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Sometimes you don't have access to purposely build 40k terrain.
The general solution to this seems to be to use random stuff lying around in the room such as books soda cans and cd cases.
I feel like we can do better then that even without any glue, paint, tools or too much time to spare.
So lets make a decent collection of stuff that actually looks good as terrain could be available around your house and only needs to be transported to your gaming area.
Fun fact:
Sand tables have been used since forever in planning military operations.
The term 'Sandbox' started out -- for the modern military -- as exactly that.
A table-top box of sand on which military plans could be demonstrated.
It was a testbed (another term from the military) for trying out various approaches and solutions to problems.
Pretty much where all this hobby started from.
This message was edited 3 times. Last update was at 2016/05/31 17:03:42
Oli: Can I be an orc?
Everyone: No.
Oli: But it fits through the doors, Look!
Is it just me or does the standard of 40k terrain seem to be declining? I can remember when FW had loads of amazing terrain.
Okay the tau stuff looks good, but the imperium terrain these days just looks silly. Okay trenches covered by skulls is extremely grimdark, but it looks a tad silly and cartoony to me :/
The upcoming containers and accessories look pretty good imo.
I don't mind 40KGW scenery (the fantasy stuff has been horrible), it's good value, good quality, has tonnes of detail for a quick paintjob and gives everyone a chance to have a great looking table for minimal effort.
This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2016/05/31 21:50:54
Oli: Can I be an orc?
Everyone: No.
Oli: But it fits through the doors, Look!
Something you can consider is converting and painting up your carry cases/shoe boxes/whatever to double up as scenery. You could even recover your books in felt to give a grassy/gravel appearance!
It won't necessarily be so pretty and it might be awkwardly sized, but surely it is better than a bible and a coke can?
The problem with improvised scenery like this is that it may as well all be death worlds if you have models you've spent hours painting; sand gets everywhere and chips paint, trying to play outdoors is asking for all kinds of dirt and damage. Putting rocks on a table is fine though, I actually have a few I've stuck down, not the lightest scenery to transport though once you've got a lot of it.
I wish GW would make a harder wearing version of the old Necromunda scenery; I have some and the cardboard is getting as worn as you'd expect after 15 years, but it still slots together quickly into reasonably interesting and functional buildings nice and quickly, and it takes up very little space (it's all relatively flat so the trick is finding a box wide enough that's not also tall.
If they could do a version that was fully plastic, but keeping the floors relatively thin (thick enough to be rigid plus a bit of texture) then it could make for a must-have 40k set. I like the current 40k scenery sets but it's quite an outlay to get enough buildings (half-buildings really) to make a varied enough battlefield, and it's relatively high detail is actually a bad thing, as I'm always breaking bits off of mine (eventually I'll find the right combination of glue and pinning to make every piece invincible).
Baldeagle91 wrote: Is it just me or does the standard of 40k terrain seem to be declining? I can remember when FW had loads of amazing terrain.
Na not at all at least not in my area. What is declining is GW's appetite to show the fresh hobbyist how to make your own terrain.
Automatically Appended Next Post:
Alex Kolodotschko wrote: Fun fact:
Sand tables have been used since forever in planning military operations.
The term 'Sandbox' started out -- for the modern military -- as exactly that.
A table-top box of sand on which military plans could be demonstrated.
It was a testbed (another term from the military) for trying out various approaches and solutions to problems.
Pretty much where all this hobby started from.
Cool I did not know this. I have seen a erry impressive 40k guard sand table but I lost the link
This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2016/05/31 23:12:34
Inactive, user. New profile might pop up in a while
Alex Kolodotschko wrote: Fun fact:
Sand tables have been used since forever in planning military operations.
The term 'Sandbox' started out -- for the modern military -- as exactly that.
A table-top box of sand on which military plans could be demonstrated.
It was a testbed (another term from the military) for trying out various approaches and solutions to problems.
Pretty much where all this hobby started from.
I played on a sand table for 3-4 years in the early 90s (it was late RT/early 2nd ed). We'd carve out the table features before each game. It was massive, L-shaped. Essentially a 6'x4' with a 4'x2' grafted to one end. It was also approx 6" deep, allowing for up to a 12" height difference in terrain features.
I'm OVER 50 (and so far over everyone's BS, too).
Old enough to know better, young enough to not give a ****.
That is not dead which can eternal lie ...
... and yet, with strange aeons, even death may die.
There must be some applicable technology to use a bead or sand substrate that could be moulded, have 'hard' terrain and tree features inserted into it then set with electricity or water or something and then resculpted as needed.
That'd be a pretty ace bit of kit.
Something opposite to Sqand or with static or electromagnets or something.
Come on Science, do something useful with your time!
This message was edited 3 times. Last update was at 2016/06/01 10:29:54
Oli: Can I be an orc?
Everyone: No.
Oli: But it fits through the doors, Look!
I don't mind 40KGW scenery (the fantasy stuff has been horrible), it's good value, good quality, has tonnes of detail for a quick paintjob and gives everyone a chance to have a great looking table for minimal effort.
Just looking now, they Wall of Martyrs, Skyshield Landing Pad, Imperial (and chaos) Bastion, Quake Cannon Craters, Relicos Militarum, Imperial Sector and Fortress of Redemption seem a bit shoddy compared to some of the older stuff. Especially when you look at the price tag compared to some of the older FW sets, which realistically were similarly priced. I much preferred the sandback/wood fortifications over the current metal + skulls (literal and decoration), the old square sandbag pillboxes were actually pretty great! Even the new craters seem to include a metal and skull theme
The Tau stuff though looks great, funnily enough I think the Battlefield Accessories Set must be about 18 years old now, at the very least. The only Imperium scenery I like in all honesty would be the Promethium Pipes.
Baldeagle91 wrote: Is it just me or does the standard of 40k terrain seem to be declining? I can remember when FW had loads of amazing terrain.
Na not at all at least not in my area. What is declining is GW's appetite to show the fresh hobbyist how to make your own terrain.
Yeah that is a bummer (but tbh I don't think GW wants people making their owns instead of buying it). In my old Catachan codex it had tons of section on how to make your own scenery..... going from memory I think it had more scenery tips than anything else.
Baldeagle91 wrote: Just looking now, they Wall of Martyrs, Skyshield Landing Pad, Imperial (and chaos) Bastion, Quake Cannon Craters, Relicos Militarum, Imperial Sector and Fortress of Redemption seem a bit shoddy compared to some of the older stuff. Especially when you look at the price tag compared to some of the older FW sets, which realistically were similarly priced.
The Forgeworld stuff is now OOP and has been for years, I'm sure that with a standard rate of inflation (5%/year) they would be looking pretty expensive too by now.
The craters and the Wall of Martyrs are a bit weak as kits with some lazy molding in places but the rest of the stuff still looks great.
It's an aesthetic issue, if you prefer sandbags and someone else prefers gothic then we'll never decide which is best.
@Oldzoggy,: That's the stuff. Go science!
This message was edited 2 times. Last update was at 2016/06/01 14:22:48
Oli: Can I be an orc?
Everyone: No.
Oli: But it fits through the doors, Look!
Baldeagle91 wrote: Just looking now, they Wall of Martyrs, Skyshield Landing Pad, Imperial (and chaos) Bastion, Quake Cannon Craters, Relicos Militarum, Imperial Sector and Fortress of Redemption seem a bit shoddy compared to some of the older stuff. Especially when you look at the price tag compared to some of the older FW sets, which realistically were similarly priced.
The Forgeworld stuff is now OOP and has been for years, I'm sure that with a standard rate of inflation (5%/year) they would be looking pretty expensive too by now.
The craters and the Wall of Martyrs are a bit weak as kits with some lazy molding in places but the rest of the stuff still looks great.
It's an aesthetic issue, if you prefer sandbags and someone else prefers gothic then we'll never decide which is best.
Things that I have found to be good for impromptu terrain:
Tupperware containers
soda cans
pvc pipe
cereal boxes
ceramic Christmas decorations (take that gingerbread house guardsman!!!)
Children's toys
an old sheet (green for grass, tan for desert, white for snow)
Blue Tape makes for decent rivers
old parts from old computer towers as some industrial wreckage
mixing bowl turned upside-down as a landing pad
Birdhouse or Bird Feeder.
LEGOS. This makes some of the best terrain outside of actual terrain.
This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2016/06/02 00:22:24
2000
1500
- 22nd Rhayé Storm Division : 2000points (Spetsnaz-themed IG)
- Ordo Xenos : ~700pts