Author Archives: stonewalljackman

A Comprehensive Guide to Wargame Terrain Part 8 (Final Part)

For the first 7 parts of this series, click here.

Today, I want to discuss the most expensive aspect of wargame terrain. Premium options. These come in several flavors.

Overall, I have enjoyed writing this series. If you want more in-depth reviews of any products, let me know.

Games Workshop Kits

Why am I putting GW kits here? I think they are overpriced. They look absolutely stunning on the tabletop, but the amount of detail that goes into a simple GW kit you have to paint is astounding. Price per item, GW is the worst option.

The simple GW landing pad, as simple as it gets, is $80. The same terrain piece can be 3D printed from Etsy or another source and shipped to you for $30. GW has to be careful or they will price themselves out of the hobby altogether.

Enough on my rant now, to other premium options I actually use.

Rampart Terrain

Instead of buying overpriced GW crap, I love using the fully modular Rampart terrain system. It can be magnetized, has nearly as much detail as GW kits, and is far more functional. The biggest challenge with Rampart is using your imagination to create amazing builds.

Kallistra

You can’t go wrong with the Kallistra system for creating historical battle boards. It’s a custom hex battlefield with numerous surface types: hills, mountains, rivers, craters, roads, and bridges. I use Kallistra hexes in most of my historical conflicts and am happy to do so. I have an epic D-Day battle planned one day, and Kallistra Terrain will be the star.

Dwarven-Forge

It is the cream of the crop for terrain. Its modularity is fantastic, and it is stunning on the table. However, I can’t recommend it for most wargames. The scale is just a little off. It is wildly expensive. I have, I think, every set they ever produced. I love my Dwarven Forge. Price is getting to be an issue with their latest sets.

Green Leaf Terrain

A custom terrain building from Canada. I have personally commissioned 5 projects from Green Leaf. His creations are often shown on MiniWargaming. They are some of the best custom terrain set-ups around. Send him a project and he will make something special.

Table-Top World

It’s not as diverse as some of the other options. The creators at Tabletop World put together some stunning resin pieces. Unfortunately, they are no longer producing models. If you can find them, buy them.

Custom Etsy Creators

The rise of Etsy has been huge for the wargaming hobby. I use Etsy for many of my unique pieces. You can spend as much or as little as you want. You can acquire whatever you want. It also helps small hobbyists like ourselves. Just be aware that sometimes what is sold isn’t what you expected.

Gamemat EU

I only have one set from these guys, but they are highly regarded and reviewed.

Tabletop Titans

The first of two pop-up terrain options. I prefer Acidhouse for its modularity. But there is a place for a fully functional battlefield in a few seconds that packs beneath a bed. I personally own every single set and enjoy using them on the table.

Acid House Terrain

My other flatpack option for wargame terrain. It is highly modular, but durability can be questionable. I think I own every set they have ever produced.

Tenfold Dungeon

Tenfold has decent terrain for Dnd or Boarding actions. I wouldn’t build a table with it, though.

Up-Zone

My final option for a pop-up terrain. It’s fine, just not special.

Pre-Painted MDF

One premium option I don’t like to use, but I acknowledge is a popular item, is pre-painted MDF terrain. I find MDF finicky and fragile.

https://www.deepcutstudio.com/product-category/scenery/
https://blacksitestudio.com/collections/mdf-terrain?srsltid=AfmBOooOCvpg6VhRo6SWBtgnIrfW2Ry17oeULgyOcQpKcGNNUBxfXrrX
https://store.frontlinegaming.org/collections/flg-full-color-terrain?srsltid=AfmBOoqBOqrofvrbrnTbQTT8ORmSpMQcylLIxBkG-V6a_ruFBsnx-OX4

June 11th 1865 Battle of Riachuelo Wargame

On June 11th, 1865. Brazilian forces on the Parana River turned the tide of the Paraguayan War with a decisive naval victory. Panama attempted a surprise naval attack, but failed to account for the conditions of the battle.

Order of Battle

Paraguay Ignacia Meza

2 Corvettes
6 Steamboats
7 Barges
Total 44 Naval Guns

Brazil Francisco Barroso

1 Frigate
4 Corvettes
4 Gunboats
58 Total Naval Guns

Intended Rule Set- Steamer Wars
Models Needed: 24 plus coastal batteries
River style water terrain with many small islands

Set Up

The Brazilian fleet should set at anchor near one table age. The Paraguayan fleet should be positioned to sail past the Brazilians.

Objectives

The Brazilian fleet must catch and deal significant damage to the Paraguayans. Paraguayans must sink at least one Brazilian ship and flee the table with their slower fleet. Barges should not count for losses to the Paraguayans.

June 10th 1358 Battle of Mello Wargame

During the 100 Years’ War, French peasants attempted to rise up and remove the nobles in the Northeast of Paris. 4,000- 5,000 lightly armored peasants attacked noble houses and castles, stealing their wealth. The Nobles of the region responded in force. In real life, the French killed the peasant leader, and the lines broke nearly instantly. What if they hadn’t?

Wargame;
Game System DBMM
Players 2
Table Size 4×4
Models Needed Peasants 30 Elements of horde, 8 elements of archers 1 command (cavalry), for the nobles 10 elements men at arms 4 elements dismounted knights 2 commanders, and 4 elements crossbows.

Set-Up
The peasants should be at the top of a hill, with archers in front, infantry behind, and the cav unit acting as a reserve. They should be in a strong position.

The French should set lines and approach as necessary.

Objectives

Kill or break the opposing army.

June 9th 1965 Dong Xoai Scenario

On June 9th, 1965, in the late night hours, the Viet Cong made an assault on the Special Forces Camp of Dong Xoai. The camp was assaulted by a barrage of mortars and artillery, followed by an infantry assault. Per the United States, 29 soldiers were killed with an additional 13 wounded, while they claim 126 enemies were killed inside the compound and several hundred more were said to be outside.

Wargame

Ruleset: FNG Second Tour
Players 2
Table Size 6×4
Models Needed 60 to 80 Americans with a Helicoptor Gunship 140 or so Viet Cong
Terrain, lots of jungle and trees, barbed wire, minefields, and a central military compound with trenches and military buildings.

Objective:
The Viet Cong should attempt to destroy the buildings within the compound and kill American personnel. The American job is to survive the night.

Set-Up:

Place the American forces inside the compound, they should have access to MMGs mortars, and all other heavy equipment. The only vehicle should be a gunship helicopter.

The Viet Cong should be located off the table and come in starting turn 1. They have no vehicles but do have access to all other infantry style weapons.

Rules;

The Viet Cong should begin the game with an artillery barrage.

All fighting should take place at night

June 8th 793 Lindisfarne, Viking Invasion of England Wargame Scenario

On June 8th, 793, three Viking ships landed on the coast of the remote island of Lindisfarne. Lindisfarne was famed for its library and riches, making it a prime target for Viking raiders. The island was relatively undefended. This raid marked the beginning of the Viking Age in England.

Wargame Scenario should work nicely with the Barons War or even Warcry style games.

2 Players
50 Viking Raiders
20 Defending Men-at-Arms
40 Defenseless monks
Flat grassy terrain with a stone building and a central monastery.

Objective

The Vikings’ goal is to steal as many treasures as possible. Their secondary goal is to kill as many monks as possible who are hiding treasures.

The defender aims to save everything they can, fleeing to the opposite edge of the table as the Viking raiders.

Set-Up,

Place a large monastery in the center of the table with a surrounding wall. The only gate should face the shoreline from which the raiders are arriving. Place a village outside the walls near the coastline. The rest of the table should be covered in random fields and orchards. There should be 10 defenders in the village itself and 10 more in the monastery. All 40 monks should be in the monastery.

The monks must flee from the gate and run to the opposite edge of the Viking raiders. Five holy relics should be placed on the field. Three in the monastery and two in the village. The monks are the only defenders who can move the relics. The Vikings will know who carries the treasures.

June 7th 1917 Messines Wargame

On June 7th, 1917, the British Second Army, led by General Herbert Plumer, began a costly assault on fortified German positions near Messines in Belgium. The British objective was to cut the Germans off from many ports they were using for resupply.

The British began the assault by detonating mines beneath the German lines, followed by a crawling artillery barrage. The infantry advanced with support from tanks, airplanes, and cavalry.

British Commander

Herbert Plumber
12 Divisions of 16,000 men each
Cavalry, Air Patrols, Tanks

German
Friedrich Sixt von Armin
5 Divisions of 18,000 men each.

Wargame

For use with Bolt Action WW1 or any other WW1 Wargame

Players: 2-4
Forces Needed: 1200 points or 2 platoon equivalents for the British and 800 points or 1 reinforced platoon equivalent for Germany. The British should have one tank, and both sides should have access to artillery and machine guns.
Terrain Needed: A small hill with no man’s land before it.
Table Size: 8×4

Set-Up

Place the small hill in the center of the table near one of the long edges. Fortify the hill with trenches, craters, barbed wire, and broken ground. That hill and that side of the table will be the Germans.

All forces should be placed on the table; the British should have the opposite table edge. Broken ground, crags, etc., should provide some cover for advancing British forces. All German troops should be dug in.

Objective

The British must take the hill, the Germans must defend it.

Special Rules

The British should get one artillery barrage at some point during the game.

The Germans should be fully fortified.

June 6th 1944 D-Day Wargame

If you are a wargamer, you know about D-Day. We aren’t going to wargame the most famous invasion in world history. We will wargame a special operation, the assault on the Merville gun battery by the 9th British Parachute Battalion.

Wargame

Rules Bolt Action or Command Decision
Players: 2
Models Needed: (bolt action) 1,000 points of British Infantry. No tanks or other vehicles are allowed, but they do get their free artillery observer.
650 points of Germans, again, no tanks, only 2 MMGs are permitted, no mortars.
Table 4×4
Terrain, a German bunker with trenches surrounding it, barbed wire, and an antitank ditch

Objective: The Germans must hold the gun battery inside the bunker, while the British must capture and destroy it. The game should last 6 turns. After turn 6, roll a D6 on a 4+, and we play a 7th turn.

Set Up: The British forces should be randomly distributed using a dice. This signifies the scattered nature of the parachute drop. For each unit, roll a D6. On a 1, remove one model at random from that unit.

The German forces should be dug into the trenches and prepared for battle.

The terrain should have the bunker surrounded by trenches, barbed wire, and an antitank ditch, then open ground with small bits of scattered cover, such as a shed, a small hedge, some rocks, etc. The bunker should face one edge with a semicircle of trenches surrounding it.

If you are struggling as the British player, add more troops or subtract a few Germans. Historically, the British could never capture this battery, and the Germans occupied it until they withdrew from France.

June 5th 1967 Start of the 6-Day War Wargame

On June 5th, 1967, Israeli air forces launched a surprise attack against Egyptian airfields. The initial attack resulted in 338 aircraft destroyed for Egypt, and 19 Israeli planes downed. They also led with an armoured assault against entrenched Egyptian armoured forces. One of the war’s most contested areas was the 11km long Jiradi defile, a narrow pass defended by the 112th infantry brigade.

Wargame:

Ruleset: Team Yankee or other modern game
Players 2-4
Models Needed: 30-40 Israeli tanks and armoured vehicles, plus two fighter jets, 10-15 Egyptian tanks and tank killers, 10 anti-tank batteries, 20-30 infantry.
Table 8×4
Terrain: Two ridges are crucial to this, as the Israeli forces race through

Objective,

The Israelis must reach the end of the pass, preferably at the long end of the table, and the Egyptians must destroy 60% of the Israeli forces.

Setup,

The Israeli forces should be lined up in a column, and the pass should be wide enough for four to five tanks to be lined up abreast. The Egyptian troops should be dug around the ridges with some scattered infantry and AT guns in the trench.

Special Rules

Air Strikes: At this point in the war, the Israelis had air superiority. They could call in airstrikes throughout the battle to destroy various Egyptian emplacements.

June 4th 1859 Battle of Magenta Wargame Scenario

On June 4th, 1859, during the Second War of Italian Independence, Napoleon III of France crossed the Ticino River to force the Austrian army under Gyulay to retreat. The Austrians had 68,000 men available and established defensive positions around the town of Magenta, securing four bridges.

The French, noticing the Austrian weakness, built a pontoon bridge to the south on the river, outflanking the entrenched Austrians and forcing their retreat.

The Wargame

RuleSet Blackpower or Other similar Game
Players 2
Austrians 12 Battalions, 2 Cavalry Squadrons, 2 Cannon Batteries, 2 Battalions Garrisoning the Town
French 16 Battalions, plus 1 new battalion every other turn, 2 dragoon squadrons
Set Up. See the map below.
Table Size: 8×4

Deployment:

The Austrians were surprised by the maneuver and were not in an adequate position. Most troops should be stationed in the field to the south of the road in the center of the map between the two sets of trees. The French should have half their units across the bridge, with the rest crossing. It takes one turn to cross the water. Only two units at a time can cross. Additional French units should arrive every other round or turn (however, your rules describe both forces getting to act as one turn). So total if the French never lose a unit, there would be 16 battalions, 2 dragoon squadrons, and an additional 12 French battalions.

Objectives:

The Austrians are fighting a rearguard action to hopefully prevent the complete destruction of their army. By nightfall, they must keep the French from reaching the town on the top left of the map. The attack took place at 2:00, so the French have six hours to reach that point. This amounts to approximately 24 turns for most games. The French want to get the town and surround the Austrians. The French must have forced back the Austrians; if the Austrians are fighting to the city at nightfall, it is still an Austrian victory. Losses do not matter here.

Special Rules;

The Austrians can garrison any building with half a battalion. The building becomes fortified and difficult for the French to move past.

The fastest route of travel should be the road. The area around the road is heavily wooded.

The trees to the left of the road are impassable.

June 3rd 1098 Fall of Antioch Scenario Wargame

On June 3rd, 1098, following an 8-month siege led by Raymond IV of Toulouse, modern-day Turkey’s Seljuk-held city of Antioch fell to the crusaders during the First Crusade. The city fell due to treachery from one of the guard captains.

While a full campaign with 10 battles to capture and Siege Antioch and defend it would be ideal, I think a simple wargame scenario depicting stealth would be more appropriate for this blog.

The guards’ goal is to catch the attackers, while the crusaders must successfully reach the gates and open them for the waiting forces.

Wargame

Ruleset Custom

Number of Players 1
Number of Models 25
Play Area 4×4
Scenery Castle Walls and Towers, many small buildings within. The streets should feel crowded and cramped with many turns.

The four crusaders must navigate to the gate without being seen. The defenders should be set up in four patrols of five soldiers in various areas of the setup. I recommend doing a grid and setting up the patrols at random. The soldiers should be governed by a deck of cards; each time a card is drawn, it indicates something.

Red FaceCard Movement directly forward as much as possible
Red Odd Card Turn Right next chance forward
Red Even Card Turn Left next chance forward

Black Facecard Movement moves directly backward as much as possible
Black Odd Card Turn right next chance backward
Red Even Card turn left next chance backward

Thus, the patrol moves randomly through the area. In the event of an encounter with the opposing troops, each group moves towards the combat until they come in contact with the crusaders or the fighting ends.

If a patrol spots the crusaders (6″range) a card is flipped. A red card, the defenders’ attack, a black card, they flee towards the bell.

Combat is resolved simply. Two combatants each roll a D6; the crusaders get +2. The loser is eliminated. The engagement range is adjacent to the models. The crusaders can take crossbows. Lethal hits on 5s. The crusaders should be slightly faster than the defenders.