"Tille terrain: Overlays, or custom tiles?" Topic

I wanted to get some feedback and opinions on what people are using for terrain.

For 30 years, up to about 6 years ago, I used terrain blankets. These would be painted and flocked for effect. With painted felt, and flocked wooded areas, overlayed roads and rivers (rubber or resin)with mainly railroad or architectural terrain.

I then used Citadel 2 x 2 terrain tiles, and added my own custom tiles at 1 x 1. About 4 years ago, added secret weapon terrain tiles with an option to add 5mm 1 square foot cork tile underneath so they are at the same level as the Citadel boards.

I recently made my own terrain tiles with vinyl tile that is the same thickness as the Secret weapon terrain tiles but heavier as they are not plastic, but much, much cheaper.

Now I have started making roads integral into the terrain tiles, versus using my rubber or flexible overlay terrain. I use some flocked fleece overlays for woods and the like still, but I have thought of making terrain square wood bases and other terrain also.

Now I am filling up my gaming area in the garage with terrain. I built an integrated 10 x 6 gaming table, with underneath storage, and shelving to fit it all.

I have thought about using more tiles for winter terrain, and desert terrain, instead of my blanket terrain, but the space and weight are getting pretty high, and yet it looks so much better.

What preferences to any of you, in the peanut gallery have? On terrain, tiles, blankets, custom terrain, and or even use of premade terrain tiles?

I use 1/8" thick vinyl tile for my 1x1 foot terrain squares. The stuff is indestructible! It is heavy, though, and I don't want to use more storage space for desert terrain, so I'll probably just use a cloth placed over the squares/hills for that option. You can see the terrain in "action" on my blog wargamesandstuff.blogspot.com .

I am just the opposite. I built terrain boards which came out great, but I got tired of the lack of versatility, storage and seams. I am now going back to making a terrain mat with elevation under and rivers, roads etc. on top. My son and I will do 3 mats for winter, desert and green whatever. Easier storage and more flexible.

Mats all the way. You just need to add enough terrain to break up the uniformity. Here is a winter table from our club's last game (20mm Stalingrad):

YouTube link

Custom tables and big gerrain tiles look the best, but I still like game mats in general, especially for anything "natural" (desert, forest, field, winter, etc). Our club does a wide variety of games so having the flexibiliy of starting with a flat surface is generally preferred and we make up for it with very nice terrain pieces.

For my big city (usually used for an 8"x10" 28mm Mech Attack game) things are moving in a different direction that is a compromise between tiles and mats. I've presently got a big grey mat with some airbrushing. Ontop of it goes roads made of roofing shingles and buildings are placed next to them. You can see what that looks like here:
link
However, wanting a bit more realism I've just purchased a bunch of 12" self adhesive VCTs and I'll be making a base with sidewalk and some detail (in card) for each of my buildings. that they can be placed on top of.

I'll still use the big grey mat which will still put a grey layer under anywhere that doesn't have a road or base and I'm hoping that this will lead to the best flexibility. A mat and stack of thin 12" VCTs with card detail on them doesn't take up much room and the buildings can still be separate for different layouts and configuration. Plus I don't have to store any big terrain tiles.

Suitably coloured cloths with overlaid felt for woods and towns (or islands), felt or masking tape for roads and rivers. It mightn't look as good as custom made stuff but it is flexible, portable and cheap.

Piquet Rules
<I use 1/8" thick vinyl tile for my 1x1 foot terrain squares. The stuff is indestructible! It is heavy, though, and I don't want to use more storage space for desert terrain, so I'll probably just use a cloth placed over the squares/hills for that option. You can see the terrain in "action" on my blog wargamesandstuff.blogspot.com>

That's what I have started using to supplement all my tiles and terrain. Works great.

Any advice on good dirt road tiles. I've got the asphault roads down.

As far as cobblestone I put into the Pedion Kickstarter

link

Extra Crispy

Nice winter terrain. I am torn on using a white blanket and overlays, or using the vinyl tile (but that's a lot of work). I though about lightly touching up a matt with browns, and snow flocking to get a better look. I have done my felt tree bases as such, and winter tree bases.

John Armatys

I found some custom terrain tape on-line for some games.

Like this on amazon.

link

Ordinarybass

I just made a 10 x 6 table and used VCT 1mm self adhesive tile on the top, and painted over with an avacodo rough, textured patio paint to seal the table with.

Outside of the plywood, and trim, I cut and assembled it myself, plus the cost of cheap tiles, and a gallon of paint. VCT is good, but a game at another location, may just need a blanket as hauling all that stuff takes up a lot of space. I should post a picture. It's modified workbench, with shelving underneath for all my buildings.

I ran a game at Hurricon two years ago, and it all filled my wife's Toyota 4 runner to the back of the front seat. Maybe I should do 15mm, instead of 28mm.

We'll just say, I use a full bay in my garage for gaming and a table.

I've been doing this for 35 years.

Over the years, I have build several custom terrains using both 2x4' and 2x2' tiles. All with integrated roads, rivers, hills etc etc.

I am throwing them all out, the storage requirement is high, they have no flexibility for transport and the stuff falls or gets knocked off.

I have gone to mats, with lay-on latex roads and rivers with both under mat and on mat hill terrain and other features.

100% better with good quality stuff which is matched to your mats it almost looks just as good. Much easier to store and to transport.

I have to relay say that I enjoyed making tiles and boards quite a bit, but I do not miss them.

I did recently buy some Pedion tiles to see if 1x1" would be better. Was not impressed with the build quality, and just not flexible.

I do a lot of WWII campaign gaming, a 6 table campaign is just too much work to build specific boards for. The below are all based on mats.

I just made a 10 x 6 table and used VCT 1mm self adhesive tile on the top, and painted over with an avacodo rough, textured patio paint to seal the table with.

Outside of the plywood, and trim, I cut and assembled it myself, plus the cost of cheap tiles, and a gallon of paint. VCT is good, but a game at another location, may just need a blanket as hauling all that stuff takes up a lot of space. I should post a picture. It's modified workbench, with shelving underneath for all my buildings.

I ran a game at Hurricon two years ago, and it all filled my wife's Toyota 4 runner to the back of the front seat. Maybe I should do 15mm, instead of 28mm.

We'll just say, I use a full bay in my garage for gaming and a table.

I've been doing this for 35 years.

A modified workbench is a good idea, but I havent' the room for a permanent table. I've got 6 panels (aproximately 1'x7'each) from folding closet doors that I can lay across the dining room table and then put back on the porch when I'm done

I just like VCT's because I can peel back the sticky side, put on pieces of card for sidewalk, floors, etc sprinkle on some balast if necessary and then paint. Most of the roofs of the urban builings in the link above have removeable roofs made from VCT. I just put the various roof bits (HVAC, tubes, stacks, Quonset huts etc) and a bit of sand texture right on the sticky and then painted.

I feel your pain for transportation. the layout I linked to above didn't quite fill my Transit Connect (these things have massive capacity) to the front seats but I've only got a few feet left to work with.

Regarding roads on vinyl tile squares: I put masking tape on the tile, mark the road pattern and width with a pencil, cut along the road borders with an X-acto knife and remove the tape where the road will be. I use a textured spray paint for the base, let that dry, and then spray again with a heavier texture spray. That adds a bit more depth and dimension to the road. After everything is dry, I paint with the basic road color, then flow some Future with black/brown ink over the roads. Once that is done, drybrush and its done.

I have been hoarding paint and material to make up a vast set of tiles. Big format and different size (multiples of 300mm) tiles to fit jigsaw-like onto a table-top designed with a recess to accept them and hold them in place.

I accept the limitations people have mentioned, they won't travel much and will need to be stored in the dungeon.

I have other terrain.

David F Brown

John, get pics, on the first where would I be able to get the interlocking wood bases? Best I've seen

We use Hexagon tiles (kallistra Hesxon 2. When we play with 1/144 scale models. Roads, and linear items are placed on top. Its an inevitable compromise. Specific tiles look superb in one pattern but can look daft in another, and the number of patterns is limited. With hex terrain you build your idea even base it on real terrain at least in part.

The compromise is the inevitable art vs playability and simulation.

Our stuff – unfortunately hex is not cheap.

For bigger scales you would struggle to hold in 3Din a garage what we have in fold flay flat. Hills are modular. We have a couple of crates that proably counts as 20 crates when unfolded. Again Art vs playability.

link

link

In 2011, I built a 5x10 wooden gaming table, with a base of pink foam covered in sand and painted, with options for a cave system or "green" tropical foamboard that can be placed on top.

VERY good for home, not good for travel.

Hate to say it, but a nicely mottled (spray paint) canvas, fine thread count sheet, layed over a table, and then sprinkled with sand, ballast and woodland scenics flock, looks just as good, and can be carried anywhere. Just pour the flock and ballest into a coffee can, roll up the mat, and poof!

I used to have 4' x 2' geomorphic terrain boards for game shows. But, I changed cars and I could no longer fit the number I needed. Alas, they are no more.
But here is a look of their construction and use.

panzer-war.com/page10.html