Mantic Game's new Battlezones range has arrived and its time to see just how quick and easy it is to paint up some awesome modular terrain tiles.

The big thing to remember when working with the Battlezone tiles is that the connectors are a very tight fit when they slot into the holes, which means that if you paint the tiles first and then try to assemble then you can have problems.

The best thing to do is to use a square hobby file and file the connection slots a bit to make them a little bigger as that allows for the extra thickness of the paint. This will also make it easier to take your terrain apart again after games, especially if you use the file to push out the connectors rather than pull them apart by hand which can break them.

Step One: Priming & Basecoating

One of the important things to consider when painting scenery is durability- since you'll be moving models around on the buildings during games and storing them between sessions you don't want the paint wearing off. So priming is very important.

A quality spray primer will give a good foundation for the following paint layers and if you use something like the Army Painter Colour Primer range then you can speed things up by doing your priming and basecoat at the same time! The Uniform Grey and Skeleton Bone are both useful colours for terrain, or if you're thinking using some "Chipping Fluid* to apply weathering then I'd recommend using the Plate Mail Metal.

Step Two: Chipping using Foam

Rather than use my usual Hairspray Chipping technique I've opted to use a more simple foam chipping method this time for this terrain. Its a really quick and easy method which still gives great results and is perfect for the Battlezones tiles as the durability of the paint finish won't be affected.

Grab yourself a piece of soft foam insert, such as some from a blister pack, and tear it into a small, irregular piece.

Then use it to apply dabs of Chipping Colour to the tiles, focusing on corners and edges where wear and tear is most likely to occur.

Once this has dried then repeat the process with a metallic colour, such as Gunmetal or Steel leaving some of the chipping colour still showing around the dges.

Step Three: Apply a Wash

Once the primer and basecoat has been applied, in my case at the same time using the Skeleton Bone colour primer, its time to add a wash to bring out recessed detail of the terrain tiles.

If you're wanting to use an acrylic wash for this my personal favourite is a 50/50 mix of “Agrax Earthshade”: and “Nuln Oil” from the Citadel range. This is my go-to blend for a number of my wargaming miniatures and works well over a number of different base colours. Just apply across the entire tile and then use a cotton bud to soak up any excess.

However if you're looking for an even easier method then I recommend using an enamel pin-wash, as these will naturally flow along the seams and recesses due to the capillary action. Plus its very easy to clean up any excess or mistakes with a brush dampened with white spirit. On these tiles I used “Track Wash” which I thinned down with a little odourless turpentine.

Step Four: Applying some Grime & Rust

Warzones are typically not in pristine condition so its a good idea to add some extra grime, rust and dirt to add some extra detail and realism.

I've used some Afrika Korps Streaking Grime and Rust Streaks from the AK Interactive range to apply streaks of rust and grime, especially around the chipped areas.

I also added some spots of Fuel Oil on some of the horizontal surfaces and finally airbrushed a little earth and dust effects on some of the vertical tiles. If you're wanting to add some blood effects then the Citadel Blood for the Blood God technical paint is a great choice.

Optional Extras

Once the tiles have been painted and weathered you can add some additional details such as markings, hazard strips, graffiti or posters to give some more character to your terrain.

For instance on this tile I added a faded white paint marking by masking off a strip, applying some worn effects fluid and then airbrushing with white.

There are also small details modelled onto the tiles like pistons, control panels and key pads which you can go back in and paint up over time.

You can also check out the tutorial video from Mantic's Dave be­low.