Figure Pictures

Tuesday, November 10, 2015

Minimal Wargames terrain

So, at the recent Fall In convention, Chris and I hosted a game of The Sword and The Flame.  The problem was that I didn't have much terrain with me.

I had brought my standard green drop cloth for the table (actually, I brought the two smaller ones, which are approx 6x6 each, as my larger one was on the Wargames table at home with a 28mm Balkanian battle on it).

I had my red pumice rocks (picked up outside a Hardee's restaurant in 1997 and still doing great duty).

I also had four bags of scrubby desert lichen.

I had also brought my home made African village huts.

At the convention I had purchased 8 feet of rail fencing.

With all that (which isn't much) I was able to put together a table that represented a decent tactical challenge for the players.

The fence was a movement obstacle for both sides.

The scrub (clumps of lichen) was a movement problem for the Anglo-Egyptian forces.  It also provided cover for all troops. The Dervishes could move through unimpeded.

The rocks marked six scrub areas as potential ambush areas for some hidden natives.

Finally, the village represented the focal point of the scenario.

The Table.  Coffee is a bonus.


It wasn't elegant, but it didn't have to be - it still produced a terrific game, and it all fit in half a duffel bag along with three cases of troops.

Chuck

3 comments:

  1. I saw that game and thought it looked grand - of course having superbly painted troops helps a lot too!

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  2. Sad news - the rainstorms that hit us a while back as an aftermath of the Matthew hurricane introduced some leakage in my basement, and my box full of the African Village huts got infested with rain water, and they have been destroyed. Obviously I need to recreate this architectural paean to Central African tribal design methods.

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