Thursday, June 7, 2012

Tabletop Props

Props!  I love props! 
I've often been heard to say that as I bring out my latest battlefield attraction made from whatever gubbins (with a tip 'o the cap to Charles Grant) were available.  Of late I've gotten lazier.  Long gone are the days when I made a geomorphic village of ruins from 24 1' tiles with almost everything homemade.  Now I've discovered the joys of paper props, courtesy of Dave Graffam.  If you've followed the blog for a long time you may remember my first attempt with his buildings, all in 30mm.  A Fresh Look  This time a combination of inexpensive downloads and freebies armed me with 15mm ruined buildings.  Click the pictures to enlarge the image.
The beauty of these downloads is that you get single layered and multi layered designs.  So a vast array of possibilities are available to you.  Instructions that are provided also tell you how to adjust the printing size.  In my case for these, in the PDF print dialog box I clicked on Properties and reduced them to 50%.  I should say now that these are available direct at www.davesgames.net and through www.wargamevault.com
I printed these off with a high quality laser printer so got real nice copies that won't smear.  Using a spray on adhesive to avoid bubbles I stuck them to mid weight cardboard like you'd find backing a tablet of paper.  Granted, I can't run them through the printer, but it's nice and sturdy.  If you need to use an inkjet printer I suggest giving the printing a spray with a matt finish to protect it from moisture and oily fingers.  (We all have them.)
The pieces that are just wall ruins have the added benefit of fitting together with slots, so they can be stored flat when not in use.  Of course they will show wear faster, but I can just print more.
They also mix well with other materials and often provide extra bits like posters to add to the structures.  If you have a box of "stuff" around you can enhance them even more.  I've found that kitty litter makes good rubble for example.
This one I knocked out with extra cut shapes and a little of this and that.  Not going to win any prizes, but is an inexpensive and light weight option.

Now on to the revenue cutter!