Making Wargaming Terrain? Terrain Tutor’s Book A Must Have! + WIN 40K Dark Angels #OTTWeekender
February 5, 2021 by brennon
This week on the OTT Weekender! Having trouble making wargaming terrain? We look at the Terrain Tutor's new book, a must-have for hobbyists. You can also win a Dark Angels Codex & Combat Patrol!
Comment To Win! Dark Angels Codex & Combat Patrol
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Check Out The Podcast
As always, make sure to dive into the comments and tell us all of your thoughts about the show this week and what we chat about!
#PathOfConquest Painting Competition Winner
We look through some of the shortlist for the Path Of Conquest Painting Competition and pick our winner.
See More From Conquest
See More Conquest Projects
The winner gets themselves a Conquest Founders Pack, so make sure to get in contact and we'll get the prize out to you!
Indie Of The Week
We get a look at the new Terrain Essentials book by Mel "TheTerrainTutor" and Dave Taylor which looks to be a must-have for any hobbyist making wargaming terrain.
Buy Terrain Essentials UK
Buy Terrain Essentials US
Make Your Own Terrain Building Project
Watch TheTerrainTutor On YouTube
There is plenty in there to help you with wargaming projects from across different genres and time periods. Are you going to pick it up?
Tabletop Gaming News
Here is some of the wargaming, tabletop and miniatures news this week which caught our eye and made us go "ooooh!"
- Mythic Americas From Warlord Games - Play as the First Nations, Aztecs, Mayans and Incas with this new Warlords Of Erehwon spin-off
- Monster Hunter World Board Game Preview - Look ahead to this new Kickstarter from Steamforged Games
- Victory At Sea New Releases - Playout massive engagements between the British and Germans with these new releases
- Wargames Atlantic Lizardmen - Miniatures which fit into Fantasy, Pulp and Sci-Fi wargames
- New Warhammer Board Games - Three new board game to use as entry-level products for those wanting to play Warhammer
- Total War: Warhammer III Announced - Kislev, Grand Cathay and more announced for this new Old World, Warhammer Fantasy Battles video game
Let us know if something from this week made you "oooh!" and if we missed anything!
3D Printing Is The S**T!
We take a look at two Patreons which are offering up a selection of fun miniatures for you to 3D print at home.
- Dance Of The Vampires By Raging Heroes - A stunning array of new Vampire miniatures to print at home.
- Dungeon All-Stars Monsters by Warploque Miniatures - Pick up a new selection of fun creatures for D&D, Pathfinder and more
Let us know if there are any 3D Printing Patreon projects which we should be looking at in the future.
Tabletop Gaming Kickstarters
See what you make of these fundraisers we've picked out from this week on the funding platform...
- CoraQuest - A game for all the family packed with dungeon-delving adventure
- GRIDWARS: Age Of Cyberpunk - A fully printable wargame for the Sci-Fi future
Let us know if you'll be checking out these projects in the comments down below.
Comment To Win! Dark Angels Codex & Combat Patrol
Make sure to check out all of this tabletop goodness and have a great weekend of gaming fun.
Stay Safe!
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Happy weekend everybody!
Looking forward to the new GW releases, but you can’t beat having great terrain to play games and provide a setting for beautifully painted minis. ??
happy weekender guys
A Happy Weekender everyone. Mythic America does seem to be heading in the right direction and I’m a fan of the tribal nation set although I’m not a fan of the zombies but look forward to further expansions. Always happy to see my patron backing is allowing Warploque to turn out great sculpts and a lovely 50% off every month is always welcome but I think I might well be taking a closer look at CoraQuest as a post lock down gift for mates boy who I think would have a fab time with this clever little game.
Another weekend… by my calculations I’ve had well over 3,000! I always look forward to the next one though…
Nice to see Mel’s book in print.
+1 for terrain essentials. It’s a great achievement, great technique and … well it’s Mel on a page.
I do like the idea of a concise terrain book. Are there going to be non-English versions of it?
my gut feeling would be no, having talked to larger companies like Mantic, the struggle they have getting foreign language versions along with the costs mean for a two-man outfit it’s probably beyond reach
It is not the text itself, but the names of the tools, devices and materials people may have problems with when reading the English version. And with people I mean, for instance, myself.
However, if there are pictures of everything being used it will be fine: Go to a DIY in my country, show the picture, and: “I want that.” That´ll be funny.
I know what you mean, even between english speaking parts of the world it can be difficult. It took me months to work out that spackle means ready mixed plaster wall filler. However, the discord is a good place to ask things like that as it’s a fairly spread out bunch
@jemmy I’ve got the same ‘problem’.
for what it is worth : there are plenty of pictures in the book of all the tools and materials.
A lot of it looked familliar even though it had english names.
And I think most of it should be available in a (good) DIY store.
If you’ve got arts & crafts type of stores in your area then they probably will have the stuff you can’t get at the DIY store like DAS clay and Modge podge.
Maybe there’s a gap in the market for an IKEA inspired pictures-only assembly guide 😀
Ha. The weekend starts now!!
Oeh. My brother would love the Dark Angels set.
He just started his Primaries army.
These would go great with it.
Looking forward to buying Mel’s new terrain book.
“but these Fokkers were Messerschmitts”
Ooh its show time.
Wow all the figures are fabulous looking congratulations everyone.
Boobs! … no, wait, that was the other YouTube video…
So much book to read… why didn’t we make Terrain Essentials the book for the book club @warzan ?
Good thinking warren with all the holidaymakers having to stay in hotels when they come home ?
So Gerry, what would be your pick of mini to represent Jon Shannow?
not sure, from the Black Scorpion range maybe an Earp, there are some nice minis from Dead Man’s Hand, Clint from Pale Rider could work well. I think he needs the long coat with magnetic collar and twin pistols. Then either bearded or clean shaved, a lot have tache’s which would require fixing. Wargames foundry have some that could do the job and also most come as mounted and foot figures. It will require more thinking.
Black Scorpion do have a long-coat wearing, clean-shaven 7th Cavalry “Deputy” that might suit. Only issue might be no hat and he’s clearly wearing a uniform under the long coat. It’s tricky as Shannow has a very specific look to him, gunslinger and preacher, that is not too terribly common.
Has got me thinking though – it’s surprising that no one has really tapped into Gemmell’s works for inspiration on the tabletop. I know Kev from Hasslefree has an excellent take on Druss (one I’ve brought multiple times), but I’ve never really seen anyone take a stab at his other characters, or use his settings.
The last of the Mohicans verses the last of the Romans?
I sailed to Iraq on HMS Ark Royal. Flew by Sea King to the Al Faw Penninsular, fought, and was awarded a mention in dispatches.
40k is all the way 🙂
I don’t say Blaa blaa Blaa Lol
Woo Ho nice one guy’s
I demand: End the week now!
A timeline for Warren https://www.oxfordreference.com/view/10.1093/acref/9780191736674.timeline.0001
Olmec begin about 1200 BC
Stepped pyramids, giant heads 1000 BC
Chávin de Huántar becomes the centre of the first Olmec civilization of south America
Zapotec continue Olmec civ 400 BC
centred on Monte Alban
Nazca (those giant desert pictures) 200 BC
Mochica (fancy pottery) 200 BC
Zapotecs 150 BC
Maya civilization begins 50 BC
Teotihuacan, the dominant city in the northern highlands of central America, introduces the god Quetzalcoatl
Wari 700 AD
Sican 800 AD
Toltecs 950 AD
The Mayan city of Chichén Itzá is captured by the Toltecs 987
The Aztecs settle on an uninhabited island in a lake, which they name Tenochtitlan — the site of the modern Mexico City 1345 AD
After a decisive victory over the Chanca people, a young Inca prince seizes the throne in Peru and takes the name Pachacuti 1438 AD
Columbus 1492 all starts to go badly wrong for the natives in America
so he big name overlap with most of Rome is the Maya
Very handy 🙂
At what point did the Ancient Aliens show up? I keep seeing them mentioned on the Discovery Channel. 8)
must be before 1000 BC, stepped pyramids come in then and are clearly UFO landing pad or recharge stations and they’d have needed a while to get the ancient unions on board 8)
It’s the Weekender! ??
Friday Night sat watching the Weekender, beer in one hand, Painting my Frostgrave terrain with the other.
Now thats a good start to the weekend.
I LOVE the Dark Angels. My very first space marine faction when I first got into 40k back in the late 80’s. I would LOVE to get this box and codex. Either way, SO jazzed about the weekender.
Well that contest shows some real talent
Have non of you guys read Harry Turtledoves World War series? The lizard men are ideal for that.
nice show
must get a copy of the book, excellent work on this one.
Fantastic prize, who doesn’t like space monks?
For the benefit of Warren the Maya might’ve met the Romans but there was the Epi-Olmec and Zapotec people’s that he could game in the gaps with.
HAPPY WEEKEND!!!!
This may be all the weekend I get for this week… I’ve just been informed that I am happy to spend my whole weekend doing the activities that she directs as she tells me, when she tells me. All plans will be revealed as I need to know them and when and as she chooses to revise them.
Small prices for such immense domestic bliss.
Love the book.
Time for the weekender ! Super fun time! Let’s do this!
It is just me that finds the move towards 3D printing really depressing? An increasing percentage of the hobby is becoming inaccessible to most people. It’s a great vaccine for shiny syndrome, granted.
A lot of 3D printable miniatures are available later on down the line as physical miniatures. There is only a small percentage which are strictly digital.
no it’s not just you. It looks great but I honestly couldn’t give a monkies about it. I have a hobby I don’t need another, it’s the same reason I don’t print out PDFs and then bind them into a book.
I was saying to a friend yesterday that KSer is now 45% preorders for big companies, 45% STLs and 10% actual physical products from small companies.
Yes, its all great for distribution, but as a consumer I’m walking by much more than I am stopping to look at these days.
That book is sensational.
I’d been contemplating whether to get the Dark Angel codex, they were my first 40k army years ago, but obviously not set for play in current editions.
Problem is, games of 40k are probably far away.
Smaller Skirmish easy plays, or board games, that’s where it’s at last year and this one.
Mythic America is very interesting/Intruiging.
It was great to see the Conquest painting contest minis! Mythic America looks awesome. I’m with you on the Kickstarter boardgames relying on FOMO and not really delivering the experience side. The raging heroes’ vampires are interesting. another great show.
I’ll pick the terrai. Book up. Really enjoyed Dave’s armies legions and hordes book… Helped me finally complete an army.
I was one of the unlucky folks that had their copy of TE shipped on Dec 18th (most likely via the USS Eldridge, since a lot went missing in transit) but my replacement showed up on Wednesday. A bit damaged (thanks UPS) but at least my Mini Mel survived the trip. I’d been reading the PDF version while waiting and it’s awesome. The book, along with Mel’s YouTube channel make up a fantastic double-team, and I may well buy another copy and use the damaged one at the worktable.
I also have Dave’s L&H book (even though I’m not a 40k gamer, I do love the setting and can appreciate well-painted/modelled minis)- the two books look great together on the bookshelf.
Another great Weekender folks, have to agree with @warzan on those GW games, all a bit samey, but the fanboys will no doubt lap them up.
Mel’s book looks great though
Terrain Essentials on the way, can’t wait.
I’m proud to say that i was part of the Kickstarter for Mels book and I totally free with you Warren that this book is a go to for any terrain builder.
Happy Weekender!!
It was thro following Mel’s you tube channel that i first found BoW, when he did his fabled realms map.
I backed the Book on Kickstarter, knowing that what ever was produced would be great, However the community support translated into extra pages, and the end result is just fantastic.
Is there a way of OTT adding a ‘terrain eesentials’ button to the projects system so us spectators can follow along with peoples projects and progress? That would be interesting to see.
Well Mrs Trewets. @ caileendeas …met Dave and Mel at salute the last year it was on and has backed the book Kickstarter ( We met Mel on one of the Bootcamps many ,many years ago ) and was like a big kid when she saw that the book is shown in the show.
@caileendeas is using the book as a reference for a diorama for her dragon( it HAS unlocked her imagination and she now has the technical information at hand she might not have had before)
I now have requests from her for foam scatter and flock. Can I use your hot wire cutter? We need to get different glue…this PVA is not what I need to use.
Thanks Mel and Dave
hmm I need to choose a chapter to go for is this the way to go win and its chosen for me?????
Great show as ever, thanks guys. Have a fantastic weekend!
Mel’s videos have been my tutor to most of my terrain pieces. I will be picking up this book when I can.
– I don’t want to enter the giveaway because the best use I have for primaris marines is burning it and I don’t want to deal with the toxic fumes of that, I’d rather let someone else who appreciates it more deal with those fumes. –
That is a great terrain book and worth getting along with Sarissa’s GUIDE TO MAKING AND PAINTING LASER CUT MDF MODEL KITS, amazing books
Happy weekender, guys. Missing you all.
happy weekend – ordered mels book asap – of course – like to watch his videos – I’m excited to see how Brexit will affect deliveries to Germany – for now i have to pay 13 Euros shipping charge – lets see what the customs boys will say ;-)))
Another Great Weekender Guys
Print Your Monsters on Patreon has a brilliant looking Frankenstein themed release this month (Feb) – I signed up just so that one day, when I have a few days to myself and all my other minis have been painted (hhahahaaha!) I could make really cool little vignette.
I also signed up to Great Grimoire in recent months for the same reason – last month was a bunch of super-creepy sanatorium characters, but previously she’s sculpted some really nice fairy-tale alternatives; not really so much for tabletop gaming but beautiful looking minis for a diorama or two.
How is the in person gatherings for gaming where you guys are? Great show this week. Lloyd, Warren, and of course the Tasty Boys the weekend is here
we’ve had a lockdown since october really, bar a couple of days in december, it’s due to lift in March. But currently no gaming
The ancient writer, Lucian of Samosata, wrote a ‘True Story’ about a Roman ship that was caught in a water spout/tornado and got shot up to the moon. Lucian was onboard at the time and describes the entire incident. I think they had to fight giant alien insects.
You should look up the the modern illustrations 🙂 I think it could be gamed with Wargames Atlantic Giant Spiders…
Picked up a box of the Jaguar warriors. They’re pretty sweet.
Total War: Warhammer 3 I’ll probably pick up when it comes down in prices. But I can’t wait to see the ‘spoilers’ it might contain re the WHFB re-release. Just hope they pull off Cathay well!
I got Mel’s Terrain book from the Kickstarter, it’s beautiful, really well laid out, great content. I’m so pleased to have got it
Really liking the look of the Gridwars Age of Cyberpunk game. I see that they also have a pledge with physical resin models for those without a 3D printer.
I’m loving the Terrain essentials book. It looks like a well rounded book like you guys said. I think it will need to go into my collection 😀
Happy weekend!
Good to see the Terrain Tutor’s book coming out to retail, i might get it myself later on…
Good thing to know about Wargames Atlantic planning on more boxes and can’t wait to find what they will be, i’m still waiting for my giant spiders to see the overall quality…
See you guys on XLBS!
the Eisenkern and Les Grognards heavy weapons are on the way to me at the moment, then there are the aztecs and conquistadors, WWII resistance, WWI French, Spanish Napoleonics, British Napoleonic riflemen, Space British and halfling cavalry that I know about..oh and their battalion box of austrians I think, Goblins, I forgot the goblins and they’re on the back of the spider box!!!one!!1!
Thanks for the update! Maybe i could find some use with the aztecs for Ghost Archipelago!
Dark Angels – Loyalists or traitors discuss…..
Actually I’d rather talk about Dave Taylor and Mel’s book. Fantastically inspirational stuff
Happy Weekender, guys!
I’ve been following Mel’s channel for a while, I’ve got some insulation foam hills from one of his vids curing in the shed as we speak.
Dad and I got a copy of Mels book (he does trains). I assume its good because I haven’t got a look at it yet! Glad to see the Dark Angels but too.
Those Vampires are probably the best thing I’ve seen out of Raging Heroes. Except for the cat slaves. Don’t think I’ll be needing a set of those any time soon!
But as a range of alternative Carnevale minis they are nice!
Cool thing about fantasy Romans can always fight Aztecs and First Americans. Its called Fantasy! Love it.
At first I thought: Indy of the Week about a DIY terrain book? Alright…? I’m not much of a terrain builder myself, but I have to admit that the book is actually tempting me to get into that!
CoraQuest also looks really good! I’d have to wait 4.5 years for my son, but sound like a lot of fun for my wife and myself in the meantime.
Both Gridwars and the vampires make me sad that I don’t have a 3D printer!
The videos of the terrain tutor are always fun and I wouldn’t mind winning a Chaos Marine Combat Patrol and Codex 😉
Those were some really epic entries in the painting competition!
I’m super glad I got the book recently – so much useful information packed together…as if it was a .zip folder ^^
It was so fun to see one of my minis on the show, thanks guys !
I’ll have to complete this #Pathofconquest, and after that, probably another (I already ahev some ideas), or I’ll re-do my old Dark Angels (it was my first 40k army, 20 years ago, but I gave it to a nephew, because I thought I would never play with them again…).
I remember when I found the weekender (it was a while back). It was after watching a Let’s play, and I noticed “oh, they do a weekly thing ? Got to keep an eye on it…”.
A lovely way to spend Tuesday lunchtime watching you talk gaming!
Yes please for the Space Marines.
Those GW mini board games just look like the kind of trash we found on the back of christmas chocolate selection boxes as kids that we got excited to play once on christmas day and instantly realised was rubbish, only with models. They seem to ebe a cheap means of getting someone to buy models that excite them only for them to get dissapointed and them mummy has to buy the full 40k starter set.
As a backer of the Kickstarter, having received the book, I can say it’s gonna be an invaluable resource. It’s a beautifully put together package and I’m super pleased to have it in hand. Suggested stocking it to my local shop.
I’m behind on catching up on these. But it means more awesome weekenders to catch up on.
PS. I nearly cried laughing at the IP section from the last XLBS