How to Get Started With Warhammer Terrain Building
How to Get Started With Warhammer Terrain Building (2025 Guide)
Great terrain transforms a game of Warhammer into a cinematic battlefield. It changes line‑of‑sight, creates daring flanks, and makes photos you’ll want to share. This step‑by‑step guide shows you exactly how to start building durable, good‑looking terrain with simple tools and materials—whether you’re crafting ruins for Warhammer 40,000, forests and rocky spires for Age of Sigmar, or scatter for skirmish games.
Quick Start: What You’ll Build First
- Project 1 – Ruined Wall (LOS blocker, 6″ × 4″ / 150 × 100 mm): Foamcore or XPS, textured paste, rubble basing, stone paint recipe.
- Project 2 – Industrial Pipe Scatter (objective, 4″ × 3″ / 100 × 75 mm): PVC offcuts & sprue, hazard stripes, oil streaks.
- Project 3 – Modular Hill (movement piece, 8″ × 6″ / 200 × 150 mm): XPS layers, rock carving, drybrush recipe, static grass.
Starter Toolkit (Everything You Actually Need)
- Cutting: Snap‑off utility knife, #11 hobby knife, metal ruler, self‑healing cutting mat.
- Shaping: Sanding sticks (240–800), optional hot‑wire cutter for XPS foam.
- Adhesives: PVA (white) glue for foam/sand; plastic cement for polystyrene; CA/super glue for resin/metal; hot glue gun (optional) for fast tack.
- Texturing: Ready‑mix lightweight spackle or acrylic texture paste, play sand, small stones/cork.
- Painting: Cheap craft acrylics for basecoats, quality miniature paints for accents; large flat brush for drybrushing.
- Sealing: Matte varnish; Mod Podge (or PVA + black paint) to tough‑coat foam before painting.
- Safety: Dust mask when sanding foam; ventilate if spraying; fresh blades reduce slips.
Materials 101 (Pick the Right Substrate)
- XPS Foam (insulation foam): Light, easy to carve, perfect for rocks and hills. Seal with Mod Podge/PVA before rattle‑can primer to prevent melt.
- Foamcore (foamboard): Cheap walls and floors. Peel one paper face for stone texture; reinforce edges with PVA and tape.
- MDF Kits: Laser‑cut precision, durable for clubs. Sand edges lightly; seal with a thin PVA wash before paint to reduce fuzz.
- Plasticard/Styrene: Plates, trims, industrial panels; scores and snaps cleanly, welds with plastic cement.
- Balsa/Coffee Stirrers: Planks, beams, platforms; grain easily; stain with diluted browns before drybrushing.
- Found Objects: Bottle caps (hatches), pen springs (coils), wire (cables), sprues (rebar/rubble) — prime well.
Terrain Density & Footprints (Play Better Games)
For a standard 44″ × 60″ Warhammer table, aim for a mix of line‑of‑sight blockers, obscuring ruins, and scatter so both melee and shooting armies have choices. As a starting template:
- 2 large LOS blockers (≈6″ × 8″ × 6″ tall / 150 × 200 × 150 mm)
- 2–4 medium pieces (ruins, hills, woods)
- 6–10 scatter (pipes, crates, barricades, small rocks)
Use standard footprints so pieces fit any board: 6″ × 6″, 12″ × 6″, and 8″ × 4″ bases keep layouts flexible.
Step‑by‑Step: Core Build Workflow
- Plan: Sketch silhouettes and base sizes. Decide what each piece does in game terms (block LOS, provide light cover, create height).
- Cut: Score passes with a sharp blade; don’t try to cut foam in one go. Keep fingers well clear of the blade path.
- Assemble: PVA for foam/wood/sand; plastic cement for styrene; CA for metal/resin. Pin taller parts with toothpicks/bamboo skewers into the base.
- Texture: Spread lightweight spackle thinly, press in grit and cork. Scribe stone courses with a pencil before it fully cures.
- Seal: For foam: Mod Podge (or PVA+black paint) in a thin, even coat for durability and rattle‑can safety.
- Prime/Basecoat: Brush‑prime with black gesso or craft black; or spray after sealing. Then lay broad base colors with cheap acrylics.
- Drybrush & Wash: Two or three drybrush passes (dark → mid → light). Add large‑area washes to unify tones.
- Detail & Weather: Streaks, rust, moss, posters, hazard stripes. Finish with tufts/static grass and edge dirt.
- Varnish: Matte spray or brush‑on to protect; satin spot on metals for a subtle sheen.
Project 1 – Ruined Wall (Fast LOS Blocker)
Goal: A sturdy ruin that blocks sight and looks great in photos.
- Cut a 6″ × 4″ (150 × 100 mm) base from 3–5 mm MDF or hardboard. Bevel the edge with a knife for a natural ground transition.
- Wall: Foamcore rectangle 6″ × 3.5″; peel one paper face; score brick/stone lines. Snap out a rough corner for battle damage.
- Glue to base with PVA; brace with a triangle off‑cut behind the wall. Add broken “floor” with balsa planks or card tiles.
- Texture the ground with thin spackle; press in grit, cork chunks, and clipped sprue to read as rubble.
- Seal foam with Mod Podge/PVA. Prime black.
- Stone recipe: Base dark grey → heavy drybrush medium grey → light drybrush pale grey → selective brown/green washes for age.
- Details: Rust streaks under any metal; posters or purity seals on the wall (gloss, apply, then matte); grass tufts at the base.
Project 2 – Industrial Pipe Scatter (Objectives & Cover)
Goal: Durable scatter that looks “Warhammer‑industrial.”
- Base: 4″ × 3″ (100 × 75 mm). Sand edges smooth.
- Pipes: Cut short lengths of plastic plumbing tube or pen barrels; cap with plasticard discs (use a hole punch if you have one).
- Add valves from bottle caps and bits; glue cables (old wires) along the base.
- Texture ground lightly; prime.
- Metal recipe: Dark metallic → black/brown wash → silver edge drybrush. Stipple orange/brown for rust clusters; draw downward oil streaks with thinned dark brown.
- Hazard stripes: Mask with tape; paint yellow, then black diagonal bands; chip with sponge silver.
Project 3 – Modular Hill (Natural Feature)
Goal: Line‑of‑sight variety and movement challenge.
- Layer 2–3 sheets of 20–30 mm XPS; trace organic shapes that stack, offsetting edges for natural contours.
- Bevel with knife; tear and press edges with a rock for texture. Carve a shallow ramp for models.
- Glue layers with PVA; fill gaps with spackle; press in a few stones.
- Seal with Mod Podge/PVA; prime black.
- Rock recipe: Dark brown or dark grey base → heavy drybrush mid tone → light drybrush bone/pale grey. Add thin green/brown washes near ground for damp look.
- Flocking: PVA + static grass; add tufts and little flowers on the sun‑facing side.
Painting Terrain Fast (Looks Great, Low Effort)
- Three‑step drybrush: 1) Dark base (craft paint). 2) Mid drybrush with a wide, cheap brush. 3) Pale edge drybrush for pop.
- Big brushes win: Use 1–2″ flat brushes; they move paint quickly and make texture read at distance.
- Unify with a filter: A thin brown/green wash pulled into recesses ties colors together and adds age.
- Spot color: Small pops—graffiti, hazard bands, banners, or bright tufts—make photos sing.
Common Problems (and Fast Fixes)
- Foam melted by spray primer: You skipped sealing. Fix: skim with spackle, re‑seal with Mod Podge/PVA, then brush‑prime.
- Warped bases: Glue and texture both sides of thin card or switch to 3–5 mm MDF. Weight pieces while drying.
- Paint rubs off: Use a tougher undercoat (Mod Podge/PVA) and finish with matte varnish. Handle pieces by the base.
- Monotone greys: Glaze with very thin brown/green in patches; add powders or stippled tan for dust.
- Too “clean” industrials: Add oil streaks (thin dark brown), rust freckles (stippled orange), and soot around vents (black drybrush).
Modularity, Magnets & Storage
- Footprint standards: 6″ × 6″ and 12″ × 6″ rectangles stack well in bins and tile into fair tables.
- Magnetization: Glue 5 × 2 mm magnets into the underside corners; line storage totes with steel sheet to lock pieces in place.
- Removable roofs/floors: Rare‑earth magnets or pins let you play interiors without breaking parts.
Safety & Durability Notes
- Cut away from fingers; use fresh blades. Snap‑off knives are safer when sharp.
- Ventilate when spraying varnish; mask if airbrushing or sanding foam/MDF.
- Seal foam before aerosol paints. Solvent sprays melt bare foam.
- Finish with matte varnish to protect and reduce shine in photos.
Optional Upgrades (When You’re Ready)
- Airbrush: Fast zenithals on big pieces; great for large filters and soot.
- LEDs: Add light to consoles or shrine braziers. Use coin cells with on/off tabs.
- Resin water effects: Puddles, canals, swamp bases. Seal the basin thoroughly first.
- 3D‑printed greeblies: Vents, skulls, pipes—glue on after priming for easy production lines.
Image Suggestions
- Hero banner: A mixed Warhammer board—two big ruins, a modular hill, and pipe scatter.
- Process strip: Foam wall before/after texture; hill layers; hazard stripe masking.
- Detail shots: Rust streaks, moss glaze on stone, grass tufts composition.
Link to Shop
Grab bases, MDF kits, foam, tufts, and scenic materials in our terrain hub: Shop Warhammer Terrain & Scenery.
FAQs – Warhammer Terrain Building (tap + to expand)
Brush‑on black gesso or craft acrylic first, or seal with Mod Podge/PVA + black paint. After that, rattle‑can primers are safe.
Start with ~10–14 pieces: two big LOS blockers, two to four mediums, and several scatter items. Add or subtract based on your group’s preferences.
PVA for most joins; thin CA for quick tacks. A light PVA wash on edges reduces fuzzing before paint.
Use 3–5 mm MDF bases. If using card, glue/texture both sides and weight flat while drying.
Black base → heavy dark grey drybrush → lighter grey → bone edge touches. Patchy brown/green washes in recesses sell age; add posters and grime.
PVA thinned slightly → sprinkle static grass → tap off excess → add tufts after dry. Add a pale tan drybrush to dirt before flock for contrast.
Yes—low‑temp settings are safest. Hot glue is great for tacking, then reinforce with PVA for strength.