How much terrain do you need for Warhammer 40,000?

The sixteen footprints

In 11th edition, terrain features are the individual pieces of scenery. They sit on terrain areas, the footprints on the table that carry the effects. Games Workshop lists the sizes you need for the standard mission layouts:

That adds up to 16, the same as the card Terrain Area Set that Games Workshop sells: 16 double-sided templates in five sizes, enough to recreate every layout. Put whatever scenery you own on those footprints and you have the layouts.

What an area does in play

• Hidden. Infantry, Beast and Swarm models inside a terrain area are hidden if their unit did not shoot in the current or previous player turn. Enemies see them only inside their detection range, usually 15 inches.
• Obscuring. Most terrain cannot be seen through, so big models and big units can shelter behind it.
• Cover. The attacker gets -1 to Ballistic Skill against Infantry, Beasts and Swarms in a terrain area.
• Objectives. Most objectives are secured by claiming a terrain area, and a mission uses five or six of them.

Setting up a table

Agree your missions first. For a set mission, Games Workshop gives three recommended terrain layouts. For a casual game it says you may set terrain up however you like. Lay the footprints with cardboard cut-outs or the card set, put your scenery on top (ruins, barricades, trees or rocks; large ruins still suit the big areas in the middle of the board), then mark the objectives by picking the areas the mission names.

Ways to get terrain

Cut your own. Games Workshop suggests making your own footprints as a hobby project, and the sizes above are all you need. Use what you own. Put the scenery you have on the footprints. Start with a box that comes with terrain. The 11th Edition Starter Set (£126.40, in stock) holds two battlefield boards and terrain to fill them.

Our terrain and scenery collection shows the scenery we list.