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TerranScapes ~ Playing Surfaces FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions for TerranScapes Modular Boards

Q. What foam do you use to make the boards?
A. The foam boards used are 1.5" thick pieces of extruded polystyrene insulation foam made by Owens Corning. This is the 'pink foam' with the trade name of Fomular. Extruded foam comes in three varieties that I know of and have worked with. Blue foam, which is manufactured by Dow. It is a little bit softer than pink foam, and has a very fine grain to it. Green foam (I'm not sure of the manufacturer) has a coarser cell structure and is more brittle than either blue or pink. I would use blue as an alternative if it came in 1.5" thickness but I haven't seen it around my area, though I believe it is available in 1.5" and 2" thicknesses.

Q. Why do you make your boards 10" x 20" instead 12" x 24"?
A. The pink foam boards I purchase are 24" wide x 96" long... but they are tongue and groove so about 1.5" on either side is lost since it is half the thickness. That provides for about 21" of usable width. I opted to cut 20" long boards to allow me to cut 9 from each sheet. This maximizes the number of boards I can get from a sheet. TerranScapes aims to be eco-friendly so my goal is to maximize the use of the boards to reduce waste. If the boards were cut to be 12"x24", only 4 boards could be cut from a sheet, provided the ends of the stock 2' x 8' sheets are in very good shape. Normally the ends of the boards are trimmed a 1/2" to provide the cleanest edge possible so it may mean only 3 boards could be cut from a sheet.
An added benefit of the smaller 10" x 20" size is that it allows for a higher number of various configurations. Playing on a 50" x 70" allows for a 5 board width compared to a 4 board width with a 48" wide table using 12" boards.

Q. If you used the blue or green sheets, could you cut 12" x 24" boards?
A. I have used the green foam, which is available in true 2' x 8' sheets but its so brittle that I can't in good faith expect it to handle rough use. The corners chip very easily. Blue foam does come in 2' x 8' boards also, but it is also tongue and groove though the groove is much more shallow. I would be possible to get a true 2' width off of it but it is offered in 1" thick sheets in my area, carving rivers into it would make it unacceptably thin in some areas and I don't feel confident it would dependably hold up. A 1" thickness also presents a great amount of warping from drying adhesives and improper storage. The 1.5" thickness of the sheets I use makes for a sturdy base that doesn't require a hardboard bottom. Though you may notice that even with the 1.5" thickness, some boards have been 'melted' on the bottom to help 'coax' them into sitting flat.

Q . Your boards make table sizes that are 50" x 70" but a regulation table size is 48" x 72". Doesn't that affect game play?
A. TerranScapes always seeks to balance playability, flexibility and appearance. I thought a difference of 2" in either direction was an acceptable trade off in this case as the deployment zone can be extended or restricted by 2 inches for instance. Total square inch area for a 50" x 70" playing surface is 3500 in sq. For a 48" x 72" table it is 3456 in sq. This is less than 2% difference in total size. These boards have been accepted as playable in at least one Warmachine Tournament which typically uses a 48" x 48" playing area even though the closest size you can achieve with a set is 50" x 50". As mentioned before, the slightly smaller size of the boards also allows for many more possible configurations giving more layout variations.

Q. The lines between the boards help players judge distances for charges, guess weapons and similar. Doesn't that take away from the game?
A.This is a compromise for the modular design that I can't see a work around at the moment. There are a few considerations that reduce the impact of having lines visible between the boards. Any help in judging distances does help both players, maintaining a level playing field. It has been my experience that good players judge distances so well that it really doesn't make that much of a difference. In addition, angular charges or estimations (relative to the lines) benefit less as your drawing a line of sight along the 'hypotenuse' of the triangle so to speak which is a bit harder to judge.

Q. How much space do you need to store the board set when your not using them?
A. The boards come packed in large boxes, with each box measuring 24" x 14" x 14". The boxes make a great way to store the boards to keep them from getting dusty and to protect them when you transport them. Three to four boxes can be stacked so that it only occupies 2 ft. sq. of floor space allowing them to put in the corner of a large closet, under stairs in the basement or similar.

Q. How much would it be to ship a deluxe boardset to me in (insert your location)?
A. Each box weighs around 7.5 - 8.5 lbs. The farther you are from Massachusetts (where TerranScapes is located) more expensive shipping becomes. The following States and Countries give you an approximation of the shipping and handling costs for a typical Deluxe set packed in 3 boxes. (Note prices include the $7/box for packing materials and time to pack.)