Gaul Defence Tower from Asterix and the Cauldron

Another month and another magazine article showing how I build scratch built terrain for the wargame table. But this time it's a little different.....

Miniature Wargames issue 463 (November 2021) has this article showing how I built a Gaul Defence Tower from corrugated cardboard, card, egg box card and DAS modelling clay with a lift-off plastic card roof detailed with real wood.

The model was inspired by an illustration in the Asterix book Asterix and the Cauldron - in which the treacherous Gaul Whosmoralsarelastix uses his friendship with the Romans to trick the Gauls into searching out some treasure. I was struck by the illustration when reading the book to my grandsons and thought it would make a great centre piece for my Pax Bochemannica games.

Illustration taken from Asterix and the Caldron (used without permission).

For full details of this comic inspired piece of wargame terrain, check out the latest issue of Miniature Wargames.

Tony

Dampf's Wargame Terrain Survey - The Results

During the month of September I have been running a simple survey - three questions which should help me when producing articles or tutorials for future magazine articles. The questions were;

Question 1

What scale or scales should I use when building my scratch built models?

Question 2

Do you prefer fixed roofs or lift off roofs?

Question 3

Do you prefer decorative bases or no bases?

The results are now in and I would firstly like to thank everyone who took part, those that replied to this initial post and the few who used either Instagram or The Miniatures Page to supply their answers. I have collated all of the replies to produce this result;

What scale/scales?

Not surprisingly 28mm scale came out on top although with over 93% mentioning this most common wargame figure scale, at least in part or in conjunction with another, I think the dominance of 28mm was more than I had expected.

In second place was 15mm with 44% and in third place was less than 15mm with just 7% with comments mentioning both 6mm and 10mm figure scales.

Lift off roof or fixed?

The response to this question was a almost exactly 2/3rd yes and 1/3rd no with only 2 respondents having no preference. This goes against my own preference as I prefer fixed roofs. So I will have to take a serious look at any future models or tutorial plans.

There were a couple of respondents to the second part of this question - detailed interiors or plain interiors with no discernible winner or preference.

Decorative bases or no bases?

There was an obvious preference for some sort of base, either decorative or just practical, with the remaining No Base or No Preference about the same - between 9% and 5%.

So there you have it; Future magazine articles/tutorials will concentrate on 28mm scale wargame models with lift off roofs and some sort of base although I still see some room for the odd exception.

Once again, thanks to everyone who took part.

Tony

Dampf's Wargame Terrain Survey - last day!

For the whole month of September, I have been running a simple survey asking just three questions relating to my magazine articles/tutorials;

1 - What scale should I build models for the magazine tutorials?

2 - Lift off roof or fixed?

3 - Integral base or not

For full details see this earlier post. I will be closing the survey later today and expect results to be posted very soon.

Thank you to everyone who took part.

Tony

Hildebrandt The Tolkien Years

I picked up this fully illustrated book when browsing the shelves at The Oxfam Bookshop, Leamington Spa for just £1.99 which I thought was a real bargain.

Greg and Tim Hildebrandt The Tolkien Years Text by Gregory Hildebrandt Junior and published by Watson-Guptill Pubications New York.

ISBN - 0-8230-5124-2

The 132 pages show work from the Hildebrandt brother and in particular their collaboration with the Tolkien calendars published in the seventies. For more information see this link.

I have also included a link to the Dampf's Wargame Terrain Survey and would welcome comments and re-posting, for details, see this link.

Tony

Abstract acrylic paint half price at Hobbycraft

Hobbycraft (UK) are selling Sennelier Abstract acrylic paint pouches plus other items for half price during their Art Event. For more information see this post. I have posted about Abstract paint pouches before and find these paints ideal for painting terrain and scenery, at just £2.00 for a 120ml pouch (4oz) they are currently great value.

In addition, don't forget that I am running a Wargame Terrain Survey for the whole month of September, details of which can be found here. Please take time to answer the three simple questions.

Tony

Dampf's Wargame Terrain Survey - September 2021

DAMPF'S WARGAME TERRAIN SURVEY

Regular followers and readers of this Blog will know that I enjoy constructing scratch built terrain for my own use and as masters for other companies. I have produced three self published wargame terrain books and two further books available from Pen & Sword, as well as regularly writing for wargame magazines. I recently received a comment on my Blog asking if I would produce a tutorial featuring a lift off roof and this got me thinking.....

Am I producing the content that fits with my readers and their needs?

So in response, throughout the month of September, I will be running this simple survey, which I hope you will take part in. My plan is to ask a series of simple questions which I hope will help to guide me when producing further articles/tutorials for magazines.

Question 1

What scale? I propose that you respond with a figure or figures, for example - less than 15mm, 15mm - 18mm, 20mm, 25mm, 28mm 30mm, 32mm or larger.

Question 2

Lift off roof or fixed? A further question could be detailed interior or plain? I prefer models with a fixed roof as these offer additional strength and fit with my own gaming requirements but I am aware that others like the novelty of a lift off roof.

Question 3

Integral base or not. Again my own preference is for a decorative base slightly larger than the model with some added items of clutter, as seen above.

Please respond in the comments section, with answers to Q1, Q2, Q3 and feel free to add any additional views or re-post.

Thank you.

Tony