Terrain Trays vs Battleboards: Which Table Coverage Is Right?
By Dwarven Forge - Miniature Terrain for the gaming community | Published: 2026-10-23
Category: Comparisons
Compare Terrain Trays and Battleboards for your Dwarven Forge tabletop. Learn when narrow double-sided trays or full 12-inch coverage boards fit your build best.
Quick answer
Choose Terrain Trays when you need narrow, double-sided coverage for passages, fissures, or small rooms. Choose Battleboards when you want full 12-inch squares that speed up large builds and stay backward-compatible with your existing floors.
Why size and shape matter first
The most obvious difference is the footprint. A Terrain Tray Two-pack gives you two 6" x 12" pieces, perfect for long corridors or cracked floors. A Battleboard Single covers a full 12" x 12" square, so you can fill a larger area with fewer pieces.
If your build is a narrow passage or a chasm, the Terrain Tray's shape saves you from patching together smaller tiles. If you're covering an open room or a dungeon floor, the Battleboard's square coverage is more efficient.
Double-sided vs single-sided design
Terrain Trays are printed on both sides. The Terrain Tray Two-pack 6" x 12": Dungeon Floor / Bottomless Pit has crumbling flagstones on one side and a dark chasm on the other. You can flip them to change the scene without storing extra pieces.
Battleboards have one side pre-printed with a graphic (Packed Dirt in this case) and the other side is blank so you can place any 12" x 12" terrain tray on top. This gives you flexibility to swap themes later, but you don't get two distinct looks from the same board.
Build speed and compatibility
Battleboards are the same height (thickness) as most Dwarven Forge floor tiles. That means you can drop them into your build and they sit flush with surrounding pieces, which speeds up assembly and keeps everything level.
Terrain Trays are thinner than standard floor tiles, so they work best as a base layer or as a gap filler. They don't raise the build height, which is fine for most layouts but worth noting if you need a seamless transition.
Terrain Tray vs Battleboard trade-offs
- Coverage shape: Terrain Trays come in 6" x 12" pairs; Battleboards are 12" x 12" singles. Choose Terrain Trays for narrow passages and Battleboards for open squares.
- Sides printed: Terrain Trays are double-sided (e.g., dungeon floor / bottomless pit). Battleboards are single-sided with a blank reverse that accepts any 12" terrain tray. Double-sided trays give you two scenes per piece; Battleboards let you swap the top graphic later.
- Height compatibility: Battleboards match the thickness of standard floor tiles. Terrain Trays are thinner and sit below tile height. Battleboards integrate flush into builds; Terrain Trays work best as a base layer.
Product facts at a glance
- Terrain Tray Two-pack 6" x 12": Dungeon Floor / Bottomless Pit: A pair of double-sided Terrain Trays featuring crumbling flagstones on one side and a dark chasm on the other. You get two distinct looks from one purchase, making it easy to switch between a dungeon floor and a bottomless pit without extra storage.
Terrain Tray Two-pack 6" x 12": Dungeon Floor / Bottomless Pit - Battleboard Single 12"x12": Packed Dirt: Battleboards have the same height (thickness) as a large portion of our floors, helping to build faster and easier. The flush fit means you can place these boards directly into your existing layout without adjusting other tiles, saving time during setup.
Battleboard Single 12"x12": Packed Dirt
Which should you pick?
Best for
- Gamers who need narrow coverage for corridors, fissures, or small rooms and want two looks from one piece.
- Builders who want to speed up large open areas with a single 12-inch square that sits flush with existing floors.
Not ideal for
- Anyone who needs a seamless tile-height surface across the entire build (Terrain Trays sit lower).
- Players who prefer a single consistent graphic across a large table (Battleboards require separate trays to change the look).
