that's not very nice 
it's about what? about two feet long, one long section is good but you might want a few shorter sections, diagonal pieces, maybe a gun pit or two, that way you could have a trence line clear across the shot length of a standard board     

Offline Cpt. Pain

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Re: trench line
« Reply #3 on: January 3, 2009, 10:21:44 PM »
Not all trenches are dug into the ground... During WW1, some of the french lines were trenches built on top of the ground, since the water table was so high (I think thats the reason, either way, I've seem futage of above ground trench lines from WW1).

In that light, I see nothing wrong with it, looks good.


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Offline Ailaros

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Re: trench line
« Reply #4 on: January 4, 2009, 05:18:19 PM »
it's about what? about two feet long, one long section is good but you might want a few shorter sections, diagonal pieces, maybe a gun pit or two, that way you could have a trence line clear across the shot length of a standard board     

23", actually. Good eye! The length was actually designed to hold a guard platoon. I've seen a lot of these kind of low-wall/trench style terrain pieces that are like 6" long. It never made sense why the soldiers would have prepared a piece of trenchworks so easily walk-aroundable...

This piece came out pretty good, so I think I'll probably do another, though I'm not sure that I actually want to do a giant trench grid. I kind of want to keep my terrain sort of diversified, at least for the moment.

Not all trenches are dug into the ground... During WW1, some of the french lines were trenches built on top of the ground, since the water table was so high (I think thats the reason, either way, I've seem futage of above ground trench lines from WW1).

In that light, I see nothing wrong with it, looks good.

Thanks! As well, I'm sure people made palisade-like structures over a variety of wars. While fortified trenches are obviously the best, I wouldn't doubt that a wide variety of "good enough" was created where the equipment or circumstances, or whatever wasn't right for a proper trench.

Anyways, so I've went ahead and finished it. I'm not actually 100% happy with how the weathered boards came out. It feels like they're missing a vital textured pattern that, despite several attempts, I couldn't get to look realistic. I'll have to try something to the actual plasticard next time.





sorry for the cruddy pictures. In any case, it looks better when it's in action anyways:




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Offline Black Hawk

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Re: trench line
« Reply #5 on: January 4, 2009, 06:46:20 PM »
I like the setup and I agree that it looks better in action anyway. In action though, it looks like a raised palisade wall instead of a trench line though.

Offline Ailaros

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Re: trench line
« Reply #6 on: January 4, 2009, 07:57:36 PM »
yeah, I probably shouldn't have used the word "trench". Oh well.

In any case, I'm getting closer to the point where I could hide my whole guard army behind some cover. The problem, though, is that I only have about 167 sq. in. of terrain of the 576 that I need to be able to play on a 4'x4' board. Only twice again the amount I currently have to go...

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Offline Commissar Fidel

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Re: trench line
« Reply #7 on: January 5, 2009, 02:43:53 AM »
The problem, though, is that I only have about 167 sq. in. of terrain of the 576 that I need to be able to play on a 4'x4' board. Only twice again the amount I currently have to go...

build something big, a major Hill, a 4 foot long river, some sort of major fortification. if you are daunted by quantity, and already have quality, the field that is left to you is the enormous     

Offline Jonik

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Re: trench line
« Reply #8 on: January 5, 2009, 06:49:10 AM »
I like the way your terrain fits on pinewood without any questions asked. I expect it makes storage easier! (no need for a board)

As for more sizeable terrain, how about tall rock formations, no wider than a 60mm base, but tall and round. A handful of those will provide LOS blocking, but not as big as your buildings (ie tanks can still be seen, just hull-down), provide more fire lines instead of open plan, and can be placed in different locations (rather than 1 large building/rock formation).
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Offline tryanotherone - smurfernating

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Re: trench line
« Reply #9 on: January 5, 2009, 02:37:59 PM »
IIRC then you have quite a number of terrain projects going.

Do you follow a specific terrain plan, i.e. for a themed table?
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Offline ADon

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Re: trench line
« Reply #10 on: January 7, 2009, 10:30:18 AM »
that looks sweet, well done

Offline Ailaros

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Re: trench line
« Reply #11 on: January 8, 2009, 12:05:26 AM »
Thanks!

I like the way your terrain fits on pinewood without any questions asked.

Yeah, that was accidental, but I'm really not going to complain.

As for more sizeable terrain, how about tall rock formations, no wider than a 60mm base, but tall and round. A handful of those will provide LOS blocking, but not as big as your buildings (ie tanks can still be seen, just hull-down), provide more fire lines instead of open plan, and can be placed in different locations (rather than 1 large building/rock formation).

I've actually gotten an idea vaguely similar to this in the pipe. I'm going to make a hedgerow that is tall enough to obscure infantry, but short enough to allow tanks to shoot their turret-mounted weapons over it. My only problem with the GW vertical-column style rock formations is that those were made very quickly using a speedball and some foam. I'm working with plasticard here, which would take forever to create the same kind of terrain.

IIRC then you have quite a number of terrain projects going.

Well, I've got a guard tower (look for the thread soon), and I'm starting to pull together another building (the roof will be made with the last of my corrugated steel material). I also have the above-mentioned hedgerow, but I haven't actually started work on that yet.

Do you follow a specific terrain plan, i.e. for a themed table?

Not at the moment. The idea so far is to make some well-diversified terrain of different heights and types with sort of a mix of natural and man-made. Once I get a big enough grab-bag, I think I'll start with terrain that's meant to convey a theme rather than just a generic desert look.

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