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Three Will Get Cha Five With This Modular Terrain Board
We are always on the lookout for good terrain tutorials. John, a self-described 40-something wargamer from Maryland, shows us how to build a solid modular terrain board. This skirmish game terrain board is based on the northern European landscape. You can follow his exploits on his blog, 1000 Foot General.
Planning
Creating modularity while managing the number of pieces is always a challenge.
In Making Terrain Boards Part 1: Planning, John uses three rectangular modules.
He uses both paper templates and foam-core mini-boards to proof his design. It yields five usable board configurations.
Base and Edges
The modules are built on 2′ X 4′ MDF bases. Two layers of 3/4″ insulating foam are laminated onto the base.
He overcomes warped foam insulation and shows us a slick way to cut the foam square to the base in Making Terrain Boards Part 2: Base and Edges.
Cutting The River
The river is made in a three-step process. First, he scales up the templates and transfers them to the full-sized board using string. Second, he cuts the river channel into the top layer of foam. Finally, he carves the banks.
The pictures tell it all in Making Terrain Boards Part 3: Cutting the River.
Building Hills
This skirmish board is based on norther European land forms. John makes extensive use of photographic references to capture the look and feel.
At the same time, he makes sure the modular terrain board plays well. He uses masking tape to try out various road configurations.
Then, he uses one of our favorite techniques to build elevations – foam and tree bark.
There are many pointers in Making Terrain Boards Part 4: Building Hills.
Dirt and Stone
Now the bones are all laid out, it is time to give the boards their first skin.
A little spackle finishes the contours. Sand, PVA, and paint samples give the board an integrated look.
Best of all, the dry brushing lightens the ground colors to match the references in Making Terrain Boards Part 5: Dirt and Stone.
Grass and Vegetation
John gives a nice recipe for a base flocking. Then, he shows how to create visual interest without sacrificing playability by layering additional textures onto the base in Making Terrain Boards Part 6: Grass and Vegetation.
