Ok lets us start by saying NO ONE KNOWS what trees will be like on another planet. I really do not, not got the foggiest idea. NOT A CLUE. I don't even know if we will recognise them as being plant life> I have no idea. However wargamers being human will always tend towards what they know and as we know what a tree is like on this planet, and as all wargames rules want some soft cover/concealment, these will do for now!
Now many of you might remember Joe (AKA Zabadak (Link to blog) purchased a plastic "flower" ball from the 99p store. I followed suit. I will turn it into Jungle in short order.Now as you can see in the top picture there are a few purple "Fronds". I had initially no use for the purple "fronds" but waste no want not. I have turned them into sci fi trees.
Taking it apart (there were only 3 purple, the rest are green). So using a glue gun, I stuck them to 2mm MDF bases.
An easy job, and done quite quickly. You could stick them to plastic counters as well, but you would need to "Key" the surface or the glue will have almost nothing to cling on to. I would choose not to use the glue gun on coins as they really do need to key to the surface. But you are welcome to try it if you like, BUT I would not recommend it.The Glue guns are quite safe as long as you don't try anything silly, like squirting hot glue in you eyes or onto your tongue. And if you get any on you quicker to wipe it of than run to the sink and pour cold water on it. Look it is common sense.
Also cover everything with news paper as it makes tiding up easier and you will get nagged less.
Once dry. Trust me it is quick. I waited 30 mins (go and make a cuppa for the better half). It was simply a matter of painting with dark brown on the base and sprinkling sand in place. No need to be precious, every thing is already covered and no one really cares about the bushes. So be quite liberal in the sprinkling.Once sprinkled I repainted again with dark brown and then hi-lighted in a desert sand/yellow. That way job's a good un and only the tidy up to be done. leave over night to dry and in the morning put them away, or don't put them away and get nagged at, the choic e is yours>
Quick and easy sci fi terrain. I just wish I had a few more to bulk out the terrain.
Being Sci Fi they can of course be any scale and being purple they have an otherworldly look to them.
I've hidden the few purple ones I had in amingst other foliage and I have a whole wad of variously garish fish tank plants too (well worth a look for Sci-fi)
ReplyDeleteThank you Joe . And thank you for pointing me in the direction of this cheap foliage source.
DeleteVery cool looking alien plants, makes for a much more interesting gaming board than one painted in an unusual colour with human buildings on it, with no local flora
ReplyDeleteThank you Dave. I have some of your (Blue) Crystals as well that will be based the same way.
Deletethe blue against the purple will give a nice contrast. A quick blue wash and then varnish really make them shine
DeleteThanks Dave, I will admit I am looking forward to doing the crystals.
DeleteExcellent stuff Clint - they're very similar looking to the shrubs on Perun (or was it Timbera?) :-)
ReplyDeleteThank you Addict. having not travelled as much as you I will leave it to Vidcaststo get the details. ahhh from the Daviid Pellamy vid It seems Perun is the closer of the two. But as there is no scale given it really could be either.
DeleteI really like them. Well thought out and well done.
ReplyDeleteThank you Irqan. Using my "waste not, want not " and "make do and mend" philosophies I am delighted you should say so.
DeleteGood idea mate, perfect use of these fronds
ReplyDeleteThank you Andy. . Just using odd things to make terrain when we can is all part of wargaming. Now I had better get some sci fi games under my belt quickly!
DeleteNice work Clint :)
ReplyDeleteThank you Tamsin. Not hard, but works OK.
DeleteI do like them, Clint. Simple but effective.
ReplyDeleteThank you Bryan. It is all Joes fault!
DeleteNice job but not sure they give much cover !🙂
ReplyDeleteThanks Matt. being sci fi they can give as much cover as the players agree. For example what if they are made from a really dense plant material. Or maybe the actual leaves produce some kind of force field to protect them from insects, or what about...
DeleteWe can be literal wargamers going on just what we can see or we can be a little more abstract. We tend to put reality to one side for 18 figures being a Napoleonic regiment and not have hundreds of figures to represent a regiment.. Why should it matter if the "Cover" is not represented exactly? I would suggest it does not matter as long as the players are happy.