BATTLETECH Battlegrid Setup Terrain Tutorial

The most requested, highly anticipated video of 2024 has finally arrived. Hang out with Aaron & Dan as they reveal all of their secrets to setting up some of the most aesthetically pleasing wargaming tabletops in the Inner Sphere.
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[@SaturmornCarvilli]

Completely optional, but you can call the spires Hoodoos and the rock slides Talus Slopes/Scree. That's my geomorphology class paying off once again. BTW, fantastic tutorial. I didn't think I'd get much out of it, as I'm an old hand to setting up tables. But this video had a few new tricks I didn't know.

[@DeathfromAboveWargaming]

Thanks for watching!! Hoodoos and Talus Slopes - I will try to remember that 😄

[@Ranzarok]

More impressive is how you have Dan coming in on my right side audio and you on my left. :) Thanks for the vid.

[@MikeKnell2884]

You have your audio channels flipped.

[@michaelsaganski]

@@MikeKnell2884I had the same issue.

[@PhasedPlasmaPainting]

only 2 minutes into the vid so far but I gotta jump in and say thanks to Dan right away for "painter's taint" 😂👍 thanks for another one of these vids! ya'll have the best terrain setups out there!

[@DeathfromAboveWargaming]

LMAO and you’re welcome! Thanks for watching!

[@chrispetersen4863]

Agree 100%! and great topic boys!

[@misterbeeps]

I used this tutorial to help decorate my house.

[@DeathfromAboveWargaming]

Sensible.

[@jonathanflounders4014]

Wow DFA has learned how to speed up time. There is nothing you guys can't do!!!

[@DeathfromAboveWargaming]

Next up: MANIFESTATION

[@HouseDavieMerc]

You guys always have fantastic looking terrain! Your setups have made me think more about going hexless then I ever did before. Hexless works well for a small group of guys that work well together, but I've found that the more definitive nature of hexed terrain is faster and and leaves less open for debate. Hexless sure looks better though! I find the hexes on standard maps to small so I've been using Geo-Hex Battlescape for years. That's the green or tan stuff with 1.5 inch hexes. I've adapted other terrain to be usable on it. That tiny amount of extra space per hex allows a terrain feature (such as a tree base) to fit in the same hex as a mini base. Geo-Hex used to be advertised in Battletech Fanzines as well as have pamphlets and photos printed in several official products. Some time I'm going to make a proper video about it when I can. I think that if I ever want to try more hexless games I might just buy a mat and just throw it right over top of the Geo-hex just like how you used yours over foam pieces. That makes it so I can easily play either way.

[@DeathfromAboveWargaming]

Oh I know geohex! Take me back!!! I used to drool over it as a kid 🙂 and totally agree that hexed maps take the “argument” out of line of sight, cover, etc!!

[@HouseDavieMerc]

@romAboveWargamingI did to but I never had the money back then. The company went through some set backs and had to move locations. IIUC they invested a fortune on a setup and the City pulled Eminent Domain on their facility. After a few years off they have been back in production on a limited basis.Pretty much in the owner's basement/garage.Monday Knight Productions produces their hex mats as well as buildings while Geo-Hex still produces the 3D terrain. They are currently waiting until warmer weather to produce more batches of the hexed stuff. The owner told me the machine he uses to hex the terrain is temperamental when it's cold and they're in Oregon. Wish they were on the East coast! I'm buying a new set as soon as they are back in production. He's currently just on Ebay but once he's set up better maybe somebody can help him contact Derek. 😉 I want to do a video using the new set and I've been asked to write a Sarna article about it's history with battletech.

[@DeathfromAboveWargaming]

@HouseDavieMerc would be happy to broker an intro to Derek - no doubt he’d love to sell it!

[@HouseDavieMerc]

@romAboveWargamingDerek's been part of one of the oldest Battletech sites since 2012. LOTB ( Lords of the Battlefield) I've been on there since around 2001. A good bit of the current CSO crew were on that old site back when there wasn't an official Battletech site,and it was where they met when the official site had issues. Derek's helped me find some rare items over the years. His collection has to be insane. I believe he snagged a few extremely rare Battletech items off the LOTB Trade boards that there are only a handful of in the entire country. If Geo-Hex produces enough later I plan on contacting him to see if he's interested. Geo-Hex's founder and current maker is a retired teacher now IIRC. If his operation was on the East Coast I might offer him to outright purchase the business and all rights, but that's hard to do coast to coast. We'll see how it goes.

[@HouseDavieMerc]

@@DeathfromAboveWargaming Derek and I are both from the old LOTB website. Before the current official website most of the CSO painters used to post there. It's barely used any more but we know each other from there back before he made AM&M. He's got me some pretty rare stuff over the years. He beat me to a lot of Euro stuff we never got in the US and some prototypes that were on the LOTB trade boards. I'd like to see him post some private museum pics just to see some of it. I've considered offering to buy the Geo-Hex company but it's in Oregon and I'm in the same state you guys are. He's retired-but if he produces more I'd like to see if Derek's interested just to see Battlescape out there more.

[@psionics313]

Yes! Was looking forward to this one. I've watched your older one a million times while figuring out my map builds and this updated version is much better

[@AaronV1972]

Great Job Dan, glad you brought a helper along.

[@madcat3525]

Great video ! DFA Wargaming has the best battlefield terrain. Always enjoy watching battle reports and the the terrain adds so much realism. Looking forward to more videos.

[@DeathfromAboveWargaming]

Thanks!! Appreciate your support and comments!!!

[@mikenonia1763]

Honestly watch you guys more for the terrain than the game. Great video.

[@DeathfromAboveWargaming]

Haha thanks! I always love setting up a good layout!

[@matthewshelley1365]

"Yep. Yes. Yep. Painter's Taint. Yep. Yes. Yep. Yes. Yep. Yep. Yes. Yep."

[@sebastiang.5032]

That's the way to do it! I envy you every BatRep for your brilliant table setups! 🐺🤟

[@johntaylor8095]

Thanks guys! Table looked great and was helpful!

[@DeathfromAboveWargaming]

Thanks John! Hope all is well!

[@Demon16]

Very helpful video! Might need to buy some more terrain items now lol!

[@fredmoreau5059]

Amazingly helpful.

[@DeathfromAboveWargaming]

Thanks for watching!!

[@johnhaase69]

Great Vidi fellas. I've been watching for this table setup update for a while now. You mentioned that if you were to ever recreate your 3/4" topography, you would revise the sizes created based on a grid pattern. Is there any chance you guys could create the patterns for us DIY crew based on a 4x8 sheet sheet of your preferred material? You have the experience to know what universal shapes would be most useful. Perhalps even multiple sets that complement each other? You guys have a great channel and are inspiring a new wave of Battletech wargamers to have at it! Thanks, guys! Keep'em coming!

[@DeathfromAboveWargaming]

Thanks for the comment! If we ever do a DIY, we can certainly look at those sizes!

[@derekburge5294]

Flocking is love! Flocking is life! Add rock salt to your bases! It looks like giant crystals! Baking soda becomes snow! Dried tea is weird alien vegetation! Charcoal dust becomes black sand!

[@HouseMasterPoDing]

Did I hear you criticize flocking on bases? Is this what the path of Wawa leads to? The House Master does not approve of this. He does approve of this video, however! I was always curious as to how you guys did the contouring underneath with the levels and that, and now I know. A good tabletop really does enhance the experience of gaming, and it's nice to see a little how-to on how to spruce up one's table. Also setting up the table with a friend can be half of the fun and excitement of the game, it helps build the anticipation. All around good video, always great content.

[@DeathfromAboveWargaming]

Sometimes I use various items from Wawa under the mat.

[@scotteverroad4545]

Can I use 3D printed hex-based buildings for Alpha Strike games? Is there a Scale diference??

[@DeathfromAboveWargaming]

You certainly can - for example the hextech stuff works great. You will find some other stuff is “map scale” and thus is reallly tiny (like a whole building will fit in one hex) so those may look weird… but mostly everything else is all good.

[@willarnold3882]

OK, where is that soundtrack from?

[@DeathfromAboveWargaming]

DFA has two soundtracks out! There may be some other old skool MW mixed in there as well.

[@johnw5154]

Where did the fuel tank terrain come from?

[@DeathfromAboveWargaming]

Check Xmarx. You can also find stuff at hardware studios and thunderhead studio.