Wednesday, April 11, 2018

OF GARDEN GNOMES AND OBELISKS

In this brief post, dear reader, we meander into the realm of tabletop eye candy and scenic effects. Several years ago, I ran a skirmish-level Napoleonic game (using a heavily modified version the Brother Against Brother rules). This game, entitled "A Walk In The Park" was inspired by the fighting in the Grosser Garten at Dresden, 1813, and other similar clashes. In this case, it was the Prussians vs the French (who seemed to have clashed an awful lot in close terrain, but that's another topic). This caused me to create a Garten of the sort found in various and sundry Residenzes in Germany....

The Initial Version
...I came up with a pleasing geometric shape reminiscent of the era, and it worked for the playtests (I took this game and ran it at Huzzah! '16 as well as at a game night for my club). It stood up well enough in play...


...but something still seemed to be lacking...

...It Needed A Statue!...
...And An Obelisk!...

For the statue, I stumbled across this wonderfully evocative Eureka Seven Years War Russian General (which I can't for the life of me find on the interwebs any more!). He is  the very image in bronze of the proud Kurfurst of a local Residenz.  I used Humbrol antique bronze, a bit of wash, and few brushes of Testor's brass to shine him up--and "poof": statue.  For the base, I used a cube of craft wood sitting on two wargaming stands. Then I painted the rock-effect (which I am quite happy with--makes me wonder if I should start painting scenery as opposed to buying it ready: but that way lies madness, no more of that). The obelisk a bit from the Warhammer 40k terrain kit, "Stackable Obelisk."  
In these pictures above, taken as I was setting up my game at Huzzah '16, you can see the final form. I dropped the house at the crossroads and extended the table with the addition of the church and its Kleiner Garten, mit centerpiece Mound and Obelisk.  I also came up with some shrubs for the Kleiner Garten.  And of course, there is the Grosser Garten--mit Kurfurst.  The below picture is the setup during game night, which was prior to the Huzzah! Convention: no shrubs in the Kleiner Garten.

Now all can enjoy a nice walk in the park.
 Excelsior!

6 comments:

  1. Ed, I would cheerfully take a walk (or game) in that park!

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    Replies
    1. Thanks, Jonathan. I think I might build on this and do a more extensive version down the road.

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  2. Really like the park you have created.
    Alan

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    Replies
    1. Thanks, Alan. I was happy with the result.

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  3. Madness indeed, but once you’ve had your first taste of terrain making... 😀
    Usually the more specific a terrain piece you want the more you have to make it yourself.

    The statue came out looking well and the table looks great. Nice post. 😀

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. First figure modding and now custom terrain building—the slope is slippery and hazardous!

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