Warhammer 40K: Kill Team – MDF Terrain Vs Plastic Kits
The new Kill Team Starter Set is coming with MDF Terrain which is a first from Games Workshop. Should they do more?
If you didn’t see the new Starter Set for Kill Team you might have missed out that the terrain include is going to be pre-painted MDF terrain. It actually seems really neat.
While it’s physically flat, that’s by design — you’ll be able to re-box everything for easy storage. It’s also pre-painted so getting these assembled and on the table should take no time.
This got me thinking about the other terrain sets GW offers and if MDF could be the way to go moving forward…or not.
MDF vs Plastic Terrain
Let’s start with the Plastic Kits. We all know how detailed GW makes their terrain sets. We’ve seen a ton of them over the years and they allow for some truly impressive/insane terrain for your tabletop.
While I could dig through the terrain photos of years past, you probably know exactly what I’m talking about. Their kits are some of the best (and most expensive) out there. Collecting a set of terrain for your tabletop games isn’t for everyone as many players will just use the terrain provided by their local store or tournaments. I get that for sure! But there are people that have collected and built an impressive set for personal use. And they can have stunning results.
And I’m not going to get into the whole “build your own” terrain from foam or scrap bits…But there is something truly impressive about the 3D nature of the plastic kits. Visually, they suck you in but they take a lot of work!
Warsenal Terrain – Alcazaba Bundle $100
But MDF can also be very impressive on it’s own, too. While the GW set is relatively flat with pre-printed textures, MDF doesn’t have to be flat. The crew over at Warsenal has been making some truly awesome terrain for years. While it doesn’t come pre-painted, neither do the plastic kits from GW. However, they have some very cool designs and still have that 3D look and feel.
They also have really good assembly instructions… but that’s another topic.
So what’s the difference? And should GW keep making their kits in plastic or should they go for more MDF terrain? That’s the question(s)! I can see the value of both options. Plastic is familiar and easy to work with. It’s also more customizable as you can get in there with a hobby knife and some glue to create your own thing. MDF is sturdy and easy to build. However, it’s also wood and laser cut (most of the time). Customizing it can be tricker for the average hobbyist.
Honestly, I don’t see a reason GW can’t make both types in the future. I mean, I don’t want to get into the manufacturing details and requirements. And I don’t even know where to start to look into the environmental impacts. But those could be things to consider long term.
What I do know is that I’m glad to see GW experiment with MDF terrain. Both types of terrain have good qualities about them. I don’t know if this is just a test to see if they can mass produce MDF terrain in a way that appeals to 40k players. But we’ve all seen the rise of mass produced 3rd-party terrain for stores, tournaments, and personal collections. Could MDF terrain be GW’s answer to that? I guess we’re going to have to wait and see how that pans out!
Do you like MDF terrain or do you prefer plastic kits?
