Tray Battlefield

[Dropbear]

Months ago I had a lingering man flu that really stuffed my lungs up. When I was resting up I really wanted to play a game, and I was eyeing off the tray I was eating a meal from.

This gave me an idea for making scenery to play a game.

I created some removeable terrain bases to put in the tray and put some figures and scenery on to see what it looked like.

This is what I came up with:


and with a 15mm tank for perspective:



I did cover the roads and paint them, but they are cracking a bit, so back to the drawing board there.

After I took those photos, the terrain boards warped a bit, so I decided a tray I could paint and flock the base in a permanent way could be better. I purchased an MDF tray for $14 at the big green shed and whilst it looks good, it is a bit too small for a 15mm skirmish game, but would work ok with 10mm figures (I have a some and tried it out).

Here are the photos of the smaller tray with Peter Pig WW2 miniatures, Red Vectors 15mm WW2 Russian village, and some scenery I made - the hay stack is a work in progress, and I am rather happy with it, being the first one I have ever made:









I am now thinking of finding a bigger tray to permanetly paint and flock... either that or I will need an insert for the larger tray that wont warp.

The 15mm will work at squad level games on the bigger tray, but it is a bit too cramped and close for the smaller one. If I go 10mm, I might chose something I don't already have to play with, I am just not sure what to go with.

[Captain Darling]

Hey Dropbear!

Sorry to hear about your illness.

Tray idea looks cool, I'd say you need 6mm figures to really make it work...or some 28mm gladiators skirmishing perhaps...

Nice!

[Dropbear]

I can get away with the larger tray for a 15mm game, but agree that smaller is needed for the second tray I made.

10mm will work - I have some 10mm WW1 (not enough for a game... I only have one side), but I really want to do something different for the tray battle.


I have been contemplating some 28mm Knights for a skirmish game - a couple of figures per side as a narrative campaign. A knight and his squire on a quest. That would make for an easy to play solo campaign too.

The biggest problem for any scale for a skirmish is buying pack for just one or two figures and having all these extras hanging around. If I could buy single figures from the companies I want I would be all over this, but it is expensive to buy one foot knight, an archer or two and men at arms regardless of scale.

I am seriously looking at a 10mm fantasy skirmish for the tray. Get some Rangers of the North and some Orcs and play something set around Eriador in Middle earth. But most of the figures are on strips, so I don't know how well it will work if I break the strips apart. That and to buy two packs of 10mm figures will cost around $26, which seems a bit steep for a small amount 10mm.

In the end I will probably try to get to Eureka Miniatures in 2018 (which is hard to do now, as they are only open one weekend a month) and pick up some 18mm Fantasy - some wood elves and orcs. By doing it in person I can buy the figures I want as individuals, not packs.

[Dropbear]

oooh - what I do have are 28mm Samurai and Ninja etc.... plenty of inspiration there and I don't need a lot of room.

[Chuckie]

This is a grand idea. I do WW2 in 20mm so coupile of houses, etc, and squad v squad. Damn bring back
the man flu

[Dropbear]

I think 20mm would work with the bigger tray I have, especially for house to house fighting, bunker or trench clearing etc.

The smaller tray I put together is really convenient for carrying around and playing in... there just isn't much room.

A 28mm game would work in it provided it was a melee between one to three figures a side, but it will be short and bloody.

I will take a photo later with it set up (sans paths) with a one on one game using 28mm Ninja vs a Monk.

The trick is breaking down line of sight for any game played.


I am also thinking of 10mm or 6mm would work for a larger brigade sized battle in the tray too. I would love to do an ECW skirmish game, but I want to include some dismounted cavalry (not dragoons, but they would be included in such a game) and they are as rare as hens teeth, so I would contemplate brigade sized games for the tray if I could cope with seeing the minis.

[Dropbear]

A quick photo of a one on one melee set up with 28mm figures in the small tray:



This tray sits across my legs when I am at my PC desk, so I could have all the reference I need, dice, rules etc very close by.

I think four to five figures might be the limit for this type of game, but the smaller the scale the move you can do with it.

[Chuckie]

Very true mate. But anything is possible as limited to your imagination and also the size of the man flu. The one I had this year, my fault as forgot to have the shot, put me flat out so wouldnt even be able to roll dice. But this is gold! True gold. Now to go tray shopping for next winter

[Dropbear]

The small tray cost me $14 at Bunnings from memory, and I am eyeing off this one from Ikea - the same price but much bigger:

http://www.ikea.com/au/en/catalog/products/50287274/


I added some extra 28mm figures to the small tray, and a 3 per side skirmish wont be a problem. And yes, some of the figures are a work in progress:





The little green dude that hasn't been finished is a kappa - a water monster with a turtle shell. I really wish more yokai (monsters from Japanese mythology) were made, as I have great plans for a gaming sourcebook - if only the miniatures were made.

[Chuckie]

Thanks mate. Bunnings and Ikea is close proximity. Time for road trip!

[Dropbear]

I have started making a Wild West town for my Tray Battlefield. Rather than make the full buildings which would take up most of the tray, I have decided to make "shop fronts" - that is I am only making the front of the buildings and enough of the building sides that a figure can duck around a corner for cover.

I now need to add the planks to the buildings and some doors and windows and they are ready.

Given most shoot outs in the Wild West were supposedly at short range, I think this game will work nicely in the tray.

And I could probably play a narrative campaign with each game being a cut scence in a Wild West story.

Obviously the lovely grassy areas don't match a Wild West Town, so I may buy another tray to have the base match the theme.