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So I want to make a board that has significant elevation changes. I want to put a mountainous forest on one end, and a town/cityscape on the other. I also want to run a canal along the entire long edge of the board, it will be deep enough to block LOS for medium sized units, but narrow enough to prevent transports from running it. I realize this could end up giving decisive tactical advantage to one team, so I will model in openings at both ends. Something like docks, to allow defenders to post up if a force is traversing it.

I also would like to make some sort of complex that models can actually go inside, what type of rules shenannagins should I be aware of? Or is this not allowed in 40k? The idea is to give both teams a significant piece of terrain that provides advantage on both sides of the board.

I do plan on making the board somewhat modular with buildings that can be moved around.

Now my question at this point is what type of foam should I use? I realize its insulation foam I can find at a hardware store, but is there a particular brand or some type of rating I should be aware of?

The pink insulation foam is what most people use. I think there is a blue variant that is the same thing too.

I use the blue hard insulation foam, available at my local contractors supply store (home builder's supply). Expensive but great stuff. You'll need a foam cutter.

No particular brand or rating to worry about. As long as it's extruded (NOT expanded - you don't want the crunchy matrix or squishy beaded kind) polystyrene foam, you're good to go. Doesn't seem to be any appreciable difference between blue and pink, either (just a matter of branding, as far as I know). Some boards come with a plastic sheet adhered to one side that you'll want to peel off before working, but that's about the only (easily circumventable) practical variation I've seen.

The main consideration is what thickness to get. Thicker boards save time and glue when building up tall forms, but need to be planed/carved down to get more subtle variation. Thin sheets are more flexible, but require more work (more layers to glue, more seams to mask) to achieve equivalent height. If you live in a more temperate climate, you may find that the selection is slanted toward the thin end, effectively making the call for you.

 oadie wrote:
No particular brand or rating to worry about. As long as it's extruded (NOT expanded - you don't want the crunchy matrix or squishy beaded kind) polystyrene foam, you're good to go. Doesn't seem to be any appreciable difference between blue and pink, either (just a matter of branding, as far as I know). Some boards come with a plastic sheet adhered to one side that you'll want to peel off before working, but that's about the only (easily circumventable) practical variation I've seen.

The main consideration is what thickness to get. Thicker boards save time and glue when building up tall forms, but need to be planed/carved down to get more subtle variation. Thin sheets are more flexible, but require more work (more layers to glue, more seams to mask) to achieve equivalent height. If you live in a more temperate climate, you may find that the selection is slanted toward the thin end, effectively making the call for you.

Thank you very much. Ok extruded, got it. I live in North Dakota so we got the 2" stuff, thanks.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
I have another thread for this but I'll ask anyway. Ay recommendation for a cutter? Or a method to cut?

I generally just use a knife - the retractable, snap-off blade type. Foam tends to dull blades quickly, so being able to swap to fresh ones easily is a boon. Fully extended, you can also reach through a 2" board easily, which a razor blade or hobby knife doesn't allow. Rough cuts can just be scored lightly and snapped, smooth faces require gentle pressure and a slight sawing motion. Cutting large and trimming to size makes things easier, as the trimmings deform and deflect without trapping the blade, which would happen if you tried to score/saw through the middle of a board. For smooth contours, I rough out with the knife then move to coarse sandpaper.

Hot wire cutters/hot knives are another option. I picked up a cheap "knife" (thin rod that heats up, not a tensioned wire - looks like a weedy screwdriver instead of a slingshot) to try, but haven't even felt the need to break it out. I don't like the finish that hot cutters leave, so I'd end up carving the cut faces by hand, anyway. That being the case, I see no reason to deal with the fumes and strings of melted foam when a regular knife works just fine. If you don't mind the old-school "tiered hills" look (flat top, steep, wiggly edge), though, a hot cutter of some sort would save you a lot of time. Same if you plan to layer intricate shapes with a lot of inside cuts (which wide blades don't handle well).

I've seen some absolutely amazing work done in foam with hot tools, but it takes skill, practice, and quality equipment to achieve it. For basic work, I don't generally think they're worth it. Many swear by them, though, so YMMV.

While you are at the planning stage, how about a modular board? THat is, make sections that are 2' square. This way you can change the board as you want from game to game. It also means easier storage. If you have a bard that is 6 x 4 with lovingly modelled terrain then ow do you store it? If its in sections, at least you can put it on a shelf or on top of a cupboard right?