Building and creating a world in 25mm seemed daunting at first so I did some research into other gamers' approach to this problem. the buildings have to be sturdy, spacious inside,roof comes off and easy to carry. 4-5 in a box with some trees,road sections, hedges etc..is enough to carry and then comes the figures and vehicles.
we work on 5-6 figures per player, 4-5 players per game.
one File box can handle that usually. But if you want variety and spare figures to cover the unexpected there is a tendency to have a couple of hundred to hand.
This group are from West wind and Wargames Foundry and suit most games as Criminal elements, secret Police or agents.
Period Motor vehicles are a must only there aren't enough seated figures out there! the answer is to buy two of everything you have cut them in half,and rebuild the lower body with milliput,green stuff and so on..
NOT!
You'd be painting and modelling for months extra when you could be gaming.

our cars are models of yesteryear (Corgi) and you can find them at toyfairs and some modelling shops. It hurts to see painted figures heaped on top of the car but they still do it.
A model truck with a flatback is preferable although not as flash as an open top classic car.


Take a childrens toy, Chop off the bits you don't need ,cut down to the chassis,leave the bonnet and add enough new structure on the back to take some figures comfortably.
This one is from 'search for atlantis' from a poundshop, 30p worth of glue,plastic card and paint and it's not too far from the photographs of similar armoured cars
1917-1920
Some troops are just not available. Mix up some Chinese (pulp) more chinese(copplestone)chinese warlord (copplestone again),file off the puttees,different colour scheme and bosh..Japanese Regulars 1890-1910.


Lots of extra possibilites when you have more than cars to offer in a game scenario. Childrens toys are the most user friendly additions to modelling and can be recrafted, a lick of paint and this train has been very popular for the recent campaign.
I left it as a 'runner' too in case my seven year old needs it.
the trains carriages were a little small so I added the passenger compartment of the airfix 'omnibus' to a railway chassis. although 1/35th scale, you can get more figures in and with more carriages you can have running gunbattles, a'la jesse james, on the carriage roofs. it may not be exactly to scale but for this type of game it allows more imaginative and practical scenarios. Some 25mm Buildings I've built in the past were perfect replicas of actual structures but completely impractical to skirmish in. a simple box,painted suitably and dressed up with mini posters,signs and the like and it's good for more than one use with adaptation.
The station was built for one game and taking images from the internet for posters provides an open public place. Lots of opportunities for innocent bystanders to get in the way or catch the odd stray round.
crowds are good to hide in and this building serves as: Bus station,Train Station or Police station.


"Looking for company Gavnor"
harlot from westwind propositions A 'gent' from Eureka. Eureka miniatures are a good source for civilians of all sizes and nationalities.


the 'Sisters' dispute their turf.
Conversions and westwind figures for the Nuns who end up in every game somewhere or other. As yet not a single casualty amongst them.
Divine protection or our players are afraid of everlasting damnation.



Pulp characters fit in well for street actions
and can add to plotlines for the game.
The 'Fatman' on the left has been an innocent civilian, Belgian Diplomat and a criminal underboss

only this time someone gets the drop on him.
Simple open building structures with enough twists and turn and corners allows a player to 'act' out a realistic move or intention.

Helen bach shadows the german Military consul Because of the nature of the games, it's necessary to have alternative figures for disguising your intentions. Helen bach needs a female figure in 'mufti' to blend in. Following discreetly in full flying gear? I don't think so. Stopped by the polizei."Me, a spy? whatever makes you think that?" fortunately there are many figures, mostly in wargames foundry ranges, that fit the bill.
Eureka too has many unarmed civilian types and children that suit most games involving europeans but I'm having to build a Japanese family group because as yet I haven't found any Japanese other than Samurai or ninjas.

STOP PRESS!

copplestone have two sets of Japanese civilians for town and country.Perfecto!
Using green stuff (kneadadite)to add the unobtainable.
A gunwaving figure kind of blows your cover. so an unarmed, apparently innocent figure blends in,to be replaced later on by an armed character with hostile intent.
This kind of deception works again and again, game after game, as the opposition can never make a safe assumption ever again. I myself, stopped a truck, putting a bullet through the windshield
and the occupants pile out and return fire. I and my target were on the same side. Neither of us were informed otherwise.
Modelling, Building, Crafting Bits for adventure gaming
plus more pix.