A BOOK ABOUT MAKING WARGAMING TERRAIN

MEL BOSE
A BOOK ABOUT MAKING
WARGAMING TERRAIN
BY
MEL BOSE

1
INTRODUCTION
ARE YOU READY TO BUILD WORLDS?
Hello, I’m Mel Bose, this is my book, and I’d like to welcome been left in place to show you
you to a hobby that has filled my life with joy, given me a that they don’t stop a piece
peaceful respite when life has been hard, but above all, being great-looking, functional
enriched my life with my friends and with my children as we wargaming terrain.
game together.
Throughout this book are various recipes for the
The miniature wargaming hobby is often a battle across a common mixtures we use in terrain-making. But these are
tabletop. It’s that tabletop that sets the scene for the game, guidelines, not rules - materials and brands differ, as do the
creating a world where the dice gods decide the fate of the environments they are used in - so use them as a starting
figures below them, and the fates of the players who control point, take the underpinning knowledge in this book, and
them. This miniature world is called terrain and terrain- adjust them to fit your needs. The same can be said for the
making is a hobby within a hobby, and if you are interested various techniques I describe. All the core techniques of
in making terrain and creating these worlds to play across, terrain-making are included, but if a different method works
then you are a terrain maker, a Terrainiac, and part of a very for you, use it.
special club.
Above all, I hope this book will either add to the knowledge
Now, you may be a grey-haired, long-toothed Terrainiac who you already have, or give you a foundation for the knowledge
remembers the days before terrain making got cool, or to come, because this is a hobby where you never stop
you may be completely new to the hobby, I don’t know. So, learning or wanting to learn, and a solid knowledge base
I’ve written this book to start from the ground up, building always helps.
section by section to give you a fundamental grasp on all
Whilst terrain can come in many different shapes, sizes,
the essential knowledge and techniques to make terrain
and colours, this book focuses on the most common
for any location, time or genre. That doesn’t mean this is a
terrain types: the greenfield terrain that’s common to many
basics book and of no use to more experienced Terrainiacs;
historical and fantasy genres, and the grey terrain that’s
I’ve distilled into these pages as much knowledge as
common in popular sci-fi genres. But the principles and
possible from almost four decades of passionate hobbying,
techniques included here can easily be carried over to other
including many advanced techniques and things born of trial
genres and scales with a little bit of thought and planning.
and error, but in a simple way for all to enjoy. My intention
was that you’d read the whole book, without skipping over Welcome to Terrain Essentials, a practical guide to building
descriptions of techniques that you feel you already know good looking terrain pieces that make for a great gaming
about – so I’ve tried to make sure that every section has experience. We’ve got a lot of ground to cover, so it’s time
plenty of nuggets of knowledge and experience. I’ve also to crack on!
tried to ensure that explanations are given at the point at What do you want to build?
which I think they’ll be most useful, so if you don’t find them
where you expect, please keep reading!
Making terrain for tabletop wargaming is different from other
scenic-modelling hobbies such as railroad modelling and
diorama-making. Terrain is a functional item that has to work
with a set of game rules, and so that functionality has to be
factored into the build. Functionality is a common thread
throughout these pages, so that the pieces you build will
enrich the games you play. This doesn’t mean that this book
isn’t for those Terrainiacs who build for other purposes;
the techniques described in this book apply across all the
scenic modelling hobbies, and seeing how others tackle
different terrain projects is a good way to broaden your
knowledge base.
There are many modelling books full of beautiful terrain
pieces that we would all love to build. This book isn’t like
that, it’s not a coffee table book, filled with photographs
of beautiful terrain you wished you knew how to build.
Instead, it has great looking terrain that you can build.
Some of the pieces are simple, some are more realistic,
but the knowledge you need to build them is included
alongside the photographs. Mistakes haven’t been hidden,
or Photoshopped out, instead they’ve been left in place to
show you that even someone who’s been building terrain
for years can still make mistakes and often does, so it’s ok This book is dedicated to Corben and Willow.
for you to make them, too. Above all, the mistakes have My finest creations, the reasons I do what I do.

2
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS LEGAL
Writing and Photography First edition published in 2020
Mel Bose ISBN 978-1-950423-20-0
Layout Bibliographical references and index
Dave Taylor
1. Tabletop Wargaming 2. Terrain 3. Modeling
Additional Text and/or Photography
All rights reserved. Terrain Essentials is © 2019-20 of Dave
Dave Taylor, Phil Gallagher, and Lee Hughes
Taylor Miniatures, LLC and The Terrain Tutor. No part of this
Illustrations publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system,
Tanya Beeson and Tim Toolen or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic,
electrical, chemical, mechanical, optical, photocopying,
Editing
recording, or otherwise without prior permission of Dave
Phil Gallagher, Dave Taylor, and John Brader
Taylor Miniatures and The Terrain Tutor. Piracy kills small
Miniatures and Terrain by business. Thank you for your support.
Mel Bose The models and terrain used in the photographs in this
Miniatures and Terrain Companies featured book were painted by Mel Bose or other artists (used with
4Ground, Batte Systems, Games Workshop, Ironheart their permission) and are not intended as a challenge to the
Artisans, Mantic, Monster Fight Club, Sarissa Precision, owners of the respective intellectual properties.
Warlord Games, Warsenal, Woodland Scenics. Contact us at:
Additional Thanks to [email protected]
Jason Green and his family, the Taylor family, Phil Gallagher, or find us online at:
Tanya Beeson, Martin Coker, Lee Hughes, Kat Swift, Jez davetaylorminiatures.com and
Hunt, John Kovaleski, and Thomas Wynn for their support. youtube.com/theterraintutor

3
CONTENTS
WHERE TO FIND IT ALL
INTRODUCTION 2
GLOSSARY 6
PLANNING 10 GRASSWORK 96
So, What Do You Want To Build? 10 Functional Flocking 96
Terrain Design Triad 11 Scattering 98
Doing it For the Community 12 Flocking 100
From Dreams and Ideas, To Lists and References 13 Garnishing 102
To Pencil and Paper, and Cardboard 15 Leveling Up 104
Terrain Density 16
MAKING YOUR OWN 106
THE WATCHACALLITS 18
ROCKS AND HILLS 108
The Bare Essentals 18
Keeping it Functional 108
Tools of the Trade 20
Rock Painting 110
The Wet Stuff 24
Simple Starter Hills 114
The Sticky Stuff 28
Larger Substructures 115
The Dry Stuff 32
Putting Down the Small Stuff 117
The Foamy Stuff 33
Posh Foam 118
Building Boards 34
Stepping Up Your Rock Game 120
Scratchbuilding 35
Putting it All Together 122
Bits & Kits 37
Natural Materials 38 TREES AND BUSHES 124
Wood Stuff 40
The Right Sort of Trees 124
Scenics 42
To Base, or Not to Base? 125
THE PRACTICALS 44 Changing Seasons 126
Hedges 127
From Cutting Mat to Tabletop - Typical Workflow 44
Bocage (and Bushes) 128
Keep Going, Happy and Healthy 48
Painting Bark 130
Sticking it Together 49
Sprucing Up Hobby Trees 132
Good Guides 51
Building Wire Trees 134
Gloops 52
Feature Tree 136
Slapping it On 54
Thin Stuff 58 WATER & SNOW 140
Sealing it Up 60
Muddy Puddles 140
Better Building 62
Still Water Stuff 143
BOARDS AND BASES 68 Mistakes & Fixes 149
The Faster Stuff 150
Boards 68
Waterfalls - The Vertical Stuff 156
Battlemats 70
All About the Base 71 WINTER HAS COME - SNOW 160
FIGHTING THE WARP 74 BUILDINGS & KITS 166
MAKING IT MODULAR 78 Nothing Sets the Scene... 166
It’s All in the Planning 166
GROUNDWORK 82
Wooden Hut 168
It’s Not Just About Throwing Grit at it 82 Urban Ruin 170
Texturing it Up 83 Historical Roundhouse 173
Which Approach? 85 Fantasy Inn 176
Landscaping 86 Sci-Fi Industrial City 182
Painting 88
KITS 188
Special Textures 90
FINAL THOUGHTS 192
COLOUR SCIENCE 92

4
READ THE INSTRUCTIONS Stepping up your terrain building often means switching
from hand tools to power tools – with jigsaws, sanders,
Terrain building has always had an “arts and crafts” feel and rotatory tools all speeding up the build process.
and, in safety terms, most of the work done in basic Extra care must be taken when using power tools to
terrain builds – making castles and the like – is no more avoid accident and injury. Invest not only in the tools but
dangerous than when we did that kind of thing in school. also the safety equipment that goes with them. Safety
Most paints and glues are completely safe when used goggles can definitely save you from a life-changing injury
sensibly. Of course, care needs to be taken when cutting (they have saved my right eye from a fragment from a
things with sharp blades but overall, as hobbies go, shattered Dremmel head in the past). A decent mask
terrain-making is very safe. Common injuries are minor - will protect your lungs from sanding dust and aerosol
occasional cuts to fingers or thumbs and little hot glue sprays alike, and gloves are an essential when working
burns (more common than cuts for me) - meaning this with resins and similar chemicals. As a good tip, if it’s a
hobby rarely results in the need for medical attention. tool or material designed for the hobby it will come with
That is, until the tools and materials step up from the instructions. These instructions will typically be brief but
common blade, brush, glue and paint, to power tools, very important. Reading them BEFORE using the tool or
aerosols, and all sorts of funky chemicals. material is always a good idea!

5
ESSENTIALS GLOSSARY
A GUIDE TO SOME BASIC TERMINOLOGY
When you’re having fun with a hobby that can see you building not only everything on Earth, but
also anything you can imagine, and then you try to put all that into a book, it’s important to aim
for some sort of consistency in the terminology you use. We’ve tried really hard to keep all of our
core terms the same throughout each of these sections. Here’s a look at those we use the most.

ELEMENT - Something
that is stuck to the FEATURE - The focal point
feature or the base to add of the piece. It could be a hill,
to the overall theme of the a pile of rocks, or something
build and provide detailing, else, like this tower.
like this door or this rock.

GROUNDWORK - The texture BASE - The piece of GRASSWORK - The flock, scatter,
applied to the base that looks wood, MDF, or card that and tussocks that are added to a
like a particular ground surface. the feature is attached to. base to help it blend in with the table.

6
BUILD - The process of SET - A collection of pieces PIECES - Each individual
creating a piece or set of of terrain that are designed to feature of a set of terrain,
pieces of terrain, from work together to represent a typically given fairly obvious
concept to completition. particular place or environment. names like forest, hill, or pond.

TABLE - The flat (or EDGERS - Terrain pieces that

sculpted) surface that the are designed to sit along the
pieces of terrain sit on. edges (or corners) of a table.

BOARD - Still the most common form of table, a surface made from a
single sheet of wood, cut to the appropriate size. Alternatively, the board
might be cut down into smaller TILES or a BATTLEMAT may be used.

OTHER THINGS TO NOTE Example: Filler is a paste-like substance used in

construction to fill gaps between boards on interior
Lengths: We are involved in a hobby where both metric walls. In the US, this is called spackle.
and Imperial measurements are used side-by-side on a
daily basis. In this book you’ll find the use of millimetres We hope that even if we don’t use the term you are most
(mm), inches (") and feet (') pretty much as you will find familiar with, the context will provide sufficient clues for
them used commonly in the hobby. you to keep your build rolling along.
Weights: Pounds and ounces and grams and kilograms Green and Red Text: Throughout the book you’ll find
are also used almost interchangeably when describing different paragraphs in either a green or red text. These
the materials we use. As we deal primarily with ratios to are additional “top tips” (green) and important safety
create our recipes, we’ve tried to use whichever measure warnings (red). These are intended to be read in Mel’s
is most appropriate. voice and help to take you a little deeper into the whys
and wherefores of terrain making.
Ratios: We’ve taken a particular approach to the way
we’ve presented ratios to maintain consistency. The ratio Icons: You will no doubt spot these three icons of Mel
is presented in the same order in which the materials in various situations. These whimsical indicators are
are listed. If the recipe is presented as “material A intended to point out (from left to right): The most
and material B in a 1:2 mix”, it means that one part of important “top tip” on the page, an important safety
material A is mixed with two parts of material B. warning, and one of “Mel’s Rules”!
Example: “A 1:3 mix of PVA and water was then
applied...” would mean one part PVA mixed with three
parts water.
Particular Materials: There are a handful of regularly
used materials that go by different names around the
world. In this book, British terms are mostly used,
although (on occasion) the US term may also be used.

7
TIME AND ATTENTION
THESE TECHNIQUES ARE YOUR FOUNDATION
Although I’ve worked on a lot
of big builds over the years, we
made the deliberate decision to
work on smaller builds and sample sections for this book.
The thinking behind this is that if you’re comfortable building
a 6" wide section of a cliff face, with a bit of practice, extra
time, and a lot of attention, you can also build your own
D-Day table (or any other table, really).
The techniques that I cover in this book are the foundations
for your future projects and by using smaller builds we could
fit more of them in these pages. This gives you a broader
scope to create exactly what you want to create. With the
solid foundation techniques we’re confident that you’ll find
in this book, you’ll be able to build worlds!
Now, let’s get planning!

The D-Day Landings/Normandy

build for Dice & Decks game store

8
 The Turf War Z build for
Broken Spirit Wargames

The Frostgrave build

for Osprey/4Ground

p
The Fabled Realms Ma
build for 4Ground

9
PRIOR PLANNING & PREPARATION
PREVENTS POOR PERFORMANCE
Having an idea about what you want to build is only the start. Good planning is the key to building
terrain that not only looks great but works well with the games you play.
In this section, we’ll go through fleshing out your ideas and turning them into designs, as well as
introducing a host of often-overlooked factors that are crucial for success.

SO, WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BUILD? Gaming systems and rulesets often dictate the core
features of what’s to be built - the size of the table, the
That’s the wrong question really. Wargaming terrain is for scale you build in, or even whether buildings and ruins will
playing games, and the desire to play with a certain set of need ladders for movement between floors. They can also
rules, in a certain setting, period, or scale often dictates determine the visual style of your pieces; historical systems
what needs to be built from the beginning. are often tied to specific geography and time periods.
The first question shouldn’t be “What do you want to Similarly, the richly described world settings of some
build?” but rather “What do you need it for?” It’s easy to science-fiction and fantasy systems mean the look and feel
make the mistake of thinking that form and appearance of your terrain is pre-determined.
are what matters most. Remember that the purpose of While rulesets, genres, periods, and scales are all factors
terrain isn’t just to look great, it’s also a functional element that will influence what you build long before you plan it, you
of the game. So it should strive to enhance gameplay as also have to consider where it’s going to be used. Terrain
much as the visual spectacle. Losing sight of what it’s being is built for playing games, but the setting and purpose of
built for can result in pieces that don’t work well with the those games varies greatly. Games played at home between
intended ruleset or are difficult to interact with. The result friends have to fulfill different needs from tournament
is terrain that negatively impacts gameplay and the gaming games, say, to make for an enjoyable game.
experience.
If you have a very clear idea of what and why you are
During the planning phase, focus on what you are building building, there’s no need to note it all down before
the terrain for, then you can focus on making it look great in you get started. However, if there are any doubts or
the build phase. grey areas, it’s always a great idea to jot down your
If you want to play Napoleonic naval games, for example, thoughts to help you focus your ideas and make the
you’re going to be building small scale coastal pieces and planning process smoother.
ocean boards, whereas if you want to play post-apocalyptic So, it’s important the pieces you build work both to enhance
games you might be building a lot of desert-themed terrain the games being played on them, and for the community
and ruined buildings. setting the game is being played in. And for that we have
The Terrain Tutor’s Terrain Design Triad!

10
 DURABILITY REALISM

PLANNING
THE TERRAIN TUTOR’S
TERRAIN DESIGN TRIAD
Good terrain involves three key concepts: functionality,
realism, and durability. These concepts cover the terrain
as a gameplay enhancer, as a visual spectacle, and its
purpose beyond the table and the dice being rolled on it.
It can be incredibly difficult (nigh impossible) to balance all
three concepts in a single terrain piece, so often we find
ourselves sacrificing one in order to achieve the other two. .
Wargaming terrain’s functionality means things like
balconies being made wide enough to hold model bases, or FUNCTIONALITY
rooms being designed to accommodate a full squad. Your
chosen ruleset might need features that allow movement
through or over them, or it might require clear indications
of building access points, or the boundaries of area terrain
The realism of a piece can also be impacted by the desire
effects. A ruleset using true line of sight (TLOS) will have
for reusability in different games, periods, and settings.
a considerable impact on the design constraints of your
Making terrain that has a wide number of uses generally
pieces, compared to a ruleset that uses a more abstract
means simplifying and standardising it. While this increases
system. Ensuring buildings and ruins have plenty of windows
the types of games and setups that can be played, it comes
or blast holes at the right height for the models using a
at the cost of realism; nature is rarely standardised. The
TLOS system makes the difference between creating a
same applies to using a consistent build, paint, and flocking
key location to be defended and held in the game, and
style across an expanding set of pieces; there will be more
producing an “unusable” piece that models move around
variation in the possible game setups but less variation
rather than interact with.
visually. A dry stone wall on a grass base could belong in
Don’t think all your buildings have to have the maximum many settings around the world, across many different
number of fire points. Changing the amount from build periods, but adding a 1970s British signpost ties it to a
to build, or altering the side of the building they’re on, very narrow region and time. Little details may enhance
can make a building easier to defend from one direction the realism of a piece but only at the cost of reusability,
than another. This adds tactical considerations to make particularly if those little details are man-made items.
gameplay more interesting. Think about creating strong
The durability of a piece is determined by necessity, and
sides and weak sides.
depends on the use over its playable life and the estimated
It’s not just gameplay that affects the design. The needs level of care a piece will receive from those using it.
of the community setting also play a part, from the pieces Neglecting the need for durability almost certainly means
needing to be easily, safely and compactly stored for club repairs will be needed sooner rather than later.
and tournament play, to demo boards that should be both
Durability depends on the design as much as the materials
simple to play on and visually spectacular to engage new
and techniques used. Tall, rickety towers may look great
players in the system.
and enhance gameplay but, if parts are fragile or extend too
All that functionality often comes at the price of realism. We far, it’s better to remove them in the design stage than in
might think that what makes a piece realistic are the scenic the middle of a game with an inattentive wave of the hand.
materials, colours and paint scheme used, but there is a The same applies to trees and the like – delicate armatures
host of other factors involved. lightly covered in clump foliage will shed and snap with
heavy use, and realistic grass will be worn away as much by
Buildings, stairs, landings, gantries – anywhere a model setup as by gameplay.
may be placed – may have to be adapted to accommodate
bases. Even entire rooms may need to be designed around You don’t always have to lose the detailed stuff; trees
a set squad size; ceilings might have to be raised for the can be tucked against taller walls, or in the middle of
waving hands of squad leaders, ground may need to be more robust trees on a woodland base. You can have all
levelled for top-heavy models, dense woods might need those lovely fragile details but put them in places rarely
their trees spread out so players can reach in to move touched by models and fingers. If you
models. All these things (and many more) can change a can’t, brace them in the build stage
replica into a (sometimes merely symbolic) representation, and give them a good sealing at
and thus realism is sacrificed for functionality. the end!

Mel’s Rule No. 43 - If you had written it down, you’d know it now!

11
DOING IT FOR THE COMMUNITY! Sets need to be standardised in terms of colours and styles
because it speeds club night setup. Many clubs run on a
Certain common gameplay settings benefit from particular “green set” and “grey set” principle - most of their gaming
balances of the Design Triad. boards will either be green or grey, with a few extra sets for
The most common setting is home play: games played naval, snow, desert, and space games, etc. Standardisation
between the terrain builder, their friends and family. Builds also helps with reusability across different gaming systems,
in this setting can sacrifice durability for increases in and genres. Specific setups, like a heavy woodland board,
functionality and realism. The builder knows it’s going to be can be created by pooling all the woodland pieces from the
well handled, not misused by the players, and has the tools, club’s multiple standardised sets.
materials, and experience to fix it quickly. This decreases the Storage is another key factor for clubs, with pieces being
need for durability, allowing for more focus on the other two designed to stack on top of each other, or base sizes limited
concepts for good gaming experiences. at the planning stage by their future storage boxes.
Of course, if you’re playing with young players, durability Nearly all these functional needs result in a drop in realism,
becomes more important. The younger they are, the but no terrain sacrifices realism more than tournament
more emphasis you need to put on the durable point of terrain which has all the needs of club terrain but with two
the triad. If you’re starting your kids young, you have to additional, very important, functional needs. Tournament
accept that the pieces may be used for anything from a gaming is about competitive play and so the terrain needs to
toy dinosaur park, to propping up a tablet. So you might perfectly align with the ruleset being used. No tournament
as well plan for it, it’s better that way! organiser wants an unhappy player complaining that a ruling
Club terrain tends to give up a little realism for a boost in on, or a misunderstanding about, the terrain didn’t go their
durability, and functionality. Club members can generally be way and cost them the game. The phrase “I don’t care if it
trusted to look after the terrain they use, but not as well as looks great, if it’s going to cause an argument, get rid of it!”
in a home setting, so durability becomes a more important is common in tournament terrain-building sessions. This
factor than realism. “rules before appearance” principle can lead to multiple
sets being built to exactly the same design so they can
The key member of the triad, however, is functionality. all be laid out identically. This means no table offers an
Factors like cost, build time for mass production, advantage over another table, balancing the effects of the
standardisation across multiple rulesets, and ease of terrain across all the tables.
storage all come before realism. Cost and build time
matter because of the club’s need to fill lots of tables as Tournament terrain tends to sacrifice realism for a boost
quickly and cheaply as possible. And typically the burden in durability, sometimes to the point where pieces become
falls on the sole terrain builder at the club (and whoever symbolic representations, rather than scenic items, so
he can drag/coerce/blackmail into an evening’s club that they can take the mishandling they often suffer. It’s
building session). also handy to have a simple build and paint scheme if you
regularly have to touch up and repair multiple sets of terrain.

DURABILITY REALISM

For Kids
Dioramas

Tournaments
Demo Games
Gaming Halls

Clubs
Home Play

Playtesting

FUNCTIONALITY

12
 PLANNING
Gaming halls sit in the same region of the triad as club a battle from history, a walk with the family, a childhood
and tournament terrain. Storefront demo boards, however, memory, or even a dream. It really doesn’t matter where
require a completely different balance. your idea came from, it’s the idea itself that matters. Now
is the time to flesh it out, and that means research! There
Durability is not so important here since they’re used
was a time when research meant looking through photos,
relatively infrequently and are often handled by a staff
magazines, books, and films, but now all that and more
member who’s responsible for their care. Greater emphasis
material than you could ever use is online, so make the
can be put on realism and the visual spectacle to draw
internet your research friend!
people towards the game being demoed. The gameplay
area may well utilise only the ruleset’s basic terrain rules, With so much material at your fingertips, it’s easy to
allowing games to flow smoothly, and ensuring the players become overwhelmed and distracted by details. To avoid
are engaged in the mechanics and visual setting. The this, split your idea into elements and make a list: the
primary function of the demo board is to encourage people overall concept, building styles, colour schemes, and even
to buy the game. tree species and appearance. Once you have your elements
listed, tackle them one by one.
There are also less common settings too, where you will
need to work out the triad balance for yourself. As you For interesting ideas, just add the word strange/weird/
do, don’t think of the triad as a strait jacket, but rather unusual/awesome to the start of any of your Internet
something that guides you both during the planning stage – search terms!
to ensure that the design meets its needs - and during the
Don’t try to find stuff that exactly fits what you are looking
build process, so that the right materials and techniques
for, you don’t have the time to be making those decisions
are used to produce a piece that meets those needs. Thus
on the fly. Be relaxed and carefree. Even if it only slightly
the piece will enhance the game for those who play with it,
interests you, grab it, stick it in a folder and move on.
which is usually the whole point.
Otherwise you risk ending the research session with a
FROM DREAMS AND IDEAS, light folder and plenty of frustration. Be gluttonous, devour
everything that tickles your terrain-making taste buds. The
TO LISTS AND REFERENCES! point of the research phase is to gather information, not
Once you have established the needs (and the triad make decisions, so fill your folders as full as possible –
balance) of a build, now you can ask the question, “So, what concept art, photos, PC gameplay clips, links to video
do you want to build?” This question is often met with an segments, blogs, and tutorials alike.
awkward silence – we have an idea of the type of terrain we The research phase is also about creating a wishlist of what
want to build but that’s a long way from individual designs you could possibly build. From individual terrain pieces to
and detailed build lists. roofing styles, from entire subset ideas, to little groundwork
The ideas and inspiration for a build can come from details, to crazy feature build concepts.
anywhere: a photo in a rulebook, a five second clip in an old If at any point you think “Oh, that’d be
sci-fi movie, a passage of text in a novel, a desire to replay good” or “I need a couple of those”,

Mel’s Rule No. 21 – It may look good but if you can’t put models on it,
it’s no bloody use! The Battle for Wobbly Model Ridge!

13
for any part of the build, big or small, get it on your wishlist. feature centrepieces, to give your terrain collection a
Take the same gluttonous approach to filling your wishlist focused setting, so it’s more than an abstract collection
like you do with your idea folders. of the common features you would expect in that setting.
Players like to have something to battle over.
Once you have created your pools of research material
for the various elements and your wishlist is full of ideas, After you’ve defined your core list, go back through
it’s decision time. Now, the objective is to narrow all your wishlist and break it up into expansion sets. A core
you’ve gathered down to usable reference material and an green set could be expanded with a collection of pieces
organised build list. representing a farmstead, or a modular river, while a grey
set could be expanded with an industrial facility or a set
Establishing your reference material is done by browsing
of bunkers and barricades. Ordering your future build list
through each of your idea folders and picking a single theme
this way allows you to expand your set for specific settings
or style. It won’t always be easy. There’s no shortcut for
which is much more rewarding than randomly adding
deciding which type of trees you want or what colour to
unrelated pieces from your wishlist.
paint your sandbags. Just take your time and be honest with
yourself. This is all about how you want it to look. If you can’t When you’re doing your expansions, always throw a
decide, leave it, move on to a different element and narrow couple of the original core set pieces onto the build list.
that down before going back. This process is best done in A new themed set may allow you to play in a different
waves, each pass narrowing your research material further battlefield setting but expanding your core set means
and further until all that’s left is just what you need to make you can also play on larger or multiple tables!
the terrain look the way you want it to.
When working out your future build lists, save building the
Turning your wishlist into a build list comes down to deciding centrepieces to reward yourself between building your
what are the best pieces for the games you want to play themed sets. This may encourage you to complete the more
and then prioritising them accordingly. Imagine the setups mundane stages of the build process, and will allow you to
you could create from your wishlist and imagine what the apply the things you’ve learned while creating that set, to
common battlefields would be. Once you know this, look for the centrepiece to crown it. You’ll also be able to focus on
the most common features across them. Those features it without the distraction or workload of multiple pieces that
will become your core set. Green sets usually have hills, typically comes with set building.
woods, and bushes, while grey sets often have ruins, rubble,
Now you know what you want to build and what it’s going to
and roads but your core set depends on your personal
look like, it’s time to put pencil to paper!
preferences and what you need from your terrain.
Dream for the Glorious, Wish for the Grand, Plan for the
If you are planning a single set with no intention of
Practical, but Build what’s Achievable!
expanding it in the future, then include one or two small,

14
 PLANNING
TO PENCIL AND PAPER, AND CARDBOARD! Sketches
Of course, you could jump straight into building. Simple Sketching is putting your thinking process on paper –
pieces can be started without any real designing or planning, taking the ideas from your mind, conceptualising them,
but for more complicated pieces, like sets or boards, even and refining them until you have a design you are ready to
a little paperwork can save you from disaster and prevent plan out.
you from making pieces that, once built, don’t work for the
Sketches are about what feels right. It might be confirming
games you want to play.
that two style elements that you like actually work
The process of detailing your ideas is split into two main together – such as a roof tile style from a film and a
phases; sketching and planning. During the sketching phase, chimney stack you saw in a PC game. It may be confirming
your ideas come together and are developed, forming that measurements of a church nave and tower look in
a design which is then refined in the planning phase to proportion, or checking that the board space can fit a
produce a final build plan. certain number of pieces, or a building can accommodate
a certain number of troops. It’s always better to find these
What type of sketches and plans you create depend on
things out on a piece of paper before the build, rather than
the build type. For features like hills, buildings and woods,
on the tabletop after it.
elevation (side-on) plans confirm visual style elements,
whilst floorplans (top down) can be used for overall size, Keep sketches small and loose, with as little detail as
base footprints, and to refine any functional needs such as possible; drawing them should be quick. Draw them in
model placement. Floorplans for roads and rivers are more pencil but don’t erase and change bits, instead move on
useful than elevations as their planning is more focused and do another sketch. Constantly erasing and redrawing
on ensuring that their modularity works, whilst sets and can be frustrating, and you might erase elements you could
boards use floorplans to focus on terrain density and other combine into later sketches as ideas evolve and are refined.
gameplay elements for enjoyable games. Don’t worry about lines being straight and angles correct,
or making sketches look nice, they don’t need to be at
A detailed final plan of a build isn’t done in a single drawing,
this point. Instead focus on the ideas and developing
but rather as steps, starting from simple sketches, slowly
the design.
being refined as details and aesthetics are confirmed, bit
by bit, until it takes the shape of a final concept design that When you’re sketching, it’s easy to say “Nah – don’t like
can be used to draw up scale plans. that” but that doesn’t help you with the next sketch.
Ask yourself why you don’t like it, note it down and then
Time spent planning is never wasted, but it is often
use that as a focus for starting your next sketch.
seen as eating into/getting in the way of build time,
or precious gaming time. When you think of how long Keep going with this process of sketching, checking, and
you will spend planning a piece, don’t compare it to the refining until you have a sketch of a design you are happy
time it’ll take to build it, compare it to the time it’ll be with. The next stage is to turn this
played with over the years. Putting in a bit of extra time design into a scale plan for the
at the start always seems well worth it when it’s put actual build.
like that.

Mel’s Rule No. 36 - Yes, your measurements are right but what’s the point
of all that fancy detail if you didn’t double check your plans?

15
Plans If maths isn’t your strong point, forget the actual scale
ratio, think in measurements. Look at the graph paper
Scale plans are proportional illustrations of your designs. and count the boxes as measurement, like four boxes
They are the reality checkers of the design process and to an inch, then mark up the margins like a ruler. That
once finalised, become your guide during the build process. way, all your measurement checking is a matter of
Just as designs come from the refinement of sketches, final counting boxes, rather than the maths that comes with
plans come from the refinement of designs, although now, the ratio method.
refinement means little adjustments to make the design
work, rather than the larger changes of the sketching phase. To start the plan, draw the outline of your major features,
such as the front of a building or the shape of a pond,
Plans can be produced on a PC CAD program, but for paper adjusting as necessary. For floorplans, start in the centre of
plans, you will need gridded graph paper, a fine tipped your paper, allowing expansion of the design in all directions,
pencil, an eraser, a ruler, and coloured pens to highlight whereas elevations should start at the bottom centre of the
important points. First, decide what scale ratio to draw your sheet to allow for expansion upwards and to both sides.
plans to. Ratio shows the paper size to the real life size. If
one centimetre on paper represents one metre in real life, I always find it handy to put my best sketch in one
the scale ratio is written as 1:100. The scale to use is often of the empty corners of the page, along with any
decided by the size of your paper but also, how much you important notes for reference purposes, so I don’t lose
intend to rely on it during the build phase. track of the original idea
The planning phase is where many little problems arise, Remember that build materials do have a thickness, two
like the thickness of build materials making a corridor too identical walls made from 5mm foamboard put together in
narrow to fit a plastic doorway, or a woodland base only a corner will result in one side being 5mm longer than the
having room for five big trees instead of seven, or even a other, so factor that into your plans.
room only being able to accommodate a squad as long as Next, position the key details -- windows and doors in a
it doesn’t have a support weapon with a larger base. These ruined building, or in the case of a pond, a small fishing
issues are fixed with little adjustments to the design rather pier or an area of reeds. Templates, either commercial or
than complete redraws. Keep going like the sketching phase home cut, speed this process up greatly. Scale cut outs
until you have a final, refined plan of your build. are a great way of working out positioning or checking that
For the purpose of design refinement, scale plans should models will fit in place.
be as large as possible - to a maximum of two thirds of the Once you’re happy with the positions of the details and after
paper - so they are as clear as possible but have room for you’ve checked all the important measurements, the final
changes and notes. For use as a guide in the build phase, step is to clearly note the measurements and anything else
they should still be large and clear, but choose a scale that you will need to guide you through the build stage.
makes the mathematics of measurement-checking for
cutting as easy as possible. At this point you are ready to start building, but given the
nature of wargaming, and the size of the pieces and the
tables to be used, it’s worth taking the opportunity to refine
the final plan in playtesting.

TERRAIN DENSITY clear playable space, meaning a terrain density of 10-

For boards and sets, the amount of terrain to use 20%; squad-based games need 25-35%; skirmish games
depends on the game. A table’s terrain density is shown using just a few models need 40-50%. A terrain density
as a percentage, or ratio of the space the terrain takes over 50% will start to hamper gameplay, and a good
up, compared to the total table space. If all the terrain board shouldn’t be a struggle to play on.
pieces in a set, when bunched up together, take up a
Always plan your sets’ terrain density higher than
quarter of the table, its terrain density would be 1:4
needed, it’s a lot easier to leave a piece off the table
or 25% (like the tables above).
than it is to build another piece. For boards, plan for a
Different game types require different terrain densities lower terrain density - adding is considerably easier than
for good gameplay. Rank and file games require the most taking away when a board goes wrong!

16
 PLANNING
Playtesting
Since the floor plans of many terrain pieces can be drawn
on a large piece of paper at true 1:1 scale, we can use JUNGLE LONGGRASS
real models to check gameplay elements, such as model
placement. For set planning, this can be extended to paper SCATTER
cut outs laid on a gaming board to check terrain density, or
even playing games with them to check your set plan works.
For feature boards, wallpaper pieces taped together can
easily give a full board surface for planning and testing. q 5 Ovals - 10"x7" max
Nor need you be limited to a purely 2D top-down approach.
With corrugated cardboard, a blade, and a hot glue gun, q Long grass with pa
you can easily mock up a true scale version of most sets, ths
especially buildings, in a short time. This not only gives you q Room for 5-10 mod
the opportunity to playtest your design, but also provides els
something to play on while you build the proper set.
q Blend bevel for pa
The ease and speed of making cardboard mock ups also ths
means gamer friends can usually be encouraged to help
with making them, often adding a few mock ups of their own
q Standard Burma
design, and you can acquire any good ones for future builds.
The Terrain Tutor’s Terrain Testing Team are models
Build Colours
pulled from across multiple genres and systems, that
q Lighter, dried path
are so awkwardly posed, they’ll challenge any terrain. If
your terrain can handle these troopers, it’ll handle any
s
squad you throw at it. If you have problem terrain to
plan and build ... if no other model can help... and if you
can find them in your collection ... maybe you can have
... a TTTTT team!

YOU ARE ALMOST READY TO BUILD!

With your ideas turned into designs, checked, refined, and your final build plan drawn up, the design and planning process
is done. Plans are a guide for the build process, but it’s common for things to change on the fly as necessities and desires
dictate, just remember to update your plans when they do!
With all your designing and planning done, it’s time to check if you have the right tools and materials to make the build
happen, and that means getting all your whatchacallits in order.

17
THE WHATCHACALLITS
ESSENTIAL TOOLS AND MATERIALS
Terrain making can involve a wide variety of materials and tools from many different hobbies and
industries. From humble house paints to industrial resins, from construction materials to casting
powders, Terrainiacs will no doubt amass considerable collections of tools, consumables, and supplies.
Some of these will be more useful, or used more often than others, and this section is a guide to those essential
items, as well as an overview of the items most commonly used in terrain making.

THE BARE ESSENTIALS WARNING – Be careful when cutting. Keep fingers and
body parts well away from the cut line. If a cut feels
Your journey into terrain making can be relatively awkward or forced, stop, change your technique or tool.
inexpensive, as most terrain pieces can be built with a It’s easy to fix a bad cut during a build, assuming you
small set of core items: Tools, Consumables, Materials, have the fingers to do so!
and Scenics – all of which you may already own or can
purchase easily. If you are just starting out, I recommend Children’s craft brush sets are excellent for terrain. The
you assemble this set as a single task, rather than just range of brushes means you have the primary brush
getting the bare minimum. If you find you lack the items for types, their sizes suit terrain well, whilst their ‘designed for
the next stage when you are making good progress, your children’ sturdiness means they can stand up to the more
build will come to a grinding halt and you risk sabotaging punishing terrain jobs.
your motivation to continue, meaning the piece never gets Yes, 95% of my paint work is NOT done with posh artist
finished. Acquiring what you need to build what you have or scenic modelling brushes, but with children’s paint
planned is an important part of the pre-build process, so brushes. It’s not about what the brush is called, or who
gather your resources first. it’s marketed at, it’s about whether it’s good for the job,
Everything on these pages costs less than your average and kids’ brushes are great for terrain!
wargaming boxset, but don’t think of these things as
a ‘starter’ set, but as a CORE set. These ARE my core Consumables: glue, paint and filler
tools and materials that I build my terrain with! PVA glue (also called wood, white, and craft glue) is widely
available and is the primary glue of terrain making. Used
Tools from the beginning to the end of the build process, it’s
A retractable, snap-off blade will cover your essential cutting definitely an essential item.
needs when it comes to working with the core materials. Its When it comes to paint, interior, matt, ceiling and wall paints
retractability gives you a short blade for precision work, and are the best option with regards to quality and cost. Sold as
a long blade for foam work. tester pots, a core set of browns and greys can cover most
A metal ruler is also an essential when using a blade for painting needs from ground work and rocks to ruins and
straight-line work. rubble. Cheap craft acrylics are great, cost-effective paints

18
 WHATCHACALLITS
for detailing work, and a set of browns, a black, and a white Coffee stirrers, lollipop (popsicle) sticks, cocktail sticks, and
are the essentials, terrain-wise. bamboo skewers are regulars in modelling wooden builds
and, like cardboard, are easy to source.
Filler (also called spackle), an air drying paste used in
decorating and construction to fix cracks in walls, is another Scenics
terrain making essential. It is used in various ways, from
blending foam pieces together, to creating undulating or Sand, grit, and gravel make up the bulk of your ground-
textured ground. It can also be used to texture buildings or texturing materials. You can grab your own from local
put a hard coat on foam hills prior to painting. sources, and they are also sold in tubs by hobby stores,
along with the scenic scatter, flocks, and clump materials
Materials used for grass work.
Expanded PVC foamboard (EPVC) is great for bases because It’s common for your first terrain pieces to be textured
it is workable with a blade, and standard polystyrene and grassed up using leftovers from model basing tubs,
foamboard is cheap, easy to cut, and sturdy enough for and if you’ve got them, use them, but railroad hobby
buildings and ruins, amongst other things. stores generally offer the best value for money for
restocking your scenic materials.
White expanded polystyrene (Styrofoam), is a core
landscaping substructure material for hills. It’s workable These core items are available through arts-and-craft, hobby,
with a blade, can be glued with PVA, and takes acrylics and and DIY (hardware) stores, or can be acquired for free if you
house paints well. don’t mind foraging. They are the essentials of your terrain
making set, and once you have them, you have everything
Cardboard, both the cereal box kind and the corrugated
you need to get started.
kind, are useful in the build process.

19
TOOLS OF THE TRADE Buy cheap rather than expensive
brushes for your terrain work. Care
Creating terrain is a ‘hands on’ hobby. It’s about creating for them but treat them as ultimately
physical pieces in a process that draws on many craft and disposable. That way, when you
artistic practices, which means the average Terrainiac come to a technique that may ruin
uses a very wide range of tools, some more important a brush, you can say ‘bye-bye, Mr.
than others. Brush’ and crack on with getting the
90% of your work will be done with a handful of tools – your technique right completely guilt-free!
regulars – and another 9% will be your occasionals, for tricky Reliables - The larger brushes from children’s craft sets
bits and specific jobs. The final 1% are just for that one are great for all the general brush jobs. Made of synthetic
difficult job that they make so easy. fibres, their fine bristles make them great for laying down
glues, paints and washes in smooth, even coats, while
The Slappers their firmness and durability means they are good for
Whether putting down PVA for your first hill or sealing a overbrushing and dry brushing, so they cover most of your
finished piece with varnish, brushes are used throughout terrain building needs.
the build process, making them a core part of your regular
These cheap brushes tend to shed bristles, so give
toolset. When it comes to terrain, there’s not a vast
them a good drybrush without paint or water as soon
difference between the results you get with expensive
as they come out of the packet. A good minute will
brushes and those from cheaper ones, but having the right
usually shake out all the loose bristles, leaving you
brush for the right job makes a huge difference.
worry-free when you use them.

20
 WHATCHACALLITS
DRYING RACKS Drying racks hold the pieces up from the surface,
meaning that they don’t need to be touched when
It’s not just about the tools used to coat the pieces in priming, basecoating or sealing, but also they don’t
wet stuff, there is also what your pieces are sitting on stick to the surface they’re resting on when soaked in
whilst they dry. Terrain making can be messy work and PVA. You can think of drying racks in the same way as
unless you have a dedicated work area you will need to you think of cake cooling racks, and silicone versions
protect the surface you are working on. A large sheet of can work well for small projects. For the larger projects
thick corrugated cardboard is often all that is needed, you’re best off creating your own.
but drying racks can offer so much more than simply
keeping your work surface clean. A simple sheet of EPVC or MDF, a handful of roof felt
nails, and a little superglue is all that’s needed to
One of the challenges you’ll face when painting up your create a large drying rack. The key is making sure the
pieces are things like handling a piece as you apply a nails are placed close enough together that even small
heavy basecoat whilst avoiding sticking your thumb on pieces can be placed on the “bed of nails” without
any reactivated aggregates. More challenging is ensuring balancing problems. Adding a rim around the edge of
pieces soaked with a PVA sealing coat don’t get stuck your rack helps prevent excess PVA running off but
to whatever they’re resting on. This can lead to propping is not essential. With your drying rack built, you’ll be
up pieces on bits of foam or with paint pots, but a drying basecoating, priming and sealing away without any worry
rack can solve all these problems. about making a mess on your work surface!

Tough-uns - White-bristled, hog hair brushes are for your The key to getting good results doesn’t just depend on the
tough work. Commonly used in oil painting, they are right choice of brush but also on the care of that brush.
incredibly tough, and so perfect for all your stippling work. Rinsing between colour changes may remove most of the
Their bristles tend to absorb moisture which makes them previous colour but it still might tint your new colour if it isn’t
great for controlling excess water when working with filler. completely rinsed out. Paint caught at the ferrule can cause
Black-and-grey, badger-hair paint brushes are slightly less the bristles to spread and may even come back to haunt
firm but have the same absorbing qualities, making them you the next time the brush gets wet, even if it’s months
great for large-area dry brushing. later. After a session, wash your brushes with soap, rinsing
and repeating until no further pigment comes from them.
Dandies – Acrylic nail art brushes have the softest and
finest of bristles. Sable brushes are the softest, but the firm A little cross-tinting can be a great way of blending
synthetics are better suited to terrain building. They hold colours on the fly but if you want to avoid excessive
liquids well and apply paints smoothly, while their fine tips washing, you should swap brushes. While you’re
and flat heads are great for detail work, from base-coating, working, put a clothes peg on the brush handle and
to fine dry brushing. suspend the brush body past the ferrule in your paint
water to stop any paint drying while you work. This
Bigguns - The smaller house brushes, especially, older,
makes clean up at the end so much quicker!
worn, synthetic brushes, make very good large-area dry
brushes for board work.

21
The Appliers Smearers - Palette knives are for working with pastes, from
base work with filler and rock work with clay, to shaping
As well as brushes, there are a few more specialist tools waves with acrylic, heavy gels. Plastic palette knives are
for applying your wet materials and working with the not-so- more durable and firmer than budget metal ones which snap
wet ones. easily, making the choice either plastic or pro.
Dabbers - Kitchen sponges, kids’ foam brushes, and sea
sponges all make great paint stipplers. Simply rip and pluck The Builders
at them until they are irregular and ragged. Foam works well Although applying wet stuff to dry stuff is a major part of
for chipping effects, and sea sponges are great for large- the build process, you need something to apply it to, and
area stippling, from concrete effects to ocean and for building that something, there’s a whole host of
water work. different tools.
Squirters - Typically used in the sealing phase, spray bottles Clippers - Wire snips, clippers or cutters are good all-
are excellent at broad-coverage pre-wetting and sealing. rounders and do the bulk of your wire- and wood-cutting
Perfume misters are perfect for pre-watering tasks. Syringes, work, although kitchen scissors are better for tough lollipop
depending on their size, are great for more focused sealing, sticks. Heavy duty clippers are needed for heavy wire work.
while turkey basters can be used for large-area sealing
Grippers - Tweezers come into play when laying down fine
From experience, cheap squirters always perform better foliage such as tufts, while heavy duty pliers are good for
than pro versions. Discount window cleaner bottles gripping work and bending wire, especially tree armatures.
are the best because they’re designed for fine, even A set of clamps can come in handy when working with
misting and are easily replaced when they clog. difficult pieces, and rubber bands are essential for most
pre-bought kits.

22
 WHATCHACALLITS
Cutters - A retractable, snap-off blade is my go-to tool for Grinders – Needle files are good for working with wood
cutting. Scalpels (X-Acto knives) can be handy for more and plastic alike, cleaning up cuts or mold lines, and a
fine-detailed work, while a Stanley knife is good for working replaceable hobby file is a great all-rounder thanks to its size
with more durable materials. The serrated edge of steak and and shape. A sanding block with accompanying sand paper,
carving knifes makes them great for shaping foam. usually 80 to 120 grit, is well suited for terrain making.
Rasps are in no way essential but can be handy for shaping
Straights - Metal rulers are essential when cutting, with
details in foam. Barbeque cleaning brushes, both plastic
a 12-inch ruler covering most of your needs, and a metre
and metal, work well for texturing wood and foam, as well as
ruler being needed for larger builds and boards. Metal set
for clean-up tasks.
squares are handy for ensuring cuts are square, especially
with foamboard walls for buildings and ruins. Cutting mats are brilliant working
surfaces but you can work on
Saws - Fine-toothed diamond or jewelers’ saws are good
just a sheet or two of corrugated
for working with balsa wood and hard plastic kits. The
cardboard. Be aware of how deep
manoeuvrability of coping saws makes them great for
your cuts are going and of the
rough-cutting shapes out of sheets of foam, whilst a junior
surface under the cardboard (like
hacksaw is good for dowels and board battens.
the kitchen table that now resides in
Drillers - A pin vice drill is a handy tool to create mounting my studio because it can’t reside in
holes for pre-built trees, or to make recessed holes for our kitchen anymore). From experience, careful cutting
magnets on more versatile, modular builds and cutting mats are cheaper than new kitchen tables.
Prodders - A set of metal sculpting tools are great, not just
for shaping clays and putties, but also for picking away,
pushing down, or generally repositioning terrain bits like
rocks, while they’re still wet.

23
The Specialists Shiny kit syndrome (Oh, that’s shiny, I want it, I
need it, what does it do?) is a plague to be avoided.
The following, specialized tools are not essential, but Ask yourself, do you want to look at a tool you’ve
occasionally, for those very specific jobs, they can save never really used, or have the money for a tool you
time, effort and give great results. really need?
Power tools (specifically a jigsaw and sander) make base
building much easier, whether working in MDF or EPVC The Disposables
foamboard. Dremels are good for detail work with heavy Some of your most essential tools are actually the
duty plastics, resins, hardened pastes, and clays or rock disposable ones. Coffee stirrers and cocktail sticks can be
castings. Heat guns are handy for resin work and some as much tools as they are materials. Dressmaking pins are
ground-texturing effects as well. Powered paint sprayers great when it comes to holding together buildings and ruins.
aren’t precision tools, but they do blast through boards Plastic cups, bottles, and tubs are all essential tools for
when basecoating big sets. mixing things up and saving them for the future. Disposable
An airbrush can really help with tasks like basecoating and droppers save clean up time and cut down the risk of liquids
shading buildings, staining flocks, and even sealing them tainting each other.
afterwards. Its ability to put down thin layers of paint can Terrain making is a messy hobby, so gloves are important
drastically decrease build time, and using one to lay down for protecting your hands when dealing with messy tasks
sealing coats means a less messy and more precise seal or skin-irritating materials. The same can be said for masks
than using a squirter. when doing dusty work like sanding. Rags, tissues and baby
Start with an entry-level, branded airbrush that you can wipes are also essentials for your clean up kit. There will
get replacement needles for relatively easily. Don’t use be spills.
the cheap unbranded one that comes with compressor
kits. They’ll be so problematic that they’ll put you off
THE WET STUFF
airbrushing. Also, invest time in researching how to do Creating terrain can involve a wide range of liquids, pastes,
it. Trust me, both pay off! and putties, with shelves often sagging under the weight
of many bottles of paints, glues, additives, varnishes
Hotwire tools - ranging from simple wire cutters to 3D scroll
and others.
tables are great for working with foam. A flockbox and
electrostatic flockers are great for laying down static grass Colour Juice!
as well as creating tufts and flowers.
Paints are an integral part of the hobby. Most Terrainiacs
There is a host of more specialist scenic-specific tools, have both a wide selection of colours, and a great range of
from texture rollers and presses for ground work, to punch paint types. Paint is made from colour pigments mixed with
stamps for leaves and tiles. The list of tools is as endless a binder, and suspended in a medium which, when applied,
as the hobby, but you should focus on the tools you need to allows the binder to dry, fixing the pigment to the surface
build the terrain you want to. it was applied to. Paints can vary greatly in their pigments,
binders and mediums.

24
Acrylics
Acrylics use a plastic-based binder comprised of acrylic,
vinyl, or PVA, suspended in a water-soluble medium,
meaning they are quick drying paints that put down a
durable, well-bound layer of pigment. It’s these properties
that make acrylics the workhorses of the hobby, but while
there are many types of acrylic paint, there are a few that

WHATCHACALLITS
predominate.
Artist acrylics are thick paints containing very little water,
allowing the artist to thin it down easily to their desired
consistency. The main colours contain a single, fine, fixed,
coloured pigment, meaning they stay the same colour as
they are watered-down and also allow the artist to mix them
consistently with other true colours to create new colours
or shades. These pigments are inert minerals, which do not
change colour when mixed with water, or over time, making
them very reliable for painting.
Artist acrylics can also be a mix of fixed pigments producing
a specific, composite colour used in the art world. An
example of this is Van Dyke brown, a dark brown with an
organic feel, perfect for painting river banks and swamps.
This is because Van Dyke originally used his local soil and
peat as the pigment for his brown paint. (Of course, fixed
colour synthetics are now used!)
The thickness of artist acrylics, and sometimes their cost,
makes them impractical for the bulk of terrain painting,
but their fixed colour nature makes them perfect for highly
diluted washes.
A cheap, acrylic, art starter set from a craft store will
contain all the core artist acrylics you need to get you
through your first few sets of terrain with ease.
Craft acrylics, including model paints, are composite colour
paints with a higher water content than artist acrylics,
allowing them to be applied straight from the bottle or with
very little thinning, meaning they are quick to work with.
Unlike artist acrylics, which is a small range of set mixes,
craft acrylics use composite colouring to create an almost
unending range of colours. This is to allow hobbyists to work
quickly without any in-depth knowledge of colour theory
beyond using white and black to change the colour tone,
simply picking the colours they like rather than having to
mix them.
This wide range of colours comes from a much broader mix
of pigments in each paint, meaning that surprising colour
shifts and tints can appear when they are thinned heavily, as
they are not formulated for this purpose. This makes mixing
craft acrylics challenging, especially if mixing with composite
colours. It’s always best to use single-pigment artist acrylics
to mix a new colour from a craft acrylic base, to avoid two
unknown pigments producing strange results.
The array of colours and ease of application make craft
acrylics perfect for detailing work, and for basecoating
small, one-off pieces. However, for sets, feature pieces,
boards, etc., you will need more paint than comes in the
average craft acrylic bottle.
House paints - interior wall and ceiling matt paints (often
referred to as latex paints in the US or emulsions in the
UK) - are specially formulated, composite colours consisting
of multiple diverse pigments, with a durable, heavy acrylic
binder and very little water medium. They are not designed
to be thinned down or mixed but applied to a wall to give a
solid, durable coating.

25
Although they always require some thinning, the wide range Oils and Others
of colours, the ability to get custom colours mixed, and their
availability in low-cost tester quantities, make these house Oil paints differ from acrylics in that the medium, a thick oil,
paints your paint of choice. Two 75ml tester tubes can easily is also their binder. They don’t dry through evaporation, but
basecoat an entire set of terrain, while it takes less than rather a slow oxidisation, or slow burn process and harden
half-a-litre (approximately a pint) to basecoat a table. as they do. In terrain making, oil paints are used in a few
specific instances. They’re regularly used for weathering
House paint usually needs 1 part water for every 4 parts effects on industrial pieces, especially oil stains, much like
paint to make craft acrylic consistency. Pour your tester in scale modelling. Their oil-based nature also means they’re
tubs into plastic, squeezable condiment bottles, add great for painting natural materials that are water resistant
25% more water, plus a marble or other agitator, and like plants and feathers. Finally, the flexible nature of the
then place a piece of mesh curtain or similar between oil binder means the paint doesn’t crack when applied to
the bottle neck and screw lid with the nozzle. Tighten plastic plants, unlike acrylics.
it up, give it a good shake and you’re good to go every
time with a couple of shakes and you’ll never have to Enamel paints are common in scale modelling. Designed
worry about a blocked nozzle! to produce a durable finish, they have a varnish-like binder.
Although great for scale models, they have no real use in
Although we use all three of these types of acrylics, their terrain making, and their cost generally makes their use
function varies greatly, much like our tools. House paints prohibitive for any large-scale project.
do the bulk of the work, especially basecoating and ground
work. It’s best to have a collection of core greys and The Variables
browns, along with their highlight colours, and any specific
Paints don’t have to be thick; inks, dyes and stains are
colours you need for terrain basecoating such as blues for
all paints but with a much finer pigment and binder. This
water work. Craft paints are used on a needs-must basis
means that, when thinned, they produce finer, more
and rarely need restocking. The colours you need are often
translucent effects, as compared to thinned acrylic paints.
dictated by the details needing painting at the time or the
Although binders can vary, acrylic inks are used for making
desire to get a certain effect. Since artist acrylics are used
washes or tinting acrylic and resin water effects. Dyes,
mainly for washes and for tinting other paints, small tubes
especially polyester dyes, are used for colouring teddy bear
can last years, even with regular use.
fur material to create gaming mats. Stains are great for
Another type of acrylic paint is coloured aerosol spray weathering buildings, rocks and any hard feature, including
primer, where the medium is a pressurised propellant ground work.
which, when released, carries the pigment and binder to
At the other end of the scale, you can have much thicker
the surface being painted. The quick evaporation of the
mediums like acrylic gels. Applied like a paste, they leave
propellant means layers of aerosol paint dry very quickly.
a textured effect when dry, and are typically used to create
The additional benefits are the ability to paint surfaces that
water effects, from ripples to ocean waves. There is also a
struggle to take water-based acrylics, and also to paint very
wide range of texture pastes and specialist artist mediums,
irregular surfaces such as fibrous material.
such as crackle mediums which can be used to create
Coloured spray primers with matching acrylic brush-on cracked and dried earth textures.
paints are great for basecoating buildings. The spray
Pastels have no medium but consist only of pigment and
gives a nice, even-coloured basecoat and any missed
binder, which can be either oil- or water-based. Applied by
bits, such as underhangs, can be touched up with the
rubbing, their strong pigment is great for breaking up a large,
matching acrylic paint.

26
 WHATCHACALLITS
flat, coloured surface such as a cliff or rooftop, creating a tougher. Commonly used flow aids include commercially
stronger contrast than washes can achieve on flat surfaces. available artist’s flow improvers, isopropyl alcohol, dish
detergent, and even certain floor polishes.
Finally, there are dry pigments (with neither medium nor
binder), weathering powders, and chalks. Pigments and Matt medium is an essential for creating professional-
weathering powders are minerals, mined from the earth, or looking washes. Comprising of an acrylic binder and
synthetics that are colour-fixed. Being powder, they can be a matting agent suspended in a medium, it’s basically
applied very lightly and manipulated to create the desired pigmentless paint. In terrain making, when mixed with inks,
weathering effect before being fixed with a spray varnish, so it creates washes that adhere to smooth surfaces, creating
as not to disturb them with brush strokes. Coloured chalk a better matt shading effect than watered-down acrylic
is often used as an inexpensive form of weathering powder paints can achieve.
and while white chalk is a colour-fixed mineral, dyed chalk is
not and can react unusually with other colours. All the rest
There are lots of other paints and additives, ranging from
Mixing it up acrylic gouaches to drying retarder that can be used for
It’s not just the paint that matters, what you mix it with can terrain making, but they are typically only for very
also have an impact. The first and most important of these specialist work.
additives is water, used in abundance throughout the build
There’s an almost unlimited range of paints, inks, pastes,
process, from thinning glues and paints to sealing terrain
pigments, and additives to add to your collection but your
and cleaning brushes.
workhorses will always be your basecoating house paints,
Tap water is perfectly fine for terrain making, although artist acrylics for your washes, model paints for your details,
don’t rely on the tap. Have a small bottle on your and your flow aid, whatever it may be.
worktop to speed up thinning paints and making
When buying, stick to the colours
quick washes.
and mediums you need rather getting
After water, flow aid is the most commonly used additive. complete ranges. Yeah, they look
When added to paint, flow aid reduces its surface tension, nice on the shelf but you’re just going
allowing it to flow more smoothly. In terrain making, this to watch half of them dry out unused.
means not just smooth basecoats but also washes that Spend your pennies on the paint you
flow naturally into recesses to create shadows, and sealing need but haven’t got yet!
coats that soak deeper into foliage pieces to make them

27
THE STICKY STUFF It can be mixed with acrylics to create basecoats that seal
the surfaces they’re applied to as well as painting them.
Making things and sticking them to other things is the core
of terrain building, and so glues are used from the very start It’s this versatility that makes PVA the go-to glue for
of the build process to the very end, with different types terrain making, either in its standard form or in more
being used in different circumstances. specialised mixes.
Mod Podge is a type of PVA glue where the medium is a gel
King of the Glues! rather than water, often mixed with either a matting or gloss
Polyvinyl Acetate, PVA, wood, white, or craft glue – additive to give matte and gloss variants, along with others.
whatever you call it, it’s the workhorse of the terrain making The heavy-bodied nature of Mod Podge means it can be
glues. PVA is a vinyl-based glue, suspended in a water used to create subtle water effects such as surf, ripples and
medium, appearing white when wet and drying to a flat, small rolling waves. It’s gel nature makes it great for bonding
flexible, slightly transparent vinyl. Most PVA glues are just materials that have irregular joining surfaces, as the gel
PVA, but some industrial glues can have a yellow tint due to fills in the gaps to hold things like clump foliage and other
additives. The strength of PVA glue varies on the purpose it’s fibrous materials in place as they bond.
sold for. Craft glues are watered-down the most, giving the
A lot of scale modellers like to use watered-down
weakest bond when compared to industrial, raw PVA, which
Matte Mod Podge for sealing, as it gives a matt finish
is almost gel-like (and the strongest bonding PVA available).
compared to the slightly glossy finish from thinned
Being water soluble, PVA works best at tasks where it can
PVA. The same effect can be achieved by adding a little
soak into the materials being bonded, whilst it struggles
matte medium to your watered-down PVA for a fraction
bonding to plastics and metals.
of the price.
The downside of it being water soluble is that when water is
Tacky glue is another PVA variant. It’s often thicker than
applied to dried PVA, it reactivates, softens, and often stops
craft PVA, sometimes contains latex additives, and is far
bonding until it’s dry again, so extra care should be taken
stickier. It’s this thickness, ability to grip quicker and dry
when sealing with PVA.
faster, that makes tacky glue great for building terrain,
Applied straight from the bottle, PVA is used for a multiplicity whether placing rock clusters or laying cast bricks to make
of tasks from gluing foam hills and bases, to constructing a building.
buildings out of foamboard. Slightly thinned with cold water,
To make your own tacky glue, pour PVA into a foil
it’s used to bond layers of fine particle materials such as
serving tray and leave it to dry; stick it somewhere
sand, grit, flock and snow scatter. Watered-down even
warm and occasionally stir it to stop a skin forming.
further and mixed with a flow aid, it’s used as a sealing coat.
When it’s thick, pour it back in the bottle and you’re
ready to go!

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Hot Stuff Super Stuff
After PVA, hot glues or low melt temperature plastic glues Cyanoacrylate acid (CA), more commonly known as super
are the go-to glues. Bought in solid sticks of either 6mm or glue or crazy glue is a fast-acting, resin polymer glue that’s
11mm diameter, varying in length from a couple of inches activated by exposure to the moisture in the air, and further
to a couple of feet, it is applied via a hot glue gun, where accelerated by water. Hot, dry air doesn’t accelerate the
the sticks are heated internally before trigger pressure curing process but moisture in your breath from blowing
forces the hot liquid plastic out of the gun’s nozzle on to the on it will. Curing accelerators are available, that speed up

WHATCHACALLITS
material, to which it bonds as it cools. the curing process by applying a mist of water, although
professional versions can also contain an alkali, which
The hot glue guns themselves can vary more than the glue
drastically speeds up the polymerisation process; it’s
sticks, with variable temperature, precision application,
always best to check the ingredients before purchasing.
and cordless rechargeables, available in both 6mm and
The process can also be sped up by applying baking soda to
11mm forms. Glue sticks vary in quality, with the softer,
wet CA glue. The particles allow quick bonding and create
opaque sticks melting at a lower temperature and providing
a much stronger bond across gaps which, when hardened,
a weaker bond compared to the harder translucent higher
can be sanded into shape, making it a useful filler for ill-
temperature melt sticks.
fitting model joins.
High temperature glues WILL stick to and blister skin.
Having a shelf life of around a year unopened and a month
Use a probe such as a lollipop stick to push things
once opened, CA is the more costly of the commonly used
firmly down when trying to get a bond rather than your
terrain glues, and is usually only applied in very specific
finger, and keep a cup of water to hand for when you
terrain building needs. Available in both liquid and gel form,
forget to use your probe!
the gel is most commonly used for building, primarily for
Although hot glue doesn’t have the penetration of PVA, its the control it gives when applying. CA glues also have the
surface grip strength is strong enough to make it the glue stickiness and fast-acting benefits of hot glue, especially
of choice for plastics, metals and resins. The fact that it is on non-porous surfaces, but without the volume, meaning
gel-like when hot but solidifies through cooling rather than there should be fewer gaps between well-fitting surfaces
evaporating like PVA, means that it doesn’t lose volume as it when using CA.
bonds. Given the speed with which it cools and bonds, hot
Avoid cheap CAs. Their fumes when curing can be quite
glue is better for gripping and bonding irregular and fibrous
strong and can discolour any acrylics near the glue
materials than Mod Podge, which takes longer to bond and
spot! Buy a good brand in a small tube volume; there’s
reduces in volume as it does. The strength and speed of
no point stocking up or buying big tubes, it’ll just go off!
bonding of hot glues mean they’re also great for speeding
up the build phase, fixing pieces in seconds compared to WARNING – Whilst PVA with hot glue
the hours it can take PVA to bond, and this means that can be your friend, super glue with
builds are not held up by glue-drying times. hot glue is NOT your friend. When hot
glue mixes with wet super glue, it will
PVA or Hot Glue? Why not both? PVA and hot glues
vaporise. These vapours then float
aren’t mutually exclusive, you can use them at the
up and attach themselves to any wet
same time. I’ll regularly prepare pieces to be glued
surface they come into contact with,
together with PVA but just before putting them together,
such as your eyeballs, or the inner
I’ll put a few spots of hot glue between the PVA. These
surfaces of the nose, throat and lungs.
few spots fix the piece in place quickly, allowing the PVA
It CAN blind you and at the very
to dry without being disturbed by slippage and allowing
least, it hurts like hell!
me to crack on with the build without waiting for the
PVA to dry!

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The Rubbers
Latex-based glues come in many forms, many of which have
specific uses in terrain making. The bonding agent is usually
a latex-based rubber suspended in a water medium which,
as it evaporates, allows the latex to bond together forming
the cured glue. Copydex is a form of latex glue that can be
used to create static grass patches on grease proof paper.
Once cured, these can be peeled off, cut to shape and,
because the latex is flexible, PVA can then be used to glue
them to uneven ground surfaces.
The waterproof quality of latex glues means they are
unaffected by moisture, unlike PVA which can be reactivated.
Latex glues can stay tacky, even a few years after they
have initially cured. This can be a great aid when sticking
foliage on walls for moss, or adding clump foliage to tree
armatures, as they can be sealed with thinned PVA without
fear of bits falling off due to glues reactivating. They are also
available as aerosol sprays, with the repositionable, mist-
type spray being great for laying down large areas of flock,
or adding foliage to fibrous materials to make bushes and
tree crowns.
Don’t think you always have to use the right glue for the
job. Sometimes a bit of lateral thinking comes up with
a win, like using double-sided sticky tape applied to a
whole roof so shingles can be placed straight on it. If it
sticks it, it’s as good as a glue!

The Others Varnishes have three main finishes, a flat matt, a satin
While the primary four (PVA, hot glue, CA glue, and latex (slight shimmer) and a reflective gloss, all determined by the
glues) will meet most terrain building needs, it’s worth amount of matting agent added to the base gloss varnish
having a few other glues for the occasional jobs they work during manufacture. Although lacking the penetration of
so well for. Plastic glue sticks both hard and soft plastics thinned PVA, matt varnishes (especially aerosol spray
through a chemical weld process, giving a very strong bond versions) are great for protecting hard surfaces such as
and is great for scratchbuilding with plasticard, styrene bits roadwork, rockwork, and buildings. Satin varnish sprayed
and plastic model kits. onto snowy pieces can be used to give the impression of
frost, whilst gloss brushed onto groundwork can give the
There are various contact adhesives too, from UHU to impression of wet mud.
builder’s grip adhesive, and even silicone sealant can be
used as an adhesive. These contact adhesives create great For matt sprays, I use car varnish rather than model
bonds but can be tricky to work with, especially for delicate sprays. It gives a tougher, better quality finish because
work and some are so strong, a single application can warp it is designed for life-size cars, not model cars, and
bases significantly. when that goes wrong, it’s a lot more costly for the
manufacturer than knackering up a model and getting
There is also a range of two-part epoxy glues sold in an angry email. This means it’s a lot more reliable than
syringes, that harden as they are mixed. These are basically hobby variants!
gel resins that won’t shrink as they cure, and can be used
for adding dense foliage to vertical structures like overgrown There are also industrial resins that are used as varnishes
walls, or used to create water and splash effects. but are pourable to greater depths than can be achieved
with traditional varnishes. Some of these varnishes can be
For every material you’d like to join to another, there’s a poured to a depth of over an inch in a single pour with no
good chance there’s a glue for it, but PVA and hot glue will loss of clarity. They can be manipulated during curing with a
be your workhorses, rarely far from your desk, whilst the rest heat gun and probe to create lacing effects and ripples on
will sit on your shelf for those occasional jobs. their surface, and the zero shrinkage of the epoxy-chemical
However, glues and paints aren’t the only liquids we use in curing process puts them well ahead of volume-reducing,
terrain making. acrylic, water effects products for water and wave work.
WARNING – Acrylics, vinyls and resins
Clear Coats do not react well to being frozen, which
While pretty much all terrain can be sealed with thinned PVA, means that neither does just about
it is best suited to surfaces it can soak into, such as grass everything wet that has been mentioned
and foliage work. On other surfaces, varnishes provide a so far. Protect your supplies from a frost
better layer of protection. Available as liquids to be brushed or freeze, or face having to buy them ALL
or airbrushed on, or in aerosol cans, most terrain varnishes again! At a bare minimum, store your
are either acrylic, cellulose, or polyurethane-based resins, dry materials down low where it’s colder
but there are other variants. and your wet ones up high on a shelf.
Never leave them sitting on the floor!

30
Pastes and Putties the latter being better value when bought in bulk. Used in
everything from basic landscaping and blending in features
Although not as wet as most of our paints and glues, there onto bases, to sculpting sandbag emplacements and
are pastes of plaster and water mixtures, with different types thatched roofs, it is easily softened and smoothed with
offering different terrain making qualities. Nearly all these water, whilst producing a tough finish that holds sculpted
pastes can be purchased premixed in tubes and tubs, or in detail; it’s a go-to putty in terrain making. The downside to
powder form in boxes and bags to be mixed as needed. its air drying quality is that it shrinks slightly as it dries, which

WHATCHACALLITS
Filler (also known as spackle or polyfiller) is a plaster paste can cause warping, or if applied thinly, cracking, although
used for filling cracks and gaps in walls and woodwork. In that can be prevented by draping a damp cloth over the clay
terrain making, it’s a go-to paste for everything from blending to ensure it dries evenly.
foam joints and landscaping, to texturing ground and No matter how you seal your packet of DAS, it always
buildings alike. Ceiling stucco (like Artex) doesn’t have the dries out, even in an airtight tub. So tuck a wet kitchen
same bulk as filler, but is better at producing a tough finish sponge in the end of the packet before you seal it up
while still holding detail incredibly well. and it’ll stay soft, wet, and ready to go for much longer!
Stippled filler works great for groundwork since its peaks Epoxy putties such as Kneadatite (greenstuff) and Milliput
smooth out as it dries, whereas stippled stucco works great are two-part putties that harden when mixed. Like epoxy
for wave work because the peaks stay sharp as they dry. Tile resins, the curing process of these putties means they don’t
grout, with the least water content, is the densest of the reduce in volume, unlike DAS and other air drying clays.
pastes and although it can be difficult to lay down, it can be
used to produce realistic groundwork with very little effort, Whilst Kneadatite or Green Stuff is more suited to figure
often holding impressed details such as wheel ruts and tank modelling and sculpting, it can be used in terrain making
tracks incredibly well. for fine build corrections such as gap- and pin-hole filling,
as well as for very fine detailing work on high level builds.
In addition to the basic building pastes, there are various Milliput is more common in terrain building partly because
casting powders and building renders that can be used to its cheaper, but also because it adheres to other materials
much the same effect, whilst benefitting from properties better than Kneadatite. Milliput’s work time and zero
such as fast cure times and industrial strength finishes. shrinkage means it’s perfect for gap filling and detailing,
Although superior products, the need to buy these materials blending feature pieces into bases and creating sandbags
in bulk, usually 25kg (approximately 50lb) bags, means and other details.
they’re more suited to high-volume terrain makers than
hobbyists making a single board or set. If it needs blending or filling, use filler, if it needs to be
good, use DAS, if it needs to be perfect, use Milliput!
Even thicker than pastes are the putties, which come in
air drying and epoxy forms. For the bulk of terrain making With all the wet stuff on your terrain-making shelves covered
putty and sculpting work, I use an air drying clay like DAS and ready to slap on, it’s time to look at the wide array of
modelling clay, or a low shrinkage, air drying clay, with build materials you’re going to be slapping it on to or on with
-- that’s all the dry stuff!

31
THE DRY STUFF EPVC foamboard can be pricey but great quantities can
be acquired for free as sign printers often have lots of
There’s a small set of basic materials that will form the core offcuts they normally have to pay to dispose of, so give
of almost all of your builds. There’s also a host of different your local sign printer a call and they might be happy to
things – from recycled household products to specific give you as much as you want!
scenic materials and even things foraged from the great
outdoors – that you will only use for specific builds Plyboard makes an excellent basing material, with its
or themes. alternating, perpendicular layers providing a much higher
level of sturdiness, but the need for power tools to work it
Basic build materials means that it’s often skipped over in favour of fibreboards
such as hardboard and MDF, which are much easier to work
New materials that can be used for terrain making come
with hand tools. It is typically inexpensive and available in
along all the time, but the following core materials have
various thickness from 3mm to 15mm. Plyboard is heavier
been the staple of terrain making for decades and will form
and harder to work with than EPVC foamboard, but provides
an essential part of any Terrainiac’s material set.
a much higher level of sturdiness, with 12/15mm sheets
All about the base being suitable for base boards.

All scatter pieces are built upon a base and, like everything When EPVC and fibreboard aren’t available, materials such
in life, it’s best to have a good foundation to build on. as corrugated cardboard, cardboard-backed polystyrene
What makes materials good for basing depends on several foamboard (mounting board), and cork sheets or
factors. These include the material’s sturdiness, its polystyrene ceiling tiles can make good fallbacks. They are
thickness, its weight and how easy it is to work with all easy to work, cheap and commonly available, but offer
simple tools. very little sturdiness. Thin cardboard and plasticard (sheet
styrene) can be useful for basing small pieces because their
Picking the right base material can be crucial to your build, thinness gives a very low-profile base. However, they offer
with many Terrainiacs finding a material they like and sticking very little in the way of sturdiness.
with it through all their builds. Whilst the list of what you
can use for basing is practically endless, from CDs and Flimsy base materials can be strengthened. Two sheets
cereal boxes to old signs and industrially-cut metal sheets, of corrugated cardboard layered perpendicular to each
there are a few common materials that are the go-to for the other drastically increases the sturdiness of a base,
majority of the community. whilst there are various pastes, such as filler, that can
be applied to strengthen bases no matter what they’re
EPVC foamboard is a lightweight signage material that is made of.
available in 3mm and 5mm thicknesses. It’s easy to cut with
blades and shape with sandpaper. Although it’s a lightweight Terrain making is a hobby of finding materials and items and
material, it’s quite sturdy and therefore suitable for most then making things out of them. This is true of bases as
build types, including long thin roads and rivers. The only well, so if there’s a material that’s easy for you to acquire
problem is that it’s not too easy to find in stores, particularly and work with to create sturdy bases with a low profile,
in the US. Check with a local sign printer, or look online. use it!

32
Texturing it up when it may be molded into various shapes, the more useful
form is as sheets of polystyrene insulation foam, available in
Another common feature across nearly all terrain is the different sizes and thicknesses.
ground itself and, as with base materials, it’s common for
Terrainiacs to pick their favourite and have a stock of it to Polystyrene insulation comes in two main forms, expanded
use on all their builds. (EPS) and extruded (XPS). The expanded form is made
of small polystyrene beads melted together into sheets,
Pastes such as fillers and stuccos (see Pastes and Putties while extruded polystyrene is formed by injecting liquid

WHATCHACALLITS
– above) can be applied and stippled to create an earth polystyrene and various gases into a sheet mold.
texture, but it’s common to use various aggregates of
different grades to create ground textures. These aggregates The commercial use for expanded polystyrene sheets is as
vary from kiln-dried sharp sand, coarse sand, grit, and gravel insulation; it is often used in wall cavities and roof spaces.
made up of crushed or mined stone, rather than rounded The sheets are lightweight, commonly available from
pebbles from the sea and river beds. hardware stores and easily worked with blades, abrasives
and hot tools, although the beaded nature of the sheets can
Aggregates can be bought from hardware stores quite make them extremely messy to work with.
cheaply in large bags but are available in small quantities
from pet shops in the form of rodent-bathing dust or EPS beads have a slight static charge, meaning they
aquarium and vivarium basing gravel. stick to everything, even the under surface of your
work bench! When working EPS with abrasives, keep
It’s often cheaper to buy a large bag of mixed the vacuum cleaner nozzle close by and clean as you
aggregates or ballast from the hardware store and a go. It’s a lot easier that way than after you’ve realised
few different sized sieves to filter out the smaller bits, you’ve walked it through the entire house on your last
than buying lots of different bags from different places. toilet break!
Ground cork can be used to represent rocks and EPS is less dense than XPS, and the beads are easy to spot,
stones when doing groundwork and is available from meaning its main use in terrain building is as a substructure
many modelling stores, along with various small bags to be completely covered with some sort of filler, stucco, or
of aggregates, although this can be the most expensive gloop mix in order both to make it more sturdy and also to
method of purchasing texturing materials. Of course, various hide the beads for a more natural-looking finish.
aggregates can be collected for free from outdoors as well.
Extruded polystyrene sheets (XPS) are considerably denser
Although some Terrainiacs use a general premix of than EPS sheets, offering a higher level of insulation. Its
aggregates that they just lay down randomly to create commercial use is in construction and other situations
ground work, it’s more common to have tubs of various where high levels of insulation are needed. Nevertheless,
grades of aggregates, starting with rodent-bathing dust, all XPS densities can vary greatly, and manufacturers often
the way up to 20mm limestone, crushed gravel. Having them colour-code different densities. This coding can vary from
in separate grades allows you to control where they’re laid manufacturer to manufacturer, but each sheet’s R-value (its
down on the pieces to create more realistic groundwork. level of insulation) is the best guide to density; the higher
the R-value, the denser the sheet.
THE FOAMY STUFF
The extruded nature of XPS, along with its higher density
Although we’ve covered groundwork (texturing), we must
makes it great for shaping with blades and abrasives,
also consider the material on which this texturing is applied
allowing more control in building features than if working
– the ‘under ground’, if you will. Whether we’re making
with EPS. Being extruded, it doesn’t have to be texture-
hill pieces, a table-edging cliff face, or a rolling landscape
coated like EPS and can take paint directly. It can be worked
across a board, the go-to material is polystyrene/
with hot tools, but its higher density means this is a slower
Styrofoam. Often used in the packaging of household items,
process than with EPS.

33
Above all, the ability of XPS to be cut, shaped, engraved, and your hot tools in a well-ventilated area. The fumes from
pressed with precision, makes it perfect for features from using hot tools to melt phenolic or polyurethane foam
cliff faces to statues. When combined with its availability are highly toxic and can KILL YOU, so just don’t do it. If it
in sheets varying in thickness from 5mm to 140mm, it isn’t polystyrene, stick to blades and abrasives!
becomes a go-to material for all types of terrain pieces – lay
down landscapes and create cliffs with the thicker sheets, BUILDING BOARDS
or build old stone walls and futuristic, apocalyptic ruins with Although cardboard-backed polystyrene foamboard (or
the thinner. mounting board) can be used for making bases, its real
Getting your hands on XPS in hot countries can value in terrain making is in constructing buildings and ruins.
be challenging, but it is used as an insulator in Comprising a sheet of polystyrene foam backed on each
refrigeration, whether it’s food trucks, industrial units, side by cardboard, it is incredibly sturdy. Available in various
or medical packaging. Find anywhere that makes or thicknesses, foamboard is easy to work with blades and
scraps any of those, and you will find XPS! takes PVA and paint without problems.

There are other types of insulation foam that are not Polystyrene foamboard comes in two main types, white
made from polystyrene but can still be used for terrain and black. The white consists of white foam, backed by
making, particularly when EPS and XPS are hard to come by. smooth, glossy, white card much like the outer printed side
Kingspan or Celotex is a phenolic plastic foam, often found of a cereal packet, whereas the black consists of black
in sheets backed with aluminium foil. Phenolic foams are foam, backed by matt-textured card much like the inside of a
far better insulators than polystyrene, but for terrain making cereal packet.
they are softer than XPS, meaning they don’t hold engraved You can use both types for buildings and ruins, but I prefer
or impressed details very well and often need a filler coat to the black as I don’t have to worry about white bits showing
firm them up, much like EPS. if I miss a little corner when basecoating, or if it gets slightly
Another type of phenolic foam that can be used is floral chipped during gameplay.
foam or ‘florists’ oasis’. Designed to be softer and more
brittle than the other foams, it’s easily shaped but does All-rounder Cork
need a good filler/stucco coat or a spray of watered-down Ground cork can be used as a basing material and cork
PVA to firm it up and seal it for painting. Balsa foam is tiles can be used for making bases, but cork has several
another type of phenolic foam. It is less brittle than floral other uses in terrain building. Cork tiles can be used much
foam and holds engraved and impressed detail really well. like foamboard to create small buildings and ruins. Tiles
The last of the common types of building foam is broken up and laid on top of each other can be used to
polyurethane foam, more commonly called expanding spray represent stratified rock. Commercially purchased cork bark
foam, which offers the best insulation rating for cavity walls. can be used to create realistic rocks and cliff faces. Being
Available in aerosol cans for sealing gaps where pipes go lightweight and easy to work with, it is generally the go-to
through walls, it comprises two chemicals that mix as they material for rock work.
are sprayed and expand from 20 to 60 times the original
volume (depending on the applicator setting). It can be
Brilliant Balsa
sprayed in clumps to expand in blocks for shaping into Balsa is a soft wood commonly used for modelling building
features such as hills, mounds, mesas, etc. details such as doors and window frames, or even entire
timber-framed medieval houses, or wooden, shingle
WARNING – The dust produced by
roofs. Available in strips and sheets of various sizes and
sanding foam can be an irritant
thicknesses, its softness makes it easy to cut, and it can be
to your throat and lungs, so
abraded with wire brushes to create a realistic wood texture.
wear a dust mask when using
Its ability to hold new forms after being soaked with water
abrasives on foam. When it comes
and bent into various shapes, makes it the go-to material for
to heat, the fumes from working
most tasks involving the creation of wooden elements or
polystyrene can be hazardous and
features.
are well known for making people
feel light-headed, so always use

34
SCRATCHBUILDING causing paint to crack and flake off. If there is any doubt
about a piece’s ability to stand up to game play, you can
The term ‘scratchbuilding’ is applied in two main contexts. reinforce it by adding polystyrene chunks (or packing beads),
In model making it means constructing the model out of wrapped in tissue and soaked in watered-down PVA, to the
raw materials, typically plasticard (sheet styrene) and other inside of the piece. Household plastics often have smooth
components. In terrain making, scratchbuilding refers to surfaces, generally for hygiene purposes and these surfaces
building terrain pieces from collections of seemingly-random may struggle to take paint. Spray primers, especially
household items.

WHATCHACALLITS
textured ones, can prepare a piece for painting and texture it
in a single coat.
Precision Model Making
Cardboard packaging is a common source of thin sheets
To scratchbuild models there is a wide range of plastic
of durable cardboard for all manner of details, from roofs,
materials. Plasticard sheets of various thickness, from
shutters, doors and signs, as well as panelling and fascias.
0.5mm up to 3mm, come in both smooth or textured
The glossy, printed side takes paint better than the textured
forms, with designs ranging from flooring and brick walls
unprinted side, which also has a tendency to warp when
to various types of roofs. As well as sheets, there are
painted, because it has greater absorbency than the
plastic rods, tubes and strips in lots of different sizes,
sealed, glossy side. Cardboard tubes and rolls are primarily
along with a wide range of scale girders and other industrial
used for industrial piping and chimneys, with much larger
components, from valves and ladders to storage tanks and
carpet rolls occasionally used for castle towers and large
machinery. These can be hobby accessory kits or precision,
silos. Cardboard tubes have a textured surface which can
architectural modelling pieces, with prices varying greatly
become gritty when painted with brush-on acrylics, and this
between the two.
(along with a diagonal recessed line from the manufacturing
Although traditional scratchbuilding does have a place in process) can mean tubes and rolls are easily identifiable
terrain-making, the cost implications often mean that plastic after the build is completed. The recessed line can be
pieces are used to dress up a piece with little details, rather hidden by a quick skim over of filler, whilst a light sanding of
than being the primary build material. the surface with a fine grit abrasive paper will deal with the
grittiness. This grittiness comes from the moisture in the
Building Big on a Budget paint soaking into the cardboard and causing it to expand.
A sanded first coat prevents this from happening with the
To scratchbuild terrain, inexpensive household items are
second coat. Spray primers are also a good way to minimise
repurposed to create anything from entire buildings to small
this problem, but tubes will still occasionally need a sanding
features. There is no definitive list of items to use, but there
after a first application, especially heavy ones. Textured
are certain qualities to look out for when scavenging bits for
spray paint, however, works great for giving tubes and rolls
your builds. These qualities are (primarily), the durability of
a uniform, textured surface whilst disguising their humble
the object and its ability to take paint. Items that don’t have
origin in the finished piece.
these qualities aren’t excluded from scratchbuilding, they
just require a little more work to strengthen and/or prepare
them for painting.
Larger pieces include polystyrene packaging, plastic bottles
and containers, and of course, cardboard packaging and
tubes. Polystyrene packaging from household items is
regularly repurposed as bunkers and futuristic building
complexes. White, expanded polystyrene packaging can
sometimes be less durable than insulating EPS, so will need
to be well-coated for terrain use.
Plastic containers and bottles are the go-to for buildings,
towers, and silos. The sturdier the plastic, the better for
terrain making. Thin plastics can buckle when handled,

35
All the Little Things Aquarium plants can be used in jungle pieces, whilst
toys can be recycled in numerous ways. When it comes
The less commonly used items are harder to categorise to plastic bits, the list of what you can reuse in terrain
because there’s an almost infinite list of things that can making is near endless.
be used. Still, there are a few regularly used items which
deserve a mention: Sand paper and embossed wallpaper can be used to
create textured surfaces for roads and walls. Newspaper
Cocktail sticks, match sticks, toothpicks, bamboo can be balled up as a substructure for plaster-bandage
skewers, coffee stirrers, ice lolly (popsicle) sticks, hills, along with materials like upholstery foam, chicken
and discarded fireworks sticks are all great for various wire and even balloons!
woodwork, from windowsills, to support beams of
medieval buildings. Aluminium mesh can be used for chain-link fencing, and
wicker baskets can be broken down to model wicker
Cotton wool, polyfibre, and wire wool can all be used fencing. Baby wipes and paper towels can be used as
for smoke effects, while loofahs, coconut plant liners, tarpaulins, whilst cheese cloth and window-curtain
vulcanised horse hair upholstery mats, hemp rodent netting are regularly used to make camouflage nets. Tin
matting, kitchen and concrete scourers can all be used cans are a great stand in for storage silos, while tin foil
as substructures for bushes, hedges, and tree crowns. and corrugated cardboard can be used for rooftops. Red
Hemp matting, terry towelling, scourers, bamboo grass bricks can be smashed into realistic rubble and pot pourri
mats, teddy bear fur, and fleece blankets can all be used pieces can be reused as large alien plants.
to create thatching for roofs.
Collecting and building up your big scratchbuild core pieces
Wire twists, copper electric wire, florist wire stems, and and your bits box for detailing work just requires a mindset
garden wire can be used to create armatures for trees of ‘What could I use that for?’ in everyday life. It won’t take
and bushes. Fuse wire and soldering wire work well for many visits to the hardware store, charity shop, or car boot
modelling rope, and guitar wire works great for pipes, (garage) sales to amass quite a collection of useful bits for
hosing, and concrete rebar. Tougher paperclips can be cut projects not even considered yet.
to represent metal bars and building details.
It’s quite usual for Terrainiacs to take the “grab as
Doormats, plumbers’ hemp, sisal string, garden twine, and much as possible” approach when acquiring materials,
brush head bristles, can be used for making long grass especially if they are cheap or free. This is fine if you
clumps and tufts. have the storage for it, but if you don’t, this approach
Plastic bottle tops can be used as urban planters and can cause you problems. The best solution is to set up
sci-fi storage containers, while plumbing pipes and fittings a dedicated storage area, out of the way for your large
work well as industrial pipes, and electrical boxes and pieces, with an organiser close by your work area for
guttering can make great bunkers. Plastic embroidery your small bits. This will help you stay in control of the
gridding (granny grating), can be used for drainage and space your big materials take up, forcing you to discard
ventilation covers, as well as for gantry floors and other a less useful piece in favor of more useful ones. Having
metal meshwork. Plastic bottle brushes and gutter guard bits organised saves you hunting things down each
strips make simple and durable trees. Plastic, hair-curling time you need a specific bit and keeps them looking like
rollers can be used to make gabions (barricades), and modelling supplies rather than random junk to non-
clear plastic packaging can be turned into windows. modeller members of your household!

36
BITS & KITS Alternatively, MDF kits can be purchased pre-painted,
reducing the work it takes to go from kit to tabletop. There
As previously mentioned, there are plenty of accessory are multi-layered kits of different coloured sheets, that
pieces that can be purchased and added to builds to make create buildings such as medieval inns with highly detailed,
them more detailed. For a long time, these were limited 3D, timbered exteriors, as well as detailed interiors.
to specific, plastic, scale model kits, and similar kits from
model railroad manufacturers, as well as architectural, scale One of the latest cutting technologies applied to producing
modelling supplies. Other than a few small sets from gaming terrain kits is the computer numerical control (CNC) cutting

WHATCHACALLITS
companies, these were the only bits supplies available to of EPVC foamboard. Commercially used in sign printing,
Terrainiacs until about a decade ago. EPVC foamboard is now used in terrain making with
various companies producing pre-printed kits, much like
We are now living in a golden age for Terrainiacs! Not only the cardboard kits. When put together, these kits become
has there been an incredible growth in the number of lightweight, durable, highly-detailed pieces with very
companies supplying wargames terrain making materials little effort.
and kits, there are also new technologies that have been
adapted towards terrain making. This has allowed the Moving on to even sturdier stuff, plastic kits have been
development of various accessories and dressing pieces, around for almost as long as the cardboard ones, although
entire build kits and even complete, single-piece builds. the quality and quantity of hard plastic, highly-detailed,
These are produced in various different materials, from modular buildings and accessory kits has only really
cardboard and MDF, to hard plastic and printed EPVC exploded over the last decade.
foamboard, as well as entire pieces that are either 3D Terrain accessories, as well as small-to-medium-sized
printed or cast in resin. buildings, often come in single solid pieces, usually cast in
Cardboard kits, comprising die cut sheets of thick cardboard polyurethane resin. The process of making terrain like this is
with printed details on them that can be slotted together as old as modern wargaming. Resins used to create these
with plastic connectors, or glued together, are some of models vary, depending on the size and detail of the piece.
the oldest types of terrain accessories. Although an older The latest technology to be adopted widely for terrain
technology for our industry, it is still in active use with making is 3D printing. Although this technology is still
companies producing a wide array of wonderfully high relatively new, terrain makers have been very early adopters
quality accessories and modular buildings for lots of of consumer-level and low-end industrial printers. There
different settings. are several types of 3D printers, with extruded plastic
The internet has a wealth of free paper designs that printers being the most commonly used (and cheapest).
can be printed, cut out, and glued together for next to Designs can be created with CAD software on most PCs, or
no cost at all, assuming you have the right materials downloaded (for free or purchased) from various websites.
and printer to print them. There are also websites that can print and ship chosen
or created designs for a fee, meaning 3D printing can be
Laser cutters capable of precision cutting and etching MDF explored by hobbyists without the need to buy an
have been widely adopted and have revolutionised terrain actual printer.
making for wargames, providing everything from accessories
to whole buildings, and even terrain making tools such as The downside (other than the cost of a 3D printer and the
foam cutting guides. limited print space) is that 3D printing, especially with entry
level machines, is an incredibly slow process. Pieces like
These kits of MDF sheets of various thickness (as well as a 28mm scale, two-storey house may take over 24 hours
thick card), laser cut into pieces, can be used to construct to print. Like most technologies, however, it will improve
everything from a dining room chair to entire castles. Most over time. This means that entry-level machine costs will go
kits are supplied unpainted, with companies producing down, along with print times, and the level of print quality
accessories, build kits and even full modular board tiles for will go up. This technology will only be adopted more in
all manner of settings, scales and periods. terrain-making as time goes on.

37
NATURAL MATERIALS Earth Stuff
When trying to model nature, the best source of cheap, The most cost effective method of collecting different
realistic modelling material is nature itself. There are a lot grades of aggregates is to simply go outside and collect
of commonalities between various plant species: how they them from the ground. Dust, sand, grit, gravel, along with
grow, their physical structure, whether they are big or small. slate and stone can all be collected for free, although for the
Because of this, we’re able to use the smaller to represent smaller aggregates, some types of earth are more suitable
the larger in our terrain making. than others. Earth, dirt, soil, whatever you call it comes in
three broad types, earth, sand, and clay, with the first two
WARNING – In the UK, certain
being great for groundwork. Earth with a high clay content
plants and other species including
doesn’t react well to paints and PVAs, because it tends to
many shrubbery lichens are
clump up when wet. To tell if earth has a high clay content,
protected species under law, with
simply add a little water and see if you can roll it into a mud
heavy penalties for collecting
ball. If you can, it’s not suitable for terrain making. If it stays
them, even on your own property.
as a sloppy mess in your hand, it’ll be fine with paints
It is also illegal to uproot any wild
and PVAs.
plant, and on NNRs (National
Nature Reserves) and SSSIs (Sites of Specific Scientific If you’re collecting your own, then expect to also pick
Interest), it is illegal to collect any living plant material. up various living organisms, including bacteria. Any
Other countries may vary but it’s always best to check collected materials should be made inert. In the case
your local laws before foraging. of earth, baking it at 200˚C (390˚F) for 30 minutes will
guarantee any living material is killed off. Microwaves
Nature can be a source of a multitude of free modelling
won’t kill off all the bacteria in earth, as they aren’t a
materials, but there is a price to be paid in planning, foraging
toxic form of radiation and they rarely get the earth hot
and preparation time. Foraging materials from nature can
enough for long enough, so stick with baking it over
be done pretty much any time of year and just requires a
nuking it!
keen eye for useful bits, but the best approach, long term,
is to identify the best locations for the materials you want, Dried Stuff
establish the best time of year to collect them, and then
add collection reminders to an annual calendar. After that, Dried herbs and spices consist of various plant parts
it’s a simple matter of going out and harvesting specific including dried leaves, stems, seeds and even bark, either
supplies in bulk, before preparing them for use as a single whole or ground into small bits. They can be foraged and
batch. This drastically cuts down preparation time when dried out, but it is often easier simply to buy them, with 1kg
compared to ad hoc collecting. bulk bags being far more cost effective than buying them in
the usual supermarket quantities.
The fact that I became interested in gardening for a month
a few years ago and the fact that I have two Goldenrod Ready to go out of the packet, they are perfect for creating
(Solidago) bushes right outside my door – that every various ground effects and textures, especially for woodland
February give me enough 5mm wide and 2' long, almost and heavily foliaged pieces. Fixed in place with watered-
perfectly straight stems to build a wooden town three times down PVA, they can be painted along with the rest of the
over – are completely coincidental and are in no way related. groundwork after being placed, or stained beforehand with
They were just nice looking plants in the garden centre, just acrylic inks and artist paints.
like the silver birch sapling I bought and planted. Mint, thyme, parsley, and basil all work great as ground
The majority of natural materials that can be collected for cover, each varying in size, shape and colour, allowing them
modelling fall into four broad groups. The first comprises to be placed down individually with very realistic results. For
various inorganic aggregates (earth stuff), the second group most situations, however, a single bag of mixed dried herbs
-- herbs, teas, and seeds -- is dried stuff, the third group is all that is needed to create great looking ground cover.
(green stuff) is grasses, leaves, buds, and mosses, and the Tea leaves, dried out after use, also make great natural-
fourth group (wood stuff) is made up of twigs, roots, and looking ground cover, as do used coffee grounds. In fact,
barks. Each of these groups is used differently and has its most plants and deciduous tree leaves can be collected,
own challenges when it comes to preparation. dried out and crushed to make ground mixes for no cost

38
whatsoever, whereas dried Silver Birch seed pods make need to be prepared. When preparing small plants, like
perfect miniature broad leaves with no crushing required. lichens and mosses, remember that as they dry out, they
change colour and become brittle, often crumbling to dust
To preserve leaves and herbs, ensure they are fresh and
after even a short period. To counter this, after the initial
free of disease and infestation, then simply wash them
wash to remove dirt and insects, you can take one of two
and leave them in a warm place to dry out completely
different approaches, depending on what needs to
before packaging them or grinding them into ground
be preserved.
mixes.

WHATCHACALLITS
The first involves glycerol (Glycerine). This is an organic
Green Stuff sugar alcohol with uses ranging from skin care to a
Not all of nature’s modelling materials need to be dried out component in explosives. It has a greasy nature and is very
and crushed up. Grasses, leaves, buds, lichens and mosses resistant to evaporation, meaning it can be used to replace
can all be plucked, preserved and placed on pieces to the moisture in plants, stopping them from drying out and
represent their larger relatives. becoming brittle. Prepare a solution of warm water and
glycerol in a 2:1 ratio, plus inks such as greens and browns
The tips of wild grasses can be collected in autumn, and if you want to help colour the pieces. Once cooled down to
stripped of their seeds and bunched together, they make room temperature, completely submerge your plant pieces
great long grass tufts. Alternatively, they can be chopped in the solution for 24 hours before removing them and
up and laid down to represent threshed hay and straw leaving them on tissue to dry out. This will leave the pieces
thrown on the ground. Flower buds can be picked whole preserved, colour fixed, and flexible for decades if
and used to represent larger plants and certain vegetables. stored properly.
Seed pods can be opened, painted and stuck to bushy
substructures to model flowering shrubs. This preservation will reduce the sturdiness of the piece,
however. Preserved pieces often handle like wet tissue. In
Foraging isn’t limited to small stuff either; larger pieces, normal plant preservation, the pieces are often pressed
such as the heads of artemisia ‘Seafoam’ (Curlicue flat, so it isn’t an issue, but for terrain making it can be
Sage) make beautiful, delicate trees when dried, either by problematic. For this reason, glycerol bathing is used
themselves or as a substructure for realistic bushes and for pieces that are large and sturdy enough to support
tree foliage. themselves after the preserving process, such as Reindeer
Moss. It’s also a suitable process if the piece is going to
Certain mosses and lichens can also be collected and used
be supported with wire or plastic fibre, or stuck to a stable
in modelling. Lichens are often confused with mosses as
structure, such as moss stems applied to a wall to
the two terms are commonly used interchangeably but, in
create vines.
biological terms, mosses are plants, whereas lichens are a
mix of fungi and algae that work together symbiotically. Small pieces that need to support themselves should
be preserved by the second approach - PVA bathing. This
Mosses are small, furry-stemmed plants, found in dense
involves soaking the pieces in a 3:1 solution of water and
groups in damp and shady areas. Most of the moss species
PVA, before leaving them to dry, and then repeating the
can be used in modelling in some way. They can be easily
process a few more times until the pieces toughen up but
collected, split into individual stems before being preserved,
before they lose their detail. Once completely sealed, they
strained, dyed, painted or applied to pieces with their
can be painted or used with their natural colours, albeit
original colour. They are regularly used to create vines,
faded slightly by the PVA.
creepers and, although tricky, make beautiful weeping willow
branches. When it comes to painting, PVA-sealed plants can be
painted with acrylics, but glycerol-bathed plant parts can
There are many species of lichens, but fruticose lichen,
be water resistant. This means acrylics will struggle to
also known as ‘shrubby lichen’, is the one most used in
bind with them and is one of the few situations where oil
modelling. While most lichen are flat, shrubby lichen has a
paints become the better choice. Applied thinly, the oil
bushy appearance. Confusingly, the most commonly used
will penetrate the pieces where water couldn’t, fixing the
types are called ‘Lichen Moss’ or ‘Reindeer Moss’.
pigment to the piece. Since the oil paint is more flexible, it
Commercially purchased plant modelling materials come also prevents the flaking that can happen with acrylics.
ready to use out of the packet, whereas foraged materials

39
 WOOD STUFF
Various parts of larger, woodier plants can also be used
in modelling. These items range from the roots of a tree
or bush, all the way to the crowns, twigs, and even the
protective bark covering.
Cork bark has already been mentioned, although it is difficult
to forage unless you live near the Mediterranean, but there
are many other bark types that work well for modelling
rocks and cliff faces. Bark chips and the like can be bought
commercially as they are used as surfaces for garden paths
and so on. Larger pieces can be foraged, but bark from
long-fallen trees should be avoided as it will be rotten and
infested with insects. The best time to gather fresh bark is
just after a storm, since it is easy to collect a large amount
of fresh bark from recently fallen trees. Alternatively, tree
surgeons and landscapers are a good source of different
barks if you have no woodland locally. After cork, ash and
oak trees have some of the best bark, texture-wise, for
terrain making. Both of these trees have thick, heavily
textured bark, unlike Birch and Beech trees, while Scots
pines have a scaly bark that can be easily broken into large
chip pieces; any species with a thick, heavily textured bark
will work for terrain making. Commercially purchased chips
and bark pieces are normally treated, so you can use them
straight from the bag.
WARNING – NEVER EVER take bark from
a living tree. The bark protects the tree
from bacterial infection and insect
infestation but more importantly, it’s
how a tree carries water from its roots
to its branches and leaves. If you were
to remove even a two-inch strip of bark
from a tree’s circumference, it will not recover, and will
die. Only take bark from dead and fallen trees!
Moving from a tree’s covering to its branches, twigs can
also be foraged from both trees and shrubs. Whilst there
are many differences between trees and shrubs, one of the
key differences is that a tree grows a long trunk, branch,
twig or stem before splitting, whereas a shrub splits much
earlier with shorter branches, meaning it has many more
branches than a tree of a similar size. Whilst twigs and shrub
stems have a very different structure, both can be used for
modelling terrain.
Trees come in many different sizes, both in real life and
on the tabletop. Tree twigs used as tree armatures should
generally be as thick as a slim finger, no more than 15mm
across. Twigs and branches wider than this rarely have
enough forks and branches to represent a tree of that

40
 WHATCHACALLITS
trunk width. When sourcing twigs, look for ones that have Small individual twigs from trees and shrubs can also be
multiple forks grouped close together, giving the appearance collected, preserved and then used to represent the still
of multiple large supporting branches or boughs (large standing remains of old, dead trees, or as recently fallen
branches). These can be used as tree armatures but only trees and branches as ground scatter. When representing
with either solid foliage crowns such as clump and flocked dead trees and broken branches, twigs can be stripped of
upholstery foams, or a very densely flocked substructure, bark to mimic nature, especially if being placed on water-
which will completely hide the fact that the tree has no focused terrain pieces as washed-up debris.
small branches beyond its main trunk.
Even smaller than twigs, the root structures of shrubs,
When foraging for twigs, look for fresh fallen branches or dry bushes, and other large plants can be used to represent
branches off the ground, these being the ones that either vines and creepers on trees and buildings with very little
bend, or snap with a crisp sound. If they snap with a dull work, once prepared.
sound, they are rotten and should be avoided.
Wood that you’ve collected needs to be prepared before
Shrub twigs, although thinner than tree twigs, have a you use it as modelling material. Foraged pieces can
much greater number of branches, so they can be used have all manner of bacteria, fungi, and the occasional
to create very realistic trees. You can use more delicate insect or two in them, so they need to be cleaned up.
foliage crowns because there is less need to hide the lack First, scrub the pieces of bark under running water to
of branches. The twigs from smaller shrubs and bushes remove any surface organisms and in the case of roots,
work best, as they usually have more branches compared earth they were buried in. Then place the pieces in a
to twigs of the same size from larger plants. It’s rare to find warm place to dry out completely. Once dry, soak them
fresh, dead shrubs since they are perennials rather than in a solution of 90% water, 5% PVA and 5% disinfectant
seasonals, so twigs need to be harvested from living shrubs. and leave them to dry out completely again. This will
As long as this isn’t done excessively, and the cuts are ensure that the pieces are clean of organisms as well
cleanly done with gardening shears, the plant won’t as sealing them and strengthening smaller pieces like
be harmed. twigs and roots.

41
SCENICS surfaces on the interiors of cars. These fibres, supplied as
scenic modelling supplies in various colour mixes (much like
While most of the tools and materials used to build terrain traditional flocks) can be used to create longer and more
are repurposed for terrain making, there has long been realistic grass effects than flocks or scatters. They can be
a selection of scenic modelling materials available from either sprinkled on, to create a rough grass effect, or applied
railroad model manufacturers. In the early days, these with an electrostatic flocker to make the fibres stand
products were often repackaged and sold in smaller upright, replicating real grass.
quantities as miniature basing supplies.
Along with grassland materials, covering all the seasons,
Much like the explosion in other areas of the hobby over there are also supplies dedicated to replicating snow.
the past decade, the quantity of scenic modelling supplies Most of these are different types of white flock, made from
has also greatly expanded, with a number of companies various materials like plastic granules, to 1mm white nylon
now dedicated to providing large ranges of scenic supplies. fibres, that can be laid on top, or instead, of the usual
Although many of the diorama supplies such as texture grass flocks.
pastes, paints and weathering pigments might be too
expensive for large-scale terrain making, there are several Rolls of pre-flocked or pre-static-grassed sheets can also be
supply types that are both cost effective and great for purchased. Primarily used in railroad modelling, these can
wargames terrain. be cut up and glued to pieces and boards as an alternative
to flocking manually.
Bits, Grits and Ballasts
Clumps and Bushes
There is a wide range of aggregates. These are usually
packaged in various grades (sizes), although some Moving up in size, there are various scenic products that
wargaming suppliers do supply premixed basing sets. These can be used to represent bushes and tree foliage. Clump
are invariably sands, grits, and/or small stones but can foliage, traditionally upholstery foam blended with paint
include cork and ground walnut shells, and some railroad and glue, is now also made from a range of materials and
supplies are pre-painted to represent rail track ballast or is available in a wide range of colours. Broken up, it can be
coal supplies. Of all the methods of acquiring aggregates used to represent rough grassland, bushes, hedges, even
for texturing bases, specific scenic suppliers are the best tree foliage.
way to get a wide range of aggregates, but they are also the Reindeer Moss (Shrubby Lichen) can also be purchased as
most expensive. a scenic supply. Always pre-cleaned, stained, and preserved,
it can be used straight out of the bag for busy tasks much
Flocking it up like clump foliage. It can also be used as a substructure for
Flock is the generic term used for three different product larger bushes or tree crowns. Vulcanised horse hair (now
types, all used to add grass texture to a terrain piece, or coconut fibre) sheets can also be purchased to use as a
‘flock it’. Flock can refer to traditional flock, scatter, or static foliage substructure material.
grass, with all three being used in the flocking process
depending on the desired effect. Trees
Traditional flocks, now often called fine scatter, consist Along with small scenic items, model trees can be
of dyed sawdust in many different shades and mixes, purchased to be applied straight to terrain pieces
replicating the look of grasslands across the different and boards, along with plastic armatures that can be
seasons. Although some are still manufactured in the repositioned and crowned with either clump foliage or a
traditional way, manufacturers have also started to use crown substructure to be flocked with one of the wide range
synthetic materials, including ground foam. of leaf foliage available.
Scatters are a newer addition to the flock family consisting Little Bits
of synthetic materials, commonly ground up foam, and they
are available in various shades much like traditional flocks, Although flocks, clump, lichen and trees have been a
but also different grades and mixtures meaning they can be stable of scenic supplies for decades, additional products
used to represent rougher grassland. for scenic model making are now becoming more widely
available. Most of these are small, delicate pieces that you
Static grass consists of short (1-4mm) dyed, nylon fibres, can add as dressing beyond the usual flocks, scatters, etc.
originally produced by the automotive trade to make velvet These include self-adhesive, static grass tufts (tussocks)

42
or flowers, and foliage strips for use as vines or crop lines There are also epoxy resins that are used to replicate water,
in vegetable patches. There are also long grass fibres, both although they require more preparation time. They cure
natural and synthetic, that are sold in various shades to through a chemical process so don’t reduce in volume and,
model tall grasses of all seasons. once cured, produce a far more durable and clearer layer of
modelled water without any shrinkage issues compared to
Tufts can be expensive to buy. Long term, if you’re
acrylic-based materials.
going to be using lots, buy a terrain maker’s flockbox,
greaseproof paper, stay-tacky glue, and a couple of WARNING – Epoxy resins cure through

WHATCHACALLITS
bags of static grass, and start making your own! a chemical process and should
be tinted with inks and pigments
For more detailed work, there are ranges of laser cut and
designed specifically for those resins.
brass etched plants and flowers, that can be bent into
Most hobby resins can be tinted with
shape, painted up and placed on pieces. There are also
acrylic inks and artist paints but if
a wide range of ground covers and specialist tree foliage
used too much, it can stop the resin
scatters for very realistic work.
curing completely, leaving you with sticky model water.
Wet Work Excessive tinting, especially with watery products, can
result in an exothermic reaction, where the resin gets
There is also a range of scenic materials dedicated to very hot. This can result in the resin starting to smoke,
replicating water. These are usually materials from other melting its plastic container and even causing fires.
industries, sometimes pre-mixed with inks and pigments, When tinting resin, never add more than 5% of the total
repackaged for scenic modelling either to create realistic volume of the resin being tinted, no matter what you
water or water effects. are using to tint it!
Realistic water products are designed to produce a layer of Water effects are acrylic-based pastes that, when applied
modelled water when poured into a pond or river piece. They on top of a realistic water layer, can be used to create all
are usually supplied clear, and applied clear, but they can be manner of effects from ripples and splashes to ocean waves
tinted with inks, paints and pigments. Most realistic water and waterfalls. They are usually a mixture of heavy, acrylic
products are acrylic based, usually just a thick acrylic binder gel, pre-mixed with inks or pigments to create a translucent
mixed with water so that when it dries, it leaves a clear or opaque textured effect, replicating various waves and
plastic layer. As these are air drying, they can suffer from foamy effects.
cracking around the edges due to the volume reducing
as it dries, so they are best for small pieces or Acrylic water effects can be applied in bulk, but they air
replicating puddles. dry. The thicker the application, the longer it will take to
dry and go clear, sometimes up to a week. Applied too
Acrylics are water soluble, meaning any cracks can be heavily, the outside can dry, stopping the inside from
soaked with brushed on water and filled with a thin drying and going clear, so multiple thin applications to
application of more acrylic ‘water’, then smoothed out build up the effect work better than a single bulky one,
with a wet brush as it dries, leaving a perfect finish. especially as some of them lose more than half their
volume as they dry.

ALWAYS GROWING!
These are only the commonly used scenic materials in terrain making, but the ranges available from scenic suppliers also
include many modelling materials from the earlier sections as well. The actual range of materials available in the scenic
modelling industry is huge, and only continues to grow; their use in terrain making is only limited by the budget of the build.

43
THE PRACTICALS
COMMON METHODS AND TECHNIQUES
Terrain sets come in all shapes and sizes, with themes and settings from different places,
times, or even the world of the imagination. With all sets, however, the themes and settings
are just “skins” applied to the same pieces, made with the same materials, and using the
same techniques.
There is a core set of practical skills – just as there are core sets of tools and materials - that
are used over and over again throughout the build process, regardless of what is being built.

FROM CUTTING MAT TO TABLETOP - There are times when you’ll want to add detail to
various elements before you put them together on a
THE TYPICAL WORKFLOW base. If that’s going to be easier, do as much as you
Once your pieces are sufficiently planned, and all the can before assembly and finish off the detailing once
necessary materials and tools have been acquired, it’s time it’s mounted.
to start the build process. Making wargaming terrain isn’t
3. Detailing and Texturing – Now we take the basic shapes
a one-sitting hobby. Terrain pieces, sets, and boards are
and substructures and dress them up with additional
usually built over multiple sessions and can take anything
details, and we can add smaller elements to give the piece
from a couple of evenings to months of work, depending on
character and provide textured surfaces. Detailing can
the project. Terrain is built in stages and each stage needs
involve embossing or engraving foam to replicate brickwork
to be completed before you can move on to the next. Whilst
on walls, or rockfaces on hills. It can be about adding balsa
terrain pieces vary greatly, the process is similar for all of
strips to a fantasy townhouse, tiling a roof with cardboard,
them. The number of build stages that can be completed in
or adding plastic pieces such as pipes and vents to
a single session is often determined by the amount of work
industrial builds. It can also require putty work, for sculpting
that needs to be done in the time available, or by the need
tree bark, for example, or to add sandbags. The time needed
to allow the pieces to dry.
for this stage often depends on the desired level of realism.
The build process can be broken down into eight core Most pieces can look good with minimal detailing. Usually,
stages. It’s important to understand what each involves, so the greater the realism desired, the more detail is required,
that your hobby sessions can be productive. There’s nothing and this can drastically increase the workload.
much worse than starting a session with a task that takes
Texturing often comes after detailing but can be considered
only a little time but then leaves the pieces untouchable
part of the same process. Texturing might be about adding a
until they are dry.
rough surface to walls and rockfaces, or adding groundwork
1. Base Making – This is the first stage, as bases provide with aggregates and textured gloop. When working with
the foundation for the rest of the build. The time needed will multiple pieces, it’s best to batch texture them all at the
depend on factors such as the number of bases needed, same time; it can be a messy process, and this will cut
the material they’ll be made from, the tools available, down the number of times you have to clean up.
and even the desired bevel of the base edges. Thin, EPVC
When you need to create a lot of small detail elements
foamboard bases can be crafted quite quickly at the hobby
to add to a piece (like window frames), it’s best to
desk, whilst thicker, tougher materials might require special
mass produce them in advance, making more than you
tools and workstations. In such cases, it is best to treat
need. This will stop you worrying about being a few
mass base making as a single session.
short, or breaking one along the way, and let you focus
2. Basic Build – After the bases, focus moves to completing purely on their application.
the basic shapes of the terrain pieces. From cutting out
4. Sealing – When the detailed and textured pieces are
walls, floors, and roofs, to shaping foam into rough hills or
dry, it’s time to seal them for painting. This involves coating
creating tree armatures – the list is varied. These elements
them in a thinned PVA solution, or varnish, which not only
are combined on the base to form the substructure of
seals absorbent materials, but also provides a surface that
the piece. The amount of work involved in each piece
takes paint easily. Sealing helps to bond the detailing to the
is determined by the number of different materials and
basic builds, reducing the risk of bits being dislodged as
techniques used. It is best to split the basic build stage
they are painted. Buildings and above ground structures are
by materials and techniques, focusing on completing all
best sealed once fully dry (after detailing), but groundwork
the work on one material type or technique before moving
can be sealed as it’s laid down. The sealing stage can
onto the next, saving time on both setup and clean up.
also be combined with the texturing stage to speed up
This approach also makes it easier to plan the basic build
the process, especially if you are sealing non-groundwork
workflow over multiple sessions for large projects. Usually,
elements with varnish.
completed basic builds need to be left to dry before moving
onto the detailing and texturing stage. However, for pieces Once the pieces are sealed and solid, it’s time to paint
made from dry materials that have been constructed and them up.
mounted to the base with fast acting glues, it’s possible to
move straight to the next stage.

44
 THE PRACTICALS
5. Basecoating – The paint process begins with the The addition of grass and foliage is really an extension of
application of the main colours, such as greys for rocks and the detailing stage, but it needs to be done after the details
walls, browns for woodwork and groundwork. Basecoating have been painted. This stage can involve applying multiple
is a stage in itself because it involves applying a much larger layers of flocks, scatters, and scenic materials, as well as
quantity of paint to the pieces, compared to the terrain adding foliage materials to bushes and trees. There are a
painting techniques that follow. Basecoats have a lengthy number of different techniques for creating a realistic finish,
drying time, so they are often best left overnight before as well as a wide range of special effects materials for
beginning the detail painting. This is especially important if specific situations, so this can mean that this stage may be
any of the detailing techniques involve wet work, which can the longest of the entire build process. Moreover, speed of
reactivate almost-dried basecoats, and result in unintended application is the major factor for many of the techniques
colour mixes. and materials to be used at this stage. While the level of
realism depends on the amount of work put in to the pieces
6. Detail Painting – This stage can involve a wide range
and the variety of the materials laid down, it’s really quite
of painting techniques to add depth to the piece, such
easy to achieve a good looking piece with a few simple
highlighting a texture, adding subtle variation or shading,
steps and a core set of materials.
and weathering a piece, all of which increase realism. The
time needed will depend on the desired level of realism, the 8. Final Sealing – Once all the detail painting and grasswork
number of pieces you are working on, and the techniques is done, the final stage is to apply a protective coat to the
employed. Overbrushing, drybrushing, and stippling need piece, preparing it for handling and gameplay. This could be
next-to-no drying time before being ready for the next step. either a single application of thinned PVA or a varnish, which
Washes for shading and weathering have longer dry times can be applied quite quickly, or you may prefer multiple
and are best applied to fully dried and highlighted pieces, to applications of various sealants which will be more time-
ensure they don’t reactivate paint that is almost dried. consuming but give a more realistic or durable finish. This
stage will usually be the quickest of all the build stages, and
7. Greenwork – If there’s no grasswork or foliage to be
often the set up can take longer than the actual application.
added, the pieces can be left to dry before they have their
However, if you need to apply multiple layers, especially
final protective sealing (stage 8), otherwise, it’s time to add
varnishes, it can require multiple sessions with overnight
the greenery.
drying time between each application.

45
Go with the flow At some point, however, it’s going to get messy.
In most cases, after sealing, the build process is complete Base making, for example, may well create lots of dust,
and the pieces are ready for the tabletop. There are, or small bits of card, or polystyrene. Unless you can do
however, some processes - such as adding resins to water it cleanly on the cutting mat, it’s best done outside or
pieces - which can be done after the sealing process. somewhere the excessive dust will be easy to clean,
So, treat this build workflow as a guide, not a strict set of especially if you are using power tools. The same applies
rules. It will help you to keep your builds progressing in an to spray sealing, since the overspray from quickly sealing
organised manner, and avoid situations where pieces in a an entire set can be surprisingly extensive. You should
set are at different stages, leading to a lot of lost time. This also consider ventilation when using aerosol paints and
is most likely to happen when you need to swap between varnishes, or cutting foam with hot tools; the former is
workspaces, as different stages need not only different always best done outside on a nice, non-humid day.
techniques and materials, they might also need different WARNING – Remember, just because
work areas. you (think you) can “handle the
fumes”, it doesn’t mean they won’t
Work Areas affect kids, people with respiratory
Given all the tools and materials you might use, together problems, or even pets. Only use
with the table space you need for building, you might think sprays and varnishes in a well-
you need a large, dedicated hobby space. But while a terrain ventilated area.
studio is a glorious thing, all you really need is a humble
Accidents, spills, and splashes can and do happen
kitchen/dining room table.
frequently, so prepare for these when setting up your
For the basic setup, you need room for an A2 (approximately workspace. Indoors, a few sheets of newspaper under and
17”x24”) cutting mat, or a few sheets of thick, corrugated around the cutting mat may be all that is needed to prevent
cardboard, along with space for the tools and materials disaster. If you’re in a carpeted area, a plastic playmat
being used at the time. If you’re building a whole set of beneath the work area can save you a lot of time and money
terrain, it’s useful to have table space within arm’s reach in carpet cleaning. Even the simplest of build tasks can
for the pieces not currently being worked on, so you’re not make a bit of a mess with offcuts, debris and dust, some
constantly getting up and down to swap pieces. Often, this of which can get in the way or contaminate a build later on.
is all that’s needed for most of the build process and so can Cleaning regularly throughout the session is better than
be done anywhere the space can be found. leaving it until the end.

46
 THE PRACTICALS
A damp rag is an essential at pretty much every There are a host of techniques you can use to combine the
stage, but never underestimate the benefit of keeping laying down and sealing of multiple layers of fine materials
the Hoover (vacuum) nozzle close by when cutting, such as aggregates and scenic scatters, often allowing
sanding, or working with aggregates and scenic them all to be done in a single sitting. Drying times can be
scatters. reduced by painting techniques that control the amount of
paint and water applied to a piece, as well as by tools like
For the messier spraying tasks, those that are often done
hairdryers. You can also reduce build times just by taking
outside, a few large sheets of corrugated cardboard are all
a little care, such as applying washes on a dry area whilst
that’s needed to make sure the patio or garage floor doesn’t
waiting for the detail painting on an adjacent area to dry.
get stained or coloured. This is a hands-on hobby, so some
mess is inevitable. If you take the time to make sure the job There is also a wide range of materials that can reduce the
is done in the right place, with the right protection, and if drying times between stages. There are adhesives, like hot
you clean up as you go, your builds will progress smoothly glue and super glues, that bond quickly and allow detailing
and problem free. to be done in the same session as the basic build. There are
quick-evaporating thinners that drastically speed up water-
Mixing things up based sealing processes. Aerosols and airbrushes can be
The workflow laid out above will help you to build great used to basecoat pieces, allowing pieces to be detailed very
terrain that’s durable for gameplay, but might appear soon after basecoating.
dishearteningly long and drawn out. Remember, however, It is always handy to have a couple of odd, one-off
that once you’ve got an understanding of the core stages, pieces, some at different build stages than your main
techniques, and materials, it’s possible to combine stages project and some at the same stage. Let them sit on a
into one session, reducing drying times and speeding up shelf until all the work you can do in a session is done
your workflow, particularly when building sets. With the and you’ve got time to fill, or when you need something
right choice of techniques and materials you can drastically to work on because you need to do messy work on your
reduce the time needed to complete a piece or set and, in main set but the weather isn’t letting you.
some cases, entire pieces or sets can be completed in a
single day. Whilst the range of materials and techniques that can be
used to speed up builds is growing by the day, don’t forget
It’s best to become confident doing each individual that this is a hobby, not a race. Building fast is fine if there’s
stage before you try to combine them. Understanding a real need for speed, but it’s easier to improve your skills if
the process makes it a lot easier to troubleshoot any you’re not in a rush.
issues that arise when you do speed up your workflow.
A simple way to speed up your workflow is to organise your
What next?
tools and materials by build stages, storing them together With your workflow planned out, your workspace and hobby
in their own containers. For example, you might keep your sessions organised, you now know what to do, in what
base-making tools with your base materials, or use a small order, where best to do it and how to stay safe as you do.
set of plastic drawers, with each drawer dedicated to a Next up are the common techniques you are going to use.
different build stage. This eliminates the need to hunt for
items when setting up.

47
 improve the load on your back. Ideally, when sitting,
KEEP GOING, HAPPY AND HEALTHY rather than being hunched over it, your work should
WARNING – The following is NOT be at the same level as your breastbone. While this is
medical advice, just a guide to help practical for figure painting, it can be impractical for
you stay healthy and safe as you terrain making, but raising your work surface by just a
hobby. If you are in pain or suffer few inches can significantly reduce the load on your
disability, always seek appropriate back. If you can’t raise your work surface, look into
advice from a qualified medical lowering your chair.
professional.
Bending from a standing position whilst working at a
Aside from the odd cut finger and the need to mask table or bench, stresses the lower back. The best height
up or work in a well-ventilated area, this hobby isn’t for a table, to reduce these stresses, is level with the
hazardous to your health. Terrain making is actually knuckles of a clenched fist when standing straight with
quite sedate, which is one of the reasons why it’s seen your arms hanging down by your side. Kitchen and dining
as relaxing. Nevertheless, sitting in one place and tables are usually a few inches too low but can be raised
position for a prolonged period can put pressures on with some bricks or bits of wood.
your muscles and spine, especially if the warning signs
It’s not only bending over that the back doesn’t like,
of discomfort are ignored just because you want to get
it also doesn’t like standing up straight. Instead, your
something finished.
back prefers to tilt a bit, side to side. The reason for
Proper Hobby Posture - Whilst sitting at, or standing this is that when tilted, the muscles on one side of the
over, a desk, bench or table, the lower back muscles are spine work and the muscles on the other side rest.
constantly under load, constantly contracting, building When standing straight, both sides have to work and
up waste, increasing in discomfort. If ignored, this can neither get a rest, meaning more metabolic waste,
lead to protective spasming and escalate into full blown discomfort and pain. I recommend using a simple 2"
back problems. Above all, do not ignore discomfort and step to rest one foot on and tilt the spine. Swapping
allow it to develop into pain, take regular breaks, get up, sides occasionally will help make standing at the bench
move around, let muscles pump for a bit, before going considerably more comfortable.
back to your hobby.
Above all, be guided by discomfort, take breaks and
Bending over puts a lot of strain on the back muscles make sure you’ve got a good, working posture and
and improving your working position can drastically (fingers crossed) you’ll be hobbying happily and healthily.

48
STICKING IT TOGETHER If you get a glue blob that’s a bit
heavy and looks like it’s not set
If there is one activity that really sums up terrain making, inside, pop it with a pin and then
it’s the assembly of a bunch of different things and sticking press it down, forcing the wet PVA
them together to create something new. out and wiping it away. A bit like
Gluing things together is an integral part of terrain making. popping a spot. It’s quicker and
A wide range of materials, all needing a variety of glues and easier to wipe away or smooth out
techniques to stick them together is part of the creative large blobs while they’re still wet.
process. Understanding the best glue for the situation, and When gluing large sheets together, place 5mm diameter
the correct way to apply it is a key factor when building, blobs of PVA in a 1" grid pattern across one of the surfaces.
whether you’re at the beginning of the basic build stage, or When pressed together, the blobs will flatten and expand
nearing the end and adding greenery and foliage . but not enough to stop their centres drying, or to stop air
For most gluing jobs, simple PVA is all that’s needed. How getting further between the sheets, blocking other dots

THE PRACTICALS
it’s applied, however, depends on what is being glued to from drying at all.
what. Generally speaking, you’ll either be gluing a small A common misconception is that a ring of glue all the way
number of large elements together – such as adding foam around the edge of a piece when gluing layers of foam, will
hills to a base and constructing a building out of individual ensure the edges stick well. This approach, however, can
walls – or you’ll be gluing a large number of smaller lead to you sealing all the gaps, making the layers airtight
elements to a piece – like texturing with aggregates or and reducing your chances of a solid bond. So, go against
flocking a piece. what you might already do, and stick with broken lines and
small dots.
Big Bits
Remember that most bonds will be reinforced as the piece
In the first case, the heavy-duty tasks, unthinned PVA
is detailed, painted and sealed, so usually, elements only
straight from the bottle is the way to go. Apply it in small
need to be bonded enough to proceed to the next stage, as
amounts, either as thin, broken lines to stick walls together,
the final piece will be solid enough for gameplay by the time
for example, or as a number of small dots for sticking large
it’s finished.
surfaces together, for example when layering foam sheets
on top of each other to form a hill. It is important to control Small Bits
the amount of PVA being put down. PVA is an air-drying
glue, so heavy applications can mean longer drying times When it comes to laying down aggregates and scenic
or, in some cases, the outside edges and surface of the scatters, unthinned PVA – even when brushed on as a
glue dry first and block the air from reaching the rest of the smooth layer – will actually result in a weaker bond than
glue, meaning that the bulk of it never dries. The result is a thinned PVA, and will lead to bits dropping off once the glue
weaker bond than if less glue was used in the first place. is dry. With unthinned glue, aggregates and scatters are so

49
light that only the very bottom layer will bond. No matter The Fast, The Fiddly, and The Non-absorbent
how much material is sprinkled on the piece, only the
bottom layer will be stuck down and everything above will be Whilst PVA is the king of glues for terrain making, there are
loose, once the PVA has dried. When thinned PVA is used, times when other glues may be needed. The most common
not only will the aggregates sink into the glue layer, but the reason to switch from PVA is that one of the elements being
thinned PVA itself will also be pulled up through the layer of bonded is made from a non-porous material such as metal,
aggregates by capillary action, a process where fluids are resin, or plastic. PVA struggles to bond these materials as
pulled into small gaps by surface tension. This ‘soaking- it cannot penetrate the surface to grip it, whereas hot glue,
through’ effect can create an even stronger bond through super glue, and latex glues - contact adhesives – will bond
techniques such as pre-wetting and wet-working, but these much better.
are sealing techniques, rather than gluing. With aggregates The second reason for switching from PVA is bonding time.
and scatters, the line between gluing and sealing becomes Hot glues and super glues have much shorter bonding times
a little blurred. and can produce a stronger bond than the same amount of
PVA can be thinned down with water at a 1:1 ratio for PVA. If you have a lot of things to build, or a short time to
laying down most small aggregates. For patches of larger build your pieces in, consider a change in glues. Hot glue
aggregates, boulders, for example, unthinned PVA can be and super glue can also make detailing tasks much easier
added into the thinned layer, which will bond the larger as they can bond small bits quickly, making tasks like tiling
pieces better than the thinned layer on its own. For scenic walls or creating fences a lot less fiddly.
scatters which are often laid over painted groundwork, For the even smaller bits, such as aggregates and scatters,
an even thinner PVA solution, at a ratio of 2:1 water to a repositionable latex spray adhesive can be used instead of
PVA works better. Scatter flocks require very little glue, so thinned PVA. Once sprayed across a surface, this instantly
the extra-thinned PVA will easily bond them. Pre-mix your bonds anything that is put onto it, meaning drying time
thinned PVA and apply it with a large, fine-bristled, flat-tipped is eliminated completely. The downside is that it is only a
brush in even layers, ensuring that any pooling, typically contact adhesive, so there is no ‘soaking-through’ effect,
in dips and recesses, is removed before sprinkling on the and only the bottom layer of materials touching the glue will
aggregates or scatters. be bonded. It is possible to apply multiple layers of spray
Sometimes a surface can be so and aggregates or scatters but be sure to remove any loose
large that by the time you’ve put excess before applying more spray. Just as the spray doesn’t
your glue down, it has already soak upwards, it won’t soak downwards either. This can
started to dry before you can get lead to disaster at the painting stages as layers of
your bits sprinkled. In such cases, aggregate separate.
do a bit at a time, laying your glue Although spray adhesives can be used for texturing and
down over part of the area, then grasswork, they really excel when adding foliage to mesh-like
sprinkling your bits but avoiding substructures such as wire wool, polyfibre or coconut fibre
the very edge of the glue layer. This way you can add to create bushes and tree crowns. Not only is this the best
more glue to the edge, expand the area and sprinkle way to apply adhesives to such irregularly shaped materials
some more. It’s quite easy to work across an entire but also, once added, the foliage can be sealed with thinned
board step by step using this method without ever PVA with no fear of the latex glue reactivating and the foliage
getting bits in your brush or any sign of dried glue lines. falling off.

50
 THE PRACTICALS
The Extra Step Push it in, pull it out, put a squirt of PVA in the hole,
push it back in, clip off any that’s still sticking out. Prod
Sometimes, glue on its own is just not enough. You might it in a little further and finally whack a bit of filler in the
need ways to hold elements of your build in place whilst hole to hide your handy work.
glues dry, or if the area of the join is so small there is not
enough glue to make a secure bond. Whilst swapping glues When materials can’t be pinned, typically because they
or combining them can help in these situations, there are are not soft enough, masking tape can be used instead.
other methods of holding things together while they bond, Elastic bands can also be used to hold elements in place,
or to reinforce joins permanently. especially when working with MDF or resin kits. Clothes
pegs can be useful, as can hobby C-clamps and specialised
‘Pins’ can be used to fix elements together while the glue magnetic hobby clamps (both made specifically for
dries, and when we say ‘pins’ these can be any long, thin hobby building).
rigid item that can be pushed through foam, foamcore,
or balsa wood. Dressmaker pins are great as they can be Cheap and easy clamps can be made with a few bits of
easily removed once the glue dries before moving onto LEGO®, some small flat magnets and a bit of super glue
the next stage of the build. For stronger reinforcement or Unlike commercial clamps, homemade LEGO® clamps
on large foam sheets, cocktail sticks or bamboo skewers are highly customisable.
can be used. Regardless of the type of pin you choose, When it comes to terrain making, it doesn’t take much to
they are best placed in pairs and at a right angle to each stick things together. The process is very forgiving and any
other, locking the elements together. When reinforcing with join can be reinforced. The secret, however, is using the
permanent pinning, flat-head sewing pins can be easily right glue in the right way in the first place.
pushed in just below the surface of the material and then
hidden with texturing later. But as well as glue, you’re going to be applying paint to your
pieces, and there’s a whole load of ways to do that, too.

GOOD GUIDES
As well as applying the right glue in the right way, and
holding everything together while it dries, you must make
sure things are in the right place, too. This is particularly
important when constructing buildings. Joins that are
improperly aligned, or at the wrong angle can cause all
sorts of problems later in the build. The easiest way
to prevent this, is to draw the positions of the walls or
other elements directly onto the base and use this as
a guide when adding them. This will help to keep all the
horizontal angles correct, but it will not help to ensure
pieces aren’t slanted vertically. Tools are needed. Forms,
jigs, set-squares, T-squares, or blocks are large guide
tools that can be pushed up against certain elements,
ensuring walls are vertical, and corners are at right
angles. They will also work as guides in all sorts of
situations, depending of the form being used.
It’s quite easy to make your own forms out of
LEGO®. They’re very customisable and PVA can be
wiped/ washed/peeled off the plastic quite easily.

51
GLOOPS surface with a brush or spatula, and can be smoothed and
shaped with damp tools. Once set, this will provide a very
Whilst there is a wide array of specialist modelling products durable, textured, painted play surface. Although recipes
for creating textured groundwork, hardcoating soft foam, can be adjusted to take into account the consistency of
and even sculpting landscapes, it can be more cost the various paints and fillers, always ensure your gloop is at
effective to make your own by mixing various common least half paint. Anything less than this will result in a stiff
hobby materials together. These homebrewed products paste that’s too difficult to lay down consistently.
are called ‘gloops’ and are broadly grouped into three
categories: textured paints, sealing gloops, and bulking You don’t really need to mix PVA with ground gloop as
gloops. gravity works in your favor and bits rarely fall off the
ground. That being said, a little PVA won’t harm the mix
Textured Paints and will give a very durable finish.
Textured paints, as simple as it may sound, are normal Sealing Gloops
paints (typically house paints) that have been mixed with a
material to create a coloured, textured surface. Recipes vary Sealing gloops are mainly used for hardcoating and texturing
depending on the application of the paint, along with the foam – especially the softer EPS. When applied, they provide
texture materials used. a tough, textured surface that takes paint much better than
the bare foam.
To create a textured paint for the walls of buildings, use a
fine grade aggregate, such as sharp sand, added to your The main ingredient is the hardcoat element which can be
paint at a ratio of 1 part sand to 5 parts of paint. If the either a ceiling stucco, slightly-thinned filler, thinned grout,
aggregates struggle to adhere to the surface, the mixture or an industrial casting powder. This is then mixed with fine
can be supplemented with a little PVA to help the aggregates at a ratio of 2:1, although an equal mix of each
aggregates bond. can be used to create a very tough and textured coating.
However, a 1:1 mix is best applied by hand, due to its thick
To create a textured paint for ground, the gloop recipe needs consistency.
adjusting slightly. The addition of filler (spackle) will bulk out
the mix and create small undulations on the ground. Try a If you’re struggling to mix it up in the tub, you’re gonna
mix of paint, filler, and small-grade mixed aggregates in a struggle to apply it. Thin it down by throwing a little
ratio of 2 parts paint to 1 part filler and 1 part sand. This water, PVA, or house paint into the mix but be careful,
will create a coloured paste that can be laid down over a sealing gloops should never be so thin that they drip off
a brush.

52
 THE PRACTICALS
Bulking Gloops realistic blending and ground undulations that can take
texturing and paint easily.
Bulking gloops are used to build landscapes, creating
undulating ground, as well as blending elements into their A small amount of small grade aggregates can be added
bases, usually carved foam hills or sheets of layered foam. to the mix along with a little PVA to help fix them in place.
Comprising of a mixture of a bulking element and a setting This will mean, once set, it’s already textured and ready for
element, usually in a 1:1 mix, these gloops can be shaped painting, although this gives less control over the look of the
as they are applied, or they can be chipped away once set. texturing, than if you add the texture afterwards.
The bulking element can be shredded tissue or paper, If you’re planning on chipping away the bulking gloop
sawdust, or loose polystyrene balls. Other materials can be after it’s set, use filler or plaster of Paris as the setting
used as long as they can be broken down into very small element; ceiling stuccos and industrial casting powders
pieces that will create volume, whilst being lightweight. will set too hard to be chipped away without risking
Materials such as aggregates are unsuitable for bulking damaging the piece.
gloops as the weight of the gloop will become excessive if The different ways in which the vast array of possible
used over paper, sawdust or polystyrene. materials interact when mixed can vary greatly. The
Ceiling stuccos work very well for the setting element, since environment will also affect consistency, setting time and
they require no thinning and, when mixed with the bulking so on. Bear in mind that pigments and artist acrylics can be
element, set in hard, lightweight lumps. Alternatively, you added to the mixes to provide colour to the gloops.
can use a thinned filler or mixed up casting powder.
Paint, however, doesn’t have the hard setting quality of Toss out the recipes
the stuccos, fillers and casting powders and so should Don’t treat the directions above as strict recipes, but
be avoided. use them as a guide, and experiment with adjusting the
Once mixed, the gloop is simply applied with a spatula or quantities and materials according to the function of the
bare hands before being shaped in place with a wet, stiff- gloop, whether it be texturing, sealing, bulking, or a mixture
bristled brush, or wet fingers. Once set, it provides very of all three.

53
SLAPPING IT ON! so the bottom third of the bristles are completely covered
with paint. Then, dip the loaded brush into water before
There’s a host of techniques for applying paint to pieces, application, so that the applied paint is a little thinner than
and each is suited to a particular task or to create a the basic consistency described above. When putting
particular effect. down a base coat, start each brush load on a large flat area
There is a wide variety of paint types, of varying thickness, slightly away from areas that have already been painted, and
pigment density and quantity of medium, and it’s important spread the paint over the area to meet the already painted
to pick the right paint for the task at hand. For terrain work, areas. Applying it to areas already painted can double the
artist and craft acrylics are very thick and pigment heavy, density and slow down drying times, much like when a
so need thinning with water the most. Model paints can be loaded brush is applied to a craggy surface, leaving blobs of
used pretty much straight out of the bottle but often benefit paint between rocks that then take much longer to dry. Lay
from a little thinning. House paints are also very thick and the paint down thinly in even coats, making sure to spread
require thinning almost as much as artist acrylics. out and break up any large collections of paint in crags,
recesses or underhangs. A single, solid basecoat is usually
High pigment artist acrylics should be applied with care. enough before proceeding to the next stage, but some
Unless properly thinned, they can leave a glossy surface, so colours can require two thin coats.
it’s best to leave them for washes, tinting and occasional
detail work, while avoiding large area applications. When it comes to loading a brush,
only dip the end third of the bristles
The right consistency of paint used for terrain work should into the paint. Never go deeper than
be thin enough to drip off a loaded brush, but thick enough this, nor hold your brush with the
to stay on an unloaded brush. This allows the paint to be bristles pointing upwards, otherwise
applied straight onto the piece. However, some techniques the paint will get into the ferrule. This
require different consistencies, and these are explored next. is a pain to clean, if it dries, will ruin
Constantly thinning paints can be a pain, especially your brush tip and there’s a chance it’ll reactivate in the
your regulars like grey and brown house paints. I use future and tint the colour being applied at the time. So,
squeezy ketchup bottles, filled with all my core colours only dip the tip!
pre-thinned to the desired consistency, meaning I can Layering – This is very similar to basecoating but generally
just squirt out a couple of drops of my desired colour done with a smaller, flat, fine-bristled brush from which
straight onto my palette and get painting. the excess paint is removed - unlike when loading a brush
Basecoating – This may involve undercoating the entire for basecoating. The paint, often a close shade to the
piece in a single solid colour (often black), or it may be basecoat, is thinned and laid down in thin layers over the
block-colouring the entirety of separate elements on the basecoat, usually to break up large areas into different
piece, such as the ground brown and the rocks grey. The shades of similar colours, such as the base of a river or
best approach is to load a large, flat, fine-bristled brush pond piece.

54
 THE PRACTICALS
Blending – This is the technique of mixing a layered colour brush handy, so any mistakes can be quickly wiped
with its basecoat, to remove any stark contrasting edges. It away. With the bulk of the mistake removed, any
can be done whilst layering down a colour by feathering its remaining paint can be wetted slightly, left to soften
edges, and then going over those edges again with a damp, and then lifted away with a damp brush or bit of tissue.
fine-bristled brush, to blend the layer and basecoat together. This is best done almost immediately, as the longer it
If the layer has dried, a 1:1 mix of the base colour and layer has to dry, the long it’ll take to soften and lift away.
colour can be thinly applied to the transition line and then
Drybrushing – This is a highlighting technique, where a small
softened with a damp, fine-bristled brush as when working
amount of a lighter shade of paint is applied to the raised
with a wet layer.
surfaces and hard edges of a piece to create the illusion of
Detailing – This is the technique of picking out small details depth. It is best done with a stiff-bristled, flat-tipped brush
- such as the handles on doors, or adding chip marks to that is completely dry and then lightly dipped in unthinned
metal plates. This is best achieved with a small, fine-bristled, paint so that just the very tips of the bristles have paint on
round-tipped brush that is used with the excess paint them. Then brush the tips back and forth across corrugated
removed after loading. When detailing small items, start cardboard, allowing the cardboard to soak up the excess
from the centre of the item and work the paint towards the paint until only a trace is laid down with each brush stroke.
edges to ensure it doesn’t spread beyond the detail. When Then gently stroke the brush over the raised surface to be
adding surface detail such as metal chips or the grain on highlighted, brushing perpendicular to ridges and edges, so
wooden pieces, always lay the paint down on a test piece, as to catch them rather than run along them. Increase the
first, to check its consistency, before applying it to the pressure of the strokes until the desired effect is achieved.
actual piece, and repeat this every time paint is added to This process is repeated until the drybrushing is complete,
the brush. but the brush is never cleaned between applications to
ensure it remains a dry process. This technique does put a
Mistakes are inevitable, paint will go somewhere you
lot of wear and tear on a brush’s bristles, so it’s a good idea
don’t want it to. Always keep a damp, flat, fine-bristled
to have a dedicated set of brushes for drybrushing.

55
 Pre-thinned paints can take quite a bit of work to get Stippling – This technique is used to apply a broken, random
drybrush ready, so it’s often quicker to use the paint highlight to mainly flat surfaces. Small amounts of unthinned
on the inside of the lid of the pot it originally came paint are applied with a firm-bristled, round, stub-tipped
from, since that tends to be the thickest and easiest brush or with a ripped-up piece of sponge using a gentle
to work with. Also, when using a fresh brush, the first dabbing motion. A brush can be used for very small chip
application is always a bit wetter than you need, so effects on all sorts of surfaces, while a ripped up sponge,
don’t apply the first brush load, simply brush it off on especially sea sponge, is better for breaking up large flat
the cardboard, then reload the bristle tips, brush it areas such as concrete walls, or ocean floors prior to a
off, and then drybrush the piece. The small amount resin pour. The paint is best applied by dipping just the very
of remaining paint from the first run helps absorb the tips of your bristles or sponge into the paint, and dabbing
excess moisture of the paint in the second giving you off any excess, before applying it gently to the surface
much better results. in a random manner, building up the effect with multiple
applications.
Overbrushing – This technique is a mixture of layering,
drybrushing, and blending. It is often used to apply a subtle Build up in layers
highlight to large flat areas with a soft texture, such as
muddy roads or large, flat rockfaces. It is best applied with How much paint to use and how to apply it is something
a large, damp, soft, fine-bristled brush with a flat tip, slightly that comes with experience. Just bear in mind that it’s a
dipped into paint before removing the excess on the palette lot easier to add more paint than it is to take off or remove
- much like drybrushing. The paint is then applied with gentle too much paint. If you’re not sure how much to use, go for
strokes across the raised areas. The effect can be softened a little and use light applications, building up the desired
by feathering the edges as the brush runs out of paint or effect in controlled layers, until you get a feel for your
by blending it in with a clean damp brush immediately after brush and your paints. If it does go wrong, it can always be
application. cleaned up or repainted.

56
COMMON PAINTING PROBLEMS AND THEIR SOLUTIONS
As I’m basecoating, bits that were stuck
down are coming loose – This is because
you’re painting areas that are not properly
dried. The moisture in the paint soaks into
any PVA or soft filler and reactivates it, so
when you apply more paint, bits start to
move. Don’t paint wet areas. Allow the first
layer and any reactivated materials to dry
fully before applying a second layer.
The tops of my rocks and grit are showing

THE PRACTICALS
through my basecoat – That’s due to a
combination of gravity and a thin basecoat;
the paint is simply running off the tops.
If you will be layering, overbrushing, or
drybrushing this surface, don’t worry, the
bare parts will get covered at a later stage.
If you need a solid colour, however, wait
until the basecoating is all done, let the
paint dry, and then give a quick overbrush,
rather than flooding the area with another
layer of paint.
When I layer paint down, even though I’ve
removed the excess, it runs everywhere
– There’s excess water in your bristles
before you dipped into your paint, so when
you applied the layer, the water was forced
out, thinning the paint and causing it to run.
Always wipe any excess water out of your
bristles with a rag or tissue after every quick
brush wash between applications.
I get the odd small streak of paint when
I’m drybrushing – There’s a little blob of
paint hiding in your bristles, and it’s being
forced out as you stroke. Always do a firm
final stroke on the cardboard to check
for these hidden blobs before you hit
the piece.
I get short lines, the width of my brush,
on flat areas I’m drybrushing – You’re
not lifting your brush off the piece as you
change the direction of your strokes, so
the bristles are being forced into the piece,
leaving a stronger impression as they bend
to change direction. Remember, brush on,
brush off, change direction, repeat.
When I drybrush edges and corners, I
get a stronger effect than on the flatter
bits – As you’re stroking across a hard
edge, you’re scraping all the paint and any
moisture in the bristles onto the edge.
The harder the edge being drybrushed, the
softer your strokes should be, keeping the
bristles stroking across the edge rather
than dragging over it.
My stippling is coming out like flat colour,
rather than broken up – Your paint is too
thin, or you’re pressing too hard during the
stippling. Less paint and lighter applications
are the key to getting this technique right.

57
THIN STUFF Professional Washes
Whilst it’s recommended always to thin your paints to the ‘Professional’ washes are homemade washes that mimic
right consistency for application, you can thin paints even those sold by hobby companies. By using similar ingredients
more to create what is called a wash. This watery paint will and recipes, it is possible to mix large quantities for a
carry the fine paint pigment into recesses on the surface fraction of the price of commercial washes. In these
they’re applied to, creating a natural shading effect as professional washes, the paint is replaced with acrylic inks
they settle and dry. Washes can be made and applied in a which provide a smoother effect because the pigments
number of ways. These include simple shotgun washes, in the inks are typically finer and less opaque than the
professional washes, and wet working, along with variations pigments in paints. Inks are used either individually or as
such as stains and glazes, each with its own benefits and a mixture of different colours to create a specific hue, for
final effects. example, brown and black mixed in a 2:1 ratio will produce a
copy of a commonly-used, commercial hobby wash.
Shotgun Washes
Pro-washes usually contain a matt medium which helps the
These are the simplest washes to create, typically finer ink pigments to bond to the terrain surface whilst also
consisting of paint and water at a ratio of between 1:10 and matting down the glossy shine that inks often produce. Flow
1:20, depending on the strength of the paint or the desired aid is another typical ingredient of professional washes, and
strength of the wash. These washes are often made by just like in the shotgun washes, it helps the wash reach all
adding water to the last dregs of a paint pot, typically dark the recesses.
browns and blacks, often with a flow aid, too. When the
wash is applied broadly to a textured surface, the pigments The base wash recipe begins with a mix of water (distilled
in the wash flow into the surface’s recesses to create the is best), flow aid, and matt medium in a 9:1:10 ratio. This
impression of depth and shade. The broad application gives mixture will allow the wash to flow over the surface, bonding
the ‘shotgun’ wash its name. Take care when applying your any pigments and matting down any glossy effects. Add inks
washes as they can leave ‘tidelines’ at the edge of the to this wash base mixture in a ratio of between 10:1 and
application area. This can be avoided by feathering these 20:1 ratio (base wash mix to ink).
edges with clean water. Of course, you can also avoid these Whilst these ink-based washes produce excellent results,
tidelines by applying your wash across the entire surface. they can be costly when applied in bulk, so are best saved
When applied broadly, washes can pool excessively in dips for pieces or elements that need a higher standard of finish
and recesses, leaving dark glossy patches once dry. Remove than the rest of the set.
excess wash that has pooled with a clean brush or piece
of tissue. When mixing your washes, always
write each wash recipe on its bottle
Also known as “dreg” washes, shotgun washes are label, then write it in an email and
great for bulk work, and it’s best to pre-mix them in send it to yourself. There’s nothing
large volumes so the shading can be standardised worse than mixing up a new batch
across an entire terrain set, and for future sets. This halfway through a project (or adding
doesn’t mean you can’t also mix them on your palette to a project in the future) and getting
for smaller applications as you go, but having a a different effect because the recipe
standard set of desaturated brown and black terrain was slightly off.
washes will save a lot of time in the long run.

58
 THE PRACTICALS
Stains & Glazes
A wash without flow aid is called a stain, and consists of
highly thinned paint at the same ratio as normal washes.
Washes flow off peaks and into recesses, and so do stains,
but since they have no flow aid, some pigment sticks to
the peaks as well. This results in an overall darkening or
Wet Working desaturation of the entire surface, as well as shading it.
The final effect of washes is determined by the mixture, Absorbent materials such as grasswork and foliage will
the amount of wash applied, the shape of the model, and absorb washes, but also fix the pigment to their surface.
gravity. Wet working is a technique that takes a little bit This negates the effect of the flow aid and means that the
longer to apply, but gives you more control over the final wash acts more like a stain.
results. Instead of the pigments and water being applied Glazes are paints or inks thinned down to near translucent,
together, a coat of water is laid down first and small so when applied, they give a very subtle colour tint to the
amounts of paint are added and manipulated into place with entirety of the surface they are applied to, without pooling in
a fine-bristle, round-tip brush, essentially mixing the wash on recesses to create the strong contrasts produced by stains
the piece, removing the need for a flow aid. and washes. Typically, glazes are used in small areas as a
Washes may have to be applied to a large area and, if fine detail technique, the most common being to model
applied to just part of a surface, they can leave ‘tidelines’ as heat effects on metal work, or to add lustre to precious
discussed above. Wet washing allows portions of a surface metals and gemstones.
to be shaded or weathered without the fear of tidelines by You will rarely use glazes, but stains are great for
ensuring the pigment is never brushed near the edge of groundwork. Applied with a perfume atomiser or
the water. Wet working can also be applied in stages over airbrush, light, irregular patches can break up large
a large piece by simply adding more water and pigment as areas by adding subtle variation. Alternatively, heavy
you work across the surface, allowing more control than applications can be used to dirty the ground down or
applying a broad wash to a large area like a roof top, for blend the edges of grasswork to groundwork. Stains
example. Wet working can also be used in very small areas made with inks will tint the ground colour, which is
where control is paramount. This technique is called spot great for variation work, whereas stains made with
or pin washing and is applied in the same way as on larger paints change the colour and are more suited to
areas, simply with less water and pigment. muddying up grasswork.
The key to wet working is not to soak or flood the
surface but just have a thin coat of water, adding little
Choosing the right wash
bits of paint and working it in before adding more. There are many ways to make and apply washes, but for
Be careful when adding more water as it can run into the majority of jobs, simple shotgun washing is all that’s
your corners and flush out your wash before it has set. required for good results. Both ink- and paint-based stains
However, if you make a mistake, it can be flushed out are the most commonly used types of wash, so focus on
and the excess water and pigment taken off with a these first, before trying pro-washes and wet working for
brush or tissue. that added, extra level of realism.

59
SEALING IT UP Sealing a set by blasting can be messy work, so
it’s best done outside. Large sheets of corrugated
Sealing is the process of applying an overall coat of a thin, cardboard are great for soaking up the excess, run-
clear glue, lacquer, or varnish. It helps to fix small elements off solution, but take care that your pieces don’t get
in place, whilst providing a protective coating. Often, when stuck. Prop them up slightly on risers, like small bits
we talk about sealing, we mean the protective coating given of corrugated cardboard, or small paint pots, or simply
to a piece at the end of a build, but it can also be used at move them around as they dry.
various stages during the build.
Mod Podging – Flatter, non-absorbent surfaces such as
Sealing can be used to secure aggregates that have been rocks, roads, stonework and so on, can be sealed with matt
laid down as ground textures, or to seal builds, or kits in Mod Podge. Whether slightly thinned with water or applied
preparation for painting. It can also be used to temporarily directly from the bottle with a fine-bristled, flat-tipped brush,
fix layers of scatter and foliage, holding each layer of Mod Podge gives a durable, matt coating that won’t darken
material in place before adding the next. The item and the your paintwork. It can also be thinned down to a liquid and
material being sealed, as well as the stage of the build, will used to seal absorbent surfaces such as scenic scatters,
determine the type of sealing to be used: a type of PVA-mix, although it will probably require some added flow aid to
or a varnish. allow it to soak through those materials.
PVA Wet working – This is a technique where the piece, area or
surface is soaked in water – usually mixed with a flow aid -
Thinned PVA glue is the main sealer for terrain pieces. How
before the PVA is applied. The pre-wetting works to “carry” a
to apply it depends on what’s being sealed and when. The
less dilute PVA (mixed at a 1:2 ratio of PVA to water) further
nature of the job will also determine the proportions of the
into the materials, and will result in a stronger bond than the
mix, and the additives to be used.
blasting method. This technique is best suited for ground
A basic PVA sealing mix is a 1:5 ratio of PVA to water, to surfaces and absorbent foliage. Both the pre-wetting water
which a flow aid can be added, to help the solution soak and the thinned PVA can be sprayed on, dripped on from
into whatever is being sealed. The PVA can be thinned a turkey baster, or applied with precision using a syringe.
further, either to allow multiple applications, to control Blasting is a good way to apply both stages to a broad
the amount of PVA applied, or if you’re using a stronger, area, but it’s more commonly used just for the pre-wetting
industrial PVA. stage, while the PVA solution is applied more precisely with
a dropper of some sort. Syringes are great for precision
Blasting - the most common way to apply a sealing solution
application and are really helpful for injecting a little extra
is the ‘shotgun’ technique, where the solution is sprayed
PVA solution into pre-wet, clump foliage – whether areas
broadly across the entire piece with a spray bottle. This
or individual pieces. This approach will drastically toughen
quick and easy method can seal lots of pieces in a single go.
the foliage and increasing its bond to whatever surface it’s
Its downside is that everything on the piece gets covered,
stuck to.
and it can be very messy. This won’t be an issue when
sealing a piece prior to painting, but it can be a problem in Additives – Flow aid is an essential when sealing with
the final, protective sealing stage. Thinned PVA is great at thinned PVA. It reduces the surface tension of the water,
sealing materials like grasswork and foliage that it can soak so that it flows into and around materials rather than sitting
into, but on flatter, non-absorbent surfaces it can darken on top of them. There are numerous alternatives that can
the paint and result in a slightly glossy finish, especially if be used, from artistic flow aids, to a host of detergents and
applied too heavily. cleaning products.

60
Acrylic matt medium can also be added to the thinned Hairspray
PVA solution, preventing a glossy finish and reducing the
darkening effect. Hairspray, specifically the ‘80s-style, flat (matt), extra-
volume, extra-hold type has long been used as a sealer
Use flow aid in a 1:10 or 1:20 ratio of flow aid to thinned in the hobby. It can be used lightly between layers of
PVA. Even less matt medium is required to achieve good scenic scatters, holding each layer in place while the next
results (perhaps a 1:30 ratio). is applied, before all the layers are sealed with thinned
If you’re using a cleaning product be sure to test it, PVA. It also works well to seal the fine foliage on bushes
before applying to a finished piece. Test new brands and trees which thinned PVA can struggle with. Applied
and even new bottles of brands you’ve used before. in multiple heavy coats, it can be used as a final sealer,
Manufacturers often change recipes, so what may have working especially well on any fine flocks and scatters, from
worked before might not work next time round. grasswork, to tree foliage. It can also be used to stick snow
scatter to a building by spraying while dropping the scatter
One additive that can be used in larger quantities is 99- onto the piece from above.

THE PRACTICALS
100% strength isopropyl alcohol (IPA). When used at the
same ratio as other flow aids, IPA performs in a similar Varnish
manner, but when added in larger quantities, it helps the PVA
While thinned PVA is the best way to seal absorbent
solution penetrate the materials far better than other flow
materials such as foliage and ground scatter, for harder
aids, and results in a very durable sealing coat that strongly
surfaces such as buildings and walls, it is better to use
bonds the scatter. IPA also evaporates very quickly, and can
a varnish. Varnishes are a contact sealer. They do not
often reduce an overnight dry time to a couple of hours. The
penetrate materials, but create a tough, durable, protective
more IPA used in the solution, the better the results, as long
coating while avoiding the darkening effect that can occur
as it is never more than half the mix. My suggested starting
with PVA sealers. Varnishes are available in gloss, satin or
mix is a 1:1:2 ratio of IPA to PVA to water. It can also be used
matt finishes and can be applied from a spray can, airbrush,
for the pre-wetting technique, typically at a ratio of 1:2 IPA
or simply brushed on with a fine-bristled brush.
to water.
A single coat of matt varnish is enough to seal and protect
IPA can sometimes cause a frosting effect, especially
a piece for casual gameplay, but for more heavy-duty use,
around clump foliage, which may soak up too much
a coat of gloss varnish followed by a coat of matt varnish
solution. This is typically due to too much PVA. The
(to remove the unnatural glossy sheen) will give a far more
effect can be removed by soaking the area with water,
durable protective coating. Satin varnish is good for sealing
allowing the PVA to reactivate and soften, and then
snow scenes, giving a more realistic, glistening effect to the
soaking up the excess PVA with a tissue, before leaving
snow and ice compared to matt varnish or thinned PVA.
it to dry.
It’s important to follow the manufacturer’s instructions
when applying varnish, as it is a much more complicated
product than PVA or paint. Drying and reapplication times
can vary greatly from product to product. Varnishing should
be done in a well-ventilated area that is warm and dry. Spray
varnishing in air that has moisture in it, whether from cold
damp or high humidity, can trap moisture in the varnish and
cause it to frost. A piece can be bathed in hot dry air from
a hairdryer just prior to applying spray varnish if moisture
content in the air is a problem. If frosting occurs, it can
be removed by placing the piece in a warm area before
resealing with a gloss of the same brand. Once completely
dry and frosting free, a matt coat can be applied to remove
the gloss effect.
If you’ve got a piece that you want to protect with both
PVA and a varnish - such as a grassy hill with hard
rockfaces, or a cottage on a grassy base - it’s best to
seal with PVA first, allowing it to penetrate and bond
the materials before applying a coat of varnish. Using
varnish first may seal the grassy elements, and stop
the thinned PVA from penetrating.

Keep it simple, unless...

Whilst there are lots of ways and lots of products that can
be used for sealing a piece, blasting with simple thinned PVA
(including a little flow aid) has been the go-to method in the
hobby for decades. Don’t try to add new products and new
techniques until you’ve got the basics down, and then only
if the nature of the terrain dictates a tougher coating, or if a
more ‘professional’ finish is required.

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BETTER BUILDING overcuts. This is easier to do if the blade length is long
enough to stay visible and not get buried up to the hilt in the
There are core materials and techniques that are common material being cut. Elbow position also has an effect. If the
across terrain making, and each of those core materials elbow of the cutting arm is too far to the side of the cutting
has specific techniques that apply to them. Being able to line, the wrist will twist, tilting the side angle of the blade as
correctly cut, shape and detail these materials and knowing it cuts. Getting too far towards the ruler side results in an
the differences between them is one of the best ways to overcut at the bottom layer of the material, and too far to
achieve better builds. All these materials need cutting and the other side results in an undercut. Keep your elbow
it’s important to know how to cut correctly. close to the cutting line to ensure the final cuts are clean
and vertical.
Correct Cutting
Clean cutting comes with practice but if you’re
Excess force when cutting can often damage the edges of
struggling and you really need a cut to be sharp, err on
the cut, ripping away material from the sides, leaving an
the side of overcutting. An overcut can be cleaned up
unsightly, jagged edge. Blades get blunt quickly when cutting
with an extra stroke of the blade, but there’s no fixing
– especially when cutting foam - and blunt blades are more
an undercut.
likely to tear the edges, so make sure your cutting blade
is sharp. When working with bulky materials, do a rough cut first.
Leave about 5mm of material beyond the desired cut line.
The cutting angle is also important: using a steep cutting
This will help to keep the final cuts clean. It also makes it
angle puts less of the blade in contact with the material. The
easier to handle the material on the cutting mat. Removing
blade is forced through the material, splitting it rather than
the bulk of the material from one side of the cut helps the
slicing it, and this drastically increases the chances of the
excess material peel away when doing the final cut.
materials tearing. Using a shallower cutting angle reduces
both the amount of force required and the risk of tearing. When working with serrated blades, the same principles
While this may mean that multiple passes are required to apply, but instead of slicing with a shallow cutting angle,
cut through the material, the resultant clean cuts are well serrated blades are best used in a sawing motion. Do this
worth the effort. with the material hanging just over the edge of a table, or
in a position that allows the blade to move freely back and
Extra care should be taken at the very end of a cut as this is
forth. Long, gentle strokes are more effective than short,
where the material is weakest and most likely to tear, often
forceful ones.
ruining a corner when it does. To avoid this, simply make the
cutting angle shallower at the very end. Cutting at the edge When cutting curves freehand, long blades can bend and
of a table allows your hand to be lowered enough for the even break mid-cut if the curve is too sharp. Use a steeper
blade to be almost horizontal through the end of a cut. angle and reduce the amount of the blade embedded in the
material. Multiple gentle passes work best.
If you’re cutting thin sheets, there are scalpel blades
with rounded ends such as Swann-Morton no.10s, WARNING – Watch your fingers,
which drastically reduce the chance of materials use a metal ruler, and if a cut feels
tearing, compared to when using straight blades. forced or awkward, change your
position or cutting tool. Multiple
Keep the cutting angle appropriate throughout the cut,
passes are always safer than a
and ensure the blade is kept vertical, to avoid under- or
single, forceful one!

62
 THE PRACTICALS
Expanded Foam (EPS) When melting EPS foam, more shrinking actually
happens once the foam is hot rather than as the heat is
EPS, both large insulation sheets and protective packaging, applied, so it’s best to use little blasts and let the foam
is the softest of all the core materials. Whilst this means shrink and cool before hitting it again, for better control
it’s the easiest of the core materials to cut, its bobbly of the shaping.
nature means it’s also the messiest. It is made from small
polystyrene balls, which are only weakly bonded - held in EPS can also be shaped by sanding, but because the balls
place only by the hardened surfaces of the sheet. Once this are weakly bonded together, they can break away easily
hardened surface is broken, the balls inside break away very during the sanding if you’re not careful. Use very fine grit
easily. This can make EPS foam challenging to work with, but sandpaper and work very gently. Sand along sharp edges
once you understand why it breaks, it becomes much easier rather than over them, to reduce the number of balls
to manipulate. breaking away from the edge. More force or a heavy grit
paper can be used for bulk shaping EPS, but it will rip bits
When working with EPS, it’s always a good idea to keep away to leave an uneven, patchy surface. When working
a vacuum cleaner nozzle close by. For quick cutting bulk with EPS, it’s best to accept that bits will break off. Focus
shapes, serrated blades such as steak knives, bread knives, on minimising the breakages and fix any that do occur with
and coping saws cut EPS quickly and relatively cleanly. For filler afterwards.
clean cuts, a long, sharp blade, used in multiple, gentle,
shallow-angled slicing strokes, can cut EPS sheets without Whilst EPS can take acrylics and PVA without difficulty, spray
any tearing whatsoever. paints, superglues, and hot glues all cause rapid melting of
the soft polystyrene, meaning it needs to be sealed before
Hotwire cutters also work well on EPS, cutting easily through using these glues or spray paints. This can be done with
the soft foam, although they are not ideal for precision thinned filler or PVA, with sealing and texture gloops, or with
cutting; even a small hand-twitch can result in relatively large commercial foam coatings. It is recommended to coat EPS
mis-cuts. To shape the soft foam, quick passes of a heat pieces, especially with a texture coat, since even a smooth-
gun will control the melting. An angular piece made from sanded EPS surface will have a bobbly appearance. EPS
EPS sheets can be shaped into something more organic foam is best suited for substructure work and should always
with this technique. be given a protective coating for gameplay.

63
Extruded Foam (XPS) a ballpoint pen. When doing brickwork, it’s best to texture
the foam first with rolled up kitchen foil and then etch the
XPS foam sheets are denser than EPS foam sheets with detailing with a pencil and pen. If you apply the texture
an extruded, closed-cell composition. This means they are afterwards, it can flatten out the detailing. Individual bricks
firmer, less prone to breakages, more resistant to melting, and stones can be slightly recessed by pressing the brick
but also more difficult to cut and shape. downwards with a flat-headed probe. For deeper recessing,
Straight cuts can be achieved in the same way as cutting a shallow cut around the brick with a scalpel, separating the
EPS, but because of the higher density, more passes will brick from its neighbours, will allow the brick to be recessed
be required. Straight blades can be used for freehand work further without dragging those neighbouring bricks down
on thin sheets, but a serrated blade is best when cutting with it. XPS can also be textured by scoring the surface with
curves out of thicker, 2" sheets. Hotwire cutters work well wire brushes to create striations to replicate thatching, for
on XPS but at a much slower cut rate, so care should be example.
taken to not to force cuts and let the heat do the work. Whilst XPS can be painted directly with acrylics, a sealing
Heat guns also have less of an effect and are more suited to coat will help. XPS is dense enough to not need a hard,
smoothing, rather than shaping XPS pieces. protective coating. Detailing, impression and etch work is
The dense, closed-cell nature of XPS means that it doesn’t best sealed with thinned PVA. If you use fillers or gloops,
have to be sealed to hide its surface texture before painting. these may fill in the etching and impressions.
Additionally, its surface can be etched or impressed, The accelerant in spray paints can melt XPS, nowhere near
so it can be detailed to replicate surfaces ranging from to the extent they melt EPS but enough to ruin any detailing,
brickwork, to rockfaces, even thatched roofing. There are so it’s best to seal XPS before spray painting. Alternatively,
commercial texturing rollers that can be rolled across flat you can use specific ‘foam-safe’paints, to be sure.
foam, impressing details as they do, allowing stonework Superglues melt XPS too, so cannot be used for bonds,
and flooring to be created very quickly. A stone-like texture but hot glue is fine, as long as it’s a low temperature glue
can be created by using a ball of rolled-up kitchen foil to and applied in small amounts. Otherwise, it may melt the
create irregular indentations in the foam surface. For cracks surface to the point where it can’t bond with the material
and crevices, use the sharp edges of small rocks to create being laid on top of it.
deeper impressions in the foam.
XPS is the go-to material for most big builds such as hills,
For stonework, brickwork, and fine detailing, XPS can rocks and cliff faces because of its strength, ease of
also be etched using pencils, pens, and plastic probes, shaping, and ability to hold detailing. But it’s also good for
depending on the desired depth and width of the line you creating ruins and buildings, and even entire castles have
want to etch. Detailing should first be lightly sketched onto been constructed from thin XPS sheets.
the foam with a pencil, before reinforcing the design with

64
Polystyrene Foamboard areas - like the top edges of ruined walls - can be prone
to damage. In these cases, a thinned, liquid filler can be
Traditional foamboard or mounting board, made of a thin applied as a sealing and texturing coat, soaking into the
layer of XPS foam between thin card sheets, is the go-to foam and polystyrene edges, dramatically increasing the
material for buildings and ruins. It is lightweight, sturdier sturdiness whilst also giving a concrete texture to the
than XPS foam of a similar thickness, easy to cut with a surfaces of the foamboard.
blade, and works well with all the common glues and paints.
Foamboard is available in a number of finishes, the most Another benefit of using foamboard for buildings is that
common being glossy white and matt black. The former has because the surfaces are cardboard, they can be easily
a texture much like the printed side of a cereal box and the marked up for general cut lines, as well as for features like
latter is more like the unprinted side. The black foamboard windows and doorways. The use of pre-cut MDF, plastic,
takes glues and paints better thanks to its more porous or cardboard templates can speed up the marking up of
nature and is therefore better suited for making buildings. As windows and doorways when building urban sets.
a bonus, any little spots you miss during painting aren’t as
When it comes to cutting out windows and other

THE PRACTICALS
noticeable as they will be with white foamboard.
holes cleanly, you can overcut the corners a little if
Foamboard is prone to tearing when cutting, so it’s the piece will later be textured to cover the overcuts.
important to always follow the proper cutting technique Alternatively, when cutting windows, start lightly at a
when working with it. A sharp, straight blade and a metal corner point, cutting deeper through the midline and
ruler are the only tools really needed, but there are several then stop, switch and start the cut again from the
hobby tools that can do circular or beveled cuts for more opposite corner. Repeating this around the window will
complicated structures. ensure there are no overcuts at any of the corners.
Foamboard bonds well with PVA, although it often needs Pens and pencils can do simple engraving on the cardboard
pinning, bracing, or spot gluing with hot glue to hold surfaces, as well as poke holes in it to replicate bullet
elements together whilst the PVA bonds. Superglues bond damage. Cutting away patches of card and cutting into
the cardboard well but, applied to the edge, can melt the the foam beneath is a good way to replicate heavier battle
exposed foam, resulting in a very weak bond, or maybe no damage. For more detailed engraving and surface texturing,
bond at all. the cardboard surface can be completely removed, exposing
the sheet of soft XPS foam (although this does reduce its
Most foamboard buildings will have an exposed XPS sturdiness). This can be done by soaking the cardboard
edge on one side of each corner, which can spoil the surface in hot water and then rubbing away the cardboard
realism of the piece. They can be concealed with a gently until the foam surface is exposed. Black foamboard
thin, skimmed layer of filler before applying textured and some of the cheaper white foamboards have weaker
paint, or by applying right-angled fascia strips of bonds between the card and the foam surfaces. This means
plastic or balsa wood. you can warm them with a heat gun and once the adhesive
Paints and gloops also bond well to foamboard. Pieces can is reactivated, the cardboard surface, in its entirety, can be
be basecoated immediately after construction without any pulled away from the XPS cleanly, quickly and easily. Once
sealing, texturing, or priming whatsoever. Foamboard is removed, the exposed XPS can be detailed in the same
sturdy when braced with other elements, such as flooring ways as other XPS sheets.
and buttresses in a building, but exposed and unsupported

65
EPVC Foamboard especially when bonding EPVC to EPVC. Hot glue, contact
adhesives, and even latex glues also work well when
EPVC foamboard is a great basing material because it’s the bonding other materials to an EPVC base. Remember that
sturdier of the two foamboards, although it’s also more bonds will be reinforced through the build process, so they
difficult to work with. It’s a thin layer of XPS foam between usually only have to be strong enough to get you through
two layers of thin sheet styrene (or plasticard). Soft EPVC to the next stage. Thinned PVA will work well enough for
foamboard can be cut and beveled with a sharp, straight texturing bases, but hot glue and superglues should be
blade and then hand-sanded with relative ease whereas used for bonding everything else.
thicker (and harder) EPVC really needs power tools to cut
and sand it effectively. The bonding issue is due to the
EPVC’s smooth, non-porous surfaces,
Beyond its use for bases, the softer EPVC foamboard makes which some glues and paints
very durable buildings and ruins because it is easy to cut struggle to grip. Rubbing some
cleanly and precisely with a blade. This is especially so for sandpaper over the surface is a
small-scale buildings; the thinner, 3mm EPVC foamboard is quick way to get better bonding.
perfect for 6mm and 15mm scale builds. Alternatively, it can be coated with
Due to its non-porous nature and smooth surfaces, it can be a 1:1 mix of filler and water or a
hard to bond it strongly with PVAs and paints, but it will take texture gloop to prepare it for better PVA bonding. This
them. It only melts under heat, so it can be spray primed, or is particularly helpful when doing non-grass work, like
bonded with superglues without risk. Superglues work best, desert pieces or pathways, which don’t have the extra
bonding of the grasswork phase.

Wood & Balsa directly, the sheets can be cut into custom strips using a
sharp blade and metal ruler, or with a balsa stripper. A balsa
If you don’t include the work of building boards and bases, stripper is a cutting tool with an adjustable guide that allows
the woodwork involved in terrain making is pretty simple multiple strips or beams to be cut from a sheet quickly and
stuff. Occasionally, wooden dowels and strips are used for accurately. Balsa can be cut easily with a straight blade,
substructure support or as visual supports on pieces. These but its softness can mean that the blade can sometimes
can be easily cut with a junior hacksaw and a hobby mitre compress the balsa, spoiling the cut. In this situation, simply
block. More often, small, scratch bits such as coffee stirrers use a jeweler’s saw for a clean cut.
and cocktail sticks are used to replicate timber planks and
poles. These can be cut easily with clippers, blades, or Balsa can be distressed by lightly dragging a wire brush
kitchen scissors. Wire BBQ brushes can be used to distress along its grain lines and it can also be engraved with a pen.
the surfaces, removing the manufactured look and adding a Replicating planking on a single sheet is a simple matter of
wood grain texture that drybrushes well. PVA glues work very distressing and etching the lines between the planks. When
well, and so do gel superglues, and hot glues. PVA is great it comes to gluing, it’s the same as working with wooden
for pieces that are pinned, taped, or clamped in place and scatter bits. The softness of balsa means it can be easily
gel superglues and hot glues are more suited to quick-fixing pinned, allowing entire timber structures to be created with
your fiddly bits. PVA and pins.
Balsa wood (Ochroma pyramidale) is a very lightweight Finally, whilst dry balsa snaps easily when bent, balsa
wood. Technically a hardwood, it’s one of the softest soaked in water becomes very flexible. This property,
hardwoods available and it’s this softness that makes it combined with ease of pinning, means that sheets can be
perfect for modelling. Balsa wood is commonly available wrapped around curved shapes, pinned in place and allowed
in long strips, beams, and sheets of various thicknesses. to dry. The balsa will maintain this shape once dry, after you
Whilst the strips and beams are designed to be used glue it in place.

66
 THE PRACTICALS
Plastics & Cardboard best, typically applied straight from the tub. For creating a
stippled textured surface or a sealing coat, adding water
Primarily used for dressing and decoration, plastics – until it resembles a cream makes application much easier
plasticard, model-making pieces or wargaming accessories than trying to spread a firm mix over a large area. Air-drying
– can all be worked with a sharp blade and abrasives, products can also be thinned with water, taking them from a
although thicker pieces are best cut with a jeweller’s saw. thick paste to a gritty texture wash.
Plastic glue (aka polystyrene glue) is the best when bonding
polystyrene to polystyrene, but hot glue and superglues Water also plays a part in shaping your pastes and putties.
are best for bonding polystyrene to other materials. PVA Applying water to a surface before applying the paste will
will bond plastic but it cannot penetrate the surface to allow it to form a stronger bond with the material. Water
key into it, making bonds weak. Although plastic will take can also be used to smooth out your blending work. Small
acrylic without priming, abrading the surface will help the amounts can be brushed gently over the top surface,
paint to key into it. If a build involves a large number of softening and smoothing out any irregularities from the
plastic pieces, sometimes it can be easier to prime them application of the paste. It is possible to flood an area,
with a spray primer after they are cut, but before the build, however, thinning the paste to the extent that it no longer
especially if the build involves modular sci-fi kits or terrain hides the join line. In these cases, more paste can be added
accessories. but the excess water should be removed with a tissue first.
When it comes to stippling pastes to create a texture, it’s
Cardboard is easy to work with and the best type is printed best to wait five minutes and allow the top surface to firm
cereal box cardboard as the printed side has a smooth, up a little; once it loses its glossy wet look, it’s firm enough
glossy surface that takes paint well. Cardboard tends to to hold a texture.
warp when painted, so it’s best to fix it to a surface or
ensure it’s braced in some way. Corrugated cardboard Fillers always soften their stipples, so they work well for
is best suited for bulkier substructure work. Once glued groundwork, stuccos hold their stipples sharply, so they
together, it can provide a very sturdy substructure to dress. work wonderfully for creating waves and water.
Yes, you can peel the top surface off corrugated Finally, air-drying clay is essentially a really firm putty that can
cardboard to make a tin roof but it’s much easier to buy be shaped on or off a piece, but holds its shape incredibly
corrugated craft card or a card crimping tool. well, to the extent that it can be sculpted. As with the other
air-drying products, water can be used to help it bond with
Pastes, Putties, and Clays a surface or to smooth it out when it’s used for bulkier
landscaping tasks. The downside of air-drying clays is that
Fillers, stuccos and other air-drying plasters are commonly
they lose volume as they dry, meaning they can shrink and
used in gap-filling, blending elements to their bases, and
cause warping issues. Alternatively, instead of warping, they
creating textures. Whichever you work with, getting the
can crack apart as their volume reduces. Cracking can be
right consistency is the key to good results. For gap filling,
caused by uneven drying, so draping a damp tissue over
a thick consistency is required and sometimes leaving the
surfaces as they dry will help avoid this. Clays can be messy
paste to dry out and firm up a bit first can help. For blending
and difficult to work with, so unless it has to be done on the
elements to hide join lines and create a more natural
piece it’s a lot easier to do it on the desk and fix it to the
connection between them, a soft paste consistency works
piece with PVA once it has dried.

BUILDING YOUR CORE SKILLS

The terrain-making hobby covers many disciplines and uses an almost never-ending list of techniques and materials, but
these practical skills will form the foundation of all your builds. It takes time to learn these skills, but once you have a solid
handle on them, they become core skills, making building a piece much simpler, allowing you to not only focus more on
applying the thematic skin but also expanding your skill base. You can always practice on spare bits, but the best way of
learning is doing. Don’t shy away from using a material and getting to grips with it when the opportunity arises.

67
BOARDS AND BASES
BUILDING THE BEST FOUNDATION
Wargaming is a “tabletop” hobby, which means you’re going to need a flat surface of some sort
to play on, at the bare minimum. When starting out, the family dining table often provides the first
battlefield, but it rarely matches our imagination of the landscape being fought over. Additionally,
while most skirmish games can be played on a dining table, sometimes it’s simply not large enough for mass-battle games.
Stepping up from the dining table typically requires either boards or battlemats.

BOARDS elements built directly onto the tile. How much terrain is
added to the tiles varies greatly – from flats, where simple
Beyond the dining table, the simplest board for wargaming groundwork can match the scatter terrain to be placed on it,
is a 12mm plywood or MDF sheet. 6'x4' is suitable for to fully featured tiles with all the terrain elements sculpted
most large battle games and 3'x3' or 4'x4' is best suited to on them to create beautiful setups.
skirmish games. Whilst boards can be textured, they might
be simply painted, typically green on one side and grey Tiles can also introduce modularity to board setups. Flats
on the other, or some other colour to represent a certain can incorporate roads and paths that line up at the tile
landscape where a game is set. edges, allowing them to be placed down to create different
road layouts across the entire board. If you add a layer of
If you’re texturing a board, make sure you only use one foam to a flat wooden baseboard, you can cut into it to
grade of aggregate. Do not use a mixture of sand and create a modular river that can run across the board, much
grit. Gaming surfaces should be as flat as possible, and like modular roads. Both roads and rivers increase the
a single larger piece of grit on a surface can act like a realism of a terrain board whilst maintaining a primarily flat
seesaw! surface on which scatter pieces can be placed. All manner
Large boards, especially 6'x4' tables, can present some of terrain elements can be added to a tile, taking the tiles
storage problems. Where storage is tight, they can be cut from flats to fully featured boards, increasing their realism
into three 2'x4' sections. Boards can be cut into smaller but potentially sacrificing their reusability.
pieces, such as 1' or 2' square tiles, but all manner of I’ve always found the best modular tile setup to be one
different sizes and setups can be used depending on the where roads, rivers, hills and other large features that
needs of the table and the Terrainiac who is building it. need to be modular, are built into the tiles, while leaving
Tiles might be chosen because of storage or transport plenty of flat space for scatter pieces. This gives an
considerations, but they are more often used to represent increase in realism, but sacrifices as little reusability as
a change in the playing surface, such as moving from a possible.
flat surface to a sculpted one, with some of the terrain

68
 BOARDS & BASES
As the complexity of a tile increases, so should its base level at the edges, but modular hills that rise above the
construction. A tile that has simply been painted requires battening will need their own protective sideboards.
nothing beyond a spray coat of matt varnish. A tile with a
Measurements are important in terrain making, but when
ground texture, however, could warp because of the glues making tiles, getting the measurements absolutely right is
applied, so thought needs to be given to preventing this. essential to avoid gaps in your layout. It’s easy to think that
You could, for example, brace the tile with wooden battens cutting a 4'x2' board in half will give you two 2’x2' tiles,
around its underside. but in fact, one tile will be shorter by 2 or 3mm because
of the width of the cutting blade. When cutting, your saw
A tile that has a foam layer on top of its wooden baseboard doesn’t split the wood but removes the wood in front of its
will need added side boards, usually EPVC foamboard blade, meaning a slight reduction in the length of the wood
or MDF, to protect the foam from damage. Alternatively, being cut. When cutting an 8'x4' sheet into 2'x2' tiles, it’s
battens could be added to the top surface of the tile, actually best to go for square boards that are 0.25" smaller
matched in size to the foam’s depth, thus both bracing the all around (making them 23.5" on each side) to avoid the
tile and protecting the foam. This works well if the tiles are blade edge problem completely.

69
BATTLEMATS or city streets for urban gameplay, feel free to grab those
battlemats.
Of course, boards are not the only gaming surfaces available
to play on. Battlemats have been around for as long as Just remember, if you’re getting a
wargaming boards. Simple green cloths, laid over stacks of battlemat that’s bigger than your
books to create landscapes, were the original battlemats dining table, you’re going to need a
but, as with everything in the hobby, there has been a great board to put it on anyway, so start
increase in the variety of battlemats now available. with the board first.
Commercial mats come in cloth and fleece sheets as well Moving on from commercial mats,
as PVC and neoprene material, all printed with various there are a variety of battlemats that
landscapes from green fields to urban settings to alien can be made at home. Green cloths (like sheets, curtains,
hellscapes. Cut into various sizes and from a host of or tablecloths) can be sprayed various greens and browns
different manufacturers, battlemats are a great way to put with aerosols or with an airbrush, breaking up the flat green
down a good-looking ground surface without the need to surface to provide a more varied looking ground covering.
build textured tiles. Stepping up from simple cloth, sheets of “teddy bear fur” or
Choosing a battlemat often depends more on the design plush can be painted with green and brown acrylics. Brush
printed on it rather than the material it’s made of, although the colours through the fur material with a hairbrush or
the different materials offer different benefits. Cloth comb, to create a long grass mat. You can even cut the fur
and fleece mats are lightweight and easy to store, while short with scissors or clippers before laying down acrylic
neoprene mats are heavier but give a much flatter, stable caulking to create paths and roads, allowing you to create
surface to play on. PVC mats sit between the two, in terms some very realistic greenfield mats.
of storage and weight considerations, but they have the Taking it even further, acrylic battlemats can be created to
added benefit that they can be drawn on with dry-erase provide very realistic ground cover. These mats consist of
markers and more easily cleaned. a backing sheet with acrylic caulking layered on top. Once
No matter which material you choose, make sure your first dry, these become a hard-wearing, flexible surface that can
couple of mats are as reusable as possible. When making be textured, painted and flocked. When combined with
a selection, look to see if features like roads, rivers, ruins, teddy bear fur elements, these mats can give a very realistic
rock clusters, or any other element, might tie the battlemat ground covering, often matching the quality you find with
to a specific period or layout, which could restrict its use. textured tile boards, with the added bonus of being easy to
Some of these elements, such as ruins or rock clusters, roll up and store between games.
could be covered with scatter pieces, but roads and rivers When starting out, it doesn’t really matter whether you
can’t be easily covered so they would be present in every go for boards, tiles, commercial mats, or make your own.
game played on the mat. For maximum reusability, it’s best The important element is that they meet your gaming and
to stick to designs that are generic, without any specific storage requirements and they are as reusable as possible.
features on them. Of course, if you have a specific need Keep it simple when it comes to groundcover, there’s plenty
for a certain design, like beach mats for coastal gaming of time for fancy modular setups in the future.

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ALL ABOUT THE BASE The elements being built on the base can also influence

BOARDS & BASES

your choice of material. When it comes to base thickness,
If you want to make something solid and lasting, build it on roads, paths, and rivers all benefit visually from having a
a good foundation. For scatter pieces, this foundation is low profile, so a 3mm material is a better choice for these
the base. types of pieces. Trees, towers, and other tall and top-heavy
features might have a small base size but still benefit from a
Better Bases thicker base.
Whilst it is possible to create terrain without one, a base
provides more benefits than simply a good foundation. For
example, a base allows a number of terrain elements to
be combined into a single piece, such as trees collected
together to form a forest, or a thatched cottage combined
with a wood stack and chopping stump. Bases also help tie
different pieces together thematically; the bases can all be
textured, painted and flocked the same way. In gameplay,
bases can be used to define area terrain such as woods
or difficult ground, and after gameplay a base provides a
protective rim around a piece, helping to prevent damage
during storage.
With so many factors depending on it, it is important to have
the right base for the right piece. And what makes the right
base depends on the material it’s made from, the elements
that are going on it, the location where it’s going to be
placed on the table, and a host of other factors.

Materials
The two primary basing materials are MDF and EPVC
foamboard, with Terrainiacs often preferring one or the
other. Both are available in 3mm and 6mm thicknesses,
and while MDF is sturdier than EPVC foamboard, it requires
power tools to work it efficiently. Whichever material is
used, the required thickness depends on the size of the
piece being built; 6mm is best suited for builds larger than
6" square, and 3mm for anything smaller. For small, scatter
pieces of 2" square or less, it’s often easier to base them
on 1mm plasticard, although all manner of base materials
can be used for small pieces, as mentioned earlier.
If it’s flat, able to be cut, sturdy (or can be made
sturdy), it can be a base. Two pieces of corrugated
cardboard can be glued together with their
corrugations perpendicular to make a sturdy base once
covered in filler or a gloop. Cork tiles, CDs, foamboard,
and polystyrene sheets can all be used for basing. The
important thing is to do a quick test piece first. You
don’t want to build a whole set before you find out your
bases are no good.

71
 Standard bevel angles include 90˚, 60˚, 45˚, and 30˚

Shape Roads, rivers, and other modular pieces that need to fit
together will require bases that do just that.
The actual shape of the base will really depend on its
function. The base will usually extend 0.5" to 1" beyond the If a set only consists of oval or curved bases, when laid
edge of the piece that’s on it. Bases can extend further, down on the table, it creates an ‘island’ of terrain, with clear
to encompass small elements such as the wood pile and strips around the table edges. To avoid this, you’ll want to
chopping stump for our thatched cottage, or they can be make some ‘table edgers’, normal bases that have one or
extended to provide stability and protection for overhanging two straight edges, allowing them to be placed flush with
elements of the build, such as a lopsided tree or an the corners or long edges of your table. This helps create
observation tower. Avoid extending a base unnecessarily, the impression of a rolling landscape and can create a more
however, as it can create dead space on the base that’ll contained gaming space.
take up room on the tabletop, make storage more difficult,
and be prone to warping. Bevel
Most base shapes are slight variations of ovals and pear- The bevel is the slope of the base’s edge as it meets the
shapes, used to base all manner of pieces from woods to table. There are three options: straight, angled, and sloped.
hills, but there are certain builds that have specific shape Straights are vertical (90˚ from the horizontal) edges. Simply
requirements. leave the edge untouched - beyond a little clean up - after it
Urban buildings often have square and rectangular bases, has been cut out. Straights are best suited to urban terrain,
not only to match their shape but also to reinforce the urban where they help to give the impression of the base rims
feel of the set by using the rims to represent pavements. being pavements.

Urban ruins can have more varied base shapes, with Angled bevels are ‘flat’ cuts, but at an angle of 45-60˚ from
straight edges for intact walls and curved, irregular edges the horizontal. They can be created at the cutting stage
for destroyed walls. This helps to keep the urban feel and by angling the cutting blade of a jigsaw (or knife for EPVC
allows the debris to more easily blend into the table. foamboard) and are used as a quick way to give a token nod
to blending the base into the table. Angled bevels are most
Other factors that can influence the shape of a base include often used when there is a lot of terrain to be made and
modularity or the desire to present a rolling landscape. time is an issue.

72
 BOARDS & BASES
Sloped bevels are angled edges of around 30˚ from the round bases of the same size to be placed into them,
horizontal that have been shaped and sanded to give a flush with the ground level of the plate.
more organic appearance. Sloped bevels are the most
time-consuming, but when done well they can make it look Cutting them out
like the piece is sitting on a slight rise in the ground. Sloped With the material, base shapes and the bevel decided, it’s
bevels can be varied, for example by using a swallowed time to cut them out. Typically, a 2'x4' sheet will provide
bevel to create a path leading to a door on the piece, giving enough base coverage for a terrain-density of 30%, so is
a more realistic feel. ideal for creating sets. When planning the cuts, always make
Some bases can be bases for other bases. Terrain use of the pre-cut edges of the sheet, using these to create
plates are large bases devoid of any detailing beyond table edgers. These straight edges and corners are also very
texturing, painting, flocking and the occasional small useful when creating modular pieces.
rock or foliage clump at the edges. They are built flat Base cutting can be a time-consuming job, often requiring
so that small scatter pieces, typically trees or objective power tools and workbenches to be set up and cleaned
markers, can be placed on them to help define a afterwards, so it’s always best to dedicate a session to it
specific area of terrain. This allows small terrain pieces and work on multiple sets of bases at a time - double what
to be moved around for better model placement without is actually needed for the current build project. This will
disrupting the defined area. Plates can sometimes have save you a lot of time when it comes to your next build and
recessed circular holes, allowing trees and rocks with means you have spare bases during the current one.

LAY THOSE FOUNDATIONS

As with most things in life, a little forethought and planning goes a long way. With the right materials
and bases designed to meet the needs of the terrain, any terrain set built on those bases will have a
solid foundation.

Mel’s Rule No. 61 - It’s easier to plan an unused base than it is to cut out another one.

73
FIGHTING THE WARP Mel’s Deep
Thoughts
THE ETERNAL STRUGGLE
Warping is the bane of the Terrainiac, sometimes appearing at random points in the build process, or even long after the
piece has been finished, with no obvious cause in sight. It’s something that can affect terrain of all sizes – from a simple
scatter base to a two-foot square modular tile - and the lack of clear cause can be a huge frustration, especially when it ruins
a finished piece, that you’ve put a lot of hard work into.
Well, don’t worry anymore! We’re going to go through the physics of warping to explain why it happens. Then we’ll look at how
different materials (and their usage) affect the warping process, followed by the various techniques in our build arsenal we
can use to reduce the chance of warping. Finally, we’ll cover what you can do to fix things if you do lose the battle in the build
stages.

CONTRACTING FORCES

BASE MATERIAL

UNDERSTANDING THE RUINOUS IT’S ALL ABOUT THE BASE

POWERS OF THE WARP The type of base material, its ability to absorb liquids, its
When it comes to the physics of warping, there are three thickness, as well as the shapes and size ratios we choose
important factors to understand: contracting forces, to cut our bases, all play a role in reducing the risk of the
material strength, and layering. dreaded warping.

While “flat” is commonly used to describe the profile of a First, consider the base material itself. Obviously, the
base, a better description would be “box” – a box with a long stronger the base material, the more likely it will resist the
top and bottom and very short sides that we like to bevel. cumulative contracting forces of the glues and paints we
When glues and paints on the top surface begin to dry, they put on it. Some materials are stronger than others and are
typically contract and pull the edges of the base slightly more suited to the task. Materials such as card, plasticard,
upwards towards the centre. This principle of contracting foamboard and cardboard are relatively weak compared to
forces is at the core of the warping effect. EPVC foamboard, MDF board and plywood.

We must also consider the strength of our chosen base Absorption should also be considered. Some materials,
material and its ability to fight against the contracting forces mainly wood and card-based products, are porous and will
of the glues and paints. Some Terrainiacs choose metal absorb the glues you apply to them. If a glue soaks in, it will
sheets or thick sheets of hardboard, using their sturdiness strongly grip the top surface, helping the contracting forces
to simply wipe out the contracting forces of the glues and to pull at the edges. If you compare the warpage of an MDF
materials applied. It works, but understanding the process base and an EPVC base of the same strength, the absorbent
and materials means you don’t have to go to such extremes. MDF would warp more because the glue penetrates its
Remembering that different materials have different surface and provides a better grip.
strengths is important when combating warping. The thickness of the material is another important factor.
Finally, there’s layering. We often see the build process as The thicker the base material (the more material there is),
a lot of individual steps, but remember that each additional the sturdier it will be. A 6mm thick MDF base will be sturdier
step can incrementally increase those contracting forces, than one that is 3mm thick.
until there comes that one stage where the force is finally Then there’s the shape and size ratio of the base. Pieces
stronger than the base material’s ability to resist it, even often warp along their longest dimension. Rarely do they
though that individual stage wouldn’t have caused the piece warp across their width, (except for excessively warped
to warp on its own. It can happen with a single heavy coat, pieces, often referred to as spinners).
or over time as more adhesives and paints are added. You
never know which additional step will be the one to raise the In practice, this means that round bases are the least likely
base edges! to warp, while long, thin, strip bases are the most likely to

74
 LESS PRONE TO WARPING MORE Areas prone to warping in square and irregular bases

do so. If the base is irregularly shaped, some parts may be volume as they dry, such as shrink-resistant crack filler. The
more susceptible to warping than others. fixed camp also includes materials that don’t dry or cure,
but are inert, such as sand, and more importantly, foam,
Over time, I’ve discovered that anything with a ratio
foamboard, balsa, lollipop sticks, as well as various plastic
of 3:2 length to width is a perfectly fine base shape,
and metal sheets and rods etc. It’s easy to assume that
so round, oval, egg, pear, square, and rectangular
these fixed and inert materials don’t have any effect on a

WARPING
shaped bases are normally dilemma-free. The moment
piece’s tendency to warp, but that’s not the case. In fact,
you move into anything 2:1 or greater, you’re going
fixed materials can increase the sturdiness of a piece and
to have problems, so keep an eye on your initial base
therefore improve its ability to resist warping.
measurements and plan ahead!
Texturing an MDF base with a coat of shrink-resistant filler
We’ve talked a bit about round bases, but you might
that’s been stippled will make it sturdier, whereas texturing
want many of your buildings and ruins to have square or
it with PVA and sand increases the chances of it warping.
rectangular bases to help create roads, pavements and
What you build on the base also has an effect. A base with
a general urban environment. Urban bases are often not
a foam hill, foamboard building, or even a coffee-stirrer
beveled, so the sides make the curbs between pavements/
fence will be much sturdier than a base for a forest, road, or
buildings and the road. For square and rectangular bases,
hedge. With that in mind, the best techniques and materials
warping often occurs at the very corners of the base,
for fighting warping often depend as much on what you’re
especially if the structure has a pavement around it. It’s
building on the base, as on the materials and techniques
perfectly acceptable to cut off the tips of the base corners
used to build the piece.
diagonally. This deals with the tip warping issue and, if
you’ve done it selectively, leaves you with a base shape that Even if you’re not building anything on a base that helps
still fits into an urban theme. brace it, that doesn’t mean it can’t be braced. Items
such as lollipop sticks, metal screw guide strips and
THE BATTLE OF THE MATERIALS even CD,s super glued down and covered with filler
When it comes to warping, build materials fall into two (below) will go a long way to make a thin base sturdy
broad camps: contracting or fixed. The contracting camp without affecting the build or the look of the final piece!
tends to be air-drying materials like PVA-based glues, spray
primers, caulking, acrylic paints, texture gels and water
effects, air-drying clay, and many other products. There are
always exceptions to the rule but, generally, if it’s air-drying
it contains water, which evaporates as it dries. As the water
evaporates, the volume of the material reduces, contracting
its size and pulling on the base it’s applied to, typically
causing warping.
Remember that we’re just sticking little bits of foam or
sawdust scatter to little bits of wood. We often use so
much glue for this, it’d make a builder blush. We only need
to fix our texture down, not cement it. If it’s early in the build
process, you’re going to be adding more layers of adhesive,
paints and sealing coats that help firm up the bond. When
gluing, get used to using as little as you need to get the
job done rather than a “more is a better” approach. A few
dots of PVA glue will hold a foam hill in place just as well as
a complete coat but with considerably fewer contracting
forces, reducing the chance of warping.
On the other side of the battle, we have the fixed camp.
These materials either cure through chemical reaction
(like two-part epoxy putties and resins), or they’re air-
drying products specifically designed not to reduce their

75
THE PRACTICAL APPLICATION! There are times when you just know,
no matter what, the piece is going to
All these different factors may make terrain building seem warp, just because of what you must
like a nightmare endeavour but in practice, most pieces are build. At times like these, remember
built without any warping issues, especially common pieces that most of the contracting force
like hills and buildings. Warping is often more of a problem occurs as the materials dry. If you
with pieces like roads, fields and forest bases; it’s the think it’s going to warp, cheat! I’ve
combination of a long, thin base shape with no reinforcing hot glued the bases of long strips of
structures that opens the door to warping issues. hedges to my cutting mat, knowing they’ll only come
In such cases, all that’s needed is a little preventative off once they’re completely finished. I’ve fixed 2’x2’ tiles
planning and preparation. You may have to add some to slabs of wood with screws. I’ve nailed things down
reinforcement in the form of metal rods or strips along the with the intention of filling the holes afterwards and I’ve
edges of a road or river, hidden under its banks, or a lollipop clamped things you would think unclampable. In this
stick superglued between a hedge and its base to make battle, no one said you must play fair, so if you need to,
it sturdier. cheat - fix it down during the build stages and then pop
the piece off nice and flat once it’s all done!
You can also change texturing and base-coating materials
and techniques, such as using filler and then stippling it ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS
before gluing on patches of coarser grit, instead of laying
PVA across the entire surface to grit and texture it. This is an You might think that with your pieces built true and correctly
excellent way to tackle large, flat terrain boards instead of stored, the struggle would be over. Alas, this is not the
the more common method (glue, seal, and paint) because case. It’s called “the eternal struggle” because no piece
it replaces three contracting layers with a single, fixed layer, is frozen in time regardless of how well built or stored it is.
greatly reducing the chances of warping. Pieces always react to the environment they are stored in.
Temperature, humidity and light can all have an effect.
The “combining layers” technique can also be applied to
grass and snow work where, instead of gluing and sealing Common causes for post-build warping include PVA breaking
multiple layers with watered-down PVA, each layer is fixed down when it freezes and excessive sunlight drying out
in place with a coat of hair lacquer and then finally sealed foliage. Humidity is also our enemy. As we covered earlier,
with a single soaking of watered-down PVA. This bonds all some porous base materials absorb the moisture in the
the temporarily fixed layers together and uses a lot less PVA glues used, and this also means they can absorb moisture
than the layered method. from humid environments.

Overall, the key thing is to be aware of which base shapes While edges typically raise due to contracting forces acting
and build types are going to be problematic. As long you on the top surface, we find that edges can also raise as the
spot this early and modify the materials and techniques bottom surfaces absorb moisture and expand, pushing the
used to apply them, warping should never be a problem edges outward and upward against an unchanging top. This
during the build process. is often the cause of mystery warping of pieces thought

CORRUPTION FREE STORAGE

Warping from the build process isn’t the only way to turn It’s not just bowing and bending you need to consider,
your bases into bananas. Improper storage (above left) there’s also buckling. This is a similar effect caused by
can also cause your bases to bend and bow, produc- stacking your bases vertically, and then placing terrain
ing similar results to warping. Although terrain is often on top of them. Remember, terrain doesn’t weigh much
lightweight, it can still sag if it isn’t laid flat or properly but it does weigh something and little by little that has a
supported. Admittedly, it might not sag much, perhaps cumulative effect too!
only a tiny amount each time it’s stored but, much like The key to winning the eternal struggle is careful storage
the layering principle, little by little, the sag can increase. (above right), where your pieces are stored either level
The problem is made worse by the fact we rarely store on a flat, supporting surface, or vertical but not carrying
our terrain upside down to allow it to bend and bow back any weight.
straight again.

76
to be well stored. An unknown damp patch can cause a strong contracting force, and is less likely to run to a side
much confusion when it comes to taking the pieces out of if your base is not level.
storage, finding them dry but warped.
There are not many terrain pieces that can be just flipped
It doesn’t always happen in one go either. As with the over and placed upside down, so pieces need to be
layering principle discussed earlier, each repeated exposure supported to keep them level and prevent the weight of the
to moisture in the air causes the base material to expand a piece damaging any of the delicate, taller features, such as
little more. trees, antennae, etc.

WARPING
Tackling these environmental challenges that affect the Some smaller pieces simply need a tea towel around their
piece long after it’s finished is quite easy. If the warping is edges, essentially cushioning and holding them in place.
due to the bottom of the base absorbing moisture, then Other tall and more delicate larger builds may need to be
simply stop it absorbing moisture! This can be done right at lifted and propped up completely.
the start of the build by using non-porous base materials, or
An easy way to achieve this is to stick bamboo skewers
by sealing the bottom of the base or even the entire base
into soft foam - floral foam is best, but most foams will
before building on it. Various materials can be used, some
work. Carefully rest the piece on the supporting skewers
being better in more humid and damp environments than
and press gently downwards until the piece is supported
others, but simply sealing the base with a coat of paint at
away from the foam and level (above). Then apply the PVA
the start of the build is the best way to prevent warping after
and wait for it to dry, contracting the bottom surface and
it’s finished.
bringing the edges back flat as it does so. You can apply
If you know humidity or moisture is going to be a more coats if you need to but wait until it’s completely dry
problem, plan for it. Plan to store your terrain in air- to avoid warping it so far back that it goes from a banana to
tight, plastic, stack-and-store boxes. Throwing a few a bridge. It’s a battle that’s difficult to win, so when fighting
Silica gel, moisture-absorbing dehumidifier sachets into back and unwarping pieces, go carefully, give it a coat, let it
the box certainly helps, but a handful of uncooked rice dry, and check it before repeating.
in a paper bag works just as well.
It often takes only a single, slightly thinned coat of PVA to
FIGHTING BACK! flatten out warped bases. You rarely need more than two
coats because when you’re aware of warping, you tend to
With so many ways for warping to occur, either before the act early before it gets worse during the build. In the case of
piece is finished or long after it’s built, and with so many more pronounced warping, the application of a little brute
preventative techniques, it’s easy to think the battle is lost force in pre-bending can certainly help the PVA do its job –
when it does occur, but you can fight back! just go easy and don’t snap or damage the edges as you
The technique for fixing a warped piece is simple to bend it over the side of a table. Use a towel as a cushion
understand but can be the most awkward to apply. The idea over the edge you are bending it on and take care not to
is that what warped your piece one way, will warp it back damage your piece at the holding points on either side, as
the other. Since adhesives can cause the edges of porous you might need to use a considerable amount of force prior
base materials to raise when they dry and contract the top to a PVA coat to make it flat again.
surface, they can be used to fix warping by applying PVA to
the bottom surface of a base, creating contracting forces to
VICTORY!
pull those edges back down again. You should now have a good understanding of why bases
warp and the effect different materials and techniques
The tricky part here is applying the PVA glue. Your warped
can have on that warping. You’re now equipped with the
piece must be placed upside down and level, so the PVA
knowledge of how to plan and prevent it from happening
can be applied evenly. If it runs towards a dipped side, it can
in the first place, and you also know how to handle the
cause an uneven contraction across the base and drip over
problems from long-term storage and how fix
an edge, often ruining the scenic effects. Remember that
them if they do happen. So warping
we’re using this glue coat as a contractor, not a coating, so
need never be a bane of your terrain
there’s no need to go directly to the edge. Using very slightly
building again!
watered-down PVA makes for a smooth application, provides

Mel’s Rule No. 56 - (When sealing) Always, always, always check your
ratios when switching PVA brands. Never forget the see-saws of 2016!

77
MAKING IT MODULAR Mel’s Deep
Thoughts
LINING IT ALL UP
Modularity is a design principle that allows terrain pieces to be built using standardised modules. This can be used to create
large pieces or especially long pieces that would be difficult to store as a single piece, or to allow the modules of a piece to be
rearranged, allowing different setups and thereby increasing it reusability. Whilst all that may sound complicated and usually
the merest mention of modularity is enough to put most Terrainiacs into a panic, the fact is that modularity is used quite
frequently in terrain making, especially when making sets.

ON THE ONE BASE With removable smaller elements, the peg and hole
mounting method works well for most elements. This could
Modular terrain isn’t limited to just combining pieces on the be a piece of plastic tubing mounted into the terrain piece
fly, pieces themselves can be modular, with the simplest that the peg of the removable element fits into, or if depth
form being removeable roofs on buildings, allowing models for the peg is limited on the base, a large flat head nail can
to be placed inside during gameplay. This can be extended be fixed to the base and used as a peg, while the hole is
from not only the roof, but entire individual floors, stacked drilled into the element. Any unsightly join lines can easy
on top of each other to form a large building yet still be hidden by mounting small scatter or clumps around the
allowing gameplay within it, whilst making it easier to store peg, blocking the join line from view. Large elements can use
between games. slightly recessed areas as a mount using the same principle
On the practical side, all that is required to make them on a larger, albeit flatter, scale. Magnets can also be used,
modular is ensuring that during the planning and basic replacing the peg and hole in the case of small elements,
building stages, the separate elements fit together without whilst assisting the mounting of larger ones.
any visible gaps or unwanted overhangs, whilst ensuring If you feel something is going to get broken in transit,
there is space for models height-wise inside the building. expect it to be broken in gameplay. In these cases,
Beyond this, simple runners can be fitted to the underside your pegs are going to get broken or bent, so just use
of the top element, designed to prevent the top element magnets for mounting instead.
sliding around during gameplay. Alternatively over-hanging
walls can stop the elements from sliding whilst also hiding LINING THEM UP
the join line.
Moving on from modularising a single piece, the next most
Remember to factor in the head room for models taken common form of modularisation used is linear modulation.
up by guiding runners, if space is an issue, just put your Walls, hedges, fences and a host of defensive features are
runners in the various corners, well out of the way of designed to use linear modularisation. Each individual piece
any potential model heads. designed to match the rest visually, creating a set that can
Simple modularity can be used beyond getting models be laid on the table next to each other in a line creating
inside a building on a single piece, it can also be used to a boundary of some type. The same applies to roads and
vary the piece such as having two roofs, one of which is rivers, the only difference being the extra consideration of
fire damaged, or a bunker with an interchangeable platform making sure that the set runs the full length of the table
which could mount a radar dish, anti-aircraft weaponry, or without falling short or hanging over the table’s edge. Pieces
a radio antennae, as well as damaged versions for in-game that are designed to use linear modularity don’t have to be
changes. Beyond gameplay functionality, it can also be used designed just to be placed in a single long line, roads can
to make elements removeable such as trees, flag poles and have junctions, rivers can have splits. Linear modularity
other elements that could be prone to damage, reducing simply means that pieces are designed to be used together
the risk of breakages during transit and storage. in long lines to create a larger terrain feature on the
tabletop.

78
Border pieces such as walls and hedgerows benefit from edges, and it is well worth cutting test pieces out of
having bases that are rounded at the ends, allowing the paper and testing potential layouts before committing to
pieces to be setup at varying angles to create winding paths the design by cutting bases. Whilst pieces do have to be
and irregular field borders. Large wooden tongue depressors designed to fit together and work together over the length
work well as border piece bases without any further work. of the table, only the meeting edges and overall length need

MODULARITY
Alternatively, border piece bases can have flat edges, to be standardised, what’s between them can be varied
designed to meet flush with the next. Whilst this reduces from piece to piece, so roads and river straights can have
any gaps between the pieces, it also restricts their layout, little wavy bends in them, track and river pieces can narrow
meaning specific bends, corners, and junction pieces need or widen as long as the meeting edges stay standardised.
to be included in the set. Adding these little variations helps break up the regular,
angular appearance of road and river sets, greatly improving
When creating a border set, if it is unclear which
the realism of the pieces. Whilst it’s important to ensure
sections are passable or which don’t block line of sight,
edges line up width-wise, roads can have verges, rivers have
these need to be indicated on the piece. You can do
banks, so the end profile of the pieces needs to match as
this by modifying the piece to include stiles, gates or
well. This same principle applies to larger modular pieces.
gaps to shoot through but it’s always best to include an
indicator on the base, such as yellow flowers on all the Getting lots of sharp clean cut edges for roads and
pieces that allow movement or shooting across them, rivers and perfect right angles for corner pieces can
saving a lot of potential arguments in the long run. be challenging without the right tools. Sometimes it’s
easier to capitalise on the straight edges of pre-cut
This also applies to road and river pieces, although the
bought materials, a 12" wide MDF shelf can easily be
need for the pieces to stretch the length of a table without
split into 4" sections creating roads with perfectly
overlapping edges means a little extra planning is required.
straight meeting edges. The same applies to the
The easiest way to tackle this is to design the pieces –
corners of sheets, which be used to make modular hills.
specifically the straights – to be either 12" or 8" or 6" long.
Cork tiles can also be used, being easy to cut whilst
When laid out in multiples, these can stretch an entire 4'
being perfect for roads and rivers, especially junctions
or 6' table length without fear of overlap. When planning
and crossroads which require multiple flat edges which
bends, corners and junctions, extra care should be taken
can be a struggle with shelves and sheets of material.
to ensure the combined pieces still line up with the table

79
GOING UP Cardboard templates are great for guides but it’s also
possible to pre-cut thin plasticard, EPVC foamboard or
Moving beyond the flatness of road and river pieces, MDF side plates, all cut identical with the same profile
modularity can also be used to build larger bulkier pieces, that can be attached to the pieces’ sides and blended
often hill pieces, but modularity can be used to make any in. These will give your pieces a protective hard modular
large terrain features not only for storage reasons but side edge that matches perfectly with other modular
also to vary the setup possibilities of each piece. The best pieces whilst helping the pieces meet flush up against
example of this is a castle, with the walls and towers all each other.
designed to fit together in a way that allows a wide range of
setup possibilities. Although the edges of modular pieces GETTING THE BEST FROM BOARDS
are standardised to fit together, both the bases and the
profile of the connecting edges don’t always have to be the It’s not just the pieces that go on the boards that can be
same. It’s also possible for pieces to have two different modular, so can the boards themselves. The simplest
standardised modular sides so that they can be combined example of this is a 6'x4' that’s been split into three 2'x4',
with different modular pieces. This multivariable design all painted, textured and flocked to match each other, put
method allows a large number of modular pieces to be built together for gameplay but being easier to store than a full
but without them all looking identical. The most common board between games. This simple method of modularity
use of this technique being table corner hill pieces, with a can be used on more detailed builds, such as large feature
short and a long modular side, allowing either a long thin builds for shows and demoing games, often to make transit
table edger to be created or a more jutting table edge ridge. and storage easier between shows. Whilst these feature
board are made modular for logistic reasons, it’s also
Cake stacking terrain. Imagine creating two half- possible to design the boards to be setup in a few different
moon modular table edger plateau hills, that when ways, increasing their reusability.
put together, have enough flat space to place a small
scatter piece such as a radar or shrine on top of it. The more common and complicated use of modularisation
Taking it further, imagine having four corner hills that is when boards are made from modular tiles. Commonly
when put together, have enough space for the half- these are 2' tiles but sizes can vary, with modularisation
moon hills to sit on. Six hill pieces that separately can being used not only for general layout but also for board
be used to represent a valley or together, a mountain, features such as roads and rivers, along with rolling
that’s modularity landscapes and large hills as well as buildings such as large
fortification walls. The more complicated the features built
Much like roads and rivers, as long as the meeting edges onto the tile, the more time and attention needs to be put
of the pieces are standardised, hills, buildings and larger into the planning, as any errors can ruin a lot of work. With
structures can be made modular. With large pieces, each tile having four sides needing to be standardised, it’s
templates can be cut from cardboard and used to check best to set a basic template for level ground and then limit
the edge profiles are cut correctly, ensuring they line up with the number of alternative templates for rivers, hills and
each other. It’s best when shaping hill pieces, especially out other features that extend across the tiles edges. Too many
of foam, to leave a little extra foam at the modular edges edge variations can lead to situations where tiles can be
when doing the bulk cuts, coming in after to shape the difficult to lay down or only in a very limited number of ways,
edges with more care and precision, ensuring they match drastically reducing setup options, so they should be limited
the guide template and ultimately line up with the to the bare minimum needed for the features on the tiles to
other pieces. keep the potential setups as varied as possible.

80
MAKING SURE THEY MATCH premixed paints should be used or dedicated bulk mixes
should be made up in advance, not only ensuring pieces
Whether building a set of modular hedges or a fully featured match but also making expanding the set in the future a
modular tile board, the key principles to ensure success lot easier.
are the same. Planning, testing with cut outs, and regularly
checking with templates against other pieces during the The same principles apply to flocking, especially when
build, are the best way of avoiding errors that can’t be working with tiles, as any differences can be quite stark
corrected later. When checking, it’s important to check when the join edge is 2' long. Care should also be taken
the pieces meet cleanly with nothing on the sides of either with laying down patches of scatters, ensuring that any near
piece getting in the way and causing gapping. In the case of the tile edge run close to but don’t cross the edge, resulting
hills and other large features, jigs can be used for checking in semi-circular patching when boards are put together.
that edges are not only flat but vertical, as even a slight tilt Groundwork variations can be laid down to cross the edges
can result in an unsightly gap at the top of the piece. These of tiles or large pieces, but their crossing points should be
issues can be easily resolved by using pre-cut identical hard planned and marked out on the edge template, ensuring
edges out of plasticard, EPVC foamboard or MDF, attaching these patches match position-wise when tiles or pieces are
them to the sides of the piece and blending them into the put together.
build, giving a perfect join line. Don’t try anything fancy or anything you haven’t got
If you have access to power tools, clamping all your a solid handle on anywhere near your edges, they’re
thin edger sheets together and then cutting the profile too important for figuring things out on the fly. So, on
shape out of them all in one go, is a lot quicker and the edges, use the KISS principle – keep it simple and
more precise than doing them individually. standardised!

MODULARITY
Another key way of avoiding errors is to ensure that all Modular pieces and board tiles are best sealed together,
the pieces are not only cut in a single session, but built, especially when using PVA sealants which can darken
textured, painted, flocked and sealed in single sessions, pieces, avoiding the chess board effect when tiles are
helping to keep the style and look of the pieces the same. sealed with different amounts of PVA. Finally, when storing
Subtle changes in any of these, whilst not noticeable on modular pieces and tiles, ensure they are all kept out of
separate scatter pieces, appear as stark contrasts at the direct sunlight, as UV fading on a single piece or the top tile
join lines of modular pieces, with even a slight difference of a set stacked against a wall can also result in contrast
in pressure when drybrushing between pieces being issues when placed next to unfaded pieces on the tabletop.
easily visible when next to each other. It’s for this reason,

Need an image for here

MANAGING THROUGH MODULARITY

Modularity is a great method to make large pieces and even boards more manageable, as well as increasing the reusability
of pieces, and allowing features to flow across the tabletop, increasing the table’s realism and often playability. Whilst it
may appear daunting, especially when tackling large pieces or board tiles, all that’s required is a little bit of forethought and
planning, a set of cardboard guide templates, and plenty of checking along the way. Always take care when doing any work
at the standardised edges but remember that what’s between them is fair game and variation between modular pieces helps
with realism and stops all your pieces in a set looking exactly the same.

81
GROUNDWORK
THE TEXTURE YOU’RE STANDING ON
Wargaming is a hobby that has you putting miniature ‘boots on the ground’, which means one
of the first challenges a Terrainiac will face is the creation of a realistic, playable, and durable
surface that mimics the ground of the setting, including its landscape, texture, and colour. This
can, of course, vary – from flat, featureless deserts to post-apocalyptic, rubble-strewn settings – and with a few
specific exceptions, all of these can be achieved using a core set of techniques, materials, and colours. A little
planning will be required, however.

IT’S NOT JUST ABOUT THROWING GRIT AT IT! terrain pieces. Ground substructures can also be used to
blend larger pieces (like rocks and hills) into their bases,
There are a few things you need to consider first, like creating a more realistic join between the base and the
functionality, landscaping, and scale. items glued to it.
From a functional point of view, texture should be laid down When preparing to texture a base, the scale of aggregates
so that it doesn’t impede gameplay. Model placement should also be considered. It can be easy to think that most
should be considered, particularly where pieces contain fine aggregates are all small enough to represent a ground
paths or areas where models will move through tight texture, but they should be compared to the scale of the
spaces. These areas should be textured with as low a profile models that will be used on them. Sand and fine grit can be
as possible, using small grade aggregates to allow models used for ground texture for most wargaming scales, but for
to be placed on them without wobbling. Texturing can the small scales (15mm and below), even these can look
also be used to deny model placement; large and uneven too large compared to the models. Rodent bathing dust or a
aggregates can be laid down in areas such as uneven small scattering of fine aggregates on untextured ground is
slopes or around delicate plant or detail work to stop or more suitable for small scale pieces.
discourage players placing models there, protecting delicate
work or preventing models from constantly falling over and At most wargaming scales, the variation in a real-life
disrupting gameplay. ground texture wouldn’t be visible to the naked eye, but
that approach results in a flat surface that doesn’t look
After shaping a piece such as a hill or a slope, check particularly attractive. Texturing is used to create a surface
it with a model. Any areas where the model almost that can be painted for a more realistic appearance when
always falls over can be heavily textured with large, viewed from the table’s edge. The key point is to ensure that
uneven aggregates, whilst using finer aggregates on the grades of aggregates used are large enough to create
the other areas. Players will instinctively know where to a texture that can be painted whilst not too large that, at
place (or not place) their models, drastically reducing scale, it looks out of place.
wobbly model syndrome, and making the terrain more
enjoyable to use. To check the scale of your aggregate, before laying it
down on your piece, simply spread some on your desk
Although model placement typically requires a flat surface, and stand a model in it, covering the base so only
natural landscapes are rarely flat. Undulations can be the feet are showing. Look at the model’s feet and
used to break up large scatter pieces such as woods and compare them to the size of the grit to get a feel of how
scrubland before they are textured to create more realistic appropriate it will appear.

82
TEXTURING IT UP! Fig 1.5 – The final surface is very durable, but this method of
laying aggregates in stages can require a little cleanup with
Ground texturing is one of the most important terrain-
a file or wire brush. This is best done five minutes after the
making techniques. The finished surface should not only
second coat has been applied because the PVA bonds are
seem realistic but also be durable enough for gameplay.
weakened slightly when they get wet again.
There are numerous ways to achieve this, each with its
benefits and shortcomings. The four main techniques fall Occasionally, patches of the base are
into two categories: aggregate-based (layered, or bonded), missed when applying the first layer
or paste-based (texture gloop, or filler stipple). of PVA, especially when applying white
PVA to a base coated with white filler.
Layered Aggregates This usually shows as a white patch
Layering sand, grit, and stones on top of a base that is in the sand texture when it is shaken
covered with PVA, and then sealing with watered-down PVA, off. To remedy this, simply sprinkle
is the most time-consuming way of creating groundwork, sand over the patch after applying the
but it is the simplest and gives the most control over how it second, sealing coat of PVA. The sealing coat alone will be
looks. Therefore, it’s a good starting point for most. strong enough to bond the sand in place, seamlessly hiding
the bare patch of base.
Fig 1.1 – Undulations were created by adding filler, then
smoothing it and blending into the base with a wet, fine-
bristled, flat-head brush before leaving to dry.
1.1
Fig 1.2 – A 1:1 mix of PVA and water was then brushed
onto the base, with undiluted PVA used in areas that larger
aggregates were added to.
Fig 1.3 – Fine sand was then added, allowing the thinned PVA
to soak through it.

GROUNDWORK
Fig 1.4 – Any loose aggregates were then shaken off before a
1:3 mix of PVA and water was applied to the entire surface.

1.2 1.3

1.4 1.5

83
Bonded Aggregates
3.1
Aggregates don’t have to be glued down and then sealed in
a step-by-step process. If there is grit down and it’s soaked
in PVA, it will all bond to create a realistic ground texture.
This technique is the quickest to apply and produces very
realistic results, since the loose aggregates can be easily
knocked off before they are sealed, this technique requires
the most care in execution.
Fig 2.1 – Large aggregates were added directly to the base
unglued, sometimes piled to build volume.
3.2
Fig 2.2 – Fine aggregates were then sprinkled over the
exposed surfaces and between the larger stones to fill gaps.
Fig 2.3 – A 1:3 mix of PVA and water was then applied to the
entire surface using a pipette or syringe.
Fig 2.4 – The final surface is very realistic and durable
but larger rocks might not bond as well depending on the
amount of contact they have with the base. This can be
fixed by filling any gaps with fine aggregates and adding a
drop of 1:3 thinned PVA again or superglue. 3.3
When working on larger pieces or building up multiple
layers, hair lacquer can be used to temporarily hold
the loose aggregates in place whilst working, before
applying a final sealing coat of PVA.

2.1

3.4

2.2
Texture Gloop
The quickest way to apply a ground texture to a base or
entire board is with a ground-texture gloop. Containing a
higher concentration of aggregates than a normal texture
gloop, it adds a very durable ground texture to any surface.
It can add weight to the piece, however – depending on
the aggregates used - and is the least realistic-looking of
the techniques. With some additional work, this can be
2.3 improved on.
Fig 3.1 – A ground-texture gloop of a 1:1 mix of ceiling stucco
(Artex) and aggregates was applied to the whole surface,
thicker in certain areas to represent undulations.
Fig 3.2 – Larger aggregates were then placed and slightly
pushed into the wet gloop, whilst areas to be flat were
smoothed with a wet, fine-bristled, flat-head brush.
Fig 3.3 – A 1:3 mix of PVA and water was then applied to the
2.4 aggregates to seal them.
Fig 3.4 – The final surface is a realistic ground texture that
replicates a rockier or rubble terrain.
The final texture is dependent on the grade and quantity
of aggregates used with the gloop binder. A texture mix
containing proportionally less aggregates of smaller grades
can be used to texture large, flat areas quickly and easily.

84
Filler Stipple Fig 4.5 – The final surface is a realistic ground texture that is
closer to compacted earth than the gritty textures achieved
When working with bases made of plastic, EPVC foamboard, with aggregates, due to its non-granular nature.
or other materials that PVA struggles to adhere to, a filler
paste can be used to create a hardwearing ground texture Don’t over-concern yourself with fixing little bits here
by stippling it before it has dried. and there that don’t look quite right. Instead, decide
which areas break the realism of the piece and won’t
Fig 4.1 – A layer of filler was applied to the base, thicker in be covered over by scatter or clump foliage at a later
some areas to represent undulations in the ground and stage. Look for exposed bases, hot glue blobs, or rocks
smoothed with a wet, fine-bristled, flat-headed brush. that appear to defy the laws of physics; fix these and
Fig 4.2 – Before it dried, the filler was stippled with a damp, forgive the rest.
hog’s hair brush, with damper, softer areas being re-stippled
as they dried.
4.1
Fig 4.3 – Once dry, slightly thinned PVA was brushed on in
specific areas, with various aggregates added after, starting
with the largest first.
Fig 4.4 – A 1:3 mix of PVA and water was then applied to the
aggregates to seal them.

4.2 4.3

GROUNDWORK
4.4 4.5

WHICH APPROACH? come in contact with. Aggregates on top of that layer

will need bonding with glue/paint or removing. If the
Whilst there are other techniques and materials, these loose aggregates are removed, the quick bonding time
core techniques can be used to replicate most ground means basecoating can start far sooner than with the
textures needed for wargaming, and each has its own core techniques, often five minutes after the application,
merits in looks and functionality. It is also possible to speeding up the build process considerably.
combine techniques on a single piece, using a ground-
texture gloop on the flat slopes of a hill, whilst creating However you plan to texture the piece, it’s not only
rocky outcrops and scree (talus) piles using the bonding important to get the texture looking right and being
technique, creating a playable hill with realistic detailing. playable, it’s also important to get the lay of the land
looking right and playable. In some cases, this means
If you don’t have a lot of time, large flat areas can be doing a little bit of landscaping before you lay down your
covered very quickly with textured paint spray cans. final texture.
The result will be fairly uniform in texture grade, but
variation can be created by spot spraying different grades Whilst I say, “smoothed with a wet,
of textured spray paint, or by adding thin patches of fine-bristled, flat-head brush”, I
aggregates whilst the paint is wet and sealing them with actually use my fingers. It’s up to
a blast of untextured spray primer of the same brand. you how you do it, but I’ve always
Spray adhesives are also a good way of quickly fixing had better results and more fun by
a fine texture to a large area, but they can be difficult getting my fingers wet and messy!
to apply precisely and only fix the aggregate layer they

85
LANDSCAPING There are several reasons why a piece would require
undulations or landscaping, from blending in larger features
Not all ground is flat, and whilst texturing techniques can be stuck to the base (such as trees), to creating rims around
used to create realistic ground textures, they rarely have any water features so that they can hold acrylic or resin water
real bulk. This means that when applied directly to bases, effects. When landscaping a piece, there are three basic
these techniques can result in quite flat bases unless methods, depending on the purpose of the piece, and the
applied in considerable amounts, which can drastically amount of landscaping needed: putties, gloops, and foams.
increase the weight of a piece.

5.1 5.2

Putties Fig 5.1 – DAS applied to the left is far bulkier and more
controlled than the filler on the right, although the filler
For blending small features such as large rocks and bends at its edges better than the DAS and results in
tree bases into the surface of a piece, putties are the smoother undulations.
best option. Filler is the go-to ‘putty’, applied thickly and
then blended smooth with a wet, fine-bristled brush (or Fig – 5.2 – The piece was textured with bonded
fingers!). DAS clay is a bulkier putty and is easier to shape aggregates consisting of fine sand and cork pieces
but only adheres to porous base materials such as MDF. before being sealed with watered-down PVA.
To apply the DAS, pre-wet the base to help the clay soak If you want to use DAS on EPVC or plastic bases, first
in and get a grip, then apply the clay, shaping it with wet apply it and then, when it’s dry, pop it off and re-glue
spreader tools or fingers. it with a gel superglue or hot glue!

6.1 6.2

Gloops Fig 6.1 – A 1:1 mix of ceiling stucco and shredded tissues
was applied to the base in clumps before being smoothed
For blending in larger features or creating a more broken down and roughly shaped with wet fingers.
ground terrain effect, bulking gloops can be very effective.
A commonly used mix is casting powder or premixed filler/ Fig 6.2 – The piece was textured with a scattering of fine
stucco combined with shredded paper as a bulking agent. aggregates, and sealed with watered-down PVA.
Using paper means the pieces are lighter than if using Using paper as a bulker can result in tough clumps
putties, but these gloops are more difficult to lay down and where you really don’t want them, such as in the middle
shape. However, this technique can result in more realistic of a path. Just flick them to the side and smooth it out
landscaping, especially when modeling broken ground. whilst it’s still wet.

86
7.1 7.2

Foam
7.3
For the largest type of undulations, foam (EPS or XPS) is the
go-to choice, with pieces being shaped before being glued
onto the base and blended in. Essentially, these are small
hills and they can be used to great effect when creating
undulating ground, defensive positions, or craters and
trenches.
Fig 7.1 – The undulations were carved from foam and glued

GROUNDWORK
to the base.
Fig 7.2 – Once fixed, the foam pieces were blended into the
base with filler.
Fig 7.3 – Finally, the piece was textured with fine aggregates
consisting of sand and cork before being sealed with
watered down PVA.

Making the most of it

The best method to use depends on the amount of
undulation needed on the piece, with the final weight of the
piece sometimes being considered. Whichever technique
is used, adding undulations to break up flat areas and blend
in larger scenic features always improves a piece, and often
aids its painting.

87
PAINTING The result is a very light, earthy colour with a dusty look
which is perfect for deserts and parched areas. The
Once a piece has a textured ground surface, the next drybrushing is used to replicate sun-bleached top surfaces,
stage is to paint it. Whilst the colours used for painting so take care not to overdo this. Drybrushing typically
groundwork can vary greatly, along with the techniques used provides a dusty feel which is perfect for this situation.
to apply them, there are some common approaches. All
the core painting techniques - basecoating, overbrushing, Dried Earth
drybrushing, and washing - can be used, but some are better
suited to certain ground effects than others. With dried earth, only the very top layer of the earth is dried
out, with moisture remaining in areas that are in shade and
Although earth colours vary depending on what they consist away from the drying effects of the sun. This needs a slightly
of, the most important factor to consider in selecting darker earth colour with a stronger contrast between its
colours and techniques, is the water content of the earth. exposed, dry surfaces and its moisture-rich, shaded areas. A
We can think of earth as being parched, dried, damp, mixture of drybrush and selective area washes can be used
or soaked. to achieve a dried earth effect.
Parched Earth Fig 9.1 – The piece was first basecoated with a desaturated
mid-brown.
In areas of extreme heat, such as deserts, or during
droughts, earth can become completely dried out, or Fig 9.2 – A darker brown wash was selectively applied to the
parched. This earth is usually very light brown, often with a recesses that would contain moisture.
yellow tint, but is also dusty and sun bleached, which is best Fig 9.3 – Finally, a drybrush with a 1:1 mix of the basecoat
achieved by drybrushing. and a light beige was applied to the piece.
Fig 8.1 – The ground was first basecoated with light ochre This produces a great contrast to the parched earth
(yellow-brown). method, with the wash darkening areas that would contain
Fig 8.2 – The piece was then drybrushed with a 1:1 mix of moisture and the drybrush lightening areas that would be
the basecoat and a light beige. exposed to sunlight. The key to this technique is keeping the
colours used as close to each other as possible, colours
Fig 8.3 – A final drybrush of a 1:3 mix of the basecoat and with large changes in their shades produce too much of a
light beige was applied to the piece. contrast to be realistic.

8.1 9.1

8.2 9.2

8.3 9.3

88
 10.1 11.1

10.2 11.2

This simple technique results in very realistic damp ground.

10.3 The washes first darken down the entire piece whilst
providing subtle shading, before the dark wash creates a

GROUNDWORK
little variation on large flat areas and increases the depth
of the soil’s darkness in areas that would have the
most moisture.

Soaked Earth
Soaked earth is the easiest of all the ground effects to
reproduce, as soaked earth has a near-uniform darkness
to it with only the slightest variation in tone between areas
Damp Earth exposed to sunlight and its recesses and depressions. To
achieve this effect, a dark basecoat followed by a dark stain
When earth is damp, it is much darker than dried earth is the way to go.
and has even less tonal variation; its top layers contain
moisture, as do the recessed and depressed areas. This can Fig 11.1 – The piece was basecoated with a very dark brown.
be difficult to achieve by drybrushing and so overbrushing, Fig 11.2 – A stain mix of 1:1 basecoat brown and black was
and washes with darker earth colours are used to create a then applied to the entire surface.
more subtle effect.
The stain darkens the base brown, leaving only a subtle
Fig 10.1 – Basecoated with a saturated mid-brown. difference between the lighter top surfaces, where the
Fig 10.2 – A 1:1 mix of a dark brown and black wash was stain is thinnest, to darker depressions where the stain
selectively applied to recesses and depressions to has pooled. This produces a very dark ground that still has
create shade. subtle variations between its high and low points and gives
a feel of saturated earth.
Fig 10.2 – A light overbrush of the original basecoat was
applied to the higher areas. This is only the beginning
Although the base colour of earth can vary depending
on its location, and mineral and organic content, the
techniques used to replicate it stay the same. Drybrushing
and overbrushing are great techniques for representing
Beware the rare
drier earth, whilst overbrushing and washes are better for
quicksand basing!
representing wetter earth.
With these techniques, it’s easy to replicate a wide range
of different earth types by simply picking a base colour
to be lightened by drybrushing or darkened with washes
depending on how dry or wet the
earth should be.

Mel’s Rule No. 5 - If in doubt, it ain’t dry!

89
SPECIAL TEXTURES Rubble
Whilst the techniques covered so far can be used to Typically placed around destroyed buildings and urban
replicate common variations of earth textures and colours, combat boards, rubble is often seen as just laying down
the actual list of variations is near endless, especially large grade aggregates, but is actually a little more
when exploring fantasy and sci-fi worlds. Here are a few complicated. Rubble is rarely flat and often consists
common variants. of numerous irregular mounds, so it requires a bulkier
landscape. As rubble is broken buildings, it consists of
Heavy, dead-foliaged ground more than just broken bricks and masonry. It can contain
Ground covered in dead and decaying foliage is common beams, girders, piping, wiring and common household items
in woodlands and jungles alike. This ground covering of broken into bits, from bars to bathtubs. Rubble also tends
dead plant materials, often leaves from trees and bushes, to be densely packed, resembling a mound of dust and dirt,
can vary widely depending on the plants growing in the studded with bricks and rocks rather than a pile of large
area. These dead leaves can be laid thick on top of the rocks. Creating realistic rubble groundwork is easy, as long
earth or be mixed in with it where the earth is soft, such as these considerations are factored into the process.
as on muddy paths. Of all the variants, this is the easiest Fig 13.1 – A bulking gloop consisting of tissue and ceiling
to replicate by simply using dried, dead plant material to stucco was applied to the base in large, irregular mounds.
represent dried, dead plant material. Then various bits of balsa wood, wire, plastic girder and
Fig 12.1 – First a few mounds were created on the base with piping and also a model bin (from Mantics’ Terrain Crate
DAS clay before a layer of dried herbs was glued to the base, Accessories) were inserted, ensuring they stuck out from
leaving a path in the middle. A texture gloop consisting of the piece.
filler and mixed dried herbs was applied to the path. Fig 13.2 – Once dry, a texture gloop consisting of ceiling
Fig 12.2 – Once dry, the herbs were stained with a brown stucco and a heavy mix of aggregates of various grades was
wash whilst the path was basecoated in the same brown applied over the surface. The piece was basecoated with a
before being given a darker brown wash. A final overbrush mid-grey whilst picking the elements out in various relevant
of the basecoat was applied to the centre of the path, colours. A dark grey wash was applied before the piece was
once dry. dry brushed with lighter greys and creams.

This technique is very realistic and is very easy and quick to This technique can be used to create rubble or rough ground
apply. Care should be taken to ensure your dried herbs (or scatter pieces, or combined with damaged buildings to help
other dried foliage) are in scale with what is being replicated create realistic ruins and larger, post-apocalyptic pieces.
as some herbs are too large to be realistic at the scales Make sure that the content of the mounds is consistent
used in most wargames. with what was ruined! Bricks that are wider than the wall
Remember, PVA reactivates when wet, so always ensure they supposedly came from can throw the realism of the
that a piece is fully dry before attempting the next piece. The same can be said for the other man-made
stage. The last thing you want to do is start painting elements in it, if the building doesn’t have wooden beams,
your paths and wipe away a patch of texture. they wouldn’t be found in its rubble mounds.

12.1 13.1

12.2 13.2

KEEP YOUR FEET ON THE GROUND

Whilst there are many other different types of ground effects, including man-made ones such as roads and floors, these
techniques and painting schemes will allow you to replicate the majority of the common ground effects used in wargaming.

90
 14.1 14.2

14.3 14.4

GROUNDWORK
14.5 14.6

Cracked Earth Fig 14.6 – The piece was then painted up using a
dried earth scheme with a dark brown wash being
Dried-up waterholes, apocalyptic deserts, and parched applied to the cracked area between the basecoat and
riverbeds often consist of patches of dried earth that overbrushing stages.
have lost so much water they crack, producing a texture
that cannot be easily replicated using standard methods. Sometimes, when you lay the sheet down, you can
have quite a lip to blend in. It’s often best to sand
There are acrylic texture pastes called ‘crackle mediums’ the edges down a little, first, to reduce the height of
that can be used to create cracked earth, but for a more the lip edge.
realistic effect over large areas, creating a cracked earth
sheet consisting of a layer of plaster with an open weave This technique can be used to create small, dried-out
substructure is the way to go. patches or strips along the edges of a river piece to
represent a drought, but it can also be used to create
Fig 14.1 – First a sheet of greaseproof paper was taped an entire parched desert table. Simply create numerous
down, and a layer of gauze material was taped over it. large sheets, glue them to the baseboard, fill any
Fig 14.2 – A casting powder was then mixed, poured over gaps with smaller pieces cut to shape, and then blend
the gauze, and smoothed thin and level with a wet hand. everything level with filler and fine aggregates to hide
the joins.
Fig 14.3 – Once dry, the plaster was cracked, first
upwards from underneath to crack the plaster sheet, Whilst large areas of cracked earth can be laid flat, in
then downwards to widen the cracks. This was repeated the real world, cracked earth like this is usually found
until the desired effect was achieved. in lower areas and depressions. For boards that use
foam as a ground base, first, create recessed patches
Fig 14.4 – A patch was then cut with a pair of kitchen by sanding the foam. Then lay the cracked earth sheets
scissors, before being stuck to the base with PVA. into the recesses before blending them level with
Fig 14.5 – The sheet was then blended into the base the surrounding ground. With scatter pieces, it is not
with filler before a little scattering of fine aggregates was possible to create a depression, so extra care should be
applied around the edges. taken to ensure the base and overall profile of the pieces
are as low as possible.

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COLOUR SCIENCE Mel’s Deep
Thoughts
UNDERSTANDING WHAT GOES WHERE AND WHY
This hobby involves a lot of painting and colour work where the aim is replicating reality, so knowledge of the science behind
creating realistic colours – along with working with light and colours in general – is very useful. The hobby community tends
to rely on a range of pre-mixed colours, reducing the need to mix colours on the fly and avoiding the need to understand the
theory behind the process. Whilst these pre-mixed colours certainly make it easier to keep things consistent when starting in
the hobby, an understanding of a few key elements can go a long way to improving the realism of your pieces.

Ultra Infra
Violet Red
VISIBLE SPECTRUM (low to high wavelength)

Red Blue Cyan Magenta

ADDITIVE Green Yellow SUBTRACTIVE

(Mixing Light) (Mixing Pigents)

SEEING THE LIGHT contrast, avoid pure white (or tint it slightly with a yellow or
cream) and keep colours bright and vibrant. These things will
Visible light, made up of many colours, is emitted from a help keep your paint scheme believable and more realistic.
light source. It travels from the source until it hits a material.
Then, depending on the makeup of the material, some Skylight is sunlight that has been knocked off course, had
of the colours in the light are absorbed and others are its strength reduced and tinted blue by our atmosphere.
reflected off the surface. These reflected colours are picked For modelling, the blue tint would only be noticeable
up by the eye and the brain turns them into an image. That when creating strong shadows and the reduced strength
may sound like a simple process, but light sources can means that the colours in shaded areas are more muted or
vary, the light can be affected by the environment before it desaturated.
hits the material, it can be reflected multiple times, altering Heavy clouds and overcast skies remove the yellow and
each time before reaching the eye and so on and so on. blue tints, diffusing the light to result in a desaturated light
It’s thanks to these factors (and more) that reality is so that softens all but the hardest of shadows and mutes all
colourful and so difficult to replicate. However, it becomes the colours, making everything look dull. When modelling
much easier to understand when we break it down with locations known to be cloudy and wet, desaturating all your
colour science. colours and softening the contrasts between their shades
helps to reinforce an overcast feel for the piece.
Light and Shadow
Daylight in all its forms is the most common type of lighting
Pure white light is the product of all the colours of the
to be replicated in terrain making, but occasionally you
rainbow combined together. But light often has a colour
may need to model other light sources with different
tint, depending on its source and the environment it travels
effects. Object Source Lighting (OSL) is the name given to a
through, and it also has a strength and a direction.
painting technique/approach to produce a light source that
Direct sunlight has a yellow tint and is strong, high-energy illuminates an area around it. Examples include torches on
light traveling straight from its source (the Sun) to the castle walls giving off a yellow glow, and red warning lights
materials it hits. When modelling hot environments like in dark rooms. OSL effects are easily modelled by adding
deserts, ensure that shadowed areas have a strong, dark the colour of the light source into those being used to paint

92
the area around it. This can be done by adding a little of are made for daylight settings and in the real world the
the colour of the light to the base and highlight colours. position of the sun in the sky and the direction of the
With stronger light sources, the colour of the light may be shadows it casts vary. In terrain making, zenithal lighting is
stronger than the base colour of the area. This means that typically used; daylight is treated as coming from directly
instead of tinting the base colour of the surface with the above the piece so the shadows are evenly spread under
light source colour, the light source colour has to be tinted any overhangs without having a specific direction. This
with the base colour. And then, to be realistic, this glow has allows pieces to be placed in any position without different
to fade correctly to replicate what is known as ‘fall off’. directional shadows on the board throwing off the realism.
Directional shading should only be used in terrain making
In practical terms, decide how far your light source will
either when it’s localised to a specific piece (as with OSL
illuminate your piece, then divide the distance from the
effects), or when building a feature board or diorama where
source to the limit of its range into quarters. In the first
the shadow-casting elements are fixed in place so all
quarter, go pretty much full-on glow, in the second go
shadow directions can be coordinated.
for 1/4 glow, in the third go for 1/9 glow and in the final
finish with a 1/16 glow. Following this realistic fall off It’s increasingly common for LED lights to be used
instead of an even fall off will give a more believable when modeling, but the pieces are more often used
lighting effect. under an incandescent, or fluorescent light, and some
large venues use other types of lighting, all with their
Beyond OSL, there are other lighting situations from moonlit
own tints. The result can be that pieces that looked
terrain, to underground caverns lit by luminescence, and
one colour under the modeler’s LED light, look very
when it comes to magic, sci-fi technology, and alien planets,
different under the gaming light. It’s best to paint under
anything is possible. As long as you understand where the
the same kind of light you play under, but if that isn’t
light is coming from and how it will affect the area that it
practical, do a small test piece and check it before
illuminates, any lighting effects can be modelled on a piece.
you attempt a large project. That way you can save an
Before we move on from light sources, it’s important to upset when setting out your terrain at the venue.
talk about shadows and their direction. Most terrain sets

COLOUR SCIENCE
CONTRASTING

COMPLEMENTARY

93
Colour Theory & Wheels (hues) the average eye can see. As the understanding
of colours has developed over time, other systems have
Colour theory encompasses the colours themselves, their been developed in which the colour positions around the
composition, how they can be mixed together to create new wheel varies. The latest system is the CMY wheel where
colours, and the way different colours complement each cyan, magenta and yellow are the primaries. This is used
other visually. Fortunately, most of this information can be throughout the printing industry and in home printers to
found in a simple guide called the colour wheel. This is a print colour.
circle with all the colours (hues) positioned around its edge
so that the wheel can be a guide to altering colours Colour positions on the wheel can be used to work
by tinting, desaturating a colour, and composing out colour combinations that are visually pleasing.
colour schemes. Colours directly opposite to each other on the wheel
are called complementary and work well together. A split
There are a variety of colour wheels, all using the same complementary is where a colour and the two colours either
wheel but varying in positioning based on which colours are sides of its complementary colour all work together well as
the ‘primary colours’ in that system. Primary colours are a trio.
three core colours that all other colours can be mixed from.
In the traditional system, the primary colours are red, yellow Working out your own colour schemes can be
and blue, between these around the edge of the wheel challenging at times. Knowing about the various
are the secondaries – green, purple, and orange – which complementary systems is handy, but since you’re only
are two neighbouring primaries mixed together. This mixing going to be using this for non-natural elements such
of neighbouring colours continues into tertiary colours, as signs and buildings, it’s sometimes easier to have a
and then beyond to create the 10 million different colours look at the shop signs in your high street and just pick
a colour combination you like.

TRIADIC

TETRADIC

94
The interesting thing about complementary colours is that them. Which tints to use, however, depends on what is
if a colour is mixed with any other colour on the wheel, it being painted.
changes the colour (hue) and its position on the wheel,
Earth is often thought of as brown but it varies greatly in
but if a colour is mixed with its complementary colour, it
reality. Tinting earth with a yellow ochre gives a dried, sandy
reduces its chroma (the saturation of a color) until it is
feel, tinting with orange replicates clay, tinting with red
greyed out, much like turning the colour down on a TV until
replicates peat or areas of strong iron ore deposits, whilst
the picture is black and white. This becomes important
tinting with green gives a sense of rotting vegetation such
because reducing the chroma of a colour helps to make
as a riverbank or swamp.
highly chromatic acrylic paints look more desaturated and
therefore natural. Sometimes it’s not possible to use a Snow is not just bright white, but reflective, so on an
complementary colour to desaturate another colour, the overcast day, it’s slightly muted but on a clear day, it takes a
complementary colour might not be available or, in the case blue tint from the diffused blue skylight.
of hobby and house paints which are composites of many
Greenery may be green, but that green can vary
colours, the combination can sometimes produce weird
considerably. Evergreen foliage has a strong, dark green
tints. Although not the ‘correct’ technique, simply mixing
colour but deciduous foliage changes colour as it grows and
a neutral grey with any colour will desaturate it – the more
dies with the seasons. It has a yellow tint when growing and
added, the less overall colour pigment in the mix and the
a red or purple tint as it dies, meaning small amounts of any
greater the desaturation.
of these can be used to add subtle variation when making
Beyond the hue and chroma of a colour, there is a third flocks and clump foliage.
factor, the brightness of the colour, or its intensity. A colour
White, grey, and black are rarely pure in nature, almost
can be lightened by adding white (in art terms, this is called
always having some slight tint due to the materials, light,
a tint) or darkened by adding black (a shade). Understanding
aging, or weathering. Whilst any colour can be used to tint
all three factors gives you complete control over your colour
the white/black scale, creams work well for whites, taking
needs for a build.
the edge off them and warming them. For greys, yellows
Finally, the colour wheel can be used to give an overall make them look more natural and for blacks, a touch of dark

COLOUR SCIENCE
feeling of warmth or cold to a piece. The wheel can be split brown will make it considerably more realistic.
in half, on one side orange and the other blue. Colours on
Variation in nature can seem infinite but understanding the
the orange side are considered warm colours and evoke
common variations, along with confidence in the colour
feelings of warmth or fire or hot days, whereas the colours
wheel, means that replicating the variation is a matter of
on the blue side are considered cool and evoke feelings of
simply identifying the different hues and then working
cold or snow or overcast days. By limiting the colours you
out what colours need to be added to a core colour to
use to warm or cold colours, you can emphasise a piece’s
get them.
setting in a warm or cold environment. When an opposite
colour needs to be used - such as a blue in a warm palette - There are a lot of artist colour schemes for various
it can be tinted with a warm colour to warm it up and help it elements of nature available online. Searching for
connect with the rest of the colours in the palette. It’s well things like “tree bark artist colour scheme” will provide
worth investing time in planning colour schemes, particularly plenty of colour reference material.
when making terrain located in hot or cold environments.
Authentic Replication
Nature’s Little Tints
It’s perfectly possible to produce really good pieces
It’s not only artists that like to mix their colours, nature without knowing any of what has been covered in this
does too. Elements of nature are often described in single section, but applying any of this knowledge to your work
colours, grass is green, water is blue, earth is brown, yet can only improve the realistic feel of a piece. Start by
all of these actually consist of thousands of different hues working with the wheel to master your colours and once
of green, blue or brown. Trying to replicate such a subtle you can replicate any hue, its intensity and chroma, take
but wide variation with two or three colours is the reason that knowledge and skill and apply it to replicating natural
why paintwork can seem flat and unrealistic. The secret is variations. Remember, there’s no point trying to replicate
to introduce subtle variation to the core colours by tinting variation in nature if you can’t mix the colours you need first.

OUT OF PLACE It’s for this reason that modeled pieces can feel
unrealistic even when realistic materials are used;
The challenge in achieving a realistic look for a piece in placement and composition also need to be realistic.
a natural setting, largely stems from our subconscious This comes with practice but as an exercise, when you
survival mechanisms. We’re geared to notice things that look at a scene, look at the landscape, its shape, peaks,
don’t look quite right in nature; they draw our attention dips, dry bits, damp bits, the colours of the ground
and produce an uneasy feeling. This a throwback to the and grass and how they change depending on their
times when there were still things that could hide in the position. Next, imagine replicating it as a model, think
bushes and jump out to kill you. This is the reason why of grass and ground having a limited palette of colours
the military invests so heavily in getting their camouflage and then think of where you would lay down each on
right; it’s not just the shade of colour that matters, the landscape. Doing this repeatedly will not only help
shadows, shapes, and anything that doesn’t look like you choose the correct colours, but also the correct
we’d expect it to look in nature, can all draw an placement to create realistic pieces.
uneasy eye.

95
GRASSWORK
FLOCKS AND CLUMPS AND TUSSOCKS
Grasswork is a core element of the terrain-making hobby, including everything from laying
down scatter, tufts, and clump foliage in a stylised manner, through to creating super realistic
landscapes with a wide array of scenic materials. The techniques to apply them are essentially
the same, which means that if you can apply a stylised theme, you can create a realistic one. Creating realistic grasswork may
seem challenging, but the realism comes from the materials you choose and their positioning.

FUNCTIONAL FLOCKING piece with the tabletop. This can be achieved with simple,
well-sealed groundwork that includes clusters of decorative
Wargaming terrain needs to be functional, so whether garnish patches slightly back from the edge, increasing the
you want a simple, stylised theme, or a beautiful, realistic piece’s realism whilst leaving clear places for handling.
landscape, it must be able to withstand the rigours of
gameplay whilst not impeding the gameplay itself. Areas Scenic materials and their application have a purpose
for grassworking fall into three broad groups: functional, beyond the piece itself – tying a piece thematically to the
decorative, and edging. rest of its set and the board or mat on which it will be
placed. When making boards and sets, use a common
Functional areas are designed for model placement and are set of scenics across all the pieces, varying them slightly
relatively clear of large or delicate garnish, and are durable according to the landscapes and features being modelled,
for gameplay. giving a consistent feel to the whole set.
Decorative areas are those where no models will be placed:
recessed patches of ground, or steep and rocky slopes. Foundations
More delicate, realistic-looking materials can be used here Strong grasswork is created in stages, each building on top
without affecting functionality. of the others, increasing depth and realism. The colour and
The amount of functional space you need depends on texture of the groundwork foundation will also affect the
the game and the miniature bases. The further apart a grasswork applied to it.
unit’s models can be placed, the more garnish you can A green foundation helps create a feeling of depth, and by
add. If it’s a rank and file game, with movement trays, varying the shades of green over an area, you can give the
it’s best to keep functional areas as flat as possible. impression of variation to what might actually be an even
Edging areas (the rim around a terrain piece), are a mix of covering of scatter or flock. One advantage of a green
functional and decorative; rarely used for model placement, foundation is that any small, missed patches, or grasses
but with some functional needs. Edges need to be durable, that fall off, won’t appear as a stark gap. The downside
as they are often the point of handling and regularly get is that at the painting stage it needs to be blended with
bumped during storage. They also need to help blend the any tracks, roads, earth patches, or ungrassed areas to

96
 GRASSWORK
give a naturalistic transition from grass to dirt. This can be can look unrealistic, so the grasswork should be more
restrictive in the grassworking stage since areas will be varied in size and garnish to disguise the flatness. Smooth,
predefined and need to be heavily grassworked to cover undulating groundwork is great for most grassworking and
the green foundation. For this reason, a green foundation more irregular undulations can create an impression of
is best suited to large areas such as fields and meadows, rough ground by varying the height of the grasswork across
which are typically heavily foliaged. the area. It can be difficult to apply grasswork over rocky
and heavily textured areas without covering the rocks and
With a brown foundation, there’s no need to worry about
creating little grass balls. When grassworking these areas, a
exactly where to flock, giving you more freedom to create
“sprinkle and seal afterwards” approach works best.
a varied landscape, especially one of broken ground
consisting of patchy grass, which is common in exposed When it comes to wargaming, a brown earth foundation
and highland landscapes. However, any patches missed works best for scatter pieces, whilst a green foundation
during gluing can appear as stark brown blobs after the works best for large areas such as boards and tiles.
loose scatter is shaken off, particularly on expansive areas,
It’s perfectly acceptable to have painted grass. A subtly
so the occasional patching might be needed. When working
textured, green surface, drybrushed with a mix of the
with a brown foundation, it’s best to treat it as all bare
base green tinted with yellow, can
ground, painting it so the grasswork can be laid without
produce a good looking, durable play
needing to cover specific areas that haven’t been detailed in
surface that suits club and tournament
the painting phase.
settings well. And remember, just
The texture of the groundwork can also affect the grasswork because the grass is painted, it doesn’t
laid on top of it. A completely flat surface will result in flat mean other materials can’t be added.
grasswork, which works well for placing large bases but

97
 SCATTERING
Laying down scatter to create a grassy look varies from
laying down a solid covering of a single scatter over PVA, to
creating realistic landscapes using a wide array of specialist
scatters applied with a range of techniques.

The scatters themselves can be fine or rough. Fine scatters

(typically, stained sawdusts) are used for large areas of
grass, while rough scatters (finely ground clump foliage,
either loose or lightly bonded) are used to break up those
large areas and blend the edges with the features of the
terrain piece. Rough-ground mixes can contain ground
clump, fine scatters, and flock to vary their appearance.

Most scenic materials are colour-fixed, so their colour

doesn’t change when sealed, and include a wide range of
colours - mixes of greens along with reds, browns, yellows,
whites, and even purples. Non-colour-fixed, fine scatters will
leak their colour when they are being sealed. The colours
of the scatters blend into each other, giving the grasswork
a more realistic look. These fine scatters can be laid to suit
the landscape, with the lighter greens applied to the raised,
more exposed areas and darker greens applied to lower,
more damp areas. Mid-green scatters can then be used to
blend the two together.

Scatters are either glued (and sealed) onto the piece with
PVA, or laid onto the piece and sealed in place later on.
With time and practice, both techniques can be used on
the same piece depending on what is needed. The first
approach is suited to those learning grasswork, or when
grassing areas that need a solid covering, whether large
expanses like fields, or the rims of pieces, to ensure they
blend with the table surface.

It takes very little glue to fix sawdust down, so PVA should

be thinned to make applying it with a brush easier and also
to allow the glue to soak up through the scatter. This will
create a better bond than if neat PVA is used. Once dry,
excess, unbonded scatter can be shaken off before sealing,
or left in place to be bonded during sealing. The downside of
this technique is that it can leave sharp transitions between
grass and ground at the edges of the glued areas, but in
most cases, these can be hidden with rough scatters and
other garnish. Hard edges are also common when a base
is coated in glue and dipped in a tub of flock (typically for
speed), so it’s best to add the scatter by sprinkling near any
glued edges that can’t be hidden, for a more realistic look.

The alternative approach is to sprinkle on the scatter and

then seal it in place, avoiding any hard edging, allowing
more control, and giving a more realistic look. This method
suits thinner applications of scatter, since large amounts of
loose scatter can be problematic during the sealing phase;
the thinned PVA has the potential to move the scatter and
cause clumps. More extensive coatings can be applied but
these are best done as layers, with each layer sealed in
place before adding the next – either permanently with PVA,
or temporarily with hairspray. After the final layer is added,
seal them all with PVA. This method also suits the non-
colour-fixed blending flocks which work best when applied in
smaller quantities. Remember, it’s easy to add more scatter,
but taking it off is challenging.

The next step is to add the rough scatters. Consisting of

bulkier materials, rough scatters can be used to break up
open ground, giving it a more realistic look without impeding
model placement. Rough scatters can also be used to

98
blend the join lines between fine flocking and the features area before sprinkling on the rough scatter. The PVA will
of a piece. Placed up against the edge of a feature, they only adhere to the bottom of the rough scatter patches,
can replicate the heavy foliage that’s common around the however, so they will still need drip sealing to bond properly.
bottom of walls and rocks. The initial PVA helps to create a stronger bond and keeps
the patches in place whilst the piece is being worked on.
Rough scatters aren’t essential; stylised pieces often
skip this stage, going straight to larger garnish such PVA isn’t the only way to apply scatter. Spray adhesives
as clump foliage and tufts, giving a clean and simple can be applied to broad, open areas before fine and rough
grasswork scheme. There’s no reason you can’t add scatter are sprinkled on, fixing them in place immediately.
rough scatters later to improve an old piece, so you can Whilst this is a quick approach and avoids applying PVA to
get playing first, and get fancy later. large areas, it can be difficult to control (over spraying is a
common problem) and it only bonds what it touches, i.e.
The application technique for rough scatters depends on
the very bottom layer of scatter. Spray adhesives are better
what you’re trying to achieve. To break up open ground, it’s

GRASSWORK
suited for laying down grasswork patches on boards and
not practical to glue down every tiny little bit. So, when it
tiles rather than on scatter pieces.
comes to sealing, it’s best to drip the thinned PVA onto the
piece rather than spraying it on. The force of the spray can What’s next?
blow the rough scatters across the piece into unwanted
areas, or off the piece entirely. Whether you’re going for a stylised look or a more realistic
landscape, once the basic grasswork is laid down, it’s
When applied in patches to hide join lines or to create the time to dress it up with some scenic garnish. The most
feeling of rougher overgrown ground, rough scatters can commonly used is long grass, so it’s time to look at
be fixed in place by applying slightly thinned PVA to the flocking techniques.

99
 FLOCKING
Flock, or static grass, consists of short strands of coloured
nylon fibres, available in colour mixes of greens, yellows,
reds, and browns. In differing quantities, they can be used
to replicate the long grass of different regions and seasons.
Flocking has long been part of the terrain-building hobby
and was originally used instead of scatter, to create a
rough-looking grasswork base, often to help blend pieces in
with the static-grass, paper mats that were used as a play
surface. More recently, flocking has come to be used to add
depth to a piece, with only large, overgrown boards and tiles
being heavily flocked.
Flock can be laid down loose, either sprinkled directly onto
thinned PVA, or applied dry, to be sealed later - much like
rough scatters. It’s actually best to combine the flocking and
scatter stages, if you are only sprinkling small amounts of
flock to help break up the appearance of the grass.
Alternatively, flock can be applied with an electrostatic
flocker. These devices generate static electricity to cause
the flock to stand on end, replicating real grass. How
well this works depends not only on the strength of the
applicator’s charge but also on the strength of the glue
and its ability to hold the grass upright while it sets. Flock
applied through an electrostatic flocker has to be glued, so
it is important to make sure all your previous grasswork has
been sealed first, or it gets very messy.
At some point, you’ll think it’ll be ok to add a bit of glue
to some loose scatter to add a bit of flocking before
sealing. Just don’t, seriously, just don’t!
Flock is available in varying lengths, from 1mm all the way
to 15mm, although most hobby applicators only work with
fibres up to 6mm; they don’t have the charge to cause the
longer, heavier fibres to stand on end.
WARNING – Although the charge in
electrostatic applicators isn’t that
high, shocks are common and can
sting quite a bit. Don’t mess with
applicators if you have any heart
problems or have any electrical
medical devices such as pacemakers
etc. Stick with the safer option of
buying pre-made tufts and patches
and applying them with PVA.
Raw PVA brushed onto an area will hold static grass up well.
Thinned PVA doesn’t have the same strength and the grass
may fall sideways slightly to give a rougher grassland look.
This can be advantageous when feathering the edges of raw
PVA patches. If you thin the PVA around the patch, the grass
will stand up strongly in the centre and become more ragged
around the edges, which helps to blend the patch into the
base grasswork.
Water-based latex glues work even better than PVA. Their
thicker nature gives them a much higher grip strength whilst
curing, resulting in more upright grass. Latex glues can still
be thinned slightly, allowing edges to be feathered as when
working with PVA.
Static grass applicators work by creating a static charge
between the piece and the flocker (typically some kind
of metal sieve that carries the flock), sprinkling it on by
shaking the sieve much like when sieving flour. A negative
charge is applied to the piece via a probe or other wire
connector, either directly on the glue or close by it, whilst

100
a positive charge is applied to the sieve or applicator. This Whilst applicators are great for laying down flock and getting
setup helps generate a static charge in the sieve, and any it to stand up on end, they aren’t essential. Large areas
nylon fibres sprinkled on it are pulled upwards and stand on can be loosely scattered, building up the effect in layers,
end, replicating real grass. Keeping the applicator close to temporarily sealing them with hairspray as each layer is laid
the surface will create a stronger charge and more upright down until all the layers are bonded with a PVA seal at the
grass, whilst moving the sieve further away reduces the end. Alternatively, for more upright grass, there’s a whole
charge and lets the grass fall sideways a little; this can be range of products, varying from small grass tufts (tussocks)
used to vary the look of larger, flocked areas. and patches, to rolls of static-grassed paper and diorama
base sheets that can be cut out, glued down with thinned

GRASSWORK
WARNING – Never let the applicator touch the glue
PVA, and then blended in at the edges.
or the probe. There will be a bang, causing you to
instinctively jump backwards, and throw a sieve-full of And now onto...
static grass into your face as you do. The body can’t
break down nylon fibres if they’re inhaled. Static grass With the bulk of the grassworking done, the next step is to
inhalation has caused the death of a commercial dress it, to make it look more interesting. It’s time to add
terrain maker in the past due to buildup of lung the garnish!
scarring, so make sure you mask up if you’re doing
a lot of flocking or if it’s getting up in the air.
Avoid breathing it in!

Mel’s Rule No. 39 - When flocking the edges of scatter

pieces, tough on the outside, delicate in the middle.

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 GARNISHING
Whilst scatters and flocks can create very realistic grass
landscapes, it’s the little bits such as tussocks, small
plants and bushes that bring it to life. Much like dressing a
meal with garnish, landscapes can also be garnished with a
variety of scenic materials. For stylised pieces, items such
as tufts, clump foliage, and lichen are all that’s needed to
produce a good-looking piece. For a more realistic finish,
more varied and delicate materials can be added. No
matter the desired level of realism, remember that garnish
materials will disrupt model placement and so should be
kept to the decorative areas of a terrain piece.

You can use scatterings of garnish materials

deliberately to prevent model placement. Applied to
awkward slopes or near delicate features, your garnish
can be used to inhibit your players’ model placement to
fit the terrain design. The delicate nature of flower tufts
do this well, as no reasonable player will want to crush
the flowers with a base. I’ve also noticed that players
treat terrain with more overall care if it has flower tufts.

Garnish bits can be used to hide any mistakes still showing

from the previous phases, and also to hide any join lines
between the grasswork and the base of any features (much
like rough scatters do). They are also placed to improve the
overall look of the piece, according to personal taste and
any reference material you might have.

Clump foliage represents larger bushes, and so should

be placed where they would be able to grow in nature.
This means it’s best to avoid placing them in the middle
of exposed, open areas and instead put them up against
features that would have protected them as they grew. To
provide a more realistic appearance, use a mix of small,
differently coloured pieces, applied as a larger clump,
instead of one large clump of a single colour. Avoid placing
rows of alternating colours, but ensure the colours and
spacing between them is irregular. This also applies when
using lichen to represent larger bushes; mix colours and
vary their placement but keep them confined to areas where
they would realistically grow.

Clump foliage and lichen can be fixed down with a blob of

raw PVA, but as they are lightweight, spongy, and have open,
irregular surfaces, PVA can struggle to create a decent bond
and might not be tacky enough to hold the bits in place as
they dry. This can result in bits of PVA-covered clump rolling
across your piece as you’re working on it. Thanks to its
gel nature, Modge Podge is far better for bridging the gaps
between irregular surfaces and holding pieces in place while
it dries, but the best and quickest bonding is delivered by a
little hot glue, which bonds the pieces in place quickly, as
well as ensuring they don’t come loose during sealing.

Clump foliage and lichen are spongy, so when you press

them into the hot glue, it can soak through and burn
your fingers. It’s always best to push them down with a
probe or pencil and keep a cup of water handy for when
you forget… as might occur, for example, when writing
a section on grasswork for a book.

Tufts, flowers, and diorama (or scenic) patches can

all be added to further increase realism. Tufts are self-
adhesive patches of latex glue to which static grass is
electrostatically applied to represent various tussocks.
Taken further, by applying coloured scatters to the tips of
the standing fibres, tufts become flowers.

102
Diorama or scenic patches are larger affairs created by materials such as synthetic fibres, dry grass tips, and brush
combining small selections of tufts, flowers, small clump bristles, these can be glued to a piece in clumps to replicate
foliage, and occasionally cork rocks, on latex patches and natural, tall grass patches. The challenge is often to keep
then flocking them with short flock to fill any gaps and blend them standing up straight while the glue sets. Superglues
the edges. The results are highly decorative patches that and hot glues are much better at this than PVA. Alternatively,
can be applied directly to basic grasswork to quickly give a they can be glued together as clumps and allowed to set
realistic look. before they are fixed to the piece in a batch process, which
saves you having to hold them still individually while each
Whilst latex-based garnish bits are self-adhesive, it’s always
one sets.
a good idea to dip the bottoms in a little PVA and push
them firmly into place with a finger or probe to ensure a Beyond the core set of garnish materials, there’s a wide
solid bond. These bits can be applied in the same places range of manufactured and natural products that can be
as clump and lichen, but they also grow in more exposed used to increase the realism of a piece. It’s important to

GRASSWORK
areas, so are the go-to garnish for breaking up large, open place these bits in the same manner as the core materials –
areas without overly restricting model placement. in areas they would naturally be found.
When using commercial tufts, especially when they’re One step beyond
all one size, remember they can be placed next to
each other or cut on the sheet with scissors to vary With the grasswork dressed up with scenic garnish, it’s time
their size. for a final seal to bond it all together and toughen it up for
the games ahead.
Tall grass and reeds are also a regular garnish on terrain
pieces, especially those with water features. Made from

Mel’s Rule No. 3 - When placing clump foliage, hide the flockups first.

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 LEVELING UP
After your scatters, flocks, and garnish bits have been fixed
in place and sealed, you can also use washes to vary their
appearance. Although best applied with an atomiser or
airbrush, thinned brown washes can be wetworked onto
grasswork to dirty it up. This wash can be applied broadly
across open areas to break up grasswork and create a
realistic look, and also at the bottom of large clumps or
lichen pieces to shade them. When blending grasswork
with bare groundwork, ink-based washes will stain the grass
and ground and are best suited to drier themes, whereas
paint-based washes are more opaque and will suit wetter,
muddier ground transitions.
Scatters can also be drybrushed. A light drybrushing of
yellows, creams, and browns to exposed areas can help
give a weathered autumnal feeling, while light yellow-greens
can give a feeling of spring and growth.
It’s not just scatters that can be drybrushed, flocking,
especially when applied with an electrostatic applicator
can be drybrushed using the same colours for the same
effects. Raw PVA can also be applied to the tips of flocking
in little, random patches or applied broadly across it. Once
applied, coloured scatters can be sprinkled on to create
the appearance of flowering meadows. Additional layers of
fibres can be electrostatically flocked, increasing the height
of grass patches. This can be repeated to create quite tall,
long grass but make sue the PVA is fully dry before the next
layer is added, otherwise the grass will come apart when
brushing on the PVA. When creating tall grasswork, it’s
best to do so after the final sealing and then use a blast
of hairspray. A watery sealant can reactivate the PVA and
cause your tall grasswork to fall apart.
Removing material can be as important as adding it. Tufts
and long grass patches might have a regular height across
the entire piece, especially if commercial products are
used. A pair of nail scissors can be used to trim tufts and
long grasses to vary their look and heights, with any loose
bits either shaken off, lifted off with a damp brush, or just
left in place to be sealed later.
Finally, large, single-colour clumps can be lightly sprinkled
with yellow-green scatter, replicating a bush’s lighter sun
leaves, or coloured scatters to replicate berries and flower
buds. This breaks up the single colour of the clump making
it look more realistic and less stark.
With these few simple extras, it’s possible to take a
stylised, grassworked, dressed piece just using the core
hobby scenic products and drastically increase its realism
without the need for expensive specialist scenic products.
It’s always best to focus on getting the best you can with
the basics before adding more materials to the mix.

MAKING IT BEAUTIFUL!
It’s perfectly fine to lay down some PVA, dip it in a tub of
flock, shake off the excess, glue on a bit of clump foliage
and some tufts, before giving a blast of a sealing coat. This
will give you a good-looking, stylised piece that’s durable for
gameplay. However, when you understand and apply all the
elements of this section, it’ll be possible to create pieces
that are not only a pleasure to play on but also a pleasure to
look at!

104
105
GRASSWORK
MAKING YOUR OWN Mel’s Deep
Thoughts
WHEN YOU NEED IT IN BULK
There are times when you need your core scenics in bulk quantities and buying them isn’t viable for a host of reasons. There
are always options for making your own. Beyond the natural materials that can be foraged from outdoors and preserved for
modelling, It is possible to make most of the core scenics from common, cheap materials.

Scatters – These can be made by staining sawdust with (about 50% of the original paint volume) and mix it in to
watered-down inks or thinned artist acrylics. Mix the help the foam to clump together. Once mixed thoroughly,
sawdust and stain together, then spread out across a sheet spread the foam across greaseproof paper and leave it to
of greaseproof paper to dry. Once dry they can be pushed dry. If there’s still the original foam colour showing, you need
through a sieve to form fine scatters. more paint in your mix. If the foam isn’t clumping, you need
more PVA. If it’s solid and frosted, you need less PVA, and
Rough Scatters – These small foam scatters can be made
if the foam is solid but isn’t frosted, you need less paint.
by grinding wet sponge bits finely in a coffee grinder or
Ultimately, doing a couple of test batches to work out your
rubbing a sponge across a cheese grater. Once formed, they
ratios is much better than spending a day creating 10kgs
can be coloured with thinned artist acrylics before being
of clump you can’t use. Finally, as it’s almost dry on your
laid across grease proof paper to dry out. Once dry, a quick
greaseproof paper, sprinkle on some light green or colour
shake to loosen them before pouring them into a tub is all
scatters and mix it up gently. This can result in some very
that’s needed.
expensive-looking, realistic clump foliage.
Rough Scatter Mixes – These are simply mixtures of all the
Flocking – Although the process of making nylon fibre isn’t
common scenic materials chopped up and combined. First,
easy or pleasant, hobby flocking products are just mixes of
add clump foliage, lichen, and maybe a few small twigs into
commercially available flocks, meaning you can mix your
a blender and blend it till it’s a fine mixture of small bits.
own quite cheaply. A wide array of single colours and lengths
Next, pour it into a tub, add some fine scatters and some
can be purchased from automotive flocking suppliers as
flocks, and mix it all up.
it’s used to create the plush velvet interiors in cars. A mid
Clump Foliage – Vast quantities of clump foliage can be green along with a light green and yellow will create a spring
made quite quickly and cheaply. Most dense sponges can mix whereas a mid green with reds and brown will create an
be used but upholstery foam gives the best results. Rip the autumn mix, allowing you to create the same hobby mixes at
foam into chunks and add it to a blender - include some a fraction of the price.
water to stop it burning out and ice cubes for the blade to
Tufts, Flowers, and Patches – Commercial tufts are just
cut the foam against. Once blended into clump foliage-sized
patches of electrostatically-applied nylon flock fibres, often
bits, the excess water is squeezed out and artist acrylic
comprising of fibres of different colours and lengths to
is mixed with the foam bits in a tub until a solid colour is
give a realistic look whilst being stuck down to a plastic or
achieved across the foam. Next, add some PVA to the tub
glossy surfaced material with stay-tacky latex glue so that

106
 MAKE YOUR OWN
they can peel off the backing. It doesn’t take many packs of quite quickly and cheaply. Tufts can be enhanced even
commercial tufts for you to realize that buying a flockbox or further by adding two or three hog’s hair brush bristles to
handheld applicator might be a more cost-effective method the tufts while they’re setting, brushing PVA onto these
of getting tufts, especially for the tournament or club terrain bristles and adding colour flocks instead of on the tufts
making side of the hobby, where dressing with commercial themselves. This can create great-looking tall flowers but it’s
tufts can sometimes be the most costly element of best to place them where they’re protected from damage,
the build. as they can be quite fragile.
When it comes to making them, the principles that apply to Tall Grass – Finally, tall grass materials can be acquired quite
flocking groundwork apply to creating tufts. Latex glues work cheaply by buying a birch-bristled yard brush and simply
best, with stay-tacky versions creating self-adhesive tufts. cutting all the bristles off. For finer looking tall grass fibres,
The difference is the backing material and how the charge hogshair brush bristles from cheap house-painting brushes
is applied to it. Thin greaseproof paper or the shiny backing can be cut off with ease. The bristles can also be stained by
sheets of peel-off stickers work best as the latex glue won’t working a dark green and then a lighter yellow-green through
bond with them. As these materials can’t conduct a charge the fibres. Once stained, a line of liquid superglue can be run
themslves, they are either placed on the flat metal platform across the bristles just above the metal ferrule allowing the
of a flockbox or on a metal oven tray, with the ground probe bristles to be cut away from the brush in a single block. After
of the applicator attached to the tray. Beyond this, it’s a that, it’s just a simple matter of breaking tall grass clumps
simple matter of putting lots of little dots and blobs of off, and cleaning their bases a little before gluing them
latex glue across the backing sheets and with a quick bit of down, without ever having to hold them in place.
sieving, it’s possible to put together a few sheets with over
a thousand tufts in around an hour. KEEP IT REPEATABLE
Flexible flocked grass patches can be created by flocking Using all of these methods, it’s possible to make all the
larger patches of latex glue, taller tufts can be created by core scenic materials in bulk quantities quite cheaply. Just
reflocking, as can flower tufts by adding scatters, and the remember, when it comes to colours, you should work on a
same can be said for diorama patches which are just little three tone system for your greens. Don’t forget to desaturate
collections of scenic materials on a latex patch that’s then those acrylics too, for a more realistic colour palette for your
flocked with 1 or 2mm fibres to blend them together. So it’s home-made hobby products!
possible to make all the common tuft and patch products

107
ROCKS AND HILLS
BUILDING NATURAL HARDSCAPES
Hills and rock piles are some of the most popular types of scatter terrain for wargaming. They
can vary from small scatter pieces to huge cliff faces running across entire table edges, and
they really help to turn a tabletop into a three-dimensional landscape ready for your models
to fight over. They can also have a major impact on gameplay itself, as your hills and rocky
outcrops block movement or line of sight, provide cover for artillery, or elevated positions for snipers.

KEEPING IT FUNCTIONAL When it comes to line of sight (LOS) and cover, some rule
systems use ‘area terrain’ rules, meaning a piece might
As hills and rock piles can play such a significant role in your block LOS no matter what shape it is. Other systems use
games, it’s important to make sure that the pieces you build true LOS rules, where the actual shape of the piece will
meet your gameplay needs. influence gameplay. In these cases, no matter what level of
When it comes to providing an elevated position, the type blocking is needed from the piece, the key is to ensure that
of hill you need will depend on how many models you want the piece clearly does or doesn’t block LOS. Shape your
to put on top of it and how they like to stand. Games which terrain so that there can be little to no misunderstanding.
use rank and file units will need large, flat areas for placing As a rule of thumb, leave at least half a model’s height more
movement trays. Sloped, stepped, layered, and plateau- than what’s needed to hide the model, and you will usually
style hills will work best, sacrificing a little realism for a lot of avoid any arguments.
functional placement space. Skirmish games using smaller Having blocks of foam or cardboard
units with looser cohesion rules still require placement tubes cut to set heights for cover
space, but this can be spread over the hill, allowing you to and blocking helps ensure that cuts
create a more realistic, but still functional piece. Smaller aren’t too low during the shaping
scaled game systems benefit from having gently sloped process. Simply mark out your
hills for placement, but the scaling does mean that more desired height line, paint it red below
realistic pieces can be created, especially large hills with cliff the line, paint the ½ inch above it
faces that are still quite functional. orange, and paint the rest green, to
Marking out placement areas on your hills before you make it easy and quick to check when you’re building.
shape them can help prevent you from accidentally
removing too much foam so there’s no longer enough
flat area to place your models.

108
Movement rules can also play a part in shaping a piece. Other factors can also influence your design, for example
Some games require clear paths for models to ascend hills, whether the pieces are to be table edgers, corner pieces or
and some systems use abstract rules, where the way your designed to be modular, allowing them to be put together
models actually get to the top is left to the imagination. to create even larger hills, rolling landscapes, or an entire
Even in these cases, the rules often have limits to the cliff side. Whilst these factors might alter the design of the
distance that models can ascend or descend in a single pieces, the build process remains the same.
turn. Follow the same principle as with blocking LOS, ensure
Hills and rock piles are great fun to build as they can be
the height needed to reach a placeable area is clearly in, or
the most messy, crafty, bulky sorts of terrain. It can be as
out of reach to minimise disagreements. Pieces might also
simple as shaping some foam, sticking it to a base, and
allow movement from one direction but not another, like
texturing it up. But even if foam is unavailable, hills, rocky
a sloped hill with a sheer rock face. Impassable or difficult
outcrops, and cliffs can be made in a few different ways with
terrain areas should be clearly identified on the piece. This
some common materials like upholstery foam, corrugated
usually isn’t a problem as the rock face is normally enough

ROCKS & HILLS

cardboard, and even balls of rolled up newspaper. If you
but other scenic indicators such as a specific colour flock
have it, HD XPS foam can be used to create very realistic
or tuft can be used to define terrain types on a piece.
pieces - especially when combined with rock-simulating
materials or casts.
As with everything in this hobby, it’s best to start with the
basics and build up - literally in the case of hills!

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ROCK PAINTING
2.1
Hills and rocky outcrops require different, rock-specific
painting techniques. In nature, the colours of rock faces
can vary considerably and, if you include fantasy and sci-fi
settings, anything is possible, but there are some common
colour schemes. There is also a core set of techniques
for applying them, with some more suited to certain rock
surfaces than others.

Simple Stylised
The easiest of the techniques is best for simple, low detail
rock surfaces such as stylised hills. The technique relies
heavily on overbrushing and drybrushing, so it works well on
2.2
jagged surfaces, but can also be used on large, flat areas.
First, the entire surface is basecoated dark grey and, once
dry, a mid-brown is layered into all the recesses to create
a strong contrast. The surface is then overbrushed with
the original, dark grey, tidying up the brown and defining
the recesses. The piece is then drybrushed with a mid-grey,
before a final highlight of a light grey and cream mix. Stylised
schemes work best with contrasting colours and clear
changes in tone so that the layering can be seen.
2.3
1.1

2.4
1.2

1.3
Stippling
For flatter surfaces, stippling can be used to break up the
surface to help create a contrast. This doesn’t mean that
it’s only suited to flatter surfaces, but deep narrow recesses
can be a challenge to stipple without oversaturating the
surrounding area with paint.
First, the entire surface is basecoated very dark grey. Next
it’s stippled with a mid-grey, tinted with a tiny amount of
yellow to give it more natural look. This grey is then tinted
1.4 with yellow to warm it, progressively lightened and applied
in smaller amounts until only a tiny stipple of very light grey
is applied. This is then followed by a light stipple of cream
to help break up the grey tones. Finally, sap green and raw
umber are wet washed to give the surface a weathered look.
As this technique relies on creating subtle variation, similar
colours/hues with slight changes in tone work best to avoid
stark, contrasting areas.

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 3.1 3.2

3.3 3.4

Wet Working darkened raw umber is wetworked into the recesses, whilst
the raised areas are wetworked with burnt umber and sap
For detailed surfaces and those that fall somewhere green in spots across the surface to break up the grey. A
between flat and jagged surfaces, wet working is a quick darkened sap green with a touch of burnt umber can also be
and easy way of getting a realistic look. This technique heavily wet worked across the bottom layer of the surface
works well on plaster cast rockfaces and makes use of the where it meets the ground to help represent dampness,
whiteness of the material. If applied to other materials, they algae and moss. Finally, a very light drybrush of light grey
should be basecoated with white first. and cream can be applied in a downward motion to redefine
The surface is first pre-wetted, before a heavy wash of mid- ridges and sharp edges, breaking up the wet work.
grey is broadly applied to the surface. Once completely dry, a

ROCKS & HILLS

Ink Wash
Ink washes are a very quick rock-painting technique for white cast rock faces. A simple wash of a black acrylic ink, flow
aid, and water is applied to the entire surface and once dry, it’s done. This produces a very clean and sharp-looking
rock surface suitable for a cold environment. Alternatively, browns and greens can be wet worked over the top, to
create a more weathered, dirty finish.

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 4.1 5.1

Leopard Spotting
5.2
This technique comes from the model railroad community
and is a simple way of quickly creating a natural looking rock
surface. Designed to be applied over white cast rockfaces,
it can be applied to other surfaces, but they might need a
white basecoat. First, two neighbouring colours (see Colour
Science) such as ochre and burnt umber are applied as
heavy washes in multiple places, so that each colour takes
up a third of the surface area in total, leaving a third white.
Finally, the entire surface is given a thinned grey wash,
blending the colours together to produce a natural
looking piece.

Sandstone 5.3
The warm, red tint of sandstone comes from its iron oxide
content, and the strength of the red tint is determined by
the amount of iron oxide present in the rock. Sandstone
colours can be replicated with reds and warm browns, such
as burnt sienna along with tans, ochre, and warm creams.

Limestone
Limestone and chalk rocks can be replicated with light greys and white, with a slight blue tint to give them a cool feel.
This can be then broken up with weathering, especially earth erosion from the landscape above which is common with
sedimentary rocks.

112
 Glacial
Glacial ice
and icebergs
have a blue
white colour
scheme. The
strength of the
blue hue depends on
how dense the ice is. Typically, the
older the ice, the more compressed it is, and the more strongly the colour tints its translucence. Algae can also get
trapped during this compression, giving the blue a green tint, whose strength depends on the concentration of algae.
To replicate this, light blues, along with the blue-greens like cyan and teal work perfectly.

6.1 6.2

ROCKS & HILLS

6.3 6.4

Volcanic little of the red and orange was drybrushed at the edges in a
simple Object Source Lighting (OSL) effect.
Volcanic rock can be replicated with a black basecoat tinted
with a touch of purple. The tinted-black, base colour is then Gather your reference material
lightened by mixing in a mid-grey, and the mix is progressively
lightened, moving through overbrushing to drybrushing. These techniques and paint schemes will cover the majority
of your terrain-building needs, but in a hobby where anything
Lava streams can be created in many ways. In this example, is possible, the key to tackling the uncommon is actually
hot glue was used to create the shape. For the vibrant look, quite easy. Look at your reference materials and choose
the glue was basecoated white before having red layered your colours and your weathering, then look at your surface
over it. Orange, yellow, and finally white were then layered and decide the best way to apply them.
and wet blended to produce the glowing effect, whilst a

113
 SIMPLE STARTER HILLS
7.1
When it comes to the surface, it will depend on how you
build your hills.
It can be easy to look around at the work of others and
feel inhibited, because XPS foam can be difficult to come
by. Hills made with XPS foam can certainly be wonderful
pieces but most Terrainiacs start with much simpler pieces,
created from either softer EPS foam or a host of non-foam
alternatives. Keep your focus on functionality over realism
and go for stylised builds, they’ll enhance your gameplay
more than a realistic piece that doesn’t work with the rules.

Bobbly Foam
7.2
Soft, bobbly, EPS foam sheets are cheap, lightweight,
and easy to shape with a moderate amount of precision,
making them the go-to for easy-to-make, low cost hills. EPS -
especially its bobbly edges - is very recognisable, so melting
the edges, or covering them with a texture gloop will greatly
improve the look of the piece.
Creating EPS hills is a simple matter of first cutting out the
elements from the EPS sheet and gluing them to a base
with PVA and then building up the layers from there. Always
overcut a little, dry fit, and then do the final shaping before
gluing them altogether. Ensure that at least ½" of the base is
still showing, to allow you to blend the hill into the base and
7.3 add grass work to blend the piece into the table.
Once the glue has dried and the piece is fixed, it can be
shaped with a heat gun. This will both change the bobbly
edges, and give flat sheets more natural slopes. Any gaps
caused by melting, and any bobbly surfaces can be fixed
with a layer of thinned filler, spot fixing first with unthinned
filler before applying it later as a sealing coat. After this,
it’s a simple matter of texturing up the surfaces, painting
the rockface with the stylised technique, and then
greenworking it.
To avoid the top surfaces melting when you melt your
edges, and to keep them flat for rank and file games,
7.4 melt the edges after they’re cut but before they’re glued
together. Remember the fumes and fire risks!

114
 8.1 8.2

8.3 8.4

Upholstery Foam surfaces. Then, hotglue some pieces to the base, before
adding more pieces to build up the cluster. Pins and pegs
If XPS or EPS insultation foams are difficult to find, are handy for holding pieces together while the hot glue
upholstery foam can be used as an alternative. Available sets, whilst any gaps can be filled with a bit of foam soaked
in sheets, it’s easy to cut with a blade, so it’s suitable for

ROCKS & HILLS

in thinned PVA; the PVA will easily bond it in place once dry.
layered hills or plateaus, and its edges can be torn away
in small pieces to create a rocky surface. Alternatively, Next, the foam can be firmed up and blended into the base
recycled foam can be ripped into pieces, tearing away with filler. First, unthinned filler is applied around the base,
any recognizable, flat, regular surfaces before being blending into the foam, before thinned filler is worked into
reassembled to create jagged, rocky outcrops. The the foam, setting it solid once dry.
downside of upholstery foam is that it is very soft compared When the piece is solid and ready to take paint, spray with
to other materials and it doesn’t take acrylic-based paint a textured spray primer to create a rock formation with a
well. Both of these issues can be easily resolved with an volcanic look. In this example, resin crystals were added
application of a protective, hardcoat gloop, along with using hot glue, and the entire piece was highlighted with
other techniques. a mid-grey, tinted with a touch of burgundy red to match
To create a rock cluster, prepare the foam pieces by the crystals.
breaking them into small pieces and removing all the flat

LARGER SUBSTRUCTURES
This section focuses on making scatter terrain pieces, but it’s possible to use these techniques to create much
larger hills for display and demo boards, along with large hill and cliff table-edgers. These can be created using the
techniques in this section on a much grander scale using a larger feature substructure.
Creating the bulk of the feature’s shape can vary from using a collection of small cardboard boxes that you can affix
newspaper wads to, before the plaster bandage is applied, through to using chicken wire mesh to
create an undulating landscape supported by wood dowels and covered again in plaster bandages or
papier-mâché. Afterwards, it’s a simple matter of texturing it or using it as a base to fix rock faces to.

Mel’s Rule No. 45 - To avoid wide base rims, carve your foam before you cut your base!

115
 9.1 9.2

9.3 9.4

Newspaper & Bandage and shaped around the substructure with your fingers. Two
layers, the second applied directly after the first (with no
While upholstery foam can be soft, the softest material need to dry in between) is usually all that’s required to give
of all is used in one of the oldest techniques. Sheets of the piece a sturdy, durable surface that takes paint well.
newspaper are rolled and secured with masking tape to Once dry, a texture gloop can be applied if the bandage
create balls or wads which, when fixed together with hot texture is still showing.
glue or more tape, can be used to build a substructure.
Whilst this technique could be used to create gentle slopes, For this example (shown earlier in the chapter), a mid-grey
it’s particularly well suited to creating boulder-type pieces, basecoat was applied, highlighted with a broad overbrush of
or even large, feature hills. light grey before the recesses were shaded with a mid-brown
with a green tint to give it a damp feel. Finally, a raw umber
The best balls or wads are created by laying a sheet flat wash was applied to the entire piece before swamp flock
before rolling it in towards the centre from each corner. and marsh tufts were added.
The rolls are then held in place with a bit of masking tape,
giving you quite bulky balls to play with when creating If you don’t have plaster bandage, you can use papier-
substructures for hills and landscapes. mâché – simply cover the balls of newspaper with strips of
paper soaked in thinned PVA. A couple of layers will give a
The downside of using newspaper is that even with a filler hard, durable surface that can be textured. The downside is
or hardcoat gloop over it, the wads will collapse the first that papier-mâché is so PVA-heavy that it always shrinks and
time any real weight is put onto them, so a tougher coating warps the base. To avoid this, build up your balls and papier-
is needed. Plaster bandage is an open weave bandage that mâché on a piece of greaseproof paper. Once they’re dry
is impregnated with plaster of Paris. Available in rolls, it and hard, simply push the bottom in a bit and glue them to a
can be cut into pieces, soaked in water, and then applied base, covering any little gaps with filler.

116
 PUTTING DOWN THE SMALL STUFF this on a piece helps to improve its realism. It’s rare to
find large rocks on the top of a hill, usually they are on
Like most terrain pieces, hills and rock piles can have the slope of a hill or around the base of a rockface where
aggregates added to create a ground texture followed by they’ve rolled or fallen. Limit the size of the aggregates
greenwork. Where these are laid down is influenced by a you use at the top of a piece, and increase sizes towards
number of factors. the bottom.
Playability: large rocks, clusters of larger aggregate, and For greenwork, larger bushes and plants tend to grow
clump foliage shouldn’t be laid down in the middle of a around the base, in crevices and on steps where they
space for placing your minis. This space may already be are not only protected from the elements, but also
limited by the build so shouldn’t be reduced further. well-rooted in buildups of washed down earth and
Keep your aggregates and clumps to the edges and well-hydrated by the channeled rainwater that carried
leave the middle flatter so that models can be placed the earth there. Plants growing on top of hills and in
without wobbling. exposed areas tend to be smaller due to exposure to the
Hiding mistakes: you will always make small mistakes elements and are usually lighter in colour as well. So, use
on a build, often not spotting them until further into the smaller and lighter flocks and foliage near the top and in
build, beyond the stage to properly fix them. Typically, exposed areas, whilst placing darker and larger foliage
these are gaps that haven’t been filled, overcuts in the lower on the piece and in any deep crevices.
foam, and unpainted areas in deep recesses that are Plant science: If a plant gets plenty of sunlight, it’ll
difficult reach. All of these can be hidden during the use chlorophyll alpha to collect energy, which gives
texturing or greenwork stages. The secret is to ensure its foliage a light, yellow-green look, whereas plants
that anything you add is put down with the third factor – that don’t get as much sunlight use chlorophyll beta
realism – in mind. to collect energy, giving their foliage a dark green
Creating a realistic look: Hills and rocky places are look. The point is, the higher and more exposed the
littered with all sizes of rocks and different types of area, the lighter the foliage, the darker and deeper
plants, but they are usually in specific places; replicating the area, the darker the foliage.

Stacking Cardboard
10.1
Corrugated cardboard can also be used to create hill
substructures. Whilst not the strongest of materials,
especially when wet, its general sturdiness and ease of
cutting can be put to good use in creating stratified hills
and rock formations. Cut out and glued together, cardboard
shapes can be used to create a layered substructure that is
sturdy enough to take a textured, hardcoat gloop.

ROCKS & HILLS

First, cut out the corrugated cardboard shapes, varying
them in size or shape slightly. Having different thicknesses
of cardboard helps with varying the look of the piece but is
not essential. Once cut, the sheets are glued on top of each
10.2
other creating a stratified substructure.
This technique can be used to create plateaus or rock
stacks, layering the sheets directly on to the base or, as in
this example, the substructure is built off the base, cut at
angle and then mounted to the base for an alternate look.
The substructure is then coated with filler, firming it up and
disguising its edges, whilst a bulking gloop of tissue and
stucco was used to blend it into the base. Next, a fine-
aggregate, texturing gloop was applied to the entire piece
and more aggregates were added to the base, once dry.
After that, it’s a simple matter of painting it up (drybrush
10.3 techniques work best) before the greenwork is applied.

You can use (almost) anything!

If it can be shaped and is sturdy enough to keep that shape
while a hardcoat gloop is slapped on, it can be turned into a
hill, so there’s no reason a set of terrain
can’t have a batch of good looking and
functional hills.

Mel’s Rule No. 8 - Model placement before rock placement, an unfunctional hill is a lump.

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 11.1 11.2

11.3

POSH FOAM
Stepping up from the more basic materials, high-density XPS almost vertical, slightly irregular cliff sides as you shape the
foam is an ideal material for making hills and rock pieces. Its hill. These sides are then beveled to meet the top surface
availability as thick insulation sheets suits this type of bulky of the feature. Next, deep, diagonal crevices are cut into the
work, and its sturdiness helps create very durable pieces. sides, getting shallower as they reach the top and spread
Above all, it’s the fact that XPS can be cleanly cut and irregularly along the rockface. After that, multiple small,
shaped that makes it a go-to for hill and rock work, amongst diagonal crevices are cut across the original deep ones and
other things. any of the original cliff surface is slightly beveled until the
Whilst there are a huge array of techniques and tools for entire surface is fairly irregular. A little light sanding, along
creating rock-like texture, there are three core ways to take with an optional sealing coat of thinned filler or PVA, will give
advantage of XPS foam’s properties to create great-looking a surface that takes the stylised painting technique very well,
rock terrain: stylised rockfaces, boulders, and impressions. creating simple pieces that look good on the tabletop.
Increasing the irregularity, both in the shaping of the
Stylised Rockfaces cliff surfaces in angle, direction and height, and also in
Much like stylised hills, the rockfaces carved into them can the depth, direction, and positioning of the crevice cuts,
also be done in a stylised manner. This involves creating can dramatically improve the realism of this technique.

Impression Technique
13.1 13.2
XPS foam retains the texture of material pressed into
its surface and that makes it great for rocky surfaces.
First, the piece is cut to the general shape of the rock
surface, and then any cut or ridgelines are sanded
away. Once prepared, a general stone texture can be
created by pressing a rolled-up ball of crinkled kitchen
foil across the entire surface, rotating the ball to avoid
any obvious repetition or pattern in the texture. Next,
the sharp edges of larger stones can be used to create
cracks and crevices, although it’s especially important
to rotate edges and swap stones as any repetition is
more noticeable when making larger indentations. After
that, a thin coat of PVA or filler will seal the piece ready
for painting without obscuring the detailing. Take care to
remove any excess that gathers in the cracks. Impressed
surfaces tend to be flat, so stipples and washes work
best for painting up your rocks.

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Bouldering
12.1
The fact that XPS foam can also be sanded and smoothed
lends it to being used for smoother boulders and
sedimentary stones. The sheets can be rough cut into the
basic shape with a blade, using a combination of vertical
and horizontal cuts to remove layers, shaping the pieces
with successive cuts. Next, the features are defined
by smoothing out the shape, beveling any corners and
creating underhangs and crevices. The entire surface is
then sanded smooth, removing any cut ridges before filler
is applied to any nicks and overcuts. A thinned filler coat
is applied to help smooth out the undercuts and seal the
foam for painting. In this case, the sandstone look was
created by basecoating the piece with burnt sienna, before
overbrushing and drybrushing with progressively lighter
yellow ochre. A little brown lichen was added to break it up
and hide any mistakes. 12.2
After filling the gaps and overcuts, but before the
sealing coat, the impression technique can be used
as a further detailing stage, resulting in very realistic
rockwork.

Just the start

Whilst these techniques can give great results, there’s a
wide range of other results that can be achieved with XPS.
Its surfaces can be chipped away at with chisels and flat-
headed screwdrivers, overlapping the chips to hide the tool
marks, creating a jagged, pock-marked rock surface. It can
be melted with a heat gun waved in broad strokes across
the piece, creating sandstone-cliff-like rock structures with
curves and ridge lines. You can add crater-like holes with a 12.3
soldering iron to give it an old school sci-fi look. With the
addition of hotwire tools, especially freehand cutters for
sloping, and routers for caves, depressions, and trenches,
the range of possible hill shapes and rockface designs
is limitless.
If you struggle to find XPS foam, you might be able to

ROCKS & HILLS

use a spray can of expanding insulation foam. Spray
blobs onto grease proof paper, letting them expand
and completely set before carving. Just remember
expanding foam is phenolic, so no hot tools or melting
and watch the dust when sanding.

13.3 13.4 13.5

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STEPPING UP YOUR ROCK GAME rockfaces will be applied flat to aid attachment, before
reshaping the substructure with bulking gloops afterwards.
It’s easy enough to create a rock surface from the basic Finally, factor in the thickness of the rockface materials
hill materials and quite realistic rockfaces can be created when building the substructure on the base, and always
from XPS foam. Taking it all a step further, the materials have enough base rim around the substructure so that the
you use to build your hills can be used as a substructure to attached rockfaces don’t extend over the base edge.
which other materials can be attached to create even more
realistic rockfaces. If you’re working with something you can shape, dry fit
the rockfaces first, tweak the substructure, and then
Rockface Bits attach on the fly. This saves trying to figure what goes
where if you leave it till later.
Various materials can be used to create a rockface,
including: tree bark, stones, or cast plaster pieces. Some Casting it up
trees have heavily-textured barks that make great rock
surfaces. These include cork, pine, and oak bark and can be Some of the best rockfaces come from casting in plaster or
used either as entire pieces or as chips of bark. Cork tiles resin using specialist moulds (which are all originally made
can also be broken and stacked to create the impression from real rock surfaces). The rockfaces used for the painting
of rocky surfaces. Slate and other stones can be used too, examples were all cast from a Woodland Scenics mould.
of course. Beyond natural materials, rockfaces can be cast Whilst there are plenty of commercial molds available,
using specialist rock moulds. covering a range of different rock types, when building large
hills there tends to be quite a lot of repetition of casts.
No matter which material is used, it’s important it has Fortunately, it’s quite easy to make custom molds.
a good, textured surface that will look like rock when
it’s painted, as there’s no real point creating a rockface Smaller rock surfaces should be cleaned first and then
that doesn’t. Always test-paint new materials before coated with a thin layer of petroleum jelly, before applying
you build your hills. silicone sealant via a caulking gun. Pat the silicone down to
ensure a good final texture. Silicone cures through exposure
When it comes to gluing and priming, all the common to moisture (like super glue) so it’s best not to apply it too
materials can be treated in the same way. The key factor thickly. Layers can be built up, but allow them to fully cure
that determines their handling is size. Barks, stones, and between each application. For larger surfaces, silicone
casts come in various sizes. Barks can come in quite large sealant can be squirted into warm soapy water or mixed
sheets which are best cut and shaped with power tools with a little craft acrylic, both of which accelerate the curing
before use, while bark chips can be used straight out of so that the silicone can be worked into a putty that is no
the bag. The same can be said for rock castings, with their longer sticky but soft enough that it can be pressed over the
size determined by their mould size. Stones are best suited rock surface and left to fully cure. Silicone sticks to silicone,
for small cliff faces and outcrops, especially if the pieces so if a mould needs a rim for pouring plaster, just use the
need transporting. When it comes to barks and rocks, it’s caulking gun to run a ring around the edge of the mould.
always best to clean them first, scrubbing them clean of
dirt, lichens and moss, then sealing them with thinned PVA, Alternatively, liquid latex can be used to create rock moulds.
either on or off the piece, to better prepare them The rocks, big and small, are first cleaned as with silicone
for painting preparation, then the latex can be brushed on, and shortly
afterwards a sheet of cheese cloth is added before layering
If the rockface pieces are large, such as wedges of cork on more latex. Latex tears easily, so the cloth adds strength
bark, they can often dictate the shape of the hill, especially to the mould. Latex doesn’t stick to cured latex, so it’s
on smaller, scatter pieces. With larger hills or small rockface important to layer up the mould in a single session and then
pieces, it’s possible to create the substructure first and leave it overnight to fully cure.
then attach the rockface and work out positioning on the
fly over the larger area available. Whilst it’s not easy to There are hardeners and softeners that can be added
perfectly shape a substructure for rock pieces in advance, to the latex but accelerants are an essential if you’re
you can roughly shape them, keeping the areas where laying latex on rocks outdoors.

120
For simpler rockface moulds, four or five sheets of kitchen surface for bonding. Ultimately, pieces should be placed
foil glued together with PVA, once dry, will be stiff enough realistically, avoiding formations that just don’t seem
to be crinkled to create a rock texture, pinched in to create natural. Don’t forget your reference materials, the key to
crevices, before the edges are folded up to form a rim creating realistic pieces.
for plaster pouring. Foil moulds only last for a handful of
When it comes to bonding, most glues will bond most of
castings, although small holes can be patched with tape
the rockface materials to most of the substructures. The
applied underneath to extend their use. The key benefit
challenge is that the joined surfaces rarely meet neatly and
of foil moulds is that they can be easily shaped to match
the glue needs to be able to immediately hold the piece in
desired substructures, making the process of adding
place whilst other pieces are added. Bulky glues like hot
rockfaces to large, irregular hills much easier.
glues, contact adhesives, silicone sealants, and acrylic
No matter what moulds are used, rockfaces are usually caulking are great at bridging small gaps and holding the
cast in plaster, typically industrial plasters such as Hydrocal, pieces in place. For larger gaps, a bulking gloop can be
Merlins Magic and Crystical R; plaster of Paris is quite soft used, applied to the pieces and pressed into the surface.
and prone to chipping. There are a couple of techniques
Cast rockfaces that lean backwards can have large
to avoid getting air bubbles in the casting, like placing
gaps at the bottom thanks to the tilt. Breaking the back
the moulds on a board, holding the board up a little and
ridgeline on the substructure or rubbing the cast over
pressing a muscle massager on the side to vibrate the
coarse sandpaper can help reduce the gap and the
board and shake the air bubbles to the top of the cast.
blending needed to hide it.
Alternatively, a mould can be soaked in a mix of water and
flow aid, and any air bubbles can be brushed out while it’s Once bonded, the gaps between the rockfaces, the
suspended in the water. Then, drain off the water (but don’t substructure, and the base need to be blended. These gaps
dry the mould), before the plaster is poured in. Once cast can be filled with filler or a bulking gloop but air-drying clay
and cured, the pieces can be demoulded and fixed in place. (like DAS) can also be used. The benefit of using clay is that
it’s a sturdy putty that rocks can be pressed into, creating a
Sometimes it’s just quicker to scratch out any bubbles
rock texture to help with the blending process. In the case
while the plaster’s soft after demoulding. If you miss
of large gaps, particularly at the top edges, slivers of foam or
any, they can be quickly filled while blending the pieces
PVA-soaked paper can be pushed in to roughly fill the gaps
into the substructure.
before they’re covered over. Any rockfaces meeting
Fixing the base will need to be blended in, so remember to
factor in extra space on the base when using pieces with
Whether it’s barks, stones, or casts, the challenge is to irregular edges.
fix it to the substructure. There are four key elements to
consider: placement, bonding, blending, and landscaping. Much like the landscaping when creating the substructure,
there’s also a bit of shaping during the blending stage,
With smaller pieces applied to a substructure, placement cutting away foam to bring platforms level with casts, or
is about where they will fit and bond whilst still appearing carving the foam to make realistic crevices where you have
realistic. Bark and casts can be shaped with coping saws gaps between rockface pieces. Fillers and bulking gloops
and pliers to fit the substructure, allowing the pieces to fit can also be used to create a naturally flowing join at the
closely together on the substructure, and reducing the gaps top of rockfaces, building up mounds where there would be

ROCKS & HILLS

to be blended. Pieces should be placed against flat areas rockfalls, creating the talus and scree slopes to be coated
and not on ridgelines if possible. Ridgelines can often be with aggregates.
cut, sanded, or even pushed in, but if this isn’t possible,
cut a groove in the back of the rockface to accommodate Once your rockfaces are placed, bonded, blended, and
the ridge, or ensure pieces meet at ridgelines rather than landscaped, it’s simply a matter of texturing, painting, and
over them to avoid leaving large gaps and a minimal contact adding your grasswork.

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 PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER
14.1
Creating realistic hills and rock pieces involves little more
than creating a realistic substructure shape along with its
rockfaces before painting and flocking it. Everything you
need to do this has already been covered in this chapter
and those before it. The key is putting them together to
create a realistic piece.

For the substructure to be functional there has to be some

compromise to its shape, but by ensuring any regular
shapes or lines are altered or broken, and any indicators of
manufacture are no longer visible, you can maintain realism.
The shape should be believable. Although a lot of weird
things happen in nature, a piece still needs to feel right, so
reference material is really going to help.

Although the substructure for this example was carved from

XPS foam with a hotwire cutter, it’s possible to use cheaper
14.2 materials. It was created by separating the piece into three
parts and creating the slopes before reassembling them
with a focus on breaking up any regularities with the paths
and plateaus, whilst keeping the cliff wall flat for attaching
the cast rockfaces (14.1).

A functional, playable slope must be no steeper than 30˚

from the horizontal. Any steeper than this and models
will fall. This doesn’t mean slopes can’t be steeper but
you might want to include heavy aggregates, rocks, and
greenwork garnish to make it very difficult to place models
in certain areas. Alternatively, rocks can be glued down and
blended in with a bulking gloop to create steps on steep
slopes, improving model placement.

The rockface casts were attached to the substructure

towards the end of the casting process (14.2). The
demoulded casts were dry fitted against the shaped
14.3 substructure, and then broken with hands and pliers before
the casts had fully hardened. Then they were attached with
a bulking gloop of stucco and tissue, easily bonding them
and bridging any gaps between the substructure and cast
surfaces. This gloop was also used to blend the casts with
each other and with the substructure at the same time
(14.3). Once set, filler was used to smooth out playable
surfaces and aggregates were added, especially as fallen
rocks at the bottom of crevices, before being sealed with
thinned PVA (14.4).

The rockfaces and larger rocks were painted white and,

once dry, a mid-grey wash was applied. Next, the earth
colour was laid down, a mid-to-dark brown with a slight
green tint to give it an organic feel, a dark grey added to
desaturate it and then darkened with a touch of black. This
mix was laid heavily on the flat, earth areas up to the edge
14.4 of the rockfaces and then immediately afterwards, the
edges were feathered with a clean, damp brush and dragged
down into the crevices to start the weathering process.

Once dry, the rockfaces were detailed. First, the surfaces

were broken up with wetworked burnt sienna and raw
umber to shade the broad surfaces. Then the rocks were
weathered; a wash of sap green mixed with a touch of raw
umber was applied broadly near the bottom of the rocks and
in any areas rainfall would run down. More raw umber was
added to the mix focusing on where the ground meets the
rocks and more narrowly in the crevices. This was repeated
with more raw umber until it resembled damp earth, which
was applied to the top edges where they met the ground
and any ledges that would catch eroded dirt. Finally, a touch

122
of black was added to darken it and the wash was applied the rockface edges whilst avoiding the pathways, and left to

ROCKS & HILLS

into all the deep recesses and cracks as shading. Repeated be fixed later. After that, large clump foliage and tufts were
layering of acrylic washes can result in a slightly glossy placed to hide mistakes, breaking up regular lines and in
finish, just like a glaze and in this case, this effect was used recesses to reinforce the damp feel, then all fixed in place
to reinforce the damp feel of the crevices. with thinned PVA applied with a large syringe.
When replicating natural weathering, focus on where topsoil A few small, seafoam trees were added – placed next to and
would be washed away, and on damp areas where algae, level in height with the rockface so that they were protected
lichen, and moss would grow. Remember that any surfaces from accidental damage – along with small branches placed
covered in dirt that slope downwards towards a rockface in recesses to reinforce the lush feel of the area. Finally,
will weather it brown a little, regardless of nearby crevices. the smaller clump and ground mix was applied, blending
Anywhere close to the ground, or in shadow, will be the last the flock with the clump foliage and tufts along with the
areas to dry after rainfall. For application, divide your piece rockfaces. This was applied lightly in exposed areas and
into light, mid- and heavy weathering areas, apply thinly more heavily near the bottom of rockfaces and damp areas.
over the entire area, then a little heavier over the mid- and This helped elevate the piece from ‘just a hill’ to a realistic
heavy areas and finally, heavier in the heavy area, blending landscape, as well as tying it in with the wooded pieces in
and feathering each as they are applied. This will create a the set. Finally, the groundwork was sealed in place with
naturally blended look. The key to a realistic look is multiple, thinned PVA, layered on with a pipette and left to dry.
subtle layers to avoid any harsh, noticeable transitions.
It’s actually quite easy to create realistic, functional
Next, the damp feel of this example piece was reinforced pieces. Just imagine that there are little patches of
through the grassworking stage with a limited selection of functional space, surrounded by a sea of realism. With
core hobby products: marsh tufts, two types of dark clump the areas defined, keep them simple, level enough and
foliage, a damp earth flock, and a rough, damp ground mix clean, and then go to town on the rest to distract
of drab, green, fine foam, static grass, and flock. First, the from them.
flock was laid down, sprinkled on dry on the ground to meet

ALWAYS REMEMBER...
No matter what type of hill you want to make or what materials you have to make it with, as long as you remember that its
primary purpose is as a playable piece, your realism will evolve and strengthen with practice.

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TREES & HEDGES
BUILDING THE BIG GREENERY
So far we’ve presented techniques for building rolling hills, rock piles, and verdant fields. Now
it’s time to take things vertically and create some very natural features – trees – and their
sculpted cousins – hedges.
This section will cover the important elements of substructures and coatings for hedges, bushes, and trees. We’ll also show
that whilst pre-made trees might be the easiest to incorporate into your collection, bespoke trees are actually quite easy to
create, too!

CROWN
(including the branches,
twigs, and foliage)

LIMBS

TRUNK

ROOTS

THE RIGHT SORT OF TREES... Trunk – The part of the tree that is at eye-level with models
on the tabletop. To ensure they match the rest of your
There are so many options for putting trees on your set, trunks need to be detailed and painted to the same
wargaming table, it can be tough to decide where to begin. standard.
Cheap, durable, commercially available trees are an easy
way to make large areas of woodland quickly and, with Limbs – The large branches that extend outwards and
a little work, their appearance can be taken to a higher upwards from the trunk.
standard. Scratch-built trees can be easy and relatively Branches – Smaller extensions from the limbs.
cheap (although not as durable) and are a good way to add
different species not typically found in commercial ranges. Twigs – Small growths from branches.
Feature trees can take a lot of time and effort but allow you
Foliage – Leaves attached to stems on twigs.
to include highly detailed, specific species for historically-
themed locations. They’re good as individual elements Crown – The entire leafy top section of the tree, comprising
on feature builds, but an entire table’s worth would be an foliage, twigs, and branches. In modelling, the branches and
incredible effort. Take your time when planning out your tree twigs are typically too small to really worry about, so they
and forest requirements, it will pay off in the long-run. are replaced with a substructure and given foliage to look
like a crown. For bushes and hedges, the crown is the only
THE ANATOMY OF A TREE part to worry about.
So that we’re clear on the terminology, let’s quickly run The more you can see it, the more
through the different parts of a tree before we start you need to detail it, if you know your
construction: branches are going to be covered by
a crown, just paint them brown.
Roots – These should be modelled to suit the base size, but if
you need open space on a woodland piece, don’t make them.

124
TO BASE, OR NOT TO BASE?
A big decision when it comes to placing trees on a
wargaming table is whether to base them as forest pieces,
or leave them as individuals. You need to consider factors
such as ease of storage, game rules about defining
woodland areas, and whether or not your miniatures
are allowed to enter such forests. In essence, there are
three general approaches to take - fixed woodland, partial
woodland, or individual trees.
Fixed woodland bases are those that incorporate fixed trees
and appropriate levels of smaller flora and ground cover
(such as the jungle bases above). These bases represent
impassable terrain on the tabletop and can look quite

TREES & HEDGES

realistic, but can be difficult to store safely. If your ruleset
of choice allows movement through forests, your fixed
woodland bases can be created with less ground cover to
make room for models, or even pathways through the trees.
Partial woodland bases are those with fixed ground cover
or other terrain features, like rocky outcrops, or flat bases
that are simply used to define a woodland area. With this
approach, you can use pins, magnets, or small bases to IMPROVING YOUR PLASTIC TREES
attach trees to the woodland base, and the trees can be Even cheap plastic trees can be improved to a
removed during gameplay to allow models to move through tabletop standard, as with this palm tree. Mold
the woods. Whilst this approach makes for easier storage lines can be scraped or filed off (melting them
between games, the realism of the piece will take a bit of away with a candle works well if they’re a soft
a hit. plastic). They can be painted to look more realistic
Individually-based trees are great for setting a scene on a with acrylic paints mixed with a little PVA (4:1
tabletop but, depending on the ruleset, they may play no ratio), to make the paint more flexible and avoid it
actual role in the game. They can be clumped together to cracking and flaking off if and when the plastic gets
create the appearance of a wooded area, and can also be bent. This is especially important for the basecoat.
dropped into areas between woodland bases to give the And little touches, like sticking on some bunched
impression of continuous woodland. up coconut fibre around the base of the palm
fronds with latex glue, will take your plastic trees to
Start your collection with individuals. It’s easier to the next level.
attach trees to a larger base later, if you want to
change your approach, than it is rip them off a base.

125
 CHANGING SEASONS requirement, sort of, unless you want a winter look. It
almost goes without saying that if you make one snow
If you are building a tree set for games set in the real piece, you just know the rest have to match. The same
world, or a setting very similar to it, you should also principle applies to spring and autumn settings, because
consider the time of year. There are two main types of each will have a specific ground scatter which needs to
trees - deciduous and evergreen. Deciduous trees go be replicated across the theme.
through a cycle each year where they grow new leaves
in spring, and shed them in autumn. Spring foliage is There are some famous historical actions that have
typically brighter and more yellow, darkening through taken place in the midst of winter, such as the Battle
the summer to deep greens (depending on the tree). on Snowshoes, Napoleon’s retreat from Russia, and
Autumnal leaves will be reds, oranges, yellows, and the Battle of the Bulge in World War Two. If you are a
even purples as the deciduous trees go through their wargamer who plays a number of different historical
shedding process. In winter, these trees are simply bare, periods, you can get quite a bit of mileage out of a
skeletal structures. Winter-themed set of trees.
The default season for most wargaming trees is summer, If your gaming is more sci-fi or even fantasy focused,
since historically, most warfare occurred during the you can really set out to create a signature look for your
summer months when the weather was good enough to trees and bushes. Dying clump foliage blue or purple
move large armies around the countryside. So now we and gluing it to tree armatures sprayed silver or gold will
kind of expect to see summer foliage whenever trees certainly give your tabletop an otherworldly feel.
appear on the wargaming table. Of course, this allows When starting your tree
greater use for our trees and forests across games and collection, go green. Once you
with other pieces in our collections. have a good number of trees
If you move away from the summer look, it should be a and/or forest bases sorted
specific choice, because you will need to match all the you can start to look at other
other vegetation on your bases. Evergreens avoid this specific seasons.

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HEDGES
Hedges are simply bushes or shrubs that have been
cultivated by people as an alternative to fencing. From small,
ornamental hedges to the infamous bocage of Normandy
(France), people have been making hedges for centuries.
In wargaming, (most often in historical, rural settings)
hedges are typically used to divide the gaming table, and are
good features to funnel troop movement, and restrict line
of sight. When it comes to providing cover, however, they’re
not particularly good at stopping bullets.
There are plenty of different substructures you can use to
create your hedges, but some variation of a sponge or foam
will always be your first “go to”.

Scouring Pad
One of the easiest ways to create a hedge for your table
starts with a scouring pad (fresh from the shop, of course).
Choose the thickness of your scouring pad to suit the scale
you plan to use it with. Ours is about 4-5mm thick, and so
would work best for smaller scales like 10-15mm.
The first step is to trim the pad to the right size with a knife.
Ours is approximately shoulder-height for a 15mm soldier.
Then, attack the edges and corners with a pair of scissors
to create some irregularities. Finally, spray the dark green
pad with a lighter, desaturated green to accentuate the
existing texture.
For very little effort (or money), you can make a great
set of hedges for 15mm wargaming. They’re very
durable, although not really very realistic.

Sponge
For a hedge that’s a little more substantial, you can use
a kitchen sponge. These can be used for regular garden
hedges all the way up to hedge mazes, while topiary gardens
can be carved from chunks of upholstery foam.
In much the same way as for the scouring pads, use a
hobby knife to cut the sponge to the desired height and
then cut into it with a pair of scissors to make it less regular
in shape. If you can only get relatively short sponges, you
can always “pin” two pieces together with BBQ skewers

TREES & HEDGES

and hot glue, which was the approach taken with the hedge
shown here.
Once the hedge is ready for paint, start by spraying it
brown, and then spray it with a lighter, desaturated green.
Finally, coat it with your spray adhesive of choice and
sprinkle with flock. Finish it off with some hairspray to hold
all the flock in place.
The end result for this one is certainly
more realistic than the scourer hedge,
but not quite as durable. Over time you
might need to add some more flock to
cover the inevitable bald patches.

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BOCAGE (AND BUSHES) helps to prevent warping on MDF or similar bases. It also
provides a solid base for the bushes and trees mounted
As a broad definition, bocage terrain is a mixture of pastures on it.
and woodland borders found across Western Europe. In
wargaming, it has a special significance because of its Although the bushes that grow on top of the embankment
widespread use as field borders in the Normandy region of are usually referred to as hedgerows, they don’t really see
France, which hindered the Allied advance after the D-Day much cultivation or trimming, being left to grow wild. The
landings in 1944. easiest way to create the bushes is to use the substructure
methods you’ll see later in this section when building
Although originally these boundaries were rock walls, over crowns for trees.
time, earth and stones from the fields built up around the
edges. This raised the height of the walls and allowed trees It’s easy to put a simple hedge on a simple hill, but
and bushes to take root. The original walls were built along when you are tackling bocage you should treat it as
the edges of winding country lanes, and this growth of a feature (and a big one at that). If you’re going to do
bushes and trees together with the increased height of the it, you might as well do it well; you’re not going to be
embankments, makes the lanes seem sunken. making a new version anytime soon.
On the tabletop, bocage is a modular feature and so needs For this piece of bocage, an EPVC base was cut to the
to be well planned. This planning includes turns, corners, desired size, then XPS foam was cut and fixed to the base
breaks in the bocage, gates and so on. The ends of each with PVA glue. Once dry, the foam was rough-shaped with a
modular piece need to line up, but anything in between is knife and then sanded smooth with a sanding block before
fair game. An important thing to consider is the functionality being coated and blended with filler. Mixed aggregates were
of your bocage. Pieces need to be high enough to block used to give texture, with the larger pieces placed along the
tanks from firing over them, but they can include model lower edges, where larger stones would typically tumble.
placement ledges for elevated firing positions. They should Cocktail sticks were pushed into the foam along the top, to
also be made narrow enough that the width of the base help secure the bushes, and a twig was added as an old tree
doesn’t negatively impact gameplay. trunk for a bit of variety.
The rock wall/earthen embankment element of bocage The embankment was painted with a desaturated, dark,
needs a good substructure. XPS foam works well, as it can warm brown basecoat, before being flocked with three
be easily shaped with a knife and sandpaper, is sturdy, and tones to reinforce the slopes. The flock was sprinkled lightly

128
on the tops of the banks to reveal the earth beneath, and lichen clumps were sprinkled with a dark green flock and
heavily on bottom edges to blend with table. then highlighted with an autumn flock mix. The coconut
fibre bundles were sprinkled with a mid-green flock and
The bushes have either lichen or coconut fibre as
highlighted with a yellow spring flock mix. Once the flocks
their substructures. This represents the natural
were affixed to the substructures, they were given another
variety you would find in real bocage. Some are very
quick burst of the hairspray to keep them in place. The final
dense and would block Line of Sight (LOS) whilst
step was to attach the bushes to the cocktail sticks with
other are more sparse and might not block LOS.
hot glue.
The lichen and coconut fibre bundles were
Adding cocktail sticks to your foam embankment not
sprayed first with a dark brown and
only helps keep your bushes from falling off but it also
then, when dry, with hairspray. While
helps protect them from being squashed flat during
the hairspray was still tacky, the
gameplay and storage.

TREES & HEDGES

TREE TWIGS VS SHRUB TWIGS

Real twigs taken from real trees make great
“trunks” for dense crowns or bushes – the amount
of foliage will hide the lack of limbs and branches.
Tree twigs can also be extended by wrapping SHRUB
around them with wires to create more limbs or
branches, while pre-twisted wire branches can be
TREE TWIG
glued into holes drilled in the twig. TWIG
Twigs taken from shrubs have a lot more “limbs
and branches” than tree twigs and so can be used
for more open canopy trees.

Mel’s Rule No. 62 - Stringy, sticky glue is not your friend, Bose!

129
PAINTING BARK
Although there are thousands of species of trees around
the globe, many of them have very similar looking bark, and
so there’s a fairly “standard” group of colours you can use
when painting. Based on our kindergarten art education, we
might think that all trees have dark- and mid-brown bark, but
when we look at the most common trees around the world,
most of them are actually predominantly grey.
For most of your generic wargaming trees, start with a base
of a mid-brown (or dark brown if they’re growing in a very
damp area) and drybrush them with a mid- to light grey. Of
course, trees from alien worlds and fantastic settings need
not follow this “rule”.

Specific Trees
If you are keen to make your trees as realistic as possible,
the Internet is a great resource for finding the more
common types of trees from various places around the
world, like the Sweetgum (right). We’ve chosen six of
the ones you’re likely to find on most European or North
American battlefields, with their colour schemes painted
on surfaces sculpted from DAS modelling putty, but most of
your trees will be smooth.

European Oak Silver Birch

Start with a mid-brown basecoat, then overbrush with a mid- Use a mid-grey with a tiny touch of desaturated green as a
brown/light grey mix. Drybrush with lighter mix (with more base, then overbrush with a light grey. Overbrush with white
light grey). Then run a subtle, desaturated green wash over it and then, with a very fine brush, add horizontal striations
all. Suits bark with vertical striations. and vertical splits with a thinned, dark brown.

130
English Beech Pine
Start with a base of light grey with a touch of warm brown, Start with a warm mid-brown as a base, then drybrush
followed by a subtle wash of desaturated green. Finally add with a mid-brown/mid-grey mix. Finally, stipple with a light,
a very gentle drybrush of light grey to break up the surface. desaturated green.
Suits smooth bark.

TREES & HEDGES

Red Maple Sweetgum

Start with a warm, dark brown base, and overbrush with Start with a base of mid-grey with a touch of warm brown
a mid-brown/light grey mix. Finally, wash or stipple with a and light green. Wash with a desaturated green, and then
desaturated green to taste. overbrush with a mid-grey.

131
SPRUCING UP HOBBY TREES
As mentioned earlier, trees can be a bit of a pain to make
yourself. However, there are quite a few ready-made trees
available from different manufacturers, and we typically
refer to them as “hobby trees”. Some of them are incredibly
durable but lack realism, like the tree above. Others are
more realistic, but aren’t quite as durable, like the one to the
right. Regardless of which type you choose, they can start to
look similar when you have a lot of them in your collection.
Fortunately, there are some simple things you can do to
spruce them up (no pun intended) and make them your
own. The foliage on most hobby trees is pretty consistent,
so adding a bit of variety can help. Start by darkening the
underside of the foliage with a quick spray of a darker
green spray paint (or your airbrush). Then you can hit the
top side with some spray adhesive and sprinkle on some
lighter coloured flock to represent sunleaves. Finally, a quick
drybrush of a grey on the trunk can give a great bark finish.
Leaves found at the top of trees typically are a
lighter green because they contain a different sort of
chlorophyl that processes direct sunlight better, hence
the term sunleaves!

SMALL OR LARGE BASES?

If you are basing your trees individually,
you want to make sure that a casual bump
from your arm won’t knock them over. Heavier
bases can be quite small, like the metal washer
under the tree on the left, whilst lighter, plastic bases
like the one on the right, need to be larger.

132
BUILDING TREES FROM KITS
Railway modelers have long known the joy of tree kits,
another type of “hobby tree”. These tree kits typically
include a number of pre-made tree trunks with plastic-
coated wire branches and a bag or two of clump foliage.
The first step with these trees is to bend the wire branches
into shapes you are more likely to see in nature. Next,
paint the tree trunk and branches. Those shown here were
sprayed with a mid-brown, and then washed with a dark
brown before a light drybrush with a mid-grey.
The branches were then coated in Hob-E-Tac, a very sticky
latex glue that stays tacky for a long time. Once it has
(mostly) turned clear, you can stick on the clump foliage
of your choice. Here, the darker foliage was stuck to the
underside of the branches, while the lighter was stuck to the
top. Finally, the tree was attached to a base.
Tree kits are definitely faster than making your own wire
trees and can give you the confidence to move on to
your own feature trees.

TREES & HEDGES

133
BUILDING WIRE TREES
When it comes to building your own trees, the material
that gives you the most freedom, durability, and realism is
twisted wire. Wire can be readily found in a lot of different
products, and what you can create with it is limited only by
its the size and thickness (or gauge).

Twist Ties
Paper-coated twist ties, used for sealing plastic bags, are
incredibly inexpensive and easy to work with. Packs of
these ties can usually be found at your local supermarket or
purchased in bulk online.
Start by grabbing a handful, maybe 20 or so, and begin
twisting about 20% of the way up the bundle. Pull out a few
bunches and twist them together to create some roots.
Keep twisting the ties and as you work your way up the trunk
you can start to separate out groups that you can then twist
into branches.
Once you have twisted your final structure, you can
strengthen it by painting with slightly thinned wood glue.
Then attach the twisted tree to a base and texture the base.
Paint up your tree trunk, branches, and base to fit your
collection and then hot glue a clump of lichen to the
branches as a substructure for your crown. Finally, you can
hit the lichen with a coat of spray adhesive and sprinkle
your flock of choice over it. Finish with some hairspray to
increase the hold.
Twist ties are great for quick trees but
they are limited in their height and will
be best for more wind-swept trees or for
smaller scales.

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Pipe Cleaners
Found in craft stores, pipe cleaners are longer than twist
ties, so can be used for taller and larger trees. Their only
real downfall is that their surface isn’t great for attaching
anything to, so you’ll need to mitigate that.
As with all wire trees, you start by grabbing a handful of pipe
cleaners and start twisting. Starting at the base of the tree
is always best, as it gives you a solid place to twist your
roots from. As you work your way up the trunk, separate
groups of the strands and twist them into branches until you
are happy with the size and shape of your tree.
The easiest way to create a surface that DAS or Miliput will
stick to, is to cover the tree in aluminium foil. The texture
created will help the clay (or putty) adhere more easily, and it
will add stability to the sometimes flimsy wire. The tree here
was glued to a base before coating with DAS air-drying clay.
Once the tree was painted, a coconut fibre substructure
was attached to the ends of the branches with Hob-E-Tac. It
was then sprayed with browns and greens, before being hit
with spray adhesive, sprinkled liberally with various shades
of flock, and finished off with hairspray for extra hold. Finally,
the rogue strands of coconut fibre were trimmed off to give
a more natural appearance.

TREES & HEDGES

Modelling clays like

DAS aren’t really the
best choice here.
Instead, a putty like
Miliput is much better
because it will stick
better to the wire sub-
structure, dry faster, and
allow for texturing.

135
 CREATING FEATURE TREES
Often used to represent a specific type of tree that can’t be
purchased (or is too costly), feature trees can be relatively
inexpensive to build and give you exactly the tree you are
looking for. A good way to include these more labour-
intensive, highly detailed trees is to add them to a feature
build made for a generic tabletop. Due to the time it takes to
make each one and their typical lack of durability, it is very
rare to see feature trees used across an entire gaming table,
although it does look amazing when they are!
Feature trees don’t just allow you to make larger trees, they
also provide the opportunity to build a realistic structure,
from a stand of tall, thin, birch trees, for example, to a
majestic, wide-spreading oak.
When building your feature trees, take a moment to
consider where you’ll be storing them. The fragile nature of
these trees (wire trees can be bent, shrub bases snapped,
and seafoam twigs destroyed when squashed) means you’ll
need to give some thought to protecting all that hard work.

Building the Substructure

Our feature tree isn’t going to be any particular species, but
something generic to demonstrate the primary techniques.
The trunk, limbs, and branches are all constructed using
floral wire stems - straight lengths of wire available in various
gauges. Bundling and twisting these wires can very easily
give you realistic shapes.
Unlike when using twist ties and pipe cleaners, the trunk
needs too many wires for them to be all easily twisted
together. Instead, use masking tape to tape smaller bundles
of wire together, and then twist the wires together at one
end to create the root structure. Bring all the bundles
together and, above the tape, select one wire to wrap tightly
around them all. Once they are secured at the bottom, pull
out another random wire or two and wrap those in a spiral
up the trunk to the point at which your first limb will jut out.
This will add some good stability. At this point, start to bend
the taped sections of the root structure away from each
other, creating the flared look that mimics the base of a
real tree.
It’s always a good idea to sketch out the size and shape
of the substructure and crown of your tree on a sheet of
paper. As you are bundling, wrapping, and twisting you
can keep a close eye on where everything should be.

136
Your first limb should be fairly thick, so pull aside five or six
wires, and one more to wrap tightly around the lower limb
to secure its position. Much like the trunk, don’t twist the
wires for the limbs, but rather wrap a single wire around the
others to keep them together. As you work your way up the
trunk, the limbs will get thinner, so be sure to take smaller
bundles of wires and twist in fewer branches. As you create
your branches, have the wires twisted together in opposite
directions. This will make for tight twists without significant
gaps between the wires. Note that, at most wargaming
scales, branches are the smallest element you’ll be twisting.
Twigs are just not possible at these scales.
Once the limbs are wrapped, branches twisted, and
everything trimmed to the right lengths, you’ll notice they’re
all quite straight, with regular angles that aren’t really
representative of nature. So take some time to kink the
branches into a more organic appearance.

Adding the Bark

There are three options to choose from to add bark to your
feature trees, and the first step for all of them is to wrap
the wires in tin foil. Work around the trunk, applying the foil
in thin sheets and filling any gaps with it. If you have trouble

TREES & HEDGES

with the foil peeling up, simply brush some PVA between the
layers and give it time to dry.
With the foil applied, the three options are 1) stippling on
a stucco/fine aggregate mix, 2) applying a modelling clay
such as DAS, and 3) (my definite preference) using a two-
part putty like Milliput. I like Milliput because it is easy to
apply and texture, and it’s more durable than the other two
options. This was used here for this feature tree.
Begin by applying the Milliput in small blobs to the roots,
limbs, and branches. The aim is not to create a thick sleeve
around the limbs, but rather to fill in the gaps and smooth
out the twisted texture of the wires. For the trunk, start with
longer sausages of putty and, with water on your fingers,
smooth it all out and blend in the places where the limbs
meet the trunk.
If you look at some real trees, you’ll notice the texture of
their trunks doesn’t really match the texture on their limbs
and branches (unless they’re all smooth), so if you are

Mel’s Rule No. 17 - Four knuckles between base

and branch makes it easier to reach inside woods.

137
sculpting striations into the bark of the tree, keep them To attach the crown, one option is to use latex glue, like
confined to the trunk and the thicker parts of any root Hob-E-Tac, and brush it on to all of the contact points before
structure. Use a sculpting tool to scratch in lots of short, applying the crown. Alternatively, you could use either hot
thin lines. As you are scratching these lines you’ll see little glue from a small glue gun with a precision nozzle, or gel
balls of putty forming. While it’s tempting to get rid of them super glue. For these latter two options it’s a matter of
during the sculpting process, this usually means you’ll end “glue as you go” so that you can carefully attach the crown
up smoothing out areas you have already textured. Leave one point at a time, rather than have hot glue cooling or
them to dry and simply brush them off before painting. super glue curing on points you haven’t reached yet. For this
example, latex glue was used because it made it possible to
If you want to take things that extra step, and the species
reposition the crown as needed.
of tree you are building has a particularly textured bark, you
can stipple a fine texture gloop onto the putty once it has It’s important to consider how much time and effort you
dried. Remember the scale you are working at, though. invested in creating the limb/branch structure. With a
This might be better dealt with using a lovingly produced, highly detailed structure, use a fairly open
painting technique. crown, so that you can see the branches. If your branches
are very basic or the structure somewhat chunky, go with a
The most important thing to remember
more dense crown that will hide those things.
is that this isn’t just a hobby, it’s your
hobby, so the level of detail you choose
to pursue is up to you.

Painting the Armature

When painting the trunk and limbs, you can follow any of
the earlier guides. The guide used here was for European
oak trees. You only need to paint highlights on the trunk,
roots, and limbs - the branches will typically be obscured
by the crown.

Creating the Crown

Coconut fibre was used as the substructure of the crown.
This is a great material because it can be used both for airy,
open crowns, as well as for closed, dense crowns. The only
difference is the amount used. It is readily available from
most home & garden centres (where it’s sold as lining for
hanging-plant baskets). Here, the fibre was first sprayed
brown and, when dry, attached to the branches.

138
Your seasonal choice will affect both the density of the
crown and the detail of your branches. Summer trees have
dense crowns, while spring and autumn trees have more
open crowns, requiring more detailed branches. Winter
trees should be made with thin gauge wire so that you can
get a very detailed branch structure. Don’t forget to give
your winter trees a wet, droopy feel.

TREES & HEDGES

The detailed limb and branch structure of the example
here was great for a spring look – an open crown with
light foliage. The crown was sprayed with hairspray, then
a desaturated, mid-green flock was sprinkled from above,
after which it was hit with another coat of hairspray.
A light green flock was sprinkled over the upper
surfaces and it was finished off with a sealing
coat of hairspray. Finally, any stray fibres were
trimmed off.
If you are building a group of trees, take care
when applying your sun leaves. You shouldn’t
find any sun leaves in the shadows.

SEE THE FOREST FOR THE TREES

As you can now see, you have a lot of options for decorating your battlefields with hedges, bushes, and trees, each with their
own strengths and weaknesses. When planning out your taller greenery, you should definitely refer to the Terrain Design Triad
as you strive for the right balance between Functionality, Durability, and Realism. In most cases, it should be easy to create
trees and forest pieces that will be functional for your gaming, and the bulk of your decisions will place your final choices
somewhere between very durable or very realistic. Whichever path you choose, you’ll be able to create a wooded wonderland!

139
GETTING WET
PUDDLES, PONDS, POOLS, & RIVERS
Many Terrainiacs find the idea of creating water features intimidating; some avoid them
completely. Working with water effects materials can seem scarily complicated but, just
between us, water features are actually some of the simplest things to create.
A stylised feature could be a simple flocked base with a little water in the middle. More realistic water features can be
produced with just a few tweaks to the same procedures. Whether we’re talking mud, marshes, rivers, or reservoirs, the key
lies in understanding how water reacts with the landscape. To learn these techniques, start with something small – make a
few puddles before you go for a whole lake!

MUD AND PUDDLES to dry in advance, and then break it up into bits of a more
desirable size, much like coarse aggregates. Adding these
Muddy ground has been the bane of soldiers since the dried bits to slightly thinned filler at a ratio of 1:1 will
beginning of time. And modellers have struggled with it produce a pretty realistic result. You can add more bits for a
almost as long. The basic problem is that when you add a more churned look, along with a small amount of aggregates
lot of water to earth over an uneven area, and then move for realism. This mix can then be applied to the area with a
lots of things across it – troops, cavalry, tanks, whatever - spatula and cleaned up with a damp, flat-head brush before
you end up with a multitude of ground types. This means the it sets.
one-shot, stylised approach rarely looks convincing. Instead,
a number of techniques must be combined to create a By combining both these techniques, a very realistic effect
realistic appearance. can be achieved.
In wargaming, pretty much all muddy ground affects troop Footprints, hoofmarks, wheel and tank track marks can
movement. Gameplay often requires these areas to have all be imprinted in your mud. For footprints, use feet
defined borders, to minimize disputes about whether a cut from a model. A plastic tube with a bit trimmed off
model is, or is not, in an area of mud. This isn’t a problem works well for hooves. Model wheels, tracks and even
with a dedicated, muddy ground scatter piece, but on a entire vehicles can be pressed into the filler, but timing
larger piece, such as a tile or board, it’s worth switching the is key. For your imprint to stick, the filler needs to be
colour tones of the mud, or edging it with a different flock or damp but not wet, typically when the surface of the
tuft, to clearly delineate the muddy area. filler stops being reflective. Make the impressions and
then give a quick blast from a hairdryer to set them. If
Good Mud you make a mistake, it’s easier to skim over it later than
Damp, dark earth is covered in the Groundwork section, but to try to fix it on the fly. If you just want quick and easy
mud is a step-up in the water stakes. Its texture varies; long- track marks, the end of a wet brush handle, dragged
sitting, heavily-saturated mud may look sloppy, whilst drier, across the filler multiple times, works very well.
freshly-churned mud may look like a rocky landscape. Both Finally, note that the more water-logged the ground is, or
effects can be created by filler, using different techniques, the more freshly it’s been churned up, the lighter it looks,
depending on the desired result. because water is more reflective than earth. The more
For sloppy, settled mud, brush on small patches of filler, watery you want your mud, the more white, cream, or ochre
drying them a little with a hairdryer as you do. Build up the you need to add to the base colour at the painting stage. A
effect over a few applications, before applying a final, thin dried, churned mud effect can be achieved by overbrushing
layer of heavily watered-down filler to blend the separate and drybrushing with lighter versions of the base colour,
blobs together. whilst for a wet effect, layer on a glossy or satin Mod Podge
or acrylic varnish to the desired level of saturation. This
For churned-up mud, scrape the dried-up bits from the works especially well if gloss and satin are combined.
edges of the filler tub, or spread out a thin layer of filler

140
Puddle Lane! most wargaming scales - but for them to look realistic, it’s
important to create them in low-lying areas, as you would
Creating muddy ground is all well and good, but where
find in nature. Depressions can be abraded out of foam and
there’s wet mud, there are usually puddles to splash
base materials with coarse sandpaper, wire brushes and
in, some small, some big. How these are replicated on
hand rasps, and any mistakes can be easily fixed with a bit
pieces and boards depends on the size of the puddle, but
of filler. If it’s not possible to create a depression this way,
don’t forget scale. A few, small puddles often look more
a layer of filler can be applied broadly across the area and
realistic than a single, large one, however finely-crafted. The
then, while it’s setting, press a wet fingertip into it and give
appearance of a puddle also depends on how recently it’s
it a little wiggle for a great effect. Alternatively, putties can
been created or disturbed, and factoring this into a build is
be used to create rims to form the edges of a puddle. Blend
an easy way to increase the realism of a piece.
the rims into the base and place a few larger aggregates
Small puddles rarely require any special work until after around the area to disguise the rise of the rim above the
the painting stage. They can be created by adding little average ground level.
patches of a gloss varnish, Mod Podge, or a liquid, acrylic,
For the water itself, varnishes and glues don’t have the
still water effect. Small applications may leave blobs which
layer depth to fill a depression without multiple applications
stand proud of the surface, but they can be blended into
or very long drying times. Acrylic water effects and resins
the surrounding ground with a damp brush after they have
are much better suited to the task. If you use a syringe,
all been applied. Note, that all acrylic effects lose volume
you’ll find it easier to avoid overfilling the depression. Any
as they dry. Whilst small puddles don’t require much prep
blobbing caused by the liquid’s surface tension can be
work, it’s best to place them in natural depressions or low
blended into the surrounding area by dragging at its edges
patches on the groundwork for a more realistic result.
with a damp brush.
It’s always helpful to have an unbased model to hand
With resins, you get what you see,
when laying down small puddles, so that you can check
but acrylics (and glues) shrink as they
your scaling. Remember to start small; it’s a lot easier
dry, so it’s best to start with a little
to make your puddles bigger than to fill them back in!
more of the water-based products
For larger puddles that need a deeper appearance, work than you want to end up with, so you
must begin at the groundwork stage, planning out the get the result you want when it dries.
puddles and creating the depressions needed. These Blobbing is ok in this situation!
depressions don’t need to be too deep - 2mm is enough for

WATER FEATURES

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The Colour of Water Due to scale, these techniques are only really needed
for larger puddles and pools of water, but they can really
The colour of the puddle water depends on whether the
increase the realism of a piece.
puddle has just been formed, say by rainwater runoff,
creating a small type of wash out, or whether it has been In nature, puddles are typically surrounded by saturated
sitting for a while, and whether or not it has been earth which has a darker, wetter-looking appearance than
recently disturbed. the drier ground further away, much like sand on a beach
the closer you get to the sea. To achieve this effect, once
Washout puddles need a heavier tint of an acrylic paint.
the puddles have dried, apply a thin, dark brown, acrylic
Avoid inks, since fresh puddles tend to be more opaque
wash around the edges. The outer edge of the wash can
than translucent. This also applies to puddles in heavy
be blended with a fine, damp brush. When the wash is dry,
rainfall settings (for theming purposes) such as monsoon
clean away any smudges on the puddle surfaces with a
season in Burma (Myanmar).
damp cloth or cotton bud, leaving it clear and reflective
For still or standing water, darken the colour of the base at again. One of the benefits of the ‘wash and wipe’ technique
the painting stage and slightly tint the water with the same is that it’s great for hiding pour overspills, as well as any
colour, or a brown ink, to create a dark, translucent puddle. questionable feathering of blobs from the pour stage. This
technique can also be applied more broadly when creating
Recently disturbed puddles, especially in very muddy areas,
blasted landscapes (such as mud-filled trenches). Apply
look completely opaque, and this requires a much heavier
the water effects liberally to the ground, before brushing
tint of a lighter shade of the base colour - much like when
the wash broadly over the area, cleaning up the pools
painting churned mud.
afterwards, and adding more wash to selected raised areas
To create little patches of disturbed to help increase the saturated earth look.
water in a big puddle, dip the tip of a
The techniques to create realistic puddles are quite simple,
cocktail stick in your base colour paint,
provided thought is given both to tying them into the
stick it into your tinted pour and give
landscape around them, and to the theme setting of the
it a wiggle in the areas you want to
piece. Keeping these factors in mind from the beginning can
look disturbed.
really help you create a realistic piece.
With the muddy groundwork done and your puddles poured,
With mud and puddles covered, it’s time to up the size
it’s time to tackle the area of transition between the two.
stakes and look at big puddles - ponds, marshes, and pools!

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STILL WATER STUFF
Reservoirs, ponds, pools, bogs, marshes, and swamps
are often thought of as challenging features to create but
actually, they are just larger puddles. The same principles away from the base’s edge so they can be given a gentle
apply, there’s just a greater volume to be poured. What bevel and blended into the base, helping to avoid the
matters most is the profile (depth) and colour of the area “hillock effect”.
being filled.
Once you’ve built your pieces, it’s time to consider paint
Both ponds and pools can be natural or man-made. The and flocking schemes - the water-pour stage comes after all
difference is that pools contain still water, whereas ponds of that.
– like marshes – have very slow, running water. In fact, for
terrain-making purposes, marshes are just ponds containing The primary area to consider is the area the water will be
bits of ground. They may look very different on the tabletop, poured into - the “water base”. The groundwork around it will
but all of these water features are made using the same no doubt be painted to match the other pieces in your set.
materials and techniques. If you can build a pond, you can Don’t forget that any darkening of the surrounding ground
build a pool, marsh, bog, or reservoir. Gameplay-wise, they (as with puddles) needs to be done before any flock or
all serve as impassable or difficult terrain, but they generally foliage is added, whether that’s around the pool, or in the
don’t block line of sight. So the base design needs extra pool itself.
consideration at the planning stage, particularly if the In choosing colours for the water base, consider first how
ruleset allows for movement through water. translucent the water effects will be. Opaque water effects
Are models going to be placed on your pond? Check only require a base with a simple layer of a slightly darker
the rules to see if they allow for movement through version of the tint colour being used, to create the illusion
water, and make sure your water effects are durable of depth. For more translucent water effects, the colours of
enough for gameplay. There’s nothing worse than the water base become more important; not only can they
having a heavy model leave an imprint in your ripples! be used to convey depth, but also, they need to work with
any tinting of the water effects themselves, to produce an
Keeping a Low Profile overall realistic look. For most ponds, use a blue or green
base (often mixed for a more realistic effect). Depth can be
The challenge for all these water pieces is to avoid making
conveyed by painting darker tones towards the center. Paint
them look like small hillocks on the tabletop. Just as
progressively darker colours in successively smaller areas,
puddles require a base and a rim, so do larger areas of still
blending and feathering their edges as they are laid down,
water, but giving both elements as low a profile as possible
to increase the illusion of gradual depth. This blending and
is the key to creating water pieces that enhance, rather than
feathering works well with a blue-green mix. Use green
spoil the look of a tabletop.
around the edges of the water, where vegetation would be
Still water pieces rarely have any substantial features on heavier, and gradually work towards dark blue for the clearer,
WATER FEATURES

them. They are essentially bases covered with water effects, deeper, middle of the water feature.
so there’s no need for especially sturdy bases. 3mm MDF,
After painting comes the flocking stage. Think about flocking
EPVC foamboard, and even 1mm plasticard can all be used
the water base itself, as well as the areas around the pond.
to help keep the overall profile as low as possible. Such
Adding a coarse mix of green flock along with shredded
bases may be flimsy, but sturdiness will come from adding
lichen, small roots and even aggregates around the inside
the beveled rim for the water effects around the entirety
edge of a water base, can suggest shallow areas of high
of the base’s edge. Whilst a very low-profile piece can
vegetation when using translucent water effects. This can
be created by cutting into and abrading a base, it’s often
greatly enhance the look of the piece and helps cover up
quicker and easier to build a rim or bank around the edge of
any mistakes from the previous painting and pouring stages!
the piece.
Now you can seal the piece as you usually would.
Rims can be created with a variety of materials – clay,
putties, filler, balsa, basing materials, bulking gloops, to You can also add scenic elements such as reeds. These
name a few. Whatever you use, remember that the rim are easy to do. Just clip some bits off the bristles of
only needs to be a maximum of 2-3mm high to hold water a yard brush, group them together and then fix them
effects. Avoid the temptation to build up a large bank, and down to wax paper with hot glue. Once dry, clean up
focus on keeping the overall profile of the piece as low as the hot glue bases and glue to them to the water base
possible. Try to keep the edges of the rims at least 25mm around the rim edges.

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 Pouring Acrylic Water
With the piece flocked and sealed, it’s time to pour the
water effects. There are many ways of producing the
appearance of water in the modeling world, but in general,
the materials fall into two broad categories: acrylics/air-
drying, or resins/epoxies. Each type has its own benefits
and pitfalls.
Acrylic water effects are used most often the first time
a Terrainiac attempts a water piece, mainly due to
their straightforward “pour them in and let them dry”
characteristics. These water effects are essentially a clear,
acrylic binder, and so can be mixed with acrylic pigments,
paints, and inks to produce a variety of appearances and
transparencies of the water. The downside is that they
are air-drying, which means they need to be poured in thin
layers (commonly no more than 3-5mm thick) and they can
require multiple pours to build up any depth beyond the
norm for terrain making. Their air-drying nature also means
they can lose volume as they dry. This can lead to cracking,
especially when the rim of the piece has gentle slopes, as is
typically found with marshes.
The main challenge when applying acrylic water effects
(beyond leakage and overspill) is managing the bubbles.
Acrylic water effects often tell you to “shake well before
use”, but it’s better to give a good stir instead, since
shaking will introduce a lot of bubbles. Pour the stuff into a
cup first, and don’t squirt it through the bottle nozzle. Whilst
pouring doesn’t create bubbles, squirting does. Never
squeeze the last bit out through a nozzle either, as you’ll
be adding a stream of bubbles that will have to be dealt
with later.
For the pouring itself, start around the edges. Pour slowly,
about 10mm away from the rim edge, letting it build up
until it naturally flows to meet the rim edge. Continue this
process around the rim edge, stopping at any tricky bits to
use a cocktail stick to drag the water effects into difficult
to reach corners. You should both start and stop a pour in
the middle of your pour area, to avoid rogue drips. Make
sure the pour cup has stopped dripping before you pass it
across the edge of the piece. Once all the edges are done
and the water effects have met the entire rim, pour directly
into the centre and continue until it connects with the water
effects around the edges, using a cocktail stick to drag it
into any uncovered areas. After the entire water base has
been covered, more water effects can be poured into the
centre to raise the overall water level evenly. Wait 5 minutes
after the final pour and deal with any bubbles that rise to the
surface by dragging them to the side with a fine, flat-headed
brush, and popping them against a bank, or stippling gently
and directly to disperse them. Any residue or overspills can
be cleaned away with a wet brush.
Once the pour is done, you could certainly leave it there, or
you could take it a step further by adding flock, foliage and
flotsam as the pour dries, at various stages depending on
how submerged they need to be.
Finally, the piece should be left somewhere warm for 24
hours, on a level surface and covered with something to
protect it from dust; a clean, clear, plastic
drawer or storage box is perfect.
Don’t use heaters or lamps to speed
up drying, as they may cause hot spots
which increase cracking and warping.
Let the piece dry gradually and evenly.
Don’t try to shortcut it!

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Tinting the Water
The water for the pool or pond can be tinted in the same
way as for puddles. Various colours may be appropriate, as
described earlier, but combining a tinted and translucent
layer can improve the look of a water feature, if it’s done
correctly. The light that forms the image of the pond in your
eye started at a light source, passed through the water (a
translucent filter), bounced off the base colours and passed
back through the tinted filter on its way to your eye. So,
when adding a tinted water effect, use the same colours
you used on the water base, ensuring there are no major
colour changes, just an overall darkening. Alternatively,
complementary colours can be used, like a green base
colour with a blue-tinted water pour, or a variable blue/green
base and a mixed-tint water pour. This can be taken further
by using different tints for different areas, such as a heavier
green tint near the edges and a bluer tint in the centre of
the water feature. Where the tints meet, simply mix them
together whilst wet to blend the transition. Brown can also
be used at the edges to represent muddied water (like at a
drinking point for cattle) as a way of varying the final look.
All the above is for the typical “greenfield” water features,
but in nature, water can take many different colours, and
representing them in a terrain piece will often be a balance
between realism and expectations.
Start by playing around with blue, then blue/green, then
experiment with a few area effects (like different tints on the
same piece). After that, simply apply the same principles
to whatever colour palette you’re using for the piece. Look
at your reference material, then break the water into a
simple scheme and pick two or three main colours from
the material. Next, assess translucency of the water – how
clear it is and whether that varies across the area. Use that
information to create a plan of how translucent, opaque or
how heavily tinted your pour needs to be. Finally, look for
features such as debris, flotsam, foliage, disturbed mud,
inflows, outflows and so on, and map them in the same way
to create a build guide to handle whatever nature throws
at you.
Nature produces pools in many different colours: mineral
pinks, algae greens, washout browns and so on. Things like
industrial outflows and magical water features give even
more options – just follow the same principles as for the
pond in a field, simply using a different colour palette.

Bogs, Marshes, and Swamps

These techniques work for building the most common
tabletop ponds and pools to replicate what happens when
WATER FEATURES

water gathers significantly in nature. However, sometimes

water mixes with the earth to create bogs, marshes and
swamps.
Bogs are areas of low-lying peat ground, containing a lot
of dead and rotting vegetation that accumulates water.
Marshes are similar but with clearer water and living
vegetation. The water in both bogs and marshes may be
still, but usually it is very slow-moving. Swamps are forested
wetlands - simply bogs or marshes with trees in them.
No matter which you build, the construction of wetlands
only differs from ponds and pools into two simple ways.
First, they have ground in the middle of the water as well as
around its edges. Second, they don’t have set banks formed
by slow water erosion, but rather a mix of banks and ground
that slopes gently into the water, since the clumping of
wetland can greatly slow the waterflow. The earth-to-water

145
ratio depends on your desired look, but a good thing to green-tinted blues, to completely clear, depending on the
consider is that rulesets often define marshes as difficult amount of rotting vegetation and level of stagnation. The
ground rather than impassable. If this applies, ensure that vegetation growing around them varies from lush, low-lying
earth mounds and water pools are large and flat enough for grassland to dead peatland. Always check your reference
stable model placement. material to make sure the water base and tinting colours
match the landscaping of the piece.
When creating wetland pieces, first make a rim to contain
the still water effects and then extend the earth from the rim Man-Made Water Features
into the centre in various places to make it more irregular.
For small pieces, this is all that’s needed to create good- The build style for man-made pools and reservoirs is
looking, functional groundwork. If space allows, islets can obviously very different, but the core, wet work principles
be added to break up the water base. Make sure that they remain the same. The build style will be far more angular and
are prominent enough to show above the pour; if you pour regular; it may have pipes, outlets, and even machinery in or
in a little too much, not only will the islets be lost, but the around it. Often, man-made water features are not sunk into
wetland will have undesired large pools in it. The irregular the ground, but sometimes purposely raised above it.
ground substructure can be carved from thin foam or made It’s often easier to raise the waterbed with some foam
with putties, while a bulking gloop can be used quite easily or foamboard and seal it with some filler, than doing
to landscape a wetland scatter piece, especially the gentle multiple pours or a single deep one. Plug any gaps and
irregular slopes. joins with putty or hot glue if you’re using kit pieces for
When using sloping banks, be aware of the creeping your sci-fi industrial pool, to make them as watertight
water phenomenon! Flock and aggregates can suck as possible. A quick test with water at the paint stage
acrylics and resins up the edge through capillary action. can save a lot of heartache at the pour stage.
The tiny gaps between the flock bits attract liquid into The main difference at the paint stage is that man-made
them, sucking the liquid up the bank. The best solution water features rarely leak and saturate the ground around
is to avoid flocking or texturing rim edges all together, them, so earth colours don’t have to be darkened as they
but if you really have to, and creeping water results, let may be with natural features. They may, however, have a
it dry and then brush over the area with a matt varnish darkening around the waterline, needing a little dark wash
to knock back the gloss. Simple! to be applied neatly around the inside, just above the water
Wetlands also differ from ponds and pools in terms of level. Man-made features usually have uniform, flat bottoms
their colour and in the foliage that surrounds them (and which means there’s no need to use blending and shading
sometimes appears in them). Water in marshes and bogs on the water base to give an impression of depth.
can vary from very dark browns and blacks, yellow- and

146
Pouring Resin Water sticky patches on the piece, and this method – called
double-cupping – ensures any bits that weren’t fully mixed
Resin waters differ from acrylics in that they are two-part
in the first cup are fully mixed in the second.
epoxy materials, so they are not air-drying and do not lose
volume due to water evaporation. These resin waters are • Once mixed, specialist and acrylic pigments and dyes
comprised of the resin and a hardener that are usually can be added – as with acrylic waters. However, don’t add
mixed 1:1 to activate the resin’s curing process. It’s the more than 5% of the total volume, since this can result
complication of careful measuring and mixing of the two in the resin not curing - at best - or even smoking and
parts that initially puts people off using them, but it’s melting the cup, at worst.
a simple matter of just using a set of kitchen scales, a
• Resins mix best when warmed, flowing more easily
few disposable containers, and observing the following,
and allowing for smoother mixing. You can immerse the
straightforward process.
(unopened!) resin and hardener bottles in warm water
• Place a plastic cup on the scales, reset them to zero before mixing, just make sure the bottles are dry before
and pour the “resin” (following the manufacturer’s you open them and start pouring.
guidelines) into the cup.
WARNING – Water and Resins don’t like
• Then pour the “hardener” into the cup (again following each other, so avoid adding water to
the manufacturer’s guidelines) and stir smoothly with a your mix. As resins cure, the chemical
lollipop/craft stick, avoiding introducing air bubbles as you reaction that occurs is exothermic, so
go. Bubbles will form from the chemical reaction, quickly your cup is going to get warm. This is
at first and then more slowly as the mixing continues, normal, but if you’re adding acrylics,
giving the resin a cloudy appearance. use the bare minimum you need for the
desired effect. Add it slowly to avoid the mix getting
• When the mix starts to clear and larger bubbles rise to
too hot and smoking. Always follow the manufacturer’s
the surface, pour it into a new plastic up, scraping any
safety guidelines – odourless is not the same as
sides and corners as you do, before continuing to mix in
vapourless, so wear a mask if it says to do so!
the new cup. Unmixed resin may not cure properly, leaving
WATER FEATURES

147
The pouring process for resins is very similar to that for outlet flows spreading contaminants into the water, pour
acrylic water effects – work around the edges before filling directly at the base of the outflow and then brush the
the volume from the centre. Resins can be poured in effects up and over the substructure. For more precision,
deeper volumes than acrylics, without requiring multiple use a syringe. Once poured, the edges can be wet blended,
pours, losing clarity, or developing curing issues. Products or cocktail sticks can be used to drag the colours into each
like GlassCast50 pour crystal clear up to 150mm before other to create some interesting effects.
developing any curing issues, which means resins are much
better suited to large areas and for deep pours. Bubbles Other Ways to Represent Water
can be an issue, both from the stirring and the chemical Acrylic waters and resins aren’t the only way to model water.
reaction. Unlike with acrylic waters, the best method to Over the all the years that little soldiers have been battling
remove them is by warming the resin surface gently with a over tabletops, water has been represented by all manner
heat gun, keeping it moving at all times to soften the resin of materials. Cloth - from simple blue fabric to faux leather
surface and pop the bubbles. Alternatively, the carbon - can be cut to shape and glued in place, using a spray
dioxide in your breath can be used to dissolve the bubbles adhesive to fix it to a base. Hard plastics - such as clear, and
– just blow on the surface through a straw (taking care to blue-translucent Perspex - can be shaped with a coping saw,
avoid adding spittle to the resin surface!) Overspills can and there is also a range of clear and tinted, water-textured
be cleaned with an alcohol wipe before the resin cures, or plasticard sheets specifically designed for modelling water.
painted over afterwards with a layer of matt varnish. Thick gloss varnish applied over a painted waterbed is
As with acrylic waters, flocks, foliage and flotsam can be another way to quickly produce water features. Thinned filler
added during various stages of the curing process. For man- can be poured out in sheets and, while it dries, stippled with
made features, use things like machinery, aliens, and even a flat edge to make subtle wind ripples. Textured stucco
shopping carts, depending on your gaming genre. for walls and ceilings can also be used, but since they hold
stipples better than filler, these, along with silicone sealant,
All manner of liquids can flow from industrial outlet pipes, are more suited to modelling more active water. All these,
providing great opportunities to include contamination and a host of other methods, can certainly be used to
effects and vary the appearance a little or a lot. In the create quite realistic water when combined with an effective
case of flows from outlet pipes, the resin often needs a paint scheme.
substructure to appear to flow from the outlet, if it’s above
the water level. Hot glue, cellophane, clear acrylic rod, and
even string can be used, depending on the width, colour,
and translucency required. If creating different coloured

148
MISTAKES & FIXES to find out, but this can result in your water surface
acquiring unsightly fingerprints. Use a test pour, or leave
Edge Cracking - One downside of using acrylic water the pour pot to the side for “finger tests”. If you do get
effects is that as the water content evaporates, it can an accidental fingerprint on the surface of your water,
lose volume and shrink towards its centre or deepest you can brush over it with more acrylic water effects
point. This can cause cracking in the cured water (when using these) or gently heat it with a heat gun
effects around the edges, especially if it’s poured (when working with resins).
over the uneven banks and surfaces common to
wetland builds. Surprise leaks – These do happen and it’s better to
WATER FEATURES
be prepared before they start, than to have to figure
If your edges do crack, remember that the acrylic out how to fix them on the fly. Have a little Blu Tack (or
material is water-activated. Simply apply about 2mm Fun-Tak) on hand to push over leaks. This piece-saving
of water over the water effects, and add a few more material can be removed, or easily hidden, later.
drops of the water effect to the cracked area. The water
will soften the cracked areas and the additional water Sloping water – If the piece is not resting on a level
effects will bulk it up. Carefully blend the water edges to surface while curing, you can end up with an uneven
avoid any obvious join lines. water level, with the water sloped towards one side.
Use a spirit level to check everything before you pour.
The Fingerprint – Water effects are designed to look Additionally, if you are able to do your water pours on
like, well, water. Even when cured, they are meant to a worktable with adjustable legs, you can be quite
look wet. This means, however, that it’s hard to tell by confident about your results.
looking whether the material is cured and dry, or still
curing and wet. It’s tempting to touch with a fingertip

Mel’s Rule No. 54 - Always stick your finger in the test pour first.

149
THE FASTER STUFF the same way when you batch built them, is quite
upsetting. Keep directional waves to straight sections
Rivers are by far the largest and most complicated features that can be turned 180˚ without worry, and keep the
commonly built for the tabletop. Stretching across the span wave effects on turns directionless… or plan very well!
of the table, the collective base size of a river will dwarf any
large hill or house, and they require a level of planning and The layout of your river is very important. Extra attention
modularity that can be challenging. To realistically capture should be spent on the planning and paper testing phases,
the appearance of moving water as it travels across a as a great-looking river that provides a poor gaming
landscape, all manner of techniques and materials can be experience is not a great river. River sets should run from
needed. So, it’s easy to see why Terrainiacs might shy away table edge to table edge and don’t always have to run in a
from creating river sets. But when it comes down to it, river straight line. This means you can use the same planning and
pieces are simply open-ended ponds that match up with layout process as for roads, following the same modular
other open-ended ponds, and realistic rivers are just still system. Rivers tend to be a bit wigglier than roads as they
water with a bit of fancy work on top. cross the landscape, however. Using the grid system of
planning, much like with roads, solves this problem. Since
If you can make a pond and make a modular road, it’s only the open ends that have to meet up, where the river
you can make a river set! wanders between those ends within the grid square has no
In gameplay terms, rivers are usually massive, functional bearing on its layout, so feel free to be creative.
features - just as they are on the battlefields of the real Nature also has a few tricks up its sleeves that you can
world. Rivers impede or block movement, and the way apply to make sure your set can be used on the tabletop,
a river set is designed can have a dramatic effect on regardless of its makeup. The first (and easiest) is the use of
gameplay. Even the width of the river matters – a river underground river entrances and exits. In higher elevations,
section whose width is less than the standard movement these are very common and allow you to have a river end
distance for the given ruleset, is more flexible in game in mid-table and start again elsewhere. These underground
terms, than a section that requires two or more moves to entrances and exits are simply river sections with small
cross. Of course, variation in width increases the tactical mounds on the end like a low cave entrance. The second
challenges, but always ensure that there is a clear way of trick is to use a marsh, where a river gets mixed with low-
measuring width to avoid arguments. lying ground and becomes a wetland. Create a selection of
River crossings, such as fords, stepping stones, and bridges marsh scatter pieces and two transition sections that go
need careful advance planning (don’t forget to consider the from river to marsh (and back again). This makes a marsh
size of the models being used!) set that can be dropped between a set of structured river
sections with as much variation as the number of scatter
Your gameplay variety will be increased if you create more pieces will allow. Using marshes not only offers more variety
pieces than are needed in any one battle. This way, you in layout, but also adds to tactical choices.
won’t have to have the same three crossings, or two sets
of rapids, in every set-up. If this isn’t achievable, then have a It’s perfectly fine to have a simple river set with straight
few river sections with dedicated crossings such as bridges, straights and regular turns with nondirectional waves, that
and then include fords on other sections, leaving the players is easy to build, and lays out like a road system. The beauty
to decide if the game will use both bridges and fords for of river sets is that they can always be expanded with extra
crossing, or only the bridges. Finally, due to their impact on pieces, and a still water river can always be upgraded later
gameplay and their size, the layout of a modular river set with water surface effects.
is very important. Although the layout is down to the Don’t forget canals, either! These are just open-ended,
players, it’s important that their options allow for a man-made “pools”, meaning they’re
“balanced” layout. built to follow a regular pattern, and
Planning is especially important if you’re doing thus easy to modularise. They often
wave effects that show the direction of waterflow. have very slow moving water, so there
Discovering, at the end of your build, that all eight of are no directional waves to worry about.
your turns only turn left, because all their waves went This makes them great for your first
venture into building river sets.

150
Building Riverbanks the bank when sections are put together. A small test piece
can be used as a guide, or you can use cardboard, EPVC
The main difference in the build process between making
foamboard, or plasticard templates for a simpler approach.
ponds and open-ended, modular river pieces, is that
If your build materials can be cut or sanded, simply build
you need to make sure the ends of your river pieces
with a little overhang over the edge, and after the piece is
match up. This starts at the base-cutting stage with clear
built and sealed, sand or trim the overhang flat. If banks are
measurements for the overall base width, including the width
made from rocks, such as slate, sanding isn’t an option. In
of the water and the two bevelled banks on either side. This
this case, end the rocks 1-2mm from the edge of the base
is crucial when creating modular pieces that you want to mix
and then build over the bank edge with a putty or clay that
and match. These modular edges must be cleanly cut and of
can be sanded back to flat.
the same width so that they all line up cleanly, and the bevel
angle of the banks needs to match too. Banks aren’t the only feature to be modelled on a river
piece. There can be all manner of rocks, outcrops and
Sounds a bit complicated? Nah. First, when cutting, put
islands, as well as crossing points such as bridges, fords
a bit of masking tape on your metal rule with the widths
and steppingstones. Creating these rocks and outcrops is
marked out, and you’ll be bang on with every edge.
a simple matter of fixing various rocks and large aggregates
Next, make a really short river piece, like 2" long. Bevel
to the water base. Smoother rocks will look more realistic,
that, build your banks on it and, when you’re happy, use
whilst islands are just circles of riverbank with the middle
it as a guide for the rest.
filled in. Crossing points, such as steppingstones, should
When building the banks at the edge of the modular pieces, be modelled both to look realistic and to allow for model
it’s important that 1) they meet up cleanly, 2) they don’t placement. Fords can be created by lowering the riverbanks
overhang the base and stop pieces aligning, and 3) they slightly and raising the riverbed at the same point, so it
don’t stop short of the base edge, leaving visible gaps in appears shallower than the rest of the river piece.

WATER FEATURES

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Introducing the Colours
To paint river pieces, follow the same principles and
techniques used for painting pools and ponds whilst also,
as when building the pieces, lining up the edges and
matching the colours. Make sure that the colours of both
the river bed, and of the banks all line up where they meet
at the open ends of the river pieces.
Desert schemes make for quite dramatic river sets. For
our sample river here, the earth is a base of desaturated
ochre, applied heavily to the earth and thinly to the rocks, to
create shading, before being lightened with cream colours,
and drybrushed with the final highlight. The water base was
painted with a cerulean blue, acrylic basecoat that had been
desaturated with the ochre to harmonise the colour with
the groundwork. This was painted broadly across the base
before being darkened by adding black and applying it to the
centre, to create depth.
The flocking stage can come either before or after your
pour. For our example, as deserts are generally a hot
environment, the flocking stage was a simple matter
of adding some brown grass tufts, after the water
effects were completely cured.

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Damming the River therefore won’t bond with resin. Tape is quick and easy to
apply but can be prone to leaking, especially with a heavy
With your pieces painted (and possibly flocked and sealed),
pour. EPVC foamboard, or 1-2mm plasticard, can also be
it’s time to add the wet stuff. Depending on how the water is
used as dams. Being plastic, this material is stronger than
being modelled, this can be as simple as brushing on a layer
tape and won’t bond strongly with resins, acrylics or PVA,
or two of gloss varnish. For acrylic and resin river sections,
which means the dams can be peeled away from the edges
however, the process requires an additional step. River
once the wet effects have set. These materials are also
sections have open ends and so won’t retain the liquid while
non-adhesive, so the challenge is to fix the dam to the side
it cures. To fix this problem, we have to be busy beavers and
of the section strongly enough that it doesn’t come away
create dams. Make sure that the ends of the river sections
during the pour, but is still removable afterwards. It can
are smooth and flat, as any irregularities will make damming
be pinned into the banks, glued in place with PVA, braced
the piece quite difficult.
in place, or any combination of these, to fix and hold it.
Dams are simple strips of material that are temporarily Unfortunately, none of these approaches will completely
fixed across the open ends of a river section while the still prevent leaking. For a leak proof dam, a small amount of
water effects set, and removed afterwards. The simplest acrylic or resin should be brushed in a thin layer along the
form of dam can be a strip of clear sticky tape; if it has inside join line between the dam and the base, and left for a
good adhesion it will hold back any leaks for shallow pours. little while to start setting. Once this layer goes tacky, which
This type of tape can occasionally result in the need for a normally only takes 30 minutes or so, a pour can be done
little cleaning up, when used with resins, but you can also without any worry of leakage. The pouring process itself
use electrician’s flash tape which is made of silicone and follows the same approach used with pouring ponds.

WATER FEATURES

Mel’s Rule No. 18 - Don’t damn yourself, Bose, test your damn dams!

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 I prefer to use plasticard for my dams, because I can The piece is now ready for the tabletop, but, of course, we
cut a notch in the middle, starting at the level to which can always go a step further, and rivers can be taken to a
I want the water effects poured. Standardise this notch whole new level with surface wave effects.
across all of your dams and you just need to pour until
it starts flowing over the dam. All your water levels will Surface Effects
match up perfectly, and you’ll never have to worry about Calm water looks great and is perfectly acceptable for
overpours. Your desk might suffer a bit, so spread a bin gameplay, but your fast-water surface can be textured to
bag out. Blu Tack is also a lifesaver for those sneaky, create a more realistic finish. Typically waves and water
surprise leaks! effects should be added to the water surface after it has
When your pour is set, take care to peel the dams away set, using a special set of acrylic water effects, although the
gently. Avoid any sharp movements that could cause same effects can be produced by other common products.
damage to the piece or the dam. Whether the dam comes
away cleanly or not, the water effects will need cleaning Acrylic water effects are typically acrylic binder with an
up to remove the meniscus. When a liquid is poured into added thickening or gel agent to give them a bit of body.
a container, fluid dynamics cause the edges to raise up They can be applied to acrylic still water, resins, varnished
slightly. This is the meniscus. It will happen with every pour bases, or even painted baseboards. The bulkier gels are
that’s done. With acrylics, simply take a blade along the lip available as clear or with various blue-green tints (these
and cut it smooth and level with the water. Then apply a thin are artists acrylic heavy gel medium with an acrylic ink
layer of water to reactivate the cut surface and let it blend added). These acrylic effects also contain a liquid bulking
in with the rest of the river surface. For resins (as shown agent which means they don’t set flat but as little bumps.
above), cut the bulk of the lip away with clippers or a blade, Consistencies can vary from manufacturer to manufacturer,
then sand the remaining lip flat with a file or sandpaper. and even batch to batch, so always test your product first,
Once level, clean the dust away and apply a layer of gloss as results can vary greatly.
varnish to fill in the abrasions and blend them into the
unsanded water surface.

154
Gel acrylic effects are well suited to creating choppy waters
(E.1), but they can also be applied in small amounts to E.1
create small ripples or the wake behind a small boat. Ripples
can be created by using a small palette knife or a flatheaded
brush in a dabbing motion to create the ripple lines. Any
peaks that are too sharp can be softened with a damp brush
as the gel dries. Alternatively, adding a little acrylic still water
to the acrylic heavy gels produces something between the
two that works well for gentle waves and ripples.
Don’t forget, the gels air dry. If you apply them too
thickly, the surface will dry first and trap wet gel
underneath. This can then take ages to clear. It will
clear eventually, however, as long as you don’t seal
the waves before it does. Overall, the gels lose volume
as they cure, so layer them in small amounts so they
set fast, and then build them up as desired. This is
preferable to putting down a single large wave and
waiting ages to watch it shrink!
E.2
Acrylic liquid water effects are designed for creating small
waves and ripples for both still and slow-moving water
(E.2) and there are generally two methods of application.
The first is the precision approach: draw the waves/ripples
directly onto the water’s surface with either with the nozzle
of the bottle or a syringe. This method is good for small
pieces, like ponds. For larger areas of water, the second
method, or shotgun approach, is a quicker way of producing
good results. Dip a spatula into the liquid effects and dab
the surface repeatedly to create the waves. For an even
faster, more random approach, you can stipple the surface
with crumpled-up newspaper. Simply dip the crumpled
newspaper in the liquid effects on a palette and then dab it
on the surface until the desired effect is achieved.
Water surface effects can also be created with other
materials. Liquid Mod Podge (E.3), when stippled, works
well for small waves. Epoxy glues suit small, precision work E.3
as well as large waves, so can act as a good replacement
for acrylic gels. Clear silicone sealant won’t lose volume as
it cures and can be dabbed on with a palette knife (E.4) to
create quite strong effects. Resin waves don’t have to be
created while the first pour is curing, you can come back
and apply them with a second layer.
With the surface effects applied, if using resin and silicone
sealant, you can call the piece finished. But with acrylics
and airdrying glues, there is a final step to take. Acrylic water
effects are always vulnerable to being reactivated if they
get wet. Even storage in a damp area can soften the water
effects, so it’s best to seal them. This can be done with a
simple coat of a gloss varnish or a clear resin, depending
WATER FEATURES
how on durable a finish is desired. Always ensure that all
materials have fully dried or cured before sealing them.
Making them airtight before they’ve fully set is going to
cause problems. E.4
Creating realistic surface effects requires following nature:
slow water can be mimicked using liquid effects and various
stippling techniques, larger waves can be made with gels
and silicones, and foam can be added by drybrushing a
little white onto the peak of the wave, or by fixing a little
cotton wool or polyfibre to the surface. Realism comes from
combining these materials and techniques in a manner that
replicates nature, bringing a water piece to life.
With the water sealed, your piece is complete! It may seem
like a very complicated process, but it’s really just a case
of following a set of stages, that aren’t that hard when
planned out.

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WATERFALLS - THE VERTICAL STUFF In wargaming terrain, waterfalls primarily serve as eye-
candy, sitting on a table edge or corner, providing a starting
If a modular river set is the crown of a tabletop terrain
point for a river set. However, you can also incorporate
collection, then a waterfall is the jewel in that crown. These
functionality into waterfalls by adding rocks and ledges
large, feature pieces sit on the edge of tabletops, creating
that allow model placement, trees and crags that provide
a visual spectacle that draws the eye to the tabletop and
cover, or even a hidden cave entrance behind the water for
down to the river that flows through the scatter terrain,
a sneaky, surprise attack. You can also include waterfalls as
setting a scene that any wargamer would want to battle
a part of a more functional piece like falls on the mountain
over. The special nature of waterfalls is reinforced by the
base of a castle, or a sci-fi industrial overflow.
perceived difficulty of creating them. They are considered so
difficult that they are not often attempted, making them a Regardless of how a waterfall is brought to the tabletop, it is
very rare sight on the tabletop. essential to plan it well. Ensuring your pools, hills, and rocks
don’t take up too much base space, and that water can (and
The truth is, waterfalls are just a big hill with a river at the
will) flow vertically, is essential to avoid
top and the bottom, and some falling water in between.
the errors that can spoil the believability
The skills needed to create most of a waterfall – such as
of a piece.
hill-making, groundwork, water work, and fast-flowing water
effects – have already been covered. All that’s left is learning Seriously, winging it is not advised!
how to make a new style of fast-flowing water: falling water.

156
On the practical side, a waterfall needs a hill or mountain
for it to fall from. Creating that hill is done in the same
manner as most hills but with a few special considerations.
A waterfall will almost always be a table edger piece, so the
base needs a flat edge and the river “exit” needs to work
with the modularity of the river set. When shaping your hill,
the priority is the water. Always make sure that the first
elements you shape follow what would be the natural flow
of the water – working from top to bottom – creating the
waterfall and then shaping the hill or rockface around it. It’s
important to remember that hills with rock cladding, such as
casts or cork bark, can encroach on pools and waterfalls.
Having the cladding on hand whilst shaping the substructure
is essential to ensure the water space isn’t reduced by the
fancy rockfaces.
The waterfall shown here was created as a corner piece,
with the river starting off table and flowing in at a diagonal
from the table corner, taking a 45˚ right turn to come out in
line with the grid setup of the river set. The challenge was
constraining so many space-hogging elements within the
12”x12” grid.
If your waterfall base is a little bit bigger than its grid,
it’s more practical to make a slightly shorter straight to
use as an adaptor for the waterfall than it is to extend
the base to 2 grid squares. shaping the foam around them with a blade, bringing the
I used XPS foam for the substructure due to the availability foam substructure within the constraints of the base and its
of small offcuts with manufactured square corners and edge bevel. Once shaped, the piece was sanded to remove
straight edges, taking a lot of effort out of making flat sides any sharp edges.
that would fit flush to the table edges. The blocks were Whilst river pieces have open ends that need temporary
stacked and fixed in place with hot glue and PVA to create a dams to stop the still water effects pouring out, pools
larger than needed substructure, but in the rough shape of and river channels at the top of a waterfall pose a new
the piece. The hot glue allowed for the foam to be shaped challenge. Temporary dams won’t work, so edge lips need
immediately, even while the PVA was still wet. A hotwire to be created. These are simple putty barriers that hold
cutter was used to cut out the river, falls and pools, before back the resin and provide a starting point for the top of the
waterfall – they are just high enough to hold back the still
water effects without appearing to rise above the water.
With the main hill and its water channels
created, all that remains is to match it up
with the existing river set, following the
same process for modular river pieces.
First, add large decorative features like
rocks and trees, then landscape the
banks with gloops, foam, or putties and,
once dry, texture with aggregates like any
other river piece. As our riverbanks were
created with cork bark, I spent a lot of
time cladding the waterfall with it, and
filling the gaps with a bulking gloop.
WATER FEATURES

The timing of the creation of the waterfall

itself is determined by the materials
used. Some small falls can be created at
the same time as the water that flows
into the top and out of the bottom,
but you’ll need to use gel-like
materials that will adhere to the
rock surfaces. Apply the various
heavy acrylic gels, silicones and
DIY glues to the vertical surface of
the rock face before creating vertical
striations in their surfaces with a pick or
palette knife.
For more complex falls, substructures are
needed. Some quite sophisticated techniques
can be used but there are also some simple

157
 approaches. One of the simplest methods involves creating
the fall out of hot glue. Lay down a lattice of vertical strips of
hot glue on greaseproof paper, and before it cools, embed
white polyfibre for the waterfall’s spray. Once set, remove it
all from the paper, trim to fit with a pair of scissors, and then
fix it in place.
Of course, glues and acrylics are all fine and dandy, but
you can also just use some crinkled up clingfilm and
run it top to bottom as a fall. Once fixed and dressed, it
can look as good as any of the other
simple approaches.
Acrylic still water effects can also be used to create the
falls. Apply a thin layer to a sheet of cling film that has been
stretched and fixed down (left). As the still water effects
dry and shrink, they create lines in the acrylic. Once fully
dried, strips can be cut out of the sheet, depending on their
striations, to create a very realistic, semi-transparent fall
substructure that can be trimmed, fixed in place, and then
dressed with polyfibre for the final stage.

158
 WATER FEATURES

A slightly more complicated technique – suited to long falls surface to create the falling water texture (left) before
or falls that aren’t directly against the rock surface – is to dressing it with polyfibre.
create clear strips of acrylic still water than can be cut, fixed
Once the substructures are in place, the still water effects
into place, and then have further water effects applied to
can be poured into the top and bottom channels, blending
them. This is done by first spreading out some acrylic still
in to the fall substructures and helping to fix them in place.
water effects on an acetate sheet. When it’s dry, cut out
After this, all that’s left is to create the desired surface
the desired shape with a sharp blade, before peeling the
effects texture, as with the river pieces, but following
clear acrylic off the acetate and fixing it in place. Once fixed,
nature’s example: the further the water falls, the more
various surface effects can be applied to the transparent
turbulent and foamy it is where it hits the bottom.

ALL IT TAKES IS PRACTICE

From a simple puddle to a crashing waterfall, water features may look challenging when viewed as finished articles, but they
are all built following the same principles, using the same materials and techniques. The bigger, more spectacular pieces just
require more time and careful planning. So, if you can build a puddle, there’s no reason why, with time and practice, you can’t
build a beautiful waterfall centrepiece to crown your gaming table.

159
WINTER HAS COME Mel’s Deep
Thoughts
LANDSCAPES TRANSFORMED
It’s common to use nature’s changing seasons when making terrain and theming sets. Spring, summer, and autumn can all
be evoked by careful choice of colour palette, and different hues of flocks and foliage. But of all the seasons, winter can have
the greatest impact on how terrain is built.
Snow can be modelled as a simple weathering effect at the end of a build, perhaps representing the effects of a snow shower.
But if you want to represent a heavy snow fall and/or deep winter, the impact on your build will be as dramatic as the change
produced on a real landscape.

WARNING – remember that white reflects light. Boards

heavy with snow can cause snow blindness effects,
with boards in well-lit rooms often giving the players eye
strain and headaches. It’s best to break up the snow
with dark patches of ground to reduce the impact, but if
you have to go full whiteout, hit it with a matt varnish to
reduce the glare! An alternative is to issue snow googles
to your players for realistic gameplay… but personally,
I’d go with the broken ground and matt varnish!

PREPARING FOR WINTER effects, but stick to mid- to dark green colours or even mid-
browns to represent dying foliage. If you’re building a heavy
Snowing up a board isn’t just about slapping a bit of white snow fall, it’s best to skip the scatters and only add tufts
over it at the end of the build; even a little snowfall can where the snow would not have buried them.
affect the look of a landscape more than just making it a
bit white in places. Since snow is frozen water, it soaks the Winter is often seen as dreary and overcast with heavy
ground it falls on, so ground base colours should be much clouds, so the light is heavily desaturated, meaning that the
darker than normal for them to look realistic. colours are drab and lose their vibrancy. It’s important to
factor this in when painting; avoid bright, intense colours,
Whilst a light scattering of snow won’t affect the lay of the darken down your usual colour selection, and ensure you
land, heavy snowfall can drastically change a landscape. desaturate all of them. Remember, this applies to everything
Modelling this at the end of the build with gloops just isn’t that the overcast, diffracted light reaches – in other words,
practical, and so a substructure is needed, shaped to everything that’s to be painted -
imitate drifts that a snow effect can be layered onto. For so make this part of your prep process for painting up
deep snow drifts, it’s best to use foam, and to treat the drift winter pieces.
as solid ground when it comes to shaping a piece.
Put a bit of dark grey in everything at the start of the
The flowing undulations of heavy snow across an area can painting stage and then just crack on!
be simulated with bulking gloops, which also work well for
creating ridgelines and other build ups common with heavy Finally, use a white basecoat in areas where snow effects
snow fall. Air-drying clays are better suited for creating will be applied. This helps not only the final result, but also
smaller build-ups. Above all, remember that snow doesn’t the placement stage.
just fall, it also gets blown about, and this can produce all With the pieces looking like they’re set in winter but lacking
sorts of interesting effects. Reference material is essential if the white shiny stuff, it’s time for snow to fall.
you want a realistic look.
When it comes down to it, you need to build it up where SNOW IS FALLING
it’d fall in clumps or drifts, don’t put it where it wouldn’t Whilst there are a range of snow effect products available,
fall, add some wavy bits, and you’re pretty much good the most common snow techniques fall into three broad
to go! categories, each suited to different types of snowfall. When
When it comes to foliage, deciduous plants and trees applied and combined correctly, they will produce very
lose their leaves during autumn and will be bare in the realistic effects without reducing a piece’s functionality.
winter, whereas evergreens stay dark green throughout the The first technique is simply to paint the snow on with a
year. When modelling winter pieces, always avoid lighter white paint. In real life, 3cm of snow will cover the ground
shades of clump and other foliage material and stick to completely, but at 28mm scale, that’s only half a millimetre
the darker greens. Trees, other than dark green evergreens thick, so the depth of the snow effects isn’t so important.
like conifers, should be bare armatures with no foliage Large areas are best created by applying a white house paint
whatsoever. Grass often survives winter and so it’s fine to to smooth surfaces, such as sanded foam or smoothed
lay down some scatters and add tufts before adding snow

160
filler; the normal, textured ground surface doesn’t look right Bicarb of soda is often recommended as a cheap snow
if just painted white. For light scatters of snow, the paint solution and it works well on miniature bases but it
can be stippled on, and buildings, walls, rocks, trees and absorbs the moisture in the air and yellows over time,
bushes can be drybrushed downward with white artistic so it needs to be well sealed. On miniature bases,
acrylic. Scatterings of snow can also be applied broadly as superglue is used to seal it, but on terrain pieces, it
a dusting over boards and pieces with white spray primers, needs to be sealed with a spray varnish, not watered
or an airbrush, and even flicking a scattering of paint with down PVA!
a toothbrush can produce good results, as long as it’s not
Features should be drybrushed downward with undiluted
over-loaded with craft or artists acrylics.
PVA in much the same way as with the prior painting
The benefit of this technique is that it’s quick, produces a technique, but with the addition of a light stippling of PVA
good result, and because it doesn’t involve PVA, there’s no across large areas, and to break up any strong PVA edges
warping effect on the pieces or tiles it’s applied to. from the drybrushing stage. Once the PVA is applied,
sprinkle on the scatter as quickly as possible and leave it
The next technique involves using snow scatters. These
to dry. When it’s dry, the excess can either be shaken off so
can be hobby scatters such as 1mm white static grass,
that the process can be repeated, or simply left to be sealed
plastic flecks, or ground up granules. Alternatively, fine,
in place. As with grass scatters, once it’s on wet, don’t
white, shot-blasting sand can be used to create very realistic
touch it till it’s dry. When combined with fine substructure
scatterings of snow. Laid down in much the same way as
work, scatters produce great results, but can involve a lot of
grass scatters, these can be lightly spread and sealed, or
PVA, so expansive areas of snow can have a warping effect
built-up in-depth, layer by layer, sealing with hairspray as you
on a piece or board, especially if you’re trying to create
go, before applying the final, bonding seal of thinned PVA.
depth to your snow effects.

SNOW FEATURES

161
The third technique, using snow gloops, is very effective for When adding it to your caulk, get it to the consistency
small area snow build ups, such as on roofs, rocks, bushes, where, if you make a peak in it with a spatula, the peak
trees and other features, but not so good for creating depth takes at least 30 seconds to settle back in. If it’s any
over large areas due to warping issues. The basic recipe thinner, it will run off the top of whatever you put it on.
for snow gloop is PVA, white acrylic, and a snow scatter
These three core techniques aren’t mutually exclusive. The
in a 1:2:3 ratio, adjusting the amount of snow scatter to
key to producing a realistic-looking, unwarped piece that is
get a thick, sloppy consistency. This can be applied with
functional for gameplay, is to apply the right technique in the
a brush to any features that need fine build ups of snow
right place.
such as bare branches, fences, or even statues. The thick
consistency will hold the gloop in place and prevent it The first step is to create a base layer of paint by layering,
running down the side of a feature unrealistically. For an stippling, spraying and drybrushing - depending on the
even thicker gloop, add the basic recipe to white acrylic feature. Next, add some scatters for a little depth and a
caulking, thinning it down to a soft paste that can be applied touch of realism, before using the gloops as build ups on
to features with a stiff-bristled brush or a spatula. Gloops the smaller features.
are great for small detail build ups, but applied over large
It’s as simple as that to create a realistic snow effect, but
areas, they can have quite severe warping effects on pieces.
winter isn’t just about snow.

162
MISTER FROST’S TOUCH! A light frost on long grass can be replicated by using white,
acrylic paint to drybrush green scatters and static grasses,
In winter, it’s not just snowfall that changes the look of a after they have been laid down. Make sure that any loose
landscape. As temperatures drop, the winter chill can do scatter or flock have been shaken off, and the greenery is
that all on its own. Unlike snowfall, which alters the shape of well sealed before attempting to drybrush it, or it’s going to
a landscape, a frost only affects its appearance – although get messy. Alternatively, snow scatter and white static grass
the effect can be very dramatic. The colour of the ground can be premixed with the usual green mixes, before laying
gets lighter and glistens as the surface moisture freezes. them down and sealing them together to create a frosted
The same effect on grass, long and short, can turn whole look. A premix of snow to usual green at a 1:5 ratio will
fields white, sometimes as far as the eye can see. produce a light frost effect, whereas a 3:1 ratio will produce
Modelling a frost effect, ultimately, comes down to paint a heavy frost. Anything heavier will just look like snow. Avoid
or snow scatters, but there are a number of methods for non-colour-fixed scatters as they will blend with the white
applying both. Bare ground can be lightly drybrushed with scatter and you’ll end up with a green frost.
white acrylic to which a little satin varnish has been added, You can dust the groundwork and greenery with spray
to replicate the sparkle that comes with a ground frost. paint or an airbrush, but do so directly downwards onto
Alternatively, large areas can be dusted with white spray the piece; you don’t want directional frosting and if you
primer, or airbrushed. When using scatters, it’s important to try to do it from every different direction, you’ll end up
use fine snow scatter rather than the larger, particle scatter coating it solid white!
commonly used for snow fall. Fine plastic grains or white
sand both work well when sprinkled over an area of bare Larger bushes and trees can be drybrushed in the same way
ground. Fix them in place with hairspray, or use a matt spray as groundwork, assuming they are firm enough and any leaf
varnish over thinned down PVA. foliage is well adhered. They can also be sprinkled with fine
scatters, although it helps to apply a light drybrushing of
When painting your ground surface prior to frosting, PVA before sprinkling, to help the scatters adhere. Seal the
remember that, whereas snowfall saturates the ground with scatters in place with hairspray or a matt spray varnish. The
water, making it darker, a frost freezes whatever moisture is same applies to more solid features such as rocks, walls,
already present, and so frosted ground can often be a little and buildings, although a frost on these features can also
lighter than normal. Also, frost reflects a lot of light, and this look more glittery than ground frost. When the temperature
too can make the ground appear lighter. drops below freezing, a frost can change the look of hard
If you want to go posh, grab some satin Mod Podge. ground and soft grasses, but it can also make soft things go
You can stipple with it, dry brush with it, throw it in with hard as water freezes.
your white and even swap out your PVA for it. It does
give great results!

SNOW FEATURES

THE YELLOW CURSE effects. This is compounded by certain latex-based

glues, such as cheaper PVA glues, which also have a
Just as yellow snow is best avoided in the real world, so yellowish tint when dry.
too in the modelling world. The yellowing over time of
snow effects on terrain pieces can be the bane of even When working with snow effects, always use UV-
experienced Terrainiacs. It’s easy to avoid, however, if resistant, stay-white caulking, and use artistic acrylics
you have a little understanding of why it happens, and rather than craft acrylics, as these have UV-resistant
use that knowledge to pick the right materials. additives. Always use a good quality PVA glue, and just
avoid latex-based glues completely. This might slightly
In most paints and caulking, the white pigment contains increase your initial outlay on materials, but it’s much
Titanium Dioxide. Unfortunately, when exposed to UV less costly than having to replace your pieces six
light, such as sunlight, or in humid conditions, it takes months after they’ve been built because they’re covered
on a yellow hue, producing the yellow curse of snow in yellow snow!

163
MIND THE ICE! (scatter to Mod Podge). For a crystalline effect, add some
hobby ice effects. This is simply crushed and ground up
Frost and snow can drastically alter the appearance of a glass and the amount used should be varied a little, even
landscape, but winter’s effect on water can be even more across a single piece, since icy ground is rarely uniform in
dramatic. The cold can freeze everything from puddles and appearance. Application is a simple matter of stippling the
ponds to lakes and waterfalls. Pipes can burst, barrels and gloop across the area to be iced up. The best results are
horse troughs can freeze over. Snow that melted during the achieved by applying a number of stippled gloop patches,
day can freeze overnight into thin, clear, ice streams (and adjusting the gloop mix a little, applying more patches,
these are definitely dangerous terrain in the real world!) then adjusting the mix some more, and repeating the
The same melt and refreeze process creates icicles that process, again and again, until the area is covered. Whilst
hang from tree branches and roof ledges. Snow that’s been the gloop is still wet, fine snow scatters and crushed grass
trampled, crushed, churned, compacted and then frozen, can be sprinkled across it to help to increase the realism
makes a very white type of ice - compared to the clear look with added detail and to vary the look of the ice across an
of frozen water – since it consists of frozen snow. area, especially if the gloop hasn’t been varied during its
Each of these types of ice is modelled with its own application.
techniques and materials, although, as you gain experience, Just as puddles are best done before the icing stage, icing is
you’ll find there is plenty of overlap. Ice should always be best done before the snow stage, so that the snow scatter
laid down before other snow and frost effects, because can be used to blend the edges of any icy ground.
these can be used to blend the edges of the iced-over
puddles and add to the realism. For the muddier, churned up, frozen snow look, add
a touch of your brown ground colour. Add a couple of
Small, iced over puddles and refrozen, melted snow spots of it to your gloop and give it a little mix but not
runoffs may be clear or opaque. Small, clear puddles can too much, leave it a little uneven, and it’ll help to make
be created by laying down a thick, acrylic varnish, building it look realistic.
up the puddles’ depth in layers. For larger puddles, acrylic
still water effects, or two-part, epoxy polyester, or acrylic Finally, moving up higher from the ground, we come to
resin can be laid down, brushing any raised edges flat on icicles. These are both beautiful and dangerous in the real
application. For more opaque-looking, frozen puddles, matt, world, and they can present some challenges in the model
acrylic varnish can be laid down for small ones, while a world. It is possible to buy moulded, clear, plastic icicles
touch of white acrylic can be mixed in with the water effects which can be snapped off their mountings and fixed in place
or resin for larger ones. Whichever method you use, stipple with a little gel superglue, but this can be costly on large
the puddle with a touch of light grey, followed by white, to projects. Alternatively, you can heat clear, plastic rods so
increase the realism of the frosting effect. they melt enough to be stretched apart and, once they are
cooled, the ends can be clipped off to create individual
For larger ponds and other water features, varnish and icicles. By far the best method is to use clear, paintable,
acrylic still water can be used, but clear and opaque/ silicone bathroom sealant. Simply take a coffee stirrer or
frosted, plastic sheets, or toughened mobile phone screen spatula, scoop up a little sealant, dab it where you want
protectors, or even Perspex can all be used instead. the icicle and stretch it downwards. When applying icicles
Toughened screen protectors and Perspex are particularly this way, make sure you don’t fall into a pattern by placing
great for creating cracked ice. the same sized icicles at regular intervals across a feature;
If you’re going to do big puddles, hollow out the ground remember to vary position and size for a more realistic look.
a little to get some depth for the acrylic still water or Longer, silicone sealant icicles can have a tendency to curl
resin. If that’s not possible, it’s better to go for lots of up over time, but this is easily prevented with a quick coat
little puddles than one big one! of gloss varnish which will firm them up and prevent curling.
Silicone can take a while to cure fully and so icicles should
Moving from puddles and pools to simple iced over ground be done at the very end of a build, once all the other winter
and trampled snow means moving from liquids to gloops. effects have been applied, and the piece has been sealed.
Gloops for icy ground can be created from a number of Snow flock can easily stick to silicone icicles, ruining the
products, but the base for the mix should be a gloss or satin effect, so always leave silicone to last.
Mod Podge. Add fine snow scatter at a starting ratio of 4:1

164
Making a realistic-looking icy ground comes from combining them. White, acrylic filler or Das modelling clay can be
these approaches, along with the other snow effect used as a substructure into which the cut legs of a model
techniques, across a piece. It’s just a matter of puddles and are impressed, before snow scatter is applied, to create
ponds first, then stipple on the icy gloop – varying it as it’s footsteps in the snow. You might even add a little yellow to a
applied – then add snow, and pop the icicles on last. little ice gloop and apply it at the base of a wall or tree next
to a guard post.
Of course, like all modelling projects, there are always
additional steps you can take. Finally, it’s important to note that snow does not just fall
on flat surfaces, it can stick to near anything, trees, rocks,
LEVELLING UP walls and even people, leaving an entire landscape looking
There are a number of things that can be done to improve frosted from top to bottom after a snowstorm. This can be
the realism of a winter piece. First and foremost is variation easily replicated across a piece or a board by using a sieve
- taking the techniques listed previously and varying their of fine snow scatter just above a piece, whilst giving little
applications, their placement, and also varying your mixes blasts of an extra-hold hairspray directed at the surface to
as you apply them. A little crushed glass sprinkled across be frosted. The hairspray traps the fine scatter as it falls,
snowed up, open areas that would be exposed to sunlight fixing it against the surface it’s directed at, recreating the
replicates the glistening snow that appears in nature. effects of a snowstorm. It’s best to do this a little at a time,
Alternatively, a can of satin spray can be used at the final building up the frosting effect bit by bit. Leave a little time
stage in little bursts across open areas to get the same between applications to let the hair lacquer set, before
glistening effect, especially over large areas. applying more, as it’s easy to apply but very difficult to take
off. Once the frosting is done, it can be sealed in place
Different snow and ice layers can be laid on top of each with multiple applications of hair lacquer or a spray of matt
other, with a frozen snow gloop being laid down before a varnish; thinned PVA should be avoided, as it will dissolve
fresh snow scatter is sprinkled over it, to replicate the look the hairspray and wash away the frosting effects.
of fresh snow on top of old. Colours other than white can
also be used. A touch of grey, acrylic paint in a mix can Remember, it’s not the use of advanced materials or
be used for snow in shadow, applied at the foot of cliff techniques that increase the realism, it’s the subtle
faces and underneath trees for more realistic variation. variations that replicate those in nature. To achieve this, do
Alternatively, it can be applied across the entire piece or your research – look at nature, get some reference photos,
board to give the feel of a drab, overcast landscape. Teal and develop your understanding of why things in winter
and light blue acrylics can be added to snow and ice gloops behave as they do. Pay attention to details, work out how
for the appearance of the old ice of permafrost and glaciers, and where to model them, and then apply them
or that of reflected skylight, but these mixes should have at to the piece. By combining these techniques,
least a scattering of fresh white snow laid across them, in varying things, and adding the little details,
most cases, to achieve a realistic look. it’s possible to create a wealth of snow
themes that look incredibly realistic.
It’s the little details that make a scene work: small build
ups of snow on fences, with icicles hanging underneath;
clear, small patches under icicles to replicate how the water
from melting icicles can clear away the snow underneath

SNOW FEATURES

165
BUILDINGS AND RUINS
ACHIEVING THAT ‘LIVED IN’ LOOK
Up to this point, we’ve primarily covered “natural” terrain features – hills, forests, rivers and the
like – but no matter how much nature abhors a straight line, humans love them! Now we delve
into the realm of man-made structures with a look at some key approaches, new materials, and
bringing together a variety of techniques to create the pieces on a battlefield that give your games a real sense of setting.

NOTHING SETS THE SCENE... The Design Triad (see page 11) is going to be very helpful
when planning your buildings. Which is most important to
Almost all the natural elements we’ve dealt with so far can your build: Functionality, Durability, or Realism?
be used with different scales, and are independent of period
or genre. The river and waterfall featured in the last chapter Functionality
wouldn’t have looked out of place in either a Wild West
or a sci-fi setting, using any scale from 40mm to 15mm. Your favorite game system might deal with buildings in a very
Buildings and other man-made structures, however, are not basic or abstract manner, or it might be incredibly involved.
nearly so flexible; their scale or setting will almost always be Either way, you’ll want to take note of how it deals with
immediately apparent. You need to consider an appropriate such issues as line of sight, fire positions, movement, and
scale for your buildings right from the start of your planning, access points. Additionally, if you are creating or working
so they’ll work with your table and the types of games you’ll with a modular system you’ll want to pay attention to how
be playing. things change when you rotate one or two elements by 90˚
or 180˚.
IT’S ALL IN THE PLANNING Key questions to ask yourself are:
Of all the terrain pieces you could make, buildings are • How functional are the buildings going to be in your game?
the ones that require the most planning and forethought.
Review all the rules about buildings in your game system(s). • Should your buildings be open (ruins, for example, or with
Think how your troops can interact with them, and consider removable roofs), or closed (complete buildings with fixed
the variety of uses you might put them to. Bear in mind also roofs)?
the sizes of games you typically play – for example, if you • Do the buildings need to accommodate an entire standard
tend to play smaller, skirmish games, four medium-sized squad, or only a handful of models?
corner ruins might be more useful than a single, large,
ruined building. Research and planning are going to be key. Sketches will be
very helpful, and for big builds you might want to build a few
Of course you can always add more buildings to a set of cardboard mockups first.
terrain, but if you invest some time in proper planning,
you’ll get most of what you need in the first batch and In my opinion, for wargamers who play at home,
keep the styling and painting similar across the set. functionality is always going to be the most important
consideration in planning your builds.

166
 This landscape could be found in thousands of places
around the globe and at any point in history, but the
concrete bunker places it in mid-20th Century Normandy.

Durability Realism
Having considered functionality, you need to decide how When you get down to the build, the most fun part
durable the pieces have to be. If you’ll be keeping your is creating the right look and feel. Whilst the basic
pieces at home in your own storage, then you can choose substructure of many buildings might be exactly the same,
from a variety of materials, but if you are creating buildings a farmhouse in northern France will look very different
for a club or a tournament, the choice of materials is more to a farmhouse in southern Pennsylvania. Researching a
important. Anytime other people will be packing things away particular period, or creating your own aesthetic for a genre
(particularly if they’re doing it quickly) there’s an increased setting can be very satisfying.
chance for damage. You can reduce the risk of damage
Bear in mind, however, how increased realism can
by building your pieces on bases, keeping their exteriors
sometimes reduce durability. If you want to add a fragile
simple, and choosing more sturdy materials (although this
element, such as a seafoam tree on the base of a ruined
may make your builds more expensive).
house, put it in a sheltered place - close to a wall or corner
XPS foam and laser-cut MDF are more – to protect it. Colour schemes are a great way to suggest a
sturdy than EPS foam and foamboard. particular setting, without impacting the durability – a Tudor-
So, if you’re making buildings for a style building typically has whitewashed daub, and dark
club, then plan to use these as your brown or black timbering. Paint the daub in red, however,
go-to materials. and you immediately give it a fantasy feel.

ABSTRACT SCALING
Absolute scaling is where every dimension and
BUILDINGS

item is scaled identically, but wargames often use

abstract scaling, where some dimensions are
scaled differently from others. To get more buildings
on the tabletop, we might use buildings that are
smaller than they would be in real life. But if you
build the windows and doors to the same scale
as your models, the building as a whole will look
properly scaled

167
WOODEN SHACK The Structure
One of the simplest and perhaps the most common Cardboard boxes are everywhere, and that makes them an
building piece is a wooden shack. Built around the world for incredibly cost-effective material for building structures.
centuries, wooden shacks are still being constructed today. Although they generally have what looks like a straight,
With a little effort you can produce a timeless look that is factory edge, it’s safer to draw your plans a little way in
independent of setting, or you can make something very from the cardboard edge, so that you have control over all
specific to a time and place, just by changing the cladding the edges.
or roofing material, and the way you paint it.
When drawing the locations of doors and windows, make
The use of a base can also give your wooden shack a clear sure you have a miniature handy, so you can check your
sense of location (as well as giving the build more strength), scaling against it, making sure the door isn’t too short,
especially if you match the groundwork and grasswork to or the windows too high. Carefully cut the walls from the
your existing terrain sets. But for a piece to be used in many cardboard with a sharp hobby knife.
different settings, you can avoid using a base altogether, like
It’s possible to cut out the wall sections as one single,
we’ve done with this one.
continuous piece, then simply fold at the end of
If you have a small terrain collection each wall section, and only apply glue at one corner.
but love to play games from a lot However, this will result in one sharp corner, and three
of different historical periods then slightly more rounded ones. If you cut out each wall
consider making your shack(s) as separately, you can ensure there’s a consistent look to
generic as possible. If your gaming is all the corners.
more focused, however, then you might
There are a couple of different ways to ensure that the walls
want to add some defining details to evoke a specific
meet at 90˚, such as using a right-angled triangle cut from
time and/or place, like a moonshiner’s hideout or Dark
cardboard, or the classic LEGO angle brace.
Age peasant hut.

168
Cladding and Roofing
There are quite a few different materials that you can use for
the cladding (or weatherboards) of your wooden shack. The
example here uses wooden coffee stirrers.
The toughest part of putting shingles on your roof is
Whilst you could take a few extra from your local coffee making sure each layer overlaps the previous one - just
shop each time you grab a coffee, bear in mind that like in real life! Keeping your shingles a uniform width
they are very cheap to buy online by the thousand, and will really help.
1,000 will last you a LONG time.
Use PVA glue (or even double-sided tape) to apply the coffee
Painting
stirrers to the walls. Trim the coffee stirrers with a hobby When wooden structures are exposed to the elements,
knife, after they’ve been fixed in place, to line up with the they can age pretty rapidly. Cycles of rain and sun can start
edges of the walls, windows, and doors. Then carefully cut to turn fresh timber grey in a matter of weeks. This shack,
BUILDINGS

some stirrers to create the window- and door-frames. however, has been standing out in the desert for a while,
with lots of sun but very little moisture.
With the walls assembled, attach a base for the roof,
cut from a cardboard box and sized to include eaves To achieve this sun-bleached look, start with a mid-brown
(overhangs) on all sides. Breakfast cereal boxes are ideal for basecoat, followed by a heavy drybrush with a mid-brown/
roof shingles – whether cut and applied individually (which yellow ochre mix. Finally, give it light drybrush with a pale
gives you a lot of flexibility and a little more realism), or in grey to pick out the edges and grain of the wooden planks
strips (which speeds things up a bit). Glue down the lowest and shingles. To emphasise the pale appearance, you can
run of shingles first, then layer the next strip on top, and so glaze the lower parts of the wooden planks with a thinned
on until the roof is covered. dark brown.

169
URBAN RUIN once.” When cutting foamboard it’s important that your
hobby knife has a sharp blade – it’s very easy to tear the
It’s hard to say which is more common - the wooden shack
edges of the foamboard.
or the urban ruin. Certainly, semi-collapsed or destroyed
city or town buildings feature in all wargaming periods from PVA glue is perfect for gluing together foamboard pieces,
World War II to gothic science fiction. As with the wooden and dressmakers’ pins are great for holding your pieces
shack, your ruins can be made either to be usable across all together while the glue dries, preventing any slippage at
of those periods, or you can give them very period- or genre- the joins. Whilst ruins can be made without bases, they’ll
specific details. be more durable with them, and a base also gives greater
opportunities to add extra detail. This piece has a square-
The ruin here could be used in a number of different games,
cut corner to allow for a concrete footpath around the
thanks to its fairly generic colour scheme and a lack of the
exterior of the building, while still including a lot of rubble
kind of detailing that might fix it in space and time, such as
in the interior.
signage and/or any technological elements.
To add interest to the exterior of your ruin, glue some
This urban ruin makes extensive use of 5mm foamboard, but
foamboard lintels and sills to the windows, and columns
could also be built using 10mm XPS foam for a more chunky,
to the walls. At the corners, cut the column pieces with a
solid appearance.
45˚ bevel so that when they are applied, there is no
The material you choose will depend on a variety of foam showing.
factors, such as availability, level of realism required,
For a more pre-fab, utilitarian look, just leave extra
and durability needed. Work out these things during the
details these off.
planning phase.
Once all your detail elements are glued in place, you can
Foamboard Construction create battle damage by carving chunks off the edges of
As with all buildings (both model and real world) planning the foamboard with a sharp hobby knife. You can also cut
is critical. Sketch out your thoughts, check your heights in some damage from small arms fire – bullet holes work
and widths, and then transfer your plans to the foamboard. across all periods, whilst acid damage is going to be very
Remember the old carpentry advice: “measure twice, cut sci-fi specific.

Mel’s Rule No. 31 - There’s no mistake that can’t be fixed with battle damage.

170
Interior Structure and Details
When creating a ruin, try to include elements that will
really sell the idea that the ruin is a result of some kind of
bombardment. As in this urban ruin, remember that you can
include destroyed flooring on the different levels; broken
and splintered floorboards are a classic trope for ruins.
The sticks from ice blocks (popsicles in the U.S.) are great
for creating joists and floorboards, but sometimes their
grain isn’t particularly prominent. Scraping the sticks with a
sturdy wire brush first will help bring out that grain.
If you’re not familiar with terms like
joists and headers, try a quick Internet
search of these terms (or even
“building terminology”) to get a basic
understanding and plenty of ideas
about how to put your floors together.
There are lots of different ways to do it!
After gluing in the headers, cut some joists to appropriate
lengths for the profile of your base and glue them in place.
Super glue will fix them in place quickly, but PVA will give you
a more permanent bond, although the joists will need to
be supported while the glue cures. Once the joists are dry,
you can glue the floorboards. Lay them out in a staggered
pattern for a more realistic appearance.
This ruin has a basement, which would no doubt be filled
with bricks, chunks of concrete, broken floorboards and
other debris. Use DAS modelling clay to create a mound
of small debris, and make sure you have some spill out of
any basement windows. Splintered ice block sticks and
brick-sized chunks of foamboard can be pushed into the
BUILDINGS

clay before it dries. Finally, apply a textured gloop around the

larger chunks of debris, to represent the materials that were
pulverised by the bombardment that created the ruin in the
first place.
Whenever I make ruins, I think about all the fun I could
have had as an architectural model maker. Although
I’m not sure the clients would have appreciated the
destruction of their buildings as much as I would.

171
 Start by painting the walls and rubble pile with a mid-grey.
Follow this with a drybrush of light grey, and then a light
drybrush of even lighter grey. In the example here, the
floorboards (both whole and splintered) were basecoated
Texture and Paint with a dark brown, and then drybrushed with a mid-brown.

The final step before painting is the addition of a concrete The next step is to use some washes to tie everything
texture. This was done by stippling on a coat of filler with together and add some more depth. Use a brown shotgun
a sturdy brush. Not only should you stipple the flat card wash at the base of the exterior walls, around the
surfaces on the outside, but also all of the foam surfaces “columns”, and over the rubble piles. Adding this colour to
along the edge. This will create the impression of concrete the shadows of the grey walls and floor gives an extra level
where it should be, as well as helping to disguise any joins. of realism to the piece. Thin streaks of a black wash on the
You can even push some cocktail sticks into the foam at walls gives the impression of a grimy city, while streaks of a
appropriate points, and clip them short to look like rebar thinned orange/brown wash suggest rust running from the
(the steel reinforcing found in modern concrete). rebar pieces and any bullet holes.

The stippled filler coat is brilliant for any surface you Finally, with the lightest grey you have, give everything a
want to give a concrete texture. For a very fine result, very light drybrush to produce the look of a very dusty and
keep the filler light and your stippling tight. war-torn ruin.

172
HISTORICAL ROUNDHOUSE Building
For millennia, Bronze and Iron Age people built roundhouses To get started, cut out the three main elements of the piece:
all across Europe. These buildings were often made of the walls and roof from XPS foam using a hot wire cutter,
stone, but were sometimes also made of wattle-and-daub as well as a base from 6mm (1/4") MDF. The hot wire cutter
panels set between thick posts. They ranged from 5m (16') may create small lines and irregularities which you can sand
to 15m (50') in diameter, and their most striking feature out with a sanding block on the exterior, and with the careful
was the conical thatched roof. This very distinctive look has use of sandpaper on the interior. Whilst sanding the roof,
meant they have made their way into many fantasy settings, give it a slight rounding towards the eaves to represent the
which makes them a great thing to build for the early thatching ‘drooping’ over the edges of the stone wall. Then
historical and fantasy gamer. you can start sketching in the stonework.
Archaeologists have known about roundhouses for If you aren’t planning to use the interior, this is a good time
centuries, and the oldest ones they’ve been able to dig to glue the roof to the wall.
up in the UK date back to 3,500 BC!

BUILDINGS

173
Texturing and Balsa
Stacking individually-cut stones or bricks is one way to
create a very detailed and realistic wall texture, but it can
take an incredibly long time, and although you don’t need to
be a stone mason to achieve the look, by the time you’ve
finished you might wish you were.
One effective method to add a
One (simpler) alternative is to carve the stone (or brick)
realistic texture to the XPS stones themselves,
texture directly into the surface of the XPS foam with a knife
is to take a nicely textured real stone and press it against
point or sculpting tool. This doesn’t take anywhere near as
the surface of the foam. This will add some irregularities to
long as making individual stones, but it can create V-shaped
the stones which can be accentuated by drybrushing.
channels which doesn’t look particularly realistic.
The penultimate stage of the build is the addition of the
Another (MUCH simpler) alternative is to draw the pattern
wooden elements. The door can be all sorts of sizes, but in
of stacked stones or bricks onto the XPS with a ballpoint
an early building like this roundhouse, the chances are that
pen. The rounded shape of the ballpoint creates a U-shaped
it was quite low, maybe 5' tall, so that the inhabitants had to
channel which mimics a mortar line very well on bricks,
duck to enter. Again, your ballpoint pen will come in handy
and gives a rounded feel to stacked stones. You can start
to draw the door’s different wooden planks onto a piece of
drawing in the largest stones at the lowest course, and
balsawood.
slowly work your way up the wall. To break up some of the
lines, add in some larger stones that might be two courses Inside the roundhouse, you can add rough-hewn balsawood
tall, but remember to regularly overlap the stones, as in a pillars around the walls to represent the tree trunks that
real stone wall. were driven into the ground to anchor the walls (concrete
foundations weren’t a thing in Bronze Age Europe).
Whilst you don’t have to be a stone mason or bricklayer
to draw your stones on a foam wall, it can help to know The final stage is to add some detail and groundwork to the
some of the standards and terminology – a course is base. As well as the small patches of rocks and texture,
a single row of stones or bricks, for example. A quick there’s a tree stump which we can assume is used to cut
Internet search for bricklaying basics will be fine! firewood for those cold, winter nights.

174
Painting and Finishing After the painting comes the application of grasswork to the
base. Glue the flock down first, as it’s easier to slap the PVA
The exterior of the roundhouse was given a basecoat of glue around and get it right up into the corners against the
a dark grey, whilst the roundhouse interior and base were walls and around any larger rocks on the base.
base coated in a mid-brown, and the roof in a dark brown.
Once the first layer of flock is firmly in place, the clump
Drybrushing is a great technique to use in this case, not only foliage and other, smaller bits of scenic materials (like
because it picks up texture and details, but for areas that flowers and vines) can be layed down. You can use PVA glue
are a little more flat (like the stones), it can leave a grainy or even Hob-E-Tac for a really good hold. At this stage you
texture too. In the model shown here, the base, roof, and could decide which side of the roundhouse wouldn’t get
balsawood elements were drybrushed with a lighter brown, any sunlight, and add a very thinned wash of a desaturated
followed by a bone colour. The stone walls were drybrushed green around the lower courses of stone.
with a couple of lighter shades of grey.
Finally, you can flock the roof with a mix of fine brown flock
Remember to drybrush across “the grain”. If you’ve and a lighter brown static grass to give it a bit more of a
been a little heavy handed, you might accidentally textured appearance. While it isn’t a completely realistic
drybrush some light grey paint into the lines between representation of a thatched roof, it’s definitely quick to
the stones. Not to worry. Let it dry completely, then mix achieve and will look the part on the gaming table.
a wash of the darker grey and carefully paint it back
into the gaps. A little variety in the shadows will be fine.
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175
 FANTASY RUINED INN
I wanted to bring together a number of the techniques used
in this section, for a feature “fantasy” build, and as I’ve
always loved the idea of Mordheim (a ruined fantasy city
from Warhammer’s past) I knew it had to be an inn that has
definitely seen better days. I wanted a neglected, dilapidated
inn whose owners’ lack of maintenance had been
compounded by some fire and subsequent rain damage. So
- lots of damp and rotting thatch, moss-covered stones, and
grimy walls.

Laying the Foundations

One great thing about foamboard, apart from it being easy
to work with, is that you can remove the outer layer of paper,
by soaking it in water and carefully peeling it off, to expose
the foam underneath. For this build, I removed the paper
from one side of a sheet of 5mm white foamboard, and
glued the other side to a sheet of 5mm black foamboard
for additional strength. This was cut to shape and glued
together to form the ground floor walls of the inn. In a
town like Mordheim (or on the roads running through the
dangerous forests of the Empire) the windows are more like
arrow slits - for better defensive opportunities.
Thick posts of balsawood were glued to the exterior walls in
a regular pattern, and matched on the interior walls, to give
the impression the inn is built on very sturdy foundations.
The exterior walls were then textured (with a ballpoint pen)
to look like stone blocks, the collapsed wall ends were cut
out, and then the walls were glued to the 6mm MDF base.
As with the urban ruin, the floorboards and wooden debris
were made from ice block sticks, scraped with a wire brush
before being glued down. DAS modelling clay was used as
the substructure of the debris pile, to which were added
some stone blocks (cut from XPS foam) and loads of
splintered wood – since there will be several floors
above this one, the debris pile could be pretty substantial.
Sand and grit were also glued in place for smaller debris
and texture.

176
Painting the Foundations
The entire ground floor and base were given a basecoat of a
dark brown, thinned in random areas to add variety. Knowing
that the inn receives regular rainfall means that the ground
probably never dries out entirely, so the earth will always
have a darker look to it.
The stone walls, wooden posts, floor boards and chunky
debris were given a mid-grey drybrush for a weathered
appearance, whilst the interior walls of the inn’s common
room were painted with a desaturated red – a suitably
atmospheric colour that gives some visual interest.
Patches of the flooring, along with the centre of each
“panel” of stone work were drybrushed with a light grey, in
preparation for the final weathering stages.
Not everyone has an airbrush, but I definitely
recommend picking up a cheap set (airbrush and
compressor) to use for terrain building. Not only can
you lay down basecoats of colours not available in
spray cans, but you can do some great weathering
work with them.
To create the effect of the ruined corner having been
destroyed by fire, the ragged wall edges and areas of debris
were airbrushed with black, before receiving a final drybrush
of light grey. The lower parts of the exterior wall were washed
with a light, desaturated green to look like moss, mold or
lichen growing in the damp areas away from the sun.

SET DRESSING
Sometimes it’s easier or faster to use some pre-made
BUILDINGS

items to help set the scene - like the barrels and crates
(Mantic Games) or sleeping bags (WizKids) above.
Other times it might be just as easy to build a piece of
“set dressing” yourself to match your own style, like the
bounty board (pre-made from WizKids). There’s no “right
or wrong” way to do it, just whatever works best for you
and your build.

177
 Building the Upper Floors
The look and feel of many fantasy buildings is based on
late medieval architecture, but exaggerated quite a bit.
The central roof beam is often taller than in reality, the
overhang wider, and (if you are daring enough) there are
often a lot of complex additions. This inn not only has the
common room on the ground floor, but rooms for guests
on the upper floors.
The attic of this building is enormous and rather than
fill it with more guest rooms, I decided it would have
been the home of some nefarious cult leader, a place
where unsuspecting travelers could be lured, captured,
and sacrificed to dark gods.
Whilst most miniatures will never need to climb to the
upper floors during a game, it’s important for a consistent
look and feel that they have the space to do so. The overall
construction was from 5mm foamboard and, although there
was a general plan, elements were tweaked as floors and
walls were dryfitted. Complex elements such as staircases
and chimneys were assumed to have been originally built in
the corner that burned down. Dormer windows and oriels
(the windows that stick out from upper floors) add extra
character and can also provide sniping positions for models
armed with bows or crossbows.

178
Thin balsawood strips were used to create the timbering
on the exterior. Balsawood is very easy to cut into varying
lengths and adheres incredibly well to the foamboard with
a thin layer of PVA. The flooring was made in the same
way as the ground floor, with enough overhang to hide the
foamboard substructure.

Thatching your Roof

There are a number of different ways to create the
appearance of a straw-thatched roof: scraping texture into
foam, scraping texture into clay, and even bundling brush
bristles into bundles and gluing them onto a substructure
(although that sounds pretty time-consuming).
One of the more popular ways to go about it is to use faux
fur – AKA teddy bear fur – combed and glued in such a way
to give the impression of the volume and texture of an
actual thatched roof.
The first thing to do is to create the substructure of the roof.
The thin cardboard of a cereal box is ideal, since it can be
bent to match the curves of the walls/eaves. It is important
to get your faux fur sheeting cut as close to the roof shape
as possible at this early stage, so use the cardboard
substructure as a template to trace round.
When you are buying your teddy bear fur, it’s a good
idea to get it by visiting a physical store, if you can.
Faux fur comes in a number of different lengths, and
you can’t get a clear idea of how long it might be when
shopping online. Not to worry, you can give it a haircut
if you need to.
Once the faux fur has been cut out and checked against the
roof substructure for fit, it can be trimmed (if the individual
strands happen to be too long) and combed to reduce
the amount of fur you have to deal with. Then you need to
glue it down. Hot glue is perfect for this, as it will bond well
to both the underside of the fur and the cardboard roof
substructure. When the glue is set, comb the fur again.
Whilst you could use any sort of comb, the best kind is
known as a “nit comb”, used for combing nits (head lice
in the U.S.) out of hair, because the teeth are very close
together and give a more realistic texture. (It’s the ultimate
“fine-toothed comb”.)
The next stage is perhaps the messiest, but is also the most
BUILDINGS

important. Paint the fur with thinned PVA glue (1:1 ratio of
water to PVA). Make sure the glue goes all the way through
to the roof substructure, and all of the fur receives some of
the thinned PVA. With the fur soaked in glue, comb it with
the nit comb again, to give the fur the texture and feel of
bundles of thatch. As you comb, some of the water/glue
mix will drip out, so do it over old newspaper or something
that can be easily cleaned up. Once the glue has dried
completely, tidy up the edges with a pair of scissors.

179
 Painting the Ruined Inn
Sometimes large structures can seem very daunting to
paint. Much like any project, however, it’s just a matter of
breaking things down into stages. The upper floors here
were addressed either as part of the exterior walls, or the
thatched roof, or the interior. Basecoating was applied to
these three sections as follows: the interior was sprayed
with black, the roof with a mid-grey, and the exterior with
an off-white.
The exterior surface was then washed with a mid-brown, to
give some colour to the shadows on the daubed panels.
Texture was added to the panels, using a stippling technique
with a sturdy round brush for the base colours and
highlights. The timbering was washed with a dark brown/grey
mix, designed to bring out the grain of the timber and give it
a weathered feel. More weathering was added with grey and
green washes splashed and streaked along the lower edges
of the panels.
The thatched roof was washed with a desaturated green to
give it a feel of creeping rot and decay, and then, once that
was dry, the thatching was drybrushed with a light grey.
The interior was painted to match the ground floor common
room, with the floorboards receiving a couple of grey
drybrushes to accentuate the weathering of this previously
unexposed wood.
Although the inn as a whole survived the fire, it was not
without damage. To show the effects of the flames, smoke,
and soot, black paint was airbrushed around the windows,
the edges of the floors, and piles of rubble on the ground.
Finally, the grasswork was added to the base and some
scenic products were used to give extra volume, like the
brambles sprouting from the rubble and the ivy climbing up
the outside of the ruins.

You can use wet teabags, coffee grounds, or instant coffee wrapped in paper towel (like I’ve done here) to stain
some printer paper that gives you a color just perfect for old or weathered parchment. ‘Wanted’ posters and pages
from newspapers are great for adding that ramshackle look just perfect for post-apocalyptic sci-fi AND fantasy!

180
181
BUILDINGS
 SCI-FI INDUSTRIAL CITY
Urban warfare has long been a brutal thing. Streets and
buildings provide lots of effective cover, and the result is
grim, close quarters combat. Buildings, more than any other
terrain feature, are the things that evoke the time period
or genre setting for our wargaming, so it makes sense that
many science fiction games take place in a futuristic
urban setting.
When planning your sci-fi urban table, consider what may
be the key, or strategic objectives. What are your soldiers
going to be fighting over? It could be the hab blocks or city
parks, but often it will be the industrial areas rich in valuable
resources like fuel or technology.
When you are working out what structures you want in
your urban terrain set, you’ll find lots of useful cover in
the industrial areas. Start with those first and you can
always add more residential and leisure areas later.

Working with Modular Urban Tiles

Modern or Sci-Fi cities are best adapted to modular tiles
as you can easily apply “the grid” to them. Repetition and
consistency of measurements are key, and breaking from
the grid must be deliberate and will create a feature.
The two tiles shown here will be part of a larger set, initially
creating a 3'x2' board for Warhammer 40,000: Kill Team
games, so it’s important to present the parameters up front:
• All tiles to be built on these sturdy MDF boxes
• 25mm (1") XPS foam to be used on the surface
• Half to two-thirds of tiles will include a 3.5" road on one
or two sides
• Any pipework connections to be at the edge centre (6")
At this point you could also layout the specifics of paint
schemes and other material choices, such as the 150-grit
sandpaper used for the roads, for example.

182
Building a Blockhouse
To give the impression of layers of poured concrete,
bunkers or blockhouses are best constructed from XPS
foam, but in a pinch, layers of foamboard can also be used.
This blockhouse was cut from a layer of 25mm (1") foam,
and the spacers between the vision slits were cut from a
10mm thick sheet.
To help the industrial feel, the building was lined with
sections of sheet styrene, including one with a diamond-
plate pattern for the floor. Whilst PVA could have been used
to attach the styrene to the XPS foam, hot glue was the
final choice.
Sometimes you are faced with a choice
of two apparently equal options, but
sometimes it turns out there’s a clear
winner. In this case hot glue not only
dried faster, but it created a more
permanent bond on a piece that might
see a lot of use. The only downside is
that you can’t apply hot glue without a hot glue gun!
After some filler was used to cover gaps and smooth out
some rough areas, a top and buttresses for the blockhouse
were cut from 25mm foam. Note: the blockhouse was not
attached to the tile just yet!

Assembling a Storage Tank

Whilst there are many excellent plastic kits that you can use
to make industrial elements like storage tanks and the like,
it’s always a lot of fun to “reuse” something that will also do
a great job. Make sure they’re thoroughly washed and dried
before you start gluing them down, though!
The concrete blockhouse and several low walls were already
planned for the tiles, so it made sense that the drink can
would be embedded in or resting on concrete structures.
These were carefully cut from 25mm XPS foam and the can
was then hot glued into place.
Sometimes as you are building, a little bit of inspiration
can strike. Keep an eye out for those moments so that
you can follow your muse, as long as it doesn’t derail
BUILDINGS

you completely. On this build I wanted to make sure

this storage tank wasn’t simply a large, line-of-sight
blocking piece of terrain.
The storage tank was given a bit of additional use by
incorporating two elements from the bits box. The laser-cut
MDF panel would make a great observation/sniper platform
and the ladder would be the way models could access it.
These elements were not glued down to make it easier for
painting them later on.

183
 Dry-fitting, gluing, and battle damage
When you are building modular pieces, dry-fitting and scale
checking is very important. There’s no point in defining the
parameters for a modular set, if you don’t stick to them. The
best idea is to lay out all your elements, slide them around,
and adjust arrangements until they fit perfectly. Once you
have them in the right spot, trace around them carefully so
that you know where they are going to be glued.
Only after you’ve defined where everything needs to go,
should you start gluing things down. PVA is going to be best
for gluing XPS to XPS, and hot glue for any plastic to XPS
bonds. Give all the glues the time they need to dry properly
before applying the battle damage.
This is the point where it’s really important to have
patience. Seeing it all come together and then wanting
to race ahead to the craters and so on can be really
exciting. Stop. Glue everything down at the end of your
session, so the glue time has plenty of time to dry
before you resume work.
At this stage, all of the “concrete” elements were given a
little bit of a trim along the edges, replacing any sharp edges
with a slight bevel. This made it less likely that the texture
filler, to be applied later, would be accidentally knocked off.
The craters were initially cut out with a snap-off knife, then
some areas were dug out a little deeper with the sharp end
of a sculpting tool, and irregular chunks were cut from the
concrete walls.

Stability on Vertical Elements

The vertical pipe on this build needed some additional securing to withstand the rigors of gameplay. I simply drilled
into the two connection points and glued in BBQ skewers that would help to keep everything in place. The pipes are
from Games Workshop’s Thermic Plasma Conduits set.

184
Building up the Texture
The next steps might seem a bit tricky as there’s a bit of
crossover between the build stage and the texturing stage.
Just keep thinking in terms of those two distinct stages, and
all will be well.
The final part of the building stage was the addition of some
DAS modeling clay to build up the edges of the craters, and
while that was drying, the filler texture was stippled onto
all the concrete structures, including the slab on which the
buildings and pipes were built.
As the DAS was drying, some larger stones (representing
chunks of concrete) were pushed into the clay and glued
into place. Once the DAS was dry, the rest of the groundwork
could be completed, starting with the application of the
larger grit and working through to the finer sand spread
around the craters and into the corners of the walls.
Any area like this will have a lot of tiny boots tramping
all over it, so it is important to make sure you apply that
final sealing coat of PVA to keep everything in place.

Painting the Basecoats

Putting basecoats down in a nice, solid fashion is the key
to a great foundation for the rest of your painting. When
you are working with a piece that includes the chaos of
destruction as well, you can really have some fun in starting
with a loose style.
First, the road was painted black, and then the concrete
painted grey. The foam surfaces were covered first with
acrylic paints, and then the other surfaces (inside the
blockhouse, the pipes, and the storage tank) were sprayed
with a mid-grey spray paint, both for speed and to maintain a
smooth surface.
Next, the craters were painted with a mid-brown, and then
patches of grey and brown were painted randomly around
them. The aim was to give everything a rough and chaotic
look, so a mix of these two colours was then stippled
around the base of the walls, where wind-blown debris
would gather, as well as over parts of the craters. At this
stage, everything looks a bit rough and ready, but it will all be
tied together by the drybrushing which comes next.
Next time you are out for walk, take a moment or two
to notice the variety of colours that make up everything
you see. The concrete path you walk on will have a
different tone from block to block, and a painted brick
wall will look different from different angles. Replicating
this in your terrain building will add loads of realism!
BUILDINGS

185
 Bringing out the Textures
It is amazing how much a quick drybrush can tie everything
together. All of the elements (road, concrete, and craters)
were given a drybrush of a light grey to really pick out the
texture and provide more depth. Whilst each area has
its own colour and texture, the drybrushing ties them all
together well.
The pipes and other metal pieces were given a basecoat of
a dark bronze, and then drybrushed with a gun metal, to pick
out the textures and surface details on them. To add some
visual interest, certain parts were painted with a bright,
brassy colour.
The storage tank (and the hatch on the other side of the
wall) was sprayed with an off-white, to help it stand out a
little from the surrounding concrete. This also helps the
rusty weathering to stand out a bit more.

186
 DETAILED WEATHERING - RUST
Most painting is done with water-based paints and
products, but occasionally, you’ll get better results if
you use some oil-based paints. This storage tank was
first given some dark brown patches, using a sponge,
to suggest areas where the paint might have suffered
damage and been scraped off. After that, the piece was
given a coat of a spray varnish to protect it from the next
set of products.
When the varnish was dry, some oil-based, rust-coloured
pigments were applied to the scuffed areas with an old
paintbrush, and left to sit for a few minutes. Then, using
a brush dipped in white spirits (mineral spirits), the rust
pigment was dragged downwards, to create the effect of
streaking rust.

Adding the Final Details

With the final painting and drybrushing done, the final details
could be added - some weathering, grasswork, and puddles.
In addition to the detailed rust streaks on the storage
tank, some other rain streaks and rust stains were added,
mostly around the corners of the walls, and running down
from battle damage and exposed rebar. Rather than use
the oil-based products described above, thinned acrylics
were painted on in several layers to give the impression of a
buildup of weathering.
As the piece was very desaturated – all browns and greys
– some bright green tufts were used to give a little “pop”
to the tiles. Once glued down, these were given a quick
drybrush of a bone colour to knock back the saturation.
Finally, the craters were given the “muddy puddles”
treatment. Several thin layers of Realistic Water mixed with
a green ink were applied, making sure to brush the edges of
the meniscus to pull the surface out into the sand texture.
Everything we’ve learned over the course of this book,
from uses of different materials and techniques to
specific planning decisions and detailed methods, has
been applied to each of the feature builds for these
BUILDINGS

chapters. If something you are planning to build seems

daunting, know that all you need to do is take your
time, break it down into smaller chunks, and then...
crack on!
THE SKY’S THE LIMIT!
When creating your buildings, the regular limitations still apply – purpose, materials, costs, build space, transport, storage –
but otherwise your imagination can take you to the most wonderful civilizations and societies, whether they’re from history,
the creation of someone else, or from the depths of your own creativity. As Terrainiacs, we regularly explore amazing worlds.
Give your creativity the space to build something awesome and the sky’s the limit!

187
WORKING WITH KITS Mel’s Deep
Thoughts
MDF, PLASTIC, AND CARDBOARD
Commercially available building kits are a great way to get high-detail, large features on the tabletop relatively quickly, helping
you to bridge the gap between basic scenic work and more involved buildings work. Kits often allow a small collection of
buildings to be made, but for maximum usability and cost benefit, it’s a good idea to combine them with other scratchbuilt
buildings to expand your number of pieces and increase your level of detail.

KITS CAN GET YOU STARTED MDF TERRAIN

If you’re short of time, building kits can be great. But MDF is one of the most commonly used materials in
they can also stand out on the tabletop as obvious kits - commercially available kits. Terrain manufacturers have
especially if you use them without any customisation. You pushed the limits of the technology to create kits that range
can enhance pre-made buildings and make them more from ancients to grimdark science fiction. Regardless of the
unique by adding scratch-built pieces and bits from other manufacturer, there are a few common approaches to be
kits. An effective approach with flat kits made from MDF or taken when constructing MDF kits:
cardboard, is to add some texture or curves.
• Wipe any laser-burn residue off the MDF sheets with a
Bases are an excellent way to increase the size of the piece, damp cloth. The residue can soak through paint and affect
bumping up the footprint of the kit and allowing you to add the colour. This is particularly noticeable with light colours
other elements and features. Putting your building kits on and on pieces to be snowed up.
bases also makes it much easier to tie them into pre-
• Dry fit the pieces before applying any glue.
existing collections and settings.
• During construction, to avoid PVA blobbing along the joins,
As Terrainiacs, we pride ourselves on being able to do
wipe them with a damp, fine-bristled brush or sponge.
it all from scratch, but it doesn’t always have to be
that way. Commercially available kits typically provide • Use clamps, rubber bands, or even magnets whilst your
some substantial benefit like saving time, being more assembled kit dries.
durable, creating a consistent look, or sometimes all
Due to the nature of the material, MDF kits are typically
of the above. Whenever you get the opportunity, take a
very flat with sharp angles. The addition of rounded
look at these kits and think about how they might make
features such as barrels, pipes, and round chimneys
your life easier.
can dramatically increase realism.

188
Unprimed Kits Pre-Primed Kits
Almost all MDF kits come in “raw” form, where nothing has There are a couple of MDF terrain manufacturers who supply
been done to the sheets of MDF before they go into the kits ready-primed in a particular set of colours. These kits
laser cutter. Raw MDF can absorb an incredible amount of are designed for gamers who want something they can
water and, therefore, thinned acrylic paint. Before you apply assemble and use straight away, and these are great for
any basecoat, it’s a great idea to seal the MDF; use spray that. However, they also provide an opportunity to spend the
primer, hair spray, PVA glue, Mod Podge, or a matt varnish. time saved on priming, to add a greater level of realism.
Colour primers, with colour-matched acrylics, are great For instance, you could:
for spraying individual sheets before construction. Painted
COMMERCIAL KITS

• Fill in the gaps around the tabs used for assembly. This will
sheets can be also drybrushed, detailed, and washed before
give a smoother look across detailed surfaces.
assembly. Elements of the example on the opposite page
were sprayed with Fur Brown (from The Army Painter), and • Paint shadows and highlights to give a more three-
a bone-coloured spray, before they were assembled dimensional look to some of the flatter surfaces.
and detailed.
• Add weathering and other details. Things like layers of dirt,
Some manufacturers add extra layers of material to create creeping vines, cracked plaster, and other debris will help
depth, and you can increase the effect by exaggerating create a “real world” feel.
the shading and the highlights, much like on the example
Put these kits on a base and add details to match the
building. By using a mix of washing and stippling techniques,
setting to create some wonderful feature pieces in
the roof has been given a distinctive, textured appearance.
your collection.

189
PLASTIC TERRAIN Combining plastic with other materials
There is a growing number of plastic terrain kits available, Sometimes you might want to add a doorway to a cliff face,
too, not only for fantasy and sci-fi settings but also for or show the way out of a dungeon through a burial mound.
historical gaming. Plastic kits, on the whole, are very With so many plastic kit options available, it’s quite easy to
detailed and therefore can save an incredible amount of blend things together. Just remember:
time on a build. Of course, this time-saving comes at a price.
• Plastic glue is obviously best for gluing polystyrene pieces
Making large, intact structures can be expensive, and it is
together, but gel superglues are the best for gluing them to
sometimes better to look at ways to integrate the detailing
most other materials, except foam. A latex glue, thick PVA,
into your large scratchbuilds.
or hot glue creates the best adhesion between plastic
The detailed surfaces of plastic terrain kits means that and foam.
they can be painted up very quickly. It’s best to use spray
• Plastic pieces should be spray primed before the build
primers and, depending on the colour scheme you’ve
stage, if you plan to combine them with foam or other
chosen, zenithal priming can be very effective (priming with
materials that it’s not safe to use aerosols on.
a dark colour first, then priming from overhead with a lighter
colour). Softer plastics sometimes react strangely with • Recycled plastics are a great resource for creating
spray primer and become tacky, so it’s best to brush prime additional details, but flexible bottles and other “bendy”
them first. plastics need internal support to help prevent the material
from flexing, causing the paint to flake off the finished piece.
Pre-wash plastics in soapy water and rinse thoroughly
Alternatively, you can reduce the risk of flaking by using
to remove any remaining release agent (used to help
these materials in more protected areas of your build, where
eject the plastic from its mould) and avoid it messing
they are less likely to be subject to any bending, twisting, or
up the priming/paint stage.
impact. This was the approach with the straws/pipes in the
Once you’ve primed the kit, it’s best to use drybrushing and/ example above.
or washes to bring out as much detail as possible. These
As with fully scratchbuilt pieces, planning is key. Time
are both quick techniques, and shouldn’t take much time
spent thinking things through before you start building
at all.
is never wasted, and may save you a lot of heartache
and complicated fixes later.

190
CARDBOARD TERRAIN
One other type of commercially available kit is cardboard
terrain. These kits are definitely designed to add
some ‘cheap and cheerful’ scenery to your tabletop.
Manufacturers like Battle Systems produce a wide variety
of slot together kits that are essentially, sturdy, punch-out,
cardboard pieces, printed with very detailed artwork. At
arms’ length, they can look like incredibly detailed builds,
but they’re actually very easy to assemble. In many ways
they are similar to MDF kits, although not as sturdy or
durable. They are, however, cheaper and easier to turn
into a finished piece.
Here are a few suggestions to get the most out of your
cardboard terrain:
• Use coloured Sharpies to colour the white edges of the
cardboard, disguising the nature of their construction.
• Run some thin super glue along the edges to give a
tougher edge that will hold up to more use.
• Add some smaller bits (plastic or wood, depending on the
genre) to help break up the flat panels and give larger panels
more rigidity.
• Accentuate the depths and highlights on the printed art
with some weathering and washes.
• Adding bases to your pieces will both improve durability,
and help tie them in with the rest of your collection.
Cardboard terrain pieces are the easiest to combine
with each other. Take your sci-fi bits and glue them to
post-apocalyptic pieces for a grungy, shanty town look!

COMMERCIAL KITS

191
 FINAL THOUGHTS
When Mel and I first discussed putting together a book
about building terrain, we brainstormed at least a dozen
different ways that we could present a lot of varied
information. For hours we threw around ideas, explored
formats, and wrestled with the best ways to present it all.
In the end we decided on a format that is, in our minds at
least, very efficient.
In this book, Mel unloads his decades of knowledge about
building wargaming terrain, from the first steps – planning
– through the informational foundations – materials and
techniques – and then on to the practical applications.
Each chapter builds on the lessons learned in the previous
chapters without going over the same old ground every step
of the way (there are some exceptions, of course, but not
too many). Mel has covered all of the essential information
(as it “says on the tin”) and when you embark on your larger
projects, you’ll be incredibly confident you can find your way,
with everything you need to know in these pages.
It has been a long road to get to this final form, this Terrain
Essentials book you are holding, a road filled with obstacles
and detours, but we’re so very grateful for the patience and
kind words of all of our wonderful Kickstarter supporters
who made this journey possible – the glorious Terrainiacs
who have been here from the beginning. We’re very proud
of this tome and we hope it will be everything you expected
and more.
Thank you all!
– Dave Taylor, Publisher
Dave Taylor Miniatures
TERRAINIACS’ ROLL OF HONOUR
THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO SUPPORTED US
In March and April of 2019, Mel Bose and Dave Taylor ran a Kickstarter campaign to help fund
the creation of this very book - Terrain Essentials. They figured they would have some support,
and that the project would be funded. They were not quite prepared by the amazing support they
received, with over 5,000 Terrainiacs stepping up to make it all a reality. It is these supporters (and more) who are listed here.

[PSK]Amonchakai Adam Fenerty Adriana Damiani

@dakkawaaagh13 Adam Gibson Adrift
@LuckyBobC Adam M. Gow Ads (Sidetracked) Lewis
10X Labs Adam Gray Aga Memnon
2ndHandFlannel Adam Harrison AGOMAGO (Marco Agostani)
A Phillips Adam Horton Ahmad Basir Omar
A. Hunt Adam L Johnston Aidan T. Jennings
A. J. Jenner Adam K. Ainsty Castings
A. Motolko Adam Manca Airon L. Gallegos
A. Soonekindt Adam Marafioti Aitealeeso
A.E. Hellstorm Adam Martian “Skullcrusher206” AJ
AAAA Adam Matera AJ Finch
Aardvarkdawn Adam McArdle AJ Rand
Aaron & Bonita Adam McDaniel AJ Smith
Aaron from Cool Guys Nation Adam Miklaszewski AJC (Australia)
Aaron Adams Adam Munton Akalak Yimw
Aaron Bono Adam Peters-Jazdziewski Akito Inoue
Aaron Cochran Adam Reeves Al Kusanagi
Aaron “Kablaq” Farrington Adam & Finn Reynolds Al Revere
Aaron Forderer Adam “RazorMind” Rios Al Saunders
Aaron Fortner Adam Robinson Alain Denis
Aaron Hillan Adam Russman Alan
Aaron Huslig Adam Seager Alan Borthwick
Aaron Marshall Adam “Go Bears!” Sena Alan Brown
Aaron McKay Adam Siegel Alan Buckmaster
Aaron Morgan Adam te Velde Alan Candler
Aaron P. Adam Ward Alan Charlesworth
Aaron Paul Adam H. Westby Alan Croot
Aaron “Foxtrot” Ree Adam Wosnitza Alan Goodenough
Aaron Riutta Adam York Alan Hagan
Aaron Rucker Adaminski41 Alan Johnston
Aaron “Horrorshow” Schmidt Adan “Black Sword” Tejada Alan Macfarlane of the STA&MRly
Aaron Stogner Ade Roberts Alan McCulloch
Aaron Tinnin Adept Opaque Alan McKenzie
Aarron Nicholls Adie Russell Alan Paul Henry
acalabrea AdmiralAndy Alan Purdy
ACE Adrian Appleyard Alan Salmassian
Ace Histoli Adrian Johnson Alaric Cantonain
Adam J. Alderman Adrian McIntyre Alaric D.
Adam Bienvenu (The Dice Abide) Adrian Oxford Alasdair Coutts
Adam Cresswell Adrian Playle Alasdhair McMillan
Adam Davis Adrián Rivero Iglesias Alastair Nicholls
Adam Faeth Adrian Sorge Albert Plana

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Albert Stefano Alexander Ludlam Andreas Granander
Alberto Albi Biffi Alexander Mader Andreas Gruber
Alberto Vela Luis Alexander Salvadori Andreas Harrison
Aleksandr Hewitt Alexander “BlueRonin” Sawyer Andreas L.
Aleksandr Pushkarev Alexander G. Scriven Andreas Nilsson
Alessandro Alexander Vrtis Andres Roberto Meza Rivera
Alex Alexander White Andrew
Alex Boks Alexander Willoughby Andrew Beesley
Alex Calhoun Alexandra Sukeforth Andrew Blakemore
Alex Campbell Alexandre Mayr Andrew Bowersock
Alex B. Cranfield Alfonso Garcia Perez Andrew Bowles
Alex Cutler Alfonz Towers Andrew C.
Alex D. Alfredo Di Monte Andrew C. Thompson
Alex Freshman Alfredo Ramirez Andrew Chesney
Alex Friedrich Algosuk Andrew Clarkson
Alex Gandara Alikhturba Andrew Coach Jashyn
Alex Gluck Alistair Collins Andrew Cook
Alex Hey Alistair Currie Andrew Cross
Alex Holmes Alistair Osborne Andrew Crossley
Alex Hunter Alivanth Andrew Dale
Alex Ingram Allan Andrew “The Mountain” Davis
Alex Jelley
Allan Johansen Andrew Detmer
Alex Kain
Allan Luesink Andrew DiCosola
Alex Kanous
Allan Rodda Andrew Dursum
Alex Kentopp
Allan Roper Andrew Dyer
Alex Lacalle
Allen “Boltgun” Blount III Andrew Eckford
Alex MacLeod
Allen D. Ervin Andrew Fernandez
Alex McDonough
Allen Halverson Andrew Fitzgerald
Alex McKechnie
Allen Henderson Andrew J. Franke
Alex “Panda” Mullenger
Allen Waddell, aka Grand Wazoo Andrew Frantz
Alex W. Netten
Ally Arrowood Andrew Giliberto
Alex Roberts
AlohaMilton Andrew Gilmartin
Alex Scott
Alun Price Andrew Godden
Alex Selth
Alyssa Faden Andrew Gosling
Alex W. Smith
Amanda Groves :) Andrew Green
Alex Sotheran
- stormofsteelwargaming.com Amanda Jansen Andrew RJ Hart
Alex Speight Amberdon Andrew “Hamlet of Hommlet” Hellyer
Alex Sum Ame Allen Andrew Howard
Alex “Bear” Turkington Amida Andrew Jay
Alex Wareham amonkeyonfire Andrew Kolb
Alex Williams Ancientsound Andrew Lea
Alexander Alcazar Jšnsson Anders Edqvist Andrew Leahy
Alexander Alsén Anders Kjøgx Andrew Macpherson
Alexander Barker Anders Nikolaisen Andrew James McDole
Alexander Brethouwer Anders Olsson Andrew McG
Alexander Collins Anders Årman Andrew Nichols
Alexander Haynes Anders Strömstedt Andrew M. Nicolaou
Alexander Heldt Jr. Anderson Beames Andrew P.
Alexander Keck Andre J. Andrew Parziale
Alexander Koller Andre Kießelbach Andrew Purves
Alexander Lachwitz Andrea Della Valle Antonj Andrew Rutherford
Alexander Lambert Andreas Debus Andrew Sanchez Meador
Alexander Lucard Andreas Dominowski Andrew Scholl

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Andrew Sharratt Anthony Firlds Artur Sek
Andrew Shchyolok Anthony Gascoigne Arukimawaru
Andrew Simmons Anthony Hinton Arwen Torrent
Andrew Steer Anthony Kirkpatrick Ash
Andrew Walliker Anthony Li Ash Trigg
Andrew Yelland-McClure Anthony Magro Ashley Advena
Andrew Zucker Anthony Meekings Ashley Eaton
Andrey Rudkov Jr. Anthony Plato Ashley Rudd
Andy Anthony J. Rice Ashley Sutton
Andy “BopH” Barber Colonel (Ret) Anthony Skubi Aske Emil Bregendahl
(aka Guardian 6)
Andy Bartlett Åsmund Austenå Løvdal
Anthony Somphanith
Andy Beard Athaney Jacobs.
Anthony John Tyler
Andy “Chosenman” Blake Aurora
Anthony Viera
Andy Burton Austin J DeBaene
Anthony “Gus” Walker
Andy Carter Avf
Anthony Wall
Andy Christalon Aviad “Splinter” Madar
Anthony Watts
Andy D. Axel “Astar” PERRET
Anthony J. Webb
Andy Delve Axel Péju
Antinea
Andy DeVeaux Azyris
Antonio J. Carrasco
Andy & Debbi Dickinson B Mozzer
Antonio Montenegro
Andy Duffell B. Dahle
Antonio Relos
Andy “Grawly” Findlow B. Hoxworth
Antonius Schulze-Besseling
Andy Gill and Shayla Williams B. Kingston
Antony Green
Andy Hart B. Nunez, II
Antony Spencer
Andy Hobday B. Pressly
Antti “Halkomahooli” Arajärvi
Andy Mudge B. Webb
Apathy Ales
Andy Mun B.A.
Apollo and Krage
Andy Peck B.Stephens
apolloxer
Andy Pierson Babiuszek
Apostolos
Andy Roalfe Badger
Arcforge - Jeffrey Benson
Andy Robertson BadgerLovingFluffster
Arch DeLux
Andy Ross Baggio Piero
Arch Fiend
Andy “Ruckdog” Rucker Archania’s Workshop, LLC Balgrim Silberfaust
Andy Sipes Archie Roberts Balrogjohn Schmitt
Andy Skinner Aric Jorn Barbart
Andy Smith Arik “The Raider” Aslanyan Barrett
Andy Thompson Arkamuz the Fallen Barrie MacDonald
Andy M. Young Armen Aslanian Barry Imber
AndyD Arnaud de Villeneuve Barry M.
Angel May Arne Kreutzmann Barry Maunsell
Angel Sanchez Arne Nicklas Barry Scarlett
Angelique Bosch Arno Bart
Angus Blues Aron Tonkin Bart Kersteter
Angus Haynes Arpanilla Bart Van Kerckhove
Ann Arran Carney Bartacus
Anna Dickson Arren John Reich Bartosz “Brathac” Bruziak
Anna G. Art Ang Bastian Bingel
Anna Serfass Art Gibbs Bastian Offenhauser
Anne Vetillard Arthenius Bastian “Abyshaii” Vogelsberger
Anonymous Arthur “Hutch” Hutchinson Battle Kiwi
Anonymouse Arthur Bowers Battlebunkerblog.com
Ant Loughlin Arthur Chance Baxtdraft
Ant Sharman Artur “nekho” Siupik Baz

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Bear Mackay Benjamin Ryan Bo Hayward
BeardedBrigand Benjamin Seibert Bo Lind
Beardy Dave Benjamin Soe Bo Rasmussen
Beardy Hammer Benjamin Szczypek Bob Green
Beau Sutton and Pascal van Pul Benjamin Weisert & Kristal Smith Bob Harrison
Bebiti Benn Hart Bob Newis
Ben Abbott Benny Åkerblom Bob Ramshaw
Ben Block Benny Michielsen Bob the Fool
Ben Bogle, DNP Benoit Demers Boba Fresh
Ben Boutwell Benoit Groulx Bobbo Kanon
Ben Carr Benson Green Bobby Deibler
Ben Chapple Bent E. K. Lindow Bobby Young
Ben Clewer BER Bobbyaanland
Ben Dinsmore Bernard Cammans BobbyG
Ben Dumont Bernard Savage BobR
Ben Hollingshurst BernardoGui bocage
Ben Knotts Bernd Ledig Boe Langless
Ben “Kugelfang” Krueger BeStHa Bomac
Ben Kuehn BethanyCai Boneio
Ben Markham Bibo&Zoom BonusWavePilot
Ben McMurray Big Ben at 4Ground Booyah
Ben Middleton Big John Borbarad
Ben “Mordye” Moss Big Mek Danskull borbuta
Ben Moss Bigfoot Borchsenius
Ben Nelson BigLee Borderguy190
Ben P. Bill Bennett Boris Poehlmann
Ben Rippin Bill Carney Bossman
Ben Sennitt Bill Castello (Rolling Bad Podcast) Bovier Jean-Francois
Ben “Melchett” Short Bill Crowley Bowlzee
Ben Short Bill French boxcarmj432
Ben Smythe Bill Jennings Boyd Atkinson
Ben Snow Bill Kaplan Brad Brauser
Ben Sornat Bill Kohn Brad Jimenez
Ben Stehn Bill Pressly Brad Kim
Ben Thompson Bill Schmidt Brad Ludwig
Ben Towse Bill Treadwell Brad Minchin
Ben van Buul Bill Yon Brad Sanders
Ben Walsh Billy Goodman Brad Shandera
Ben Warner Billy Pistole Brad Thornton
Ben Waxman Billz55 Brad Williamson
Ben White Biv@cco Vicenza Bradley Biggar
Ben Wilson Björn Asklöf Brady K.
Ben Wooding Blackoth Brandon
Benedict Peter Blake ‘Blakesby’ Canham-Bennett Brandon Barnes
Bengt Wickstrom Blake Crane Brandon Bickford
Benjamin Buxton Blake Dawson Brandon Bretz
Benjamin Checota Blake Duysen Brandon Chamberlain
Benjamin Clarke Blake Huffman Brandon Corrente
Benjamin Dusenbery Blake Shrode Brandon K.
Benjamin Hegtvedt Blakey Brandon Landin
Benjamin Kastberg Kristensen Blame The Dice Brandon M.
Benjamin Klingler Bleb Brandon F. Roper
Benjamin Knoll Blessedkn Bransen A.

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Brasstoof ‘Ope Killa Brian Norquist Bryce Eise
BreadAvengr Brian Pianalto Bryce Simonton
Bremer Brian Reginald Welch bubber
Bren Flynn Brian Rollmann, DVM Bump Olson
Bren Matthews @SeekRevengeGaming Brian Rosenberger Burkhard S.
Brendan Dee Brian Russom Burkhard Schuett
Brendan Fraser Brian Shean Buzz Kettering
Brendan Hickey Brian Smith of MWH BuzzMoo
Brendan Rowlands Brian & Lisa Sobb Byron Spindlecake
Brendan Toliver Brian Towers Byron te Velde (Company of Dice)
Brennan A. Bylsma Brian Weaver Byung-ju Kim
Brennos Brian White C Budworth
Brent Broden Brian Wright C Hartford
Brent Grolla BrianMap C. Scott Kippen
Brent Oman Bridges C.A. Tokay
Brent Overman Bridz C.Smith
Brent Sims Brigitte & Peter Timmers Caesar
Brent Sinclair Brill Caine Horr
Brett Adams Briocherl Caine75
Brett Dawson BBnB Games Brochimari Caitlyn B.
Brett Ellis Broken Spirit Wargames Caki
Brett Houlber Bron The Bear Cale Baguley

Brett Murawski Brooks Flugaur-Leavitt Caleb Hearth

Caliban Q.
Brett Percy BROteam
Callum Freeman
Brett Sullivan Bruce & Suzanne
Callum Robley Tea Powered Projects
Brian Baker, USA Bruce Clegg
Cally W. Harper
Brian Ballard Bruce Gulke
Calusifa
Brian Bart Bruce Lammers
Calvin Theodore Alvarez
Brian Bearly Bruce Meyer
Cam Robbins
Brian Benoit Bruce Miller
Cameron Atwill
Brian Bosch Bruce Montgomery
Cameron Kennett
Brian Brinegar Bruce L. Wehrle
Candice Rigby
Brian C. Bruenor316
Cap’n G
Brian Carlson BruHa81
Capt. Alan Briggs, CS Army
Brian Ching Brumbpo Tungus (as played by Keiran Fallon)
Brian H. Collins Bruno de Kort Capt. Conscript
Brian E. Connolly Bruno Marcon Car
Brian Davenport Brushforhire Carey Massey
Brian Davis BrutalisDK og Gunnar Hansen Carissa
Brian Dowd Bryan at Ocala Garrison Carl Anvell
Brian Q. Dowling Bryan Baker Carl G Blood
Brian English Bryan K. Borgman Carl Presnall
Brian Farrens Bryan Carter Carl Sinclair
Brian Grabowski Bryan L. Danner Carl Smith
Brian Gute Bryan Harrington Carl Stabler
Brian Hall Bryan Horrocks Carl Ti
Brian Hefling Bryan Marshall Carl Tuttle
Brian Houle Bryan Scott Carl V. Tuttle Jr.
Brian Hubbard Bryan Wade Carl Wills-Wood
Brian Kilgore Bryan Wyatt Carle Bellemare
Brian Maphar BryanJ Carlos Manuel Luna (War&Rol)
Brian Messier Bryant McCracken Caroline Wilson
Brian Newberry Bryce “Themodalnodes” Collins Carrick Petrosand

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Carsten Luxhoj-Pedersen Chris B. & Jens H. Chris Navta
Carsten Rahbek Chris Bainbridge Chris Ng
Casey Chris Berger Chris Nicholls (Macrocosm Miniatures)
Casey J. Boone Chris Bergman Chris O.
Casey Kerton Chris Bewsey aka Different Gear TV Chris O’Connor
Cassidy Edwards Chris Borer Chris O’Hare
Cay Blomqvist Chris (100 on Mel’s Wall) Britton Chris “Hidalgo” O’Reilly
ccarreer Chris (Antiquitas) Brixey Chris O’Reilly
Cecil H. Tulloch Chris Bryant Chris Page
Cedric Balmat Chris Carlson Chris Page
Cedric D. Chris Catling Chris Payne
Cédric REMY aka IGRO Chris Chown Chris Pemebrton
Cello Chris Clutter Chris “Chloe” Pittelko
César Solis Chris Collett Chris Poon
Cesc Torrens Chris Congemi Chris Porche
Cevin Stewart Chris Davies Chris Rakowski
Chachi Chris de Haan Chris Reynolds
Chad R. Hanneman Chris P Duck Chris “2Sheds” Robins
Chad Lynch Chris Eggers Chris Robinson
Chad “Komabai” Mauch Chris Fieldman Chris Scruton
Chad Patrick Chris FiztPatrick Chris Shakespear
Chad Thornton Chris Flint Chris Smith
Chappatrak Chris Gallivan Chris Snyder
Chappy Chris Gilbride Chris Spotts
Charles Edwards Chris Grainger Chris Sprules
Charles Feduke Chris Guniss Chris Stapleton
Charles Dirk Flaherty Chris Hall Chris Steadman
Charles Hodges Chris Hambrick Chris Stoesen
Charles M. Chris Harris Chris Streets
Charles A. McKellar Chris Heismann Chris Swartzell
Charles Martin Chris Herbert-Cook Chris Thompson
Charles Myers Chris Hogan Chris Thornhill
Charles Nelson Chris Holland Chris Tucker 261
Charles Rat Chris Hurt Chris Visser
Charles C. Smith Chris Keimig Chris W.
Charles V. Wuchner Chris Kessler Chris Walker
Charlie Chris King Chris Waller
Charlie Bijmans Chris Koch Chris Ward
Chaucer Chris Koncheck Chris “Chrash” Welsh
Chaz Sexington Chris Ladleif Chris Wilkes
Chazjunk Chris Laumonnerie Chris “Bill” Williams
Cheese Chris Layfield @LayfieldPaints Chris Zanella
Chester K. Barn Chris Leyba ChrisC
Chicago Dice Chris “Crisp Mini” Loomis ChrisG
Chip Brenner Chris Lupton ChrisL
Chip Conroy Chris M. Christian “Moping GuineaPig”
Chloe, Caitlyn, and David Selby Chris Mangelli Christian Augst
Chris Chris Marler Christian Bedard
Chris “Chuckles” Alfano Chris Martin Christian “Caroon” Caron
Chris Ansell Chris McArdle Christian Dohrn
Chris Archer Chris McCombs Christian Glock
Chris Ashton Chris “Cmike” Michael Christian Graser
Chris Avery Chris Milne Christian Gräßl

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Christian Haslecker Claire Darkrose Harpham Connor M. Thomas
Christian Haupt Clara Frigg Conor Boyle
Christian Hinz Clark Ross Conor Todd
Christian Horazeck Clark Snyder Constantine Milhailovski
Christian Paul Johnson Claus Engel-Christensen Copperman
Christian Juventino Martin Claus Olesen Corey Chiasson
Christian Kuntz Claus Paludan Corey Lynch
Christian Levin Clay Jensen Corey T Wolff
Christian A. Nord Clayton Bolle III Corinna Clanton
Christian Otterbein Clayton Culwell Corki gm
Christian OMEGA Preuss Clayton Z Ziemer Cornwainer
Christian Richnow clero Cory Rosser, FNG represent
Christian Slattery Cliff Biram Couch
Christian Tiggemann Cliff Etters Couchman
Christian Torrent Cliff Villerot Cpt. Shandy
Christian Westendorf Clifford Mitchell Crafts & Minis
Christine Salter Clint Mallet Craig Adamson
Christo Marais-van Vuuren Clint Richards Craig Alexander
Christophe Bedeaux Clint Williams Craig Bartle
Christophe Soltner Clive Craig Girten
Christopher J. Adams Clive Waterhouse Craig Knott
Christopher B. Ahle Clover Craig Martin
Christopher Arvidsson CMedalis Craig McHugh
Christopher G. B. Cody Christensen-Knowles Craig Nicholls
Christopher Barker Cody Hughes Craig Olague
Christopher Be Cody Johannsen Craig Robertson
Christopher Cole Cody Krause Craig Sniffen
Christopher Deane Cody McGarity Craig T.
Christopher M. DeSantis Cody Richardson Craig Thompson
Christopher Felix Colain Williams Craig Tough
Christopher D Forkner Colby J. Kilbride Craigjags
Christopher Ings Cole Conner CreoCreate
Christopher J. Colin CristoDulus
Christopher Johnson Colin & Kevin Keefe Crowsnest Hobbies
Christopher David Jones Colin Aspen Crucible Crush Games
Christopher Klimek Colin Edge Curran
Christopher Meyer Colin from Charlie Foxtrot Models Curt Danie
Christopher R. Nelson Colin Han Curtis Craddock
Christopher Nolan Colin James CW Moellenkamp
Christopher Rogers Colin LeBlanc Cybersmily
Christopher Sadlowski Colin Lovell Cyril Ricketts
Christopher S. Sanders Colin Pritchard D & K Pearson
Christopher Smith Colin Reece D. Bainbridge
Christopher Lancaster Taylor Colin Ryan D. “Chicken Boy” Bolton
Christopher Thacker Comax D. Jeremy Brown
Chuan-Xin W. Compton D. Challoner
ChuChuEn Concerned Hobbyist D. Crimlis
Chuck Fecteau Condottiere D. H. Derby
Chuck Hamack Connaire D. Graham
Chunk Soul Brother connect.terrain D. Paul Hopkins
CJ McEachron Connor Locklin D. Travis McCartney
Claes Olsson Connor Rosen Da MaCHiNE
Claire Charlie Evie Connor Sutton Dabbles

199
Dafydd Roche Daniel Burke Dante Dominguez
Dag-Helge Ribe Daniel Byrne DANTINNE David
Daisy Weiner Daniel C. Barton Dappy
Daklor Daniel Cardenas Daren Russell
Dale Eadeh Daniel F. Cates Daren Sturgess
Dale Pretorius Daniel H. Davis Daria Winter
Daliiinz Daniel de Bruijn Darian Shurville
Dallas Kostna Daniel Di Cicco Dario Pesce
Dalton Couch Daniel Dick Dark Sphere
Damien Brunetto Daniel Dönigus Darkspi
Damien Hart Daniel M. Flynn Darrel Greensmith
Damien J. Lambert Daniel Thomas Funkhouser Darrel Laumann
Damien Tran Daniel Givens Darrell Jones
Damien Wise Daniel J Hackett Darren S. Bird from Scarborough, UK.
Damnnation Daniel Heaford Darren Bonenberg
Damon Brentnall Daniel Hippensteel Darren Chantler
Damon Whitaker Daniel Jones Darren Forbes
DamoWela Daniel Lawrence Darren Holmes
Dan (RayzrYR) Daniel Lee Darren A. Kennedy
Dan & Lex Kroupa Daniel Martin Darren Kessell
Dan Ayling Daniel N. Joergensen Darren Law
Dan Bond Daniel Neckarski Darren Parker-Mead
Dan Brown Daniel M. Newton Darren Thurman
Dan Buman Daniel Niemann Darrin Jordaan
Dan Byrne Daniel Nilsson Darro Konicek
Dan Cox Daniel Ottalini Darryl McCarthy
Dan Day Daniel Peroni Darryl Munro
Dan Deziel Daniel Plegel Darryl Walker
Dan from The Narrative Guys Daniel “Mod for a minute” Randon Darth Salazar
Dan H. Daniel Reed Darwin Viernes
Dan Helmen Daniel Richards Daryl Dundee
Dan Holmberg Daniel Ridings das blitzspear
Dan Hughes Daniel Scholefield dataclimber
Dan Jonsi Jones Daniel Schultz Dave Allchurch
Dan Lear Daniel Simmons Dave Bailey
Dan McQuade Daniel J. Sprinkle Dave Barker
Dan Mitchell Daniel “Advena” Sundberg Dave “Fango” Bartholomew
Dan Norton Daniel M. Swaney Dave Benson
Dan Pettingill Daniel “NeonKnight” Thomson Dave Bradnum
Dan Q. Daniel Thorne Dave Brown
Dan Roberts Daniel Toner Dave Butler
Dan Rodr Daniel “anima” Turner Dave Clark
Dan Shoemaker Daniel Wallace Dave Clegg
Dan Siders Daniel Wiklund Langs Dave Coulson, Grey Wolf Studio (fb)
Dan Trapp Daniel Willans Dave Dogge
Dan van Hese Daniel Wootten Dave Dunn
Dan Wall Danielle Canterberry Dave GrinnialVex Gormley
Dana Skaggs Danny Brassard Dave Kelly
Dane Andrew Richards Danny Libby Dave Kinsey
Daniel Danny Ray Curtis Dave L.
Daniel Aherne Danny Stevenson Dave Love
Daniel Altendorf Danny Worth Dave Mathis
Daniel brown DanPaintsMiniatures Dave Millington

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Dave Odinsson David K. van Hoose Dawfydd Kelly
Dave Penrose David Karoski Dawid Kepa
Dave Pike David Kerr Dawid Kurek
Dave Polhill David Kirlin Dawn McCormack
Dave Roe David Koning Dax Lucas
Dave Rosenthal David J. Kossak Dax Sapien
Dave S. David Larkins Day
Dave Scarlatella David Lindero DDWilliams
Dave “Knighthawk” Simpson David Lowe De Winter Urbain
Dave Starling David Lyons DeadGuySaysWhat
Dave Stewart David M. Jacobs Dean Backhouse
Dave Taylor David R. Markley, Jr. Dean Bu
Dave Thomas David Martin Dean Clarke
Dave “blundermonkey” Vencil David McBride Dean Magill
Dave Wright David Miller Dean N. Rogers
Dave Yeomans David James Montgomery deathkraiser
Dave Zecchini David Morris Degenhardt
David Bannister David Niblock deka
David Barrett David of Tower of the Archmage Dekianon
David Berg David Paulli Del Hinds
David Blakelock David Peralta Delemer Eric
David Blanchard David Platt Dem Limes

David L. Bruns II David Porter Denis Chemakin

Denis Graziano
David Caradus David Psyzo
Dennis B.
David Carter David Redmond
Dennis Eddy
David Cederberg David Rickey
Dennis Garrido
David Alexander Charles David Ropel
Dennis Jensen
David “Zeb” Cook David Sanchez
Dennis “Puppet of the Tyrant”
David Coomes David A. Scott
Johnston
David Crowley David Shepalo
Dennis Loftis
David Damen David Sheridan (Hogun)
Dennis McKinney
David Dierks David Silvernail
Dennis Oud
David Diers David Simons Dennis Reed
David Downs David Smith Denny Yan
David Eber David Anthony Smithson Dense Forest Terrain
David Eliason David Stewart Derek B.
David Fanning David Stillberg Derek Fulton
David Farrow David A. Thompson Derek Hendrie
David Fawdon David Tulloch Derek Hodge
David Fuka David Tyrell Derek Johnson
David Galbally David Varner Derek Klayum
David Galindo David Walker Derek Vietmeier
David Gates David Welch Derek Y. (@pathoftheseer)
David Gibbings David Whitaker Derf2001
David Gray David White Deuce Rhine
David Greenwood David “Giant Panda” Wilson DeusVult
David Haynes David Winchester Devin Gott
David Henry David Wolff Devin Pham
David Higgins David Wood Devon “KillyHurts” Montoya
David Hillyard David Wright Dewey C. Haines
David Hyttenrauch Davie Stabeemer DFrank
David “Dead Dave” Johnson Davy Flament DGS Games
David Jordan Davy Rijsmus Dicemaster

201
Dídac Ribatallada Soriano DPF Eamon Linger
Diego “Son of the 7th” Flores Dr Craig Alliison Eamonn Patton
Diego Martín Gómez Dr Love Earwaen
diegom Dr M.L. Jiles ECJ
Dillon Thompson Dr McPreachy Ed
Dino Nowak Dr Michael T. Rowlands Ed Blaauw
Dino V. Dr N. Thompson Ed Bonthron
Dion (Aetheriac) Sayles Dr Rob Dennis Ed Hamacek
Dionne Clark Dr S.M. Jones Ed Kearns
Dionysus Birnbaum Dr Weef Bellington Eddie Burton
Dirk Beijaard Dr William J. Kennedy Edo Jones
Dirk Ignatzek Dragon Eduard Duran (karkaj)
Dirtypenguin Dragonpaulz Edward Harman
DJ Blake Drake Coker Edward J. Hanratty Jr
DM TrevWar DrakoTrogdor Edward Janson
DMcPhed Dreamofneverwaspaints Edward Nycz Jr.
DMG Designs Drew Amo Edward Sierpowski
Dobrag Starslayer Drew Cox Einar Fagerdal Karlsen
Doc Schott Drew Hyatt Eirik Lundahl
Doc Wiseman Drew Peterson Eivind Pagander Tysnes
Doc_Plutonium Drew Thayer Ekipage
DocR@ven DreyXik El Sobrino
Doctor Perils Dries Bierens El_Portus
Dom B. Drill Eldon Ray Cummings
Dominic Longoria Drofkcah Elias Roos
Dominic Mora Drogo Knotwise Elizabeth Hodgson
Dominik Wulf Dru M. EllenJ - John Lipman
Domus Dru Staltman EllTee
Don Avis DT ElPolloDiablo
Don Bleeker Duane Zoldak Elpotof
Don Christianson Duderson Elrond de Gravenesse
Don Fritz Dun Wanna ELRS
Don Mac Intyre Duncan Allen Emanuele D’Agostino
Don Penney Duncan Jardine Emil Sjödin
Donald Gaither Duncan Mellonie Emil Zanettin
Donald J. Lane Duncan P. Emil’s Sudenpeliluola
Donald Wendt Duncan Petrie Emily Whitehouse
Donut Lover DustClaw Emma H.
Doomsdave Morris Dustin Lowers Emma Witney
Doomzombie Dustin Storey Emmanuel Bousquet
Dorian Baldwin Dusty Neal Emmanuel G.
Dorr Perkins Dearborn Dustyn Jensen Emu86
Doug B. Dwight W Jones Endwegner
Doug Chapman Dylan Brooks Enhanced Water effects
Doug Entwistle Dylan Cole Enkelli Arn Robertson
Doug Pickard Dylan Devine Enoch ML Chan
Doug Sundseth E. Blackthorn Enzo Maini
Doug Ummel E. Bordeaux Erds
Dougie B. E. Dave Eric
Douglas A. Ashbaugh E. J. Reynolds Eric from Canada
Douglas Hamilton E. M. Dakin Eric Ack
Douglas Webster E. O. Eric Barden
Douglas Wilson Eamon Duffy Eric Berger

202
Eric Blakemore Evan Bentley Folais
Eric Boehm Evan Callaway Forlorn Hope Soldiers
Eric Bourque Evan Harris Foundryfire
Eric Delemer Evan M. Keeley Fox Hope Painting Studios
Eric “Xenonwulf” Harlaux Evan Lindquist Fraggle
Eric Harris Evan Miller Fran Mendoza
Eric Heymann-Heidelberger Evan “Gothmog” Valdyke Francesco Minghetti
Eric Hoover Even Nelson Francesco “Moloch” Neri
Eric N. Johnson EvilScout Francis J. Paixao
Eric Kervina Evilsmurf Francois Leclerc
Eric C. Magnuson evilstu Frank
Eric D. Meixner EW Huff Frank “Ivellos” Canapino
Eric Olson Ex Nihilo Frank Collins
Eric J. Schreiner executor_frost Frank Holbrook
Eric Soiset Explodes On Six Gaming Frank Kowalewski
Eric A. Soulvie F. Dailami Frank Cord Lohmann
Eric M. Stitzman Fabian M-H Frank Niegeloh
Eric Struse Fabian Ruß Frank Schouten
Eric T. Lofgren Fabian Schmidt Frank Sevi
Eric V. Walker Fabio “Drakkol” Menegon Frank-Eberhard Stirsing
Erich Douglass Falckeblikk Franklin Dodge
Erick “Kcire” Ingersoll
Falkenwelt Modellbau Franklin M Barrientos
Erick Moreno aka Menaherann
Falko Jaeger Fraser Burling
Ericksson
Farnir Fraser Hepburn
Erik
Fat Dave the Pirate Fred “Lucky Striker” Ponzo
Erik Boling
Fatty Miniatures fred fred
Erik Clark
fe2mike Fred Lepley Jr.
Erik Ecklund
Felipe Menezes Albuquerque Fred Schmidt
Erik W. Flint
Felix Behlau Frederic Fiquet
Erik Martin
Felix Stibany Frederique Uitterhaegen
Erik “Crossbow” Noble
Fenrikson Fredrik Andersson Niwong
Erik Oerlemans
Ferret Lottery Fredrik G. Larsson
Erik Petersen
FigJam Fredrik Torp
Erik Salazar
fillibuster Fredrik Wängberg
Erik Sundberg
Findlay Craig Friedmutant
Erik Thoden
Finlay John Nicolson Friends of the Earth
Erik van der Ploeg
Finn H., Hamburg Frogge
Erik Wantland
Finn Neuik Froggy
Erin Mellem
Firebuck2059 Froomzy
Erinn C. Hamilton
First Fish Games Fréres de Lance
Ermodifica53
Fiz Furry G.
Erwin
Flatland Hillbilly G. N. Bickley esq.
Erwin “skydiver” Goossens
Fletch G. Hagk
Estarriol
Flintlock Jack G. Lancia
Estevao M. Alves Correa Filho
(The Painting Frog Blog). Flipsided564 G. Poulton
ET1000 Flor Gabitzu
Ethan Deal Florian Fernandez Gabriel Trigo Antunez
Ethan Heywood Florian Fourniaud Gabriel Harris
Ethan Leggett Florian Letz Gabriel Herrin
Etter Florian Wyss Gabriel Merin
Euan Smith Florian “DaFlo” Zarkov Gabriel Soriano
Eugen Bacic Flossie Gaby B.
Evan A. Flt. Lt. Philip Richardson 59 Sqn. Gaddafi

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Gaetano Giammarino Geoffrey Moxley Goran Krunic
Gaff Zero Geoffrey Wing Gordon J. D. Templeton
GameCraft Miniatures Geoffroy Sir Gordon Rayment
Gamers Tool Kit Georg “The Great Pumpkin” Eyerman Gordon Reay
Games Bond Georg Malter Gordon Wiley
Gamgan George & Lonnie (Texas Terrainiacs) Gorobar
Gareth Barr & David Orr George A. Raife, The Space Gradation skills
Gareth “G_Man_007” Green Men With Guns Podcast Grady Scott Harris
Gareth Humphrey George Anderson
Graeme Beaton
George Antonakos
Gareth Jarman Graeme Clifford
George Atkins
Gareth Q. Barrett Graeme Dixon
George Bratton
Garneret Alexandre FR Graeme Rigg
George Breslin
Garnet Doyle Graham D. McCormack
George Gaspar
Garrett Chapin Graham Johnson
George Kiernan
Garrett Gatzemeyer Graham Lewis
George M. Casper
Garth L. Thomas Graham Priestley
George R. Paulishak
Gary Barber Gramps
George Sea
Gary Bazett Grant “Diredrin” Dearness
George Seryapov
Gary “HopelessChatter” Cook Grant Emory
George Z.
Gary R. Criss Jr. Grant Foster
Gerald Leung
Gary Hite Grant Hazlehurst
Gergely Zolt‡n Vir‡g
Gary Hodges Grant Mellor and Greg Huffa
Gergo
Gary Krieger Grant Michael McKenna
GermanGrump
Gary Lester Grant Mushumanski
Gerrit Deike
Gary Tigarle Richards Grant Woynowski
Gerry Blakeney
Gary David Shaw Grayson “Grimm” Martinez
Gertjan van den Brink
Gary Snyder Greg “Thor” Holkan
GH Trace Webster III
Gary Stewart Greg Brandell
ghj
Gary Whitehorn-Cox Greg Fleming
Gianni Rossi
Gauntlet Games Inc Greg Forbes
Gianpiero Mas Nicovani
Gavin Average Greg Kelleher
Gigantic Fungus
Gavin Beardsmore Greg Kindseth
Gil Ocampo
Gavin Bethea Gilby Greg McDonald
Gavin Cliffe (PlutoniumOD) Gillies Sim Greg Pohodich
Gavin Garza Ginge HB Greg Saul
Gavin Moorcroft Giulio “ingcaz” Cazzoli Greg Smith
Gavin & Keon Riddle Gjalder Gjalarson Greg Surber
Gavin Shanks Gkaragkounis Matthaios Greg T.
Gaz de Radcliffe glanz90 Greg Wah
Gaz Walsh Glen Milligan Greg Whitaker
Ged Trias Glen Moises Campey Greg Willaby
Geek84 Glenn A. Houck Greggles
GeekTinker Glenn Baker Gregoire Savelli
Gene Baker Glenn McLeod Gregor V.
Generic Eric Glenn Pergande Gregory A. Reese
Genestealer Josh Glenn Stark Gregory Bowes
Gentle Fury Glenn T. Sandford Gregory J. Herring
Geoff Andrews Glenn Wilkinson Gregory J. Roth
Geoff Barrall GMAN Gregory Peatey
Geoff Hummel Goats Gregory S. Priebe
Geoff Light Golden Poppy Gregory Webster
Geoffrey Ayton GoldenGoblin Griffin Breul
Geoffrey Kilar Gonzalo Herrera Grimbou

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Grither Harry Beans Hugh Wilson
Gromuk Harry Dorrington Hugo Oringe
Groovynatureguy Hartmut Stoevers Hugues “Zug” Valat.
GrumpyGuyGaming Harvey Howell Hunter
Grunt slayer Harvey Lopez (aka Thrillos) Hunter Blackmon
Grzegorz Drabicki Hasaph Hunter Jurgens Thompson
Gösta Kamp, Anders Daven, Hawk Davies Iain Gonzalez
Marcus Engstrand Hayley Verrall Iain McDonald
Guillaume Saillen Haywood “Serburas” Buras Iain McFarlane
Guillermo J. Colon Heather Blandford Iain S. McPherson
Guillotine
Hector Lee Heaviside Iain “Minizerker” O’Brien
Guinny
Hedningen Iain Wilson
Gully
Helena Down iamsuperman
Gum Tsu
HellBane Ian
Gumo9
Hendrik Nothelfer Ian Attenborough
Gunnar S. Hansen
Hendrikus Pretorius Ian Baumann
Gunnar Lopez
Henning Ian Birdwell
GunnerL
Henning Lammers Ian Bodey-Jones
Guntruck
Henri Hemery Ian Campbell
Gus D’Amico
Henrik Bergstrand Ian S. Campbell
Gustavo Smith
Henrik Jensen Ian Carlin
Guy Ernes
Henrik Reijmar Brunnstršm Ian Clarke
Guy from Midwinter Minis
Henrik Sporh Christiansen Ian Doran
Guy Newling
Henrique Romero Vasquez Ian Fergus
Günter Wilde
Henry Collier Ian Gabor
H. N. A. Howes
Henry Dennis Ian Gibson
Haarspalta
Herbert Seifert Ian James
Hacek
Hermann T Green Ian Mabry
Hairy Gamer Jase
Hex Terrain Ian McAndrew
HairyBrains
Heywood Jablome Ian Morris
Hal Mangold
Himbert Ian Parlow
Halfacres_hueless_hordes
Hipster Devil Ian Porter
hallixx
Hiroyuki Fukui Ian Roberts
Hamilcar Painting
Hobby Bunker Schriesheim Ian Schlientz
Hamwrangler
Hobby Man Ian Sherrington
HanabiCraft
Hobby Painting Brussels Ian Smith
handis69
Holger Klaßmann Iaroslav Kovtunenko
Hank Edley
Holger Surray icarusundone
Hank Padilla
Hopeless Hirenfild Idilio Santos
Hannibal l’Hector
Hopper Crain Ignacio Assaf
Hanno Lippert
Hotrodoj Ignis-Fatuous
Hans Betterman
Hans Hansen (HL) Howard Ignominus Pjosk

Hans Johansson Howard Andrews (@Minileed) Igor

Hans Lemke Howard Dalzell Igor Fernandez
Hans Petter Farstad Howard Gibson Ilmari
Hans Winterfeldt Howard Hagan ImCrawford
Hans-Henning Wenkel (aka Nestor Howard Tee Imredave
Pumilio) Howard Wood Incognita
Hans-Thomas S. Hoffmann Hpstorian Indra Geerts
Harbour Hudson Adams Indy
Harley Picurro Huge Miniatures Infinity idiots i2DG
Harpoon Hugh Cringle Inge de Goeij
Harri Ylinen Hugh Dartington Ingemar Holmkvist

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Ingvald Arne Meland Jace Charron James Bunnett
Innykin Jacek K James D. Cheney
Insaan “Primebeef” Solorzano Jack Cresswell James Cleland
Irchard Pirate Jack Crundwell James Conway
Ironclad Jack Garley James Csupak
Ironheart Artisans Jack Holbrook James Culbertson
Irrumatio Reeves Jack Hunter James Cutts
Isla “The GC” Evans Jack “Jerk” Jeck James Davies
ismilealot Jack McCrary James T. DeLazzari
Istvan Nemeth Jack Rayner (Shaggy Wargaming) James Droegemueller
itsacoyote Jack State James Dunk
Ivan Kimák Jack “Shinlocke” Sweek James Firth-Haydon
Ivan Olariaga Jack Tivers James A. Flagg
Ivar K Jackson Brantley James R. Friend
Ivar van Rijn Jackson Miller James Galloway
Ivor Evans Jackson Randall James Glore
iWillieG Jacob B.F. James Harness
iZubi Jacob Branh James Hatcher
J Jacob E Bliss James Henderson
J-KON Jacob Foster James Higgin
J. Archer Jacob Jensen James Holden
J. Brian Pitts Jacob Jørvang James W. Hupp
J. Coppel Jacob Kessler James Isted
J. Cosme Jacob Kooi James Jones
J. Elliott Coleman Jacob Olander James Kroesch “JSKrush”
J. Frisk Jacob Webster James Leggett
J. K. Lassen Jacob Wilks James Luffman
J. Le Rossignol Jacob Woods James R. Lynch
J. L. Longshore Jacques “Blackjack” Montaron James Martin
J. Maddox In Memory Of Jade Tinnerman James Nelson
J. Majere Jaden Evanson James Newman
J. Maki Jaguar_Flemmard James P. Maxwell
J. McGary Jaguthin James Pea
J. Miles Reidy Jahmaia Williams James Perrin
J. Neely Jaime Herazo James M. Redmond
J. Osgood Jaison Kane Koss James Rocks
J. Scott Jake Cook James W. Rouse III
J. Sharpe Jake J. Gilhespy James & Oliver Rushmer
J. Wright Jake Leeman James “Gingerjumper” Taplin
J.B. van der Zant Jake Puinno James Thomson
J.Bongers Jake Reich James V. Vrhovac
J.Herzog Jake Schneider James Volin
J.J. Parus Jake T. James K. Wagner
J.Pritchett Jake Tilton James D. Walker
J.R. Farley Jake Waltier James Yates
J.R. Jacobson Jakub Jamey Moore
J.R. West Jam Ibanez Jamie Burrell
J.S. Barden James Aldridge Jamie Fischer
J.Sly James Barton Jamie Lockley
J.Ziebold James Beauchesne Jamie McKendry
J4n Vinther Christensen James Bowie Wilson Jamie Drake Eggen Searle
Ja Warlock James M Brown Jamie Shred
Jaakko Tusa James Bruce Jamison Mueller

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Jamwha the Destroyer Jason Nechanicky Jeffrey Alan Arp
Jamy Klein Jason O’Mahony Jeffrey Edgington
Jan C. Sijp Jason Riffle Jeffrey Hicks
Jan Enroth Jason Rowlands Jeffrey Kimmel
Jan Harding Jason Rumer Jeffrey McLaine
Jan Sandfeld Jason Rzasa Jeffrey Mitchell
Jan Weber Jason Saiter - Father and Son Gaming Jeffrey Williams
Jan-Hendric Besching Jason Schlumbohm Jeffry Rinkel
Jan-Hendrik R. Jason Sellon Jelle Tans
Jani Virta Jason Sutton Jem Mundy
Jann Norman Jason Vieau Jennifer Bärman
Janne (DEFU) Heikkinen Jason “Jyggdrasil” Wagoner Jennifer Crowden
Janne Karhe Jason Weiser Jennifer Denton
Janos Jeges Jason Westmas Jens “Börli”
Janus Holzmann Jason Edward James Zapasnik Jens Alsted Hansen
Jared Foster Jasper Oorthuys Jens Christensen
Jared Quintana Jathl Jens Kühn
Jared Sharen Javed Mirza Jens Persson
Jared Wagoner Javithor Jens Vedel Andersen
Jarrod Ward Jay ‘XIII for life’ Dearden Jeramiah Groat
Jase Duncum Jay DeLeonardis Jeramy Boileau
Jase Green Jay Farley Jeremy “Deathblade” Bai
Jason Ardito Jay Hamilton Jeremy Dowd
Jason Bartlett Jay T. Jones Jeremy Dunkle
Jason L. Becker Jay Oestreich Jeremy Greene
Jason Bessonette Jay Ross Jeremy C. Griffin
Jason Blawas Jay Rotz Jeremy Hendrix
Jason Booth Jaymes Quintal-Hatch Jeremy Hill
Jason Coover JBT Jeremy Jantzer
Jason DeForest JD “Grimmnar” Spangler Jeremy Kofoot
Jason Donaghey JDC Jeremy Leveque
Jason “Byds” Durkin JDinges Jeremy Mace
Jason “Doc” Dyer Je’tal the Wanderer Jeremy Mahieu
Jason Epstein Jean Martins Jeremy Mills
Jason Giardino Jean-Claude ‘’Raznag’’ Tremblay Jeremy Moore
Jason Gross Jean-Michel Beauregard Jeremy N. Mathis
Jason “The Bruce” Grubb Jean-Philippe Jeremy Peters
Jason Hall Jean-Sebastien “Neelix” Grosse Jeremy Seehorn
Jason Hatter Jeff “KazadHarri” Harrison Jeremy Solel
Jason Herrick Jeff Budz - DUST USA Jeremy Spurlock
Jason Isaak Jeff Campbell Jeremy Tischler
Jason James Jeff Campbell-Crawley Jeremy Toles
Jason Johnson-Price Jeff Gardiner Jeremy Willhoite
Jason Kimbro Jeff Hall Jeroen Peeters
Jason Knee Jeff Hoffman Jeroen Poppe
Jason Kuschak Jeff Holt Jerome
Jason Lissner Jeff Hounsell & David Winters Jerrold R. Howell III
Jason Lubrano Jeff Jessee Jerry Bolduc
Jason “Kro” Manion Jeff K. JerryB
Jason Mangen Jeff Persson Jesper Asmussen
Jason McCrady Jeff Rixon Jesper Dahldorph Jorgensen
Jason McIntosh Jeff Wiltrout Jesper Kollerup
Jason Misuinas Jeffrey “V” Visgaitis Jesse Avina

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Jesse B. Joe Baird John D’Aquino
Jesse Busch Joe Bilton John Daniels
Jesse Ervin - The Remembrancers’ Joe Blake John Daye
Retreat Podcast Joe Coleman John A. F. Desmond
Jesse Goldstein Joe creating a beach John J Diffley, BA Military History
Jesse Hammil Joe Firman John Doorenbos
Jesse Hurricane Conte Joe Galego John Duffield
Jesse Jackson Joe Gekko John Emmett
Jesse Lowe
Joe Giglio John Erjavec V
Jesse Vela
Joe Holland John Ferris aka “DmliGloing”
Jez Hunt - Ancestor Leathercrafts
Joe Kelso John Fleming
JH
Joe Kirkus John Foster
JHS
Joe Koltes John Gallagher
Jim Brown
Joe Levering John Gephart
Jim Buckett
Joe M John Gibson
Jim Canning
Joe Pimentel John Gill
Jim Catchpole
Joe Von Moltke John Goldrick
Jim Cook
Joel Eddy John J. Goodhand
Jim Raldor Cook
Joel Hall John Haines
Jim Dowsett
Joel Lorente Aragues John Hayman
Jim Fields
Joel Marco John Hess
Jim G.
Joel Moon John Hewitt
Jim Kitchen
Joel D. Rohne John G. Hodson Jr.
Jim Koukounaras
Joel Shull John Hoyland
Jim Kralik
Joerg G. John Jennings
Jim Lytle
Joern Schneider John K. Freeman
Jim McLaren
Joey Mordecae Dimmock John Kilshaw
Jim Moresco
Joey Von Otto John Kimmel
Jim O’Keefe
Johan “aniron” Arnehed John Klee
Jim Seato
Johan Driessen John Kozin
Jim Stouffer
Jim Underwood Johan MŠŠttŠ John C. Leaman

Jim Worthington Johan Nilsson John Lorinskas

JimB Johan Nilsson John Martin
Jimbo Carroll Johan O. John Mayo
Jimbob Johan Olsson John McCardell
Jimbot Johan Vaneecke John McShane
Jimi Tubman Johannes Laboranovits John Mehrholz
Jimmy Cunningham - Kimo Krafts Johannes Venter John Meredith
Jimmy Edwards John Barnes John Michael
Jimmy Negro John Bates John Moody
Jimmy Palm John Beeson John Myers
Jimmy1080 John Bethel John Niland
Jinterz John Bindas John Norton
JMD John L. Blakemore John Payne
JN John Bonsai John Pelosi
Joachim John Bowers John Pilkington
Joachim Svela John “Doc” Brader John Pitman
Joakim Björklund John “Voivod” Buitelaar John Poitras
Joakim Fong John C. Byram John Porter
Joakim Strom John Chadwick John Potts
Jock MacGregor John Christensen John Power Jr.
Joe “Coot59” Ward John Ciaramella Jr. John Quarrell
Joe Bailey John Cmar John Rees

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John Richards Jon Saxton Jose J. “cavefish”
John “Quartermaine” Robertson Jon Stynes Jose Tejedor
John Robich Jon Tarry Jose A Vasqu
John Rock Jon “CAVBOSS” Walker Josef Lenz
John Rogers Jon Webb Josef Ochmann
John Rykert Jon-Paul Adams Joseph “Mahar” Metais
John & Orion Saint-Buzon Jonas Gennerich Joseph “Omertron” Omer
John Savage Jonas Jacobi Joseph (This Is Not a Test) McGuire
John “evernevermore” Scheib Jonas Schiött Joseph Boeke
John Sellars Jonas Skinner Joseph J. Lawson
John Sharman Jonathan Baddeley Joseph K. Little
John “Sniper Larkin” Shaw Jonathan Barnes Joseph M. O’Malley
John D. M. Shearer Jonathan Brown Joseph Monfre
John Shmyr Jonathan C. Brown Joseph Owen
John Shoemark Jonathan Ciuffetelli Joseph Piddington
John Sinclair Jonathan Cox Joseph Poultney
John Stanford Jonathan Delahaye Joseph R. Scholl
John Stanley Jonathan Dent Joseph Sharkey
John Stephenson Jonathan Jones (JJ) Josephine Mitchell
John Stubbings Jonathan Joseph Josh
John Szelagowski Jonathan Kenning Josh Aitken
John Tailby Jonathan E. Marshall Josh “Kaiser” Bruder
John Trimble Jonathan McDonald Josh Carotenuto
John Twernbold Jonathan Newberry Josh “Inquizitor” Croker
John Vincent Jonathan Peace Josh Chiefarmorer Glantz
John Wagg Jonathan Pettit Josh Galbraith
John Walmsley Jonathan Sommerville Josh Heironymus
John C. Ware Jonathan Stone Josh Hill
John Wills Jonathan “beardedasian” Tan Josh Leak
John Yeier Jonathan Walter Josh Lemire
John F. Zmrotchek Jonathan Westmoreland Josh Maxwell
John-tan Pham Jonesy D. Funk Josh Potter AKA JP Gotrokkits
JohnJack Jono Winfield Josh Pruitt
Johnny Atomic Joop Wendigo Wagemaker Josh Riggins
Johnny Cooper (Long Term Follower) Joost Josh Riley
Johny-Fouf Lavoie Joranth Josh Ryan
Jolan Jordan Bavis Josh Simpson
Joltron Jordan Driedger Josh Street
Jon Jordan Martin Josh Tibbs
Jon Argall Jordan Trais Josh Williams
Jon Bancroft Jordi Cordoba Joshua Arnold
Jon Bowen Jorge Faria Joshua Arrington
Jon Broster Jorge Fernandez Joshua Bohan
Jon Faulkes Jorge L. Ruiz Joshua Cameron
Jon Grant Jorge Salgueiro Joshua Collins
Jon Green Jorge Torres Joshua Glyn-Davies
Jon Hall jorge808 Joshua L. Johnson
Jon Harrington Jörn Hodek Joshua J. Johnston
Jon Hughes Jose Anes Joshua Lindsey Smith
Jon Kellogg Jose L Berrios Joshua “Mack” McCarthy
Jon Martin Jose E. Canto Joshua Allan Myers
Jon Morin Jose I. Colodro Joshua Penney
Jon W. Russell Jose “Gigio” Esteras Joshua Slotnick

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Joshua A. Todd Justin Unsworth Keith R. Callow
Joshua Weiss Justinian Hoag Keith Conley
Jostein S. jw Keith Emi
Josue Silva K. Mulligan Keith D. Hatch
Joy Jakubaitis K. Sturrock - Australia Keith R Hershey Jr
JP Brichta K.D. Truong Keith Jenkins
JR “Hastur3x” Ray Kacper Dlugosz Keith Miles
JR Gonzalez Kai Keith Nolan
JR White Kai Cursons Keith Pepin
JRMWilliams Kai McGregor Keith Spoores
JT “Painkiller” McDowell Kai “Avera” Ralfs Keith & Jacob Tan (SG)
JT Vaughn Kai Seidel Kelhendros
JTA Kain2805 Kelley D.
JTA2 Kakita Michael Kelly “TheKellector” McCullough
Juan J. Hernandez Kalin “Jenx” Kadiev Kelly Titus
JuanPaco Kalman “DrGorgomel” Horvath Ken “Tail End Charlie” Cole
Judgement Dave Kalrin Gaelieth Ken Boone
Juergen Barters Kamil Pawlowski Ken Chapman
Jukka Kane McDonald Ken Hogren
Jules Tipped Kane Miles Ken Miller
Julia Simon Kane Tucker Ken Pearce
Julian Apps Kaoslave Ken Perry

Julian Bishop Kara Roncin & James Wheeler Kenneth F. Allwine II

Kenneth Bartels
Julian Bowden Kara Rosser
Kenneth Day
Julian Dale Karamiel
Kenneth Eldridge
Julian Weekes Karen J. Grant
Kenneth Micallef
Julian Whitehead Karen M Rhodes
Kenneth G. Smith
Julie Graham Karl P. Andre Jr.
Kenny Beecher
Julien Garneau Karl Benisch
Kenny “The Yeti” Cowan
Julien Marchal Karl Cassidy
Kenny Wildman
Julien P. Karl Downing
Kensboro
Julien Prince Karl Goodloe
Kent Miller
July P. Finn Karl Hedstrom
Kent Fairman Wilson
Jun Nagashima Karl Murphy
Keopsy
Junt Karl Pomerleau
Kerry Rivers
Jurassic Jedi Jones Karl Thrysoe Bjerre
Kev Casey
Jussi Moisio Karol “Grot Orderly” Klimecki
Kev Hooper
Justice Chest Karol “Hirtus” Kwiatkowski
Kev Powell
Justin Blankley Kary Realm Master K Williams
Kevin “Mr.Fluffeh”
Justin Cassara Kash
Kevin Alexander
Justin Clarke Kass
Kevin Barrett
Justin Currao Kat Swift
Kevin Beal
Justin L. Hamrick Kate Tollefson
Kevin Burns
Justin D. Hill Kathrin Fischer
Kevin Callahan
Justin Hooper Kathryn Hart of Dungeons and Daiquiris
Justin Lynch kauholz Kevin Carter
Justin P. Kawai Kevin Cole
Justin Penwith Keegan Evans (Mitrokhin) Kevin Coleson
Justin Rodriguez Keegan Klemm Kevin Connolly
Justin Scott Keely Iverson Kevin Devalck
Justin Spath Keith Baggott Kevin Donald Brum
Justin M. Strahan Keith Banks Kevin Fox
Justin Tebo Keith Bartlett Kevin Furness

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Kevin Genson Kurt Hoover Lee Moran
Kevin Gilbert Kurt Zdanio Lee W. Jones
Kevin W. Gregory Kurtis Primm Lee Woodford
Kevin Hermida Kylan Day Leftenant Benedikt
Kevin D. Hinds Kyle Bentley Legendary Scenery - Paul Scrivner
Kevin J. Jenkins Kyle Cameron Leif Drace
Kevin K. Kyle Crosser & Tom Radziszewski Leifur Kaldal
Kevin D. Kyrouac Kyle Gibson Leland Prestridge Jr.
Kevin Moore Kyle Guthridge Léo Galtier
Kevin & Joseph Phillips Kyle Kinghorn Leo the Lion Kapiri
Kevin Rapley - Kyle Saritelli Leon Thonhauser
The Immersive World Crafter
Kyle D. Scott Leopold Goldimire
Kevin Ross
Kyle Thompson Leopold Zetterman
Kevin S.
Kyle Toth Leoric de Gatineau
Kevin Scully
Kyle Wooten Leslie Beilby-Tipping
Kevin Stonebanks
Kyrellification Letang Cedric
Kevin A Swartz, MD
L. Sabia Byrne Lewis Cole
Kevin Wilson
L. W. Wood Lewis Frasch
Kieran Walker
Lamain Lexi
Kiko Villasenor
Lancaster Liam Colmer
killakatze
Lance Cohill Liam D.
Killer Spade 00
Lance Kidwell Liam Eyers
Killimore Evols
Lang Jones Liam Mottram
Kimberly Turriff
LargeGeek Liam O’Sh
King Bluewolf
Larry Curtiss Liam Phillips
King Merit, Master of Minions
Larry Irish Liam Thompson
Kirk Haugen
Larry Kenney Lihmeth
KIXANO
Larry Vance Limey El’Jonson
Klaus Schächner
Lars Lina Witzner
Koen
Lars Gottlieb Lincoln
Koen De Smedt
Koen WINDELS Lars Högberg Lincoln Tidwell

Kolja “Flashhawk” Geldmacher Lars “Doom of the Eldar” Madsen Lindsay F. Webster
Komoda Larsolle Linus Rovik Hauge
Konstantinos Lamp Larzach Linus Hesslo
Kraig McCarthy Lasse Badsberg-Hansen Lionel Villemagne
Krazer LastSword Miniatures Little Dave
Kris Dawson Laughingboy BoW Liz Birchall
Kris Kerr Laurent Duputel LJB - France
Kris Leysen LauriL Lloyd
Kris R. Lawrence Alman Lloyd Lewis
Kris Rader Lawrence F. Lloyd M
Kristian Mueller Lawrence Loy Lloyd Smith
Kristian Magnus Pettersen Layandor Lo
Kristian Wasilewski Layth AL-Najjar Locky
Kristin Fiebelkorn Lazy Lich Logan Anderson
Kristleifur Þorsteinsson Le com’ Loke BattleMats
Kristof De Boeck Lee B. Y. Lon A. Porter, Jr.
Kryptovidicus Lee Brady Lon Weiss - BrigadeGames.com
Krystal K. Lee Cook loophole
Krystian Kaczmarski Lee Costello Lord B. Jenkins
krzechu Lee Gale Lord Chaplin
Krzysztof Nalewajka Lee Johnson Lord Garrett Bunzel
Kurt M. Criscione Lee Langston Lord Humungous

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Lord Skurai M. Leick Marc Schuehle
Lorenzo “Baffo” Aretini M. Levaggi Marc-André Lacombe
Lorenzo F. M. M. van de Sluis (A.K.A Eternal- Marcel Kern
Louis Britton frost78) Marcel Koonings
Louis Downs M. McKeighen Marcio Chammas
Louis K. Barrera M. ROGERS Marco Radici
Louis Mainville M. Swann Marcos Colón
Louis Pomaret M. Travis White Marcos Gabarda
lovelyChap M. Whitehead Marcus Anderson
Low Roller 1-1 M3Studios Marcus Elfstadius
Lowie Maarten Schniedewind
Marcus F.
lowlylowlycook Maarten van der Linden and Andreas
Marcus Fallen
Kolliakos
Luc Odorico Marcus Hatchell
MaBo
Luc Teunen Marcus Hemmeter
Mac - Game Rustlers
Lucas Hogg Marcus I.
Mac McCartney
Lucas Schroeder Marcus Schwarzer
Macadams
Lucifer marcuslamb
Macedonczyk
Lucifer War Machine Marie-Claude Rolland
Maciej Baranski
luckydog Marijan Cucek
Maciej Bielski
Ludvig marinara_mix
Macvayss
Lue Mario
Madison Blair
luferox Mario Figge
MadMan_6424
Luis Bermudez Mario Laflamme
MadmanChris
Luis C. Mario Padron
Madphil
Luis Cordova Mads Anton Madsen Mario T.A.G
Luis Manuel “Manu” Martin Guerra Mads de Vries Laursen Marios Hadjieleftheriou
Lukasz Strojnowski Maggie Kulzer Marisol Henriquez
Luke Magnus Eriksson, Utopiaztudioz Marius Fröhlich
Luke and Jack Lowe Maikel - CCGwinkel.nl - Tegelaers Mark Anderson
Luke Dixon majkel Mark Andrews
Luke Henry Major Landmark Mark B.
Luke J. Baker MAK Mark Balkham-Smith
Luke Kellett MakerlabGR Mark Bell
Luke Marre Mal Junor Mark A. Bishop
Luke Nyland Malachy Vivian aza Mark Burton
Luke Sanby Malcolm Aslin Mark Cahill
Luke Snell Malcolm Smith Mark Caple
Luke Stevens Malcolm Tuck Mark Carper
Luke Toomey Manfred Andraschko Mark Cole & Family
Luke Wetterlind Manfred Laner Mark Cousins
Luke Wood Manning Richards Mark Cunningham
Lyle Lowery Manticore Mark D.
m Manu Gonzalez Mark Dwerlkotte
M-L. Schaefer Manuel Vilela Partida Mark E.
M. Beauchamp Manuel Zambrano Mark & Oscar Eccleston
M. Bishop Marc @ The Game Doctors Mark Embleton
M. C. Womack MARC Christophe Mark Evans
M. Czekay Marc Gimenez Mark L. Evans
M. Holyome Marc Griffiths Mark “Fitts” Fittock
M. Huettel Marc Hutsebaut Mark Gallear
M. J. Wheelden Marc Landry Mark “the Bard” Gunter
M. Kevin Chau Marc Mueller Mark Haly
M. Lammers Marc S. Mark W. Haviland

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Mark “Marcuscolennious” Henry Martijn Nicasie Matt B.
Mark Hunter Martin Matt Barber
Mark Hyde Martin “Leadmountain” Armstrong Matt Barrett
Mark II Martin Bagley Matt Bean
Mark Jacobs Martin Blystad Matt Benney
Mark Johnson Martin Byrne Matt Beresford
Mark Koscielniak Martin Cannon Matt Brown
Mark Luchini Martin Coker Matt Bruner
Mark “Chief” Lurz Martin Dahl Matt Burke
Mark Mchugh Martin Ellermeier Matt Carleton
Mark McKenzie Martin F. Matt Caron
Mark Metzner Martin Fletcher Matt Conacher
Mark Miller Martin Paul Hogseth Funke Matt Downer
& Christian Amundsen
Mark Mills Matt Early
Martin Hansen
Mark Moffatt Matt Edgar
Martin Hirche
Mark P. Morris Matt Gibbons
Martin Hogan
Mark J. Muir. Matt Gilbert
Martin Justesen
Mark Ogilvie Matt Gorman
Martin Knopp
Mark Pedersen Matt Gregory
Martin Lewis
Mark Peyton Matt Grosse
Martin M.
Mark Pullan Matt Harbage
Martin Nichol
Mark Harrison Ramsay Matt Hawes
Martin E. Stein & Scott A. Saxon
Mark Reindl Matt Hemy
Martin Taferner
Mark “Horse Lord” Renye Matt Hollands
Martin Wangsgaard Jorgensen
Mark Russe Matt Humphries
Martin Yarsley
Mark Rybus Matt Jackson
Marty Devine
Mark J. S. Matt Jett
Marty & Alicia Jones
Mark Saniter Matt Koltonow
Marty McFly
Mark Sconyers Matt McElvogue
Marty Milligan
Mark Shearwood Matt McNair
Martyn Ponder
Mark Shiell Matt Monroe
Mascalzoni Giordano
Mark Shoring Matt Olson
Mason Athey
Mark Skinner Mason L. Matt Philpott
Mark Somogyi Masterhit242 Matt Q.
Mark Swordfish Mat “MA-121” Bryce Matt R.
Mark Tarver Mat Freitas Matt Richmond
Mark the Encaffeinated ONE Mat Greenfield Matt Roach
Mark Toogood Matej Matt Ryan
Mark Turnbull Mathew Beane Matt S.
Mark Tuson Mathew Bell Matt Schaning
Mark van der Upwich Mathew Marolt Matt “The Black Phoenix” Schofield
Mark W. Wyrick Mathew Tinker Matt “Glenbrook” Slade
Marko Mathias Bar Matt Snyder
Marko Dugandzic Mathias Petersen, Denmark Matt Solomon
Marko Miettinen Mathieu Booth Matt Sproats
Marko Paunovic Mathieu Larrieu Matt Strange
Markus C. Mathieu Maltais Matt Trindall
Markus Gawenda Matias Del Bene Matt Triplett
Markus Hildebrand Matija Andrić Matt Wallis
Markus N. Mats Matt Wayman
Markus Oehler Matt Matt “Frostie” White
Marky Erhardt Matt Matt Wood
Marshall Westfall Matt Alix - 40K Radio Matt4Jane

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Matthew A. Smith Max Keeren Michael Hudson
Matthew Aravena Max R. Michael T. Jeffery
Matthew Bair Max Shelkrot Michael Kruley
Matthew L. Bane Max Stock Michael Lackey
Matthew Beard Maxwell Dean Michael Little
Matthew Boles MDBock Michael M.
Matthew Boyce Mels Mauradures Michael Martin
Matthew Bull Melvin Fillerup Michael Matera
Matthew Bullock Menelduir Michael McSwiney
Matthew Carroll Mennok Michael Mealor
Matthew Chittavanichprapa Merlin Cox Michael “Millsy” Mills
Matthew Douglas MerlinHerk Michael Nagara
Matthew Ephraim Duncan Merrick Schincariol Michael P. Jung
Matthew J. Edwards Metalhed Michael P. Linke
Matthew Fowles Mezzek Michael Pennell
Matthew Frentz MHP Montfrooij Michael Rinaldi
Matthew Golub micabit Michael Robinson
Matthew Helmen Micah Lewis Michael Rodgers
Matthew Hieb Micha Oxy Heinz Michael Rossel
Matthew Karpus Michael Michael S.
Matthew Kemp Michael (Puggimer) Carter Michael Scheunemann
Matthew J. Kraus Michael A. J. Sullivan
Michael C. Scott
Matthew LaBerge Michael Althauser
Michael “Chgowiz” Shorten
Michael Anderson
Matthew Lisitsky Michael Shorten
Michael S. Bagley
Matthew Z. Miliani Michael Simon
Michael Becker
Matthew Mole Michael Six
Michael Behl
Matthew Nobbs Michael Lee Strandt
Michael R. Blair
Matthew Osborn Michael Topa
Michael Brooks
Matthew R. Moore Michael Trent
Michael Bruno
Matthew Reise Michael Turner
Michael Bryant
Matthew Sevald, RN Michael Warren
Michael Burgin
Matthew “Blaster” Shelby Michael Westendorf
Michael Cameron
Matthew Stark Michael Wiese
Michael E. Campbell
Matthew Steed Michael Wilster
Michael Caracciolo
Matthew E. Stiles Michael Wright
Michael T. Cohen
Matthew Sutherland Michail Woolf
Michael Cruise
Matthew Truex Michal Janeček
Michael Cummings
Matthew Walker Michel Godbout
Michael De Rosa
Matthias Flott Michel Goulmy
Michael Douglas
Matthias Hertelt Michigan Toy Soldier Company
Michael Doyle
Matthias Radtke Mick Bulman
Michael Farnworth
Matthias Stein Mick Her
Michael J. Flynn
Matthias Tellschaft-Stachowski Mick Phillips
Michael E. Gilkison Sr
Matthias Weeks Mick Rosenkrantz Bundgaard
Michael “Emergency Override”
Matthias “Thias” Wiesmann Greenhill Mickle
Matthieu “Ookami” Schoenholzer Michael Greenhill MickScales
Matti Michael Guilinger Middle Earth Scenery
Mattias Berglund Michael H. Gustafson Miguel E. Flores
Mattttt Michael Henderson - Straven Mika Tourunen
Maulfiend Michael Hensley Mikael Persson
Maurice Samuelson Michael Hopper Mikael Stiles
Maurizio Alvarado Rodriguez Michael Horgen Mike D. Aquino
Max Michael Horner Mike B-S.

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Mike B. Mike Whitaker Murfleness.
Mike Button Mikel_Snarkis Murray H Smith
Mike C. MikeS Murrell Sippy
Mike Cheatley Mikey Robinson Mustelas
Mike Clark Mikey Syrett mutant.com
Mike Collison Mikhail G. Perlov Mwesnav
Mike Colmen Mikie Blake My Dog Sk1p
Mike D. Mikko Kurki-Suonio Myles Ball
Mike Davis milano7 Myxerion
Mike Ditchburn Miles Turner N. Armstrong
Mike “Dorky Dad” Epting Miljan N. Milfull
Mike Ernst Millertime N. Mondrik
Mike “Lightbulb” Evans Millie Pearce NamelessOne
Mike from Upton Minoo Hamilton Nanzerdivision
Mike Gehlsen Minty Naomi F Hutchin
Mike Gooding Miroslav Anger Narlotep
Mike Grimshaw Mirparx Narrative Event Organizer Network
Mike Hargiss Mitch W. Naryzhud
Mike Harper MitchTT Nate Ayotte
Mike Harris Mithril Ogre (Dondy/Fredrick) Nate Barker
Mike Henry Mitzy Nate Hendon
Mike Horan MM Nate Owen
Mike “Gaslands” Hutchinson Module-R Nate Raleigh
Mike Innella Moe Nate Reed
Mike Johnson moiterei_1984 Nate Westcott
Mike Kirkham-Ingram Mongo Nathan Banninger
Mike LaHay Monkeyboy Maddi Nathan “Bish” Bishop
Mike Landry mononoke-fan Nathan Bursac
Mike Lee Monster Fight Club Nathan Edwards
Mike Lowrey Monty Maunsell Nathan Flanders
Mike M. Mop85 Nathan Herron
Mike Martin-White Morgan French Nathan Sorenson
Mike McCreery Morgan Jones Nathan Thompson
Mike McCulloch morrisbh Nathan Torrent
Mike Mer Morten Pickering Jacobsen Nathan Turner
Mike Moller Morten “Thorheimer” Stage Nathanael Robinson
Mike Nogle Morten Toftdahl-Olesen Nathaniel Lanza
Mike Oliver (C0gliostro) Morten “Miffer” Wifstrand Nathaniel Mu
Mike Osman Mountainjay Nathaniel K. Webber
Mike R. MPS NCFishboy
Mike Reynolds Mr Cool Beans Neal Hyde
Mike Rogers Mr E. Nebressyl
Mike Rossmassler Mr Elio Nedo
Mike San Jose Mr Mo Nedward Bear
Mike Schaefer Mr P. Nefelenwen
Mike Schmitz Mr Palombi Nehahra
Mike Shapella Mr Rick Rodriguez Neidhart
Mike Sloup Mr Ryan Keankowsmi Neil Bates
Mike Strong MrEB Neil Bosher
Mike Taghon Mroczny Helmut Neil Burrell
Mike Tidman mrtn Neil Castelloe
Mike Underwood MrUppervillage Neil Caudwell
Mike Waine Muddy Funster Neil Googe

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Neil Houltby Nick Ward Oakley
Neil Hubbard Nick Welp Obeys-the-Wind
Neil Hughes Nick Westoby Obone
Neil Jeffery Nickolas Bennett Oddbjorn Lona
Neil McGurk Niclas Vallin Oddhin (Harri Hihnala)
Neil McKeagney Nico St. Odette Riley
Neil Reynolds Nico van der Heide Odin/Thorin Hoskin
Neil Shuck Nicolai Kowalski Off-grid Gamers
Neil Vaughan Nicolas “Obone” Autret OhJensens
Neil Whitmore Nicolas aka “Kosni” Ol’Frei
Neil Widmer Nicolas Beguin Ol’torgie
Nelson Hickman IV Nicolas Chamontin Ola Sundin
Neoteny Gaming Nicolas Rigaudy Olaf Goetsch & Michael Siggelkow
Nessie Knows Nicolas Roche Olcoli
NetRunner508 Nicolas Tremblay Old N3rd
Neustrie Nicolo’ Sfriso Ole Ingvar Stene
Newhoff Niels Jochems Oliver and Thomas Rose
Niall Donaldson was here Niels Peter Lindemann Oliver Jaeger
Nicholas Caldwell Niels Weber Oliver Liondale
Nicholas A. Duke Nigel Britton Oliver Newman
Nicholas Fauls Nigel Johnson Olivier Darles
Nicholas Freeman Nigel Mallison Ollie Brown
Nicholas Huddleston Nigel W. Olmec1
Nicholas McClellan Nigel M. Wood Omagouille
Nicholas Murnau & Cathi Gertz Nik Doran Omar Bailey
Nicholas Thomas Nikfu Omer Stone
Nicholas Thompson Niko Omri Arbiv
Nick Niko Z. Onlyonepinman
Nick Ash Nils A Tonner-Oldefar Onyre
Nick Betts NinjaHza Oog
Nick Bogart Nirven oorail.com
Nick Brady Nischo Oraan Thims
Nick Chapman Nitch Orclord
Nick Crones Njh de Wilde Orion
Nick Huffman Nnamdi Ogbechi Oscar Mardones Schopflin
Nick Hutchings Noah A. Zemke Oscar Q.
Nick Itsou Noah Doyle Oskar Forsslund
Nick “dysartes” Johnson NomadZeke Oskar Majewski
Nick Krogh Keller NonEuclideanNick Otibo
Nick Lanng Norgalad OTP Terrain Australia
Nick Letcher Norm Dean OTT Dawn Lomax
Nick Lincoln Norman Brown, Jr Ottar Roder
Nick Mangas Norman Mark Rowe Otterlyfunny
Nick Melchin Norton Overread
Nick Meredith Nory Proctor Owen Beste
Nick O’Mahony noyboy Owen Jackson
Nick “Sitrane” Porterfield NTif Øystein Jenserud
Nick Quenga Nudspinespittle P. Burza
Nick Salic NumptyVC P. A. Gee
Nick Siwerski Nuno Castilho P. Howell
Nick Skuda Nuno Urbani Ramos da Silva P. Williamson
Nick Stern O. St-Pierre Pablo Cuesta
Nick Walker Oaken Dragon Press LLC Pablo Estrella

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Paddy Fotovich Paul Flebus Pendraken Miniatures
Paelios Paul G. Pendy The 1st
Pafetik Bazerka Paul Gonsowski Pepe Timbale
Painted Plastics Paul Grindrod Per “aintnodollhouse” Jorisch
Pancakes25 Paul Jeffery Per Sjokvist
Pandora’s Hobbies Paul Lalgee Peredi Krisztián
PanzerRanger Paul Long Perry Craig
Paolo De Rossi Paul M. Perry Gray
Papa Stevie Paul Edward Matthews Perry Grosshans
Paper Goblin Paul Martens Pete B.
Paper or Plastic Paul McDonnell Pete Ball
Parker Stuart Paul McErlean Pete “PanzerKaput” Barfield
Pascal Tibald Arsac Paul McKenna Pete Boon
Pat G. Paul Mosman Pete Davies
Pat Hartman Paul Murrell Pete Ferry
Pat Turnock Paul C. Newrick Pete from Fightspanner
Patch Adams Paul Northway Pete Hockley
Patrick “Celowin” Jones Paul Nowak Peter “WaylanderPK” Kelly
Patrick Ball Paul Nyitrai Pete Jones
Patrick Barton Paul Pawlak Pete Simpson
Patrick F. Paul E. Phillips Peter Blenkinsopp
Patrick Henson Paul Plackowski Peter William Busch
Patrick M. Paul Rascher Peter Coyle
Patrick Magee Paul Richardson Peter Davies
Patrick W. Monaghan Paul “Sperius” Roberts Peter Caleb Davis
Patrick Mueller-Best Paul Roche Peter “Lenin” Edlin
Patrick Nadeau Paul Rumbal Peter Fastenau
Patrick O’Brien Paul S. Peter Fitzentheit
Patrick O’Hare Paul Seeman Peter Freitag
Patrick Potter Paul Stanton Peter Green
Patrick R. Montgomery Paul Stubbs Peter A. Grose
Patrick Stacey Paul Taylor Peter Harrison
Patrick Stroud Paul Thomason Peter Holgate
Patrick Weber Paul Townsend Peter G. Horne
Patrik Swärd Paul (Broodrooster) van de Kamp Peter Hustler-Wraight
Pattus Magnus Paul VK Peter Korteman
Patty Stadnicki Paul W Hoffman Peter Lakatos
Pau Aragoned Illanas Paul W. Peter Large
Paul Aebersold Paul Welch Peter Sebastian Lindley
Paul Austin Paul J. Wheeler Peter G. Lee, Esq.
Paul B. Paul Wilkinson Peter McPartlin
Paul Baldwin Paul Kevin Williamson Peter Mellett
Paul Brassington Paul Wilson Peter Norval
Paul Byrne Paula Leach Peter O’Brien
Paul Calvi Paulo Melo Peter Remias
Paul Curwen Pavel Macik Peter Szuromi
Paul David Crispell PAYET Ma Peter Thew
Paul Davies PDRC Peter V.
Paul Dawkins Peabody Peter W.
Paul A. Dempsey Pedion Modular Battlefields Peter Webb
Paul Dieken Pedro Martins Peter Welzien
Paul Dobson Pedro Nunes Peter Wheadon
Paul Duffy pekke Peter Wright

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Peter Yockney Pinardouze Ralph “BBQKING” Castro
Petrus Lugduni Piotr Kowalski Ralph Fitzpatrick
Peyton McCauley Pitarch Ralph Hodge Jr.
pezo Pitu Ralph Plowman
pgarster PJ Ralph Wesseling
Phil Adler PJ Martian Rami Sunnari
Phil Atkinson PJ Yanosko Ramiro Aznar
Phil Beale PL of Sweden Ramon Marti
Phil by twenty8 Pleasurehood Ramon V.
Phil Criswell PointZeroOne Randall Short
Phil Curran Poiter50 Randolph Brühl
Phil Edmunds Pojgh Randy S. Brown
Phil Jefferson Pontus Lind Randy Fung
Phil Siewe Poog Randy Smith
Phil Stone Postcardpaul Raœl Caballero
Phil Toker Poul Christian Secher Raoul
Phil Vestey Preston Buck Raoul de Rooij
Phil Wilson Preston Smith Raphael Harada
Philip Barnes Printable Scenery Rasmus Juhlin
Philip Floyd Probie Rasmus Petersen
Philip Fracica Protothe Rats Patrol
Philip C. Hagan Psarris Petros Ray Bogusz
Philip Hagelkvist Fowlie Pär Lindström Ray Gibson
Philip D. Jones Psynova Ray S. Karnes
Philip Karpowich Pyttroll Ray “Savageray” Prado
Philip Payne Queen of Credits Raymond Baker
Philip Reed Quellcrist Raymond A. Kubeczka Jr.
Philip Schmutz Quinian’s Budget Crafts Raymond Marshall Slover Jr.
Philip Schneider Quinn (Mattimeo) Louw Raymond Martinez
Philip Taylor Quintus Sertorius Raymond Matthews
PhilipC Quisk Lightbringer Raymond Terry
Philipp “Sp3c1” Hinrichsen Quizamil ReBalith
Philipp M. Qwillet Rebecca Hobart
Philipp Sander R. D. Brooks Recardo K.G. Basuil
Philipp Speh R. L. Brow II esq. Red Bear AKA Col.Clausewitz
Philippe Ghestin R. Fuentes Red Claw Games
Philippe Isabelle R. Hask Redeemer144
Philippe Robillard R. Lee S. Redvers “Red” Thompson
Philippe Tremblay R. D. Madrid, Jr Reece Walker
Phillip “Yankboy” Lewis R. Mucha Reed Burdine
Phillip Robinson R. Whitehead Reed K. Dawley
Phillip Zeller Rabidgremlin Reggie Crown
Philonius Rex RAD Reid Bambridge
phoeniix Radegast6 Remi Gagne-Monfette
Phoenix Radouane Betayeb Remi Letourneau
Photeth Raechel Coon Remus Dunkelwald
Pierre “Le Gaming Dude” Gravelat Rafa_ “Brother_Bethor” Bartosik Renaat
Pierre “Luinsil” POUCHÉ Rafael Rico Correa Renato Da Conceicao
Pierre Roussel Ragnar Rene Butter
Pieter-Michiel Geuze Rainer Haiden Resonance
Piggy Corrosion Raj Kapoor Rev. Rodney W. Lilley
Pilgrim TETDUR Rajiana RevDay
Pim Ralf from River Rhine Rhavnos

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Rhett D. Scott Richard Smith RobC
Rhiannon Richard Spinabella Robert Allen
Rhys Jones (New Zealand) Richard “Mortis” Tabor Robert B.
Rhys Parry Richard Wheeler Robert O. Bent III
Ricardo Cohen Montoya Richard Ziulkowski Robert Bittorf
Riccardo Cuppone Rick Robert Burr
Riccardo Gröning Rick aka plasticbutcher Robert Cook
Rich Berrill Rick Ankney Robert David Pille
Rich Bourque Rick Casler Robert David Smith
Rich Frausto Rick Dorsey Robert Del’Nero
Rich Galati Rick Durr Robert Ethan Riley
Rich Hawkins Rick Gore Robert Foster
Rich Hieron Rick Green Robert Gilson
Rich Kitchen Rick Hauxwell Robert Hanby
Rich Orbain Rick Hewitt Robert Horton
Rich Perry Rick Martin Robert Hutton
Richard Rick Pennington Robert Isler
Richard J. Anderson Rick V. Robert Layne
Richard Andrews Rick Westbrock Robert Losacco
Richard Bale Ricky Rimkevicus Robert “Vandalious” McKittrick
Richard Brooks Riddles Robert McMillon
RIchard Carlisle
Riordon Robert Neaves
Richard Cheshire
RIP Sir Terry Pratchett Robert “Psy” Niswonger
Richard Cooke
RJ Lane Robert Ossig
Richard Danziger
Rjames Robert Pigeon
Richard Frost
RLS Robert Rydlo
Richard “the DM” Gallerno
Rob de Groot Robert S.
Richard Grady
Rob Deakin Robert Scholtz
Richard Haggas
Rob Dean Robert Shanks
Richard Hedges
Rob Duffey Robert Shewring
Richard Henderson
Rob Gayton Robert Spears
Richard Houghton
Rob Griffiths Robert Strahan
Richard Hudson
Rob H. Robert Sutherland
Richard “NoobsPaintingMinis”
Jonhamre Rob Hamper Robert J. Tornai II
Richard Lane Rob Harget Robert V.
Richard Leachman Rob McGuire Robert Weebe
Richard Link Rob Merker Robert Wheeler
Richard Martin Rob Mildon Robert White
Richard McKey Rob Nosek Roberto Tomasini
Richard Meffre Rob Perez Robin A.
Richard Mirabello Rob Peterson Robin Blackwell
Richard Morton Rob R. Robin Empey
Richard W. Newman Rob Reitnauer Robin Marmillon
Richard O’Keeffe Rob “Beeker” Seidle Robin Mayenfels
Richard Panek Rob Stephenson Robin Ovens
Richard Pennertz Rob Thompson Robin Thume
Richard Phillips Rob Turner Rockon0609
Richard Ponton Rob van Staveren Rod H.
Richard Robbins Rob Verboom Rod Hall
Richard Robinson Rob Webb Rodbob
Richard Roma Rob Wight (Aust) Rodd Closson
Richard Sant Robbert Rysholt Roderick “Ranma” Cardwell
Richard Simpson Robbie Williams Rodrigo Vergueiro

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Roger Dennis Russell Goodwin Sam Mitchell
Roger Mark Russell Hay Sam C. Morales
Roger Range Russell Rice Sam Pennifold
Roger Speer Russell S. Sam R.
Rohan Wilmott Russell West Sam Saun
Roland Ryan Adams Sam Sorenson
Roland Erik Aron Ryan Bernath Sam VH
Roll1ToExplode Ryan Bridges - The Rembrancer’s Re- Sam Welch
Romain BIERI treat Podcast
Sam West
Roman B. Ryan Calhoun
Sam Wong
Roman Lass Ryan Chamberlain
Sami “Baragash” Mahmoud
Romero Gomes da Silva Araujo Filho Ryan D.
Samson Melody
Ron Dautzenberg Ryan Dela
Samuel Drayton
Ron James Ryan Dunfee
Samuel Philip Whitehead Gallagher
Ron Jansen Ryan Evans
Samuel LoCastro
Ron Overton Ryan Fair
Samuel Newell
Ron Pack Ryan Finkenbinder
Samuel N. Ronco
Ron Palma - 3D-DZYN Ryan J. Ford
Samuel Thrower
Ron Prestin Ryan Hardman
Sander van Dijk
Ron Robinson Ryan Harrison
Sandro Teixeira
Ron Saleeby Ryan Hilton
Sandy Botond
Ron Urbas Ryan Holloway
Sandy Fesq
Ron van den Hoek Ryan Hopkins
Sansemin
Ron Weaver - Diabolical Terrain Ryan Kinney
Santi Botella
Ronald Posthumus Ryan Lankton
Santiago Ramos III
Ronald S. Carnegie Jr Ryan Meigs
Sapper Joe
Ronnie Szalkowski Ryan Mitchell
Sarah (Crissey’s lovely wife)
Rory Thomson Ryan O’Brien
Sarah Jones
Rose Gregory Ryan O’Mahony
Sascha Klippert
Ross Gates Ryan Palmer
Sasha Bilton
Ross Ramsay Ryan Powell
Ryan Shellito Saturnismus
Ross Tasker
Ryan M. Squires SchemingDMandPC
Rowen Hodge
Ryan Taylor Scherdy
Roy Scafe, Last of the Founders,
Ryan Trottier Schmitz Nico
El Presidente eternal of the house
of S.Q.U.I.G.S. Ryan Walcz Schuurman
rr Ryan Watkins Schuyler Smith
RTVA Ryantsg schwe
Ruben ‘D1’ de Jong Ryder DeBruyn ScoMenZ
Ruben Mateos Ryko Nailo Scot Milne
Rubén Rivero Castro S. Curran Scot Stevens
Rudi Waldschuetz S. Denny Scott Adgar
Rudy Peeters (Belgium) S. Godbolt Scott Anderson
Rueben Larson S. Jeff Nelson Scott Barker
RUM8LE S. Lesley Scott Bartel
Rune Hoff S. Ronkainen Scott Burkinshaw
RunTMC S. K. Smith Scott Chisholm
Rupert King Sacha Saxer Scott Coley
Russ Matthews Saddiztic - David Summers Scott J. Davis, Esq.
Russ Petersen Sagar Bhatnagar Scott “Viking” Dawson
Russel Fleming Sakuraba Scott Ferguson @brushwizard
Russel Hiatt Salaise Figurine Studio Scott Frappier
Russell Carter Sam & Jason Scott C. Giesbrecht
Russell Dudley Sam “Papa Khorne” Boman Scott Graham

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Scott Hardy Sedas Silfribjorn Entertainment
Scott Hopkins Seimitsu Cook, Jr Silvio Luthi
Scott Horan Senne Nieulandt Simeon Cogswell
Scott Jelinek Ser Hag Simo Hiltunen
Scott Kidwell - brotherscott Serge Caron Simon Boynton
Scott Klintworth Servus Domini Simon Cawsey
Scott Mace Seshia Simon Cornelius
Scott G. McKinlay Seth Cross Simon Davis (SDGlyph)
Scott McMillan Seth Drallitoc Simon Day
Scott Meredith SFC Boyd Bearden 82ndABN Simon Duns
Scott Milne Sgt. Slaughter Simon Evans
Scott “KillerMinis” Myers Sgt. Wilson G.A. Simon H.
Scott Palmer SHAKALL Simon J. Halder
Scott Parkinson Shane Barnbrook Simon Halliday
scott Pearce Shane Billingsley Simon Harris 5349
Scott Powell Shane Busby Simon Kennedy
Scott Raby Shane Coulter Simon Kuenzle
Scott A. Rutherford Shane Jenkins Simon Mills
Scott Sanders Shane Johnston Simon Moore
Scott Schwab Shane Streeting Simon Nolet
Scott Sexton Shannon Sifrig Simon R.
Scott Stewart Shaughnn Lee-Capua
Simon Richard
Scott Thomas Shaun Choo
Simon Riley
Shaun Delp
Scott Tweedie Simon Rilot
Shaun Hawes
Scott “PhoenixTerrainSystems” Wagg Simon Rose
Shaun Smith
Scott Werkmeister Simon Shephard
Shawn “King Zombie” Beatty
Scotty Holt Simon Stroud
Shawn Bulger
Scriv Simon Such
Shawn Crane
Sean Simon Whelan
Shawn Fisher
Sean Britt Simon Winter
Shawn Gray
Sean Browning Simon77
Shawn Lasseter &
Sean Byrne Singh Khanna
Alexandra Miles-Lasseter
Sean Fugate Shawn Lowrey Sion Hopes
Sean “DuWolfy” Harland Shawn C. Rowlands Siph_Horridus
Sean Nelson Shawn Shoemaker Sir Biscuit Beard
Sean O’Connor aka Reaper45 Shawn Turpin Sir Tobi
Sean Potter Shawn Winstanley SirCamOfWarwick
Sean Ray Shay Wallace SirKitchen - my online alias.
Sean “DeltaPilotguy” Reynolds Shayne Covert SirWillibald
Sean Schoonmaker Shea A. Reis sithkhan
Sean T. Squires Sheepman Siuu Nakamura
Sean Sullivan Sherlockbedos Skaggia_Svensk
Sean The Awesome “Mechanicore” Sherman Messer Skanda
Sean Tighe Shiino Skarnir
Seb Clynes Shodan Skethelx
Seb Jacquet Shredhead Skjalm Arroe
Sebastian Appelqvist Si Marshall Skrypt Hobbies
Sebastian Masannek SigfridSWE Skully
Sebastian Anakin McCann Sigmar and Son Skye Herrick
Sebastian Rider-Bezerra Sigmatus303 Skyler Galle
Sebastien Hauguel Sigurd Loberg Skyler Sparks
Sebastien Kohn Siji Slamdoggypooii
Sebastien Louvet Silas Marr SlardyBoy

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Slaugman Stephen Boyd Steve “Coogamooga” Smith
Slobodan Ivanovic Stephen Butcher Steve Sorvetti
Slow Death Games Stephen Dondershine Steve Thompson
Slyfred Stephen Foster Steve Waddell
Sneaky Pete Stephen Gralinski Steve Weidner
snitchythedog Stephen Grice Steve’s Small World
Snuffy Smith Stephen Hardy Steven & Sylvia Urquhart Smith
Socalcanuck Stephen G. Knapp Steven Buerkle Jr.
Sokar4 Stephen Lowin Steven Buerkle Sr.
Solar Macharius Stephen Mullin Steven Danielson
SombreroDeLaNuit Stephen R Miller Steven Hudkins
Soren “Bloodbeard” Bay Stephen G Orr Steven Jasiczek
Søren Düwel Stephen GM Peters Steven Kadolph
Soren Fischer Stephen Renwick Steven Kimball
Søren Beaver Petersen Stephen Stewart Steven Muresan
Soren Werge Stephen Taylor Steven Paul Isaak
Spaced2020 Stephen Thompson Steven Remington
Sparklemotion Stephen Trow In Memory of Steven Robertson
Sparky Stephen Welch Steven Sonleiter
Spence Spencerton Steve Adams Brother Steven Ivan Walk
Spike Steve Aldan SteveOmega13
Spindle Steve Benedict SteveR
spraehbuer Steve Blaske Stewart Davis & James Yates
SprueWhisperer Steve Booth Stewart Hislop
Squidly Steve Buckley Stewart Mortimer
St. Murphy XXII Steve Campbell Stewart Murray
Stan Lee Steve Coleman Sthomas
Stan Shinn Steve Connor Stickman
Stanislas de Scorraille Steve Curtis Storck Family
Stanley Stinnett Steve & Ashley Doonan Strider’s Dad
Starmonger Steve Excell Stu Chapman
Starri Steve Furby Stuart A.
Stcforge Steve Goss Stuart Heasman
Steam Crow Steve Hammond Stuart Jackson
Steeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeve Steve Hampton Stuart Killoran
SteelJoker Steve Harvey Stuart Redvers Kirbell
Steen S Nielsen, Denmark Steve Herck Stuart Mills
Stefan Bernhard Steve Hohenstein Stuart D Warner
Stefan Demmel Steve K. Studio Johnny Q
Stefan Feist Steve Lamoreaux Stusidle
Stefan Rucker Steve “SteviL” Lemberg Stuzzar
Stefan Wertheimer Steve McWhorter Stygian Arcanum
Stefano Riva Steve Mellan Styrbjorn Gren
Steffan Vinding Boel Hjortshoj Steve “Bunker” Moss Subryder68
Step Wright Steve Musal Sugna the Feeble
Steph Wallace Steve Naish Sune Gamby
Stephan_SHAF Steve Osswald SunFury79
Stephane Pothin aka Dargosh Steve P. SuperEngrapadora
Stephanie Dooley Steve Phallen Superfrog88
Stephanie Yeager Steve “Big Ging” Price Suzi R.
Stephen Barr Steve Proud Sven Blocksdorf
Stephen Baugh Steve Ricossa Jr Sven Feesntra
Stephen Bell Steve Sanchez Sven Limberg

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Sven Naudts-Haemels Thadeus Souza Thom Weston
Sven Weinreich The 2P’s Podcast Thomas P.A.
Sven-Patrick Schymik The Alliance Open Thomas Behr
Svend Andersen The Amazing Robert Davidson Thomas Campbell
Swaffletime The Brush Wielders Union Thomas Chalklin
Swiss Si The Cassaday Family Thomas Cheffings
Sydwye The Centala Family Thomas Cook
Sylvain C. The Chosen One Thomas Desjardins
Sylvain Deschenes The Comics Keep Thomas Drummond
Sylvain Jetté The Cramptons Thomas Furunes
T. Daman The Dale Wardens Workshop Thomas Huntley
T. Hiruta The Dice Heroes Thomas & Diana Hyland-Wilson
T. J. The Eccentric Man Thomas Jones
T. G. King The Eng-Kohn family Thomas Kolvenbag
T. Neas The Ervins Thomas Parker
Tadayuki Yasuda The Grand Expedition Thomas Richter
Taitai Tkeru The Independent Characters Crew Thomas Riepe
taku The Jersey General Thomas Ruth
Takuto Shibamichi THE JUUTIN Thomas Sjogren
Talajamfee The Knuttekop of Westerland Thomas L. Smith
Talioran Finduir Galathil The lads of the Gaming Garage Thomas J. Talamini
Tallahassee Warhammer The Laughing Death Thomas Valerio
Tamás “Blackfire” Máté The Lexa Family Thomas Verman
Tamsin Piper The Lord High Awesome Sir Thomas “Sam” Wolf
Antony Hayward of Awesome
Tanner “T$” Thomas McAwesomeness Thomas & James Wright
Tanner Hill The Lord of Cancon Thor Gran
Tanya Beeson The Mad Devil Thorbolt
Taran Skinner The Mastermind2563 Thorin
Taro Modelmaker The Old Salt Thortron
Team Bad Decisions The Original Slim Chipmunk Threkk Skreggson
Technokat The Phalanx Consortium Thumbprints in Putty
Ted Conn The Ramirez family Thunderquack
Ted G. The Rogue General Hunter Tiago Thedim Dias
Ted Lewis The Scene tibo76700
Ted Sandrock The Wyoming Mikes Tim Aikens
Ted B. Wysocki Sr. TheKingInYellow Tim “SunDancer” Albers
Teis Anker Mikkelsen Theodore Koerber Tim Andryszak
Teis S. Hansen TheRealAshMan Tim Bancroft
Tekwych Theresa Kamela-Cheney Tim Bos
Tero Ojala theSquire Tim Brault
terrain guru TheThinkrr Tim Burgess
Terrain4Print thFOOL Tim Chubb
Terrainaholic & Terrainminion Thiago Rafael Becker Tim Crothers
Terrainiacs Thibault Tehel Lhuillier Tim Devoldere
Terrance Smith Thibaut LILY Tim Edwards
Terrell Scoggins Thibaut W. Tim Hill-Merrick
Terry Barton Thierry CHAUVIN Tim Sloth Johansen
Terry Crolley Thierry Jones Tim Kelly
Terry Kelly Thieves Guild Tim Koerber Jr.
Terry Rinck thingsfromthebasement.com Tim Lecomte
Terry S. Kirk Thogrid Dwarf King Tim Macmillan
Terry Scott Thom Jones Tim Makin - Rebel Base Gaming
Terry Silverthorn Thom Matthewson Tim Mersch

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Tim D. Noble Tom Cosaert Torben Termanse
Tim Poulos Tom Crea Torbjörn Andersson
Tim Rosolino Tom Cromack Torbjørn Larsen
Tim Shead Tom Davies Torbjørn Lindahl
Tim Sigler Tom Glendinning Torfinn
Tim Sorrels Tom Granger Torsten Jorres
Tim Spakowski Tom Harr Toumas Katzy
Tim Stringer Tom Hensley Tracy Nevatte
Tim Taylor Tom Inglis Travis Dralle
Tim-Oliver Kunte Tom Keegan Travis Kirke
Timmithy Young Tom Kent Travis Langley
Timmontana Tom “toomba” King Trebing
Timmoth Rex Tom Leib Trent Northbourne
Timo “Dicetimo” Lemburg Tom Lowe Trenton Chestnut
Timo Stepp Tom Lynch Tresillian Hayter
Timothy J. Costello Tom McClure Trever Bergh
Timothy Gill Tom McDonald Trevor Stamper
Timothy Hyde Tom O’Neale (Disgruntled Wargamer) Trevor Turner
Timothy L. Tom Pullen Trevor M. Warren
Timothy Martin Tom Robinson Trey Marshall
Timothy & Megan Ott Tom Schoenberg Trey Mercer
Timothy William Richard Perkins, Tom Van Eyck Trey Terrell
Guardian of the Plastic Hordes, Tomas Sanchez Jr. Tril, the Yridian
Thrower of Dice, Keeper of the
Codices, and Wielder of the tomg3 Triple Helix Gaming Events
Hobby-Knife Defiant Tommi Sirén Tristan
Timothy P. Richter Tommy Bowman Tristan Bauer
Timothy A. Ulrich Jr. TomZ Tristan O’Meara
Tiny Plastic Spacemen Toniofrog Tron
Titi (France) Tonny (Belgium) Troy A. Hill
TNok74 Tony Adamczyk Troy Lanning
TNP Tony Adams Troy J. Nowak
TnTPiE Tony Anderson Troy Ryan
Tobias Becker Tony Bainbridge Troy Weis
Tobias K. Tony C. Trygve Henriksen
Tobias Malm Tony Deady Tuomas Lempiäinen
Toby Datson Tony Egan Tuomas Ristimäki
Toby Fagence Tony Emiliani Turhan Buckley
Toby Goetz Tony Granlien Turin Swift
Toby Magill Tony Harwood Two Rucksacks
Toby McEntire Tony J. Ty Kendall
Tod Creasey Tony Lines Ty Rees-Davies
Todd Jarvis Tony Little Tyler ‘skybirdthing’
Todd “Itinerant Hobbyist” Reed Tony Maravola Tyler B.
Todd Small Tony Ross-Trevor Tyler Brown
Todd Windman Tony Silvey Tyler Frodl
toenailgoblin Tony Smith Tyler Horn
Tolltaker Tony Strongman Tyler Hulsey
Tom Tony Yannarell Tyler Drew Jones
Tom aka Original Timmy TonyLow Tyler McDowell
Tom Bateman Toolinger Tyler Miller
Tom Boenigk Toolman Tyranuszer0
Tom Bombadil Tor Harald Brenne Tyson Koch
Tom Chenu Tor-Egil Randen Tyson Pink

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Uber W. D. Goff - Pointyhead Games Will Taylor
Uffe Fischer Laursen W. M. Wallace Will Tushaw Hales
UK Static Wade M. Page Willi M.
Ukko Kaarto, Rillikerho Wakefield Turner William “Kaiz” Powell
Ulrich Drees Wally Harwood William “Mac” Mcclelland
Ulrich Ilg Walter Kolopajlo William A. Scott
Ulrik ConDoin Walter J. Meyer (of Wisconsin) William Anders
UncleD Walter Morrison William Bassett
UsefulG Walter U. William Caro
Uwe Nagel WanderingDragon William Creighton
V War William Edward.
Vaclav Remes Warboss Richie Elliott William Erickson
Valakra wargameterrain.com William Frank
Valhalla’s Gate Games Warren Barnard William Gorman, Rochester, NY, USA
Vanderzippe Benoit Warren Batrick William Juhrend
Vanthort Warren Mason William E. Karnesky
Vaporomir Warren Mockett William Keystone
Vaughan Monnes Warren Sistrom William L. Lancaster II
vbc Warw William Mazurek
Verougstraete Robin Warwick Keen William Miller
Verri Warzan and the BoW team William Rose
Victor Cina Wayne D. Bur
William Rosenow
Victor Durango Wayne Fitzgerald
William S.
Wayne H.
Victor Fajardo Lopez William Schweiter Jr
Wayne Minton
Victor Jalencas William Sull
Wayneh0209
VictorVon William Sylwester
wefra
Vidar “V-dawg” Hemmingby William Thompson
Weldingguy
Viktor Carlvik William Veens
welshmerlin
Viktor SvŠrd William Ward
Wendy Fadersen
Villagemeeple William M Woodhouse
WerewolfRich
Vincent Arebalo William Ray Wright
Werner B.
Vincent Henrotte Willis Maximus
Wes Austin
Vincent Liu Willmer Martinez
Wes Thompson
Vincent Oradesky Jr. Wilson Man
Wes Ware
Vincent W. Rospond Wim D.
West Side
Vincent S. Wim Vets
Whisperra
Vincent J. Stella Windy
Whitsett Rice
Vincentius Primus Wittcomb
Wilco92
Vincenzo “Enzo” Finizola Wm. Hession
Wild Bill Fredrickson
Vinnie Papa Wojtek Lubawski
Wildyam
Vinny Mooney Wolf Assassin
Will Boatman
Vivienne Samuel Wolf Priest Bjorn
Will Burn
VJ Morph Wolfbrother41
Will Henry
Vokov Yeltzin WolfDawg
Will Lewis
VolkardStaats Wolvik
Will Maddocks
Volker Jacobsen Will Montgomery Wouter Palsterman
Volker Racho Will O’Brien Wrongtr
Von Popov (716.ID) Will Penney www.blacksitestudios.com
von Tempsky Will Podlewski Wyatt Wagner
Vonkaar Nameless Will Rossen Wylie Caras
Vorth Mordrak Will S. Wyrdpig
Vossio Will Stephens, Ken Stephens, and X
Vytas Masteika Gavin Short X-Wing Tavern Wars (blog)

225
xen Youri Janse Zane Johnson
Xenoist yui Zane Pearson
Xenosscape (AndreD) Yuu Yo Zark the Damned
XnFM z Zaspel
Xuresch Z. Daniel Barnett Zerulean
Yael Guery Zaccarelli Luca Zeyug
yaithaven Zach B. ZÌ_gner
Yanko - Tharg Zach DeFoor Zip Nolan
Yannis Hatzopoulos Zach Lyon Ziv Riklis
YCSWYD Zach Shelley Zlatko Grom
Yenesis Zachary Vail Znorgohyde
Yggdrasil Magnus Zachery Goldsmith Zoe Jones
Yin Shao Loong Zack Gross Zorzoror
YobSolo Zackary “Ol One Eye” Ong Zoxe
Yong Jun Park Zak Sauerwald

226
 TERRAIN ESSENTIALS THIS BIG GREEN BOOK COVERS:

Mel Bose – The Terrain Tutor – has been building • PLANNING. The most important step is thinking
terrain for almost as long as he can remember. it through before you start.
When he was five, Mel built playsets for his little
• TOOLS & MATERIALS. Learn what you should
green army men in the corner of a craft store. He
be using and when you should be using it.
was often assisted by model railroaders who were
regulars at the store and, by the time he turned • TECHNIQUES. How to get the results you want
15, Mel was primed for a life of building terrain. across a wide variety of terrain pieces.
Mel has traveled the world, as a medic in the
• BASES & BOARDS. Give your terrain the
army, a physiotherapist, and even a salesman. He
foundations it deserves.
has worked with people from all walks of life, and
looked at things from many different perspectives. • GROUNDWORK. Understand the importance
It is this approach that he brings to his successful of texture in creating realistic pieces.
YouTube channel, The Terrain Tutor. Since
2014, Mel has been able to make a living from • GRASSWORK. Bring life to your pieces by adding
sharing his passion – teaching people everything the flora you would expect to see around it.
he knows about building terrain for tabletop
wargaming, for hobbyists, clubs, displays, and for • PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER! Combine all this
dioramas – and it’s that passion and knowledge information to build both natural and man-made
that he brings to this book. features for all scales and settings.

ISBN 978-1-950423-20-0 PUBLISHED BY

A BOOK
ABOUT MAKING
WARGAMING TERRAIN
Designed in USA
Printed in Lithuania
DAVETAYLORMINIATURES.COM