"How Do You Model Rivers on Your Tabletops?" Topic

Which method(s) do you use to represent rivers on your tabletops?

I get mine from Fat Frank on eBay, any width with one or two banks, just contact him and he will make what ever you want, also roads. Very reasonable price.

I had a river crossing game of Napoleonics, I started with a 1/4" 4x8 plastic sheet (black but didn't fret it) then built up sides with 3/4" boards. The Russians had to cross a bridge and or a pontoon bridge to get around the Prussian defence. Some Grenadiers got across but we're mostly wiped out having no support.

Up to now, I've been using blue felt. However, I'm starting on a terrain improvement campaign, and once I finish off my new forest pieces, water features are next.

Hexon II river sections from Kallistra.

Geohex with wrinkled cellophane under it for the water.

Rivers from Wargamers Terrain. The deluxe version in a brownish-greenish-blueish color.

Tom

Mine came from Hotz Artwork. They do look pretty good and a reasonable price. Painted felt.

Masonite board. Cut to 6 or 12 inch lengths. With curved and junction pieces.
Paint and terrain the edges.

I use cheap, blue plastic table cloths. Just cut to desired shape and size.

Indented. I use corkboard over a vinyl tile base and this gives about a 5mm river bank on modular boards.

Blue felt. Roads are brown felt.

Same as winston

Sadly, felt as well.

With modular foam terrain, either with terrain pieces forming a river bank that sets on thin sheet to represent water as here:

link

Or for smaller waterways, by routing the waterway out of the roam with a Dremmel as here (though not well shown in the photos):

link

Hexon II system from Kallistra, plus a resin set from Coritani.

At the blog:

link

I highly recommend even for bigger scales. Cheap, fast, easy, looks good. Keep the paint watered down!

Thin balsa with the edges built up using white glue and sand:

That's a narrow river in 6mm scale or small brook in 15mm.

Also like Winston Smith, but I use 1/2" thick cork (purchased from Michael's or Hobby Lobby in 12" sheets at 4 each per pack) to make low and high river banks for each side…

For permanent layouts I cut the river into into foam tile and fill with paint and varnish …

(second battle of Newbury: river Lambourne across the background)

For temporary layouts I tend to build on blue cloth and part the terrain so the blue shows through appropriately …

(battle of Bouvines: river Marque down right hand side)

I do have a 'place on top' river – indeed estuary too – that I made out of acrylic sheet but it hasn't been used for years …

Phil
Ancients on the Move

Basswood made a little reflective with white glue, and banks built up with sand:

Or, clear water-textured plastic, painted on the back:

Armorcast resin river set, which I painted myself.

Felt. Commercial rivers. Homemade on top rivers. Rivers cut into boards. Overhead projector on to the playing surface. Two pieces of string for river banks, and sometimes other depth markers (very portable). Water effect plastic under pieces of ground terrain.

Yesthatphil- that fold out box looks great! Ive been wanting to make something like that for awhile. Where did you get that box from?

I am guessing that it is a (wallpaper) pasting table with the hinges re-located so that the table opens square instead of long.

I have made some river sections, also bits of felt and blue masking tape.

Aha … normsmith has it … Indeed, forwardmarchstudios, it is a pasting table with the hinges swapped around. I have found this the cheapest/simplest way of getting a folding box battlefield that fits in the car for transit. The tables start as 6' x 2' (so adapted give a 3x4 battlefield which is quite viable for 10/15mm sized games and obviously 2 together make for 6x4 etc.) …

I have a number of them ready …

(Naseby 1645)

(Northampton 1460)

etc.

Phil

I use 2D tiles, mounted on peel-n-stick vinyl floor tiles. These only work on flat surfaces, but they look decent, and are very affordable. Here's the link to the files, if interested. Cheers!

@Pigasuspig: Any more pics or info about the textured plastic sheet for those rivers? They look fantastic

On pasting tables in the US of A… $300 USD??

link

I guess we do fold-out tables more often…