City Tiles Are Better Than Battlemats - And I'll Show You Why! 

As always guys I'm more than happy to answer questions and hear any feedback! :) EPIC MINIATURES PATREON: bit.ly/EpicPatreon EPIC MINIATURES MYMINIFACTORY: bit.ly/EpicMyminifactory Thank you so much to anyone who goes to check these guys out and helps support the channel :) MAGNET SAFETY: Don’t use around small children or animals, if ingested these can be dangerous. Never let very strong magnets slam together, especially thin ones. They can and will smash under a lot of force, and then become very sharp, highly magnetic shrapnel. Not good. Easy to avoid though, just take care. CUTTING METAL TIPS AND SAFETY Steel/nickel is safe enough to use if you're reasonably careful, I cut most of my steel from tin can lids with scissors, though now I mostly use nickel you can buy in strips (see equipment list). Made sure you're wearing thick gloves when cutting and handling, I use some woodworking gloves. If you want to make doubly sure the steel isn't sharp, use a metal nail file along the edges to round it off. Nickel I've so far found to be far less sharp when cut than steel, but being safe never hurts :) SUPERGLUE AND OVEN SAFETY Don't bake superglue in the oven, when heated it can become cyanide gas. If using superglue, only use it on pieces that are not going in an oven, OR have already been in and have cooled. Its fine to use on after that as long as it's not going back in :) UPDATED PAINTING STONE RECIPE September 2021 equal parts mix of mod podge, tan and neutral grey (or equal tan/neutral grey if using over mod podge and black. If so you'll need 2-3 layers to get decent coverage - it doesn’t need to be perfect coverage though. paint about 1/2 the bricks in either: 3:1:1 tan, neutral grey and white or 1:1:2 tan, neutral grey, white Make sure this layer is strong, not translucent by too much water thinning (glazing) Drybrush with 1:1:2 tan, neutral grey, white Drybrush white - make this reasonably strong, or it just won't show through the wash. It's worth doing a test tile until you're comfortable with the result :) Black-brown wash UPDATED WASH RECIPE September 2021 Only make as much as you need, the mixture will settle over time. A good shake will fix it, but not so well when it gets thicker over extended periods... 100ml, half of a 200ml bottle: 15 drops carbon black ink 5 drops transparent burnt umber ink 60/40 water-matt medium I use a few drops of flow improver per half bottle. Adding more didn't really change the result much, and made it run off the pieces a bit TOO easily! SCENIC SEALANT RECIPE This stuff is really easy to mix, I use the following formula: 1 part mod podge 4 or more parts water - you can make this as thick or thin as you like, and just use more layers to make it harder. A drop of dish soap (fairy liquid type stuff) or flow improver - this helps it…well…flow :) The more mod podge, the darker and more 'wet' the dirt will look when dry. But you can use multiple thinner layers and build up strength that way too. DIRT AND GROUT RECIPE Brown and black unsanded tile grout Dirt cooked in the oven and filtered through a sieve. You want to grind this dirt up with some kind of improv mortar and pestle into smaller grains - it doesn’t need to be dust like the grout but should be otherwise pretty small. The ratio you want here is going to depend on the colour of your local grout I just mixed in a bit of black at a time until the colour darkened down to match the original dirt. I ended up with about a 4:2:1 ratio of dirt:brown grout:black grout I now add 1/2 a ratio (shot glass) of natural earth yellow pigment to make the reddish tint go away, without turning it grey by adding more black grout or grout mix. I added this to 12 dirt, 8 brown, 4 black grout. So its more like adding 1/8 of a glass to the minimum ratio shown above (4:2:1 then 1/8th of pigment) ROAD COBBLE PAINTING RECIPE 2:1 neutral grey and raw sienna basecoat Neutral grey on every other pebble (so basically on as many as possible while having no 2 grey rocks next to each other) 2:1 tan and neutral grey on every other pebble again (so no two tan pebbles together) Then 1:1 neutral grey and raw sienna as a final colour, painting half the remaining brown pebbles, again trying to keep them not touching. It's ok if some tiny pebbles touching each other or larger pebbles are the same colour, these are less noticeable and harder to do this with…

I swear, people keep getting better and better at tabletop crafting. These are absolutely beautiful

The painting of the stones/bricks is always the step i get bogged down in, but man you really show why it is worth it. Picking out the stones just looks so much better.

Once again, I'm without words. You are a true artist of gaming terrain. To think, less than ten years ago we were playing on painted cardboard and now we have you, the Magnet King, crafting realistic cityscape sets.

Most underrated craft / TTRPG channel ever. Actually incredible!

This is the coolest, most detailed, super realistic, but incredibly practical modular tile system that I have ever seen! This should be mass produced and You should copyright it seriously! Imagine these cast in resin... The possibilities are endless!!

I was sitting down to have my morning coffee before starting my own city streets, when I came across this video. I'm so happy I did, because this will definitely elevate my project to the next level.

Dang these street tiles look great, looks much more immersive than just having buildings on battle mats. I love seeing your setups get more and more elaborate as you add new terrain and mix and match it with old builds.

Just absolutely blown away. Can't wait to make enough of these so that my dining table becomes a town >.

These are amazingly elaborate. It always surprises me when I get to the end of a video and realise I understood the instructions and can actually follow them

Thats so epic... We didn't even play on battemats when we were kids, we'd just have sheets of paper with a grid drawn on them, held toghether with scotch tape to make the map bigger XD. This is next, NEXT level!

This is one of those things that I'd only do if I had multiple groups to DM for every week, I was rich and had a ton of storage space.

I kept skipping past this video when I saw in on my recommendations (even though I always love your videos), then I noticed the puddles on the street in the thumbnail. That is such a great detail, which does everything to bring the scene to life.

Oh my god, the craftsmanship and attention to detail is incredible! Dirt in the cracks, tiny leaves and puddles, it's all just amazing

I’ll also recommend using Foam Board with pictures of textures glued to it and arranged to look like the setting you desire as a fast and dirty method for your upcoming sessions.

I’m constantly amazed at just how much information you manage to pack into each of these videos.

Matt, I finally put my finger on it! What you are is an artist and the school you belong to is Realism! I was watching or re-watching your video 'Modular Cities' and the way you were working dirt into the cracks between the cobblestones of your streets! You Sir are a Realist! And an awesome one at that!

Just got to say again, your tutorials are fantastic with such high production quality. Really motivating me to think about my terrain I want to start building! Please do a showcase of all your terrain in a massive showcase board!

How have I not seen this before, those textures, color, details, and techniques are all amazing and easy to fallow

Quick mention about Epic Miniatures; used to do some pre-supporting for the guy when I joined his patreon way back when (just offered since I was doing it anyway). He's a good guy just as a person, in addition to making absolutely amazing sculps. Easily worth the money, and hell, I'd support him either way just as a good chap. 10/10

I feel like these are super awesome, but id never have the time to make enough of them. I've got a system where I use a TV screen to project maps.. maybe I can try to make some of the wall segments... and get some of the detail.. so I can use maping tools to make the background map but ass depth by having the buildings and trees come up into 3d space..

Regarding your super glue safety tip, it's also worth mentioning that mixing super glue and paper towel is a low-key fire hazard... The reaction of CA glue, when setting, is a bit more exothermic than you might expect, and the massive surface area of paper towel can cause it to begin smoking. At a large enough scale, it can, feasibly, cause a fire. Not likely, but worth putting out there, regardless. Otherwise, good stuff, you've certainly earned a sub from me...

Those puddles are very cool, I love how the cobblestones are spread apart from the water eroding the dirt and sand that held them in place. Everything really looks top-notch!

I thought this was an ad for factory made tiles, I was very pleased to see you are just a great craftsman; subbed.

Not many people are going to spend 5 weeks or more to make this themselves. It is however beautifully well done and looks exceptional.

That's amazing. I got sucked into the world you created with once glance.

Wow! What a product (craft and video)! How can anyone down-vote this? Superb craftsmanship, filming, editing, and as always an innovative design. Keep up the great work!

ngl I am not going to ever do anything close to this for my gaming, but I watched every minute because this is amazing. Bravo!

I watch way too many scenery and diorama crafting videos, and these are by far the most beautiful and seamless tiles I've ever seen. Amazing.

This is incredible, yet again! Thanks Matt!

This is incredible! Been wanting some cobblestones forever and it was more than worth the wait! Incredible job dude!

This is lovely work. The amount of thought and planning you've put in has produced an absolutely standout result..

The result of your work is breathtaking.

This makes for a beautiful setup. Fantastic job! 🔥🔥🔥

This is freakin' awesome! The level of realism that you have achieved is mind blowing! You are approaching Master Luke (Towan) realism! LOL I feel like I'll have to watch and re-watch this video again and again just to catch it all! Seriously dude, two thumbs up! This video is sweet!

it rarely takes me just 1 video to subscribe but your channel seems totally worth it.

First time I’m actually buying something from any sponsor on any channel. This is gonna be a godsend for my play group. I have three campaigns currently and this is gonna help bring my games to an 21/20

This is probably my favorite thing you've done yet, the result is fantastic.

How have I never come across your channel before?!? Beautiful work! :)

More than anything I appreciate your patience in working the details. Bravo, sir! It's a joy to watch you work.

This vid gave me so much inspiration. I like to make modular n scale trains and I think I’ll start using your techniques to make a modular city for my trains to run through. Thanks and keep doing what you do!

This is the first ever video I’ve come across for this channel and I am enthralled. Is there a video on this showing recommendations on storing the large collection of tiles? I’ve struggled to find the best solution for storing the tiny bit of Dwarven Forge I was gifted. Great work on this! The video is filmed and edited very well on top of the craftsmanship.

I´m usually not very impressed by such terrains. But this tiles are so clever and good looking, so I am! Really cool!

Blown away. You should see just how big a battle map you can make with everything you've made so far!

You do the best DIY stuff by far!

This is so good... Glad to have u back. I wish i had the time to build a whole town, but, sadly, i have to many things to do ^^'

Another great addition to your system. Your channel is one of my top resources. I can hardly wait to start using your ideas, and making scans and casts of the finished pieces. Thank you for the ongoing inspiration.

Absolutely brilliant video. It's amazing seeing how high quality and intuitive each video is. Keep up the good work mate

Can't wait to make them!

These ones are incredible. Been a subscriber for a while and thinking you make some of the best home made terrain. But theses at present the best city tiles of any home made or commercial.

"I'm a clumsy man" immediately puts large drill bit between fingers. 🤣

Harry Potter making youtube videos now?

“I’m going to show you why my method of making maps is better than yours.” Begins to show you $500+ worth of equipment and resources, then 70+ hours worth of work.

You explain it so well but it still looks like magic to me.

I don’t understand how I’m JUST finding your channel/videos on making your own stuff for dnd. Like, this is incredible work, great camera working and explanations, and honestly just an enjoyable to listen narration and easy to understand for someone who’s only ever been interested but never able to do anything like this myself. Hopefully, these videos, which I’ll watch probably all of, will change that.

God damn this video is EXACTLY what I've been looking for!! Big thanks from a UK Based D&D Twitch Streamer. Would love to work with you on something sometime :)

Holy hell this is a great system. I'm just getting started in crafting for a planned D&D campaign (my first attempt at both DM'ing AND crafting) and this has inspired me to no end! Well done!!!

These are awesome and have amazing detail.

This is incredible. Your skill and attention to detail are amazing!

I couldn't imagine this level of detail for IRL tabletop. I mean, the magnetic stuff, and all these details are so amazing. You literally just created TaleSpire IRL Just WOW

You are the first patreon I have ever supported, inspiring, imaginative and ingenious! Really excited to build along and watch your channel gain momentum. Keep up the amazing work!

I love the final effects of the cobbles. I do stone effects for my games and animations, but that is on 1:18 scale. However, when I have time, I might have a go at this.

Them puddles! I mean the whole shebang is amazing but that little detail really brings them alive.

This is amazing. You are such an inspiration to start doing some crafting!

Love your builds. I've been slowly adding to my collection of tiles. I truly wanted to thank you for the model file to be able to place the magnet holes more precisely. I printed that out almost immediately and it's been awesome. Thank you for all your works.

This is absolutely incredible.

you know your work really is quite beautiful Matt. Thanks.

love the look of this! this video is how i discovered your channel....blown away...binging you whole channel today!! excellent job!

No clue why this was recommended to me, but I clicked it and man this was insanely awesome. There’s not a great chance I do it myself but great video/vibe!

So many cool tricks packed away in your videos

Looks awesome, interested in those lanterns, I've been thinking about making something similar

This video was incredible, mesmerizing to watch!!

Very cool street smarts! The magnets are great and I like your ideas for the gutters.

I just saw the thumbnail of this randomly and had to instantly subscribe. I don't even know what game this is about yet but this is amazing looking.

Great stuff! Very inspiring!

Amazing work!

If you opened an online store for tiles like these I would 100% buy probably all of it. These are so cool!

Your pasta roller gag got me to subscribe. hahaha Nice to be here!

Matt, most excellent work with this video. It is STUFFED FULL of excellent ideas and tricks that can be used for many different builds. Thanks bunches!

Fantastic work, very inspiring.

Wow, why did this channel take so long to make it to my recommendations?! Great stuff can’t wait to start my first project.

Just ran into your video and OMG! Your detail work is just WOW! I am now addicted to your page.

Had to come back and watch again. A really good video with sooo much in it that help with my own crafting.

Incredible work! So cool

What an incredible project and a spectacular result! Thanks for this brilliant tutorial!

Beautiful work!

This video is the most inclusive tile how to I’ve ever seen! This is awesome and I’ll come back to it often. Thank you!

Wow! Awesome work. Love it

remarkable build! great work

Wow...this is amazing! #goals for sure. Keep up the awesome work Matt and thanks!

This video was phenomenal. Super informative and easy to follow. I have never even considered doing tiles my own, but now i kinda can't wait to try it out myself!

This is some crazy talent

Well, this is exactly the channel I needed to find at this point in my life! I gotta try this stuff out.

Absolutely amazing man! Honestly making me really want to start a project iv been thinking about for a long time. Awesome work man thanks for sharing!

Think I've just found my new favourite channel. Your videos are amazing and so detailed! Thank you so much, I've learnt so much and gotten so much inspiration for my own modular world. Brilliant! Truly!

Another great one. Amazing looking results. Very inspiring.

Just amazing work

Excellent. Your videos have so many new and inspiring ideas.

Great idea using the pasta machine.

Absolutely Fantastic!