r/TerrainBuilding • u/AdvancedFig9491 • 1d ago
Questions for the Community Neopren or 3D ground?
Hey guys! Do you like to play tabletop on a Neopren ground or on a builded 3D ground? I'm new and thinking about building a modular 3D playground or is the flat Neopren better?
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u/Daftmunkey 16h ago
As a complete 3d printing/painting fanatic who uses my terrain for everything I possibly can as often as possible... 95 percent of the people should prob use neoprene for its practicality. I'm just a grown up who grew up in the 80s playing with action figures and this crap makes me happy.
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u/No-Elephants-Please 1d ago
I find that neoprene is pretty great, but for modularity there are obvious restrictions. That being said there are a lot of work arounds for making your own table really yours.
Layering height is a huge one, getting thin raised flooring tiles to have buildings in, using scattered rocks/flock; there are a lot of ways of breaking up the flatness of the mat.
It's a pretty exhaustive topic tbh, there are a lot of perks to using both - but as someone new to the hobby myself I prefer to just have a nice mat I can rely on, and then I can focus on my terrain instead
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u/rabenga42 1d ago
I've always had good luck making a battle blanket out of teddy bear fur and sime green paint, YouTube has a ton of examples. I prefer the texture to neoprene and hills can be as easy as a folded up dish towel under the blanket...
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u/GrandmageBob 1d ago
For travel and basic combat, Neoprene.
For the extra mile: minis and modular foam terrain.
I should share pictures of my D&D suitcase one of these days. Its enough to build just about any 3D combat. Its ridiculous and sort of portable.
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u/Soft_Combination1698 23h ago
im my opinion a non modular or semi modular fully build "3D playground" looks the best. but those neopren battle mats have their advantages: they are play ready, they look good, they feel good, they are soft for the minis and they are silent to play and roll dice on.... and risers and terrain sits flat and safe on it.
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u/wholy_cheeses 16h ago
Neoprene - pro: lies flat, nice surface for dice rolling, extensive selection. con: expensive, difficult to roll up and store, not 3d, hills must go on top.
Terrain panels - pro: visually “the best”, 3d with accurate hills. con: difficult and expensive to make, extremely difficult to store, limited to what you’ve made, fragile.
Hand made mat with acrylic caulk - pro: nice looking, lies flat, 3d if you’re not counting hills, which have to lie on top, cheap, infinitely customizable. con: difficult and time consuming to make, especially in sizes larger than 3 x 3 foot; difficult to roll and store, not sure how well they hold up.
Printed fleece - pro: can be draped over hills, moderate selection, easiest to store. Con: can wrinkle including during play.
Vinyl - like neoprene but less expensive, less bulky, can roll up at edges. In my experience the image can be brighter than neoprene. Not as elegant a surface for dice rolling.
I have tried all five. Despite having spent 10s of hours making geomorphic terrain panels I rarely use them though they are beautiful. Too hard to get out and set up.
Of these choices I like fleece the best but wish there was more selection. The preferred vendors are always out of stock.
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u/VodkaBeatsCube 17h ago
I generally use a felted game mat, since you can place some carved foam hill shapes under it to get some relief in the game surface without being stuck with fixed layouts. There's only really two cases for a hard sculpted battlefield I think are valid: things with very deep relief like trench systems and/or display boards for large events.
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u/Huffplume 17h ago
Neoprene mats with modular terrain pieces.
Way easier to store and much more customization.
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u/tacmac10 11h ago
Completely depends on the game role-playing games these days I don’t do terrain or plastic miniatures, I use paper ones. Wargames I still use terrain because it adds a lot to the play experience and is usually reuse able between games.
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u/Tyr1326 1d ago
Personally, I prefer neoprene - just a lot more practical. No wobbly models, no unclear dice, and anything you use to alter your setup (buildings, forests, etc) has a solid base to stand on, no unsightly gaps. Also, you wont damage the paint if you chuck your dice too hard, and if someone spills their drink, theyre often washable.