Modular Reeds & Cattail Scatter Terrain for Wargaming and Tabletop Terrain

[@DevsDice]

Hey folks! I hope you enjoy this weeks video where I craft some modular reeds and cattails to place around the modular rivers I did in last weeks episode! These are slightly super-sized to ensure that characters could hide behind them in any sort of wargaming or tabletop context! I am happy with how these came out! Stay safe out there folks! Lots of love! 💙💛💙

[@geoffreyrobson4745]

Instead of using wires, I used bristles from a brush. They were long enough and the ends were slightly feathered. After washing they worked well

[@DevsDice]

Sounds like an awesome idea! Whenever one can use natural resources that look good then it's a win Geoffrey! 👍😊

[@Fnordathoth]

Constantly amazed by your natural terrain pieces. These look absolutely amazing!

[@DevsDice]

Oh wow thank you so much! Yeah first time ever using plastic plants for something like this but yeah they turned out good! Thanks for being so nice and commenting! 💙👍

[@micah4136]

I like the mud idea where you add the modular mud, I wouldn't have thought about that

[@DevsDice]

Cheers Micah! :D

[@micah4136]

@@DevsDice Cheers! :D

[@Notmadenough]

That looks bloody awesome

[@DevsDice]

Thank you so much! They do look good but they are also very easy to make but since I didn't really see a tutorial out there I thought, why not right? :D Thanks for the nice comment!

[@RFDHobby]

These look amazing Leif. Perfect addition to those river tiles. Thanks mate.

[@DevsDice]

Thank you so much Shawn! :D

[@michaelshort1411]

One way of making your own mud rather than buying it in a store for $8.99 or more, make your own. Add some pva glue, water, dirt or sand and your paint and mix it all together. Then store it in a container. That's what we used to do when we did model train landscape before there was ever any Vallejo brand products. We had to improvise making our own stuff in the 80s and 90s. I actually got the idea from my dad back then. He worked for the power company as the lead foreman and one weekend we were recoating the ramp with paint on a sunday when the hardware store was closed and we forgot to get the non-slick grip tape so my dad of many skills knew to get sand and dump a couple handfuls of sand in the paint and we repainted the loading ramp. Apparently it was something they used to do in the 50s and 60s before non-slick tape was invented and people have forgotten these old tricks of the trade by trial and error. And believe it or not the sand in the paint actually worked better than the tape for over time the tape peels off where over time some of the sand does crumble off the paint but it seemed to last longer. Hope this helps to give others ideas and experiment with things and try new ways to make your own. Just like when you mix carpenters wood glue with wood sawdust you have cheap inexpensive wood filler putty.

[@DevsDice]

That is some solid advice Michael! I do sometimes make my own "gravel/sand/PVA glue" paste but usually for just one element in a build. Perhaps one should make a batch! 👍

[@michaelshort1411]

Will I liked your idea of the cat tails that maybe someday after the crazy events of recent life calm down a bit and I'm ready to make my cat tail terrain I'm just gonna have to make up my own homemade batch of mud mix and see just how will it works. thanks

[@blakec1924]

Great job on these! I keep saying it, but I appreciate how easy to follow the steps are, but still deliver a great looking product.

[@DevsDice]

Thank you so much Blake! That's awesome man! Also, thanks for all the support and comments! :)

[@blakec1924]

@@DevsDice Anytime! You are still the only gaming content my daughter likes watching with me, so I am in your debt on multiple levels. :)

[@DevsDice]

Hahaha! That's awesome! Lots of love goes out to you both! :)

[@RaqrexArt]

So great! Well done, my friend!

[@DevsDice]

Thank you so much Raquel! Yeah this one was a bit of a new one for me but fun! :D

[@RaqrexArt]

@@DevsDice Turned out great!

[@DevsDice]

Aww thank Raquel! Yeah I like also that these will be very usable as a potential one-sided cover for characters on the tabletop! :)

[@Liopot68]

Now, I know i can put "french cooking" on my CV as a transferrable skill :)

[@DevsDice]

Hahahaha! Perfect! 👍😂

[@johnyonkers3974]

You're a fricking genius.

[@DevsDice]

WHO? ME? Heck no! But thank you for the compliment John! 👍😆

[@johnyonkers3974]

It's been a couple years since I've built any terrain. I wasn't very satisfied with anything I made. Your videos are giving me the itch to give it a try again. Your techniques aren't overly complicated but the results are amazing. Thanks for the videos.

[@DevsDice]

That's awesome to hear John! Go for it I say! Try to have fun and remember that Rome was not built in one day! 👍😊

[@TimKapow]

Awesome Leif! I have been working on sugarcane and have been doing a VERY similar thing.

[@DevsDice]

Nice! A sugercane you say, yeah I can see the similarities! :D

[@TimKapow]

@@DevsDice yes a whole plantation worth of the stuff😅 my particular method does differ from what you have done here slightly and is slow going. But it looks pretty cool, I might have to post a little tutorial of it on one of the Facebook groups

[@DevsDice]

Please do! Sharing is caring after all! :D

[@TimKapow]

👍🏻Will do, eventually

[@Chris_BCG]

Oh my god, I love this tutorial Leif! I'll have to keep this in the records. Great idea with the triangular tape cuts!!!

[@DevsDice]

Thanks Chris! Yeah it's weird where inspiration comes from sometimes right? :D

[@TheGoodMood]

Damn these look fine! Really makes a difference to your river scenes!

[@DevsDice]

Thank you! Yeah they were a nice addition to the rivers! I especially love the fact that they can act as a visual blocker, gives monsters and players a bit more interest on the map! :D Thanks for the nice comment! :)

[@schuster7213]

U Sir are a Magician... impressive

[@DevsDice]

Haha! 🤣 Thank you so much Thomas! I am not sure I deserve such a title but I try! 👍 Thanks for the nice comment!

[@ForrTheXP]

Every addition to your wilderness battlefield I slowly start to get lost in what is fantasy and what is real Leif..... I have no idea how you keep thinking of these awesome detail pieces and scatter terrain! They look awesome. I am gonna have to come to your game table someday!

[@DevsDice]

Sounds like a plan man! Thanks for the nice comment! :D

[@darthtaiter]

I'm making a 1:12 scale stream and the instructions you give for making cattails is exactly what I needed. I'll just scale up and it'll be dead easy to make the stream look much nicer now. Subbed.😁

[@DevsDice]

That makes me very happy to hear KodiakWolfDog! Also welcome to the channel! 👍😃

[@kurtkyre]

Hey Leif, you can find de-ammoniated latex as well. It's much better, especially when using it for special effects makeup, as it doesn't stink or burn the eyes/skin... And the scatter looks awesome!!

[@DevsDice]

Ahh nice! Well I will use up my current bottle but that's good to know! :D Thanks Kurt!

[@KenOfthewest]

Simple idea, but great result!

[@DevsDice]

Cheers Ken! Yeah didn't see any other reeds videos out there so I figured why not!? 🤣

[@tabletop.will.phillips]

This was a really helpful guide. I'm thinking through how to make reeds for some river terrain in 15mm, and has given me some good ideas!

[@DevsDice]

That's good to hear Will! Always makes me happy when I help with my videos! 👍🙂

[@Berserkerworks]

These are awesome! Great idea for changing the biomes the river is in without needing totally different river sections!

[@DevsDice]

I agree! I like to work with modular and/or scatter terrain when I can! Thanks for the nice comment! :)

[@landuinpan]

Amazing, this is insane! Good job :D!

[@DevsDice]

Oh thank you so much! 💙🤘

[@chesterreeves9793]

Awesome video!! Never cease to amaze me with what you come up with and what you use to make it!! Thanks for the upload!!

[@DevsDice]

Thank you so much Chester! Happy you liked it! :)

[@ronaldboal7500]

Another great video! So, Martha Stewart (pre-insider trading/prison days) is now cutting up plastic bits to make scenery 😁. I definitely need to get some of that mud. Those reeds would look great on my upcoming diorama. Until next time, be well, man.

[@DevsDice]

Hahaha! Yeap! Thank you so much Ronald! :D

[@Trash-Cabbage]

Man, it's awesome to see the progress of your table since the first few terrain videos. Can't wait to see the next project!

[@DevsDice]

Haha! I agree it's getting kind of crowded! Yeah let's see what we can cook up! :)

[@mr.e1944]

Cool idea! Leif you are very innovative. I like the crescent role tape technique.

[@DevsDice]

Thank you so much Mr. E! Yeah inspiration comes from weird places! 😂👍

[@mr.e1944]

@@DevsDice I agree!

[@stephenrenwick8781]

They look really good.

[@DevsDice]

Thanks Stephen! Yeah a fairly uncommon terrain project! 👍😃

[@norcalonline1]

Top notch, mate! Love them.

[@DevsDice]

Thank you very much! Yeah a small but really good build! :D

[@playritesplayhouse1883]

Thank you so much for breaking out the latex! I used it on my tree build a few weeks ago and they turned out great. I’ve been thinking of other things that I could use it for. Now I’ve got some ideas! Awesome job on this build, man! Keep up the great work!

[@DevsDice]

Haha! No worries! I was thinking on using it again for some trees in the future :D Thanks for the nice comment!

[@Cypressed]

These look awesome! Very inspiring.

[@DevsDice]

Thank you so much Frogoto! Happy to inspire! 👍😊

[@ronkrueger-capt_koron6112]

I like what you did, but one small detail. Cattails aren't rounded blobs on the stem, they are like a strait sided fluff. You could have just cut your tape like long rectangles and it would have been more appropriate. Other than that the use of the longer leaves of the reeds were perfect.

[@DevsDice]

Fair enough! I can agree with that especially since the latex did sort of "bevel" it off a bit. Thanks for commenting! :)

[@ronkrueger-capt_koron6112]

@@DevsDice The ends can be bevelled off, but the middle of the top is like a tube with the very ends bevelled. I noticed that you cut the tape at an angle so it would kind of bevel everything off at the ends, like a crossant.

[@jeffreykershner440]

I really enjoy these simple and useful videos. I'll subscribe

[@DevsDice]

Thank you so much and welcome to the channel Jeffrey! 👍💙💛💙

[@gwen_the_badger3042]

Very inspirational again! I need to look for some aquarium plants now ^^ - I might have given them some dry brush in the end?

[@DevsDice]

Thank you kindly! Yeah I agree their color and shine was a bit off in the end. :)

[@paulmiller6431]

Great video and project ! :)

[@DevsDice]

Thank you very much Paul! :D

[@jonzinck4304]

Simple and easy good job!

[@DevsDice]

Thank you kindly! :D

[@donblack1571]

Awesome 👏🏽

[@DevsDice]

Thank you kindly Don! 😊

[@harrietcraig7817]

I’m not sure which project enticed my sub but it’s the best decision I’ve made in recent memory! Love your stuff-intros are hilarious. Great (painstaking) work!!! It would be a wonderful coup to figure out a system to mass-produce these. Also, aquatic plants retain a sheen of sorts which affects the realism. Did you have to overcome that when looking at the finished product?

[@DevsDice]

Oh wow Harriet! That makes me so damn happy! Thank you again so much for these nice comments! I am glad that you like my videos! :) Regarding the plants, I did use some matt varnish afterwards which did make them look more natural but I still think the color is somewhat off but still good for the tabletop! :)

[@EpicParsnips]

Hi Leif! I love the content mate, I really enjoy the simplicity of your terrain, yet it looks sooo realistic. What kind of gaming mat do you use? Also, I’m thinking of expanding my paint collection, do you recommend getting more army painter stuff or vallejo?

[@DevsDice]

Thanks Matt! Regarding the gaming mat I bought a "Battle Systems Game Mat Grassy Fields Ver 2". It's made from the same material as mousepads. Regarding paint it's a hard one, I think it's really a taste thing to be honest. I like both, they both have their good and bad colors as well since some pigments (such as yellow) are difficult! I've seen people paint good things with both so :)

[@EpicParsnips]

Alrighty! Thanks mate

[@EpicParsnips]

Is the mat you use 2 x 2 or 3 x 3?

[@DevsDice]

The mat I am using Matt is the "Battle Systems Game Mat Grassy Fields Ver.2 2x2 ~ 61x61cm (Mousepad)" So 2x2 :D

[@Vanye111]

Interesting build, thanks for sharing. If you're adding the mud, wouldn't that obscure any color changes caused by the activator on superglue?

[@DevsDice]

Thank you for watching! Yeah that could be the case but usually I glued the blades of grass higher up along the stem so I wouldn't risk it but of course if you make sure to keep the superglue low then yeah! Good point! :D

[@logcabingaming3710]

Awesome - nice work - my heart stopped when you went to cut the reeds in half!! Also, what is that awesome you have in the background and for your B-Roll?

[@DevsDice]

Hahahaha! Yeah that was a tricky cut. What are you referring to when it comes to something awesome? The music? 🤔

[@logcabingaming3710]

@@DevsDice on yes, sorry - left out the crucial word!! Yes the music please 😁

[@DevsDice]

Usually I do a lot of tracks from Adriel Fair and the end music is Call of the North - Niklas Johansson! 👍😊

[@logcabingaming3710]

@@DevsDice sweet. Cheers matey. Much love 🤘👊

[@peterkoolen8046]

Nice i love it

[@DevsDice]

Thanks Peter! 👍😁

[@justinmichael9043]

Does anyone know what the music is at the end when he does the “glamor shots”?

[@DevsDice]

Hey Justin! You're not the first to ask so I know it by heart! :) The track is called "Niklas Johansson - Call of the North"! 👍

[@yolandachakoetoe4729]

Can I use mate medium gel or modge podge instead of latex rubber?

[@DevsDice]

Only one way to find out Yolandachakoetoe! I would assume so! 👍😅

[@darkjack164]

Where's the music from, what's the name

[@DevsDice]

Wow! Well the music is generally from Epidemicsound and I pay a monthly fee for it. :) Most of the tracks I use is from an artist called Adriel Fair. Hope that helps!

[@darkjack164]

@@DevsDice thanks for the reply. Adding it to my rpg playlist, also, more importantly, like the ve the builds. Subscribed as soon as I saw it

[@DevsDice]

Awesome! Thanks for that! :D

[@sparkndark]

I hope I’m not the only person who didn’t think of cat tails during the intro.

[@DevsDice]

Haha I would wage that you might be a majority! :) just where my mind went! :)

[@sparkndark]

Thanks, they turned out great.

[@DevsDice]

Thank you kindly! :D

[@Jonaslabbe]

hi. do you have a facebook page. Im living in sweden and sometimes find it difficult to find materials

[@DevsDice]

Hi Jonas! Yes I do! Links are on my KZbin channel and such! 👍😉