Introduction
If you play 40K long enough, you’ll eventually get the itch to play on some really nice scenery like the kind you see in those White Dwarf battle reports. 40K is a visual game, and well-made terrain adds to your enjoyment of the experience. Sure, you can have fun using just the dining room table and some books stacked up to make hills, but if you can afford the time and (minimal) expense to get some terrain, you owe it to yourself to give it a try. 

If you don’t live near a store that has open gaming and lots of scenery on hand, you’re going to have to get your own to use at home. You can make terrain yourself (which saves money) or buy it (which saves time). Or you can, as I do, take a middle ground: I make the easy stuff (boards, hills, rocks) and save my money for tougher pieces (trees and rivers) that are, to me, too much hassle to make.

I’ll limit this discussion to making terrain; if you want to buy terrain, you can find links to several good companies in the Beyond the Jungle section. 

If you’re like me (who thinks painting an army is a chore), the thought of making terrain probably brings one immediate thought to mind: “BOOOORRRING!” Terrain is dull, right? Just hills and trees and rocks? Some ruined buildings, maybe a section of river, maybe a wrecked vehicle? I mean, terrain is okay, and useful for games, but all in all, not much to get excited about, right?

Well, terrain—like everything else—can be dull if you let it. But if you put in a little creativity and effort, terrain can be just as cool and interesting as the armies that fight over it. Think about it: there are millions of worlds in the galaxy—who says they all have to look alike?

Most of what you'll see on the following pages is stuff I made at home, on a limited budget of time and money. It isn't (and wasn't meant to be) anywhere near as nice as what you'll see at gaming stores or in White Dwarf: this terrain is “beer and pretzels” quality. You know, “good enough for government work,” as the saying goes. So long as it looks halfway decent, I'm happy with it, leaving me more time to spend on my armies.

In addition to the homemade stuff, I've included (as inspiration) some photos of the more interesting scenery I've seen at Games Day in Baltimore. If you have the time and the talent, you might want to try putting together something similar. 

So take a look. Hopefully, you'll get some ideas. 

Desert Terrain: Used for the Blood Deserts of Auros IX Campaign

Jungle Terrain: Bringing the planet Veda to life

Stand-Alone Pieces: Usable in any environment

Games Day 2001: Scenery from the pros

Games Day 2002: More cool stuff

Games Day 2003: Now THIS is nice
 

Like what you've seen? Then vote for the Jungle in the "Top 100 40K Sites"

© Copyright Kenton Kilgore, June 2004
 

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