I have recently been trying to work out the best way to make a quick and easy tabletop for wargaming. I have been diving into the hobbying side of things for a while but painting and building terrain tends to be where I draw the line; I just don't find it very interesting.
With that in mind, I thought I'd look at some of the possibilities I have been considering to help me make a quick and easy tabletop for playing games of Burrows & Badgers as well as an array of other skirmish-level games.
No-Fuss Buildings
The first thing I wanted to look at was how to introduce some nice buildings into the mix that would be quick and easy to build and look good right away. I want to try and make a tabletop for wargaming which requires little to no painting at all; the lazy wargamers way. That was when I saw the stuff from Battle Systems!
Battle Systems has created some great kits over the years for dungeon delvers and Sci-Fi wargamers but recently they have just added their Fantasy Collection to their webstore. Their collection comes with a set of very nice Fantasy terrain which could be used to make both towns and villages but also ruins of battered outposts which have seen better days.
This collection seems to be on point for someone who wants a set of good looking tabletop terrain with very little hassle indeed. With each big set coming in around £79.99, it seems like a big cost upfront but you could then use this terrain over and over again plus it also means that you don't have to do a jot of painting. You can also glue the terrain together to make it more permanent or just leave it as is so you can take it apart for easier storage to build just before your games. I think I'd go with the easier storage option because I'm running out of space already!
Adding That Natural Look
The next thing to consider is exactly how to introduce some nature to your tabletop. You can't just have houses in the middle of a big green field after all. Burrows & Badgers is also set in a world where there is plenty of wilderness, woods, rivers and hills so you need to try and make sure to match that aesthetic.
Again, I'm looking to try and do little to no painting and so the best range for me seemed to be the Battlefield In A Box collection from Gale Force Nine. They have been making pre-painted and ready-for-battle terrain for many, many years and you can get your hands on rivers, rocky outcrops, hills, stone monuments and more from their collection.
Their trees seem like they are pretty darn hard for you to get your hands on but there do appear to be a few stores here and there that still stock the range. You can get a good mix between green summer trees and red/yellow autumn trees in order to mix things up on the tabletop too. You seem to be able to get quite a few trees in each set which you could clump together into copses or leave as individuals around your mat in order to give you larger areas of cover.
In terms of price, they are very reasonable and you could pick up a few boxes to make sure you've got enough to cover a 3x3 or 4x4 tabletop. Because the gaming space is always going to be so small you want to make sure that you've got plenty of terrain for cover. You can easily solve this with small pockets of trees, a few rocks here and there, a hill and maybe the start of a river - all of which would come in at a rather reasonable cost.
Laying Out The Canvas
The next step is to try and think of a quick and easy way to put together a gaming space. You could make one with good old fashioned wood and plenty of elbow grease...but I'm lazy. Instead, I think I'm going to get a gaming mat from Deep-Cut Studio or PWork Wargames.
There are a lot of different designs to choose from in a variety of different sizes. They do loads of designs which work for Sci-Fi, Fantasy and all manner of other genres. For Fantasy though, they do a bunch of great designs which range from rolling green fields through to moors, tundra, scrubland and more. I think getting something nice and bright would be a good idea to try and match the look of the pre-built/painted terrain and the miniatures I'm using.
Again, the cost upfront might be a little much but it is then going to last basically forever and you can just roll it up and stuff it into a cupboard when you're not using it. You could also consider buying one or two mats since they are only 3x3/4x4 so that each time you set down to play you're not fighting over the same locations.
Adding More Character & Time To Begin?
As well as these options from wargaming companies you can also look further afield to see what else might look good on the battlefield. You would be amazed how much good stuff you can find at Pet Stores to use for tabletop terrain. A lot of fish tank "terrain" is very good for slightly quirky looking tabletops and also to help add that little bit more character into the mix.
You might find some big fallen trees, creaky ruins and which could easily be slotted into your collection. They might clash a bit with the cardboard terrain from Battle Systems but it will still be a good match alongside the terrain from Gale Force Nine which is all plastic.
I have let this idea of building my own little Fantasy terrain collection lie for far too long and it is one of the stumbling blocks towards me playing more games. I think I need to break out the wallet and start working on putting this collection together soon!
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