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Professor goodvibes
Shade
Joined: Mon Jul 31, 2006 9:15 pm Posts: 102 Location: Cajun Country
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I need to tap into the amazing talent that lurks on this forum. My father has asked me to build him a custom chess set using warhammer pieces. What I am having trouble with is how to make the board itself. I have a little experience with terrain making but nothing like this that will need to be durable and last hopefully forever. So I need some brainstorming ideas because I am at a loss of what materials would be good to start with. I am thinking all pieces will be put on 40 x 40 bases. I am also looking to make this scenic.
Here are some of the armies I am considering as well, I would love any ideas anyone has here too!
Dwarves vs High Elves
Wood elves vs Beatmen
Empire vs Chaos
Undead vs Brets
Chaos Dwarves vs Dwarves
Once again, I really need some help with this. My father has never asked anything of me and would be well deserving of this.
_________________ -"Hey, there is a goblin sneaking up on you."
"So what?"
-"Just saying."
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Tue Jan 13, 2015 1:48 pm |
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direweasel
Malekith's Personal Guard
Joined: Mon Oct 07, 2013 9:58 pm Posts: 920 Location: Terre Haute, IN, USA
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Neat idea - if it's me, of the options you've listed, I would do Wood Elves vs Beastmen. It would give the most contrast of the options you've listed. I could also see an Elf/Skaven or combo working OK. Another option would be using orcs as one of the bad guys. Goblins would make great pawns, and maybe fanatics or squig hoppers would be fun knights (might also explain their unusual movement) I think I would also do shorter bases for pawns, and taller bases for the more important pieces, so they're recognizable easily. Maybe even paint the "classic" chess symbol on the back of each base, so people can easily distinguish the knights from the bishops and such.
As for what to make the board out of, it depends on how much money you're willing to spend. I would look at the formica stuff they use to make countertops with. Get a neutral-ish color, and paint squares over it.
_________________Chinese Relativity Axiom: No matter how glorious your triumphs, nor how miserable your failures, there will always be at least one billion people in China who don't give a damn. Apocalypse Drow! Plog: http://druchii.net/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=75360
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Tue Jan 13, 2015 2:31 pm |
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Professor goodvibes
Shade
Joined: Mon Jul 31, 2006 9:15 pm Posts: 102 Location: Cajun Country
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Thank you very much. Keep the ideas coming! Also I just noticed my typo "Beatmen" and it made think that would be an interesting conversion....beastmen gors with beat boxes and drums....
_________________ -"Hey, there is a goblin sneaking up on you."
"So what?"
-"Just saying."
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Tue Jan 13, 2015 2:37 pm |
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Malys the younger
Beastmaster
Joined: Fri Jun 29, 2007 2:25 pm Posts: 301 Location: Fayetteville, NC
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I like the idea. You cold also take a piece of MDF, grid it off with tape and make the squares out of 2 different colors of flock, like grass and dead grass. Does it look realistic? No. Would it look like a chess board? Yes.
You could also make a small frame to set the MDF on so the board has some height/depth to it. Just a thought.
_________________ The Grim Host of Malys the Younger: http://druchii.net/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=75760Overall W/D/L: 5/0/3 vs Empire: 1/0/0 vs Wood Elves: 2/0/2 vs Beastmen: 2/0/0 vs Vampire Counts: 0/0/1
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Tue Jan 13, 2015 5:51 pm |
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direweasel
Malekith's Personal Guard
Joined: Mon Oct 07, 2013 9:58 pm Posts: 920 Location: Terre Haute, IN, USA
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Now you have me picturing a big minotaur with a "Flava Flav" clock around his neck, saying "Yeah, Boyee!". That will take a while to get out of my head. Thanks. 
_________________Chinese Relativity Axiom: No matter how glorious your triumphs, nor how miserable your failures, there will always be at least one billion people in China who don't give a damn. Apocalypse Drow! Plog: http://druchii.net/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=75360
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Tue Jan 13, 2015 7:20 pm |
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T.D.
Killed by Khorne
Joined: Fri Apr 12, 2013 3:51 pm Posts: 2818 Location: Hinterlands of Khuresh; The Lost City of the Angels
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"Beatmen!" Now that does need a converted army 
_________________ OldHammer Advanced Ruleset - Adding Tactical Depth to Your Favourite Tabletop Wargame
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Tue Jan 13, 2015 8:14 pm |
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Red...
Generalissimo
Joined: Wed Sep 02, 2009 3:09 pm Posts: 3727 Location: Baltimore
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Wood could be a good medium: carve it how you want (lines and stuff should be fairly easy to indent into a flat square block of wood), then cover it with varnish to protect the surfaces. https://www.udemy.com/blog/wood-carving-for-beginners/As regards the armies: Orcs and Goblins versus Brettonia would work well: O&GSkarsnik as King Grimgor as Queen Orc Shamans as Bishops Orc Boar Riders as Knights Trolls as Rooks Goblin archers as pawns BrettoniaKing Leoncoeur as King Fay Enchantress as Queen Damsels as Bishops Grail Knights as Knights Pegasus Knights as Rooks Bowmen as pawns
_________________"While all answers are replies, not all replies are answers. So answer the question." Don't be a munchkin? I am an Extraordinary Druchii Gentleman
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Tue Jan 13, 2015 10:41 pm |
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Khaleth Blackheart
Would-be Seerlord or Quack doctor
Joined: Fri Jan 24, 2014 2:50 pm Posts: 235 Location: Raiding out of Athel Loren
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I'd go for Dark Elves v High Elves personally. They have everything needed: Pawns: Spearmen/Dreadspears Rooks: Executioners/Swordmasters Knights: Cold one Knights/ Dragon princes Bishops: Black Guard/ Phoenix Guard (maybe) Queens: Supreme sorceress/ Archmage Kings: Dreadlord/ Prince Or go all out and try and squeeze Malekith and Tyrion on the king pieces and Morathi and Teclis on the queens. Also @Red... Still trying to imagine Grimgor as a queen 
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Wed Jan 14, 2015 6:33 am |
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Daeron
Malekith's Best Friend
Joined: Fri Oct 03, 2003 7:36 pm Posts: 3863 Location: Belgium, Brussels
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If you go strictly with elves, you can paint the playing field as a mixture of black and white marble. Add in a few cracks in the stone, with skull or some rubble and a plant sticking out and it should give quite a spectacular result.
_________________I love me a bowl of numbers to crunch for breakfast. If you need anything theoryhammered, I gladly take requests. Furnace of Arcana, a warhammer blog with delusional grandeur. "I move unseen. I hide in light and shadow. I move faster than a bird. No plate of armour ever stopped me. I strike recruits and veterans with equal ease. And all shiver at my coldest of whispers." - The stiff breeze
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Wed Jan 14, 2015 8:58 am |
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Khaleth Blackheart
Would-be Seerlord or Quack doctor
Joined: Fri Jan 24, 2014 2:50 pm Posts: 235 Location: Raiding out of Athel Loren
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That would look especially cool, maybe even mounting the models on elven ruins.
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Wed Jan 14, 2015 10:34 am |
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Duffman327
Executioner
Joined: Sun Apr 06, 2008 9:37 am Posts: 194 Location: Newcastle, Australia
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If I was doing the board I would have it textured as an ash wasteland them and have patches of snow and or rocks for the white squares. I would even use plaster or clay to build each square up with a bit of elevation difference and actually make it look like a field. There has to be a craft shop near you where you can buy individual square pieces of mdf. Should be cheap enough
As for armies I love the wood elf and beastmen idea. Rank and file minis will work great for the pawns. Find some nice models from whatever army then base the other minis around them.
_________________ I am the Silent Wind of Doom... Whoosh!
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Wed Jan 14, 2015 11:44 am |
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Malys the younger
Beastmaster
Joined: Fri Jun 29, 2007 2:25 pm Posts: 301 Location: Fayetteville, NC
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I'd have to agree with Duffman. This is getting a lot of great ideas!
_________________ The Grim Host of Malys the Younger: http://druchii.net/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=75760Overall W/D/L: 5/0/3 vs Empire: 1/0/0 vs Wood Elves: 2/0/2 vs Beastmen: 2/0/0 vs Vampire Counts: 0/0/1
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Wed Jan 14, 2015 6:27 pm |
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Duffman327
Executioner
Joined: Sun Apr 06, 2008 9:37 am Posts: 194 Location: Newcastle, Australia
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Dark elf vs high elf Pawns crossbow men and archers or spearman on both sides perhaps lothern sea guard vs corsairs for pirate theme. I reckon spearman though, they always look good as a rank n file. Rooks can be ellyrion readers and dark riders (being flankers) Knights can be the COK and dragon princes Bishops can be the mages from both factions but I would use 2 of the same mini for each side Kings can be whatever hero on foot Queens can be either ever queen and morathi / Hellebron But I reckon a shadowblade vs blind eltharion would be great queens
_________________ I am the Silent Wind of Doom... Whoosh!
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Wed Jan 14, 2015 9:57 pm |
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direweasel
Malekith's Personal Guard
Joined: Mon Oct 07, 2013 9:58 pm Posts: 920 Location: Terre Haute, IN, USA
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imo the problem with dark elf vs high elf is that they wouldn't be that easy to distinguish one side from the other. I think you want two races that are different enough to tell at a very quick glance who is who. but that's just me, it's not my project. 
_________________Chinese Relativity Axiom: No matter how glorious your triumphs, nor how miserable your failures, there will always be at least one billion people in China who don't give a damn. Apocalypse Drow! Plog: http://druchii.net/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=75360
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Wed Jan 14, 2015 11:04 pm |
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Red...
Generalissimo
Joined: Wed Sep 02, 2009 3:09 pm Posts: 3727 Location: Baltimore
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A high contrast paint job could fix that potentially.
_________________"While all answers are replies, not all replies are answers. So answer the question." Don't be a munchkin? I am an Extraordinary Druchii Gentleman
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Thu Jan 15, 2015 12:27 am |
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Teowulff
Warrior
Joined: Mon Oct 06, 2014 3:21 pm Posts: 55 Location: Amsterdam
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Exactly. After all, real chess pieces look exactly the same for both sides. For bishops I'd take swordmasters and black guard (for the poiny helmets, like real bishops) Archers/Darkshards as pawns. And of course the everqueen as white queen. Just the rooks .. to be able to distinguish them you would like to have tower like shapes (like http://www.coolminiornot.com/pics/pics1 ... 599d06.jpg), it's just that there's none available at that scale.
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Fri Jan 16, 2015 9:22 am |
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cultofkhaine
Chief Cultist
Joined: Sat Sep 27, 2008 6:45 am Posts: 1961 Location: Being tempted by the Cult of Pleasure!
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I thought about doing this some time ago - I'd use High Elf vs Dark Elves I also think using two different colours of flock would look good.   
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Fri Jan 16, 2015 12:28 pm |
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Amboadine
Miscast into the Warp
Joined: Mon Nov 19, 2007 11:07 am Posts: 3510 Location: Investigating Mantica
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Nice find there Cult. Some good examples.
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Fri Jan 16, 2015 12:55 pm |
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