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Games Workshop's Realm of Battle gaming board is dead sexy, but I couldn't justify the $300 price tag. So I started experimenting. What I came up with was a set of six 2'x2' Sintra tiles, painted with lightly textured paint. After that, I did two coats of paint, one for the basic desert color, the other a cream-colored drybrush.
It turned out okay for now, but it looks as though I'll have to redo some of the tiles, as the texture is too light for my liking.
If you're looking for an inexpensive and compact solution for your gaming surface needs, look no further. If you're feeling particularly saucy, you can create corner hills to mimic the Realm of Battle board or add any other terrain features you please with some more Sintra, fiberglass resin, Bondo and imagination.
I'll post more of the gaming surface as I complete the project and am well pleased with the result.
Combing the desert,
-Jordan