Modular terrain light!

[Erik]

Hello there
I am looking for inspiration to build a small modular gaming table for To the Strongest. Their smallest recommended table is only 90x60 cm, so I reckoned building it as a modular table would be a nice change from the usual larger flat tables where the terrain is places afterwards. I am looking for something as gentle hills, sunken roads and maybe a small stream. The idea is to be able to play the modular terrain bit of the table as either just plain or having an effect on the game. I still plan to have separate hills, buildings and forests to help change the setup of the table.

Does anyone have pictures of something like this? It does not have to be the same table size. More the general idea of having a modular table where the terrain can be used rule wise or disregarded.

Cheers
Erik

[Silent Invader]

By modular do you mean self contained tiles (modules) that can be swapped around to provide different layouts?

There's quite a few people that use that sort of thing. Tomrommel has a thread running at the moment converting TSS tiles. I use 30 cm sq 6mm MDF myself and have several layouts including Moorland, Arid, Urban, Snowscape, etc.

This is my The North set, with more tiles planned:



The thing with war gaming terrain is that it's a compromise. Some people don't like the grid lines from so many modules but they don't bother me as I prefer the eye-line view:



Lots more images and other info here:

http://www.silentinvader.uk/index_w_gtn_index_terrain.html

As a slightly different example, my Belgium 1914 set up has more buildings and looks like this:





http://www.silentinvader.uk/index_w_taf_index.html

Edit: it's not obvious from these photos but the Belgian tiles are on plinths as the buildings have basements and the roadside ditches are sunken etc. I only use plinths if I have to, as they add to the storage requirement.

[Rob_bresnen]

At the risk of hijacking a thread that has only just started, can I ask how you guys store your modular boards. Like Erik I would love to have a go at building something like this but I would worry that it would be difficult to store and transport.

[Erik]

First all Silent Invader; lovely terrain. Its long been a plan of mine to make board like that. What I was going fore in my post though, was a one tile table (if you can call it that) with very generic sort of terrain features that could be used over and over again with the addition of some forest, building and hill pieces.

It has to look pretty, have the potential to represent significant terrain features when you want but not clog up the table with too much terrain. Hope that makes sence.   

About storage Rob. Get an understanding wife. After that its all down hill. 

Cheers
Erik

[Dr. Zombie]

About storage Rob. Get an understanding wife. After that its all down hill. 

Cheers
Erik

That still does not answer what you are going to do for storage...

Have you tried to take a look a the Secret Weapon Tablescapes? It certainly is not a cheap option but it might be what you are after. With generic roling hills streams and roads.

[Silent Invader]

First all Silent Invader; lovely terrain. Its long been a plan of mine to make board like that. What I was going fore in my post though, was a one tile table (if you can call it that) with very generic sort of terrain features that could be used over and over again with the addition of some forest, building and hill pieces.

It has to look pretty, have the potential to represent significant terrain features when you want but not clog up the table with too much terrain. Hope that makes sence.   

About storage Rob. Get an understanding wife. After that its all down hill. 

Cheers
Erik

Thanks and I now understand.

Previously I've used a less elaborate approach with much larger tiles but with rivers and roads built in, to which I add trees, hills and houses as required for WotR games. For tables which are more elaborate (in terms of sunken roads etc) and have bigger surface area, check out LAF threads on the FIW board by Captain Blood and the Dorset board by Jimbibbly.

[OSHIROmodels]

and the Dorset board by Jimbibbly.

And here it is 

http://leadadventureforum.com/index.php?topic=70094.0

cheers

James

[SotF]

One thing that works is to get some 1'x1' plywood squares and 2" foam.

Embed nails and/or screws through the plywood to reinforce the foam and make sure they allow you to shape the terrain the way you want. Use glue and mount the foam to the boards, then measure things out for consistency (The friend of mine I helped with a few uses 2" intervals) with a marker and halfway down the foam just to make things easier.

Work it into the shapes you want for the pieces, just keep things consistent for modularity such as which sections rivers or roads meet with.

I'd suggest that you still keep hills separate until you have the rest to at least your basic level, but for them, just use larger reinforcement options and more foam.

After you shape it, take some filler to work it a bit better for the look and making it a bit more fitting, and lets you do things like cobble or similar for roads. On a solid surface, you can actually use hot glue dragged across it for dirt tracks. Scattered rocks and other things, perhaps stones for a streambed.

Then finish texturing and paint, flock, water, and whatever else.

Just make sure you write down your paints, flocks, and everything else to keep things matching.

[Norm]

To the Strongest is a grid game and I am told that it works fine with hexes because of that.

Would getting some hex terrain interest you.

On this link, scroll down to the photographs and to judge whether that would suit. Those particular haves are 4" flat to flat.

LINK -  http://commanders.simdif.com/painting-table.html

[Erik]

Thanks for all the suggestion. To the Strongest is a grid game but a square one so hexogons are no good even though they look really nice.

Cheers

[tomrommel1]

Have a look here: http://leadadventureforum.com/index.php?topic=93022.0 I use terrain tiles by TSS for years now and like them a lot. I just redid some as they became rather used after so many years. A link for TSS :
http://totalsystemscenic.com/product-category/modular-tile-system-small-tiles/