Making Ligny Brook

After our relatively impromptu game based on the Battle of Ligny on 17 June this year, I was keen to replay it (as we ran out of time in the first game, plus I have all the figures needed so it is ready to go, figure wise at least).  It was just a matter of having the terrain (or borrowing the clubs).  As I am in need of terrain I set about making enough stream sections for this battle field, having many years earlier created a sample.

First challenge was settling on a map of the battlefield.  There are so many.  And all different (mostly).  I ended up using one I couldn't see very well due to its mass of detail and fine print, but I had back up by using the trusty SPI board game of Ligny from Napoleon's Last Battles and a few other maps.  The map I used is the Rousseau Map of the Battle of Ligny (1853), which can be found here.

My model Ligny battlefield so far:

I still have to perfect the BUAs and make at least two hills,

plus there will be some small woods.  Not sure about roads.

The BUA boundary pieces removed for a better natural shot.

Looking from the east, with the village of Ligny front centre.

Bird's eye

The view from the western edge

The making of Ligny Brook

Strips of felt cut to size using sharp scissors.

PVA glue was run down one side at a time and then the  result pushed in a tray of sand.

With patience this technique produced as decent bank for my stream (mostly).

While the sand glue mixture was easy to paint (once it had dried), not so the felt.

So I ended up using a white undercoat.

This produced an interesting effect, but I wanted muddy water.

So on went a pale brown shade.

The banks were also given various coats of paint, from a black, to a dark brown

 and then light browns dry brushed.

The water sections were given two coats of gloss varnish.

Then the banks were flocked.

This step proved to be the trickiest, in part because my first attempt was rushed.

My guess was that there was enough unpainted felt around that absorbed the watered down PVA glue by the time I came to apply the flock.  Doing just a few inches at a time over came this problem, but meant this final step took the longest time.

This was an early shot and I like how the light has reflected on the varnish.

It was raining outside and I could well imagine the rush of water in the Ligny Brook.