Fred's 2015 Painting Diary

[Duke Speedy of Leighton]

Just rebuild your table so it has gaps for the bases!

[Hertsblue]

 

Possibly the most static wargame in the history of the hobby.

[fred.]

What can you put on a Warband movement tray?



Almost anything 10mm it would seem


Regarding the height of movement trays - I seem to vacillate on this. I have made thin movement trays using plastic card, and used these with WM figures on thin plastic bases. But these are quite fiddly to make, and are fairly bendy in use.

I quite like the solidity of an MDF movement base, especially with a good margin around to hold the figures in place. For a movement tray (rather than a sabot base) I do prefer fairly thin edges, so that the size of the unit isn't increased dramatically by the oversized edges.

[andys]

Chamfer the edges off to reduce the obvious thickness?

[Techno]

Useful photo, Fred ! 
Nice idea, Andy.
Cheers - Phil

[Hertsblue]

Regarding the height of movement trays - I seem to vacillate on this. I have made thin movement trays using plastic card, and used these with WM figures on thin plastic bases. But these are quite fiddly to make, and are fairly bendy in use.

I quite like the solidity of an MDF movement base, especially with a good margin around to hold the figures in place. For a movement tray (rather than a sabot base) I do prefer fairly thin edges, so that the size of the unit isn't increased dramatically by the oversized edges.

I'm wrestling with the same problem for 6mm Napoleonic, Fred. I want to be able to reform my columns of assault into lines or squares if necessary. But if you put magnetic tape on either the figure-base or the movement tray (my favoured solution) it increases the height of the unit noticeably. I could use thin plasticard trays, but as you say, they tend to flex in play. I've even thought of using Tacky Wax (non-setting adhesive) on the trays to hold the little devils in place, but that might get messy after a while.

So far, no solution that I like.   

[getagrip]

What can you put on a Warband movement tray?



Almost anything 10mm it would seem


Regarding the height of movement trays - I seem to vacillate on this. I have made thin movement trays using plastic card, and used these with WM figures on thin plastic bases. But these are quite fiddly to make, and are fairly bendy in use.

I quite like the solidity of an MDF movement base, especially with a good margin around to hold the figures in place. For a movement tray (rather than a sabot base) I do prefer fairly thin edges, so that the size of the unit isn't increased dramatically by the oversized edges.

The Wyvern makes MUCH more sense on that base than the piddly little 40x20 one that actually comes with it.

Becoming increasingly tempted by Warband.

[fred.]

Yes the Wyvern fits the bigger base rather better - I really like the size of the WM monsters - but the 40x20mm basing convention was a bit impractical.

I like the look of the 3 giants on 1 base too.

I'm wrestling with the same problem for 6mm Napoleonic, Fred. I want to be able to reform my columns of assault into lines or squares if necessary. But if you put magnetic tape on either the figure-base or the movement tray (my favoured solution) it increases the height of the unit noticeably. I could use thin plasticard trays, but as you say, they tend to flex in play. I've even thought of using Tacky Wax (non-setting adhesive) on the trays to hold the little devils in place, but that might get messy after a while.

What I have noticed, is that once the game starts you don't notice all this stuff at all.

We played a big game a few weeks ago, and set up a city area in the middle, and we were all saying that it looked a bit rubbish having buildings on green grass, and wasn't it a shame that none of us had thought to bring some grey cloth or carpet tiles etc. Which was all perfectly true before the game started and you were looking at the whole table.

Once the game started what you cared about was how the buildings blocked line of sight, not what colour the 'road' was.

Its the same with movement trays - when you assemble them you think they are too chunky - but once the game starts the chunky ones are better, because the figures stay in the right place.

[getagrip]

Yes the Wyvern fits the bigger base rather better - I really like the size of the WM monsters - but the 40x20mm basing convention was a bit impractical.

I like the look of the 3 giants on 1 base too.


What I have noticed, is that once the game starts you don't notice all this stuff at all.

We played a big game a few weeks ago, and set up a city area in the middle, and we were all saying that it looked a bit rubbish having buildings on green grass, and wasn't it a shame that none of us had thought to bring some grey cloth or carpet tiles etc. Which was all perfectly true before the game started and you were looking at the whole table.

Once the game started what you cared about was how the buildings blocked line of sight, not what colour the 'road' was.

Its the same with movement trays - when you assemble them you think they are too chunky - but once the game starts the chunky ones are better, because the figures stay in the right place.

Good point well made.

Isn't that a "Boggy" lurking on your giant base?

[fred.]

Its the Fen Beast from the Albion pack - he was to hand, whereas the other giants are in a box somewhere...

[getagrip]

Its the Fen Beast from the Albion pack - he was to hand, whereas the other giants are in a box somewhere...

Thought so.

[fred.]

I've been playing a few solo playtests of the new Kings of War rules (as part of the Kickstarter) - yes I know its not Warband.

Today's battle was Forces of Nature vs Elves. The FoN have quite a lot of Pendraken figures in the army


The start of the battle


The mid-game Nature has stomped forward - clearing away the Elven scouts, Elven shooting hasn't done enough damage
On the left the initial vanguard moves allowed the woodland Nature forces get very close, on the left the Centaurs and and Air Elementals caused lots of damage


The end game - Nature has got forward into combat pretty much across the board.
The heavy hitters in the middle cause lots of damage - the Elven cavalry did well but the shooting wasn't doing great today.

[Lord Kermit of Birkenhead]

The photos prove it - every wargames table has to have a church....

IanS

[getagrip]

And a hill...

[fred.]

No they don't