Terrain for Beginners
Since the big reboot of Star Wars: Legion, I’ve noticed a rise in questions about terrain. What kind of terrain do I need? How much of my board should be covered? Is terrain for Legion and Shatterpoint the same scale? In this blog post, I’ll try to answer the most common questions beginners have for both Legion and Shatterpoint.
Terrain! Huh, what is it good for?
Immersion: Terrain serves several purposes in tabletop gaming. First of all, it’s crucial for immersion. There’s a big difference between playing an old-school board game without any lore or visually appealing details and diving into a richly themed universe. We’re playing Star Wars games filled with lore, set in a vast galaxy far, far away! Bringing that atmosphere to life on the gaming board is where the fun begins. We get to immerse ourselves in the Star Wars universe and forget about the outside world for a few hours. To achieve this level of immersion, the terrain we use should look detailed and otherworldly. Sure, we could use simple cardboard boxes. That would be functional, but it wouldn’t quite capture the magic.
Gameplay Mechanics: In Star Wars: Legion, terrain plays a major role in gameplay. It can provide cover, block line of sight, hinder movement, and make positioning even more important. So, it might surprise new players that the rulebook doesn’t specify exactly how much terrain or what kinds of terrain you need. It’s basically left up to the players. However, this freedom can sometimes lead to unsatisfying game experiences for beginners. Just imagine bringing a bunch of B1 droids to an open-field battle against Clone Troopers. It’s going to be a very bad day for our beloved clankers! They need cover and terrain that blocks line of sight; otherwise, the Clones will have an unfair advantage.
Star Wars: Shatterpoint is a true 3D experience, so it’s best when you stack your terrain high. You don’t need to focus as much on cover and line-of-sight rules, since cover is easier to obtain and line of sight is harder to block than in Legion. However, you should pay attention to your platforms. Some units with larger bases might not fit on every platform and will have a tougher time moving around. On the other hand, units with Force Jump or Jet Packs lose much of their value if your board lacks taller platforms.
How Much Terrain Do I Need?
Legion: While there are no official rules regarding terrain, the general rule of thumb in the community is that roughly 25% of the board should be covered. Aim for about three pieces large enough to block line of sight and two pieces with height 2 (to account for abilities like Jump 2). Of course, these are just guidelines and you can always adjust them to suit your personal preferences and play style.
Shatterpoint: In Shatterpoint, there’s almost no such thing as too much terrain. It’s a game all about overcoming obstacles, jumping from one platform to another, and sometimes getting pushed down again. Nothing beats the thrill of feeling the height when you Force Jump onto a high gantry! As a general rule of thumb, try to have at least one-third of the board covered with terrain that offers plenty of verticality. Ideally at least three levels (ground, level 1, and level 2). The tower from the High Ground pack, for example, would count as level 3.
What Is the Best Layout?
Another common question is: how should I arrange my terrain on the board? Some games, like Kill Team, tell you exactly how to lay out the different terrain pieces. Legion and Shatterpoint do not.
In Star Wars: Legion, players mutually agree on the properties (like heavy cover) and placement of terrain pieces before determining who is the Blue Player, who is the Red Player, and of course before deployment.
In Star Wars: Shatterpoint, it works pretty much the same way. So far, so good but how do we make sure that the setup is fair for both players? This becomes especially important in a competitive environment. Some players set up terrain in a mirrored layout so that both sides of the board are identical. This ensures equal access for both players, which is certainly one valid approach. However, it comes with two downsides: first, it looks unnatural and can break immersion; second, while accessibility is balanced, it doesn’t account for the fact that the factions themselves often have asymmetric abilities. Symmetrical terrain with asymmetric armies (or strike teams) can still give one player an unintended advantage.
There’s nothing wrong with a fully symmetrical board, but I personally prefer a method I call “balanced in good faith.” The “balanced” part is simple. The setup doesn’t need to be mirrored, but it should be roughly even. For example, line-of-sight-blocking elements shouldn’t all be on one side (Legion), and ingress points to mission objectives on higher platforms shouldn’t all favor one player (Shatterpoint).
The “good faith” part refers to good sportsmanship. If I know how fragile B1 droids are in an open field, I won’t try to exploit that against my opponent (Legion) before the match even started. Likewise, I wouldn’t block your access to ingress points if you’re running a slower strike team (Shatterpoint). Games shouldn’t be won through list-building or terrain setup tricks alone. That’s just not fun for anyone.
How to Get the Right Terrain?
Buy the Official Terrain Packs by AMG
Atomic Mass Games offers a wide range of terrain packs. They are all beautifully designed and look fantastic on the tabletop. What I love about them are the many small details and Easter eggs that only a studio full of Star Wars fans could come up with. For example, some packs include a Gonk Droid or a Loth-cat as scatter terrain. In the High Ground pack, you even get the TT-BL/Y7 droid from Jabba’s Palace as a fun little addition (Ah’chu Apeenkee!).
I really enjoy these touches because they make your board feel alive! Another big plus, especially for Shatterpoint, is that the official terrain packs are fully compatible with each other. They’re built to the correct height, and you can stack them together almost like a LEGO set. And, of course, by buying them, you’re supporting the creators of our favorite games.
The most frequently asked question is probably: Can I use Shatterpoint terrain in Legion?
Star Wars: Legion is roughly 32 mm in scale, while Shatterpoint is about 40 mm. Yes, they’re different in scale but you won’t really notice it with the naked eye. Our brains naturally “fill in” or complete missing details, shapes, and scale differences to make everything look coherent.
Plus, in the Star Wars universe, structures come in all shapes and sizes just like Jawas and Wookiees! So a bit of variation feels completely natural. AMG doesn’t distinguish between terrain for Legion and Shatterpoint, so feel free to mix and match as you like.
Craft It Yourself
A big part of the tabletop hobby is crafting. You can get creative and try making your own terrain! I found some inspiring images of Imperial buildings online and used them as references to cut patterns out of balsa wood with a scalpel and ruler. Not everything turned out perfectly straight, but as I mentioned earlier, the eye doesn’t really notice those little imperfections on the vast battlefield. I glued the pieces together with super glue, then painted them in gray tones with rusty browns for weathering. In the end, I kept everything modular, just like AMG’s official terrain.
Get STL Files and 3D Print It
There are plenty of beautifully designed sculpts available on sites like Etsy, where you can buy STL files for terrain and print them on your own 3D printer or have them printed at a local shop. Keep in mind that print quality can vary depending on the printer and material.
Use Household Items
I still vividly remember using all kinds of boxes and soda cans to build terrain for Warhammer Fantasy. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with using your imagination and repurposing everyday items to create gaming scenery. It’s functional!
Final Verdict: Terrain is one of the most important parts of Miniatures Wargaming. It brings the Games to life and shapes how battles play out mechanically. Plus, it lets you express your creativity. Whether you buy AMG’s awesome official terrain packs, print your own pieces, or build them from scratch, what matters most is balance (keeping setups fair and fun) and your immersion.
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