I Wasn't Sure If I Could Write A Whole Article On Walkways And Bridges...But Then I did...And Also Some Mould Making Stuff At The End.
Necromunda offers a dynamic and structurally challenging gaming experience. This is doubly true if you have lots of scenery. Furthering this dynamism are the two gaming setting of Sector Mechanicus (Sprawling and ever climbing vertical play area) and Zone Mortalis (essentially a flat gaming area) both distinct and very different from each other. We are going to focus in on Sector Mechanicus and the towers of the Hive cities...or more exactly, the bridges of varying length and construction that hold those lofty spires together.
Old gamers will recall the excellent 1st edition Necromunda plastic bulkheads and cardboard bridges. These are an excellent place to begin, if you have them. They are many years out of print now though, so you may end up paying a pretty penny, if you can find a set. Regardless, they do give an idea of what I am aiming to reproduce. The cardboard construction of the bridges allows them to slot into the bulkheads but also limits the length that they can safely be. The original boxed set has walkways ranging from 5 – 9” long. They are all uniformly 2” wide with a weird lip thing on each side.
At this point I think it important to do a disclaimer and also a general explanation of distribution of work in a gaming group. Which is to say: I made none of the following bridges. While everyone was getting their gangs done and I was doing all that other stuff (see articles 1 – 7...) my gaming buddy James was in charge of walkways and bridges and they came out fabulously.
Underhive, classic Underhive. I love the look but it's not enough...will it ever be enough!?!
Without going too in depth ('cause, after all, I didn't build them...) the first set of three bridges were constructed from mesh and various plasticard elements such as ladders and other detail pieces. They are smaller than the original cardboard being 1 3/4” wide and roughly 7” long. In gaming terms: two models cannot pass each other on these and models with large bases will not be able to cross them, so that is a bit of fun!
Variety is the spice of the Underhive. One bridge has a computer console, the other a big hole
Another important thing to keep in mind is railings. Walkways, and in fact anything with a railing, are harder to fall from in game, so it's worth your time to build a few with this feature. While these first builds were a useful addition to our table nothing could have prepared me for the follow-up project.
14 1/2” long super walkways. Two of them. One has railings (from Shapeways I believe...) the whole way along while the other has some railings and some open spaces, which also fit those first three bridges...and the other long bridge, if you like. This really opens up the playing area, and with the ability to build a warren of maze like corridors high above the tabletop I'm excited to game with these! Also, just for awesome points, the bottoms of the long bridges have a magnetic strip so we can hang spider hoists and other obstructions from beneath. These are perfectly executed in my opinion and I feel they increase the play-ability of all the buildings. I also feel a bit sad...this is MY article and I don't think I can (or need...) to do better. So...I guess I'll show you something else that is cool that I know a bit about...
Everybody is going to fall to their deaths and that is going to be fantastic!
Moulding and casting is really quite easy and can save you lots of time, if you need multiple copies of a thing. Complex three dimensional objects require a more complex moulding process but simple items (flat on one side...) can be reproduced with relative ease. However: moulding something that someone else has made is kinda low, if you re-sell the item you stole and moulded then you are a scumbag and could face prosecution/persecution for your lame actions. With that in mind I will explain the basics of the process using a piece that was created by us (my gaming group) for us.
This piece was created with a specific purpose in mind and the dimensions (just over 5” and just under 2 ”) reflect this. My (imagined but becoming a reality) Sump Sea board is the big project and it is very much in the future but you have to start somewhere and sometime...by my rough calculations I'm going to need around 25 of these. This piece also makes a good, loose bridge and fits in quite well with the theme of the article. The master (the first and only one I want to meticulously make before simple reproduction...) was cut out of a piece of MDF by Chris, then details were added by James and it was turned over to me for moulding and casting. Thanks guys!
Master in mould Box, finished mould and painted casts. Now I can have tons of these!
The original was sealed with a mix of PVA glue and a bit of ink, just so I didn't miss a spot. Once dry, the piece was then glued down to an MDF backer or mould bottom, if you prefer. I make the backer 1/4” larger than the master, this one is a rectangle, so pretty easy. The sides were constructed from cardboard strips and tape.
For this process you will need silicone (for the mould), some type of pourable resin (for the casts), and some kind of mould release agent (Local nerds should head down to Industrial Plastics and Paints and check out the Smooth On product line). Next, the master mould and box were sprayed with mould release and the silicone was mixed and poured into the mould box, the depth was about 1”. The newly poured mould was left to cure for 16ish hours and then the box was removed and so was the silicone mould.
The mould can be left to cure further for a few more days for maximum re-castability and durability if you like. Also, various other devices can be used to get varying results in both initial mould creation and quality of future casts. We won't get into that here. It is enough to know that a simple mould has been created and reproduction can now begin!
Casting is also a relatively simple process that requires mixing of part a and b, which are then poured into the mould cavity and left to cure. Depending on your choice of resin somewhere between 15 and 45 minutes. Mould release should be reapplied every few casts to slow the breakdown of the mould, which will occur, eventually, with repeated use. Cast pieces are then cleaned and painted for use. A well made and looked after mould should produce 40 – 80 casts before it begins to breakdown to a point where it is unusable (again, depending on a number of factors...)
An early prototype makes a great joiner piece to connect a couple bridges into...well, a longer bridge. The corner posts are from, you guessed it: Zombicide: Invader!
Without getting too involved, that is the basic process for simple reproduction, a very useful skill to cultivate for gaming and also a satisfying hobby in it's own right. As you can see I've got a bit of work before my big project is finished...
best get going so I can shoehorn in some other gaming stuff for next time...
-Uncle Mike
