Several threads have talked about doing a laketown board/diorama and has got me thinking - if you do a true laketown set on top of "water", how do you you do it?

Has anyone used water effects in that quantity? Would it warp the boards? I have seen water effects used in rivers, and small ponds and even for a harbor, but not as a lake with buildings on top. I have also seen floor tiles being used as water but I don't think that would work for laketown, too much reflection and not enough depth. Or is the simplest solution is to paint the water?

Do you start off with a tray the size of the board you are going to use and work from there? Build the initial layer of docks and buildings and then pour the "water" Or build everything, put in place and then pour the "water" around it? I could see how that would make it easier to do but then your buildings would be set in the water and harder to store, rearrange etc. Maybe the best solution would be to build a the base layer with piers, etc and have the buildings where you could set them on top.

Sorry for the ramble, but just trying to think how this would work. Not planning to do one in the near future but curious how to approach it.

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"Even darkness must pass. A new day will come. And when the sun shines it will shine out the clearer."

A permanent 4x4 board could work. The Dublin GW had a swamp more or less that size, mostly water. It was 6 layers of pva, each one painted lighter the shallower it got. It was about 3 inches at its deepest and had a rim.

A more modular solution might me a sheet painted blue and a layer or roll up acetate, with a ripple effect. I've seen these in railway shops, maybe heki manufacture them. The walkways would be easy enough, lollipop sticks, or etch balsa wood. Buildings are buildings, suppose the bree board in the original two towers rule book could serve as inspiration. I've one planned in the back of my mind, hopefully following this outline. Buildings and walkways generic enough to double up as goblin town. And bree respectively

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A few companies produce water themed gaming mats - I'd just use that. I have the mat from Dreadfleet hanging around somewhere, so I've been considering getting a few of the 4ground fantasy buildings, building some walkways, bridges and jettys, and getting to it that way.

If someone was looking at going all the way, display board style, then that's much more work - wouldn't know where to start honestly. Presumably some pourable resin of some description over a painted base.

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There are lots of ways to make water effects. The first thing to remember is that Water Effects is a trademarked brand name.

Would it warp the boards? No but that depends on the product you decide to use. PVA will warp paper and wood.

Or is the simplest solution is to paint the water?
Yes, You will need to paint first which ever method you choose. The Blue river table is True Blue with one layer of Modge Podge. I have seen railroad modelers use 30 coats but that will take 60 days or more to dry.

Do you start off with a tray the size of the board you are going to use and work from there?
I would do that.

Build the initial layer of docks and buildings and then pour the "water" Or build everything, put in place and then pour the "water" around it?

I would drill holes for the pylons/hardpoint attach them and paint the lake bottom then pour the resin. I would then build the dock work and buildings. Resins can be hard to work with. They need to be applied in thin layers. Too easy to spill and ruin your work.

Maybe the best solution would be to build a the base layer with piers, etc and have the buildings where you could set them on top.
yes, that would allow you to play more than one scenario.

Sorry for the ramble
It does make it harder to answer the questions.

Creaky
Post subject: Re: Logistics of a Laketown board Reply with quote
A few companies produce water themed gaming mats - I'd just use that. I have the mat from Dreadfleet hanging around somewhere, so I've been considering getting a few of the 4ground fantasy buildings, building some walkways, bridges and jettys, and getting to it that way.

I use a blue cloth

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"the same as a duck you must be made of wood"

When I read the title I genuinely thought you were asking how practical it would be to play on a board where there are nowt but narrow buildings and water everywhere, answer would be simply tricky as base sizes would exclude certain models from play to to lack of space in the streets.

Anyway back to your question, you could make a really big modular lake out of mdf, base coat it white, paint it dark blue or green in the middle and as you get closer to the edge of the lake lighter coats, then pva over it and finish with gloss varnish

Wouldn't it be cool to have the watcher in the water and corsairs arrive to attack laketown?

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http://grungehog.blogspot.co.uk/

"It does make it harder to answer the questions."

But you did a great job of doing so! Thanks, much appreciated.

I had forgotten about Mod Podge, was that the barrels out of bound game board?

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"Even darkness must pass. A new day will come. And when the sun shines it will shine out the clearer."

Yes

A note on PVA yes you can make water with it but why? It takes so long to dry then you have to add gloss. Why not just use gloss like Modge Podge ?

I am glad it helped

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"the same as a duck you must be made of wood"

I have seen clear silicone caulking used to make textured water. They paint the body of water first, then make a line and drag it out to form waves or other texture. Inexpensive and worth a try.

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"Diplomacy is the art of saying 'nice doggie' until you can find a rock." -Will Rogers

In an old Battle Games of Middle Earth I have (19, the one with the scenario with the watcher in te water), for a body of water it says to use a textured ceiling panel, prime it black, and then drybrush over it with a mixture of blue, green, and black (adding a little white for the shallower areas), and finally covering it with a layer of PVA glue. I believe this will create the desired effect