I intended to set out the terrain for my play-test of Joseph Morschauser's FRONTIER wargames rules this morning ... and then discovered that I could not find the gridded green cloth that I had planned to use. After a fruitless search of my wargames/toy room I gave up and watched the Queen's Birthday Parade on the TV.
Whilst I was doing so I saw a copy of last month's issue of MINIATURE WARGAMES (May 2013 No.361) on the coffee table ... and then remembered Arthur Harman's article about his PORTABLE LITTLE WARGAME. Henry Hyde had set up a photograph to illustrate the article, and seeing it made me think. I did not have a piece of grass mat available ... but I did have green card, a PC, a drawing program (MS Publisher), and a colour printer ... so I drew and printed off a bespoke terrain for my play-test battle!
I laid out a 40mm x 40mm grid on each sheet and then I drew the grid lines on in grey. I then added the road (in grey), the river (in blue), and the edge of the woods that the invaders will appear from (in dark green). The fact that I printed it out onto green card meant that I did not waste ink printing the main body of the terrain.
All I have to do now is to trim the sheets of card down to size and stick them together using masking tape ... et voila!
Whilst I was doing so I saw a copy of last month's issue of MINIATURE WARGAMES (May 2013 No.361) on the coffee table ... and then remembered Arthur Harman's article about his PORTABLE LITTLE WARGAME. Henry Hyde had set up a photograph to illustrate the article, and seeing it made me think. I did not have a piece of grass mat available ... but I did have green card, a PC, a drawing program (MS Publisher), and a colour printer ... so I drew and printed off a bespoke terrain for my play-test battle!
I laid out a 40mm x 40mm grid on each sheet and then I drew the grid lines on in grey. I then added the road (in grey), the river (in blue), and the edge of the woods that the invaders will appear from (in dark green). The fact that I printed it out onto green card meant that I did not waste ink printing the main body of the terrain.
All I have to do now is to trim the sheets of card down to size and stick them together using masking tape ... et voila!
Good thinking that Cordery - extra shiny six pence for you come Christmas.
ReplyDeleteConrad Kinch,
ReplyDeleteI am saving them all up (the sixpences that is, not the good ideas) to spend on shiny new toys!
All the best,
Bob
Just going back in time to say great idea! I have some paper terrain I started making and abandoned that will see new life with PW or Morschauser. Thanks for posting.
ReplyDeleteSean,
ReplyDeleteThanks for your very encouraging comment. It is good to know that people find my ideas useful.
Good luck with your paper terrain. Mine was an expedient solution to a minor problem ... but I am already thinking about using the idea again.
All the best,
Bob