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For a balanced Strike Force game, begin with the mission’s Chapter Approved Tournament Companion layout, mark its area-terrain footprints on an approximately 44 x 60 inch battlefield, and fit your painted scenery into those footprints by function. The two deployment sides do not need identical buildings: they do need comparable line-of-sight protection, cover, movement routes, height opportunities, and access to objectives.
What makes a pre-painted terrain setup balanced?
Paint affects appearance, not game balance. Balance comes from what the scenery does on the table: whether it blocks sight, grants cover, creates routes through the board, offers useful height, and gives both players comparable opportunities to reach objectives.
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The current Games Workshop approach is to use the Chapter Approved Tournament Companion version 1.4 layouts for matched play. The companion says its recommendations will be seen at most Games Workshop matched-play events and describes them as a way to create risk-and-reward decisions that a wide variety of army types can engage with. Organisers may adapt a layout to the terrain collection available, but the numbered placement pattern should remain the starting point.
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For a home game, following the same process gives you a repeatable table rather than a visual arrangement that accidentally favours the army with the longest weapons, the fastest units, or the largest models.
Use the Strike Force board and terrain pool
Board dimensions
Strike Force layouts use a battlefield approximately 44 x 60 inches. Mark the playing area before arranging scenery so that the outer edges, deployment zones, and central approaches are consistent from game to game.
Recommended area-terrain footprints
The companion’s recommended pool is expressed as six rectangular footprint sizes. These are the areas that should be occupied by terrain, not necessarily the exact dimensions of a building’s walls or base. Measure or outline them on the board first, then place the scenery within the outlines.
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| Footprint | Quantity | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| 6 x 4 inches | Four | Small pieces, narrow ruins, barricade clusters, or local cover near an approach |
| 10 x 5 inches | Two | Medium ruins or structures that divide a firing lane without sealing it completely |
| 12 x 6 inches | Six | Major line-of-sight blockers and the principal terrain features around the centre and deployment areas |
The footprints are a planning tool. A pre-painted building can be irregular, taller than its base, or made from several parts. Keep the occupied area within the selected outline and make the functional value of that area clear to both players.
Choose ruins as the foundation
Use Ruins as the primary feature type when possible. They efficiently provide line-of-sight blockage and cover under the rules’ abstraction, allowing infantry and larger units to make meaningful movement decisions without requiring a fully modelled city block. Add Woods, Barricades, or Hills when your collection supports them, but do not replace the main blocking features with only low scatter.
Mix low and tall sections
Separate terrain sections more than 4 inches tall from sections 2 inches or less when planning the board. The contrast creates different sight lines and gives height-related rules, including Plunging Fire, a practical role. A table made entirely from low walls leaves too many long lanes; a table made entirely from tall blocks can make movement and target selection feel arbitrary. Use both levels and make sure neither deployment side receives all of the useful high ground.
Match the mission to its numbered layout
Do not choose a favourite arrangement first and then force the mission onto it. The companion assigns layout numbers to deployment modes. Select the mission, identify its deployment mode, and use one of the permitted layouts before placing objectives.
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| Deployment mode | Permitted layouts |
|---|---|
| Tipping Point | 1, 2, 4, 6, 7, and 8 |
| Hammer and Anvil | 1, 7, and 8 |
| Search and Destroy | 1, 2, 3, 4, and 6 |
| Crucible of Battle | 1, 2, 4, 6, and 8 |
| Sweeping Engagement | 3 and 5 |
| Dawn of War | 5 |
The map’s numbered placements are more important than matching the exact sculpt shown in an illustration. If a layout calls for a large blocking footprint, a different ruin of comparable size and function is acceptable. Record which layout you used so a rematch can reproduce the same conditions.
Translate painted scenery into battlefield functions
Major sight blockers
Assign your largest ruins or solid buildings to the 12 x 6 inch footprints first. Their job is to interrupt direct fire from one deployment zone to the other and to give units a reason to move toward the centre. Do not rotate a large piece to create a diagonal corridor that was not present in the selected layout.
When a building has open windows, decide before deployment how the terrain rules treat those openings. The important point is consistency: both players should know which parts block sight and which parts do not before units are placed.
Partial cover and local protection
Use lower walls, barricades, woods, or scatter pieces in the smaller footprints to protect units moving between major ruins. These features should break up exposed approaches without becoming a continuous wall. A player should be able to move from a deployment area toward an objective while making choices about speed, concealment, and firing position.
Movement routes
Keep routes open for the largest expected models, not only for infantry. A tank, monster, or similarly wide model can make a visually attractive layout unusable if two painted structures leave only a narrow gap. Leave enough room for bases to enter or pass through the terrain areas without relying on uncertain overhangs.
Check more than the shortest path to the centre. Consider a route around each flank, a route through the central terrain, and a fallback route for a unit that must leave an objective. If one side has a clear route while the other must cross an empty lane, move or exchange scenery while preserving the footprint.
Elevated positions
Place raised sections where they offer choices rather than automatic dominance. A high platform that sees almost the entire table can turn the first turn into a shooting lottery. A tall piece that blocks sight from one direction but permits a limited elevated angle from another creates more useful decisions. Make sure both deployment sides can contest or avoid elevated positions rather than giving one side an exclusive overlook.
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Set up the table step by step
- Confirm the mission and deployment mode. Write down the mission, select one of its permitted layouts, and keep the layout diagram visible while you work.
- Prepare the board. Mark the approximately 44 x 60 inch Strike Force playing area. Remove objects outside that boundary that could become accidental cover or block a model’s movement.
- Mark every area-terrain footprint. Use measuring sticks, painter’s tape, removable cards, or a washable marker to outline four 6 x 4 inch areas, two 10 x 5 inch areas, and six 12 x 6 inch areas.
- Place the largest blockers first. Put major ruins or solid buildings into the layout’s largest footprints. Check that their orientation follows the numbered placement and does not open an unintended first-turn corridor.
- Add lower cover. Fill the smaller footprints with barricades, low walls, woods, or scatter. Keep the pieces inside their assigned areas and leave practical gaps between features.
- Introduce height variety. Identify sections more than 4 inches tall and sections 2 inches or less. Distribute these categories across the two halves of the board instead of concentrating all tall structures on one side.
- Place objectives from the mission map. Use flat circular objective markers 40mm in diameter. An objective may be hidden within terrain or left in the open when the official layout indicates either option. Once objectives are down, do not move terrain simply to create a preferred firing lane.
- Mirror functional value. Compare the two deployment sides for concealment, cover, routes toward the centre, flank access, and elevated positions. Swap comparable scenery when one side has a clear advantage.
- Run a model-clearance check. Walk a representative infantry unit, a large vehicle, and a deep-striking or reserve unit through the intended routes. Check entrances, corners, gaps, and the edges of terrain areas for ambiguous overhangs.
- Photograph and record the final layout. A top-down photo plus the mission and layout number lets you rebuild the table without relying on memory.
Audit balance before the first turn
Use the following comparison rather than judging the table by whether the painted pieces look symmetrical. Identical sculpts are unnecessary; comparable battlefield value is the goal.
| Audit question | What to compare | Warning sign |
|---|---|---|
| Side-to-side parity | How many deployment-side units can begin concealed or in cover? | One side has several protected starting positions while the other begins in open sight |
| Line-of-sight control | Can a long-range army see valuable targets immediately across the table? | A straight firing corridor links deployment zones with no meaningful obstruction |
| Movement access | Can infantry, monsters, and vehicles reach central and flank objectives? | A gap fits infantry but not the largest expected model |
| Height mix | Are tall and low sections available to both players? | One side owns the only position that provides a useful elevated angle |
| Objective interaction | Are objectives contestable without making every approach identical? | An objective is sealed inside a piece that only one army type can enter or use |
This is a practical table check, not a claim of formal playtesting. Its purpose is to catch obvious geometry problems before the first command phase.
Handle objectives and deployment zones carefully
Terrain placement and objective placement interact, so complete them in the correct order. Use the selected layout’s terrain positions first, then place the mission’s objectives. Moving a ruin after seeing objective locations can manufacture a firing lane or a safe scoring position that the layout was not designed to provide.
When an objective lies near a ruin, inspect the approach from both deployment zones. A unit should be able to contest it through a route that is understandable on the table. If the objective is within an area feature, agree which models can enter that area and which edges count as blocked before deployment.
Keep 40mm objective markers visibly flat and easy to measure around. A thick scenic marker can raise questions about whether a model’s base is on, within, or outside the objective area; a flat circular marker avoids that unnecessary uncertainty.
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Infantry
Infantry should have multiple ways to cross the table: through a ruin, around a flank, and between low-cover pieces. Avoid placing every small feature so close together that infantry can leap from one protected position to the next without making a meaningful choice.
Large vehicles and monsters
Measure the widest and longest models likely to appear in the game. Check that they can approach objectives, turn at corners, and leave their deployment zone without being trapped by decorative walls or narrow gaps. A structure can remain visually dense while offering a broad enough route at ground level.
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Deep-striking and reserve units
Walk a representative reserve unit through its likely arrival routes after the terrain is placed. This reveals whether the board has usable landing areas or whether decorative scatter has filled every safe space. Do not remove terrain simply to guarantee an arrival point; instead, make sure the selected layout does not unintentionally eliminate practical options.
Using a pre-painted set such as Fronteris – Nachmund
Warhammer Community described Battlezone: Fronteris – Nachmund as “a battlefield in a box,” combining gaming boards with detailed terrain. Its designers specifically discussed the Fronteris Landing Pad as tall enough to fully block line of sight between normal-sized infantry models on opposite sides. Stacking STC Hab-Bunkers on the pad creates a larger structure capable of hiding a Redemptor Dreadnought, Carnifex, or small tank.
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“For example, we designed the Fronteris Landing Pad to be just tall enough to fully block line of sight between two normal-sized infantry models on either side.”
Richard Butler, terrain designer, Warhammer Community
Those design details illustrate how to use any pre-painted collection: assign a landing pad, bunker, or building to a specific blocking or height function, then compare that function with the equivalent position on the opposite side. The fact that a piece is supplied ready-painted does not remove the need to measure its footprint or check model clearance.
A 2026 GamesRadar report said Games Workshop had revealed a pre-painted Warhammer 40,000 terrain range intended to be playable out of the box, including buildings, scatter terrain, and objectives. Treat that as a product-news lead rather than proof of current availability; verify official release details before promising that a particular set can be bought or used for a tournament date.
Common setup problems and fixes
“The table looks symmetrical, but one side is exposed.”
Visual symmetry can hide a functional difference in wall height, window placement, or approach distance. Compare what a unit can actually see and how far it must travel to reach cover. Exchange pieces with comparable footprints or rotate a structure within its assigned area until both sides have similar defensive value.
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“The first player can fire across the whole board.”
Identify the straight corridor connecting deployment zones and place a major ruin or solid building in the relevant official footprint. Preserve alternate routes around the blocker so the correction does not turn the board into a sealed maze.
“Vehicles cannot reach the objectives.”
Measure the vehicle’s base or hull at every corner, not just at the centre of the route. Widen a gap by moving a low piece within its footprint, or exchange a decorative feature for a lower-profile equivalent. Keep the main terrain area in the prescribed position while removing accidental pinch points.
“All the useful height is on one half.”
Move one elevated piece to the corresponding footprint on the other side, or use a similarly tall painted structure there. The aim is not to give both players the same view; it is to give both players access to meaningful height-related decisions.
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Use the diagram as a footprint and function guide, not as a demand for identical sculpts. Measure the building’s occupied area, classify it as a blocker, cover piece, route divider, or elevated feature, and substitute a piece with comparable battlefield value.
“Objective placement creates an accidental safe zone.”
Return to the selected mission map and place objectives exactly as indicated. Do not slide terrain after the fact to shelter one marker. If the terrain physically prevents a legal or practical approach, use another piece within the same footprint and record the change for both players.
A repeatable pre-game checklist
- The game uses the approximately 44 x 60 inch Strike Force battlefield.
- The mission’s deployment mode is matched to an allowed Chapter Approved layout.
- Four 6 x 4 inch, two 10 x 5 inch, and six 12 x 6 inch footprints have been marked or measured.
- Ruins or solid buildings provide the principal sight blocking.
- Lower cover, such as barricades, woods, or scatter, supports movement between major features.
- Sections more than 4 inches tall and sections 2 inches or less are distributed across both sides.
- Infantry, the largest expected vehicle or monster, and a reserve unit can use the main routes.
- Objectives use flat 40mm circular markers and follow the mission map.
- Neither deployment side has an obvious first-turn firing corridor or exclusive elevated position.
- The final arrangement is photographed and the mission, deployment mode, and layout number are recorded.
Why this method works with painted and unpainted collections
The method separates appearance from geometry. A fully painted gothic ruin, a neutral plastic barricade, and a scratch-built hill can occupy equivalent footprints if they provide comparable sight blocking, cover, height, and movement effects. That lets you keep a cohesive visual theme while preserving the repeatability expected in matched play.
It also makes future additions easier to integrate. When a new building arrives, decide which existing footprint and function it replaces before putting it on the table. If it is taller, wider, or more opaque than the old piece, re-run the side-to-side and model-clearance checks instead of assuming the previous balance remains unchanged.
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