Kreighton Builds a Second Display Board

By Kreighton Long

With my Bolt Action Stalingrad German Army completed (for now), I set my sights on a display board to accompany my army. My plan was to make the most of some extra textured mats procured from Michaels for a previous project.

My initial dream was terribly ambitious including brick walls, iron gates, craters, and the burned facades of destroyed buildings. It would have been magnificent. Unfortunately, the realities of my attention span and skill levels dictated a need to simplify things.

I started with a preassembled plaque from Michaels that measured 10.9 x 16.9 x 1 inches. The cobblestone base came from a large cobblestone mat and the sidewalk was similarly from a brick mat. Both mats also came from Michaels. I used cut down matchsticks for the curbs and foam and the rubble piles.

I started by cutting some scratch paper to fit the inside of the chosen display board.

Next I plotted out how I wanted my display board to fit together. After a few adjustments, I traced the pencil with pen.

I set my current 1250 point army on the board to verify I had enough room to fit everything.

After a suggestion from my spouse, I shifted the top road off center to break up the symmetry.

I painted the cobblestone using the same process as my cobblestone roads which were covered here.

I painted the brick sidewalk by starting with a base of Iraqui Sand. Next, I painted the bricks using Red Leather, Flat Brown, and a mix of both those paints. I endeavored to paint the bricks by color randomly to create a more organic appearance.

The elements of my display board after painting and before gluing.

To give the sidewalks additional height I glued some identically sized scraps between the road and the sidewalks.

The display board with my Stalingrad German army. While I admit it’s fairly simple, I believe this piece is good enough to display my army and fits the theme well.

Happy painting!