More Zariba and a Dry Streambed

In the post before last, I described making the first of the zariba pieces (link) for my June convention game, The Relief of Wadi Zoum-Zoum.  But I wasn't satisfied with the way they developed even after I sprayed them with a watery white glue.  The vegetation was just too dried out to stand any type of gaming handling.  So I went to the local Hobby Town and bought a large bag of "spring" lichen.  The resultant zariba pieces were more durable and even, to my eye, looked better.

Here are four 2" sections, two on either side of one of the artillery
emplacements and manned by some of my Ral Partha Egyptians.

I also needed a short section of dry streambed to connect the oasis to the rest of Wadi Zoum-Zoum.  Taking a piece of Masonite, I sprayed both sides with camouflage sand paint and then glued on more sand, added fine gravel for the backs, and glued in larger gravel and small rocks to finish it off.  I painted Future floor wax on the streambed to give it a wet appearance but that is not readily apparent in this picture.

The dry streambed is 12" long.  The white splotches are glue that hasn't dried yet.

I'll be posting some pictures of the second play test of the game later and you can see these pieces in situ, so to speak.

Tower & Zariba - Post #3

I made some more progress on the tower and zariba, and even on one of the gun emplacements (from several posts ago).

The Watch Tower

Here the tower has received an initial coat of medium gray paint.  I'll highlight this with lighter gray and white and also throw in some lighter brown and tan drybrushing.  The hillock still needs its terraining application applied.

The roof was constructed of a piece of 60 point cardstock and covered with a piece of white washcloth which has been painted with a watered down gray same as the rest of the tower.  The roof will receive a brown, tan, and green drybrushing to simulate vegetation covering.

The Zariba

I applied Durham's Rock Hard Water Putty to the base and then painted the whole thing Sandstone.  The vegetation was applied with Tacky glue.  I'll spray it with a diluted glue later and apply some more vegetation.

Here are two 2" sections sheltering a couple of Ral Partha British Naval landing party figures.

 

The Artillery Emplacement

Finally I added some interior planking and supports to one of the gun emplacements.  I'll do the same with the other two prior to applying the terraining.

Artillery Emplacement posting

 

All Three Pieces

Here's an overview of all three pieces.

Tower & Zariba Post #1

As I continue to prepare for my June convention game (The Relief of Wadi Zoum-Zoum at the HMGS-Gulf South Bayou Wars convention in June), I have started building a watch tower for the supply base and the defensive zariba that will surround it.

So far on the tower, I've constructed the base and sides of the observation platform.

It will be 3" x 2" (~75mm x ~50mm).  The base is made from some craft sticks I've had for a while supported on some square sectioned balsa beams.  The sides will be glued down after they have finished drying.  One of my 25mm British naval officers is inspecting the platform's construction.

The zariba will be constructed in 2" sections to facilitate the game mechanics for setting it on fire, which will be the only way that the native attackers will be able to penetrate into the zariba.  For those who don't know, a zariba is a thorn enclosure designed to seriously impede passage by man or beast - a "natural" barbed wire.  My zariba's bases are large craft sticks with a section of foam core glued on perpendicular.  I'll paint it sand-colored and then glue on the material I'm using as the thorn bush.

Here are the beginnings of the zariba with a couple of Royal Marine Light Infantry posed behind two of the sections.  The idea for this construction method was from my wargaming buddy, Bill Hamilton.

More pictures to follow as the construction of both the tower and the zariba proceed apace.

Note:  Soon to be posted on the Jackson Gamer's blog (link) will be a brief report and pictures of the first play test of the scenario for The Relief of Wadi Zoum-Zoum that we conducted last Saturday (April 17).