"How do you represent Maize" Topic

So in reviewing our terrain rules it occours to me while we define tall crops including Maize we don't actually have anything to represent a Maize field when close to fully grown. Some of the pictures indicate how tall it can be.

link

So I am aware of some N gauge model railway models but obviously they are not practical, you have to get tanks through in my case. So what is the best way a few stalks here and there, longer single lengths of models, just vertical pictures on stands scattered about, effectievly "flats". What do you do?

I have seen doormats used--sometimes in sections so they can be removed from where the troops are. But you might be hard-pressed to make it work in 1/144. Thin foam might be an alternative, possibly with painted lines to suggest rows.

Here is a commercial product and a homemade idea.

midwestmodelrr.com/blu101

link

I would be tempted to line a field with a row of commercial product and make the inside of the field out of carpet or something that can be removed and/or the figures can be put on top of without damaging the terrain or looking too funny.

Right now use a patch of green felt – but I like 79th PA's thinking

Thanks, 79th! Good stuff on "how to" for fields in that link you posted.

79thPA wow $34 USD too much for me. However I liked the other idea in the link. I hate putting vehicles on top of fields but its probably OK for wheat but not for 8ft Maize so its going to have to be patches.

Looking at the commercial stuff its not that realistic (a limitation of 1/144 scale) so I may be able to print something like that 2D and assemble small patches of a few rows on a brown base.

Thanks guys that was really helpful.

This is very durable option for recreating maize (in the US – Corn) fields. link

was just going to mention BTC Terrainman' cornfields.
They look great and are durable. Also, Battlefield
Terrain Concepts are great to work with. Doug does
both online and is an active convention vendor.
Nice guy to boot!
Sam

Bismarck – Thanks

OK so I was inspired to have a go. 2D corn storks, my take on 79tyh PA's commercial product. Currently I have 36 Storks done in sets of 2 by 6 storks. Like one of the links it seems I may be able to twist the storks a bit to help "fill the gap row" being essentially Flats.

The question now is how many storks? Seems to mee a minimum is about 150 to 200 storks. Bismarks picture link is an excelent piece of artistry but too many to be a practical , but hey its an advert not an actual wargame as far as I am concerned. Not sure how to be base them, perhaps in rows, of 4 by 6 (24 storks) that would make a patch 70m by 15mm, just under a tank wide and 1 3/4 taks long. What do you think?

Busy with family next few days so my be a fes days before I can do a picture.

Great links with thanks for same, especially the home-made ideas in 79th's link.

OK so 144 stalks assembled as above. This comes down to nothing. I am now heading for 192 stalks as a bare minimum. No wonder one of the guy's in the link talked about the $100 USD cornfield. Even for a wargames standard you need a lot of stalks.

link

So 264 stalks of corn later.

I have just painted them green after assembly in 24 stalk blocks. What do you think of the stalks from a model point of view, not the painting?

They are as fine as I dare make them while still being practical as gaming items (FDM printed).

I dropped a couple of assemblies carrying them outside to spray with no damage, so they look to be fairly practical. They are a tad over 8ft at scale so inside the 1.2 m (4 ft) to 4 m (13 ft) limits while classing as a tall crop.

The tank commander will have to get out of the turret to see over the crop, which is what I wanted. well the guys in the M113 may struggle, maybe if he stands on his tippy toes .

This – cliched but fun – film, has a car-chase in field of north america maize (US: corn):

Wiki – The Last Stand (2013)

According to this site: 365 Farm Net – European Maize Considerations:

In Europe, maize is mostly grown in Romania, France, Hungary and Poland

NB. Pre-WW2 corn (wheat) would grow over six-feet tall (~2.0 m). Post-WW2 corn stalks became shorter (after improvements to actual grain yield).

In recent years I have seen quite a bit here in the UK but in relatively small amounts round where I am but that is because the arable parts are spread about a bit, not vast area like in the UK Lincolnshire flatlands Interestingly the UK stuff I have seen is in excess of 6ft tall. Technically we are no longer part of Europe.

Surprising! Didn't know maize was grown in UK.

I'd like to see what a 120mm gun does when fired over/into a field of maize.

I'd imagine if green it'd bounce back up, if dry it'd catch on fire.

Where are your wargames set?

Stoppage Northen Europe and the UK. Simply it'+s all green and the contryside is similar. Norfolk UK was used to train troops for d ddat as in places its similar contryside.

Depanding on the angle of the round to the stalkks it could give the hull somprotection lower down. It depends on the trajectory length within the stalk region. while we give protection from smsll srms for some taller crops, we have no intention of doingso for larger calibers. Larger calibers have higher densities so are less vulnerable to the impact of vegitation.