40k Terrain – Surfacing your game boards

One of the first things you need to do in making your 40k battlefields is to create some game boards. Game boards provide the backdrop for your other 40k terrain items. It’s important that they look great, be reasonably durable, have a playable surface, and be inexpensive.

I like using the hard foam boards you get at the hardware store – 2” thick pink polystyrene sheets. Your standard playing surfaces for both Warhammer 40k and Fantasy Warhammer are 4’x6’ and 4’x8’. So, I like to make my boards out of 2’x4’ sheets. You may need to cut the sheets down at the hardware store if you don’t have a truck or SUV, so bring a tape measure when you buy them.

Now, here’s the real secret. I know a lot of players who put glue down on the sheets and then sprinkle sand and then put several coats of paint down. There is a much faster and less expensive way, and probably more durable, too. I get flat latex paint at the hardware store. Just like painting and high lighting your miniatures, you’ll need a base color, a mid-tone, and a high-light. For 4’x8’, a half gallon of the base and ¼ gallons of the other two should be enough. And you’ll need rollers (3/8” nap is sufficient) and roller tray, a two gallon bucket, and some large brushes.  Finally, you need sand or ballast (from the hobby store for model trains) of appropriate grain.  Take your base color and mix it up with the sand until it will just barely be paintable (use the two gallon bucket). Roller it onto the sheets, let it dry over night (it really needs to dry solid). Then just over brush the grain with your mid-tone and then dry brush with the highlight. The results are superb! You've got a good start for making fantastic 40k battlefields. Check out the images in this post to see samples: 40k Terrain -- You need it now!

I hope to have an illustrated version showing how to do this within a couple weeks on my blog at 40k Terrain.