A 20mm Terrain Headquarters Welcome
Peabody here! I use that nick-name everywhere, but feel free to call me Thomas. I put this site together to share my passion for 20mm wargaming and terrain.
Some folks say 20mm gaming is just an off-beat scale for playing historical wargames, but over the last few years I have learned gaming in 20mm has got a lot going for it. There are lovely minis to paint and wonderful plastic kits to build - and, what I enjoy most, creating 20mm terrain!
Some folks say 20mm gaming is just an off-beat scale for playing historical wargames, but over the last few years I have learned gaming in 20mm has got a lot going for it. There are lovely minis to paint and wonderful plastic kits to build - and, what I enjoy most, creating 20mm terrain!
Let's face it, gaming kit takes-up space, and where it really hits home is when we begin to collect, build and store terrain. The pay-off with 20mm is that you can really lay on a nice table without needing a lot of storage space.
This scale truly is a comfortable niche for people who enjoy a good game and who get satisfaction from a hands on approach to the creative aspects of the hobby. And there is no shortage of creativity and inspiration within this community!
The more I commit to this hobby and the more I learn from the many generous and talented people who take part in the online community the more it makes sense to try to share with everyone what makes 20mm terrain and gaming so much fun.
This scale truly is a comfortable niche for people who enjoy a good game and who get satisfaction from a hands on approach to the creative aspects of the hobby. And there is no shortage of creativity and inspiration within this community!
The more I commit to this hobby and the more I learn from the many generous and talented people who take part in the online community the more it makes sense to try to share with everyone what makes 20mm terrain and gaming so much fun.
20mm Terrain Scale Huts in progress
20mm Terrain Overview
While I enjoy scratch-building most of my gaming pieces, I want to point out that there are a few quality companies who would love to provide you with their terrain pieces.
Buildings from a variety of settings, old & new, pristine or damaged are just the tip of the iceberg of what's out there. Everything you need, from bunkers to shell-holes and on down to small details like ruck-sacks and the kinds of everyday items that fill the streets and paths of town and village are available. Mostly these pieces have been cast in high-quality resin and have excellent detail. The majority of these pieces will arrive requiring painting and finishing. Some companies offer painted and finished pieces for a premium.
Some of these companies are run by passionate hobbyists like you and like me, working from their homes and garages building 20mm terrain and painting 20mm figures. Some of these have really taken a professional route, and have become state of the art specialists.
So whether you want to scratch-build everything, or paint and finish pieces you purchase online or elsewhere, you still might be looking for advice & inspiration on how to get that next project started and finished.
We are fortunate for the generous online communities that support this hobby. Rich in history and experience, the gaming, modeling and scale-rail communities are a prime source of knowledge.
I hope 20mm Terrain Headquarters can serve as a clearing house for information, ideas, reviews and advice.
If you find this site helpful, drop me a line and say hello! I hope you come back again to see what's new at the 20mm Terrain HQ.
Buildings from a variety of settings, old & new, pristine or damaged are just the tip of the iceberg of what's out there. Everything you need, from bunkers to shell-holes and on down to small details like ruck-sacks and the kinds of everyday items that fill the streets and paths of town and village are available. Mostly these pieces have been cast in high-quality resin and have excellent detail. The majority of these pieces will arrive requiring painting and finishing. Some companies offer painted and finished pieces for a premium.
Some of these companies are run by passionate hobbyists like you and like me, working from their homes and garages building 20mm terrain and painting 20mm figures. Some of these have really taken a professional route, and have become state of the art specialists.
So whether you want to scratch-build everything, or paint and finish pieces you purchase online or elsewhere, you still might be looking for advice & inspiration on how to get that next project started and finished.
We are fortunate for the generous online communities that support this hobby. Rich in history and experience, the gaming, modeling and scale-rail communities are a prime source of knowledge.
I hope 20mm Terrain Headquarters can serve as a clearing house for information, ideas, reviews and advice.
If you find this site helpful, drop me a line and say hello! I hope you come back again to see what's new at the 20mm Terrain HQ.
20mm Terrain: What's Hot
A sample of some of my ongoing projects:
Scratch Built 20mm Bamboo Huts
Styrofoam 20mm Hex Terrain in progress
2nd Squad On The Move
Rice Paddies Overlook a Small Hamlet
Gaming The Vietnam Conflict
Italeri ACAV, SHQ Crew. Woodland Scenics Rock Molds.
This conflict is fascinating for so many reasons, but to put it strictly into gaming terms; you can field a little bit of everything, even on a small table. Aircraft (helicopters!), boats and hovercraft, armour and just about every type and quality of troop. All this can be played in settings ranging from tropical hills to plains dotted with rice paddies, swampy delta to arid Savannah. Playing in 20mm you have the option of small skirmish games or larger, company actions, without a radically different space requirement.
This conflict offers many fascinating opportunities for terrain modeling. The rich architectural heritage of urban Vietnam runs from Confucian gardens to French opera houses. The countryside features Buddhist temples, tumbled Khmer and Chăm cities and everywhere thatched villages.
Jungle, plain, mountain, hill, river, elephant grass as tall as a man, and rice paddy; all of these add challenges to a game and all of them are pretty straight forward to represent on a gaming table as well as being fun to make.
The level of detail becomes more interesting if you want to incorporate the war fought from underground via the tunnel networks and trenches dug by the VC & NVA. The U.S. countered by building fortified fire bases surrounded by earthworks and concertina wire. Both of these have been popular subjects for games and terrain modeling. Bridges and bombed out buildings; the potential for detailed subjects is substantial.
But a really great game can be had with just a few pieces of terrain and no more than the equivalent of a squad of troops for each side. This is a good thing. You can soon be having fun with your friends and as time permits, the army and terrain you can field will grow.
This conflict offers many fascinating opportunities for terrain modeling. The rich architectural heritage of urban Vietnam runs from Confucian gardens to French opera houses. The countryside features Buddhist temples, tumbled Khmer and Chăm cities and everywhere thatched villages.
Jungle, plain, mountain, hill, river, elephant grass as tall as a man, and rice paddy; all of these add challenges to a game and all of them are pretty straight forward to represent on a gaming table as well as being fun to make.
The level of detail becomes more interesting if you want to incorporate the war fought from underground via the tunnel networks and trenches dug by the VC & NVA. The U.S. countered by building fortified fire bases surrounded by earthworks and concertina wire. Both of these have been popular subjects for games and terrain modeling. Bridges and bombed out buildings; the potential for detailed subjects is substantial.
But a really great game can be had with just a few pieces of terrain and no more than the equivalent of a squad of troops for each side. This is a good thing. You can soon be having fun with your friends and as time permits, the army and terrain you can field will grow.
Scratch-built Bamboo Huts surrounded by Woodland Scenics Palms & Trees.
