More Wargame Terrain

Over a year ago I ordered a book called Building Wargame Terrain, by Tony Harwood. Being a terrain-making enthusiast myself, this was a very welcomed arrival to my hobby-related library. The book was 98 pages long with nine articles featured in a progressive approach from beginners to more advanced building techniques.
Suffice to say, I made the most of some of those techniques by adopting them into my own terrain-making activities. I particularly enjoyed the simple and yet effective wood and stonework approaches explained by Tony in his book.

One year on, Tony decided to publish a second volume entitled More Wargame Terrain.

And what a delightful book this turned out to be. 116 pages long, featuring eight building projects in highly detailed terrain-making tutorials (including painting instructions), this book covers techniques to guide the reader to realistically model and paint thatched roof, half round roof tiles, timber, stone walls, wattle & daub and many more.

There is a detailed picture for each stage of the building and painting with a suitable description in text, making every single tutorial very easy to follow.
The other valuable aspect of the book is that each one of the eight buildings is very unique which provides us with an interesting variety of terrain-making possibilities. The resourcefulness in using cheap, scratch-build materials on one hand and the high level of detail featured in each piece also makes this book quite a treat.

The eight projects in the book are:
1. 'A' Frame Hovel
2. A Spanish Horreos - Grain Store
3. Donkey Worked Winding Drum and Well
4. Stone Barn
5. Well, Spring and Trough
6. Tilting at Windmills
7. The Olde Barn
8. Large Town House

The highlight of the book, at a very personal level, is the inclusion of a piece called The Olde Barn - which is also featured on the cover.
Last year I started a correspondence by email with Tony showing him some of my latest terrain models and how his first book had helped me improving my skills. One of the pieces I showed him was an abandoned barn I had made for my spooky village (which can be seen here).
Tony gave me positive feedback and asked me if I minded if he made his own version of the barn to feature in his upcoming book. I was delighted with the idea and obviously agreed to it.
In the following months, Tony emailed me on a regular basis giving me updates of his take on the infamous barn. It was fascinating to observe the differences in materials used and techniques applied between my model and his version.
In the end, Tony sent me a picture of the book's front cover which felt like a wonderful homage to our correspondence and exchange of ideas. He also included a mention of my name and this blog.

The tutorial of the Olde Barn itself is a festival of building techniques, different materials and it even includes an account of what happens when something goes wrong in the making of the barn - and how the author deals with it in the end.

I cannot recommend this book enough. More Wargame Terrain doesn't just complement the first volume; it most definitely complements any hobbyist's library with a collection of fundamental terrain-making techniques, thorough description of materials in wonderfully illustrated, highly detailed and easy-to-follow tutorials.

Happy reading, happy terrain-making!

João