A guide to basing materials for building wargames terrain

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In this Back 2 Basics video I cover a range of materials you can use to base your wargaming scenery. I discuss the pros and cons of each material, give you advice on what tools to use as well as covering which materials suit which type of products best.
Guest starring Ozzy the dog and keep your eyes out for the dodgy wink at the end! .
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[@linikratyo]

I usually use hardboard for my projects. Seeing how it doesn't warp, sits well on the table and is fairly easy to work with.

[@matthewshroba1511]

Just staring this hobby... wish I could post a pic on here of what you’ve taught me so far... coming out great following your recommendations for hills. Thanks so so much man!

[@TheTerrainTutor]

Join the Terrainiacs FB group mate

[@TheTerrainTutor]

Cheers, I'll check it out

[@TheTerrainTutor]

Excellent, thanks for the link mate, I'll check them out.

[@benhadaway3322]

I use SINTRA 3mm sometimes for basing and walls and building and it works great. You can cut it with a dremmel (be careful or heat might melt it so go slow) or an Xacto knife. Also for things like trees to get a flexible basing, say on a hill for example, i will use acryllic latex caulk on canvas/drop cloth and then paint and texture it. Comes out great and flows with the elevation changes and what not. Love the channel. I am learning a lot!

[@TheTerrainTutor]

+Benjamin Hadaway Not come across that before, thanks for the heads up mate

[@redshirtman1907]

I tend to use the backing of picture frames. It's nice and sturdy, doesn't take to much work and is always being thrown out at work.

[@TheTerrainTutor]

+Colin Richardson If it works and it's free, use it buddy! :-D

[@TheTerrainTutor]

I've never looked online for them with being able to just pick them off the shelf. Have you got a link to one of the suppliers you use mate?

[@rickgore5754]

Ozzie was the best part! (The whole thing was great, though!)

[@angelgarcia4848]

Keep up the great work 👍

[@thurgrim]

If you look on specialist cake board suppliers on-line they also supply hardboard cake bases of similar price to the thicker low density ones.

[@pudgedooley]

Corrugated cardboard can work fine for walls--particularly ruins... When you make your corners, score across the grain and fold it back (exposing the wavy bits). Then you can glue 1/4" wooden dowel into the notch. Bomber. Masking tape for any exposed edges (windows and doors), PVA and sand for texture and you're good to go...

[@VladTepes44]

Nice video ! Another option that may be worth mentioning is those calendars made of an heavier kind of cardboard

[@TheTerrainTutor]

[CPC] Vlad Tepes Nice tip mate, that'll work well for scatter pieces.

[@TheTerrainTutor]

3mm always seemed flimsy to me but I'll pick some up and give it a go mate, thxs.

[@linikratyo]

I've never bought it, but you should be able to get it at any hardware store. I usually do need a saw the cut it though, and sand down the edges, but it really sits well on the table ;)

[@t1s2m3a4]

Thanks for the info

[@TheTerrainTutor]

No worries mate

[@andyraven]

I like to use the wood from the bottom of a draw from a chest of drawers. nice and thin so its easy to cut and sand. its a bit heavier but a lot stronger. plus you can use it to make buildings as well.

[@TheTerrainTutor]

andyraven The only issue with thin plywood is that it tends to warp, as long as you're only doing small bases with it, it should be fine mate.

[@andyraven]

the wood i use is a kind of thin high dense chipboard. normally found in drawer bottoms and back of cheap wardrobes. i have had no issues with warping when using at as a base as i don't use more then whats needed. but it will warp if left standing on its side. but nothing a concrete slab can't fix.

[@OperationMadDog]

Emma just told me she likes Ozzy.. and elwood likes him, too :D

[@GeneJordan]

I discovered Art Boards at my local hobby store this past year when I found them on sale $1.72 for each 3 pack of 8 inch x 10 inch (20.3cm x 24.4cm) boards for painting on with water, acrylic, ink, or gouache. It's rather easy to cut and is quite stiff even though they are only about 1.5 mm thick. Also, vinyl floor tiles from the local restore shop are only about 10 to 15 cents each. They can easily be cut to shape. Your dog looks just like my dog. Is Ozzie an Australian Kelpie?

[@TheTerrainTutor]

+Gene Jordan (GeekTinker) Thanks for the heads up bud. Ozzie is a Rotwelier / Shepard cross :-)

[@04Stefan07]

Jesus that dog barking scared the crap out of me!

[@TheTerrainTutor]

+04Stefan07 welcome to my life bud! ;-D

[@adriansimpson1948]

Hi Mel, Just a thought on foam board, it will warp if like cardbboard you have too much overhang surrounding your model. I tried to make a 3'x3' gaming board for epic scale from two peices of foam board. I elected to used decorators caulk to add texture to the surface before painting. Although the caulk is supposed to be flexible when I found the board warped as it dried. in the end I used chipboard and textured paint before adding the scenics. No warping...Brilliant

[@TheTerrainTutor]

Adrian Simpson True mate, I tend to use mdf myself but then I'm not a great fan of chipboard, no real issues, just personal preference matey ;-)

[@GeorgePanopoulos]

Great video TheTerrainTutor ! Regarding foamboard/foamcore, I am looking into it as a solution for modular terrain boards (squares of 30x30cm). So far it is my preference because of its incredibly low weight, and the fact that it "includes" foam, that is, I can curve and sculpt into the boards themselves, for recessed features like rivers. I think they will be durable in the long run, if treated in a "civilized" way :) However, my first problem was with wrapping. In my experience foam board does not wrap all the time, only when a generous amount of pva or filler is applied on one side, because the cardboard on one side shrinks and pulls the rest of the board. I try to apply solution like watered pva on the other side as well, or a cross of tape on the other side to act as counter-force. Any comments would be appreciated! thank you!

[@TheTerrainTutor]

George Panopoulos To be honest, my advice would be to avoid foamboard for terrain tiles and go for MDF, if you really want to use foamboard, then do a few test pieces first mate

[@GeorgePanopoulos]

TheTerrainTutor thank you for the advice! I actually have, I have already created/tried more than 30 terrain tiles. I have discovered pros and xons. Cons mainly been the less durable and stable nature from mdf, which makes it a challenge to create a uniform board where the tiles fit snuggly and steady together. On the other hand this lightness keeps the tiles very, very lightweight and they are thin so storage and portabillity are much better... Still testing things though

[@TheTerrainTutor]

George Panopoulos nice, keep me updated mate, interested in seeing the final board

[@TheTerrainTutor]

I've never actually used hardboard before, what's it like? availability? cost? what tools do you need to work it mate?

[@ericskov7296]

Well, MDF is medium density fiberboard. Hardboard is actually the common name for HDF, or high-density fiberboard. I expect 3mm HDF would work and warp similarly to 5mm MDF, but haven't tested it. I've only used the pegboard HDF, and I will say power tools are desirable but not necessary.

[@M0U53B41T]

any thoughts on using balsa wood (bass wood?) plywoods in craft sections? Would be mainly small projects... comes in smallish sections

[@TheTerrainTutor]

M0U53B41T Never even considered balsa wood as a basing material simply because of the cost of balsa wood mate. Let me know how you get on :-)

[@scott6731]

Hey there. I'm looking to make modular square tiles for outdoor D&D terrain. They will be about 4 inche squares that I will undercoat in brown and give a nice even layer of green flock. Then I will make smaller things (trees, bushes, piles of logs/hay) with little to no base and then larger things (hills, houses, etc) that will be tapered down. These things will then be placed down on the plain green flocked squares. I'm gonna us 5 mm MDF board for the basing, but I need to watch a lot more videos before I start making cool shit. Any thoughts on making modular outdoor terrain for a smaller scale game like D&D?

[@TheTerrainTutor]

D&D isn't really my field, I'd probably get a grid battlemat mate

[@420StonerShot]

What would you use for a table top? Would mdf with extruded polystyrene work well?

[@TheTerrainTutor]

Yep, you want at least 9mm MDF for 2x2 tiles mate

[@420StonerShot]

TheTerrainTutor thanks a lot! 🙏

[@jaylentroughton1255]

Fibreboard underlaying. boom!

[@TheTerrainTutor]

Jaylen Troughton I'll give it a try mate :-)

[@spencerswash2141]

Hi can you show how to make a medieval building 😁

[@kungpochopedtuna]

What do you think about a 2 layer bolsa wood base?

[@TheTerrainTutor]

it'd probably chip at the edges mate

[@Warriorking1963]

Why is MDF better than the cake boards if you want to make a table's worth of terrain? I'm planning on having a go at building jungle terrain for Vietnam and I had been thinking of cake boards, but after watching this I'm having second thoughts. :(

[@TheTerrainTutor]

Warriorking1963 Cost more than anything mate. If you're happy with the costs, give it a go mate

[@Warriorking1963]

TheTerrainTutor I see your point... The first people I approached for this are a bunch of robbing bas***ds, charging almost double what I'm going to get it for now. I'll start off with a cake base first though, just to see how things work out.

[@squallgoku777]

I used to use old Board Game boards.

[@Diabolik771]

Yeah?

[@snarehit2230]

I know this an old vid does anyone use laminate flooring, loads of off cuts in the garage

[@MandaloretheSavage]

Should work, not an option for me as i need to purchase, but if nothing else its a good starter

[@tinaprice4948]

youtuber the red beard baron i believe uses them alot check out his stuff :D

[@morfeas333]

MDF or Plywood?

[@TheTerrainTutor]

+morfeas333 Plywoods better but harder to work with unless you have the right tools

[@morfeas333]

I can get easier plywood, still is 5mm. The only problem I have is how it slpinters in every layer.

[@TheTerrainTutor]

+morfeas333 that's the downside bud