Hello I stumbled upon these kinds of terrain's when I was looking for a simple combat map (was I surprised to find something like this!) and was kinda wondering about the terrainlinx and the terraclip systems. Mostly if they are able to interact with each other. and if the terraclip version also had a downloaded version of some sort?

Also back to terrainlinx, What kind of paper do you need to use to make it have a decent durability, while I read some things about it being pretty strong I have my doubts about it. I mean it still is paper.

To anybody willing to answer my questions thanks in advance

Welcome to the boards! It is always great to hear about people finding their way to the hobby.

To make sure things are clear:

Terraclips is a physical product line. This product line is not available in digital form.

TerrainlinX is a digital product line. This product line is not available in physical form.

That being said, both product lines use 3" and 6" pieces with walls of the same height. Therefore they are mostly compatible. The issue of compatibility comes in two form: 1) Vertical dimensions when stacking multiple levels (TLX has thicker tiles than TCPs) and 2) The connection design is different so you can't really connect one wall of one type to a wall of the other type and whatnot.

With that in mind, I use both on my gaming table at the same time often.

As for paper, 110lb Cardstock is the typical choice. I have personally moved to matte photo paper due to the greater image quality. I have never had an issue with how strong something is. There are pictures floating around that showcase 6" bridges holding multiple large metal figures.

Fell free to ask any more questions that may come up and I hope to see build pics of your in the near future

Ahh well that clears things up pretty nicely . Since I don't live in the states I probably take the Terrainlinx system seems to be more in my price range then too

Also I'll ask after that in the local art store see if they have it there before I begin to scour the internets to find a place where I can order the stuff

I got two more questions at the moment for you though. I'm planning a Dark heresy (warhammer 40K) or a pathfinder game as a first time DM at the moment (the group still hasn't decided as they are reading through teh books at the moment.) Can you give me some tips on which tilesets would be extremely handy? (aside from the Titan series for DH)

the other question is, well how much glue is typically required and what type of glue would be best for building it?

Specific materials are debated around here, but most seem to go with either the UHU twist top or some kind of glue stick. Low water content is key to not warp. I use UHU for both the twist top and their purple glue sticks. I suggest you poke around the forums and see what other people are doing too.

I would say that end cost of TCPs and TLX puts TCPs at the cheaper point (factoring in ink, glue, paper, etc. and that is without counting time). TLX has a much larger selection at this point though, and I personally enjoy the hobby of terrain building. You aren't making a bad choice at all. Also, you can always pick up TCPs later.

As for model sets, it really depends on what you plan on running:
Himmelveil Streets for fantasy towns and cities (Sewers and Canals add to this nicely)
Hinterlands Forests and Cliffs are great for outdoors
Dwarven Halls and Oubliette for Dungeons
Thoumonts and Feisty Friar for buildings

Well I don't live in the USA but in belgium (the little spot right in front of the UK that has one heck of a drought in modeling/TRPG hobbyists and thus there aren't many shops who cather to them.)
So you probably have to factor in shipping costs for the TCP sets too. Not to mention those can't be replaced when they are damaged somehow (which I don't doubt will happen somehow.)

So I will inform myself of the UHU being avaible in my country as soon as possible. Otherwise I'll try and see if Pritt has any decent sticks to work with :/

and thanks for giving me some advice with the model sets. if you all count it up it is 99,50 USD so I probably am going to have to pick and choose though. Not to mention that starting with to many sets at the same time might be a bit overwhelming for me to manage effectively. (not to mention bloody expensive for a student.)

Well thanks for the help! I'll see if I can't get some pictures uploaded here when I finally finish buying and building a setup.

I didn't mean to imply that you should get them all. I suggest starting small. Build something you will use over and over.

A tavern is good for this because it can become an inn, or a house, or a mansion, or whatever. Build something like a 1'x1' tavern that is one floor, or maybe a small second floor. Then expand from there.

Another good choice is outdoors terrain. Get some good variety going but keep it small. Maybe 2'x2' at most that way you can see how modular the pieces are.

Finally if you are a dungeon delving type, then go with something like Lair of the Dragon Gods or the ones I mentioned above but keep it small.

This hobby is time consuming and you don't want to get burnt out before you get something to show for it. You can always come back and buy another set or two.

No worries I got that. Though since the dollar is weaker then the euro at the moment you can subtract a good 20 USD off the price

and a fairly stupid question, but what does 1' stand for? 1 inch? I grew up with the metric system and never used something else

1' = 1 foot (12 inches)
1" = 1 inch

So when I said 1'x1' that translates to two tiles by two tiles.

Thanks for the info.

Well that certinially sounds doable. And since I can recuperate the parts later anyway practicing like that probably isn't a bad idea.

Exactly. Start small and complete for a specific location. Then add to it for a second location. After doing that a few times you will end up with a substantial amount of pieces to work with.

thanks, as soon as I build it and find a decent camera I'll upload it and let you guy's have a look!

What Talae said. One problem for people new to the hobby is they seem to feel overwhelmed by all the stuff they're presented with so we generally advise you start small. Make one or two tiles, some posts and a few walls, basically one "room". That way you get used to the system AND you feel like you're accomplishing something at the same time.

Also on the point of Dark Hersey, you would definitely want to look into the Titan series but you may also be interested in the Necroblock and Mayhem Corporate sets from the Swift Scenics product line. These are quick-to-build "filler" buildings (ie no interiors) that have a distinctly 40k-ish feel to them. Have fun!

Nice catch on the non-fantasy stuff Matt. I don't personally play anything but fantasy, so I forget about the other stuff most of the time.

Well Warhammer 40K being Warhammer 40K fantasy buildings are pretty much useable in the setting anyway (feudal worlds come to mind for instance.) But I'll definatly check out those. Even if they are just filler it still comes in handy for simulating those market scenes or fighting in abandoned cities or the like. but first keeping it small and getting bigger. Probably keeps down ink and paper costs down too.

speaking about ink. Can a normal printer handle 290 gsm paper? And normal color ink is decent enough to print the stuff with right?

Not really sure. We recommend standard 110 lbs/199gsm cardstock but most domestic printers will handle coverstock without issue.

You might want to check out this thread if you haven't already, exewon:

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=9572

It's the link archive of our collective knowledge base.

Most home printers don't handle 290gsm paper very well. Papers that are too heavy for the printer tend to jam and/or cause excessive wear on the paper feed rollers, not to mention not printing properly (banding, misalignment, that sort of thing).

If you look in the specs for your printer it should say what sort of paper it is rated for.

As rule of thumb, 160-200gsm is generally ok, as well as being ideal for cardstock work. (I use 200gsm cardstock for most builds and recently started using 165 gsm paper for smaller items as I find it a little easier to work with on small/fiddly work.)


Should be.

If you have concerns, start with printing a sample using the card/paper you're considering to see how well it works.

Ah, finally some more folks from Belgium here. Welcome.

I have had the same problems you had with converting paper weights and types of glue to what is available here in Belgium.

What I normally use:
• For paper, I use canon "Matte heavyweight paper". It is 170gr (less than the 200/250 gr that is often suggested here), but in my opinion, it works perfectly. TerrainLinx is specifically designed not to be too dependent on the weight of the paper (most things use double-folds and props usually have internal reinforcements when necessary). But most of all, it is the paper I get the best results out of when it comes to printing. I print on a normal inkjet printer (a Canon ip4200 I think, it is more than 5 years old) and when you start using normal card stock, the colors tend to look a bit flat. This paper gives you nice, vibrant colors. All the promo images I have done so far for the sets I designed were printed on this paper.

The downside is that this isn’t the easiest paper to find. Canon isn’t that well represented in Belgium. The place I have found always carries it is Grobet’s in Antwerp (let me know where you are from, I might see if I know anything nearer). If you can’t find this paper locally, HP has got a similar sort of paper, but the colors are less vibrant (at least with my printer). You could also go for photo paper, but I personally prefer a matte finish to my terrain. Like I said, as long as it is at least 170gr, you should be fine.

• As for the glue, that’s a whole different matter altogether. As other people have already said, the problem is the water in the glue. Water wrinkles paper, so there are 2 options.

Either you are a patient person and then you can go with normal glue (Pritt has some decent hobby glues, both white and transparent, mostly marketed to kids). Take the liquid stuff (NOT the pritt sticks, because they are terrible in my opinion), apply it in very small amounts, glue and let it dry preferably overnight between 2 thick books. The less glue, the less wrinkle.

If you are not a patient person (I know I’m not), you have to find glue that isn’t water-based. The only one I found so-far in Belgium is also from Pritt, it is called a glue-pen. It is this one: http://discountoffice.nl/qimages/groot/836018.jpg. It has the big advantage of not wrinkling your paper. It has the big disadvantage of being rather messy to work with. I generally use a combination of both glue types, depending on what I want to glue. For small tabs, I use standard glue (because it holds better), for big surfaces I use the non-wrinkle kind. The problem here again is finding the glue pen. I have found they often sell it in specialized arts stores. I find mine in Antwerp in Schleiper on the Belgiëlei.

If you have any more questions, just shoot. Or PM me if you prefer to continue in Dutch.

Hmm, that converter I used for weights was of by a lot then.

And Menace I'm from around turnhout (Arendonk to be exact) so thats a pretty long way from Antwerp especially when you factor in I still don't have a driving license. So if you know something that is closer to that it would be much appreciated!

As for the glue, I gotta admit that I probably won't be able to wait for an entire night for the parts to dry. So I will see if I can find that pritt glue pen. A bit of a mess is easier to handle then long waiting times.

Now just one more question at the moment. Where in belgium can you buy the foamcore to build your connectors and bottom tiles with?

I use 210-220gsm cardstock through my DX7400 printer, any more than that and it starts to jam, also the printing itself is top quality (whether that's the printer or the cardstock I'm not sure)


The above was printed on 220gsm

Well I dunno if our printer can handle it. Guess the only thing is to try it out. (and hide very very well if it breaks) Or I can find the manual and see if it mentions something about it

You are going to read the manual? Blaspheme!

Hey, welcome to the craft.

I use the 110 lb cardstock and find it prints quite well. Just bought new cartridges for our three year old laser printer. For most of my stuff I use the glue sticks and they are fine to use right after edging. I prefer to do most of my edging after the pieces are built. Warping isn't really a big problem for me though I do see some warping on some pieces at some times. It might be because of the 18% humidity we have here in Denver, but I don't know that for a fact. For some of the smaller, more fiddlie pieces I use the liquid glue with the small point. Don't really have a problem with that either.

As for what sets to use, that requires talking to your group. Once you pick the genre the choices work themselves out pretty quickly, before that, money answers all question. For the fantasy or historical games, the Friar of Thoumonts is my first choice. Either would work well until you are well into the building phase. Buildings first. Then you can add the Streets set. Goes well with the buildings. Then you can go deeper, or further out of town. Personally, I still use the old green wool blanket I got for sleeping in military bunks. Works very well. I have some 3D floating terrain I built before I discovered World Works Games.

Building one building at a time really works out well. I find that when I print out a page it contains an inside piece and an outside piece with the ledge, think it is called the anti-warp piece.By making both pieces I soon find myself with enough extra pieces to build another building. Almost like pennies from heaven.

I will suggest edging prior to glue. You will thank me later.

I tend to cut the bottom edge and the slot after the glue has dried a bit. One thing I discovered when I cut them individually, was that the bottom and slots did not line up properly. But then I do not use a machine to cut and score my stuff. Waiting until the glue has set allows me to get a clean edge and slots. The markers slide down the edge quite easily then.

In and around Turnhout? I’m sorry, but I’m not too well known around there.

As for the foam core, you can find that at any arts supply store. The kind where painters buy paint and canvas and most of all, where architects go.

Like I told you, I get mine at Schleipper, but there are more stores. I know 3 more in Antwerp, but sadly enough none in Turnhout. I have noticed though that some game stores are starting to sell foam core, because people use it to make their own terrain.

As for the sets its probably going to be the feisty friar set first I can use it in all the RPG's I got except nWoD, but they aren't that intrested in that one anyway. Bu thanks for the advice and the welcome Mrken!

Well no problem menace. Probably should consult the gouden gids for any art stores if the one in turnhout itself doesn't have it. Maybe see some places where they sell models if they have the paper or something since I don't really have seen any game stores in a 100 KM radius of my homeplace.

As an addendum, the Oubliette walls combine nicely with Titan floors and machinery for a 40k/Necromunda neo-gothic look.

I'll keep that in mind