Castle Terrain for Your Medieval and Fantasy Tabletop Battles

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My first ever piece of castle terrain was the plastic tower from the game Battle Masters. I still have it too. It was recently dug out of a box in the attic following my return to the miniature wargaming hobby.

Castles, forts, and strongholds have always given me a sense of awe when I see them on a tabletop. There’s just something about them that really brings a miniature battlefield to life.

You could lay out your game with two largely unpainted forces and a smattering of home made scenery, then add some castle terrain and the whole setting will look fantastic.

Castle terrain from GameMat
Sorry lads, but it’s a private function and you’re not coming in.

The Search for Castle Terrain

The Battle Masters tower is still a fine addition to my games of Kings of War and Open Combat.

But it’s more of an outpost than a fully fledged “castle”.

It was on a recent visit to Bamburgh Castle that I decided I needed a miniature fortification in my life. Something to tell a story about. To defend. To attack. To build a world around.

I’m a member of a few different online communities full of disgustingly talented hobbyists. Not only is every painted miniature I see a masterpiece, these folks can really build scenery too.

After witnessing a couple of people building scratch-built pieces of castle terrain, I toyed with the idea of having a go myself.

But I’ve written recently about terrain creation and how I don’t feel it’s the most effective use of my time.

I’ve come to realise that I’d rather take the hit financially, and have something of superb quality, instantly. The alternative, of course, is that I could build something for almost nothing, but it’d take me a long time, and the quality would be average at best.

Castle terrain by GameMat
My GameMat terrain

Miniature Medieval Worlds

I had recently invested in this glorious Medieval Houses Set from GameMat.eu.

This kit was intricately crafted and robust. It was hand painted, right out of the box.

Returning once again to the GameMat website, I unsurprisingly found the perfect castle terrain in the form of their Medieval Castle Set.

Just like the houses set, these buildings are of a quality that I never could dream of making myself. I couldn’t wait to get them on the tabletop. You’ll have a glimpse of how it looks from the photos I’ve added in here – but they barely do the terrain justice.

What’s in the Box?

You can pick up GameMat’s spectacular castle terrain for 105,00 €. Here’s what you’ll get…

  • 1x Gate. Measures: (LxWxH):in cm 14x5x14.5 (in inches: 5.5x2x6)
  • 4x Wall. Measures: in cm 14x5x14.5 (in inches: 5.5x2x6)
  • 2x Tower. Measures:4x Wall. Measures: in cm 10x10x24 (in inches: 4x4x10)
  • 2x Ruined Tower. Measures: in cm 10x10x24 (in inches: 4x4x10)

As I’ve said, it’s all pre-painted to the highest standard too. The terrain is ready for the table the minute it arrives.

It can be set up in any way you like, so you can create an enclosed fortification, use it to split the battlefield, or have it running along the side as more of a backdrop.

On thing’s for sure though. With all this magnificent terrain now at my disposal, I’ll really need to up my miniature painting game!

Next Up – if you’re looking for more terrain options, be sure to check out these handy guides…

In Bed With: CryinMo of Tabletop Alchemy

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A Q&A with CryinMo of Tabletop Alchemy

My online name is CryinMo, my IRL name is Ignatius Fischer, I’m a filmmaker, video producer and a hobby podcaster. I used to play Minecraft a lot and I’ve just returned to all the tabletop gaming hobbies I used to do 25 years ago.

CryinMo

What originally brought you into the hobby?

All right, let’s see … so I got into Dungeons and Dragons when I was 16. I don’t remember how I came to buy this particular book, but my first real introduction to the fantasy genre was Dragons of Autumn Twilight, the first book in the original Dragonlance trilogy, and I bought it one day in a Waldenbooks in my city mall.

I think ultimately my first introduction to the fantasy genre was the Disney movie Peter Pan, which I saw when I was 5, even before Star Wars. And later on I really enjoyed the Disney movie Robin Hood. When I was 9 or 10, my parents read us kids The Hobbit, but I remember just sort of tuning out lol, it did nothing for me, really.

It was definitely picking up that first Dragonlance book that hooked me into the sword-and-sorcery arena. Soon after that I learned that one of the guys I worked with at a movie theater was running a game of D&D and I asked if I could play and that was it, I was sold on the whole D&D thing.

I spent all my cash on D&D rule books which were relatively difficult to get, there was only one store in the mall that sold them and the selection was thin. After playing D&D for a couple years, I enlisted in the Army for 2.5 years and travelled to Germany where I ran games for fellow troops.

When I returned to the US I ended up living in an apartment down the street from a full-service genuine hobby store. It was there that I learned about miniatures and other games. That’s how I got into Warhammer and painting miniatures.

I actually painted miniatures first for D&D and then for Shadowrun, which we played for a year straight, pretty fun. Then came Warhammer and 40k and Epic and Blood Bowl and all that stuff.

If you had to pick between collecting/painting and gaming, which one would you choose, and why?

I would 100% select collecting/painting over gaming. The simple fact is that even though I like and/or want to game as much as I can, I have only played probably 5 game sessions in the last 2 years, those being D&D and Frostgrave.

I love painting and collecting miniatures and I do so with the idea that I’ll use them in multiple types of games whenever I can, but the “hobby” side of gaming is always available to me and the “gaming” side of gaming occurs at a very low frequency. And even if game sessions were more prevalent, even if they were once a week or twice a month, that means there’s still a ton of time on the hobby side anyway.

Fantasy, sci-fi, or historical? What’s your preferred gaming sandbox?

Fantasy by far. That’s not to say sci-fi isn’t on my radar or that I don’t like it, I just sort of lean more toward fantasy. Like I mentioned, I played Shadowrun for a full year (I know playing something for a year is probably a low bar for most of your audience, but for me that was a significant run!), but of course there are fantasy elements in Shadowrun.

Genre-mixing usually turns me off but for whatever reason Shadowrun 1st edition just worked for me. But my first love is D&D, after that I enjoy skirmish games set in fantasy realms, especially Frostgrave, which I really like because of its production value (the book designs, writing, rule set, etc) and its miniature-agnostic approach.

I haven’t played any of the current GW rule sets even though I have a lot of their miniatures.

Historical does nothing to capture my interest or curiosity – that’s been true of my entire reading hobby from childhood to now, I’d much rather watch or read a piece of fiction than a documentary. Of course there are amazing documentaries and historical books out there and I enjoy those when I come across them! It’s just that my attention is grabbed, for whatever reason, by fiction first.

Do you prefer to make your own terrain, or buy pre-made stuff?

I make my own terrain and this is an interesting thing – I don’t hardly do any miniature conversions, but if I purchase any terrain, which is a rare occurrence, I automatically assume I’m going to convert it or build it in addition to some custom terrain.

Prefab terrain I think gets real expensive real fast and that’s what keeps me away from that, although this is all considering only the fantasy genre. I think if I were into sci-fi more, like Necromunda or Kill Team, building terrain for urban settings is probably way more time consuming than stuff I do for fantasy-based or non-urban based boards. Purchasing terrain for that would become more cost-effective.

Do you have a favourite miniature wargame that you can play through in an hour or less?

Currently Frostgrave is my favorite and I’m about to start playing Blood Bowl again after 25 years away from it. I think Blood Bowl, while not necessarily a “war-game” is the fastest miniature-based game that I own.

I think Warhammer Underworlds is supposed to be even faster, match-wise, but while I have collected figures from that game, I don’t own the rule sets for it.

I’m also about to start playing Rangers of Shadow Deep in solo format and I’m very curious to see how that goes.

What are 3 tabletop, miniature, or hobby related podcasts you enjoy?

I’m a huge fan of the Paint All The Minis Paint Ramble (as if that isn’t obvious from my own podcast lol) and I also really enjoy Dungeon Master of None.

I’m gonna cheat and call out two podcasts that I’ve just recently discovered as a tie for the third choice: Trapped Under Plastic and The Havoc Cast. I’m actually really jealous of The Havoc Cast’s format and if I had known of it before starting my own, I would definitely have been inspired by it.

Which God of Chaos would you serve, and why?

So I’m not a Warhammer lore guy, and while I know who the four chaos gods are (I think there’s four lol), I would not be able to choose among them.

To answer this question, I might like to say that I would join the House of Black and White from Game of Thrones, but to be honest, there’s probably a D&D deity that would fit my bill or life philosophy best. Again, I don’t know much about the pantheons out there, but I would like to follow the footsteps of some sort of zen master who walks at twilight under the gaze of both the moon and the sun and practices some sort of balancing with universe.

I suppose if I were a Jedi, I would definitely be a part of the Gray Side. Maybe the Light Gray Side. (I’m sure I’ve angered all the Star Wars fans out there, just chalk me up as a heathen, I’m fine with that – big grin)!

You’re being evacuated to a space colony and can only take 3 games with you. What are they?

Minecraft. Frostgrave. Blood Bowl.

Do you have an outright favourite army or faction out of all the gaming universes?

It would be practically impossible for me to choose a “favourite faction”. I really like the aesthetics of skeletons and vampires (definitely not zombies), I like elves a lot and I like magic. I like half-orcs and half-elves. Hybrids, the way of the future.

I also like orcs and goblins. And humans. It’s probably easier to select a few factions that I dislike!

I don’t care for the Tyranids (this is nothing against folks who do, these are just my things I don’t wanna paint), I don’t care for most Khorne stuff or the new Ossiarch things, and while I like Plague Marines, pretty much everything else Nurgle is too gross for to want to paint ’em, lol. I don’t even really like Space Marines when looking at the lists of what I want to paint. Although I have two sprues of (I think) some Infiltrators I am actually looking forward to painting one day as a palette cleanser between fantasy stuff.

Is there a specific miniature wargame you tend to dig out when introducing a friend to the hobby for the very first time?

To be honest, the only miniature war-game I’ve introduced to anyone so far has been Frostgrave. And I would probably use that as an intro to new players. Really, D&D can be a good game to intro people to miniatures as well.

Tell us where we can find you online, and check out what you do.

You can find me and my podcast, Tabletop Alchemy, at CryinMo.com, where people can find links to podcast apps, my Facebook and Instagram, my Youtube, etc.

Huge thanks to CryinMo for taking part! If you’re interested in doing a Q&A on the site in future, contact us.

In Bed With: Dan Adam of Paint All The Minis

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A Q&A with Dan Adam of Paint All The Minis

“Paint All The Minis is an online community that aims to celebrate and empower people to hobby sustainably. We do all we can to give you stuff to watch/listen to/think about whilst you are nerding about. We give a place for people to share their paintwork which is mature and positive.” 

paint all the minis - the bum of Nurgle?
“Doctor, can you take a look at something for me…”

What originally brought you into the hobby?

I was looking at a new sociable hobby unrelated to work. I had played a lot of sports but I kept on getting injured and it took up a lot of my time.

I tried video games which I enjoyed but they weren’t very social. I have 0 friends who game, and also 12 year old kids were trash talking me whilst they were schooling me.

I went to a game store and bought some models. I promised to paint them and play 3 games….I did, and have kept on ever since. 

If you had to pick between collecting/painting and gaming, which one would you choose, and why?

Painting for sure. I like all aspects of the hobby but collecting would cost me too much money and playing relies on someone else.

Sometimes I just like to pick up a model and throw a wash on it. Other times, I might take hours to paint one up. I do try really hard to fully interact with all aspects of the hobby though, to make sure that I am making it the best possible value for time, immersion, and money. 

Fantasy, sci-fi, or historical? What’s your preferred gaming sandbox?

I like all areas to be honest. It’s the community and rule set that entice me really.

I like a deep game but without having to remember to much needless stuff.

Alessio Cavatore games are always a winner. His sophistication through simplicity design is one I really love. You dont have to think to much about how the pieces move in chess, yet the game is really deep.

A Song of Ice and Fire is a game I have been setting about with reckless abandon over the last year and a bit, I really enjoy that.

Any game that allows me to make decisions and try to outwit my opponent is fun. Min/Maxing and too much emphasis on the list build doesn’t really do it for me. Relicblade, The Drowned Earth, and Frostgrave are pretty epic too. 

Do you prefer to make your own terrain, or buy pre-made stuff?

I have done both but I much prefer pre made stuff. It’s more robust as I move around. I have made my own though, which has been fun. It’s a great palette cleanse in-between paint projects. 

Do you have a favourite miniature wargame that you can play through in an hour or less?

Dude!!! Kill Team is probably the only one I can get cracked in that time.

What are 3 tabletop, miniature, or hobby related podcasts you enjoy?

I am not a massive fan of those sorts of Podcasts to be honest!!! haha, although Cryinmo’s Tabletop Alchemy is one I listen to. That’s good.

Don’t tell Ignatius Fischer that though, he’ll get a big head. 

Which God of Chaos would you serve, and why?

Nurgle for sure! Love the aesthetic, & who doesn’t want tentacles, horns, and a whole group of flies keeping you company?

You’re being evacuated to a space colony and can only take 3 games with you. What are they?

V Commandos, A Song of Ice and Fire, & Space Hulk.

Do you have an outright favourite army or faction out of all the gaming universes?

Fallen Dark Angels probably. I love the whole idea of they were having a great time on Caliban, Emperor shows up, and they toddle off to do his bidding, great times!! But wait, Emprah wrecks Caliban and ruins its natural beauty amongst loads of other stuff, cracks appear and some of the Dark Angels decide they don’t want in anymore.

I don’t know how much of that story is accurate or how much I made up but the idea that some of the faction may decide to stand up for what they believe and to reverse previous decisions going against their own battle brothers is just pretty interesting and deep. Then the fact that they could be bad, but actually not bad, and that their mates are hunting them down to keep the secret is all pretty interesting.

Is there a specific miniature wargame you tend to dig out when introducing a friend to the hobby for the very first time?

Space Hulk, sometimes Blood Bowl. Any opportunity I get to play them then I am all over it. 

Tell us where we can find you online, and check out what you do.

You can check out our Facebook community Paint All The Minis. Our community aims to celebrate average Joe’s doing their hobby thing, just painting, sharing, creating positivity & good will without negativity. We also have a website, YouTube channel, and podcast of the same name. 

Listen to the Paint All The Minis Paint Ramble Podcast

Huge thanks to Dan for taking part! If you’re interested in doing a Q&A on the site in future, contact us.

Stunning 28mm Medieval & Fantasy Terrain by GameMat – Review

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I’ve been trying to make my own fantasy terrain recently. It isn’t something I dislike doing. But I do often feel myself rushing the process and cutting corners towards getting the various pieces finished.

The outcomes here are often twofold. For starters, I spend a lot of my hobby time doing something other than painting minis, and gaming (the two aspects I enjoy most).

Secondly, I end up with fantasy terrain pieces which are “okay”, but not exactly great.

I’ve already talked about the various layers of the hobby, and how its different aspects appeal to different people.

I decided that, in the long run, I’d be better investing a little money buying in some professionally made fantasy terrain. This would vastly improve the look and feel of my games, and allow me to spend more time doing the stuff I enjoy most.

Villagers gather in square
“Looks like grandad is in trouble once he finally gets back from the tavern.“

The Search For Scenery

I was doing a bit of Googling and I came across GoblinGaming.co.uk, who look like they stock all the top miniature wargaming brands, and more.

There, I found (and decided to buy) a Medieval Houses Set, created by GameMat.eu.

Fantasy terrain houses - by Game Mat

The Medieval Houses Set

The beauty of this fantasy terrain is that it’s pre-assembled and pre-painted!

Often, when you buy terrain, you still need to put it all together and slap some colour on it. If you really hate this aspect of the hobby, then that can be a massive barrier. You’re only lessening the problem, not solving it.

But this stunning kit could be slid out of the delivery box, and put straight on to the table. As I lined it up alongside some minis, it immediately reminded me of the old photos I used to pour over in White Dwarf as a kid (well, okay, maybe aside from the painting standard of my minis 😉 but hey-ho!).

The pieces are glorious in their design, build, and paint job. Here’s what’s all included.

  • 3x House. Measures(lenght x width x height): 16cm x 9.5cm x 10cm (In inches: 6x4x4)
  • 1x Ruined House. Measures: 24cm x 15cm x 11cm (In inches: 10x6x4)
  • 1x Statue. Measures: 3.5cm x 3.5cm x 10cm (In inches: 1.3×1.3×4)
  • 1x Well. Measures: 6cm x 5.5cm x 6cm (In inches:2x2x2)
  • 10x Crate A. Measures: 1.5cm x 1.5cm x 1.5cm (In inches: 0.6×0.6×0.6)
  • 10x Crate B. Measures: 2.5cm x 1cm x 1cm (In inches: 1×0.4×0.4)
  • 10x Sack. Measures: 2.5cm x 1cm x 1cm (In inches: 1×0.4×0.4)
  • 10x Barrel. Measures: 1.5cm x 1.5cm x 2.5cm (In inches: 0.6×0.6×1)
Fantasy terrain - a warband of snotlings advance through a ruin
My snotling warband loved the village so much, they immediately invaded it.

Cost of This Fantasy Terrain

I paid £105 plus delivery for this fantasy terrain.

Forking out 3 figures on any “non-essential” in life is always a big decision. But I know that I’ll use this stuff for the rest of my life. And I could’ve feasibly spent the rest of that life trying to make something similar from scratch and not coming anywhere close!

Villagers assemble around statue
“I hope the chippy is still open…”

As you can probably tell, I’ve been dying to share some pictures and a review. If you buy in your fantasy terrain then I’m sure it’ll give you some food for thought. Alternatively, if you do enjoy building and crafting your own scenery, maybe it’ll give you some new ideas for your next project.

A tavern or coaching inn, perhaps? 🙂

Miniature Wargaming | What’s the Attraction?

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The miniature wargaming hobby has more layers than the proverbial onion.

Firstly, there’s the complete diversity of games and storyworlds out there. Some gamers focus exclusively on the historical, attempting to recreate real-life battles in the most authentic way possible.

Miniature wargaming also lends itself to the escapism of fantastical and science fiction universes. Here, the possibilities are endless. From a small group of Space Marines fighting their way through the cramped corridors of an alien-infested spacecraft, to a vast shambling horde of undead closing in on a beleaguered Imperial settlement.

Chaotic warband - miniature wargaming

Miniature Wargaming, Minus the Gaming

And yet, the actual “gaming” aspect could still be considered a small piece of the wider miniature wargaming pie.

Some people simply like to collect miniatures. Often, these collectors will be interested in the painting aspect. There are some world-class mini painters out there these days who’ve seldom rolled a dice in their life.

Others like to build terrain. This can range from simple trees and hills, to entire villages and cities. Often, these folks will be creating terrain in order to improve their gaming experience. But in some instances, the purpose may be to construct intricate dioramas and other such works of art.

It’s common for miniature painters to have an interest in converting and “kit bashing” their models too. Some may even choose to become sculptors themselves, and create original pieces from scratch.

A Tactile Hobby

Many have questioned why, in a world of state of the art immersive video games, there are still people who physically push static miniatures around a table.

Ostensibly, it seems like there’s no contest between miniature wargaming and its digital counterpart. Video games are so realistic these days, there’s no real set up or tidy up time needed, and the bar of entry is often as low as a one-off cost to buy a game.

Miniature wargaming on the other hand, requires quite a lot from the hobbyist. The buying and painting of minis, the learning of rules, the arranging of games and getting together somewhere to actually play your game of choice.

And yet, we do it. I think this is because there’s so much satisfaction in the hobby that simply can’t be replicated in a digital form. From manoeuvring that newly painted squad of warriors through those scratch-built ruins, to the direct social experience of you and your opponent playing out an immersive story on the tabletop in front of you.

A video game will spoon feed you every little detail of an experience. A tabletop miniature game on the other hand, is a collaboration between the physical pieces on the table, and your imagination.

Storytelling

That brings me on to the final (but in my view, most important) aspect of miniature wargaming.

The storytelling.

Yes, there are some hobbyists out there who play simply to win games. And if that’s what gives them the most pleasure, then all power to them.

But I think the vast majority of us look for the escapism in the miniature world we’ve physically built in front of us. That tangible sandbox we interact with – each one entirely unique in its own way.

These battlefields are often part of a wider world or universe too. Entire campaigns are created to fight out heroic sagas, either in the custom-built worlds of the gamer, or in popular and iconic settings such as the Warhammer Old World.

The layers and sub-layers of the miniature wargaming hobby are fascinating. Each of us has our own unique background and areas of interest, but what connects us mostly, is that we are storytellers.

Summary: The Miniature Wargaming Hobby

I’ve noticed a bit of a pattern in the hobby since I returned to it last year. And it’s exactly that – folks returning to their childhood passion after a long hiatus.

Of course, there are some out there who stuck with it through their late teens and early 20s. And there are others who didn’t collect or play at all as kids. But it’s very common to hear about people who thought they’d “grown out of it”, only to walk past a Games Workshop one day in their 40s, and… well, you know the rest.

I think this is great, because it shows the hobby stands the test of time, and it doesn’t matter what age you are. It’s also an excellent way to engage with your kids and get them involved in something physically creative. Something that can give them a rare escape from the world of smartphones, tablets, and Playstations.

For more on this, check out:

I’d love to hear about your own experiences and thoughts on the miniature wargaming hobby. Were you one of “the returned” – brought back to life by the great hobby Necromancer? Did you join on in later life? Or have you never been away since picking up your very first mini? Leave a comment in the comments section below, or tweet us to get the discussion going!