BattleTech Terrain

thingiverse

A massive project undertaken by my tabletop group to play BattleTech, which faced challenges with both printed maps and hex-sheet setups due to persistent forgetfulness of terrain and later issues with terrain pieces getting knocked around on the battle mat. This setup utilizes significantly larger pieces than normal, measuring roughly 1.25 inches flat-to-flat. As mentioned earlier, this project is a massive undertaking. The hexwall per board above consists of 42 plates. Hexwall: A specific pattern must be followed to make this work. The pieces will not fit together seamlessly; when placing them side by side (flat ends), they need to be placed wide-to-wide and narrow-to-narrow, creating new hex spaces in the gaps. A picture illustrates the required pattern. They fit together perfectly when aligned with the short way (saw-blade edge). To maintain a consistent number of hexes, this requires an odd number of plates on the long axis. This design was created to accommodate a 2x3 board with seven hex plates along the long axis and six plates along the short axis. The hexwall pieces labeled end, corners, and top are specifically designed for their respective purposes. The End and Corner pieces have thicker walls, while the Top piece has an additional spur to create a hex space. When gluing these pieces to a board, I strongly recommend using a T-square to mark a line 1/2 inch from the edge of the board before laying down an entire row against it, then moving on. The pieces will inevitably shift slightly regardless of precautions; this method minimizes the issue. Clean any dirt or debris from the plates before gluing. Important note: If you plan to use multiple boards, it's crucial that they be identical in size and layout. I recommend establishing a top-left corner reference point and starting there each time using the same piece. Otherwise, it's purely coincidental how things will come together; if the boards differ, they cannot be combined seamlessly. Pieces: The hexwall and pieces have relatively tight tolerances, with a .06 inch difference between the total width of the hollows and the width of the pieces. If this is a concern, consider reducing the pieces by a specific percentage to address the issue. Roads, water, and deep water are all part of the same piece. I suggest color-coding and using spray paint if possible. I used the following colors: Main board: Light brown/sand with some green Light woods: Moss green Heavy woods: Deep green Water: Blue Deep water: Purple Level 1 and 3 terrain: Grey Level 2 and 4 terrain: Dark brown Roads: Black Woods on fire: Woods piece painted red Rough: Grey, but with the logs painted brown I still use cotton balls for smoke effects. The top light and heavy woods and rough pieces will require additional support. Unfortunately, I haven't yet created buildings.