Venice Wargaming Board - Construction

One of my biggest miniature hobby goals has been to build my own custom themed terrain board. So I set out to build a 4 foot by 4 foot board modeled after Venice Italy, with raised platforms, canals, bridges, buildings and gondolas. This should work for Mordheim and Frostgrave games. Part of the draw was that I wanted to craft my own from scratch. I took inspiration for modularity from TTCombats Streets of Venice MDF kits.

The design is built completely modular, for maximum flexibility. The main construction materials were 3mm PVC shell clad in 3mm cork. The raised platforms sit 2 inches tall. Hotglue was the adhesive used. I've seen many raised platforms made of foam. But they ding and damage quite easily, and I wanted something with more durability.

I made a full size mockup to sort out how many of each modular piece I wanted.

Final build includes:

• Four - 6" x 6"
• Six - 6" x 6" triangle
  
• Three - 6" x 12"
• Six - 12" x 12"
• Two - 12" x 24"
  

For days and days I cut the cork sheet into strips and then shorter "stone block" pieces. (actually weeks) Then hot glued them into place. After everything was glued in place, I distressed the cork surface with a knife to add a lived in feel.

A brief suggestion of the torture that is individual cork stones. This tray was refilled multiple times during the build.

The long process of gluing down cork bits. yay fun! With each piece, I did my best to vary the design and patterns of the stonework. Along the side walls, I added arches, drains, wood beams, little nooks, rings to tie boats to, etc.

The full set completely built and ready for paint.