Border forts are the most-looked-at buildings in Battles for Arthos, so this week I gave them the art pass they deserve.
The problemOld forts read as gray blobs at a distance. Players could not tell a
repaired fort from a ruined one, which matters a lot when you are deciding where to retreat.
The fix
- A warmer stone palette so forts pop against the fog.
- Damage states you can read from across the map.
- Little banners that change color by faction.
I paint these in layers, silhouette first, then material, then the tiny storytelling details like scorch marks and hasty repairs. Here is a work-in-progress plate:
The banners were the fun part. Each faction gets a distinct hue, and I keep a cheat sheet so I stop mixing them up:
CODE red = besieged
blue = holding
yellow = neutral / abandoned
If you have opinions about fort colors, and I know you do, bring them to
https://madsplash.net/community. Gentle opinions only.
