04/12/2026
Happy Sunday, and welcome back to Tabletop Thoughts!
This week was all about making steady progress at the hobby desk, with a strong focus on scatter terrain. I managed to get a solid batch of smaller pieces finished up, and while they may not be the flashiest elements on the table, they make a huge difference in bringing a game board to life. There’s something really satisfying about seeing these little details come together—they add depth, character, and just enough visual interest to turn a simple setup into something much more immersive.
I completed three full ruin sets this week, along with an additional standalone wall piece, all printed on my trusty Elegoo Neptune 3 Pro FDM printer. One of the highlights is the modular set in the bottom left, which includes both intact and ruined sections. I decided to combine the two—printing both versions and gluing them together—to create a more dynamic, partially collapsed structure with some added elevation and visual interest. The result feels much more like a lived-in (and then destroyed) space, which is exactly what I was going for. Pieces like these should come in especially handy if I find myself drawn back into a game of Frostgrave—they’ve got just the right mix of functionality and narrative flavor to really enhance the table.
I also wrapped up a simple FDM-printed ritual circle this week. I kept the overall paint job fairly straightforward, but experimented a bit with a glowing effect on the etched lines—using a bright, vibrant color in the grooves and then layering a lighter tone around the edges to create a subtle aura. It was a fun technique to try out and a nice way to add a bit of visual interest without overcomplicating the piece. I’m not entirely sure how I feel about how it turned out—it’s an interesting result, but I may revisit the technique and refine it a bit in the future.
Fat Dragon Games recently released some large mushroom STL files, and I couldn’t resist printing and painting a set for myself. One of the best parts about these models is that they’re designed to be printed supportless on an FDM printer, which makes them really accessible no matter what kind of setup you’re running. They’re also cleverly designed to accommodate LEDs, so you can light them up for an even more dramatic effect. The Underdark has always been one of my favorite environments, so these immediately felt like a perfect fit for my collection. I stuck with my usual Underdark color scheme for the bases to tie everything together, and then leaned into rich blues and purples for the mushrooms themselves to give them that otherworldly feel. Overall, I’m really happy with how they turned out—they’ve got just the kind of eerie, fantastical vibe I was hoping for.
These models are also from Fat Dragon Games, featuring Snotzilla on the left—a more recent release—and a Trash Beast on the right. As with their other designs, these are made to be printed supportless on FDM printers, which is a huge plus for ease of use and accessibility. I printed Snotzilla on my FDM setup, and it came out great, really showcasing how well these models are optimized for that process. The Trash Beast, on the other hand, was printed in resin, which helped capture some of the finer details. It’s been fun seeing how the same design philosophy translates across different printing methods.
If you’d like a closer look at these pieces—and a few other projects I worked on this week—feel free to check out my YouTube video. I walk through each item, show them off in more detail, and talk a bit about the techniques and approaches I used along the way.
Keep on gaming!
2026 Goals Progress
- Minis Painted: 174/150 – COMPLETED
- Large Models / Terrain: 10/ 6 – COMPLETE
- YouTube Videos:6/ 24
- Game Reviews: 4 / 4 – COMPLETED
- Games Played (TTRPG + Board Games): 0 / 4
- Thursday Drop-Ins Created: 3 / 12
- New TTRPG Systems Tried: 0 / 3
- Shadowdark Mini-Campaign Sessions: 0 / 3
- Shadowdark Release on DriveThruRPG: 1/ 1 – COMPLETE