CAUTION! Road Work Ahead! 15 / 20mm Roads Done!

In the interest of "stepping up my game" with terrain, I finally got around to working on a project idea I've had for a long time.

For Flames of War and a few other larger games, I was using cork railroad bedding (O Gauge) for larger roads and causeways.  This has a few advantages and disadvantages as far as I'm concerned.  It's raised for one thing, which is great because many roadways are raised for drainage purposes, or at the very least have culverts next to them to trap water.  It also offered a modicum of cover for infantry teams.  Problems are it's not easy to work with and much trouble to detail.  I ended up spray painting mine for larger modern games to represent an improved road surface.  So that's the end of them.  No horse and musket roads or WW2 rural roads for me.....until now.

Panzer 38 rolling through 

I was at the hobby store recently and found...well for lack of a better word, "hobby cork" used for small DIY projects which comes in 4 foot rolls!  For under 10 dollars US!

I layed out the cork, flattened it for a few days under some heavy books (Osprey's "Peninsula War Atlas" works great), covered the surface with PVA and sprinkled sand all over it.  spray painted it brown, then dry-brushed it with a latex tan.

I wasn't exactly thrilled with the color tan used, feeling it a tad too bright, but you build the roads with the materials you have!  I didn't want to use the acrylic stuff I have feeling it wouldn't have been cost effective.

 Speaking of cost effective, this entire road-network took me about 4 days to do.  Considering what the Hotz roads, and the Battlefront Roads cost, this allows me to put money where it REALLY belongs - buying rules I'll never use!

 The roads have that dusty, talc look to them found on dried roads in many parts of Eurasia (and Central Texas).

 For the price, they turned out nicely.  Ten dollars!!  No shipping.  Materials on hand.  You be the judge.

endless columns of Soviet troops march towards the front.

Cork has its advantages as it doesn't stick to my table.

Panzer Marsch!

Or how about the Norman countryside?  A picturesque road junction about explode into a full scale fight as German forces fan out!