Quick answer: a good 28mm fantasy table starts with one or two buildings to anchor the scene, ruins or pillars for cover and height, trees and stumps to break up open ground, and a handful of story pieces such as tombstones, statues or a well. That mix covers most roleplaying encounters and skirmish games, and every piece can be reused in a different layout next week.
Here is how to choose fantasy terrain that works for both roleplaying sessions and wargames, how much you need and how to set up common scenes quickly.
What makes a good fantasy table?
Fantasy terrain does two jobs at once. In a roleplaying game it sets the scene, so players instantly understand where they are. In a skirmish game it has to work as cover and block line of sight. The best pieces do both: a ruined chapel tells a story and gives archers something to hide behind.
The core pieces, and what each one does
| Piece | In a roleplaying game | In a skirmish game |
|---|---|---|
| Buildings and cottages | Taverns, shops and homes to explore | Large line-of-sight blockers |
| Ruins and pillars | Ancient temples, dungeon entrances | Height, cover and choke points |
| Trees and stumps | Forest roads and ambush sites | Soft cover and broken ground |
| Graveyard pieces | Spooky encounters and undead scenes | Low cover and objectives |
| Small scatter | Story clues: coffins, statues, logs | Objectives and terrain detail |
How much fantasy terrain do you need?
For roleplaying, you only need enough for the current scene; a building, a few trees and a couple of story pieces is plenty for most encounters. For skirmish games on a small board, aim for terrain across roughly a quarter to a third of the table, with at least a few tall pieces that block line of sight. If your game's rulebook gives its own guidance, follow that.
Our 28mm fantasy terrain sets
Our fantasy terrain is printed in our Northumberland workshop from PLA+, supplied unpainted and ready to use or paint:
- 28mm Fantasy Village Buildings: four buildings: a ruined chapel (about 15 cm tall), a village cottage, a merchant's house and a stone hut. Enough for a village square, a crossroads or a small town.
- 4x Ruined Pillars: four tall ruined stone pillars, 190 mm high, for temples, ancient ruins and dungeon halls.
- 28mm Scatter Terrain Trees: five fantasy trees (about 6.5 cm tall), two broken stumps and a resting log, with no assembly. Good for forest roads and ambushes.
- Graveyard Scatter Terrain: a mausoleum (about 11 cm tall), a gnarled tree, two cloaked statues, two coffins and 22 mixed tombstones.
Five quick scenes you can build
- Village ambush: two buildings facing each other across a road, trees at one end and a stump or log as cover.
- Forest road: trees in clusters either side of a path, with stumps and a log breaking up the open ground.
- Ruined temple: pillars in a rough rectangle, one knocked over, with the ruined chapel at the far end.
- Haunted graveyard: tombstones in uneven rows, the mausoleum as the centrepiece and statues as cover.
- Crossroads skirmish: a building on each corner, with scatter in the junction as the objective.
Check scale and footprint before you buy
"28mm" describes the height of a typical human miniature, not the size of the terrain, so it is worth checking two things on any listing. First, height: doors, walls and trees should look right next to your models, and anything much taller than a model works as a line-of-sight blocker. Second, footprint: how much table space each piece covers, and whether it leaves room for bases to move between pieces. If you play on a small mat or a kitchen table, a few large pieces can fill it quickly, so a set of smaller scatter often gives you more flexible layouts. Measuring your models' bases first helps too; our guide on how to measure a miniature base explains how.
Painting fantasy terrain fast
Prime the pieces, base coat stone and wood in a mid-tone, apply a dark wash so it collects in cracks, then drybrush a lighter tone over the edges. Add moss or grass on the bases of walls and pillars for a weathered, lived-in look. Keeping the same stone and wood colours across every set makes them look like one world when you combine them.
Displaying and storing your terrain
Terrain is half the fun of showing off a painted collection. A small vignette, with a few painted models on a scatter-terrain base, makes a great shelf piece; see how to display miniatures and terrain together. Between games, keep tall pieces upright in a divided box and stack flat pieces with soft card between them; our guides on storing tabletop terrain and transporting terrain go into more detail.
Frequently asked questions
What scale is 28mm fantasy terrain?
It is made to suit miniatures around 28mm to 32mm tall at eye level, the common scale for fantasy roleplaying miniatures and skirmish wargames.
Can I use wargaming terrain for D&D-style roleplaying games?
Yes. Most 28mm fantasy terrain works well for roleplaying games played with miniatures, as long as your models are a similar 28mm to 32mm scale.
Does your fantasy terrain come painted?
No. It is supplied unpainted and ready to prime and paint, or to use straight away as it is.
How tall are the ruined pillars?
Each of the four ruined pillars is 190 mm tall, which makes them strong line-of-sight blockers and good centrepieces for temple or ruin scenes.
What should I buy first for a fantasy table?
Start with one or two buildings or a set of ruins to anchor scenes, then add trees and small scatter so you can build several different layouts.