As many readers of CHARGE! probably know, I have a love and fascination (possibly even an obsession) with lifelike wargaming terrain. I love having great looking figures, fantastic and realistic terrain, and historical feeling rules for my wargaming endeavors. To me, realistic looking terrain makes the gaming experience better, and enhances the potential to expand my historical horizons.

Achieving the "right look" on my gaming tables has been an ongoing pursuit for me. I started my gaming setups with a few hills, walls, Lichen, a few buildings and some scratch-built fence. As time went on, I added bits and pieces, but just could not get the realistic appearance that I was looking for. I next graduated to Geo-Hex and continued to use all of my extras. I liked the look, but still had not gotten to the level that I desired.

After seeing some of John Hill's games, I was really hooked on the look he created. I coupled this with ideas I learned from years in the Model Railroading hobby, and from other gainers (special recognition to the Triangle Simulation Society and Chris Hughes, who generate some tremendous terrain). Combined with years of practice, I have finally achieved the look I have been after (of course, this is always being modified slightly from trial and error). I hope to share some of these ideas with you and provide some motivation for your own terrain efforts.

Common Types of Terrain Setup

Understandably, not every gamer will agree with the terrain methods that I will share in this article. After all, terrain is as much a personal thing as painted figures. I hope that some of these ideas can aid everyone in improving their gaming terrain.

Wargaming terrain can be categorized into several general types (although this listing will not cover every kind imaginable). These include modular terrain tiles, terrain boards, and terrain cloth methods. The first of these, modular terrain boards, can be very impressive. Elevations can be better represented and the terrain can be very nice. The downfalls to this type of terrain include permanent terrain arrangements, storage issues, and distinct lines where the sections meet. With this said, I am working on some spectacular boards for myself, which I may chronicle in the future.

A second popular method is to use a terrain cloth for the gaming surface. I have seen these made out of colored felt, flocked felt (Geo-Hex mats), painted felt, flocked indoor/outdoor carpeting (my personal favorite) and even old army blankets. Terrain covers provide several options and benefits, which include easy setup, variety and even a flat surface depending on your terrain choices.

Using a terrain cloth, I have seen some garners placing layers of foam or other objects under the cloth to create hills and ridges. This is much more common (in my opinion) when larger figures such as 25mm are used. In most cases, this method works well and presents a good surface. At times, cloths will not conform to the underlayment, leaving dips and steep areas. This usually works better with larger figures, but may cause some challenges with smaller scales and bases. Another potential drawback is having awkward surface changes, which can impact flat terrain such as streams and rivers placed on the surface.

Another common method is to use a terrain cloth with hills placed on top of the bottom cloth. This method can work extremely well and provides an excellent, stable gaming surface. Custom or specially made terrain pieces usually sit well on top of the cloth and allow for easy placement of roads, streams, buildings, fences, and the like. This method is my personal favorite and works well with the custom terrain pieces I have created over the years. I create the hills and terrain changes I desire by placing plenty of terrain on the board. This method works very well with 10mm and 15mm gaming. Pre-made terrain pieces set on a terrain cloth The last common method I see used is a combination of the two terrain cloth methods. Here one can place large ridges and height adjustments under the cloth, then add numerous surface models to create the terrain. This works extremely well when there are large ridges and areas that are hard to represent with custom terrain pieces due to their size. I use this method for most of my 25mm gaming and at time for other types.

Terrain Blending

No matter which method of terrain setup you choose to use as a wargamer, there are several extra steps which can be taken to add additional life to your gaming surface. One is to use a flocking mix to outline or highlight woods. I use this method because, one, it looks very good, and two, it keeps the woods edge from moving and third, it eliminates fights over where the woods begin/end. Since I have started using this method,

Top: Single trees set on a dark flocked area to mark woods.
Middle: Left half of photo shows blending concept
Bottom: Note the details added to the barnyard!

I have eliminated all of the "I thought I was still in the woods" comments.

To use this method, create a woods mix using dark green and brown flocking mixed together. This can be sprinkled before placing trees (I use individually mounted trees, unless they are mounted on custom terrain pieces). A mix like this can also be used to outline an area of woods. This method allows me to add woods anywhere I like, without having to rely on special made woods sections with mounted trees.

One of the best methods I have discovered is what I will call "Blending," for a lack of other terms. Blending is a process I use to hide (trick the eye) all lines created by terrain boards, terrain pieces and other terrain items. Normally, when you add terrain pieces to a table top, you can notice the point where it starts and stops, and distinct lines where it meets the table. To hide these lines (actually it just blurs the lines), I use a premixed flocking mix consisting of coarse and fine flocking. I prefer a burnt green color with other stuff mixed in.

Once all of the terrain features are placed (including roads, water, buildings, fences, and all), I sprinkle this mixture around the pieces and throughout all open areas. Not only does this method "blend" everything together, but also it gives a pasture-like texture to the larger open areas, which I feel looks right.

I know you are now thinking that cleanup for such a gaming surface will be difficult. Sure, this method requires an extra step and a little cleanup. I use a small canister vacuum to clean up the flocking, and I store it in a shoebox for reuse. Following a convention game, I have just rolled the flocking up in the cloth and cleaned up later.

I have also observed another method of the blending process used by gamers with felt cloths. They finish their games and always brush the flocking into the center before folding their cloth. When opened for the next game, they spread the flocking back out over the cloth (even using a child's sand rake), and blend in terrain pieces they add. This method greatly reduces cleanup following a game.

The use of blending flock can also be used with terrain boards and modular terrain squares. This method will help hide the lines (and can even fill in the joints), breaking up the lines. Somehow, this method causes the lines on terrain pieces and between sections to become blurred, which tricks your eyes and presents a different image.

The amount of flock and type of flock (scatter material) is totally up to you, but can have some striking results. Try this method out and see what you think.

Special Touches

Now that we have discussed blending, let's talk briefly about some special touches that can be added to your gaming surface. These can include pre-made building scenes, damaged fences, brush, and marshy areas. Premade building or farm scenes can include outbuildings, farm implements, sacks, barrels, boxes, woodpiles, gardens and even haystacks. The little extra touches you add can really give the piece some life and will be admired by the garners. I use mostly permanent scenes and enjoy fighting over them in so many different ways.

Top: Flocked roads with yellow highlighting added.
Middle: Note the effect of adding individual trees to the layout.
The finished & blended 15mm wargaming layout from terrain master Doug Kline - little do the farmers of this prosperous valley know that war is just around the corner! Soon, thousands of soldiers will contest these fields.

Models of damaged fences can be useful to replace your fences when troops cross them, or to give a realistic look to the field from earlier troop movements or fighting. Adding bits of brush can help break up woods and open areas. Lastly, marking small marshy areas with pre-made pieces or different color flocking can be useful in creating areas of broken or rough ground.

Final or Finishing Touches

Some of the final or finishing touches I apply to my gaming tables include the placement of small random trees and the highlighting of roads. I use flocking to mark my roads, which provides a level road (no bumps where the road is located) a look that I admire. As a final step to blend and highlight the roads (due to terrain pieces and potentially different shades of roads), I add a fine yellow flocking sprinkled over the road surface. This sprinkling method makes the roads standout and provides a pleasant look. I have seen gamers using the flocked cloth method mentioned above; use yellow flock to mark their roads (I use earth colored, sprinkled with yellow). Either method is believable.

The last step I apply to my gaming surface prior to setting out the troops is to place a bunch of small random trees along fence lines and in large open areas. It is unusual to see a large area that does not have small trees scattered across it (unless you are in Europe or in the Great Plains). So, I take individually mounted trees (very small) and liberally place these around. Usually the trees will not impact the game, but they will help blend the "look" together.

No matter what type of terrain setup you use, some or all of the methods described above can add an additional flair to your gaming table and terrain. Give them a try and report back about your trials and successes.

Editor's note - For more information on how to dress up your battlefield, please visit Doug Kline's website (www.battlefieldterrain.com) for a wide selection of premade set pieces, terrain accessories, painted and unpainted houses and buildings, streams, rivers, roads, fences, and Musket Miniatures products. How do you like this series so far? In future issues of CHARGE!, Doug will be offering even more ideas on how to add color and variety to your wargaming tabletop, and how to build specialty pieces or accents.