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Since we've had some much spam on here lately - I thought I'd ask an actual, proper, hobby related question, instead.

I've been playing some 15mm WWII games lately and one of the scenarios we wanted to try was one on a 2 foot square board, the terrain being entirely made up from buildings, so as to get a Stalingrad-type game.

However, since we were totally lacking enough buildings for anything this ambitions, I went ahead and made some.  Nothing fancy - just blue foam with holes in stuck to mounting board with a hot glue gun.

Not very good pic, but to get a sense of scale, everything is based on a grid of 3 inch square bases, except the building top-left which is on 4 inch square grid.  Some of the buildings are grouped together in construction, others are just one building - for a compromise between flexibilty and number of units.


Painting them is the problem I have, though.  I'm not looking to crete a work of art, or anything super-stunning, just something practical and well, greyish.

I was thinking of undercoating them with black, and then dappling on a heavy coat of dark grey, a slightly less heavy coat of mid grey and then a drybrush of light grey, and perhaps a little white.

Do you guys think that would work?  Too simple?  Any advice or suggestions are most welcome!

They are probably brick, which isn't grey.

I would suggest a dark umber as a basecoat, then through chocolate brown, plum red, terracotta, orange, and flesh.

then finish off with dust etc in a grey/buff

Quote from: Bungle on November 17, 2008, 01:02:39 PM
They are probably brick, which isn't grey.

Nope.  Definately blue foam :icon_wink:

OK, thanks for the suggestion, Bungle.  I'll think about that as I'd not thought of them as having a brick surface at all, but as concrete constructions, or perhaps brick with a cement render.

Bungle hit the nail on the head with his suggestion. I think that would look best. Just think of aerial shots of a city you have seen.

Traditionally the US and Europe build differently.

The US uses steel and protects it in concrete. Europe uses concrete and toughens it with steel.

The US build homes out of timber, Europe mainly is brick.

Even rendered buildings are often made from brick or blocks laid like bricks. The thickness's of some of the walls might surprise you. The blocks that my 1930's home are made from are black slag made from the waste in steel mills.. I never saw them until I moved up here.

Mediterranean countries use terracotta blocks to build with (laid like brick.. or even reinforced with steel (rebar) in earthquake areas now)


If you can get hold of a copy, the US army urban combat training manual is very useful for doing urban terrain.

I got my copy from one of the writers.

As you want them fast I would go with black undercoat (the spray will melt this blue foam?). Then grey... just because it's easier than reddish. If someone asks for historical accuracy I go with something like "this town was razed after the engagement and nothing survived" or "it's 'cause I decided to paint it in B&W to be accurate with my photo research of the time"

Andres

@Andres: I like the way you're thinking!  And yeah - I tested some spray paint on an offcut, and whilst it isn't as bad a expanded ploystyrene, it does melt.  I might be able to use it for interesting texture effects in the future, though! :icon_smile:

I did some research on inter-war european cities last night, and Uncle Phil on Cheddarmongers passed on this link:
http://www.flamesofwar.com/hobby.aspx?art_id=241

So, I think I'll go for a mix of grey (as I described), terracotta (as Bungle described) and maybe a some of cream and a couple of pastel colours!

FOW terrain and the companies that make it are great, its full of ideas and if you dont mind spending the cash comes (in most cases) prepainted to a high quality.

Thanks, Hawkins :icon_smile:  I've picked up a bit of terrain from ebay, already, anyway - but I'm going to have a go at making some other pieces as well as this city.  I've got some Bocage planned, and I want to build a version of Matakishi's German camp (http://www.matakishi.com/wwiigermanbase.htm) at some point.

I might also have a go at some of Matakishi's Simple Buildings (http://www.matakishi.com/makingwwiibuildings.htm) and Airfix Strongpoint (http://www.matakishi.com/strongpoint.htm) for more regular play, scaled appropriately to 15mm, of course.