Development on my
Valley of the Ape kids’ game proceeds at a slow but steady pace. I have a workable
draft of the rules and a solid idea what additional bits I need to
prepare (explorer cards with rules summaries and encounter tiles).
But the rulebook and other materials form only half the project,
although the part I can most easily share online once completed.
Along with the game design work comes the hobby work assembling and
crafting miniature wargaming-style terrain for the playable bits of
the game.
 |
A selection of aquarium plants
from PetSmart. |
Some of this material I own already,
stored in various boxes beneath or near the four-by-eight-foot
wargaming table in the basement. These include a swath of dark green
felt dappled with paint to vary the terrain surface, numerous 54mm
plastic soldiers (Zulus, British, Dervishes) from
Armies in Plastic
to represent explorer parties, the
giant ape from Safari Ltd. I
bought at a craft store, and a
resin-cast giant man-eating plant I
picked up years ago from Armourcast (though it could use a better
paint job).
 |
| "Betta" foliage cut for better coverage. |
I have considerably more work to do
with jungle foliage and terrain. I’ve already sculpted a few foam
hills and prepped some palm trees out of wire, artificial plant
leaves, and masking tape. But to fill out large portions of
impassible jungle terrain I needed a lot of fake yet exotic-looking
foliage. So I drove on down to the local big-box pet store, PetSmart,
and spent some time browsing their aquarium section. I found a host
of very affordable pieces from Top Fin, including some
single plantsfor $0.99, a few
“peacock feather” plants with a nice high
profile ($2.99), and – perhaps the most versatile find – two
varieties of what they call
“betta” artificial aquarium plants,
plastic grids with small plant bits mounted at each intersection (for
$1.99). These last ones provided versatile jungle cover, particularly
when split along the middle or diagonally to make two uneven halves
that, when positioned unevenly, offer some natural-looking uneven
terrain. For less than $20 one could buy enough jungle foliage to set
up some challenging and good-looking terrain; augmented with some
custom pieces it’ll make for an easy-to-set-up “board” for
Valley of the Ape.
 |
A scene hastily assembled from my terrain,
including the giant ape and some Armies
in Plastic Zulus. |
I’m debating whether to craft my own
temple ruins from bits prepped for old Egyptian temple projects or
just pay for one of the fish tank temples
available from PetSmart
(some manufactured by Top Fin and others by National Geographic).
Once that’s decided and I finish up
the palm-tree terrain pieces I’m ready to set everything up and
start playtesting the rules.
Armies in Plastic
Addendum
Folks who read Hobby
Games Recce know I love the 54mm (1:32 scale) unpainted plastic
figures from Armies in Plastic, including
the ones from my collection I’ve drawn upon to serve in my Valley
of the Ape game (Victorian-era British
soldiers, Zulu warriors, Dervishes).
They’re big, historically themed, and great for small hands (or my
clumsy fingers). The prices have crept up over the years as the
figure count has recently diminished (20 infantry
figures down to 18 or
16 in some cases). But I recently
happened by the Armies in Plastic website
to find an interesting sale: the company put their Battlefield Combo
boxes on sale, an 18- or 20-figure mix from both sides of a conflict
for $12 (the regular price for 18 or 20 figures in other sets is now
$17...). Of particular note for my own gaming interests are 6 British
Army in Shirtsleeves and 12 Zulus, as well as combos including
Dervishes. Those interested in the burgeoning French and Indian war
genre might like 8 Rangers and 12 Indians for skirmishes. Other
periods include the American Revolutionary War, Boxer Rebellion,
World War I, Napoleonic Wars, some
Civil War, and modern conflicts. They’re
a fun way to provide large, plastic soldiers to fight period
skirmishes – or just to play with – at an affordable price.
 |
Armies in Plastic Rangers fend off a
Woodland Indian Ambush. |
I’ve recently been bitten by an
inexplicable bug to dive into reading about and wargaming skirmishes
from the French and Indian War...and my collection of Armies in
Plastic miniatures lacks anything from the American Colonial period
(having focused more on 19th century British colonial wars). Seeing
the Ranger/Indian Battlefield Combo sets at the Armies in Plastic
website – plus a “buy 3 get 1 free” promotion – I decided to
order some sets directly from the company.
Normally I try to give my business to
local stores (none of which stock Armies in Plastic sets, although I
first discovered and bought my first Armies in Plastic sets from a
now out-of-business hobby shop in Fredericksburg) and, barring that,
wait patiently for one of the small, local wargaming conventions
where vendors occasionally have a limited selection. But I was
looking for something quite specific, and knowing how the prices have
crept up recently, wanted to take advantage of a really good deal. So
I ordered two sets of the Rangers/Indians, plus one with Loyalists
and Militia (10 each, plus a cannon), and, for my “free” set,
ordered British infantry (20 figures). Three days after placing my
order the box arrived at my doorstep. Along with the French and
Indian War skirmish rules set I bought earlier and with some old
forest terrain I can now start exploring period battles with a
minimum of work. Sure, the purists might scoff that I’m using
unpainted figures, but I have two ready made forces in an appealing
size. Thanks to
Armies in Plastic for the good deals and excellent
service.
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