"Trenches with FOW basing" Topic

Does anyone have good suggestions for trenches in games with FOW-style basing?

Because of the depth of bases, trenches in FOW games seem REALLY WIDE to me. Also with a lot longer straight sections than most pics/diagrams I've seen.

I considered a mostly 2D approach, using sections made from DAP, but that might be too abstract and lame-looking.

Any creative solutions for more realistic trench sections/fortifications with that type of basing?

I get some cork tape that is wider than the medium base. I paint a narrow strip down the middle of the tape and terrain around it.
It just represents the trench, perhaps looking more realistic than the cast resin we are saddled with.
Once again, figure scale versus actual ground scale presents representational difficulties. If you use two of the "official" trenches, separated by the width of s medium base, it just looks silly.

I get some cork tape that is wider than the medium base. I paint a narrow strip down the middle of the tape and terrain around it.

Is the tape a little wider than the 1.25" depth of a medium base? And when you say you terrain around it, do you mean flock? Build it up? Sorry, I'm dumb. :)

I was thinking of drawing a zig-zag trench pattern in that DAP idea I mentioned above. Are you painting a trench?

If you use two of the "official" trenches, separated by the width of s medium base, it just looks silly.

YES.

Was thinking of drawing something like these zig-zags in 2D:

I meant flock around the narrow slit trench painted down the middle of the tape.
I was looking for something else, and found cork tape in the craft section of Walmart. It's slightly wider than a medium base.
Unfortunately it warps. Felt might be better.

Winston,

Do you have any photos of your trenches? Your idea sounds like an interesting solution to a difficult problem.

Could you go 3D but just leave the rear side of the trench open?

Something like this:
(rear wall of trench left open) ---> _____\ <--- (front wall of trench with berm facing enemy)

You can then paint, flock and/or gravel the floor and front berm to make it stand out from surrounding terrain.

I do something similar for foxholes too. I use a semi circle/oval rather than completely surround the base. That way it looks more like a field fortification than a limestone quarry. LOL

Good tip on the warping, John, thanks.

Something like this:
(rear wall of trench left open) ---> _____\ <--- (front wall of trench with berm facing enemy)

Good suggestion, ZOC.

I've got this crazy notion of doing some battles over the strongpoints of Dien Bien Phu with sections based for FOW. Just not sure how to make networks of trenches and bunkers look right with squad/team basing.

more like a field fortification than a limestone quarry

Hahah yeah. I know I need to accept some abstraction when I'm mixing ground scale and figure scale, but sometimes that's not easy to reconcile. 😀

You could try these from Ironclad, they are wide enough to get a FOW base in, and if you want lots of zig zags they make them too.
link

Do consider the peter pig generic trench fronts. They are in the scenery range and very good value. If you own a set of these they can also do for other wars too.

link

"Wide enough to get a FoW base in" is the problem.
The bases are at least 5x wider than a man, maybe even 10x wider. Having a "trench" that the base can fit comfortably in doesn't solve the problem at all. At best, they're a sunken road.
Anything a base can fit in looks nothing like a trench.

These seem to be made with Fow sized bases in mind, link to supplier in my post

link

My pics are with 10mm but the sellers eBay site has a lot of pictures with 15mm FOW based. Good luck!

Here is one option from Paul's Modeling Workshop for the idea that I threw out a few posts above:
link

Musket Miniatures used to make something similar in their ACW line of terrain. However, I do not find it on the Mark IV Miniatures site.

You could google up some images for "15mm one-sided trench" and even "15mm breastwork" to find something suitable.

Also, I've seen low stone walls and even hedges or bocage items that can be easily adapted to use as one-sided trench markers.

My idea with the tape was a last minute thing.
I have a lot of other projects on the stove with higher priority than FoE trenches.
But I know the tape works.

If I have time the next time, I'll get some felt st the craft store that matches my ground cloth.
I'll cut it into strips at least twice as wide as my FoW medium bases. I'll paint down the middle a stripe in Dark Umber or Mississippi Mud to represent the trench itself.
Then I'll lightly flock the margins.
Viewed from overhead, and without figures in it, it will at least look like a trench. Plus the felt is less likely to slip than if it was a tape slick release back.

Yeah, I laid out some of my latex caulk roads and I think with a darker brown stripe down the center it might work. Certainly worth some experiments.

I made some modular trenches myself because I couldn't find any I liked. They are a very simple design but effective I think.

Nice pics, Vet Sgt.

It appears that Martin Rapier has used a method similar to the one Winston Smith suggests. A report from his blog:

link

Thanks, Big Red, that's exactly what I had in mind.

I think I'll make some with "trenches" a little wider and the zigzags scaled up a bit more. Those look perfect for 1:285th, so maybe a bit larger for 15mm. Then we'll see how that looks in the harsh light of day. :)

Thanks darthfozzywig.

A few close-up shots showing how the miniatures fit into the trenches I made.

Funny thing: I was just thinking about using rice as sandbags and did a search to see if anyone else did this crazy thing.

And lo and behold, whose site did I find right away?

link

Nice!