Boarding Actions
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Warhammer 40K – The Badab War books have rules for boarding actions for game of 40K. The rules themselves can be used on a standard table or on a smaller enclosed area of the ship. To do the later the book recommends using Space Hulk tiles. Given that I missed the release for that game (and don't want to pay that much for a 2-player only game) I need to come up with a different solution.
Years ago there was an article on the Games Workshop site that detailed how to create a 3D space hulk using plastic gutter material. I did a few sections using their article as a basis, but was really unhappy with the playability of the end result.
Another possible solution I found was Hirst Arts. They have molds and plans to create a 3D Space Hulk board. Overall I think this is a simple and elegant solution, the finished product looks great. However the molds are costly (well worth the price) and it is very time consuming to create. The other issue is storage, the finished product is somewhat delicate and requires a significant amount of space to safely store.
As I pondered other solutions I remembered the sewer board I created for Malifaux. The board was relatively simple to create, and the walls could be moved around to create any type of maze necessary.
From there is was a matter of deciding on how to create the base board and texture. My game table is set to handle a 4x6 board for 40K or two 3x3 boards for Malifaux. I settled on creating two 2x4 sections of decking. In the past I've used "granny grate" a plastic grid used for needle point or something, however it is difficult to glue down and has a tendency to pop up after use. This time around I used a drywall tape that looks like decking combined with sections of cardstock cut to abstract shapes. Rivets were created using a hole punch and individually glued to the tiles.
The walls will be created using 2" and 3" thick insulation foam. I'll have a variety of lengths that can sit on top of the decking to create a maze. The nice thing about this design is: It's easily storable, can create a variety of battlefields, and it's easy to create.
