Being a strong proponent of bargain-bin diving, I'd like to suggest
that this be stretched beyond mere games shop BBD's to include toy stores,
where I recently found a Weapons and Warriors Pirate
set for $10, which gave me 4 boats/ships in two sizes for Sharpe's
Rifles/Hornblower scenarios which a lot of video has been causing
to seethe in brains in my area, a LOT of tiny cannons for whatever, some maybe
25mm pirates for other play, AND a fair number of palm
trees that I think are close-to-comparable to GW's.
Don't you just love run-on sentences?
Anyway, bits and pieces from many toysets can be frightful useful. Say you
were looking at some plastic dinosaurs for use in some other company's fantasy
war game. You'd probably find rocks and foliage that would work in a number of
game situations.
Other possibilities that are exciting, but I haven't done too much with, are
craft stores and pet (aquarium, esp.) shops. Some plastic aquarium plants can
be cut to small pieces, and render enough small brush to cover sections of a
table from half a dozen or so 'plants'.
The things that are coming out in painted resin can be quite fetching.
And, craft stores and pet shops have bargain bins, too!
The_Beast
Oh, boy a fellow Scots/Irish/Welsh gamer who plunges into the thrift
stores and bargain bins! Don't forget thick braided insulated electrical wires
-
six inches of this stuff will peel and unbraid to make GLORIOUS tree trunks.
The craft shops where your wife likes to hang out is a good place -
check
their artifical flowers - plucked apart they can yield the most bizarre
looking sci-fi trees you could ever want.
Bags of 2" tall plastic army men usually contain soft plastic tanks and
vehicles which can be cannibalized to make perfectly serviceable HFV and GFV
for 25 mm gaming. Lots of toys boxes have Hummers, and jeeps. Hot Wheels and
airfix die cast vehicles can make a splendid base for building up new and
wondrous creations for the game table. Observe, Improvise, Triumph!
Ever try using the plastic bit of a blister pack covered with black and yellow
tapes as road blocks? cheap and ready available.
> --- devans@uneb.edu wrote:
> On Fri, 23 Apr 1999, Rick Norman wrote:
> Ever try using the plastic bit of a blister pack covered with black
Plastic minis blisters are useful things - I've used them for bunkers
and
various small buildings. The basic GeoHex blisters - rectangular w/
slightly rounded edges and corners - makes a very nice bunker. Sort of
the Atlantic Wall look, which I've always liked for modern fortifications.
For tree ideas, see the scenery section of my website - URL in my sig
below.
Brian (burger00@camosun.bc.ca) -DS2/SG2/FR!/HOTT-
- http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Nebula/9774/games.html -
-SciFi & Fantasy Wargaming House Rules, Photos, GWAutobasher, & more-
> --- devans@uneb.edu wrote:
I use an exacto, Matte board ($4 for a 3'x4' sheet) and Elmer's white glue for
all my bunkers. I have made bunkers, buildings, walls, ruins, etc. One sheet
will do LOTS of scenery. Spray it black, dry brush gray (Works really well if
you get "pebbly" textured matte board) I did an entire DSII firebase with
bunkers, walls, VTOL pads, command bunker in a few hours on one saturday...
Michael Wikan Game Design Slave Zero Accolade, Inc.
http://www.slavezero.com
mwikan@accolade.com wikan@sprintmail.com "We sleep safely in our beds because
rough men stand ready in the night to
visit violence on those who would do us harm."-George Orwell
> -----Original Message-----
> Mike Wikan wrote:
One
> sheet will do LOTS of scenery. Spray it black, dry brush gray (Works
Cool! Cool! Pictures! Pictures!
It's been a long week and my language skills are shot.... :-)
Rick sez:
***
Ever try using the plastic bit of a blister pack covered with black and yellow
tapes as road blocks? cheap and ready available.
***
Well, when I started this, I failed to mention that I meant 'LAZY,
impoverished gamers'.
Toy-set trees and painted resin aquarium scenery fit both
requirements well. The sectioned cable trees can take a bit of work to get
looking right.
Give Scott credit, though; his other suggestions certainly demonstrated the
idea of looking at sets for usable parts. AND, there's a fair movement
demonstrated on rec.games. miniatures.misc for using those green soldiers
straight from the pack.
I've recently seen fair knights and saracens coming in packs for $1 for at
least a dozen. You have to not mind
something close to the 1/35th scale.
On the other hand, Rick's seems plenty simple and straight forward. I like it!
Scott:
***
Observe, Improvise, Triumph!
***
Absolutely! Well, with a reasonable amount of effort. ;->=
The_Beast
Lots of good tips. A couple of months ago I went into KayBee (AKA Toy
Liquidators) and picked up 10 "Soldier Force" sets, each with 16 25mm troops
ala SST. Total $39.99
My wife says she knows she is a wargamers wife because she has to evaluate any
box, container, paper roll, etc before tossing it out!
More power to the cheapskates!
Mike
[quoted original message omitted]
I have bought several "Battle SQuad Toy Packs for figures, vehicles and kit
bashing. THe blister pack makes the absolute 4-Battlemech Bay when
painted gray and textured. I have put in corrugated roll up doors and have
enough to have the bays with and without open doors for use on the table.
Blister packs and styrofoam packiing blocks should NEVER be thrown away.
> Mike Wikan wrote:
> I use an exacto, Matte board ($4 for a 3'x4' sheet) and Elmer's white
One
> sheet will do LOTS of scenery. Spray it black, dry brush gray (Works
When I was buying the Galoob starwars figure sets, I kept the plastic
packaging. When you take two of them, cut out the "bottom edge" And place a
wall or door section at the ends between them, it makes a dandy little bunker
or building with sloped sides!
I got to paint mine yet...