Brutal Cities is working on MDF terrain components to make unique post apocalyptic ash waste terrain for your tables. The MDF components include barbed anchors designed to be inserted into XPS Foam terrain. What does that mean?
Simply carve the desired shape of your base terrain from XPS, paint it and then insert MDF walkways, sails and chaotic shapes. Connector pieces allow you to angle the terrain in various ways and combinations.
Ash Waste modular terrain design concept
So the main idea is to create a bunch of modular MDF components that can anchor into blue foam. Why foam you ask? Rigid foam insulation is commonly used in the hobby and in set design for making terrain and scenery. I looked all around for suppliers as the place I last bought it now stocks a much less dense insulation product, that everyone hates. High density XPS is much better for terrain, as you can sand, carve, sculpt it readily. Just make sure you have a sharp blade!
Ultra flexible Kit of Components
You can think of this project as less of a ready to build MDF terrain kit like most of our other products, and more as a kit of parts you can adapt to your own ideas and needs. I'd love some feedback on this concept and if you can see this being useful for your games. Here are the parts so far:
Foam Anchors -
Barbed MDF anchors that you will insert into the XPS foam base. I thought some type of barbs would be useful to stop the MDF connector from coming out easily. This way you might not need glue, but this is preliminary and I’ll be developing this idea further and refine the parts, as well as adding more.
Little circles on the ends of the MDF foam anchors allow you to position the MDF planes or sails (let’s call them sails) in different angles and configurations.
MDF Sails -
Trapezoid shapes with slots that you can use to position them in a variety of ways. By using them with the round connectors, or the round parts at the end of the foam anchors you can angle them in chaotic ways.
A great benefit to this type of geometry and form is that it can be scale agnostic. If you don't have any pieces that are obviously doors or furniture made for humans, you could equally use it for 28mm games, 15mm games, BattleTech or other scales. You can see here how flexible the kits could be using different shapes and these round joint components.
Decks -
Some MDF flat surface you can stand your miniatures on (or not, depending on what you want to do with it!) Good to block LOS.
Frame with integrated barbed anchors -
This is an angled frame that can plug into the XPS foam, You can then attach the sails or decks if you like to provide cover or shelter.
More parts coming soon! Check out the Brutal Cities website blog (link) for more information.
