One of the most exciting reveals for the new edition of Warhammer 40k was a full range of pre-painted plastic wargaming terrain, promising all of the fun with none of the fuss. But Games Workshop isn’t actually the first company to make this kind of product: Archon Studio has made pre-painted dungeon tiles for years, and then there’s Snot Goblin Gaming, makers of the incredibly modular FutureProof Terrain range. That range is about to expand substantially via a new Kickstarter – the goblins sent me samples of the two new set themes to check out, and I’m impressed.
I gave the original FutureProof terrain range a glowing review in February 2024. It’s a set of modular components that clip together as easily as Lego and reliably build sturdy freestanding wargames scenery. It looks great and it’s built for playability. It’s good stuff.
The new ‘Faction Wars’ Kickstarter launches on August 11. It adds two new themes to the range which – though not impinging too close on any of Games Workshop’s IP – will make buildings that are perfect for the Orks and Space Marines Warhammer 40k factions.
The Gobloid structures are made from battered metal, with lots of bullet impacts, crude rivets, ramshackle retaining bars, tire stacks, oil drums, and pieces designed to look like fangs or eyes. The Mod-B Strike Fort is a robust purpose-built fortification, with crenelated firing slits and – for the first time in these kits – a roof.
Kits are available unpainted – both sets have just the right amount of detail and greebling to look good after a quick drybrush – or pre-painted, in a variety of color schemes. I don’t particularly like the Ultramarines Blue scheme on the Mod-B sample I was sent, so I’m glad that there are other options.
Snot Goblin also sent me some samples of the previous batch of pre-painted gothic ruins, and the production paint jobs are extremely precise and clear, mostly in a range of colours I would call ‘battlefield drab’. Here they are under gaming club lighting:
The new components are all compatible with the original kits, though if you go for pre-painted options they’re likely to clash. The new kits also improve a minor issue with the original range: the original floor tiles were about ⅜ inches tall with vertical edges, so it was tricky to balance models on the ground floor if they overhung the lip of a tile. The new floor tiles have stepped edges, and there are new ramp end-caps for the floors.
The samples I’ve been sent are 3D printed preproduction prototypes, apparently painted using the same Prismacast technology used by GW and Archon, and then glued together for stability, which means I haven’t been able to play Lego with them.
If the new range is manufactured as well as the original it should be easy to push together yet sturdy and stable when assembled. Some new pieces are intended to socket into the ceiling of the layer above and hang down, and I expect that they’ll stick in there just fine, though I haven’t been able to test that.
How does it fair on price? Well, GW has confirmed that the pre-painted Battlefields: Armageddon box – which will have everything needed for a tournament sized game of Warhammer 40k – will cost “a little bit more than the cost of two Combat Patrols”, so somewhere north of $340 or £210.
The full table pledge for the new FutureProof terrain with a ‘basic’ paint upgrade is cheaper at $288 USD – you can get it unpainted for $219. But as with all Kickstarters you’ll need to wait for fulfilment, contend with shipping costs, and pay import duties if you’re outside the USA.
If you’re debating between getting FutureProof and the official GW terrain, the main question to ask yourself is: how much do you play 40k as opposed to other systems? FutureProof doesn’t match the current 40k maps perfectly, and it’s more basic in form than the official terrain. But you can take it apart and put it back together, which is useful for playing other games and when 40k changes its tournament maps with a new season or new edition.
Game clubs and stores will get the most value from it. I can see the Mod-B theme being useful for Infinity or Halo: Flashpoint, the Gobloid theme is perfect for a fort in retro games of GorkaMorka, and multiple gothic ruin sets will make massive buildings for Horus Heresy or even Bolt Action. The fact that it can be broken down into parts for storage is also a help.
What’s your favorite terrain range? We’d love to see pictures in the official Wargamer Discord community!
Source: Wargamer
