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For those of you that have got MDF terrain, which companies have you used and would you recommend them in quality and/or cost effectiveness?

Does anyone also mix and match from different sources? What have you found that goes well with others?

I have picked up a fair amount from www.undergroundlasers.com

I like the product for my Infinity/sci-fi gaming. It goes together well, and is very affordable.
I am going to be mixing product with other manufacturers. I have a set of Bug Hunt Corridors from Fantasy Arc Productions. It's a set of configurable corridors/rooms etc to replicate an indoor environment for space ships, underground bunkers, or hostile environment buildings.
It is not in retail release yet, as it was from a Kickstarter.

I've got some miniaturescenery (new style) buildings and some Micro arts stuff.

They both have up and downsides (details for the sake of details and tolerances that are perhaps a little close - and sections that weren't cut through on each sheet - I wasn't the only one with that issue). I don't like the mcsuburb look to my boards, so I use a mixture of stuff from different sources, including my own DIY stuff.

I've now got buildings from 4 different places.

I've got a few apartments and the bus stop from BPLaser.

I've got the Warehouse and Commercial Pod from Sarissa Precision.

I've got the Garage from MicroArt Studios.

Finally, these aren't MDF but they're still Ininifty terrain, I've got the Planetology Observatory and Caliphs Gardens from Plast Craft games.

I can't speak for Plast Craft, as I haven't built them yet.

MicroArt Studios stuff looks great then it's on the table. Hands down fantastic looking buildings. But the effort required to build one and the overall cost (they're not cheap) just isn't worth it to me. The peices are poorly cut, the instructions are pretty terrible and the joins are terrible fits.

Sarissa Precision stuff is pretty cheap, but you get what you pay for. Non-etched detail is pretty lacking, usually just single peice hand rails and simple ladders. But they get the job done and look fine on the table. They are very well cut. No need to cut some tabs to get peices free from the wood, and the joins are super comfortable fits. Easiest buildings I've ever put together.

BP Laser is super, duper cheap for Australians, because it's an Australian garage company. Overseas shipping and exchange rates will probably make them expensive for people across the pond. They provide their stuff completely cut free from frames secured in ziplock bags, which I really liked. The buildings go together really easily, though the complete lack of instructions made it hard finding where some of the smaller bits and bobs went. Detail is good - not super sleek like MicroArts, but not plain jane like Sarissa.

I really like the MaS apartment buildings. There is a lot of variety with them, different accessories now, and they are quite easy to convert if you feel the inclination. You can also buy them fairly cheaply if you shop around (were £20 or so for a 3-floor building when I bought them)

One negative issue with them is that they aren't that convenient to take apart and put miniatures inside in the different floors - practically, you will probably end up just putting miniatures on the roof to represent they are on the ground floor.

Here are a few examples of ones I have built, hopefully give you some ideas!

I purchase from the local. He got a laser cutter and is now producing things on his own. Most of the terrain we use is from him.

http://www.systemagaming.com/

Not a fan of MaS. Far too awkward to put together and rather pricey for what you get. A bit clumsy to use together but it's not a big deal.

What does MaS stand for?

MaS is Microarts.

In addition to those above, I have recently bought from and would certainly recommend -

Warmill - UK based, beautiful stuff and really easy to put together.

CNC - Australian with very reasonable shipping, again very well made. Unusual aesthetic too, more sort of Firefly frontier type stuff that the more generic sci-fi look many others have.

Definitely try a variety, though I can say from those I have tried (MAS, Sarissa, Customeeple, Warmill, CNC), that Warmill seem to have completely nailed whatever combination of MDF and cutter they use, such that the burnt edges are so neatly cut that you hardly notice it is MDF. Here is a 'PUP' module of theirs, without any sanding, tidying or glue, just dry fitted to see how it went together -

I've got my eye on some Warmill stuff. The RIBD_4 bar with the Morebucks signs, the other cafe with the Donut signs, and the Medical Center. A great Aussie store (Combat Company) even stocks them now.

But feth me they're expensive. Like twice what you'd pay from MAS expensive. Those 3 will cost me $200au.

I mean, I'm going to get them. They're awesome flavour buildings, but that price is just insane. I'll have to save my pennies for them.

Sarissa looks quite tempting at the moment. I'm interested to hear what the Spartan ones are like though.

Any thoughts on TT Scenics? they're doing another Kickstarter and did some WW terrain before: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1828606900/ttcombats-sci-fi-scenics

I think I like the look of the Warmill helipad more at the moment though.

I've bought the Sarissa warehouse, the large habitat pod and a couple other pieces. I like the large buildings since they make it easy to fill board space. I would pass on their catwalk system; the height between steps is too wide and is out of scale for Infinity

Is that the case for most catwalk kits though?

The MAS catwalks definitely don't feel in scale, I play on them at my FLGS. They're designed so they will comfortably fit a 25mm base and begrudgingly fit a 40mm base, with steps about half the height of a models legs (I assume to not break any scenic basing). So enormous out of scale steps, but done for gameplay purposes. If they did realistically scaled steps, they would be useless for gaming as models wouldn't be able to stand on the steps due to having bases.

That is true.

I'm now deciding between Spartan, Sarissa, Systema, Warmill and that kickstarter one now. I'm leaning towards a mix, but I also want to make a cost effective purchase.

Stairs are always going to be the bugbear.

You can make them realistic, in which case they won't be anywhere remotely useful for gaming - but they will LOOK good, and unplayable. So at best, a decoration.

Or you can have them playable, and people will go all ... on them not looking realistic.

Realism falls by the wayside to practicality in my book. I'm NOT making architectural models, I'm making terrain for my mandollies to fight over.

 chromedog wrote:
Stairs are always going to be the bugbear.

You can make them realistic, in which case they won't be anywhere remotely useful for gaming - but they will LOOK good, and unplayable. So at best, a decoration.

Or you can have them playable, and people will go all ... on them not looking realistic.

Realism falls by the wayside to practicality in my book. I'm NOT making architectural models, I'm making terrain for my mandollies to fight over.

Alternatively, you could just claim that for whatever inscrutable reason in the future people have returned to the traditions of stair making that existed in ancient Greece and Rome Seriously...each of those steps was up to my knee and they were all about 5 feet long.

Looks about like what you'd expect out of wargaming terrain stairs if you ask me:

I sell some so it's been easy for me to sample from the different ranges

MAS: These are good and sturdy and the detail is pretty cool, as are the range of accessories, as mentioned.
Only problem, I feel, is that they can be very stiff indeed - your fingers will be aching within a short space of time if you don't use something like a small hammer or the pommel of a screwdriver to tap the bits together.

Warmill: Looks decent, fairly cheap, also a good amount of detail but don't feel as sturdy as MAS. They're also easier to fit togther.
While their ease of assembly does mean it's a hell of a lot kinder to your fingers, you're more likely to need glue whereas with MAS, friction does the work for you.

Bandua: Cheap and very easy to assemble! They may not have all the accesories and detail of MAS or Warmill, but not everywhere will look like Vegas; fighting can take place in ordinary areas, too The pieces are easy to fit together, but glue is a must.
Also, stairs! Not ladders, but stairs!!
The minis will fit on them just fine, too.

Warsenal: I haven't had the chance to assemble any of their buildings yet, but one thing I do like is that their shapes are very different - helps break up the skyline of your board a bit by having sloping roofs, and adds a bit of variety and space at ground-level with their trapezoidal plan.


That's my experience thus far

Those catwalks, for games like Infinity with overwatch fire, or always overwatch, are a bit too exposed.

Which MDF terrain catwalks have both half, and full height cover sides for them?

I know MAS has some big and complicated catwalk cover pieces.

I made billboard ads for my catwalks. Two on one side, one on the other (in the middle) - you can't shoot across them except from two slim angles and from one side at least, you CAN get by with Cautious moves.

The catwalk armour sets were more complicated than they needed to be.

I'm going to mention Bandua...

I've bought the MAS stuff and Bandua, and the Bandua stuff was phenomenal.

Super cheap, and easy to put together. Like no prep work, just glue together and paint!

Highly recommended.

I'm thinking of grabbing a bunch of Plast Craft terrain, but haven't seen many non promo shots of the Haquislam terrain...

Does anyone have any experience with Systema Gaming terrain? While I'm not looking at picking up terrain right now, the large base bundle is mighty tempting with its free shipping.

Systema has reviewed really well back when I was researching urban terrain.

How high are the walkways/catwalks from most of these from the ground?