I have been playing around with different configurations for a custom table and wanted to note some things I’ve landed on that I really like. A main one thing is having the map mounted so that it can slide around as needed on top of a bigger playing area. My table is 65” x 95” in total with a 5.5” arm rest around the outside and the middle is a recessed neoprene surface. I have the OOB Global map mounted on 1/2” rigid foam with a 1/2” aluminum frame around it. This allows the map to slide up close to whoever’s turn it is, but then be in the middle so both players can roll dice In front of them without disturbing the map and in easy view of the other player. (Plus we like lots of room to roll the bones). This ability to adjust the surface along with a standing height, makes it comfortable for long uses because you can move around more and don’t feel as tied down.
Things I’ve learned and changed from original design - I originally used too big of a frame for the map and mounted it on too high of a foam block (you can see these pictures at the bottom) - it made it hard to see the other player’s dice and the big frame took up too much real estate. My global map is mounted on much thinner foam (the framing is bad, you can see if you look closely) but I also used much thinner aluminum angle for the frame. This gives just enough grip when needing to move the map around (I use furniture slides on the bottom, which glide very nicely on the neoprene) but doesn’t make the whole thing too bulky. Having it an inch or so off the surface keeps the dice off, but isn’t so heigh that you can’t see the other player’s dice rolls. When playing other versions (such as Zombies) the board is much smaller, but it can easily swap in and out on the same table since it can move around where ever it is needed or be pushed aside.
I originally made it normal table height, but found long reaches while sitting were harder and it just felt cramped. Standing height with a bar stool is a great way to have the best of both worlds.
The 5.5” rim around the table itself gives you a nice arm rest that doesn’t interfere with the gaming surface. I’m playing with how to best add some cushion to this part - open to suggestions. Sometimes I just lay a piece of leftover neoprene on it.
Dice bounce nice on the neoprene and stay off the floor. It also feels nice and has enough give to allow things to slide but be picked up easily. Wouldn’t definitely go with neoprene again as a surface covering.
I made the drawers open to the inside of the table so you can stay hunched over the action while accessing and stowing stuff away. 50/50 on whether I would keep this if I were to do it again. If I were doing it again, I might try to build customer drawers form scratch using actual drawer glides, but that was beyond my ability when I first did this, so I just used clear plexiglass boxes with aluminum pulls mounted on them. It’s nice having them clear, and I was happy with how the pulls came out, but without glides they can be a little fussy sliding in and out of their slots.
I originally designed the table so that I could put a cover surface back on top when not in use, but find I don’t really ever do that, so if I were to do it again, I might not mess with that part (I never even finished staining those as you can see in the pictures).
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Painted playing pieces
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To megastein
they are all very valid points and thanks for the feedback.
however for me i have aproached this project with the following priorities1. They must look good from the gamers view while sitting at the table
2. The must be vivid and not dull in colour to aid in stage 1 and be distinguishable from the other sides
3. be historically accuratestage 1 and 2 overide 3 for me. I am OCD and love to get it right as much as possible and research everything but on this scale comprimises have to be found.
The ships especially like you say are difficult to identify with out some clue. i have not seen the axis and allies paint style though i have been getting ideas from the GHQ forum although both are a bigger scale. You might not like what i have done to my itallian ships but it makes them unique and have i used a royal navy design from the deck to make the italians differrent.My uses use of lots of shades and colours is a simple case of even a 1 colour tank has many shades of colour due to the way light reflects on it. take the t34 I painted a colour which matched the t34 and and painted some highlights. Becuase of the scale the colour didnt look right and encredibly dull and flat so i dry brush light shades of olive as highlights and egdes. Now it might look a bit messy up close but on the board they stand out and look about the right shades from that perceived distance.
In the end its about what style and level of detail makes you most happy.
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I did not know they are making more miniatures.
i have been buying some sherman and german tanks for variety from another figure company since the scales are identicle. But what i want is a wildcat ot corsair for the pacific. wicked.I dont know what the answer is to your cornundrum. I would say yes paint your new ones but if you got the time paint just the ships of those you havent replaced yet maybe a few tanks of each unreplaced side
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@Imperious:
I have decided to have a professionally painted set. My guy ED is a Master Painter of nearly 35 years.
But my issue is to wait till FMG pieces comes out and paint them, or just paint the OOB.
Id hate to get all these painted and have to start again and redo them when i get the FMG pieces.
hmmm….
I think i will split the difference. Paint FMG Italy and Germany, and also paint all the other nations using AA pieces.
FMG is doing USA after Germany, so perhaps i will paint USA last in the hopes of painting FMG US pieces instead of AA.
What would you do? Wait for quality or use what i got, or split the difference?
Anything painted makes the game more interesting in my opinion. I say have your guy paint the OOB pieces, then possibly sell them when the entire FMG pieces come out. I’m guessing it’ll be awhile until they have every country made, so you’ll be waiting awhile until you’ve got a painted set.
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wow,great detail for such small pieces,i love the panther winter camo,great for barbarosa
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B 17’s
Italians
not the most exact design, especially the navy but hey i am happy and there is no mistaking those italian ships. i dont know what country used the deck design i got from a ghq painted set of ships but i thought that would good forthe italians
my cat made a peacefull protest against the war while we had a break by sleeping in our dice box.
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Those are very nice!
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i second your opinion Imperious Leader
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Those pieces are much more elaborate than the ones I painted. I also recognized that at this scale, historical accuracy is just not a priority. Also for me I wanted them to use the idea, “This color goes to this nation” sort of approach. My most elaborate ones are for the Japanese. Back when I was playing Revised, I also wanted two colors of UK troops because of the temperate and tropical environments. I may have painted Marines for the US in the Pacific if I had stuck with it long enough.
For the Japanese, I used three colors for “bodies”, sand, IJN Green and IJA Green. I added a lot of meatballs and silver for glass on the fighters. I also painted the lower hull of all ships with Battleship Grey.
The UK were painted either a regular green or a color called Armor Sand for tropical uniforms.
The decks of US warships were painted “wood” and the superstructures were painted battleship grey.
Russian Pieces were colored a pale brown. German pieces were colored European Grey. Chinese pieces were going to be a dark brown.
Now I have a new challange to find colors for French, Italian and Aussie pieces.
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so… the US fleet is as good as ready now… Maybe not historicly correct, but playable :)
ok?
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Good stuff chrillenilsson like you say they may not be totaly accurate but they look like ships rather than olive plastic and are easilly distinquishable as american. good decals are they from ghq?
I am also haveing trouble coming up with ideas for the anzacs to make them destinquishable from the brits.
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i am happy and there is no mistaking those italian ships. i dont know what country used the deck design i got from a ghq painted set of ships but i thought that would good forthe italians
Nice work! It must take a lot of squinting to paint sculpts which are that small…or do you use some sort of magnifying glass?
The diagonal recognition stripes on the decks which you mention were indeed used by the Italian Navy. I’m not aware of any other country using them.
By the way, the shot of the cat sleeping in the box is a great picture!
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Good stuff chrillenilsson like you say they may not be totaly accurate but they look like ships rather than olive plastic and are easilly distinquishable as american. good decals are they from ghq?
I am also haveing trouble coming up with ideas for the anzacs to make them destinquishable from the brits.
thanks…
I agree… And yes, the decals ae from them. I really like them and they are affordable. I live in Sweden, Europe and still they came pretty quick. The thing about the decals is that they dont break that easy, which is good :)Keep up the good work!
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@CWO:
i am happy and there is no mistaking those italian ships. i dont know what country used the deck design i got from a ghq painted set of ships but i thought that would good forthe italians
Nice work! It must take a lot of squinting to paint sculpts which are that small…or do you use some sort of magnifying glass?
The diagonal recognition stripes on the decks which you mention were indeed used by the Italian Navy. I’m not aware of any other country using them.
By the way, the shot of the cat sleeping in the box is a great picture!
Well, I dont know… I´m not using any magnifying glass. Some paint end up in the wrong place, buy hey… That must have happened in WWII as well, for real :) I guess…
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my cat made a peacefull protest against the war while we had a break by sleeping in our dice box.
Imagine if it had done a ‘violent’ protest by killing all the plastic soldiers :-D
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@13thguardsriflediv:
my cat made a peacefull protest against the war while we had a break by sleeping in our dice box.
Imagine if it had done a ‘violent’ protest by killing all the plastic soldiers :-D
its only funny becuase it didnt happen Luckily shes too old for that. On the other hand i did find the german artillary all over the painting table this morning were she steped over my peices to get to my wifes cereal bowl for the last of the milk.
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Thats a result that the stripe pattern is Italian. i guess there was a reason it felt right to go with the stripes.
Some more germans finished
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Thats a result that the stripe pattern is Italian. i guess there was a reason it felt right to go with the stripes.
Some more germans finished
good… But U could really use the decals for the german cross… I have a picture of mine… let me see if I can find it :)
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Like this. With the decal on the wing.
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Can somebody please do a thread where they show HOW TO PAINT AA PIECES?
I want to learn how to do it properly. Post pictures of the tools and types of brushes and technique ( step by step)
I will make it a sticky for everyone to benefit. It is time to do this right now.
Make sure whoever makes this thread that they tell people where to buy the paints and brushes.
Include dry-brushing and how to do it.
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I can do a tutorial on how I am doing it… Although, maybe it isn´t the “right” way to do it… I can not measure myself with clay and virtua…
But better than nothing, and always a start :)
Maybe it will be up this weekend due to heavy work in the week :)
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