Fort Poldor
Once a stronghold guarding one spur of an empire’s expanding frontier, Fort Poldor was abandoned as the very frontier it was protecting expanded outwards and the need for it gradually declined. With no substantial local population needing it as a focus of settlement, it became an easy mine for ready-cut stone for a few remote farm huts and was otherwise left to the elements to gradually weather away. Even so, it remains an easily defendable place for occasional merchant train or detachment of troops moving across the landscape so ad hoc repairs to the keep have been made from timed to time…
The fort was designed to provide an ‘open access’ fortification that could be easily taken and re-taken from occupiers. It is for this reason that there are a number of weaknesses already built-in such as the collapsed parts of the battlements that allow an attacker to creep up behind defenders without blasting the structure apart. In addition, the flooring in the second and top floor can be removed enabling some flexibility in moving any models wanting to scamper up to these levels.
Fort Poldor is made from 5mm and 10mm foam core covered in plaster of Paris. The wooden decking is made form balsa, suitably scored with the back of an X-Acto scalpel to produce the exaggerated grain. It was constructed on a base of spongy foam bits that were liberally drenched with plaster. While reducing the weight (and cost) of plaster required to build up the height, this has also resulted in an uneven courtyard which was intentional to represent the weathering over the many years since it was abandoned. Foam core walls were then set atop the plaster and then also covered in plaster. Into the plaster went around 1/3 of its weight in dirty grey sand. This has helped to give the model a rough texture (and it also saved money on plaster). It is pleasing that since being built back in 1998 that the plaster-sand mix has remained very strong, surviving more than one long sea journey.
The paint job was achieved using poster colours, black and white. Mixed with a good amount of water to thin it down, a grey mix drenched the plaster. A light dry brush with lighter grey/white was then toned down with several black washes. The balsa wood was painted with poster colour brown and given a burnt brown wash. Finally, PVA glue was lathered on certain parts and green flock patches or just plain old out-the-back sand was sprinkled over it.