How To Build 3D Naval Wargaming Terrain for Oak & Iron

How To Videos: Building Oak & Iron Scale 3D Terrain header image

The game of Oak & Iron comes with a 3’x3′ game mat along with 12 different shoal and rock terrain cutouts. It also has 3 islands and a landmass with great artwork. Everything straight out of the box is 100% playable with no extra work. … BUT… In my personal opinion, nothing makes a miniatures game look better than 3D terrain on the table. I’ve compiled some of my favorite naval terrain-building tutorials on YouTube into one handy page.

Creating Rocky Terrain for Oak & Iron

Create realistic and rugged terrain for your Oak & Iron miniature wargame with this easy tutorial. Quickly and easily create rocky terrain using simple materials and techniques. Learn all the steps to create terrain that matches the scale of the rocky terrain templates in the Core Box. With this tutorial, you’ll be able to set up your battlefield in no time and impress your opponents with your terrain-building skills.

Naval Wargaming Terrain and Painting Guide for Oak & Iron

Join Dave with MS Paints as he takes on the challenge of creating small-scale terrain for the miniature wargame compatible with Oak & Iron. He shares tips and tricks for creating rocky terrain using cheap, easy-to-find materials such as foam board, exterior filler, and pine bark. and easy to work with. This tutorial is perfect for beginners and advanced hobbyists who want to improve their terrain-building skills.

How to Make a Small Dock and Breakwater

A step-by-step tutorial on how to create realistic docks and shoreline terrain for the miniature wargame Black Seas, but easily adaptable to Oak & Iron. Using foam core, cardboard, and cork it creates textures and shapes to mimic the look of a shoreline. It creates wood grain docks using toothpicks and Popsicle sticks.

How to Build an Amazing Seaside Diorama

A railroad terrain project that works well for Oak & Iron. The model is built in HO scale (1:87), but easily adaptable to the 1:600 scale. Learn some advanced techniques that can add some great texture and details to your terrain.

The Terrain Tutor builds 6mm Coastal Scatter Terrain

Mel the Terrain Tutor walks through his process for making some 6mm Coastal Scatter Terrain. His techniques are great for small islands, sandbars, or shoals He uses some techniques for water effects without needing resin.

The Terrain Tutor builds a 6mm Headwater Peninsula

Mel is back with another great 6mm Coastal Scatter Terrain tutorial. In this video, he creates a large peninsula that would work great for a fort or lighthouse. It also creates a great visual for your Oak & Iron board. The scale is too big for Oak & Iron, but easily adapted.

How to Make Realistic Ocean Waves with Toilet Paper & Water

Great tutorial on how to model REALISTIC ocean or lake water with wave effect low cost & easy, using toilet paper and glue. Unlike other methods, you don´t need to be a skilled artist to get a realistic water effect. It auto-creates texture to make painting a breeze.

A Diorama of a Hidden Cove

High Eye Workshop does a HO Scale diorama of a hidden coastal cove. You’ll learn techniques for rocks, coastal sandy regions, and water resin effects. It’s great for extrapolating to terrain for Oak & Iron islands and land masses.

How to Build An Ocean Terrain Gaming Table

A massive board on a budget with non-resin water effects. The scale looks closer to Blood & Plunder, but there are several techniques that are useful for smaller-scale naval, wargaming terrain.

Have a good tutorial video I don’t have on the list that you’d recommend? Add it to the comments below. If you’ve got a great idea or pictures of terrain you’ve built for Oak & Iron, we’d be grateful if you’d share it to our community gallery. We have an entire subsection for naval wargaming terrain and gameboards..

Additional Content Suggestions:

Check out our guide on Everything You Need to Know About Terrain in Oak & Iron for tips, tricks, and strategies to use terrain in your pirate genre miniatures games.
TImber and Sail has a community gallery with lots of good Oak & Iron miniatures, but also a full section of naval terrain created by multiple artists in the community. Naval Wargaming Terrain Gallery
We have developed rules for Ice terrain in our The Battle of Hudson’s Bay – Oak & Iron Scenario. Try something fun/different for your games in this great historically-based scenario.
A collection of additional painting tutorials for Oak & Iron ships

Affiliate Product Recommendations

Woodland Scenics water effects – No mixing required, pours directly from the bottle to enhance the edges of your islands or rocky shoals.