I’ve been reading Observations of the Fox’s posts about Hexagonal Geomorphs. I’ve looked in this direction before and have played games like Magic Realm (on Boardgamegeek), Battletech, and Star Fleet Battles. And I created a SFB Hex map a few year back, which is up on deviantArt. The Hex-map technique allows an easy simplification of the game map into discrete elements, while allowing more options than the square grid-map. However, with a shift in miniature war-gaming to the inch-based measuring system, using hexes just feels like old times, in both a good and a bad way.

Ultimate Table Top Terrain collection of Hexagonal Terrain does make me drool and shows a different way of using hexes. As large scale terrain pieces that interlock to allow the miniature battles to happen over them, without binding the game to the hex grid. It also allows the army to be set up on one hex for transport, and for the terrain to be (relativity) easily packeted away at the end of the game. Good for places where space is a premium.

So, here is a summary of Michael Wenman‘s series on Geomorphs and helps explore the idea of terrain design for miniature games;

• Hexagonal Geomorphs – An overview
• A Guide to Geomorphs (Part 1) – Comparing modular tile types (ie square vs, hex)
• A Guide to Geomorphs (Part 2) – An analysis of the Carcassonne example
• A Guide to Geomorphs (Part 3) – Looking at tile variations for square tiles
• A Guide to Geomorphs (Part 4) – Looking at  and possible combinations for both squares and hexes
• A Guide to Geomorphs (Part 5) – Moving to a more practical terrain/cave/town hexes.
• A Guide to Geomorphs (Part 6) – A boarder example of a terrain map with a few signature points of interest.
• A Guide to Geomorphs (Part 7) – Urban hexes for organic style cities
• A Guide to Geomorphs (Part 8) – The same applied to cave systems.
• A Guide to Geomorphs (Part 9) – And finally for a swamp.

It’s also worth examining ways of making interlocking Sci-Fi walls, which sit on flat cardboard floor tiles. This technique of using card pegs or wedges is one of the simplest I’ve seen. In my 3D Printed designs I’ve started with small pegs that clip into place, but found that they tended to break off, and I’ve moved onto a similar technique of using interlocking joints.

It is worth noting that what ever system you want to use that it fits you needs. For myself I will be looking for the following;

• Multiple configurations to allow many scenarios to be created. Si I’ll be looking at pieces.
• Can be easily packed away and transported. So it will most likely be 1 to 2 foot in size.