Please note that these EVA Foam Mats can be used for any type of terrain needed: Ocean/Seas (blue, green, white paint), Mars/other planets (red, brown, yellow, whatever color you need), desert, mountains, grasslands, etc. They're an exceptional terrain making base to build upon, for whatever type of terrain you need. Please read on…
Here is a new video, not by DM Scotty, demonstrating a new version of 2.5D terrain making:
Easy-Peasy Modular Castle/Dungeon Tiles – EVA Foam
The video uses EPA Foam, such as what you can buy, around the world. Here in the USA, they are available at Harbor Freight, for a reasonable (IMO) price: $8.99 USD, without discount coupons, for a pack of four.
Painting EVA Foam:
The YouTuber recommends using textured spray paint, which works very well on smaller pieces of foam. I am concerned that it might not survive flexing on a full sheet of foam, over time. This stuff goes on a bit thick. I have not tested it, this is just my concern -- it might stick just fine, and flex just fine. You will need to experiment with it, if you choose to use this type of paint.
I used DM Scotty's sponge painting, wet blending techniques, on my mats. I used inexpensive craft paints, without any primer, or surface preparation. That was 8+ years ago, and they look the same, today, without any peeling or flaking off. I used full sized, uncut pieces of foam, and they have been flexed quite a bit, over the years. They have also been tossed around in storage, without any effect on the craft paints applied.
The dark gray color of the foam, is a wonderful base to work up from, for most terrain colors: brown, gray, green, yellow, etc. For ice/snow, you can just apply some titanium white craft paint (opaque, offers superb coverage over the dark foam) -- brush, airbrush, sponge, etc.
I do not recommend Latex paint, or house paint emulsions. I used Latex white ceiling paint on a knock-off foam brand, and it began peeling off, after a year. The acrylic craft paints have never peeled, after 8+ years, and counting.
RPG base terrain usage:
I've used these in the past, for a ground mat for fantasy RPG games. I cut a 1-inch grid pattern into mine, then I inserted vertical card wall sections, to make up the Steading of the Hill Giants (3-in-1 module -- it's cheaper than buying them separately), in full, 2.5D glory. It was massively huge, took a couple of hours to put together, but it was epic…
I am preparing to use more of these mat sections for The Glacial Rift of the Frost Giant Jarl, painted white, with blue sponge patterns, to represent the glacier; I'll stack modular ice cavern wall sections atop the mats, to make all of the chambers for the PC's to die -- I mean, adventure in. Yeah, yeah, that's the ticket, to "adventure in…"
Keep watching to the end of the video. He shares that his clip-on doors, which DM Scotty and Wyloch also demonstrated in their videos, actually was in use in the early 1980's! Great minds think alike!
EVA Foam sheets are a superb base to build terrain upon, with, or without, a grid. I've painted mine for dungeons, with the idea of using vertical, 2D cardboard wall sections, to make up the chambers, as well. My original plan was to use this approach to make up a complete scaled model of the Halls of the Fire Giant King (Snurre), for G3. A friend offered me the use of his Dwarven Forge terrain, so my 2.5D dungeons were tabled: it would take me 50+ hours to make enough wall sections, then it would take hours to put it all together, according to the module's map… It is an incredible amount of work, and time. Using my friend's DF terrain, will save me 50+ hours, and it will speed up the setup process, as well. Cheers!
