"1/32 - 1/35th buildings - best ways to buy or build??" Topic

We are building an Arnhem Bridge particpating game for up and coming games conventions featuring the fighting around the bridge in, shock horror, 1/32 scale, thats big soldiers to you and me.

We already have the minatures and the vehicles (A mixture of Forces Of Valour, Conte, Airfix, Tamiya, 21st century, Britains and scratch builds)

The toughest thing was going to be the girders of the bridge, but I have picked up an Aluminium metal one from E-Bay, normally used for Garden Railways and the perfect shape and size.

We are looking at various ways of making the buildings, streets and ruins and I would be keen to hear suggestions from people, especially as one of the items we need to build is a full size church, one of the main features of the board. Also looking for a couple more UK based gamers who would like to play test it and help us run it at the odd con or two. (We are only planning on doing a couple)
We are also going to do some nice looking exploding vehicles and huge smoke sprials, that kind of thing. Want to make it as visual as possible. Comments and ideas welcome. Don't point out we are mad for doing it, we know that already. Hey some people climb Everest.... lol.

The ultimate soldier colelctionhad 1/32 fountains, barns, and some other peices. I don't know if these are in production still. They have since passed through the Toys R Us discount section into limbo. $6 USD wasnt bad for an entire 1/32 barn though...try ebay?

that was "collection had" above

The garden railway maybe the best way to go. G gauge buildings. I have a bunch of the Conte Buildings from WW2 and the medeival village buildings too. The Church goes for around $200 USD USD. It is nice. Most of the rest of the buildings go for $50 USD USD to $100 USD USD. I probably have over a thousand dollars USD invested in buildings and bocage. Airfix did a checkpoint and a bombed out house. BMC (BMS?) did a nice bombed out house. Check out MIchigan Toy Soldier and Classic Toy Soldier om the web. They have a nice selection of some of the things you are looking for. If anyone has the Conte Farmhouse let me know I am interested. I all ready have the barn and wall section. Where are you going to game this scenario?

nice to see it when its done, thats one big bridge in 1/35 scale

TRy BMC/Americana, they have a Burnside bridage, they also have some WW2 and ACW bulidings for around $14 USD

Games Workshop had an online article, called, "Cardboard City," which was really good. I adapted it to my Plastic Wars(TM) games, though I simplified the construction techniques to the bare minimum. Here is my web page, with the link to "Cardboard City," scroll towards the middle of the page for the link: link

Take a look at my other pages for some ideas of what you can do with minimum effort; additional elbow grease will yield results like Games Workshop's pages. ;-)

Hopefully these will give you some ideas on what to do, and how. For the smoke, I would recommend using cotton batting, available at fabric stores: it is 'wispy,' inexpensive, and it can be formed/shaped. To paint this to appear as smoke, just apply matte black (primer), spray paint. Apply it unevenly, and you will get billowy, black, and various shades of gray. Be sure to let it dry for an hour, or so, to be certain it is completely dry inside. Note that it can be re-shaped, after it dries. Cheers!

Buying, you have Formtech, CTS, Conte, Buildarama.

Also, this may sound nutz, but Playmobile made some great Dollhouse type put together buildings in approx 60mm scale. Bigones, Very nice, lots of detail.You can battledamage those with a little imagintation.Check your want ads in the paper. theres people always selling off that stuf.

I have a huge collection of 54mm troops and armor + all the Buildings and Bunkers, trenches to go with it.
Arnhem has always been in my mind, but alone, it's too much!
RAGNAR

Thanks for all the very useful comments guys.

On the subject of Formtech etc, We are trying to create scenary that people won't recognise, though I agree some of that stuff is very very nice. We have had an extensive search through all that is available at the Michigan Toy Company, they seems to carry almost everything.

The play people buildings are an interesting idea.

SeventhCav, do you have any pics of your stuff?? I would love to see them.

Ragnar, where are you from? I know a Ragnar from the British wargaming scene who is the son of the former excellent party games designer Robin Hunt - Is that you?

What buildings do you use in 54mm.

Cheers.

PS

We did have a good look at Dolls Houses on E-Bay, but I am going to check out Playmobile and see what there is there too.

Sorry Seventh,

Missed your question, we are going to game it at Salute, either for 2006 or 2007.

Check this out. HJB miniatures is actually producing a 1/32 scale Arnhem bridge:

link

Ragnar-How about we run a 1/32 Arnhem game at one of the HMGS conventions? I live close by so I can haul the terrain.

Thanks Napoleon. Their bridge is nice but you still don't get the ramps for the set up. I picked up a Girder Aliminium one for £50.00 GBP so we are hoping to work with that.

Shame your not closer you would be more welcome to work with us on this one.

I wish I was. I would love to go to a con in the UK.

Hey our Aliminum bridge arrived and it sure is nice, very sturday and I can recommend the company that makes them if anyone is interest, its also very light and they can make the sizes to order.

What kind of rules you are using? I looked some time ago for rules at this scale, but i found nothing :( .

Emil

Just back from the International Plastic Modellers Society annual nationals. Held at same time and in same venue was Dragon Expo 05. Dragon had on display, and for limited release at the show, various buildings and ruins in 1/35th scale at very reasonable prices. They had a variety of styles to include typical German, Belgian, Russian, etc buildings. These are plastic kits and require assembly and painting but they looked very good. Might want to check them out.

Sturer, as its a participation game we use rules that are very simple that uses a card Engine system. Each round a player picks 7 cards from a deck and picks five to play in order, two are held over for the next round. Their opponenent does the same. The player with initiative goes first and plays one card which might be something like move squad (4 figures) fire heavy weapon, grenade etc etc then the other player does the same. when the bottom of the deck is reached its shuffled and play starts again, we have never gone through the deck twice in a game.

All to hits are done or a dice six with all the usual bonuses and minuses.

MARC, I am very interested, do you mean Dragon Models? What was available, do they have a web site? Was this in the UK or the USA??

Please let me know. We have just seen a toy shop in north London that has a whole load of cheap doll's houses so I'm off to look at those today.

Yes, this is Dragon models, the same ones who have a full line of 1/35th scale armor. In addition, for a limited time, they also included a pack of their infantry, different sets with different buildings. These are 1/35th scale figures which must be assembled of course. This was shown at the show in Atlanta but Dragon will carry this line worldwide and intend for it to be in the local hobby shops with an eye towards those who want to do dioramas. They were nicely detailed with separate window frames and such and a limited amount of interior detail as well.

Dragon is making a big move into online and is opening their US website on the 28th of this month. The address is:www.DragonUSAonline.com and you do need to use uppercase where indicated. I do not know if they have or will have a UK site. The buildings are clearly seen on the flyer they had at the show advertising their website so at the very least you should be able to see them.

Hello:

I just went on to DragonUSAonline.com and saw those 1/35 scale Master Box tanks for just $14.95! Do they really include the bonus tracks and the Photo Etch parts? Will the parts fit the tank? Has anyone bought from Dragon USA Online before?

Nate

Oh gosh I just realized they have the 1/35 buildings instock! Niiiccce… I guess they are reputable right?

Dragon USA should be very reputable, I believe they are an official offshoot of Dragon and designed to highlight some of the other products in their line such as Lion Roar after market items. The Master Box kits should include all shown though I have not seen any of these vehicles nor a review of them so cant comment on overall quality. They had a very nice display at Dragon Expo 05 and near the end of the show they sold the items they brought for display. A friend bought several of the building kits and was quite pleased.

Thanks for the info Marc, I've just bought the 1/35 German Building and some photo etch sheets. Not a bad deal at all with that free shipping promo. Was quite pleased too, Hope they arrive in good shape.

Nate

Hi,
I game 1:48 but we are also just venturing into 1:35 skirmishing, great scale, plenty of cheap tanks and troops available. At present we make our buildings mainly using foamcore – also have used some of the GW ruin sets to make a cool ruined chapel – looks very much like the Arnhem / Oosertbeek type of ruins you see in the Arnhem photos. Can e-mail pics out if interested (sorry dont currently have them stored on-line anywhere)……..

Yes, would love to see them, email is azanti0029@yahoo.co.uk

We have all the infantry now done for the game. The dolls houses I saw were way to expensive. Argos does however have a nice one with three levels that look very Dutch, I think we will splash out on that one for the School House, I am looking foward to totally desercrating it and having a bonfire session with the dolls, the furniture will be converted to make shift barricades.

I have had a look at the Dragon Web site and have found one link to the buildings. There seems to be three, the Polish one will work well for Arnhem, will probably get three of those and do some conversions.

GreatQueeg, where are you from?

Great – are you still in one piece?

Update,

Well we have all the figures we need now and have done a huge number of conversions. Especially impressive are Original Britains Germans that have been converted into SS Combat troops, we wanted to be able to mix them altogether, so we got rid of the original paint job and have matched Conte, Airfix, Matchbox and Britains together for different units. We have men on fire from flame throwers, loads of dead bodies to replace key figures when shot.

Presently doing the rest of the vehicles including a number of Where Eagles Dare style Kubelwagons. (I.E they explode very easily)

Gradually we have accumulated some dolls houses of various types and began re-spraying them. We still however have a long way to go yet.

I got a few Battlezone metal figs on Ebay for my British Paras at Arhnem. I have a full platoon painted up.

I think I will start my Russians next. I have a mixture of Airfix, Esci and Glencoe figs but I still need more figures wuth rifles.

Azanti, lost the plot for a while and haven't been back to check the thread so missed your request – sorry!

Just sent you some pics of the ruined keep to make up for it……..

thanks buddy, I got them. Nice job.

Hey Sgt Slag! you still around? trying to get ahold of you, as your game "Plastic Wars" was part of my childhood, and I've been looking everywhere for it

Yes, Sindri, I am still around. Plastic Wars is OOP, currently. I've been working, occasionally, trying to revamp it for POD. My goal is to revamp the game, put all of it, including the scenarios from the original books into it, in color!

I don't work on it often, just as the spirit of gaming moves me. I have some new material to add to it. I also want to include a full painting guide for the figures, updated from what I've learned over the past 18 years. I plan to post a new topic over in the Army Men gaming forum. Cheers!