Crafting an epic modular mountain fortress for D&D and wargaming!

[@RPArchiveOfficial]

If you're in the US and you're not sure where to find 3" foam or thicker, online seems to be the best option same as it is in the UK. I've found a link here that will deliver to the UK, so it sure as hell should deliver to you guys! insulation4us.com/collections/rigid-insulation/products/owens-corning-foamular-250-xps-insulation-board-all-sizes?variant=32154942177329 They are sold in large sheets of 8'x4', which means you will need to cut these down a bit and will need to buy a solid sheet at a time, but it's totally possible and still quite affordable, given how long that sheet will last you. You can select thickness on the right. From the looks of it, it would pretty much cost me the same as my local foam, even with $60(!) delivery to the UK, though you would be buying twice as much at once as I did with mine... Also it's pink foam, not blue, which from what I've heard is slightly better for taking texture and is less fibrous, but this is second hand knowledge coming from black magic craft. I've also linked the version with higher compressive strength, as I'm presuming that will be the hardest version that should take texture the best and squash the least - though that is theory on my part, I've not had many opportunities to test this theory. Hope this helps! Also if anyone has any questions about the system and how it works, or any ideas to share just ask! I'm here and happy to answer :)

[@RPArchiveOfficial]

Seems like KZbin did that thing again where it didn't show me the comment! I think this was about 1/3 of the thick foam I bought (plenty for later), it breaks down to about £25 including delivery costs, so about $30-35? Really not a lot for the sheer scale of things you can build :)

[@Leo-iq9or]

i quite like the look of the asymmetric version, you could use it as a slope that when the bulge in on top you can climb it, but when on the bottom it acts as a barrier so cant be climbed up.

[@theDMsCraft]

Your modular ideas are epic. A lil' too precise for my crafting attention span but a great project for those who want to put the time and effort in. I applaud you.

[@RPArchiveOfficial]

Thanks Scotty, I really appreciate it :)

[@theDMsCraft]

@@RPArchiveOfficial Very welcome...Keep those great ideas flowing.

[@SGTMaitiMaus]

Witnessing a few GOATS 🐐 conversing…

[@IvyEarth]

I'm obsessed with that rock you use to texture!

[@StanTheSlav]

I have a love-hate relationship with your channel. I absolutely love the stuff you are doing and the system is outstanding. However, I HATE that I need to throw all my previous things in the trash because your stuff is so much better than mine! Could you give me an estimate of how many pieces of each system I would need to start with buildings and towers and such? Amazing work!

[@RPArchiveOfficial]

Hahaha! Well how much you make depends on what you want to be able to do with it and which systems we're talking about ;) For this system I mention how much I made at the end of the first video, and that about half that is good to start with. I think I might do a video at some point to show how much Is a good amount for me each system to make, but that will probably get outdated quickly as I add new systems!

[@alexeiwebb5159]

This is so awesome, definitely going to be giving these blocks a go.

[@RPArchiveOfficial]

Awesome! Let me know how it goes :)

[@patrickmasse7159]

The good conception of these modular blocks can create a big choice of mountains

[@RPArchiveOfficial]

Yeah I'm pretty happy with how they turned out working :)

[@vtp2199]

Love the spider fight want to play that

[@rosbly]

These videos are crazy to me. The amount of thoughts put into this work is impressive!

[@thecraftingbrothers9448]

Great addition to your ever-growing set!!!

[@RPArchiveOfficial]

Thanks man :) it's gonna work damn well with what I've got coming soon too ;)

[@Forinsyther25]

Holy shit thank you so much for this tutorial, can't wait to use this system for my group!

[@RPArchiveOfficial]

Thank you for the support and enthusiasm :)

[@christophermurray9777]

Always a pleasure to watch and learn. Keep it up.

[@RPArchiveOfficial]

Thanks Chris!

[@lepettit_bricoleur3212]

It makes me so happy when I 'm back from school, and I see a notification from the archive! Keep going, your content is very good! 😂👏

[@RPArchiveOfficial]

Haha, well comments like yours make me look forward to releasing :)

[@WyvernStopMotions]

The things I’ve seen crafters do with XPS foam is just amazing- this just seems a bit advanced lol

[@RPArchiveOfficial]

Funny thing is, a lot of it isn't that complicated - cut to 3", hit with rock etc 😅

[@echodelta2426]

Awesome

[@RPArchiveOfficial]

Thanks Echo :) appreciate you giving the algorithm a kick ;)

[@ResoluteGryphon]

Very cool system. Reminds me a lot of isometric tile sets in videogames. I don't much care for the paint job though. Try sponging on some warmer earth-tones before dry-brushing. Real-life stone isn't just gray.

[@RPArchiveOfficial]

Honestly? Me too. I tried to simplify the paint scheme I used in the stone texturing video but ended up being a bit too monotone. I might go back and fix it with an airbrush scheme in future...

[@ResoluteGryphon]

@@RPArchiveOfficial Keep up the fine work! You've got a lot of inspirational ideas on this channel. Subscribed!

[@RPArchiveOfficial]

@@ResoluteGryphon thanks man! Keep an eye on the channel I've got plenty more coming :)

[@mikemartin3671]

Hello Matt! Finally caught your name (forgive me if spelling is inaccurate) As you have by now guessed I'm binge watching your videos. Very impressed with your creativity and videos! Great content and video production! Thank you for responding to my comments it's nice to have a creator interact with their audience. I haven't expected a response everytime! Cheers! I will continue enjoying your vids! Take care and I hope you and yours are well!

[@RPArchiveOfficial]

Thank you so much for your kind words - and commenting! All the interaction helps push the videos to new people, so I always appreciate it :)

[@Mad_Matt_27]

good job on the tutorial Matt, and an even better job on the video editing. it reminded me of zna production's build videos ... it's a nice touch :) i can't wait for the builds to come :D but sadly the house does need to be vacuumed Xd

[@RPArchiveOfficial]

Thanks for noticing Matt, I've been putting a lot more time and thought into the angles and editing recently :) And you have no idea. After this project was finished my workshop was filled with so many foam shavings it looked like a giant hamster cage... 😅

[@janthummler3548]

Very cool stuff! Even though I am not working with miniatures, I find your system very insightful in creating modular 3d Assets. Thanks for sharing your ideas :D

[@RPArchiveOfficial]

Glad I could help :)

[@sebastiendesautels8567]

I love the fact that your foam is black making your holes easier to hide. How would you work if you were stuck with pink or blue foam that shows when making holes with toothpicks in them? I love your work! Thank you :)

[@RPArchiveOfficial]

I have thought of this. To be honest, I think the best solution is to make use of black wash, possibly even paint to soak into the hole. I haven't done too much experimentation with this because it's not a problem for me, but In theory that should disguise the holes just fine :)

[@yazzperiano3257]

EPIC!

[@natashapoirier4696]

Very nice!!!

[@RPArchiveOfficial]

Thanks Natasha!

[@jackfallows1893]

You from the NE, wor kid? Represent!

[@RPArchiveOfficial]

Yeah, Durham though ;)

[@vtp2199]

I've only been watching for a short while but it's kind of weird watching the premagnet vids when the first ones I saw were the ones where you sing magic magic linking greatness😜

[@RPArchiveOfficial]

Haha, check out the stable video for early forays into 'connections' 😅

[@dero4378]

cool

[@Jayson1988x]

"cave man technique" haha, love it

[@christiandharma4116]

Great tutorial, working on these now, so excited! Is there a magnet version? Looking to use those rather than toothpicks...

[@RPArchiveOfficial]

There is on patreon, and right now I'm working on an even better version as a patreon bonus video - it uses minimal magnets and gives WAY more flexibility on texture because the textured area is magnetically attached... So you can swap out for dirt pits/caves, steep grassy slopes, different coloured/textured rocks (like for deserts) etc.... Oh and i show a much better texture technique that builds further on this one :)

[@torsten2705]

If you use the slope template and transfer it to wood and held it to the foam, you can just hold de cutter against the template since it doesn’t cut the wood, makes sense?

[@Eantrin]

When using the caveman technique remember it is important to Unga as well as Bunga.

[@RPArchiveOfficial]

😂

Silly question: Why do you make the slots 45° instead of making them perpendicular? You will need only one slot and won't stress that much the material. I'm aware that your pieces have the stick in an angle as well, but the same question applies. Why? Why not perpendicular?

[@RPArchiveOfficial]

A few reasons. One, it puts less strain on a small area of foam, increasing the slots durability Two, it helps keep accessories upright - making it horizontal can lead to the torch turning sideways much more easily! Three, i have plans for accessories that need to carry more weight in future (including minis, similar to the plinths but more so). The 45 degree fitting is stronger and more stable, fir the first two reasons :)

[@jacobhope6164]

B R I L L I A N T!

[@RPArchiveOfficial]

Thanks Jacob :)

[@turnipslop3822]

I think the only issue I have with these modular mountains is how visible the block separation lines are. It shows here a lot more than on the man made constructions and the grasslands/hills you've made. I'd be curious if you can find a way to hide that better as that's the only flaw I can see with it. The entire system is still amazing and inspirational though.

[@RPArchiveOfficial]

It's the one part of it I don't like myself - there is a way to make them less obvious though, it just takes longer. You need to carve rocks into them in various shapes much like the dwarven forge mountain tiles, or otherwise use a texture that has lines on the texture, to disguise the gap lines :)

[@batnerd5148]

Question: Is there anything we could use for the "caveman" technique other than a rock? Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against a good ol' neat lookin' rock, I'm just wondering if there's anything that's easier to get while still giving the same effect.

[@RPArchiveOfficial]

Theoretically, anything with a nice rocky pattern. The benefit of a rock is sharper, tough edges that give more detail than say, a large chunk of tin foil :)

[@batnerd5148]

@@RPArchiveOfficial Thanks! On that note, do you know what kind of rock you use? I want to try and find one at Home Depot or somewhere. Edit: never mind, you said it was slate in your Mountain blocks video. Sorry for the ping.

[@matthewosgood8275]

Ware did u get that think of a block of xps?

[@RPArchiveOfficial]

Online (see my equipment list) but I've just released an updated version on patreon as a thank you to those guys that can be made with 1" foam... And is magnetised, has interchangeable textures and is generally a ton better 😂

[@davidrickey8841]

Is it just me or does that foam take texture a lot better than US foamular?

[@RPArchiveOfficial]

I'm genuinely curious to be honest, I initially thought it took texture less well. That said, I recently switched supplier, and this new source is harder and takes texture better than my last source of grey foam. I do wonder if the same subtleties exist in US blue/pink foam. I know you can get get different harnesses of both, I found that while searching for the US source of 3" foam linked in the pinned comment (check it out if you're interested) I will say, this grey foam is far more grained, and absolutely SUCKS for the pencil method of wood grain, hence why I don't use it. It does have its drawbacks :)

[@howardmandel7930]

I think I missed something. Did you put tiny magnets in the holes you made so that the blocks stick to each other?

[@RPArchiveOfficial]

Not quite, magnets thats would be strong enough to do that securely would be both expensive and difficult to place in without ruining the texture :) it's actually a cocktail stick system, check out the video before this one and there's a clip showing me connecting two pieces/how it works :)

[@nicklasandersen7785]

Did you actually use 3 in cubes or did you cut them out from something else. Here in europe, it seems hard to get it inches, but rather 5cm or 10cm. Shaving a 10cm blok down to 7,6cm seems like a lot of waste.

[@RPArchiveOfficial]

I used 4" thick xps to make sure it was perfect, and the excess I almost entirely used for tiles, none was wasted :)

[@darrelld.paveyjr.1477]

I just want to purchase your product and build battlefields. Is your product for sale ???

[@RPArchiveOfficial]

Unfortunately not, I teach people how to make them themselves affordably :) I do have a patreon though, where there's tons of extra tips, videos and more as a thank you for making these videos possible! Patreon is far more important to me than ads or sponsors :)