 |
| Malifaux Gaming Table |
The table does stand a bit tall, as I neglected to take into account the height of the caster wheels when I built it. Having the wheels on it is key, since it allows me to just wheel it to whichever part of the basement I need it as I continue the larger project of organizing the entire basement. It works fine for adults, and since I come from a model railroading background I love the low-level point of view, where terrain actually does block your line of sight, but it is a tad high for the kids. I'll have to get a couple of barstools for them to sit on when we play.
The playing area is 3'x3', perfect for Malifaux and other skirmish games. It is set up so I can set a 3'x3' board in the top frame, or two 3'x1.5' sections (which is what is in there now) if I want to make modular gaming boards. I put a shelf on the bottom part so I can use that area for storage of bins containing unused terrain or other stuff (you can never have too many places to stash stuff!).
 |
| Left side "wing" |
 |
| Right side "wing" |
 |
| Removable terrain board |
 |
| Another view of removable terrain board |
I put a pair of "wings" on the table, because I think it is always a good idea to have a place for rules, figures, drinks, snacks, etc., away from the gaming area. On the left is a flat tabletop for books and food and even drinks. One advantage of having it set below the level of the gameboard is that if someone accidentally spills a drink, it won't ruin the terrain and figures. I am thinking about adding dedicated drink holders to the sides to minimize the chances of that happening. On the right, that tabletop is divided into three sections. The sections have a base of foamcore covered with felt to minimize the rattle of rolling dice. Each player can get one section for playing cards, rolling dice, etc, while the center section is used for casualty figures that have been removed from play. Or each player can keep their figures and reserves in a section and roll dice in the center. It all depends on the game.
 |
| With some Malifaux and Mordheim terrain |
It seems as if the table will be quite practical, and it looks pretty good. The woodworkers among you may have noticed that it is a little over-engineered, and is probably a bit sturdier than it needs to be, but that is how I like to build things. I think I could probably climb on top if it and it would hold up just fine.
Overall I am very pleased with how the table turned out. Another purpose for it was a "proof-of-concept" or test run for a larger 4'x6' or 5'x7' table that I am planning on building later this year, and I learned a lot while putting it together. For example, work from plans! For this table, I had an idea of what I wanted to do, and started sawing, drilling and assembling from a picture in my head. It turned out okay, but I could have saved some effort by planning ahead.
Also, the entire table, except for the MDF board I used on the wings, came from scrap and salvage lumber. The frame for the tabletop came from a prior attempt at a 4'x4' gaming table. The lumber for the structure of the table came from the dumpster next door. They are building a new house on the lot beside ours, and they toss all their lumber scraps away - hooray for me. Several leftover pieces of 2"x4" and 2"x6" later - voila! A gaming table.
Now to finish my Guild Outpost and painting some crews so I can play some Malifaux! (This will include painting up some Gremlins for my son to play, as he has chosen an Ophelia crew and been picking up the figures one at a time with his allowance and getting them as gifts. He has almost the complete Ophelia crew and is looking forward to completing it soon. And I've already been commissioned to build him a Gremlin bayou swamp table for them to play on! Yet more for my to-do list...)
On the Dystopian Wars front, I posted Lucas' drawing on the Spartan Games forum and it was so well received, he decided to do several more:
 |
| Blazing Sun vs FSA |
 |
| Covenant of Antarctica vs FSA |
 |
| Covenant of Antarctica vs Prussian Empire |
I hope you enjoy them as much as I did!
'Til next time!
Outstanding! I love the table and layout -- perfect for Malifaux. For those of us without woodworking skills, could you post plans/directions? Thanks!
ReplyDeleteThanks James! I am not a woodworker either, much of my building method is trial and error. Unfortunately, as mentioned, I was not working from a plan and kind of just winged it... but give me a few days to see what I can draw up retroactively with some of the dimensions.
ReplyDeletevery nice post..Thanks for sharing this with us.But can you provide some more detailsbanquet chairs?
ReplyDeleteThat would be great, thanks Henry.
ReplyDeleteHey James,
ReplyDeleteI was looking at the table, and since I worked without plans, some of what I did was pretty spur of the moment (oh, if I cut here and drill here then that might work better...). Also, I started with the 3'x3' frame already made, so I was basically making a table to fit a pre-existing tabletop. For that reason, it's difficult to draw plans after the fact. I am planning a larger table with a 4'x6' playing surface. For that one, since I will have to buy the lumber instead of getting it from dumpster diving, I will draw up plans, and I will post them here. From that, what you'll need is just to scale the plans to the playing area you want.
Wow -- can't believe a month has gone by; busy between work and school (going back for a MS degree).
ReplyDeleteNo worries, I understand about this table, and look forward to your next and larger table with plans. I'll extrapolate what I can from your pictures (if you could: how tall did you make it and what are the measurements of the dice area?). Cheers!