Let's Discuss Paper Model Terrain!

Whenever I go to a gaming store and they have custom built terrain, I think it's the coolest thing. I want to grab it and look it over and see how miniatures move through it. I'm very polite, though, so I don't just start grabbing stuff. I never thought I could make something like the stuff I saw but I've been checking out videos online and reading articles and I think I can. Before that, though, I figured I would settle for paper models. That was my mistake, to think that building paper models is somehow less creative or time consuming.

Yes, my workspace is currently gift wrap central!

The second floor bends gently upwards.

 Hopefully, you can see problems in those pictures immediately. Overall, despite my inexperience, Lord Zsezse Forgotten Ruins still looks pretty cool. However, if you were a beginner like I was, I would not have recommended it for you. For one thing, I think whoever is the designer of these models doesn't mind how they look when you don't edge the models. Edging a model is basically going over the edges with a black marker to cover up the white paper showing through. I can understand if a person doesn't want to do this but the instructions make no mention of the technique at all, as opposed to models I've done from various other paper model manufacturer's that point this out as an option. Also, it's not specified exactly what type of glue to use so I used regular ol' elmers, which warped the paper in lots of places. Craft glue has a lot less water content than typical white glue and dries faster so you don't have to wait as long for each piece to finish. Little tips like this are something you might not know unless you had some experience already.

The biggest problem I had with this model is that the designer suggested using a butter knife to score the fold lines. I was probably doing it wrong but even if that was the case, I got so frustrated rubbing a butter knife over the areas I was supposed to fold only to have them still not fold right that in some areas I tried to just fold it freehand. That led to a lot of awkward angles when the whole thing was put together. The best technique I've found since then is just lightly running an X-acto blade across the lines where the cardstock has to be folded, it works perfectly for me.

So, I do intend to make another version of this model, especially since one of the coolest things Zsezse does is to include various textures and layers for different effects. This model is really good for nearly any genre of gaming but I can do a different texture and get something a little differen with some plant overgrowth and even a few bullet holes. Overall, I think this kind of terrain is really cool but it lends a game an almost cartoonish feel, which could be good or bad depending on which way you lean. For some grim, dark roleplaying scenario or historical wargaming, it might not work. For me, though, I use several paper models, including Lord Zsezse's recently released hills model, which actually got printed out when the printer was really low on ink so it's got this unusual faded color to it. I also use some new stuff I've been working on as I try to make my own terrain. I really don't mind blending the different pieces because the 2-D nature of the models isn't too much of a distraction in-game.

I mention I am working on new terrain pieces but one thing that paper models have over other stuff is how fast they are to build and the smaller amount of resources and space they take. It's been really fun putting together a fake mountain or forest but it is infinitely simpler to print a pattern on some cardstock than to hunt down all the right pieces for whatever terrain project I'm working on. It would be easier if I had a gaming store nearby or a bit more expendable income so I could order some stuff but that's an important factor in paper models.

Well, I'm hoping to get an actual play written up next but I might have a few other pictures to throw up in the meantime. I think I'm going to try for at least two posts a week so look forward to that!