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I want to make a gaming board for my house (probably multiple down the road), and I want to start with a semi-arid savannah-like theme with a bit of mud to go around. The problem with savannahs is they are very flat and boring for a 40k game. I don't want to just slap down a bunch of flat trees and call it a day, I want something interesting. This would be some alien world anyway, so there should be leeway, right?

Any ideas? Maybe a giant chaos-infested termite hill? Maybe a watering hole somewhere with some mutant croc eyes peeking out?

Those are some interesting ideas you have already. I particularly like the chaos termites

I started making an arid savannah style board a while ago. One thing that I planned to have was a watering hole with a large tree (think a strange coloured weeping willow) dangling its branches over the pool ready to grab animals that walk over for a drink.

Quicksand areas could also feature as a terrain puck (I did a large number of CD's with different mini terrains on them).

You could also add on vents for underground hives (think Pitch Black), skeletons of large creatures, small water pools surrounded by plants, rock spires and so on.

 SilverMK2 wrote:
Those are some interesting ideas you have already. I particularly like the chaos termites

I started making an arid savannah style board a while ago. One thing that I planned to have was a watering hole with a large tree (think a strange coloured weeping willow) dangling its branches over the pool ready to grab animals that walk over for a drink.

Quicksand areas could also feature as a terrain puck (I did a large number of CD's with different mini terrains on them).

You could also add on vents for underground hives (think Pitch Black), skeletons of large creatures, small water pools surrounded by plants, rock spires and so on.

Now that's some good stuff. A big, weathered skeleton of -some-thing unknown trying to claw its way out of quicksand, one arm reaching out that provides convenient chest-high cover... yeah, that's gonna happen!

I really like that tree idea too. Maybe have a venus fly trap sort of thing tucked away by the base with a gored-up gazelle-like leg just barely sticking out of it.

Half buried under the sand buildings are the best way of getting 'traditional' 40k scenery onto the board.

 AG. wrote:
Half buried under the sand buildings are the best way of getting 'traditional' 40k scenery onto the board.

I'm wondering if I can get away with having no buildings at all. Worst case I can get some half-buried stuff in there though, yeah. Should be easy with the muddy look.

How about some hills?

I think even a flat Savannah board would look interesting if it was done extremely well.

From terraformer:

I'd say don't make it 100% flat - work in some rises and low hills.

Rabid prairie dog burrows, counts as impassible terrain....

termite mounds, those Serengeti trees from Africa, etc.

Those are some awesome photos. A bit too deserty but I love that rocky formation.

I suppose I'd have to get some elevations in there, but I'm still wondering how to do that 'right' for the theme.

Lots of dry tall grass terrain pieces to block line of sight would be good.

Otherwise think lion king and the hyena den. and big sulfur vents would be cool.

 Desubot wrote:
Lots of dry tall grass terrain pieces to block line of sight would be good.

Otherwise think lion king and the hyena den. and big sulfur vents would be cool.

Yesssssssssss... perfect!

Or a section of salt flats, make it difficult terrain for vehicles, dangerous for super-heavies.

 SoloFalcon1138 wrote:
Or a section of salt flats, make it difficult terrain for vehicles, dangerous for super-heavies.

I think that could be accomplished with the quicksand-like muddy area.

Well i no geologist but Im pretty sure salt flats and dried river beds are pretty ideal for driving on, though Im not sure. BUT if you paint areas of dried flats a little darker and wet with maybe a skeleton, gun, Indiana Jones hat on top of it. It makes it quicksand made by an underground spring.

Desubot is right - salt flats are actually fantastic for driving, since they're hard-packed earth and... well, flat, so I wouldn't count them as difficult/dangerous terrain. If anything, they'd function like roads, allowing vehicles to move faster and more easily.

While it's incredibly short, the savannah does experience a wet season, when just about everything turns to mud. If you want a bit of elevation change, I'd suggest adding gullies and a river bed, either dry or with a low water level and very muddy sides. It would necessitate topping your board with foam to allow you to carve down, but it would definitely help break things up and give a few areas of trench-like cover. Unless you go modular, you might have to run it right down the middle (either short way, long way, or diagonally) if you want to keep things fair. Personally, I'm fine with unbalanced features, but I don't know if I'd design a static board that way if I didn't have to.

On an alien planet - you can sort of get away with mixing and matching things.

Want to make the flat more interesting - use some fault line uplift:

http://www.world-mysteries.com/zealandquake1.jpg

You can also pull from geological sources which are not found in our African Savannahs and stick them into the climate area. Volcanic, glacial and wind/water erosion may have occurred to a more significant extent on whatever far flung planet you are dealing with. Something like the Badlands which we have in the US, volcanic chimneys or other lava formations, maybe some moraines, drumlins or pluckings.

Since the actions that make an area a savannah wouldn't preclude those activities from taking place in the past (or not so distant past). You can see some interesting examples of the volcanic activity with Nyiragongo or Dallol. Dallol in particular is extremely alien looking without even having to leave our little corner of the universe.

A half-eaten animal carcass or two, and maybe some bushes nearby with predators hiding under them from all the gunfire.

Evertras wrote:
Those are some awesome photos. A bit too deserty but I love that rocky formation.

Straight from the horses hooves

I like the idea of the "elephant graveyard" where some big creatures go to die. Lots of big skeletons carved into by local indigenous tribes as a place of power