Battlefields In Miniature: Making Realistic And Effective Terrain For Wargames

by Paul Davies

“For the modeller and wargamer . . . looking for something more when recreating their battles in a table-top game or exhibiting their work.” —José Manuél Rico Cortés (“Mister JM”), Miniaturas JM   Like a good general, a good wargamer should have an eye for the ground. Just as the nature of the battlefield plays a central role in real warfare, so miniature wargames are greatly enhanced by realistic terrain. Besides, when you’ve spent hundreds of hours collecting and painting your miniature armies, they surely deserve ground worth fighting for.   Master terrain modeler Paul Davies takes the reader through the process of creating a visually appealing yet practical terrain system. First the techniques of making the basic landscape are explained, then a series of projects show how this can be adapted to suit different periods or geographic locations, from European farmland to Sudanese desert. There are then detailed chapters on adding vegetation, buildings, roadways, trench systems, and more. The clear, step-by-step instructions are clearly illustrated by numerous specially-taken photographs of the work in progress and Paul’s inspirational finished pieces.   “Takes the reader through the process of creating a visually appealing yet practical terrain over which miniature battles may be fought . . . The book should be well received by wargamers and diorama builders alike. Recommended.” —Military Modelling   “Inspiring . . . It’s the detailed ‘build projects’ and the huge number of images that really serve to make this book such a valuable resource for those who don’t quite know where to start, or those who would like some inspiration and guidance to serve as a catalyst for their own research and modelling projects.” —Tabletop Gaming

Genres: Nonfiction, Art

502 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 30, 2015

About the author

Paul^^Davies

Paul Davies has worked in journalism for over 25 years, first editing gaming magazines and websites and now as a writer and consultant to games developers and publishers. He is the co-author of numerous gaming books including The Art of Assassin’s Creed Origins, The Art of Deus Ex Universe, The Art of Horizon Zero Dawn, Awakening The Art of Halo 4, The Art of Thief and Tales From the Sea of Thieves.

Reviews

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nicely illustrated basic primer on building historical wargaming terrain and scenery. However, I would have liked to see a little more variety in the projects. They are heavily skewed toward ancient and middle ages Europe. Excellent step-by-step photos with accompanying text for each section. American modelers will have to come up with substitutions for some of the materials used, which seem to localized to the UK and/or Europe.

[Bruce B Johnston · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book caters mostly to those war gamers playing scenarios pre WW I. While some of the techniques and applications are interesting and can certainly be applied to European theater locals, I was disappointed that it did not cover more terrain techniques for WW II or even Science Fiction terrain.

[Jim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful treatment on building model scenery for war gaming. Highly recommended!