Display board help

[BG. Foster]

Right folks,

I need some help. I haven't played 40k in about 10 years and haven't picked up a paint brush in 6 month so I decided that for the most part I'd get out of the hobby. I do however want to keep some of what I have want to build a display board for my Guardsmen. I'm looking for ideas and inspiration from you all. I'll document my progress when it begins.

[Woz]

Do you have pics of your army?

Build a diorama trench system / parade ground etc.

[Adkenpachi]

I got a large wooden cutlery tray and screwed it to the wall

[jenburdoo]

Sounds like you DON'T want to just buy one of the modular table pieces, then... there are some good ones from Forgeworld, though.

I'd suggest something iconic to your concept of the regiment. If it's in jungle camo, for example, build a jungle clearing, or if a siege or defensive regiment, some sort of fortification. One thing you'll probably need is as little slope as possible and plenty of flat space, so if you do have buildings, make sure they have parapets rather than towers that will lose you some square inches to place figures on. If you have lots of vehicles, you'll also need space.

[BG. Foster]

I'm thinking of doing a town square. 2ft x 2ft square board with 'buildings' on 2 sides.

[cheminhaler]

Ruined half buildings are really easy to make with foamboard; you just have to be careful not to spray them.

You can make full buildings as well but I reckon the ruined buildings look great and are easier to place troops all over to give the ruins an occupied look.

Instead of putting them on bases you could drill a bit into their feet and glue garden wire to just insert them into the display; but if your kids play with your soldiers it might just be better to leave them on the bases for safety.

[BG. Foster]

I have a large amount of the imperial sector bits, so will use them. I was debating magnetizing them and leaving the bases off. Also looking for 1 or 2 planetary empire tiles.

[treadiculous]

think about painting a background - a sky with explosions and smoke etc.

Then think about the layer which will go in front of this.

Then think about what your models will be standing on and how they will interact with one another - are they mid-fight or is this a moment of down time?

Where is the main source of light coming from, plan your scenery so that shadows aren't a problem and can add dramatic lighting to the piece.

Finally, think about foreground pieces - trees, lamp posts, etc.

I would consider planning a sewer or underground aspect such as a cave or tunnel too.

this will give lots of depth and really make the piece stand out as a compostion rather than simply a bunch of models on a flat space.

[jenburdoo]

I think a town square is a fine idea -- it can be mostly open space but with buildings at the edges and maybe a fountain or statue in the middle for interest, and you can have a variety of textures for streets, sidewalks, etc. Don't forget details to make it look inhabited or previously inhabited -- I've always liked the little propaganda posters you can see on some building pieces, for example.

[tallarncommander]

Hi Foster,

Yes, an urban display board is something to which I aspire. I currently only have 2 small pieces of urban terrain on my display board--they are modular so I can move them around. But I'm working on a 3rd set of small ruins, a small urban walkway, and a 4th larger ruins piece.


Another thing you might want to do is set up your army on different tiers for display purposes rather than just putting them on one level. A $10 chunk of insulation foam (wear a mask of some sort when you cut or melt it) is great for this. Here are some pics of my tiered display board:


Summer 2014 Tournament (Huzzah Hobbies, Ashburn, VA, US)



January 2015 Tournament (Huzzah Hobbies, Ashburn, VA, US)



Good luck!

Tallarn Commander