Populating a Carpathian town...

Somewhat paradoxically, I'm thinking about figures to populate my Carpathian town before planning on what to build, in the hope that it'll give me some inspiration, and remind me of some things I'd probably otherwise have forgotten...

First we'll start with the actual civilians/townsfolk themselves. The first set under consideration is the Romanian townsfolk set from Blue Moon manufacturing. There are a variety of 'types', some of which are recognisable from films (the guy in the black hat is a spitting image of the grave-digger from Van Helsing),  whilst others are less so. Most of the figures could work anywhere (burly men with tools, town drunk, richly dressed merchant, old soldier, town drunk) whilst others suggest possible scenery : The serving girls and cook would need an inn; the merchant could have a large fancy house, with a  goods store (either an under croft, or a separate out building); possibly some 'market' stalls for some of the figures with baskets to be standing by; a graveyard or house with coffins outside for the grave digger; fields for some of the workers to tend. Most of the figures look like they are on a fairly similar level in terms of income, although a few are obviously richer or poorer. This means that I could get away with having most of the buildings of a similar (tall, higgledy, piggedly) type, with only a few obviously poorer (smaller, 1 story) ones. The figures are a strange mix of styles, with older fashion items still being worn (britches and stockings) but with some more modern trappings. This makes mixing them with other figures a bit problematic - Victorian London types are too well dressed,, whilst AWI types just look too old fashioned.  However, I'm not likely to ever need masses of the blighters, and these would give a very good core population...
 

Westwind do a set of 'villagers', which have a similar old fashioned air to the Blue Moon figures about them. The bar-keep would fit in well with the chef, etc form the previous pack in an  inn. The lady with the candle is fairly generic, whilst the gent with top hat and bag would make a good doctor (another big house then, or atleast a more elaborate standard size one). The blacksmith deserves a forge to work in, and currently I'm unsure as to whether to do a separate forge building (1 story, open to the air on one side) or whether to build one into an under-croft under a house (with the chimney at the end). 

Westwind also have line of 'Transylvanian mob' packs, which will generally be used to form, well, mobs. A couple could be usable as villagers as well though (e.g. the chap with the scythe). These are also old fashioned types, with what fire arms they do have being a mix of flintlocks and more modern weapons, and a strange mix of clothing styles. Luckily WW make 5 packs of these fellows (enough for two 10 man mobs) as otherwise their style could be quite hard to match (that said, the guys with tools from the Romanian civilians pack could be used without looking too out of place I think...)

Westwind also have several packs of gypsies - some of which are suited to being 'characters' whilst others are better suited to being used as towns folk (such as the dancing girls). Being Gypsies, they don't need 'permanent' houses, although some wagons/caravans and maybe a tent or two might be useful for other areas in Carpathia. Luckily, these are available commercially tents from Rendera, the caravan from Westwind)

In addition to their mob; Westwind also do some 'Eastern European Polizi' which look like they'd make good additions to a Carpathian town; as well as being useful for 'rescue from the peelers' games. These guys definitely deserve a police house of some sort - I've got a vague idea of a low house, with lanterns outside, and possibly a cell or gaol house out the back. In terms of reinforcements for certain games, I should be bale to make something similar from ACW figures in sack coats and kepi's; and I'm also hoping to make some Austro-Hungarian or other similar soldiers for when things get bad enough to call in the militia! 

Old Glory's Cossack War range has a set of Cossack Civilians (and some celebrating figures which aren't so applicable). I could almost certainly get away with mixing a few of these guys in - either as drifters from the Ukrainian steppe side of the Carpathians or as country folk. I'm just not sure I can use a full 30 of them, so if someone fancies splitting a pack I'd be interested to hear about it. I'd guess these folks are move likely to be the ones living in any low, Izba type houses I make. 

I'd also like to have some other pieces of moving scenery in the form of carts and the like. The streets of London are comparatively easy to fill, with Hansoms, Coaches (converted from stage coaches), cyclists, steam-carts, omnibuses, etc. However, most of those are a bit too Western and up-to-date for Carpathia. I may be able to get away with a coach (after-all, one drops Jonathan Harker at Bodo Pass in Dracula), but I think the rest will need to be farm wagons and the like. Blue Moon Manufacturing makes a variety, including the one below, although it might need a converted rider...

As already mentioned, Westwind make a gypsy caravan, which could also be used to wander the streets and give the town a more 'lived-in' feel...

A church is essential for the setting, and there are a few Russian Orthodox Priests on the Market - Foundry did one with its Cossack range, TAG have one as a special limited edition, and Old glory do these. Most of them are a bit too militant for general use as towns folk (although, mixed in with West wind's Mad Russian Monks they might make for an interesting take on a  Brotherhood faction...!) Regardless, a church will be essential for the town...

Last, but not least, there is the Blue Moon 'Frankenstein' play-set has a few other Carpathian types. Only the policeman, who is decidedly Teutonic, is particularly suitable for use as a towns person (and not really usable  with the Westwind Polizi, but does open up a range of pikelhaub-ed type which could be used as an alternative.) The Angry mob have quite a primitive feel to them - some look like they've escaped from a band of  English Civil War Club men, whilst others look positively medieval. It might be worth my while looking at such ranges for potentially useful bits, and the odd stray useful civilian.  

I'll summarise the suggested buildings in another post in a couple of days time, along with a few other ideas that might make for good game settings (wood-cutters cabin, with lumber piles, etc) 

Carpathian buildings - scenery ideas

The two settings which really appeal to me for EotD are the dark streets of London, and the more traditional 'Carpathian' horror setting. Both have lots of potential figures available, and scenery for both could be quite striking. I've already got some hills and trees which could be used for rural settings in either the UK or the Carpathians, but not much in the way of suitable buildings for either (well, the old GW expanded-foam-stuff graveyard and a ruined tower, but again neither are exactly 'urban'). I've decided to start on the Carpathians as I'll need fewer buildings ( I can get away with a hamlet, growing into a village and then onto a town as I accumulate more suitable stuff, where as London has to leap pretty much fully formed onto the table, and also would probably be more intensive on extra street clutter and wandering civilians.) 

However, having grown up with a mental image of Carpathian villages looking like the one from Van Helsing, I had a fairly set idea of what I wanted. Steep roofed wooden houses, with onion spired churches. Having been to a historical building park (literally - the Soviet government relocated old buildings from across the country into one place) in the Ukraine, I had seen some 'actual' Carpathian houses, and suffice to say they didn't look like these - instead being quite low buildings, like those traditionally associated with the Russian steppe, etc), so I'll probably include some of those as a nod to realism if I can get some in a similar style.  I'm also thinking that the tall roofed wooden buildings would be used for Quar, and also the streets on Fever Crumbs London.

First up, some pictures of the sort of things I'm looking for, then I'll run through pictures from the commercial manufacturers of some scenery which might be suitable...

Blue Moon Manufacturing have some buildings which are perfect, and almost certainly inspired by Van Helsing. The only problem is, they are 15mm, and so not suitable :-( Still, it sets 'the goal' as to the sort of thing I'm after, and the fact that someone has already made similar things. If I have to end up scratch building scenery, then they can also be used for inspiration. The castle is worth a mention of itself, as they actually do a similar 28mm scale piece I would some day love to own...

http://bluemoonmanufacturing.com/view_product.php?product=EP-100

 But I think castles are a subject for another post in and of itself...

Hovel's Eastern European range is a popular choice for Carpathian buildings, and I can see which. The prices are appealing, the buildings scale well with the likes of West Wind, and they are historically accurate. The only problem is, they aren't what I was thinking of. As I've already said, I'll probably include a few lower buildings as less extravagant dwellings, and thee will almost certainly fit the bill. The church is perfect too.  

4ground does some MDF cut buildings (a cottage and a market hall/town hall/jail) which might have conversion potential - although quite 'Tudor' looking, it shouldn't be too hard to cut wooden boarding detail into the 'wattle and daub' effect regions. the roof's are as steep as I'd like, but that isn't the end of the world. With only two buildings in the range, the cottages would need a bit of conversion work to make them look suitably different.

Some of the Games-Workshop buildings have potential, but again, they have a limited range. being Games-Workshop, they are also a bit skull tastic, and would probably require a bit of work to make them look a little less fantasy. That said, the Observatory is a cracking piece of scenery, and would make a great dwelling place for a mad scientist, warlock or other evil doer. Some of the skulls aren't too out of place either...

Conflix does a range of pre-painted fantasy buildings, which could be used in a pinch, and for the price probably aren't readily convertible, or very suited for what I have in mind. But hey, other peoples views may be different. 

Pardulon has a lovely range of Fantasy buildings, which whilst not an exact match, certainly have the right sort of 'feel' to them (eccentric, tumble-down and all higgledy-piggledy) . The main drawbacks I can see for these are their price; where one could get a not-s-small village of the hovels buildings for the price of just one or two of these. 

Pegasus do a range of '1/72' Russian buildings, in both pre-painted resin and plastic kit form. Apparently these are too big for 1/72, and are closer to true 25mm than anything else. As such, they are usable with 28mm, although a bit on the small size in terms of overall foot-print. But hey, peasant huts aren't big, and they are very attractively priced (a pack of two of these is about the same as one of the 4ground cottages or hovels izba's.) Certainly they would be good for bulking out a village, or adding some outbuildings to a farm or the like. 

The PMC games buildings are another potential option, as they are fairly generic. Personally I think these suffer from the same affliction as the Conflix buildings - not quite close enough to what I want, and not really cheap enough to justify the conversion work required to give what I do do want...

As an aside, I'll be getting a couple of Citadel Woods as they have a suitably creepy air, which should add to my existing trees (which aren't creepy in the least).

So where does that leave me? There is nothing on the market which exactly suits what I'm looking for, in a price range which I can afford. I'll almost certainly going to  get the Hovels  church, and I'll aim to cover the planked roof with wooden shingles, to bring it closer to the one from the film.I may also get some of their houses, or see if any of the Pegasus ones have planked walls, to use as 'quick' table scenery, so that I can get on and play. I think to get the sort of buildings I want, I'm going to have to scratch build, possibly using the Matakishi cork board method, or something similar, and either carving boarding details in, or cladding with coffee stirrers....