This is the start of a very long line of unpainted/unfinished bits and pieces that have been gathering dust just waiting for the light of day. To be honest I cannot even identify half of the furniture but it is pretty generic stuff for 28mm gaming. The long bench for sitting is scratch built.
The two figures are Mialee with the staff and Lidda with the bow from the board game Dungeons and Dragons,produced by Parker.
The Tithe Barn in Crepon, Calvados has been around since the early 1500s and is still standing to this day. I spotted the barn on a random Google maps search and immediately fell in love with it and had to try and recreate it for my wargaming board. It fits in perfectly as a unique bit of table top terrain and has the advantage of being multi purpose as covers anywhere from 1500 up to present day. My immediate aim was to drop it onto my WW2 Normandy board.
By a stroke of luck I discovered the barn actually played a small part in the Normandy landings shortly after Crepon was caputured as a Rafadrome. A Rafadrome was a theatre created by the RAF Beach Squadron for some much needed R&R for the troops after battle. Click on the attached link for more information: https://rafbeachunits.info/units/uk-beach-squadrons-april-august-1944/4-beach-squadron/rafadrome/
The barn walls are constructed of foam card including the external buttresses. The doors are made from balsa wood and the roof is plasticard ,covered in York Model Rail roof tiles. The internal roof beams/joists are also made from balsa wood which has been shaped and stained to give the look of age old wooden beams. I hope I carried off the effect ?
Boths sets of doors fully open for gaming purposes and the roof lifts off easily as well. The roof basically sits on the foam card walls via gravity.
A bit of Crepon WW2 history to set the scene. Crepon is 6.5 km inland from the Normandy beaches and on the 6th of June 1944 was held by 7. Kompanie, Grenadier-Regiment 736, 716. Infanterie-Division,4. Kompanie, Ost Battalion 441, 716. Infanterie-Division and 2/Artillerie-Regiment 1716, 716. Infanterie-Division. Crepon was attacked on the 6th of June by 7th Battalion Green Howards Regiment, 69th Infantry Brigade, 50th Infantry Division and 4th/7th Dragoons Guard, 8th Armored Brigade, 50th Infantry Division and was captured. After being taken Crepon became a supply/assembly area for fresh forces arriving from the beaches.
Enjoy the pictures.
I scratch built this terrain for wargaming in the post apocalyptic wasteland. Its ideal for Fallout Wasteland Warfare by Modiphius but would suit any Fallout themed game.
The billboard was constructed from simple balsa wood and the spot lights are pinched from HO model railway platform lights. The “Nuka Cola ” advert was simply printed from the internet and resized to fit. I added a few holes for weathering. The base is made from plasticard and a bit of model railway ballast.
Very simple kit to build as are most Tamiya kits. The winter camouflage scheme was created using the hairspray technique. So the normal camouflage was applied first followed by two coats of hairspray. Next I applied a thin white coat. This was then gently scraped off using a stiff brush leaving the patched effect over the tank. Another coat of hairspray was added followed by another light coat of white. Final gentle application of the stiff brush and all done.
Small update of the project so far. The pictures taken show the first time I have put the whole thing together with surroundings just to get a feel for the project and how it all links together. Lots of work still to do inside and the roof needs a bit more work but apart from that its coming on nicely.
After completing the build on my Churchill and Panther tank and builing a large batch of walls,what better excuse for a quick diorama to show them off.
The diorama is based on a real event that took place in the village of Tilly-Sur-Seulles on the 18/19th June 1944. The 2nd Essex Regiment were assualting the village with support from the 81st Assault Squadron RE. The Churchill AVRE unexpectedly came upon a chance encounter with a Panther tank and fired a snap shot at it unfortunetly missing, but striking a near by telegraph pole or tree and thus destroying the Panther tank.
The diorama wall was simply made from foam card and the tree behind the wall is scratch built from wire. I used a simple photograph as a backdrop. The black and white photograph is actually a real shot taken in Tilly after the battle.
Although not easy to see, the dust behind the Churchill tank is made from Poly Fill which was sprayed cream and then had the dust/dirt from the road glued onto it.
Both tanks and figures are 1/56 scale made for Bolt Action gaming.
Elder Scrolls Call to Arms is the board game version of the game made by Modiphius which uses 32mm figures in a skirmish type system of game play.
They make a limited amount of terrain and I wanted to re create a small house commonly found in Skyrim. Timeline miniatures provided me with an ideal starting frame using a Viking Hut from their Saga series of games. Houses in the Nord parts of Skyrim have a Viking look and theme to them so it was ideal for the initial shape.
I basically clad the hut in model wood planking and created a veranda using balsa wood and cock-tail sticks. Balsa wood was also used for the top wood bit on the roof and faux fur for the thatch roof.
This was the original Timeline model below.
Never built a 1/35 kit before and this one was built with my 13 year old son so double the fun.
He built the kit and I helped him with the airbrushing which is pretty steep curve for anybody let alone a 13yr old. He then took on the weathering using the hairspray technique and did a really good job.
He then made the wall for the diorama from foam card and added the Iraqi graffiti(translates as “Leave”). The base of the diorama was finished with a sand and rocks all glued into place.
We added a random Iraqi backdrop to the final shot for a bit of fun.
On a final note the Tamiya kit was really easy to build and lot more simple than a lot of 1/75 kits that some people might think would be an easier starting point for the young model maker. We cannot wait to do the next 1/35 kit which is going to be a Tiger.
Just finished a test four Men-At-Arms group.
The snow theme seems to be my favoured choice and I am quite pleased with the Woodland Scenics snow flake effect.
Very quick update of the progress so far. All my attention has been on completing the roof
and internal roof space. The 1/48 scale Citroen parked outside is just a guide for scale.
Next up is prepping the ground floor for some interior design work and painting.
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