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| That's a bit more like it? |
I've been using my Tiny Wargames Dark Sea Cloth for the 1/2400th scale ironclad naval games that I've played over the holidays, as I could easily pack it away and it looks just right for a grey day in the English Channel. I bought it originally to use for 1/600th scale nocturnal coastal forces games and to double up for 1/3000th scale WW2 battles with my French fleet in the Med. It's a nice bit of kit but not cheap and a little too grey for a sunny day.
However, I've been thinking about something a bit more blue, especially for daytime games in less inclement weather conditions. I had a look at the Tiny Wargames standard blue sea cloth but at nearly sixty quid for a 6' x 4' version, it's at the far end of affordability. The alternative is to make some sea terrain myself, either a cloth or some modular tiles, as I don't have space for a permanent wargaming table or board. This would be ideal but it's off the radar until I retire!
I like the idea of modular tiles, as I can build some coastline sections and islands but would need to store them and make them light enough to transport. I have a load of 30cm x 30cm mdf boards that I bought in a Poundland sale which I could use as a starting point but the joints would look pretty horrible, so a base cloth and terrain pieces might be a better option? I may just try to find a cheap blue cloth that I can adapt for wargaming purpose or just make some coastline pieces to use with my existing dark sea cloth.
In the meantime, I'll have to bite the bullet and paint my ship's textured sea bases in what I think will match the terrain. In the end, the current Second Schleswig War project will probably just use the dark sea cloth anyway, as it's not a bad match for the Baltic on a wintery day and it would make things a lot less complicated. The British and French ironclads can also be painted to match, as the North Sea and English Channel aren't exactly a translucent tropical blue for most of the year. I'll definitely need an alternative at some point but it will just have to wait!
And I thought naval wargaming was the easy option?
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| The Baltic in March is pretty grey |
In the meantime, I'll have to bite the bullet and paint my ship's textured sea bases in what I think will match the terrain. In the end, the current Second Schleswig War project will probably just use the dark sea cloth anyway, as it's not a bad match for the Baltic on a wintery day and it would make things a lot less complicated. The British and French ironclads can also be painted to match, as the North Sea and English Channel aren't exactly a translucent tropical blue for most of the year. I'll definitely need an alternative at some point but it will just have to wait!
And I thought naval wargaming was the easy option?
Yeah, it's a bit of a poser. I use a plastic shower curtain for sea actions, but I think Naugahyde might make a good sea battle mat. It's vinyl with a texture like waves seen from a height, and stiff enough to stay put during a game. It might work out cheaper than those standard blue sea cloths.
ReplyDeletehttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naugahyde
I’ve been using some blue cloth that I got from a fabric store; it’s OK but the professional sea mats do look awesome. I’m also in a quandary about it. They are kinda pricey and I want one that’s the right shade of blue and that can be hard to tell from pics online but i don’t really have the opportunity to see one in real life.... yet.
ReplyDeleteI just ordered a 'sea' mat from tinywargames ... didn't say if it was light or dark! just have to 'see' when it arrives I guess ...
ReplyDelete