Rivers Don't Go On Top - Modular Lakes, Rivers, and Coastlines!

EPIC MINIATURES PATREON: bit.ly/EpicPatreonJan
EPIC MINIATURES MYMINIFACTORY: bit.ly/EpicMMFJan
Water tiles and terrain are one of the most highly used types because water appears in almost any environment, whether its as rivers, lakes, ponds or coasts!
My problem is, the versions that already exist, that you can buy or make, don’t really give the kind of modular flexibility or realistic look I want from my tiles 😕
So, I designed my own! These tiles not only place under the terrain, rather than defying physics on top as most river terrain seems to…
They also can be used as any kind of water, at any width. You can have a narrow or wide river, that can also be your coastline or lakes, saving you making more terrain to show those locations 😁
Not only that, I wanted the tiles to blend seamlessly with tiles from any environment, so unlike a lot of existing water terrain, these can be used seamlessly in grassland, cities, mountains, caves, forests, villages or even volcanic regions!
This kind of thing is all but impossible to do with depth and detail by buying something - hence why I put together this guide on how to MAKE it - with variants for any budget.
⚔️ SUPPORT BY JOINING THE ARCHIVE ON PATREON: / rparchive
🛠️ SUPPORT BY BUYING EQUIPMENT AND MATERIALS: bit.ly/RPEquipment
Everything I use should be linked on the equipment list above, so it's also a library of where to find stuff…
THE (FREE) CHEAP HOBBY SUPPLIES GUIDE: / how-to-get-hobby-60967033
THE (FREE) CHEAP RESIN SHORTCUT LINKS (BOTTOM OF THE PAGE): rparchive.wixsite.com/rparchi...
THE FREE TEMPLATES: / 61269642
THE CORNER TILES BONUS VIDEO: / water-tile-and-61156300
THE MAGNETIC INTERIOR WALLS BONUS VIDEO: / bonus-video-and-55873370
THE CHEAP RESIN ALTERNATIVE EXPERIMENTS BONUS VIDEO: / resin-bonus-61228861
Other publicly free stuff on my Patreon: www.patreon.com/RPArchive?fil...[is_public]=true&filters[tag]=Downloads
Luke's cheap water effects video (clearfix): • How To Make Your Own C...
🔔 Subscribe and click the bell for more D&D terrain!
👍 If you found this helpful, help me out and like the video up there!
BUILDS FEATURED IN THIS VIDEO:
Getting started: • Get Started with Modul...
BUILDINGS
Magnetic building system: • DIY MAGNETIC Buildings...
Cottage (half-timber/Tudor) tiles: • Fixing two BIG Problem...
Modular rooftops: • Modular D&D Foam Roof ...
Smaller rooftops: • Making More From Less ...
Temple blocks: • Easy Modular Temple Te...
Temple block castle wall addons: • In-Depth Modular Walls...
LANDSCAPE
Grassland tiles: • I Hate Flat Grasslands...
Realistic dirt roads: • Flat 'Hovering' Roads ...
Trees: • I Don't Like Blob Tree...
Mountainblocks: • MountainBlocks - DIY c...
Lava terrain: • Make Realistic Volcani...
City tiles: • City Tiles Are Better ...
SCATTER AND ACCESSORIES
Stairblocks: • The only dungeon stair...
Modular scaffolds: • The Only Scaffolds You...
Wall of fire: • Set Things on FIRE! ||...
Functional crane: • Crafting a Working Cra...
Weapon racks: • Crafting a War Camp - ...
OTHER USEFUL STUFF:
Older painting Stone tutorial: • How to Paint Stone - T...
Basing video: • Why I Changed My Basin...
Homemade tile storage: • I Craft EASY Protectiv...
Timestamps:
00:00 Intro
00:42 how it works
01:39 Tile crafting
04:57 Textures
06:03 Details
10:08 Accessories
11:51 Finishing Textures
14:00 More Details
14:29 Quick gallery of tile inspiration
14:38 Islands
15:32 Corners and Tile Edge details
16:01 Cheap Resin Guide
17:19 Damming Techniques
20:12 Resin Pouring Techiniques
23:57 Tidying Up and Ripples
Check out my full modular terrain systems: bit.ly/RPArchiveChannel
Follow the channel to make sure you catch new videos as they're released:
Facebook: bit.ly/RPArchiveFB
Instagram: bit.ly/RPArchiveINSTA
For any metric users who aren't comfortable with using the inches side of the ruler, I've linked a conversion calculator here: www.rapidtables.com/convert/l...
#Rparchive #ArchiveLandscapes #Archivemodularterrain

[@RPArchiveOfficial]

As always guys I love to hear your thoughts and ideas on the video! What did you like about it? What would you change? Is there anything there that you didn't realise or might steal? RESIN USE TIPS: Tools and maths: • if possible mix your resin in a plastic cup or bowl with a plastic spoon - using non-porous materials helps avoid contaminating the resin or adding additional bubbles. Mixing it in a wide container helps any bubbles have a shorter trip to the surface. I didn't manage this, as I couldn't find disposable versions of these things anymore (possibly due to environmental concerns) so I used plastic pint glasses and wooden tongue depressors (often used for waxing!) • You want to mix in a warm environment - check your resin's description when you buy it, it should have a ideal use temperature listed. Mine was 20 degrees C, so actually slightly cooler than room temp. This is important because if you overheat a cooler curing resin, it can get a skin which then mixes into the resin and makes it very messy…as I discovered! It can also develop this skin if you leave it to stand for too long once mixed, so keep stirring whenever you can 🙂 • On a related note, make sure the resin and the tile are a similar temperature. Store your tiles in the same warm room for a few hours beforehand, and keep them in there, rather than transferring from a colder room, particularly a garage! • You can follow my trick in the video to pour the resin into one cup, and the hardener into the other, and then add the hardener to the resin (it flows easier). I add a fraction more to the hardener as a tiny amount is always a tiny bit left in the cup. • To find the right ratio for the amount you want, take the amount (like 250ml), and divide by the total added ratio of the epoxy and hardener. My resin said to mix 100ml of resin with 45ml hardener, so my total was 145ml. That's 250 divided by 145 if you're with me so far (use a calculator, I did!) Then multiply the result by 100 to get the epoxy needed (172ml), and by 45 (77ml) to get the hardener needed. Obviously 1:1 mixes are easier, but more imbalanced mixtures like this are often cheaper. Mixing: • When pouring the resin out, either measuring or mixing together I pour both like you would pour a beer or fizzy drink, along the side of the cup at an angle. This avoids making a ton of unneeded bubbles by pouring directly into the liquid. • I also make sure I always pour it along the same side of the cup I used to pour it in at an angle originally. This makes sure only one side of the cup is 'messy' with wet resin, and makes adding colour easier later as you can access it without getting resin everywhere. • Stir gently in a figure 8 for 3 minutes, mainly sticking to the edges and avoiding whipping them quickly like you were mixing something for food. For a similar reason, don’t remove the tongue depressor while stirring until done if possible, though it can help to move it up and down a bit to get the hardener to the bottom. • I found stirring with the cup at a 45 degree angle maximised the surface area of the resin, made it mix more easily and with less bubbles, as they could more easily float up and pop. Ink tinting: • As I mentioned earlier, don’t leave the resin to stand after stirring, it will develop a skin! Make sure you're ready to add your ink as soon as the stirring is done, and give it a quick stir if adding the ink takes a while. Its not a rush, but it is important to keep stirring 🙂 • Mix your ink in, using roughly the same ratio and amount for each batch, and measuring the colour against a small test pour you can mix up first to make sure you're happy with the colour. Pouring: • When pouring resin, err on the side of pouring too little rather than too much. Too little you can easily correct by taping up the edges with masking tape and pouring on another thin layer, pushing it around with a cocktail stick or tongue depressor. Of you add too much, your only option is sanding it down very smooth, then re-applying - which I have not tried personally… • Pour the main layers in two stages helps get even less bubbles, but isn't crucial. My tests I did as one solid layer, but they got more bubbles. I poured about half the height, then the rest 6 hours later. • Wait for most bubbles to rise to the surface, and apply gentle heat with the torch. The aim is to gently approach the resin and pull away as soon as bubbles pop. It's also a good idea to give it 30 seconds or so between every few torch blasts to let the resin cool and not get too hot. [alternative methods include breathing on it or using a spray of iso, but neither are anywhere NEAR as effective.] WATER RIPPLE TIPS: • When applying the edges will likely end up thinner than the middle, and will gel up faster whether thick or thin. Think of it like drying sauce on a plate, the edges will dry first. • Add some extra along the edges once you've waited for it to partially cure to give you more to play with. • Or you can add more to the edges once the rest is cured, it doesn’t really matter. • 10 minutes to gel up at thin edges, 20-30 minutes to cure for thicker middle, more the bigger the tile. • Edges will cure faster even if thicker, so apply for 20 mins, then dab the edges repeatedly • Basically this means apply to one 6" tile, two 6x3 tiles, four 3x3 tiles, etc before going back to the first to start dabbing. • Banks are about half water on the tile, so a 6x3 bank is equivalent to a 3x3 tile. Corners are more of a case of 'best guess' 😄 WAYS TO USE LESS RESIN: • You can use the second shallow sloped edge template with a more gentle decline at the bottom, and rely on the undershading with ink to add depth. Does mean you can't add fish, and the shallow depth is more obvious when you look up close. • If using this shallow template, you want the waterline to be 7/8" from the bottom of the tile, rather than 1 and 1/4". • You also want the deep tiles to be 3/4" thick, with the 1/8" thin layers of resin bringing that up to 7/8" to match. • Or you can use the third version with no resin at all, the flat bottomed sloped edge template (which is pretty much just the bank) and don't use depth materials (resin) at all, simply paint or use the toilet paper technique for your water. • If you do this you want your deep tiles to be 7/8" high from the start, to match the flat template. • If you want to save resin elsewhere, you can make the deep tiles 1 and 7/16" high (or 7/8" high if using with the shallow template banks) from foam, and paint with a thick layer of gloss mod podge and black paint mixed. Using the water ripples over this should disguise the fake depth well enough at a distance. • Islands can be far shallower, and just use brown paint under the water to fake the depth. If using the standard deep banks, you could make them on 1" foam instead, or if using the shallow banks, just lower the waterline and island 1/2" to match. If using the no resin version, you can build them straight 'on' the water! WAYS TO USE OTHER MATERIALS: • If you want to use NO resin, but still want some transparency, you could use multiple smooth layers of gloss mod podge, BUT beware. This will hide bubbles in it, and take even longer to cure than the resin (like, a WEEK). It’s also impossible to know if you got your colour tints the way you want them until days later when it cures. The mod podge itself can also discolour and tint the layers beneath an orange colour if used too thick at once, I found. This method will also not give a smooth edge to the tiles like resin, and will show layer lines from the sides, as well as shrinking, so the tiles wont quite line up. This effect is worse the thicker you go. • For cheaper ripples, I tried a few options. One is to use liquitex gloss medium instead, which is 1/4 the price but it ended up drying white when used thickly as ripples. I also tried mixing it with mod podge, but this ended up full of bubbles AND drying white… • You could use clearfix as detailed by Luke over at geekgaming here (kzbin.info/www/bejne/q4i1g6ZuYt6nqLc), though this method is far slower, more bubbly, and hard to do outside the UK/Europe as brands other than clearfix tend to dry foggy, which I can attest to from my own experiments. • Your other option is pure gloss mod podge, though it's not a gel, which means although you can make it ripple a TINY bit, it will self level more, and once 'curing' it will skin over unlike the gel, which means you cant just dab it until it's the way you like. It's also harder to spot bubbles, because it's white until cured. If using mod podge I'd recommend using an airbrush or straw to blow it around in random directions, something a ton of creators have shown before - though without the taller ripples the tiles wont blend together as smoothly, and will look weirdly calm on a coast. So that's just a choice of cost vs quality - crafter's preference 🙂 • IF you don’t care about transparency, you could use other traditional water methods like toilet paper to show the water areas over pure foam, as shown by Marklinofsweden some years ago (kzbin.info/www/bejne/aIXaoXVtqLuApJo). I've included a free side template for that too :) The tile system will still work as intended, and it'll be VERY cheap! You could even make it cheaper by using card tab connections instead of magnets like I show in my early videos - check out my recent getting started video for more on things like this (kzbin.info/www/bejne/n6i3ZpmvaNN1hrM) If you DO end up using the more gentle bank edge, shallower/no islands and full foam deep tiles, or use toilet paper or not transparent methods, you can make all water tiles 1/2" less thick (already mentioned above). The thickness was to allow for depth, without it you can just save on foam and make them thinner! More in the replies below!

[@RPArchiveOfficial]

My pinned comments are getting too big for KZbin to deal with! Might need to link this stuff to a seperate page at some point in future videos 😂 DAMMING TIPS: A quick one here from Richard and Simon, both patrons. They've had success with brown or clear packing tape over rigid card instead of acetate! I think that's a brilliant idea that they deserve the credit for, and I'll be testing in a future video. NUMBER OF TILES MADE: 12" outer corners 2 12" inner corners 2 6" outer corners 2 6" inner corners 2 6" square open water 6 6x3 straight bank 6 6x3 open water 6 6x3 island 2 3x3 straight bank 4 3x3 open water 5 3x3 island 1 DIMENSIONS XPS FOAM PIECE DIMENSIONS: 6" square open water: 6x6" square, 1" thick (less thick if using the shallower templates, see that section above) 6x6" square, 1/8" thick to glue on top. (I didn't do this, but it doesn’t really change the look, and saves a TON of resin.) 6x3 straight bank: 6x3", 1/2" thick (for magnet base) 6x3, 1" thick (for cutting bank) 6x3 open water (see other open water notes above): 6x3", 1" thick 6x3", 1/8" thick to glue on top. 6x3 island: 3x3", 1/2" thick. (this uses a LOT of resin, and honestly I'd advise using the below) OR 3x3", 1" thick. (when doing it this thick, make the island the same height, just less deep. I wanted to see if actually seeing it would make a big difference and…it didn’t!) Using a 1/8" piece here on top like for the deep tiles isn't advised, as the black ink resin will come right up to the surface and look like…oil? 3x3 straight bank: 3x3", 1/2" thick (for magnet base) 3x3, 1" thick (for cutting bank) 3x3 open water (see other open water notes above): 6x3", 1" thick 6x3", 1/8" thick to glue on top. 3x3 island (see other island notes above) 3x3", 1/2" thick. OR 3x3", 1" thick. RESIN DAM DIMENSIONS (CARD/STYRENE/ACRYLIC/ACETATE) RESIN DAM NUMBER MADE: I included my maths below in case anyone is curious of the breakdown, but this is what I made. I did the resin in three batches, though you can easily do more batches to cut down the number of dams you need at once! I made: 32 4"x 1 and 1/2" dams 36 7"x 1 and 1/2" dams Though this was to cover corner tiles as well as straight tiles, you could make a lot less. The corner tile breakdowns are in the pinned comment of the corner video :) Open water: 6" open water 6 4x6=24 7" 6x3 open water 6 2x6=12 7", 2x6=12 4" 3x3 open water 5 4x5=20 4" 36 7" 32 4" Banks: 6x3 straight bank 6 12x 4", 6x 7" 6x3 island 2 4 x4", 4x 7" 3x3 island 1 4x4" 10x7" 17x 4" I did the 3x3 banks separately with large corners: 3x3 straight bank 4 12 x4" 12x4" DIRT GROUT MIX RECIPE: Ingredients Brown and black unsanded tile grout Dirt cooked in the oven and filtered through a sieve. You want to grind this dirt up with some kind of improv mortar and pestle into smaller grains - it doesn’t need to be dust like the grout but should be otherwise pretty small. I strain it through a sieve to get rid of anything too big. The ratio you want here is going to depend on the colour of your local grout I just mixed in a bit of black at a time until the colour darkened down to match the original dirt. I ended up with about a 4:2:1 ratio of dirt:brown grout:black grout I now add 1/2 a ratio (shot glass) of natural earth yellow pigment to make the reddish tint go away, without turning it grey by adding more black grout or grout mix. I added this to 12 dirt, 8 brown, 4 black grout. So its more like adding 1/8 of a glass to the minimum ratio shown above (4:2:1 then 1/8th of pigment) LEOPARD SPOTTING TECHNIQUE: To use this technique you need to think your paint down and basically let it soak into the plaster. Because it soaks in, it not only means the colour remains if chipped slightly, it also blends really easily because the thinned paint seeps into the one neighbouring. I generally go with paint thin enough that it starts to be transparent when drawn in a line across a pallete with a brush. This usually ends up a touch too bright, and you have two options here. One is to simply add two layers while doing it initially, the other is to let it dry, see how bright it has ended up and if you want to add another layer only to certain areas to add shading. The paint dries a LOT brighter than it looks when soaking it in, so don't panic! For tan stone patches Tan, with a HINT (5:1 ratio or so) of yellow ochre if you want a more yellow stone ( watery, transparent when drawn across the pallete) For iron ore deposits burnt umber (more paint in this mix, less watery, richer) To cover most/blend into others 50/50 tan and black mix (same thinning as yellow ochre) You can add highlights at this stage without drybrushing by using a paper towel to gently dab minimal paint from the higher surfaces of the plaster rock once its fully soaked in, leaving the deeper recesses darker. Bear in mind plaster rocks are much weaker while being painted like this, so be careful not to crumble them! If you make it transparent when drawn across the palette, bear in mind it dries lighter, so what looks good ends up too bright like round 1 of the water tile rocks (which I rescued before the video) or the grassland hills (which I did not…) SCENIC SEALANT RECIPE: This stuff is really easy to mix, I use the following formula: 1 part mod podge 4 or more parts water - you can make this as thick or thin as you like, and just use more layers to make it harder. A drop of dish soap (fairy liquid type stuff) or flow improver - this helps it…well…flow :) The more mod podge, the darker and more 'wet' the dirt will look when dry. But you can use multiple thinner layers and build up strength that way too. MAGNET SAFETY: Don’t use around small children or animals, if ingested these can be dangerous. Never let very strong magnets slam together, especially thin ones. They can and will smash under a lot of force, and then become very sharp, highly magnetic shrapnel. Not good. Easy to avoid though, just take care. NICKLE STRIPS/STEEL TIN CAN TIPS AND SAFETY: Nickel and Tin is safe enough to use if you're reasonably careful, I used to cut most of mine from tin can lids with scissors, though now I use nice smooth nickel strips. Made sure you're wearing thick gloves when cutting and handling, I use some woodworking gloves. If you want to make doubly sure the metal isn't sharp, use a metal nail file along the edges to round it off.

[@AzraelThanatos]

For the "No Resin" ones, there's an option that is rather easy to do, use a layer or two of the High Gloss Polyeurethane varnish. You can normally find it in the same place as you would find craft paints. It's a thicker version than what you would get in the hardware store which helps in getting it to look right there. It doesn't have the same bubble problem that Mod Podge has...only thing is that you really want to find something to cover it while it cures/dries because it picks up dust like crazy there With both that and resin, you can get a good "green water" look by adding some of the various green flocks and sprinkle it in right after applying it, you can even use a couple colors to add depth to it. I've used that for it, but mainly for algae effects with more stagnant water by not using the brighter flock that a lighter sprinkle of it would highlight.

[@RPArchiveOfficial]

Interesting! I'll have to give it a try at some point :)

[@turnipslop3822]

Amazing to see how far you've come mate. Weirdly, the progress you've made now makes your old mountain blocks looks out of date by comparison in the early showcase. They stand out against these incredible grass and water tiles for the wrong reasons. It'd be good to see an updated more challenging version, while still leaving the original there for beginners as it's so accessible. Would love to see you return to them in the future. I would also say this project looks a bit too high for my skill level, but I'll definitely remember it for the future when I have more time and skill.

[@RPArchiveOfficial]

Yeah I've been thinking that myself for a while, hence the updated Mountainblocks video coming soon - fingers crossed it all works the way I want it to 😂 As for coming back to it - that's my whole thing with the channel, not everything needs to be beginner level, some projects work great for me that but I think having stuff to always aspire to and stretch yourself on is a great thing :) it's certainly why I keep learning 😂

[@phatwhacker3767]

I am not ashamed at all to admit I would be PROUD to get walked in on by anyone playing around with that stuff by myself, no dice, no rules, making little fwisshhhh and trhip noises as enemies engaged...absolutely amazing stuff here :)

[@RPArchiveOfficial]

Haha! Well thanks man! 😁

[@TheDolphinTuna]

I'm impressed, not just by the craftsmanship, but by the effort gone into the cinematography/presentation of the guide. Well done!

[@RPArchiveOfficial]

Thanks man! It's always really nice hearing the effort on that side of things appreciated :)

[@isaacwittenberg611]

That's the thing that I think sets out RParchive videos from the sea of other tutorials out there. the crafting is great, of course, but the attention paid to making the videos clear, and easy to visually follos as well as gorgeous? That's what keeps me subscribing to the Patreon.

[@ozylocz4078]

Easy to do this when other people pay your bills

[@RPArchiveOfficial]

I pay my bills. I work full time and more to create enjoyable, useful content for my patrons and audience. They value that, and so do I. If you don't, then leave.

[@terminalvelocity3132]

Never underestimate the importance of details that aren't immediately visible. When people work out that you put them in, they actually go looking for them in your terrain pieces. Sunken crowns FTW!!!

[@ELS-tone]

I would seriously love to see a demo video of these tiles being used in one of your D&D campaign. I'm imagining how as players walk through different spaces, the DM is just reshuffling & adding new tiles

[@jackedbyjill5139]

"Everyone should be able to make things, regardless of your budget." That's the most Bob Ross line I've ever heard from a KZbinr :-)

[@nathannicar6721]

I bought a proxxon because of your videos and am having just the time of my life crafting alongside them. Just amazing work. You’re a total madman but please keep ‘em coming.

[@RPArchiveOfficial]

Well that's awesome to hear Nathan 😀 if you're on the patreon discord at some point I'd love to see what you've made :) I would say message me but Facebook is terrible at notifications 😂

[@RPArchiveOfficial]

I mean, feel free to message me on Facebook, it just takes me longer because of the notification thing. Instagram works better, usually :)

[@adriannaranjo4397]

I have to say RP Archive, your system really seems like the one that just _works._ Its not perfect, some pieces really have that "LEGO" blocky texture (but that could be a pro or a con to some) but gosh that showcase from 0:25 to 1:02 just sold me on this. Nothing else I've seen just looks so naturally like a river and not just a "map" of a river on top, or a tile just with water texture on it. These really smoothly blend together and offer a lot flexibility. If I ever get to play in person again I'm definitely making this system

[@RPArchiveOfficial]

That's awesome to hear Adrian. That's been my goal from the start, make a system that balances realism/visuals with modularity :) I'm working on slowly hiding the squarer edges where I can 😂

[@maxaphone]

I love all the small details in the water. Fish, skeletons, the crown! You should make one river block with two halflings fishing from a wash basin and place a small gold ring on the river bed. ; )

[@RPArchiveOfficial]

Haha, if the ring wouldn't be too small to see I was tempted 😂

[@thomervin7450]

@@RPArchiveOfficial You know, you could probably place the ring on the river bed and paint a glowing aura around the ring before pouring resin, and that way the ring can be seen easier. That would prompt other players to look to see what's in the water and draw them into the details of your terrain. That might make players wonder if there are other hidden gems in the details of the terrain.

[@stig1976]

Absolutely amazing For me you are by far number one in making gaming tiles. Thank you for your work, you are a big inspiration.

[@RPArchiveOfficial]

Glad to hear it Stig! 😁

[@moemilkshakes7532]

I love the gallery shots that include a lot of your past projects. It's awesome how you keep crafting things with past projects in mind. I'm still trying to make enough mountain blocks and cave blocks to feel satisfied. But the water and grass tiles are on my list.

[@RPArchiveOfficial]

This is the benefit of heavy planning early on 😂

[@protestthebread1046]

I've been GMing for a decade and a half, most of it online. This makes me really want to start working on tiles for in person... what a fantastic video immediately subbed.

[@alexandros.yiannis]

Excellent! We missed you sir! I really hope you are healthier and on your way to full recovery! God bless you!

[@sanctusletum8522]

The quality of your crafting projects, as well as your production quality and technique presentation, just blows me away over and over and over again. Well worth every day of waiting. Thank you for not sacrificing quality in favor of the weekly demands of the KZbin Algorithm. I know that has to be tough on your view count, and that truly is a shame because I honestly believe you deserve to be the most visible gaming terrain channel.

[@RPArchiveOfficial]

Well it's only possible because of your support, so thank you! In terms of views, it does hurt the channel income from ads and sponsors, definitely, but the support from you guys on patreon allows me to make it work and cover expenses regardless. So again, seriously, thank you. It means a lot to me.

[@Hangtime_Davi64]

Every video of yours inspires me to do things I don't have the time or tools to do.

[@Dracule0117]

You, sir, do not get even a fraction of the views, attention, and credit that you deserve for the sheer ingenuity, thoroughness, and quality of the work you produce. I've been tossing ideas around in my head for my own river tiles for a while now and have been highly frustrated with the surplus of goofy-looking "on top" river & water tiles on KZbin and the lack of really well done, accurately designed water tiles. These are incredible! And if they're perhaps a bit beyond what I can manage with the time, tools, and budget available to me, they're an excellent starting point for my own set. Well done!

[@RPArchiveOfficial]

Thanks as always drake! 😁 Glad they helped you with your own plans :)

[@PrinceCorny]

You’re definitely the best terrain builder on KZbin

[@davidisdoingit]

Love the calm vibe and having these on in the background - would love to see a video in the future of the essential materials needed to get started - I looked at your equipment list but found myself getting a bit overwhelmed

[@tristafrog]

you literally have some of the best videos on KZbin

[@stephen1896]

I just discovered this channel. I have no interest in making my own tiles, nor do I play tabletop games of this type (though I wouldn't be opposed). Yet, I find myself mesmerized by the video and others like it. All the cinematography, knowledge, and crafting is just fantastic. Fascinating. Incredible work!

[@MrRugabuga200]

Hey Matt, I have literally binge watched all of your videos! I love the modular system you have created. Enough to order my own proxxon and get started. I have just started my first ever d&d adventure with some buddy's. I'm looking to support you on Patreon to get access to those videos too, but also wanted to make sure you are still active and creating content. All the best.

[@Akiko-31]

I just stumbled across your video and have to say I was impressed with all the thought and details you put into this, and you explained it all in pretty detailed depth as well. I have not seen another creator do the tiles this way so kudos to you its really quite amazing!. As a new person to this particular type of crafting I am having the most fun at it :) and love all the inspiration I have gotten from learning what is what with seasoned veterans of this craft, so thank you for some amazing insight to some new ideas to try out. Can't be a patreon but I can subscribe :) Looking forward to watching some of your other content and you take care.

[@gamingandgeeking7880]

Zarakk here - Absolutely bloody amazing as always dude. These tiles are just mind-blowing. And as always, amazing production quality and presenting. You were born to do this ^.^ Very happy that I'm supporting you

[@RPArchiveOfficial]

Hey Zarakk! Well you know that support is massively appreciated 😉 Thank you so much man, I'm really happy you like the result :)

[@randommonkeybug]

it would complete my life's existence to play some DnD with Matt on these modular sets. his voice is so soothing and his pieces are just jaw-dropping.12/10

[@Solrex_the_Sun_King]

To specify, you mean the Matt of this channel and not Matt Mercer, right?

[@randommonkeybug]

@@Solrex_the_Sun_King who's Matt Mercer?

[@Solrex_the_Sun_King]

@@randommonkeybug critical role?

[@garrywilling3711]

I'm glad the algorithm brought me to your channel. These tiles are a work of art

[@mikemartin3671]

You sir are a genius and a boon to the community! Cannot express fully how impressive your creations are and accessible your videos are. All the best to you and yours!

[@RPArchiveOfficial]

Well thank you Mike! 😁 All the best to you too!

[@MrJoshMetcalfe]

That has to be the best sponsor edit i've seen on a youtube video!

[@RPArchiveOfficial]

I try to make them interesting... 😂

[@PeninsulaPaintingProjects]

Not only is this a good tutorial but that sponsor highlight was great, I might become a patron

[@themakeshop1499]

These are just crazy awesome.

[@RPArchiveOfficial]

Thanks man!

[@michael5529]

Gorgeous work, thanks for sharing. Subbed to Epic Minis a few months ago, such a good group of artists!

[@RPArchiveOfficial]

Yeah they're kinda great for filling up things that rarely get made elsewhere :)

[@ryanmintus3323]

So excited to watch this! I've been looking for a good guide to doing water tiles.

[@RPArchiveOfficial]

Hope you enjoy! 😁

[@RPRsChannel]

*_This is great work!_*

[@4plainlimbs]

This is amazing! Love it! Hope you had a good Christmas/ NY and feeling refreshed.

[@RPArchiveOfficial]

I actually worked most of Christmas on this video 😂 I'm taking a short break now it's released in lieu 😄

[@lepettit_bricoleur3212]

So good to see you back, i was waiting for your videos so much! Great job!

[@RPArchiveOfficial]

Well it's great to see you too man! 😁 And thanks!

[@Bluecho4]

For a while, I've wanted to run a DnD campaign set entirely underwater (with amphibious player characters). While most "sea floor" tiles would do well enough with some dry sand texture (since you're presuming the entire battlefield is already underwater), fights occurring on the surface could do well with these kinds of resin tiles. Combining "deep water" tiles with rocky outcroppings, sandy beaches, or half-visible sandbanks to break up the water.

[@RPArchiveOfficial]

Sounds like an awesome campaign :)

[@MyxRSC]

Perfect for D&D

[@robertevans3173]

Matt! Good to see you. Great work as always. I hope you enjoyed your time off and getting back into the swing of things.

[@RPArchiveOfficial]

Thanks Robert, honestly this video took a lot of work so I haven't had a break in a long time - but it's been a lot of fun sharing the journey with patrons 😄

[@kentellis5384]

Outstanding design, I was wondering what you were working on and this is phenomenal! thank you so much for the time that you put into this and share with the crafting community.

[@Gingermorso]

I have watched alot of crafters and I got to say that you are the most brilliant and talented of them all. The way you have architeched fully modular system yet your builds are extremely detailed is just astounding. Thank you for creating awesome content.

[@RPArchiveOfficial]

Well thank you so much man, it means a lot :)

[@ifailedmywillsave]

Great to see you again! Hope you're doing well. These are really beautiful tiles. Thank you for showing us how to make them - these will be fantastic additions to anyone's table.

[@RPArchiveOfficial]

Thanks man! Great to be back! 😁

[@tpd71261]

very nice, great job. will be using this and your city road tiles. Thank you.

[@Nat1videos]

Top notch as always! Have been wondering where you've been at... figured you where working on something epic. Not disappointed :)

[@RPArchiveOfficial]

Hey man! Yeah I've been... Busy 😂 I loved your Moria Hall BTW!

[@Nat1videos]

@@RPArchiveOfficial Thanks man! Been a while since I've done a big one... got some plans, lets see how they pan out. Glad to see you back mate ;)

[@CmikeDnD]

Your set of terrain is top notch. Never disappointing. I look forward to your tundra & desert

[@RPArchiveOfficial]

Thanks man! 😁

[@drivingmissmolly]

I just found out a pretty big thing to watch out for going forward: HOT GLUE WEAKENS NEODYMIUM MAGNETS!!! Even at the lowest setting the temperatures are too high and will ruin the magnetic pull. So maybe melt the holes, seal your foam and THEN superglue the magnets in. Should really help with the strength. ALSO you could use ferrite magnets which are fine to use with hot glue, and are cheaper, BUT they are about 10x weaker than a neodymium magnet of the same size. Maybe a good experiment going forward and testing both materials and methods. 🤷🏼‍♀️ I’m gonna at least try to seal my foam and then superglue them in. Not sure I wanna sacrifice any magnets to test the hypothesis though.

[@RPArchiveOfficial]

TECHNICALLY. But unless you soak them in high temperature hot glue, you will not notice the difference. If this was true, none of my pieces would work... And they clearly do :) If it's happening on your pieces, it's possible you accidentally bought (or bought from an unreliable source) magnets of less than n52 rating to begin with? That would account for a lack of enough strength :)

[@KevinTheDane]

Superglue will melt your XPS foam, so don't do that :) Been there ;) Hot glue cools pretty rapidly, so I don't think it's an issue :)

[@patrickmasse7159]

Your modular layout is going better and better. Wonderful !

[@RPArchiveOfficial]

Hey Patrick! Missed you man, thank you 😁

[@ChaiFairy]

I just adore your sense of humor, and your tile system is brilliant. Thank you for the inspiration.

[@josegasset6068]

Where you at brother?! Miss the vids, you do amazing work! It’s been like 4 months since you posted a vid, hope all is well👍🏻

[@RPArchiveOfficial]

Long covid slowing me down - I'm editing the next video now! if you're ever curious there's constant updates on patreon, and you don't need to join to see I posted recently :)

[@rhiotre1958]

Beautiful work as usual! I love the way the tiles look! You make it look easy. Thank you for sharing this with us.

[@RPArchiveOfficial]

Hey I'm just always glad you all like it 😁

[@Bluke420]

I like the skeleton on that one shore line. You are amazing at this too.

[@RPArchiveOfficial]

Couldn't resist 😄

[@haydnc]

Awesome work. Your videos are so comprehensive, and your builds are impeccable.

[@RPArchiveOfficial]

Thanks Haydn! 😁 It's nice to hear when so much work goes in :)

[@alexevenly]

Oh my Cthulhu, that water! Great work, man! *After watching this video my thoughts were "Damn, I need to subscribe" and then I realized I've already done this, but can't remember when. Seems like it's not your first video which impressed me =)

[@RPArchiveOfficial]

Haha! 😂 Well maybe it's a sign you should go explore the rest of my channel and see if you like that too 😁

[@alexevenly]

@@RPArchiveOfficial for sure I will - thanks for your awesome videos!) I remember - the reason why I've subscribed previously - because of the video of your marvelous work on bases =)

[@RPArchiveOfficial]

Awesome! Well I'm glad you liked that one too 😁

[@riperino7291]

extremely well done! very impressive

[@BouncingTribbles]

Your terrain system is awesome, I love how sturdy and versatile the design is

[@RPArchiveOfficial]

Thanks man! Took a lot of planning but it's so worth it seeing so many people use it :)

[@BouncingTribbles]

@@RPArchiveOfficial when it works, it works. The effort is clear in the design. Thank you

[@DragonstormCrafts]

I have been following so many youtubers and watching so many craft videos for years now and I randomly discovered your channel on my recommended. I basically binged hours and hours of your videos and I love everything you come up with. Truly genius and super talented at what you do. Headed over to your Patreon right now

[@RPArchiveOfficial]

Awesome man! Very happy to have your support it means the world to me 😁

[@DragonstormCrafts]

@@RPArchiveOfficial hey I would like to chat with you about making 3D models of all of your terrain as .stl files for 3d printing. Would love your permission or maybe even collaboration for this!

[@sopi2]

You keep blowing me away with each new video. What a legend.

[@RPArchiveOfficial]

Glad you like it man! 😁

[@Fabilizion]

Wow just stumbled across your channel, great video, very inspirational! I like how you point out the details very honestly and share your wisdom about stuff that did not go as expected. Looking forward to watch the rest of your vids! Keep up this great work! Cheers

[@RPArchiveOfficial]

Will do man! 😁

[@wrath3470]

You are a magnetic wizard. Insane build. I love how you make everything modular, very impressive!

[@RPArchiveOfficial]

Thanks man! It saves a TON of time setting up :)

[@aqualust5016]

I'm overwhelmed with the fear of never being able to be good enough to craft this but the inspiration it lends drives me closer day by day. Eventually!

[@RPArchiveOfficial]

You'll get there! It's easier than it looks! Well, the non resin bits anyway 😅

[@456123789456]

incredible work.

[@RedShift112]

you're a wizard, Harry.

[@deeamerson]

I just realized your way of making terrain is like making and building terrain using the Lego method of doing things. Its just so cool.

[@RPArchiveOfficial]

Absolutely, it's so satisfying to play with 😂

[@darthhaplo1219]

Thanks!!

[@alyx2471]

I can't wait to try this one day 😍 it's absolutely stunning!

[@lwriker1304]

Excellent! Looking forward to doing some of this.

[@RPArchiveOfficial]

Awesome! 😁

[@edandchris5752]

This man deserves way more subscribers, the amount of effort and stuff he thinks about to help people or to just show is incredible. I need to start building his stuff ASAP

[@RPArchiveOfficial]

Well thank you so much man, that comment means a lot to me :) Hope you enjoy making stuff!

[@animeguysrhot50x]

Couldn't have said it better myself!

[@Jake9ization]

amazing work! Your tile system is hands down the most realistic and original modular system I have ever seen!

[@RPArchiveOfficial]

Thanks man! That's the goal 😁

[@animeguysrhot50x]

Your modular stuff is amazing, but I would love to see you create a diorama at some point 😲

[@TheDestroyer702]

This is so cool and surprisingly easy

[@RPArchiveOfficial]

Glad you like it man :)

[@krisjooste]

This is wicked.

[@RPArchiveOfficial]

Thanks Kris!

[@malelemonade5979]

My God, I've never played DnD before but your videos are so amazing to me! I am thoroughly entertained and informed about this style of art. I have to play DnD with amazing miniatures and terrain like the ones you create! Bravo man, keep up the incredible content!

[@powersave2]

Lovely to see you again!

[@RPArchiveOfficial]

Nice to be back! 😁

[@paulsavas2394]

astonishing! So good.

[@theCreamyCrusher]

This is the final straw im getting into this because this is the last thing i needed to make the small town with a river going through it like i wanted.

[@RPArchiveOfficial]

Nice! That's definitely a build I want to build up to - need more building tiles 😂

[@KKRDM]

Damn dude. You are a legend. Keep up the amazing work

[@RPArchiveOfficial]

Thanks Phil! 😁

[@donutdude360]

Foaming at the mouth every time you drop a video

[@RPArchiveOfficial]

😁 Well thanks man! Genuinely made me laugh when I saw this 😂

[@badverb9267]

Stumbled across you today. Great content, great work.

[@RPArchiveOfficial]

Thanks man :)

[@noodlesgamebox5903]

I've seen only this video. I love it. I've already subscribed, and I definitely plan on sticking around.

[@RPArchiveOfficial]

Awesome to hear man! 😁 Check out some of the older stuff if you get a chance, it's all pretty similar vibe (unless you go really early, and then it's cringe-y for me 😂)

[@MattEvans529]

Absolutely stunning... 😮

[@RPArchiveOfficial]

Thanks Matt! 😁

[@user-yq3vf1tl3h]

Just amazing

[@SparkyandCo]

You've been busy! Excellent work as always.

[@RPArchiveOfficial]

I have indeed 😄

[@KnightsOfDice]

What an amazing system! Such versatility, and presented beautifully.

[@RPArchiveOfficial]

Thank you! It's nice everyone seems to think it was worth the wait 😄

[@xilicks]

Amazing as always, keep up the great work!

[@RPArchiveOfficial]

Thanks man, will do! 😁

[@ministryofnonsense3692]

Great to see you again! 👏🏻 bravo

[@RPArchiveOfficial]

Great to be back and hear from all of you! 😁

[@BPCustomCreations]

You continue to be the terrain expert! Very nice addition to the system and wonderful video as always, my friend 👍

[@RPArchiveOfficial]

Thanks man 😁

[@TN-gr1xh]

Wow, these are gorgeous. Great work

[@RPArchiveOfficial]

Thanks man!

[@LimeJade]

This is so cool, thanks for sharing it! Looks like it would of been a tonne of fun to make.

[@RPArchiveOfficial]

It was amazing seeing it come together :)

[@ganjaterian]

You’re incredible for this!! This is so inspiring! I use the most basic and sometimes lazy things to visualize, and this makes me realize that the free time I use playing townscaper lately would be better spent learning how to build a similar system!

[@RPArchiveOfficial]

Definitely! It's such a rewarding hobby and the discord community sharing all their builds is amazing motivation! 😁

[@bravesirrobbins4849]

This is amazing. Keep it up!

[@RPArchiveOfficial]

I will indeed! 😁

[@Iceman154435]

Another absolutely stunning piece of art!! Seriously, I don't know how you do it. You are a master of modular, yet creating something so perfectly organic that it hurts. Have you considered doing a modular forest project? I love grasslands and it's easy enough to spread some trees and kind of turn it into a forest but I don't think it fully captures the leaf strewn forest floor with thick underbrush. A deciduous, coniferous, or maybe even gorgeous redwood forest would be a REALLY neat addition I think. Anyone else agree? Either way, I look forward to seeing anything and everything that you manage to create and wish you the best.

[@RPArchiveOfficial]

Forests are coming, I just have plans that need to fall into place first...

[@Iceman154435]

@@RPArchiveOfficial Ominous. But I look forward to it.

[@HandsomeLongshanks]

I'm pretty happy with Hobby Harry Potter's tips and tricks. I'm definitely going to have to watch more for when I start making my tabletop scenes. Also, not gonna call him "Hobby Harry Potter" anymore. Just couldn't resist

[@RPArchiveOfficial]

It seems few people can 😂

[@damionkeeling3103]

What a wonderful system.

[@kerel995]

Pure awesome

[@Studio54ithy123]

fantastic vid as usual

[@RPArchiveOfficial]

Thanks Joshua! 😁

[@seankinsella7441]

The thought processes you put into these sets is astounding. There is lots of other good things out there as well, but yours is like no other.

[@RPArchiveOfficial]

Well thank you man, its always nice to hear the hard work appreciated :)

[@notreallydavid]

Good God! Superb work.

[@RPArchiveOfficial]

Thanks David. Or... Not David 😂

[@JC-gv6sq]

Great video, definitely a step up in skill so hopefully something to work towards

[@RPArchiveOfficial]

Definitely!

[@justinsellers9402]

Amazing!

[@RPArchiveOfficial]

Thanks Justin!

[@Sneakysneaky88]

This is the first video of RP Archive that I saw thanks the the algorithm, and all I can really say is this guy is doing passion hobbies -right-. Even though I'd never have the patience for it myself, the craftwork in play here is enjoyable just to watch. The games run from this must be ballin

[@RPArchiveOfficial]

Well thank you so much for watching :) I certainly enjoy the games, and I think my players do too 😄

[@liammckenney6792]

Great to see you back, man

[@RPArchiveOfficial]

Great to hear from everyone again 😂

[@Caluardo]

I loved the juxtaposition of you saying content creators would need to rely more heavily on ads and sponsors, with the visuals of epic miniatures ;)

[@RPArchiveOfficial]

The difference is, its a 60s slot, not the focus of the whole video ;) AND I can work on more detailed videos, which I couldn't do if I had to spam them out to get more sponsor money So yeah, pretty big difference 😂