Made for 28–32mm scale wargames and tabletop role-playing games—including Dungeons & Dragons, Warhammer Fantasy, Age of Sigmar, Pathfinder, Lord of the Rings, and others—these tabletop terrain scatter elements are messy but fun to make.
Each piece begins with a sketch of how I want them to look, their shape, size and where flat zones for figures can be placed.
From this high-density, closed-cell XPS foam is meticulously sculpted and carved by hand until the desired shape is achieved. Flat areas on which figures can be placed are designed in. At this point, approximately 40 grams of iron is embedded into each rock formation, lending it heft and stability before it’s fixed to a durable base, ensuring resilience during gameplay.
The rocks are then finely detailed with a scalpel, steel brush and scrunched-up tin foil to capture the authentic textures and contours of natural stone. I use photographs of real rock formations – mainly from around Bodmin Moor in Cornwall where quartz rocks can be found protruding above ground – as reference sources for the detailing of these rocks. I use other reference sources for other rock types and landscape features, but for these particular rocks, the quartz rocks found around Bodmin works well.
Layer by layer, I apply four to five coats of acrylic paints—black, grey, ochre, and burnt umber—using a mix of washes, airbrushing, and dry-brushing techniques to bring out each subtle feature in the terrain.
Once the paint has fully cured, I add vegetation to enhance realism. This includes painted, green-dyed sawdust and static grass; depending on how the piece looks and the feel wanted, I might add the occasional tuft of foliage nestled in the crevices for added depth and character, making each piece unique and versatile across games.
Finally, they are coated to ensure they don’t chip, break or lose their paint during gameplay.
Each piece measures approximately 10cm x 10cm x 7cm and aligns naturally with others, allowing them to be positioned together to create realistic gullies and chasms—perfect for hiding or advancing 28mm figures. The entire process takes about eight hours of skilled crafting, plus drying time and a final tidy-up. It’s a hands-on journey from raw materials to a game-ready piece that adds depth and atmosphere to any tabletop world.