Modelling Fortifications

Battlefield in a Box-Fortifications

Modelling Fortifications
by James Brown

The simplest way to enhance your defences is with the addition of a little static grass or flock. You should use the same flock as on your gaming table. The pictured set was decorated with Arid Static Grass and Parched Straw Static Grass from Gale Force Nine.

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You can easily enhance the appearance of the barbed wire by gently squeezing, stretching and bending the wire in a few places, to give it a less uniform look. A quick wash of Black Shade (201) or watered-down black paint looks good, too.

Another good idea is to carefully snip through the wire in some of the places where the struts have been destroyed, or press it down firmly, as if the wire has been flattened by shelling. A few strategically placed casualty figures complete the gritty, realistic look.


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The concrete dragons’ teeth in the anti-tank obstacle received a wash of watered-down black paint, which was given plenty of time to dry fully, followed by a light drybrush with Worn Canvas (FWP306).
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Wire fences, complete with warning signs, make an eye-catching addition to the minefields, and are fairly easy to make. Use a pin vice to drill holes big enough to snugly fit pieces of toothpick or matchstick around 1cm long, and superglue these fenceposts in place. Paint the posts with watered-down brown paint.

Carefully wind black sewing thread around the posts, fixing it in place with a tiny dot of superglue. Carefully paint the thread Dark Gunmetal (FWP480) to complete the illusion of fencing wire. For those of you with colour printers, we have made a PDF with some handy warning signs. Carefully cut out your favourite sign, fold it in half, and glue it on to the wire.

Minefield Signs PDF... 

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Now get to work, pioneer! The enemy approaches!