Tutorial - Ice Wall Templates

[Pr0fane]

Inevitably, a battlefield litters with templates and counters recording the triumph and tragedy of the battle at hand. Some effects present challenges to portray in a way that actually accentuates game play. Today, we pursue a quick, no-cost gaming supplement for our stoic Ice Caste

[DA_Grafter]

I love the idea since the first time I saw it. it is free, looks good and provides a 3D solution to something that normally requires "imagination" for line-of-sight issues.

5 gold stars from me :)

[Jamie]

It is a fantastic idea and I expect I will be seeing several variations of this as time progresses on the game tables. Thanks for the inspiration.

[Racel]

Must say that this was a wonderful article!!!! This is a great way to make ice walls that most folks can do without special materials, not to mention its dirt cheap. I started a project a long time ago to do this in resin, but was having issues with mold materials, so this is a much better solution with less cost and much less mess.

Thanks for the article and can't wait to see more.

Jeff

[Galyn]

By the way, I have been experimenting with alternate materials a bit.

You can find colored 'cling wrap' that creates some very neat effects. Reynolds makes a light blue tinted film that looks great. However, since it clings to itself you have to tease it a bit to spread out nicely inside the clear plasticard box.

Or, just taking a small strip of blue paper (Example: 1 cm thick, 10 cm long from a candy bar) and strategically place it in the shrink wrap when you stuff the box you also get some neat patterns in the 'ice'.

Both of these take it a bit beyond 'photo-realistic' ice, into an almost charicature of Ice. And it is a bit more fiddly to construct but, no less useful and still looking very good.

[Shinobi]

LOL Sometimes the best ideas are the simplest!! This is great :wink:

I was gonna make some from plaster painted white and blue, but this may be a better idea.

So when are we gonna hear you play the Harp in the background?? :twisted: YouTube performance beckons LOL

[Galyn]

So when are we gonna hear you play the Harp in the background?? :twisted: YouTube performance beckons LOL

Wouldn't you know it: the one instrument left in the house is the one instrument I've owned and never been able to play with ANY aptitude. Its something with the weird hand positions (it reminds me how Fred would hold his hand on "Sanford and Son" when he complained about his Atheritus). I know the cords and can read music. Give me the a few hours and I can 'cat and dog' it through sheet music. But I can't make it sound or feel smoothe, and thus haven't comitted any to real memory.

But for you Shinobi: you come to Indiana and I'll be happy to play for you. But, no escaping. Once I start you can't leave until the songs done. :twisted:

I DO come from a musical family and CAN actually play: Piano, Guitar, Bass Guitar, acordian ('chicks dig it' LOL) , Clarenette and Sax (as well as the Alto Clarenette and Sax). My father owned nightclubs, a music store, and has been playing in bands my whole life, so I had to learn music.

The harp I always wanted to learn, tried to self teach, but I just can't get comfortable with the hand posture. Some day I will get back to it, but I need to get a tutor I think to get past the initial issue

See! Make a smart remark and get a disertation. :wink:

[Kyle]

Off topic and off key :lol:

The minstrel boy to the war is gone,
In the ranks of death you'll find him;
His father's sword he hath girded on,
And his wild harp slung behind him;

"Land of Song!" cried the warrior bard,
"Tho' all the world betrays thee,
One sword, at least, thy rights shall guard,
One faithful harp shall praise thee!"

The Minstrel fell! But the foeman's steel
Could not bring that proud soul under;
The harp he lov'd ne'er spoke again,
For he tore its chords asunder;

And said "No chains shall sully thee,
Thou soul of love and brav'ry!
Thy songs were made for the pure and free
They shall never sound in slavery!

[Jamie]

Although it was very simple to make (as you suggested it would be) I would like to warn anybody who has the same kind of luck that I do, (that is all bad) that you must watch out for flying shrapnel sections during assembly.

I also found that for the impatient who cannot seem to find any cellophane that zip lock sandwich bags worked just as well.

[Galyn]

LOL. What was the first line of the first step? Oh, yeah:
"Always be extremely careful with sharp objects."

;)

I don't think I complete a single project, terrain, model, heck STORY without bleeding somewhere in the process. :D

[Jamie]

My bad I was thinking about the knife, not the flying debris. You are right of course. Being male reading directions is not my strong suit. :D

[Jamie]

Does anybody know what (if any) negative effects I might get if I just use a Matte Varnish finish to seal the whole thing?

[Galyn]

I did this on one of them.

Two things to watch out for -

1) Even coverage. If you get a spotty coat, it WILL be visible once it dries. So you kind of need to do it think, but . . .

2) If you put it on too think it will disolve some of the smaller baking soda pieces a little. Note: this was only a concern with the last sprinkles of baking soda I had used over the entire thing to frost the flat surfaces a little.

Despite the couple minor issues (and two coats) I can't even tell / remember which one I had dull coated. So, I guess that means: Works fine.

[Jamie]

Thanks Galyn, nothing is worse than finally producing something cool and then watching it melt down to a pile of goo in front of your eyes. I will keep it to a light coat just to be on the safe side.

[Galyn]

1) Even coverage. If you get a spotty coat, it WILL be visible once it dries. So you kind of need to do it think, but . . .

2) If you put it on too think it will disolve some of the smaller baking soda pieces a little. Note: this was only a concern with the last sprinkles of baking soda I had used over the entire thing to frost the flat surfaces a little.

OT But: MAN I hate these flubbs. I do them all the time, then a few days later I go back through and wonder what massive head trauma I received at the time.

This is why you never edit / proof read your own materials.

I'm going to go hide in shame now. :lol:

[Galyn]

I keep thinking about Crystal terrain pieces.

I'm stuck on the other side of the country this week, and more than a little bored. . . Not that I'm knocking Oklahoma, mind you. . . At least not until I'm back home. :P

I stumbled on this: http://webmineral.com/help/Forms.shtml

This should be very easy to simply replace the template above with these... and skip the baking-soda snow ... nice stimple crystals.

Expect a followup sometime soon