Rivers: Quick, Cheap, and Easy

One thing I see missing on our gaming tables is water. It seems that in the grim future of the 41st millennium, every planet is dry.

My theory for this is that there is no glory in making rivers. Buildings are cool to build and paint. Defense walls, bastions, command bunkers, ruins, manufactorums, and basilicas all can be challenging to build and paint and bring a lot of life to the battlefield.

Rivers, however, are just boring.

The campaign primer I put together requires that the terrain used in the battle is a product of which territories the players are fighting over. Some of those territories are rivers and swamps, which require water obstacles. So I decided to make some rivers.

This is probably the easiest piece of terrain you will ever make.

You will need some 12”x12” vinyl flooring tiles. They sell for less than a dollar each at your local home improvement store. Try to get tiles that have some texture, but no defined shapes.

You will also need some cheap blue paint. I use Folk Art, which sells for less than a dollar. Then get some flat disposable sponge brushes.

If your tiles are not a light tan or white color, then you will want to spray paint them with white primer.

Once you have everything together, put a mark on one side of the tile 4” from the edges. Then do the same on the opposite side. You’ll see why in a moment.

Using scissors, start cutting the tile in a random wavy line. Make sure you end your cut at the mark at the opposite end of the tile. When you are done you will have three pieces.

Now start cutting the two straight end pieces in a wavy line. Make sure that the narrow end of the pieces are 4”.

By this time you have three squiggly tile pieces. Each end of the pieces are 4”. This is so when you line them up end to end you won’t see your “river” come to an abrupt end as it narrows.

Squeeze a line of the blue paint onto your river and paint it with the sponge brush. Spread the paint around until it is thinned out. Yes, you will have brush strokes, and that is a good thing. Your last strokes should start at one end and drag it completely to the other end following the contour of the tiles. This will make it look like running water when you are done.

Let it dry and you’re done!

The more adventurous may want to do other things, such as add dirt to the river banks, maybe a dead body floating face-down, whatever. For those of us who just want some water on our tables, this is the quickest, easiest, and cheapest way to do it.