Solitude Gaming Map Construction Pt. 3

This phase was the most interesting part of constructing the board: bringing the closer almost to finish and flocking the board. After seeing the board go through phases of stark foam to browns, this was the first part where we finally began to see how the finished board would look with it's full greys, tans, and greens.

   

The stone path and keep interior were the last and most detailed parts of the board to paint. Gaudy greens and greys were used on the base layers and later highlighted with bright tans and cream colors.
We used a few different kinds of shrubbery in the flocking process. In the more open areas we used a brighter green with a darker green peppered in to break up the color and rest in receded or shadowed spots. Small bushes and trees were then fixed into place. Once the flock was dry we finally set in the docks by cutting down balsa wood and gluing the boards into place.

   

   

   

There's only one phase of construction left and it's incredibly tempting to play on it as is. The edge of the board needs another coat of black, there's some more work to do on the castle walls and building rooftops, and the water needs some effects to bring it together but for the most part it's almost done!

photo credits: the incredible Mark Brooks

Solitude Gaming Map Construction Pt. 2

Once all of the foam was set in place and the glue had dried it was time to coat the entire board with textured paint. A few thick layers of grey cemented the ballast in place and reinforced the whole piece. The grit in the paint itself was key to providing a rough texture that really pops out in later steps. 

         

   

   

After applying a few coats of the grey paint everything was covered in different browns. From there we started building up to the basic mid-tones most of the board would eventually have. The rocks and dirt were painted by dry-brushing brighter tans and creams, then lightly touched on the edges to bring out some sharper highlights. 

   

   

Once the rocks and heavy dry brushing parts were finished we filled in the stone paths and bricks in the keep. Although the finished colors reach a grey and tan, the flat primers were loud and very saturated so that when the board is finished there's an amount of variety to the palette.

Solitude Gaming Map Construction Pt. 1

The Elder Scrolls experience is about the thrill of exploration and discovery so when it came time to build the essential part of miniatures gaming that is terrain for a Skyrim board game there was a bit of location scouting to do. Whiterun perhaps, with its open fields and complex city gate? Riften, with its layers of balconies and docks? Ultimately the Imperial Legion capital Solitude was chosen. 

Having settled upon Solitude a map was scrunched and edited to accommodate gaming with miniatures. A digital sketch of where the board was going to go was then drafted to get a sense of space and colors.

The double gate and outward watchtower will create interesting combat scenarios while the keep and the port will be spawn points for Imperials and Stormcloaks. A wide open field for tactical maneuvering sits before the walls with plenty of room for siege ladders to be set.

The bulk of the board was set with pink foam and then built up with thinner 1/4" white foam. Details were drawn into the foam with a ballpoint pen which left a light enough indent for paint to pick up the edges. A mix of fine ballast and kitty litter was set for rocks and debris. Crumbly bits were described in the board, implying perhaps this is a Solitude front gate that's been through the civil war and has been reconstructed.

Design choices had to be fudged from the original design in Skyrim so the board could be used for miniatures but customization is such a massive part of what helps the game endure that we felt making aesthetic changes was fully in the fan spirit of things. There wasn't room to include Katla's farm but there's a stretch of road leading to where the farm could be. Radiant Raiment the Winking Skeever were shrunken and warped to fit the narrow city keep. The executioner's platform was given a staircase towards the city walls to provide easier access from the center.

Pre-made trees will be attached after the paint process. The docks will also be finished towards the end of the process, after flocking and finishing effects. Caulk was used to create waves at the edges of the port. This seals the section off and will be useful when resin is poured into the lake area!

The next part will be about the painting process!

Introduction to The Elder Scrolls Miniatures Game

Hello all!


We're a group of Bethesda's The Elder Scrolls fans endeavoring to create a tabletop miniatures game focused initially on Skyrim then expanding into other amazing ES games.

The miniatures we will be using are primarily Warlord Games' Early imperial Roman Veterans as the staunch Imperial Guards and Gripping Beast's Viking Huscarls as the rebellious Stormcloaks, played with Green Ring Games' 2d6 Valiant! system.

In addition to the figures we have a massive 3D gaming board fashioned after the front gates and docks of the city of Solitude! We will post updates as progress towards the completion of this endeavor continues!

-V