Construction started with a 15mm thick chipboard base, actually an off cut from a skip about 6 doors down the road (with both the builders and owners permission as taking things from a skip without permission in the UK is actually a crime. Daft I think but hey ho what can you do?) I then "glued and screwed" a section of 6mm MDF onto one edge to give the board some height. Once dry added 22mm polystyrene bats (insulation) to create the levels I wanted. I am currently creating the cliffs hence the messy filler which is beginning to cover every thing. Not wanting it to crack from drying too fast in the sunny spell we are having I am only doing a little at a time, but it is now beginging to look like a more natural cliff than the naked polystyrene. So that's good. As you can see still a long way to go as not only am I looking to make the terrain, but also source and paint the figures. 
Luckily when it comes to figures I will be "re-using" some of my older figures and even some of my less old figures are getting a re-paint and a new lease of life. I intend to give you a progress report on the boards on Saturday when I hope to have all the filler work done. Simon (AKA Brummie) has asked what the game will be. The truth of that is I have yet to finally decide! I have some very strong ideas what it will be and will rule out 7ombie TV at this stage, but it could be either 7TV or 7th Voyage. So I will build the board and see where it takes me. So it might be 7TV Pulp setting think Tarzan or King Solomon's mines. It could even be a Blake's 7 inspired game using the 7TV rules. Or I might go more 7th Voyage and run a fantasy stop motion Harry Harrison (EDIT: My mistake I meant Harryhausen ) type game.
Has anyone read Dream Park for example? (By Larry Niven and Stephen Barnes...... Interesting because of the black fire monster!)
As it stands I have options and that gives me a level of freedom which I am enjoying. So I will make the board and see where it takes me. I will not be running a "Clangers" 7TV game on my moon boards Mr Abbey no matter how much you whimper like a 6 year old! (My Knitting and crochet skills are not up to it, before anyone else chimes in supporting Mr Abbey!)
That's it for today more on Thursday. Until then, take care have fun and try not to upset anyone. best wishes Clint
Now I seem to be getting unnecessarily excited by this for no other reason than I adore the work of Dore! What are the base dimensions?
ReplyDeleteDore is one hell of an Artist. (pun intended, but no clue intended)
ReplyDeleteBase dimensions are 2' x 2' and 8 inches tall (so far). I wanted to make it tall as most wargames are very FLAT! The 2 foot square boards are great for 7TV all the action is immediate an makes for a very fast paced cinematic game.
Wow, that is smaller than I thought and certainly manageable for my first attempt. I love the idea of immediate action, which I assume will make for quicker, shorter games.
DeleteDore's illustrations for the Divine Comedy have defined our visual understanding of hell and remain as potent today as they did when they wee created. The man is a genius!
About Dore I, 100% completely agree.
DeleteThe idea of small boards is that 7TV being cinematic is that you do not need to create the whole episode, just one scene, usually the climax.
Will we have to do the Clangers voices!
ReplyDeleteYou can do the "Soup Dragons" Voice.
DeleteThat's a big cliff! I'm voting for Tarzan as I'd like to see figures and terrain for that. I thought I'd read everything by Harrison, but I've not read Dream Park. I'll have to look for that on Amazon.
ReplyDeleteOpps big mistake... I meant Harry Harryhausen The famous stop motion monster maker. It's a mixture of age and dyslexia combined, no excuses my mistake. NOTHING TO DO WITH THE STAINLESS STEEL RAT at all. so sorry for any confusion!
DeleteDream Park is by Larry Nivern and Stephen Barnes.
This sounds like a very interesting project, no doubt you've already got 101 ideas of where to go with it, but as you're making the terrain up one will come to the fore.
ReplyDeleteI like the idea of an Indiana Jones meets Tarzan in King Solomon Mines in the Lost Valley sort of thing, which is where I'm guessing you're at currently.
Tallest model I ever made (IIRC) was about 19" tall - an Italian Castle on a hill for 28mm sized figures, good luck with the build, looking forward to seeing its progress
Cheers Jo. I won't comment on where my thoughts are at the moment, but you are right with the 101 ideas.
DeleteIntriguing. Of course, if the cliff had a path from top to bottom then the game could be "The Thirty-Nine Steps". Although at the moment I'm really going with Jason and the Argonauts vs cliff-nesting harpies (the search for the harpies' eggs?!).
ReplyDeleteNice Idea, and one I had not thought of..... until now that is!
DeleteThe 39 Steps is not a bad idea either as it would allow me to build the bell tower that houses "Big Ben". Which could be a very tall game board. However given that I prefer Street to Pugin for my Gothic Revival architecture building the houses of parliament is not on the cards for the foreseeable future.
Can't say I see much of the board on those pics, but hey, a man has to start somewhere!
ReplyDeleteAs for taking things from bins being a crime...I have no idea if we got an actual law about it here, but gipsies tend to be spotted "taking" charity clothes an paper from containers, to later sell or whatever they do with it.
It is surprising but yes taking things out of skips is classed as theft.
ReplyDeleteSorry you can't see too much in the pics at present. More will be revealed shortly. (maybe Saturday.)
Nice start, King Solomon's mines sounds great!
ReplyDeleteThat is one of the joys of 7TV it is so versatile.
DeleteThat is coming along very well there Clint and I agree that the joy of 7Tv is it is so versatile
ReplyDeleteCheers Pete.
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