FROM LUKE:
Well I talk about it enough and there have been a lot of requests for pictures so here's a quick peek at Bocage, also known as Lucage, Version 2.0. Normandy is by far my favorite period of the war and I
started making terrain for Normandy scenarios several years ago. I have to admit, my first forays into bocage, although well intended, looked pretty bad. I have taken a lot of feedback from people and
continue to refine my bocage making.
Often times people were telling me that the bocage needs to be higher or the rocks were not as visible
as in the bocage I model. Yep, but this looks a lot nicer I think and still captures a level of realism while being aesthetically pleasing. I think I have fixed the height problem and the games played with this bocage really give you a feel of being in the hedgerows of Normandy.
The bases are made of a pressboard, which are sanded to smooth the surfaces and slightly round the edges. Then four layers of real stone, not kitty litter, are glued on top to add a good height. You
need to wait at least 12 hours between each level of rocks to ensure that they completely dry to get the maximum height out of each level. The rocks have four different colors to give a good 3d and shading
effect. The bases are flocked with a mix of blended turf and static grass from woodland scenics.
Three separate colors of foliage are used to give the appearance of dense underbrush. The tree sections
are made of wire branches. I add foliage to them to make for more coverage. When it is all said and done I spray matte medium over everything to keep the foliage and flocking from coming off and to add a bit of durability to the hedgerows.
I make a variety of different pieces. Six and twelve inch sections, "T" sections, corners, angles, gap sections, two inch filler pieces when you have a gap the normal size piece won't fit and the set piece which is featured in the picture as well. Including drying time, it takes about 96 to 100 hours to make a ten foot section.
It is labor intensive and if you are thinking of doing it yourself I would definately advise doing at least fifty feet at a time. I have some more revisions for the future, including gate sections and more ornate fields for the inside of set pieces. The set pieces have become my favorite thing lately is is more ideal for ease in gaming.
I hope you all enjoy the pictures. If you are interested in modeling some bocage for yourself feel free to ask me any questions at luke [at] wwpd [dot] net
