Classic Dungeonbowl pitch. Moor pitch Feb 18th 2013

[the solitaire]

Inspired by Yggdrasils Dungeonbowl project, and having some time on my hands I decided to see how doable a quick ´n dirty 3D playfield is.

The plan was/is to make a foldable case, like the foldable bloodbowl pitches, that holds 10 game tiles. The original 8 and an additional 2 for versatility.





While I was at it, I also made some quick sketches for a regular fold away bloodbowl pitch and a copy of the 2nd edition space granite pitch



And a regular fold away Warhammer/-machine/40k gaming table



After the sketches were done and the material requirements were chalked up I started to mark the foamboard which will eventually make up the visible part of the gaming tiles




Now I need to find a way to make perfectly straight cuts through the foam, so I can start cutting up the board in smaller sections.

After that´s done, I can start carving the tiles and brickwall structure in to the foam.
After that´s done, each tile will be glued onto a wooden base and I´ll have to figure out something to finish the edges of each tile with, to increase rigidity a bit. Dental plaster or something like it.

I did a few scenery projects in the past and every time I get to the painting bit, I abandon the project. I figured that this time around I´ll use spraypaint (granite effect sprays) and different shades of wood varnish to paint the board, then add some detail here and there and call it a day.

This piece will have to be sturdy. Made for gaming

[Doowa]

Looping forward to see the result! Looks like a great start.

Ps. Be careful with the spray, that it does melt the foam.
A long metal ruler will help cutting straight lines (unless you have a powered wire to melt throu it.

[Axtklinge]

Nice...
Looking forward how this will evolve!

[yggdrasil]

That looks really cool, good luck! Being into a hobby like this really works one's arts and crafts skills.

[the solitaire]

There has been a little bit of progress.

I cut up the big boards of foam into smaller pieces which I can (slowly and painstakingly) structure from my couch (in front of the TV)



In the front you see the 10 DungeonBowl tiles and wall segments. In the back, the humble beginnings of a full sized BloodBowl pitch.

Here´s progress on one of the wall pieces. The center part has the structure I want. The upper and lower levels of bricks are just a sketch of the eventual surface pattern.



Doing all the wall segments will take quite a while, so I might paint these tile by tile, rather then all in one go.

And here´s a size comparison on the wall segments and gaming tiles:





Update: First wall segment ready to be painted!

[the solitaire]

I finished the walls and floor structure for the first tile.





Getting this far took me about a weekends work. All in all about 6-8 hours, squeezed into the gaps everyday life offers me to spend on this project.




I laid out the tiles to see how big this will be, and placed a regular cardboard field on it for a size comparison

[Axtklinge]

Turning out nicely!

Any special way to cut those straight lines in the 'pavement', or is it just a blade and plenty of patience?

[velvet mark]

Looking lovely solitaire! Those walls are great! Id be interested in how they are done step by step.

Never played dungeonbowl but with your and yggdrasil's threads I ll have to make a pitch soon

[yggdrasil]

I have to say that looks *amazing*. What you've done so far is like my perfect dream vision of what a dungeonbowl dungeon should look like. If I had the patience to carve out and paint all those walls, and I either played at my house or had an easy way to store and transport those dungeon segments, I would totally copy this project in detail.

Really looking forward to seeing a painted dungeon section!

[the solitaire]

Before I can post any painted dungeon sections, here´s the layout of the 8 classic dungeonbowl tiles and 2 additional endzone tiles:



I only have a rough idea of what the transport case for this board will look like, but after doing the math I have space for 2 additional dungeon tiles and I´m considering making some additional walkways to create a 2nd level on top of the first one (just single or 2 wide walkways, straight or in L shape to keep things playable)

I will make pictures for a step-by-step guide on how to make those brick walls.

As far as the straight tiles go, they are not entirely straight. Patience, a metal ruler and a very sharp xacto knife all help. A steady hand, some good music and a cup of strong coffee also add in. I think however that the most important bit is to have some spare styrodur available in case you need to redo a tile because the cut wasn´t straight enough.

I quickly made a step-by-step on the tiles.

Tools of the trade:
-xacto knife with a few new blades
-large amounts of styrofoam sheet (as much as you think you´ll need for the project, plus a little extra)
-marker
-ballpoint
-a wide screwdriver with rounded edges
-metal ruler
-a nicely structured piece of stone

Step 1, cut the game board tile out of the styrofoam sheet.
things to pay attention to:
-use a sharp knife. If in doubt, exchange the blade for a new one.
-use a metal ruler
-don´t cut too deep. I cut a 20mm sheet in 3 incisions, each following the previous one (metal ruler )
-make sure to keep the handle of the knife as straight as possible and use little pressure

Step 2, make markings for the floor tiles (30x30mm)



Step 3, score the marked floor tiles with the xacto knife (about 1/4"/5mm deep)



Step 4, this is why you need a ballpoint apart from having a marker around. Follow the floor tile outlines with the ballpoint to create the first bit of relief. I scored the tiles twice with the ballpoint for added width.





I wasn´t satisfied with the result, so I went to step 5, which really is optional.

Step 5, I wanted my tiles to have really wide grooves between them. I repeated the step with the ballpoint, now with a screwdriver. If the screwdriver has sharp edges, you´ll ruin the board though. You could use any 90° angled piece of metal or plastic for this job, or a really wide pointed ballpoint.



The result looked better after step 5 though



Step 6, I wanted the tiles to have some irregularities, indentations and some wear and tear like your average old dungeon has. This is where you need the brick. I used a deco rock from a fishtank (my fishtanks all contain real stone. This was a relic of times long gone)

You´ll have to experiment a bit with materials and with how much pressure you need to apply. I used this piece because I had it at hand and the results are quite what I wanted for. Press the brick to the styrofoam at various odd angles to get different kinds of indentations. Turn it, use different sides, just be creative and persistent until you have the desired result.



And there it is, one game board tile ready for base coat and paint:

[Lard]

Great tutorial! Love this!

Cant wait to see it painted. Will have to do something similar myself in the future. Maybe if I used your technique to make a regular pitch...

[the solitaire]

@Lard, this works for regular bloodbowl pitches just as fine.

I started a pitch ages ago, but never found the will to complete it. It was a learning process and I tried many things I would never again use in a new pitch.

I started a new pitch at the same time I started this dungeonbowl pitch though using up some of the additional styrofoam I bought.



This is a picture of the old old pitch I started back in 2003

The old pitch is extremely heavy, and I built the dugouts far too large. It doesn´t have turn counters, re roll counters or score counters either. All in all a 2 piece 20 lb (10 kilos) heavy board isn´t all that transportable either.

[Axtklinge]

Looks great, and that "upper level" idea is can be a great addiction!
I've used those insulation foam boards several times for building scenario pieces, and have thought of a building a dungeon too, but the storage space (and /or transport) has been keeping me at bay.
Fingers crossed so you can come up with something practical (and lightweight), and I may end up stealing it and building my own!


Edit: I have made a similar pitch to that styro one (dugouts included), but instead of carving the squares I've cutted cardboard squares and glued them on top (and painted like stones). Oh, and I had made a simple wooden tray to fit it in, to protect it against accidents, since styrofoam can break quite easily.

[yggdrasil]

I use the cardboard squares method too because my board sections are very 2D, but I think the carving of foam thing looks cooler and more 3D. I really like the indentations in the tiles, I agree that a dungeon needs to be worn and used-looking.

I just pray that you are going to paint the sections in similar colours to the original 2D blueprints.

[the solitaire]

@Axtklinge, I will need approx. 75cm x 50cm x 25cm or 29.5" x 20" x 10" space for 8 dungeon tiles, 4 endzone tiles and some pieces that will shape the 2nd level.

I´m going to glue the dungeon tiles on 3mm MDF for added weight, which is mostly personal preference. It won´t be nescessary but it does increase overall rigidity of the pitch.

The whole set as such will fit in a transport case I´m going to build for it, which will also serve to hold the tiles in pace during play.

@Yggdrasil, I have no clue what the colors will eventually look like. I´m going to experiment a bit with Dupli Color granite effect sprays and wood enamel to darken the surfaces.

I´m going for mahogani wood enamel for the endzones, oak for the floor sections and pine for the walls.
The floor sections and walls will be painted with different granite effect sprays. The floors will be a brighter sand like tone before painting on the enamel, the walls a darker, brown tone.