You’ll need at least an intermediate level of paper modeling skill and a substantial amount of free time to put this complex piece together well, but the results will look great on your gaming table. The model offers more customizable features than I first realized; you can choose from two different wall styles, add snow to everything, and even add bullet holes to the plastered/stuccoed walls. In all, it’s a great addition to LZW’s 3D offerings.

Originally posted at: http://diehardgamefan.com/2012/04/03/tabletop-review-paper-model-ruined-house-1/

Some GMs prefer a minimalist approach to running a game, just PC sheets and dice. Others prefer simple maps and miniatures, while others like to use a whole array of props and game aids to augment their game. This PDF release from Lord Zsezse Works aims to appeal to the latter group of GMs who want to be able to produce a variety of ruined houses for their gaming table.

This download consists of two PDFs and a small .TXT file. Right away I was impressed by this download for the simple fact that the text file was little note thanking me for the purchase and a couple of email addresses for any suggestions to their product. One PDF was the instructions for the paper model, and the larger PDF, the bulk of the download, was the model. The ruined house has a slew of printing options. There were different bases, roofs, windows, and doors to give the GM a large multitude of different ruined houses.

I went with the basic, “default” options, and I assembled the model according to the instructions. It cost me $5 to get the parts professionally printed and I was appreciative that the producer packed the houses’ parts as close together as possible to reduce the number of pages. This made it a bit more difficult to cut the parts out of the cardstock, but it was a minor inconvenience that was quickly forgotten.

Assembling the model wasn’t terribly difficult, taking a couple of hours, but there were a few “fiddly” parts. As I started to put it together, my initial thoughts regarding the condensed printing changed. I didn’t like that the fold lines were so prominently printed on the model, while at the same time a couple of outlines, most notably on the roof for the chimney stack and on the wall for another chimney portion, were absent. Six of the model’s parts were glued on to other pieces of the model. I think that the model could have been designed such that either double sided printing could have been an option or entire pages could be glued together prior to cutting out the pieces. Some of the “fiddly” issues with this model included trying to get parts to line up just right. Even when lined up, there was a fair amount of white cardboard showing through. This could have been reduced by suggesting some edging with a marker or by filling in the edges of the uncolored glue areas.

My finished model was simply “ok”. I’m not a highly experienced at assembling paper models by any stretch of the imagination, but I do have several other models under my belt. Some of the issues with this model are just some complexity issues due to the fact the house is ruined, and some are just by design. The rafters glued onto the second story have to be precisely placed because they pressure-fit the halves together.

Overall the model has a lot of potential, especially when considering all of the printing options. This is one of those models where the second time you put one together you can make a few tweaks to the instructions to compensate for problems…. or lack of experience.