Stash Update 'Project Kursk' - Part 2

As my tank collection for this project is now into the production phase it's time to think ahead and begin to gather the bits and pieces I need for the playing mat (for a GF9 'TANKS!' game).

Obviously Project Kursk is a 'Russian Front' themed game set in 1943 and although buildings will be sparse for the type of open flat countryside that would be the setting for such a scenario I do want to include a few isolated farm buildings and huts to break up the line of fire. (I will also be including plenty of woodland, but more of that another time.)

I already have a budget option for rural Russian building, as I came across some papercraft designs that are available for free download from the 'Perry's Heroes' site: Eastern Front - Paper Buildings.

As simple and cheap as you can get, but effective for a tabletop game. You will
have to do a bit of math to scale these paper designs for 15mm though.

My only niggle with paper and card models is durability. I'll probably want to play with these a few time for different Soviet games and - crucially - I will want to pack these items of terrain for transportation to my local club. I'm really not so sure how flimsy card models will stand up to being knocked about so I would prefer something along the lines of a MDF building in 15mm (I also ruled out cast resin buildings as, although they are cheap and fairly durable, they are pretty heavy).

Luckily there is no shortage of sources as 15mm wargaming is very popular and the manufacture of laser-cut MDF kits seems to have become a very popular cottage industry...

Star Fort Miniatures make this lovely Ukrainian/Russian rural church
for £14.99 (the roof comes off for infantry placement). They also do a
variety of Russian village dwellings.

Minibits have this 15mm Russian Village set  By Red Vectors for £18.

While all very nice, these would represent a bit of an investment and I have a hankering to make something myself from scratch (to keep costs down). So I plumped to by an single MDF building that I thought was good value from Red Beam Designs and will use that as a scale and style template for my own models.

The Red Beam 'Russian Timber house' seems to be a design I could replicate
easily with plasticard strips.

At just £4.45 plus postage it's an affordable investment, and although a very simple design will give me the scale for my own scratch build timber hovels. Red Beam have a few more Russian houses in the series, by the way.

After just a few days the 'kit' arrived (I *think* they are laser-cut to order). It comes on just one small sheet (smelling nicely of burnt, laser cut MDF) of just ten parts, ready to knock-out and assemble...