14 replies to this topic

[ced1106]

I'm currently painting up my old Battle Masters miniatures, and am thinking about "quick and dirty" terrain to match the, uh, quality of my miniature painting. :P

This isn't my model, but the model on the right is the level of tabletop I'm fine with:
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2598/5725837675_91097c4ae4.jpg

The terrain tutorials I've read are quite a bit of work. I'm curious about model magic, but this is the only comment I've found about it:
http://thetyranidhiv...ay&thread=39628

Michael's has these diorama kits, which are $12 after a 40% off coupon. The first one has trees, and sand that can be used as basing:
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41h0iip4VqL._SL500_AA300_.jpg
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41njM6VmYQL._SL500_AA300_.jpg

I also have HeroScape terrain, as well as the Battle Masters map. The map's colorful, but it's often hard to tell if a small rock is an obstacle, rough terrain, or smooth terrain. Dunno if I should just go with that or what.

Pointers are appreciated -- I'll be stopping by Michael's tonight. (:

[Sarah Devier]

You might try http://modestmagic.com/ they have cheap terrain you can by by the piece and it is lightweight.

[Frankthedm]

Get a hot wire foam cutter! Then recycle any Styrofoam you can find into Terrain. Just make sure you have plenty of ventilation when using the cutter.



40% off coupon really helps cut the price down. Don't forget to be a hero, print a few extra and share them with other customers.

http://weeklyad.michaels.com/

In case the coupon page won't load for you, here is a PRINT SCREEN of the coupon.
http://img818.images...403/miguels.png

Note, don't spray paint styrofoam. Most melt the Styrofoam. Best way to paint Styrofoam terrain is to get a cheap can of latex paint. Often hardware stores have cheap cans customers didn't want or changed their minds about, sometimes referred to as "Oops Paint". I've even had some stores willing to add a bit more tint/shade to the can to get closer to what I was looking for. Darkishgreen, darkish grey and blackish are good colours to pick up if you can find them.

[ced1106]

Thanks for the tips. Keep 'em coming!

Found this one: Holidays at Walmart and Lowes!

[smokingwreckage]

I found model railroad trees are somewhat cheap and very easy. The tree armatures with no leaves make pretty excellent dead trees. My only recommendation is to ignore the official tacky glue approach and superglue the spongy leaf-stuff using a gel superglue.

EDIT to add: I'll try to remember to look up the actual product I used. I didn't need half the trees I ended up with even after I made a half-gaming-table forest on a big MDF board.

[Pingo]

Someone gave my kids a cheap toy dinosaur set when they were little. We've used the terrain that came with it for years now ... Stackable brown lumps of vaguely rocky-looking terrain with convenient flat spots which the kids dubbed "meat loaves" when they arrived because that's sort of what they look like. There are a couple of arches, some hillocks, some round humps, and some moveable little green palm trees.

[MonkeySloth]

If you want some nice buildings that aren't overly expensive the Kickstarter in this thread is a good price (buildings, allready painted, start at $20).

http://www.reapermin...es-kickstarter/

[Inarah]

Be careful with the diorama kits. I've looked closely at some of them and they contain very little material, and a couple of the packages show stuff that isn't included.

How to make hedges from dollar store sponges: http://www.gamesoutpost.sg/?p=417

Aquarium jungle: http://jonswargamesm...-terrain-2.html

I tried doing various things with foam, styrofoam, etc. and it just made a mess. YMMV. Likewise, I did quite a bit of paper terrain, but it never really looked good, and then it curled and warped.

The best suggestion I have is to just collect junk. Troll dollar stores and yard sales looking for texture and bits you can salvage.

[ced1106]

Thanks. I did some digging around in those links and found more. Looks like, for trees, I get to haunt Michael's stores and look through the floral arrangements. I did find moss that can be used as trees in the moss and hay section (???).

http://www.librarium...heap-trees.html
http://s51.photobuck...!cpZZ9QQtppZZ36

More fun with trees:
http://miniatures.ab...landscape_5.htm
http://miniatures.ab...lic-Paint_8.htm

This one looks pretty promising, though it's also work:
http://www.armorama....rtid=135&page=3

[Frankthedm]

Here is a great page that has been around a loooong time.

Terragenesis

Here is the article that lead to me making my Chthonian.
http://www.terragene...es/page109.html

[buglips*the*goblin]

Michael's has these diorama kits, which are $12 after a 40% off coupon. The first one has trees, and sand that can be used as basing:
http://ecx.images-am...L500_AA300_.jpg
http://ecx.images-am...L500_AA300_.jpg

These are made by Woodland Scenics, and if you want to know what comes in 'em, go here:

http://scenearama.wo...egory/BasicKits

For additional (and cheap) materials you can go to the woodland scenics tab.

Be careful with the diorama kits. I've looked closely at some of them and they contain very little material, and a couple of the packages show stuff that isn't included.

Are you sure those are the same Scene-A-Rama kits he linked to in the OP? My experience with WS is that what they show is what you get - minus perhaps buildings and railroad tracks for their big 8' layouts, but I haven't used a Scene-A-Rama kit.

Although in any case, particularly if somebody plans to make a goodly bit of stuff, it's probably cheaper to just buy the materials separately anyway. You won't be buying a base/case you're not going to use, and can buy more of certain things you might need instead of making do with what comes in the kit. Woodland Scenics has a pile of how-to videos and instructions on their site, too - and you can mail order if the local craft/hobby place doesn't have much selection.

I found model railroad trees are somewhat cheap and very easy. The tree armatures with no leaves make pretty excellent dead trees. My only recommendation is to ignore the official tacky glue approach and superglue the spongy leaf-stuff using a gel superglue.

EDIT to add: I'll try to remember to look up the actual product I used. I didn't need half the trees I ended up with even after I made a half-gaming-table forest on a big MDF board.

That sounds like Woodland Scenics to me. Plastic tree trunks that snap into round bases with glue-on clump foliage?

[smokingwreckage]

Yeah Woodland Scenics. The trees snap off a sprue then you bend their branches out and pop them into a base. For dead trees you're good to go, they're a nice greyish brown right out of the bag. My suggestion is not to muck about with their tacky glue or any of that scenic glue, it's pricey and really not that great for wargaming use. Use gel-type superglue.

I can't remember what kits I got but I went on a bit of a spree. I could cover an entire table with trees now, a big damn table, too. My forest has greens and autumn colours and looks fantastic, but I need to figure out how to texture all that damn ground! I think to whole project cost me $200, but with experience I would spend much less. No tacky glues, etc, and half as many trees, tops. But then.... well, they look fantastic and I have all the trees I will ever need.... ever.

[ced1106]

Okay, Smoking. I want a pic of your table! :D

The WS Basic Diorama kit has six trees, shrubbery, and grass suitable for basing for $20 before Michael's 40% off coupon. Annoyingly, their four-tree set goes for $10.
http://scenearama.wo...m/SP4110/page/1

Also found various buildings on the WotC site, including tavern and long building:
http://scenearama.wo...m/SP4110/page/1

[smokingwreckage]

http://woodlandsceni...m/TR1123/page/1 12 BIG trees for $14, but you need a packet or two of foliage: http://woodlandsceni...em/CF-DG/page/1 I can't quite remember what I bought, but I think the big bag is REALLY big. So for just one packet of trees, go with the small bag, $8.99. That's about $2 per tree, and each of those trees is pretty damn big. I'd put them in clumps of 3 or 4, give yourself a fair bit of space between if you want to move models through the copse. Even if you buy more clump foliage, the trees stay less than $3.

In my opinion they're well worth the money. Mine have collected a bit of dust, but still look good oh, 4 years later? I guess if you built them with tacky glue and they got tatty you could soak 'em in simple green and re-apply the foliage. I might trial that Soon ™.

If you do decide to make clumps so as to have a modular copse / park / forest, which is what I'd recommend for gaming unless forest scenarios REALLY float your boat, remember to make the tiles or boards wide enough that when you butt two together the trees don't tangle. If you do make a Great Big Freakin' Forest, space them out more than you think, so you can drop other terrain pieces in to change the layout; a well, a cottage, standing stones, a grave; depending which you drop in you've got a completely new "map" out of the same big project.

[ced1106]

Thanks for the tips!

Here's an amusing source of terrain: Your local pet shop.
http://jon-theartofw...cent miniatures