Of the limited choices which looks best?

[d_Guy]

As I have come to value the opinions on this board, what should I do?

More and more I am moving to smaller, simpler game surfaces and am beginning to embrace grids. While many of you do stunning games (even in small spaces) I don't think I can reach that level. So the "boxy", all terrain components above the battlemat is now working quite well for me (in the end I still like the way the games in "Little Wars" look!). Someday I might use the Kallistra hexon system which look excellent.

For now, I'm using squares. The elevation squares are cut from 1/2" dense cork board and are simple to store and stack. I am setting up for the Battle of Mulroy (1688) and building a large hill (at far end of board):


I am in an absolute quandary about how to handle the elevation edges of the hill.

I made this a poll because many more folks participate in polls than actually comment. I also realize that many won't like this look at all but try to force yourself to make a choice. 

Many thanks,
d_guy

[Duke Speedy of Leighton]

Similar shade of green to your tops

[jimduncanuk]

Yup, paint them a shade of green to match your tabletop, preferably mottled to break up the sharpness of their edge.

Same with your wooded base areas, paint them but differently from your tabletop so that the wooded area is obvious but not just a bit of MDF.

[Techno]

Ditto, from me. 

Cheers - Phil

[Steve J]

Agree with Jim's comments.

[Sandinista]

If you have the spare cash the Kallistra hexon system is excellent

Cheers
Ian

[petercooman]

Shade of green for me. I would make the edges sloped though!

[Matt J]

chamfer and paint - little bit of work but would be massive improvement.

and paint the wooded board areas.

then you will have a bangingly good set-up because the rest of your terrain looks really good

[paulr]

Wot Matt said

Only problem of course is how many edges to chamfer 

Definitely paint green and the rest definitely looks really good

[toxicpixie]

Am with the overwhelming majority on green edges, mottled. Agree with doing something with the tree bases, too - maybe same shade as the board but with small rocks and lichen and clump foliage on the edges or some chunky flock across them for undergrowth & make them stand back out.

If you leave the trees mobile and keep the flock/edging low to minimal you can keep the space for the troops still AND not make it too awkward to lay the bases out in the square...

[Leman]

Funnily enough I would go with brown, or grey to match the tops. Using a block system like this is fairly unrealistic (although eminently practical and effective) and thus the high ground should stand out as being different.

[Womble67]

I would definitely go with a shade of green

I would just add but as long as you're happy with it that's the most important thing

Take care

Andy

[Lord Kermit of Birkenhead]

Gone with green

[d_Guy]

First, I very much appreciate the great response and several suggestions. So the poll up for less the 24 hours, green is winning with 93% of the vote, so I'm going out on a limb and project it as the winner.

I take seriously the comments about beveling/champhering the block edges. Doing so would give a much better look. In the end it would be as Paul says:

Only problem of course is how many edges to chamfer  :-

I am trying to get by with as few element as possible which can be rotated in any of the four directions. I didn't have sufficient blocks to build the hill with sides extending and "sloping" left and right (not sure that would have helped appearance however).

If you have the spare cash the Kallistra hexon system is excellent

Cheers
Ian

I am considering going this way but will need a substantial amount of time to do budget set-asides. May try to get a 3x4 single box to experiment with over the Winter.

Several of you suggested mottling the edges and that was a good idea. For a while last night I experimented with a WW1 dazzle (in brown, black,grey, green) but - uh, no. 

The trees, rocks and shrubs  are on individual (or small group) bases so they can be moved about. The squares that denote areas are small vinyl tiles. I had experimented a good deal with them recently and worked the edges a bit but need to have the same flexibility as with the elevation blocks

As Leman says

Funnily enough I would go with brown, or grey to match the tops. Using a block system like this is fairly unrealistic (although eminently practical and effective) and thus the high ground should stand out as being different.

At the moment I going for practical. 
Using a uniform dark color (that's why I was really thinking about black) appeals. I even thought about embracing the horror and painting them red!

So I have done the front edges (and added in some lichen scatter). Also replaced the tan tiles under the foreground trees with green ones:


The good news is that I rarely will need to do hills with this many levels (Killiecrankie being a clear exception) AND it does rather look like -dare I say it - an Aztec step pyramid. 

Again, thanks everyone this has been very useful!

The poll, however, runs for four more days and we have seen problems in projecting from early poll returns. 

[petercooman]

Have you thought about making some triangular strips to put next to the edges? Then you don't have to chamfer anything.