How to Make a Warhammer Army Display Board

October 19, 2026

Quick answer: build a light, rigid board (often MDF or foam-core), texture and paint it to match your miniatures’ bases, add sparse terrain so models still fit, and leave room to lift units on and off. For competitions, confirm the current event size rules before you cut wood.

A display board presents a Warhammer 40,000 or Warhammer Age of Sigmar force as a scene instead of a grid of bases. It is optional for home shelves and common at painting events.

Materials that stay practical

Thin MDF or foam-core for weight control.
Texture paste, sand, grit or cork for ground.
Static grass, tufts and small rocks that match your basing.
A carrying lip or handles if the board will travel.

If you cut a recess for each model, check how tall the bases are first, so the recesses are shallow enough for models to lift out easily.

Match the army’s bases

If the infantry stands on ash waste, the board should read as ash waste. Clashing ground schemes make even good paint jobs look accidental.

Leave gaps for hands

Overcrowded boards look busy in photos and are miserable to pack. Plan corridors where you can lift a unit without knocking spears into tank barrels.

Event sizes

Organised events publish their own board footprints. Always re-read the current terms the week you build — do not rely on memory or old blog posts.

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