2' x 2' Mini Terrain Table

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Because gamers like a big area for viewing and admiring, most of us have the typical 4' x 6' playing areas. Realistically, most of my games end up in tight quarters. Especially my skirmish games in 28mm. Solution: make a mini terrain table for those close quarters.

Start with a standard 2' x 2' acoustic ceiling tile
available at any hardware store.
Paint the edges with flat black for a better border

Inexpensive but very effective for most of my painting needs

Apply with a metal spatula a good base layer of a slurry mix
(sand, white glue, cheap gray acrylic craft paint and water).
Let dry and cure overnight then apply successive coats of dark brown wash

Again let dry and cure overnight

After the board was dry-brushed to my liking I then applied
white glue to random areas and sprinkled copious amounts of
static grass from Gale Force Nine

Let dry and cure overnight then take a tooth brush to
tease out (stand up) and remove excess static grass and Voila!

My whole intent was as mentioned above but after it was completed I knew that I could pose some of my minis on it for some cool diorama shots.

Steppe this way!
My Mongols from The Assault Group
and Old Glory lines in 28mm

Assortment of German Panzers: Stug III, Sd.Kfz 222 armored
car and Sd.Kfz 251 half-tracks from Bolt Action in 28mm

Same Panzers supplemented with 25mm BMW motorcycle 
troopen from Battle Honors (incidentally, putting them in the
foreground mitigates the scale disparity)

My 28mm Soviet Tankovy: KV1 and T34/76 from Battlemart
and armored cars: BA6 and BA64 from Bolt Action 

Showcasing some of my 6mm Modern micro armor from
GHQ: M1 Abrams, British Challenger and German Leopard 2
alongside Timecast buildings and haystacks

Ditto

Composed shot for my Instagram

Mongols of The Golden Horde: Rank and File: DONE

Mongolian BBQ! Yummy.

Scene from the movie 'Mongol'.

For my first post of this year I've decided to bring out the Mongols for a photo shoot since I've had these rank and file figures done for awhile. I finally got around to posing these guys in their completed state. If you haven't read my previous post regarding these models, some of you may recognize that they're from the Old Glory line and paint up really nice. They're a mixture of Mongols and Pechenegs. Mixing and matching them gives the right look of being horde-ish.

So here they are thundering and plundering to a town near you! 

Mongol Nobles from TAG in the background.

Yes, that's my Viking longship in the background...

Joining the 'Arena Race' Part 3: DONE

Without further ado...


Finally my Governor's Box and stands are done. I decided on a trellis for some al fresco viewing with a fabric awning covering option (see below). I've also simplified the Doric columns and added spikes for that 'barbaric' look.

Review of condemned prisoners.
In lieu of Roman figures I'm proxying my Mongols for scale and for the downright fun of it!

A minor Khan of the Golden Horde. This command pack is from The Assault Group (TAG).

TAG Mongol slavers keep the Chinese PoWs in line for the upcoming games.

Sentencing by the Khan while the ominous drummer keeps the beat.

Gladiators (from BTD) are reviewed as some Arabic peasant riffraff from Old Glory look on.

"Ave, Governor! We who are about to die salute you."

And now a word from our sponsors... 

I've always wanted to create ancient and classically themed ads (ala NASCAR) to enhance my scratch-built Colosseum for running chariot races back in the 80s. So I've finally done it here. 

I had a lot of fun researching these familiar icons. 

The cheap seats.

Execution commences.

The other cheap seats.

Now all I'd need is to get some female gladiators... 

1974 blaxploitation film starring Pam Grier and Margaret Markov

Mongols of The Golden Horde: Rank and File Progress

Here they are.

Excellent Mongols and Pechenegs from Old Glory

Mongols of The Golden Horde

When I was a wee lad, knee high to a gaming table, back in the 60's I remember seeing a movie on the big screen that made an impression and contributed to my passion as a gamer.

1965 Hollywood epic that was typical of it's time.

Needless to say, I had to paint Mongols. I initially started this army a few years back for WAB (Warhammer Ancient Battles - which I don't play anymore). The nobles and heavy cavalry contigent were figures exclusively from TAG (The Assault Group) while the rank and file are from Old Glory with some Pechenegs thrown in for variety. 

My paritially completed Mongols of the Golden Horde
Back Rank: Noble Heavy Cavalry, Middle: two blocks of Human Shields, Front: Foot Command

I also chose to supplement my army with the 'Kharash' aka 'Human Shields'. These units were made up of prisoners of war both civilian and military from recent conquests. They were put on the front line as literal shields and were essentially canon fodder (an anachronistic metaphor) during battles and sieges.

Arabic Human Shields (throw away units) which are a mix of TAG Chinese prisoners and Old Glory Arab peasants

More Arabic Human Shields (throw away units)

TAG General and Standard Bearers (the right two standards were scratch built) 

TAG Heavy Cavalry Nobles

TAG Foot Command Unit with General, Drummer and Standard Bearer (again with a scratch built standard)

 Old Glory rank and file in assembly.

Finally assembled and ready for paint.

Coming soon to a town near you: The Golden Horde!