Terrain features add real tactical depth in Age of Sigmar, but they also create the most common table arguments: “Does this count as on it?” “Am I behind it?” “Where does this terrain actually start and end?”
That is the entire reason terrain footprints exist. They make the game easier to play, easier to judge, and harder to accidentally break.
The Short Answer
A terrain footprint is a defined base or outline that shows the exact area a terrain feature occupies on the table.
Instead of relying on the physical shape of ruins, trees, or statues, a footprint clearly marks the boundaries that matter for movement, visibility, and terrain abilities.
If you want to see the terrain footprint options on 3D6, start here: Shop Terrain Footprints
Why Footprints Matter in Age of Sigmar
In AoS, terrain is not just decoration. Terrain features can have abilities and can meaningfully change how units move, fight, and interact.
The problem is that a lot of terrain is irregular. It has broken edges, stairways, scattered debris, and multiple pieces that look like one “thing.” That is fun visually, but unclear in play.
A footprint solves that by giving you one simple truth: this is the area that counts as the terrain feature.
Terrain Sizes: Small, Medium, Large
AoS categorizes terrain features by size. You do not need to memorize the exact inches to understand the point: the game expects terrain to fall into predictable size bands.
Footprints help because they make those size bands obvious. When a terrain feature is clearly “this footprint,” both players can agree what it is without guessing based on how the model looks.
This also makes setup faster, especially when you are building tables for events or running multiple games in a night.
Terrain Types: Why the Boundary Matters
AoS terrain features typically fall into a few common types (for example, obstacles, obscuring terrain, area terrain, and places of power).
Those types matter because they change how units interact with the table. If you cannot agree on the edge of the terrain feature, you cannot consistently apply those interactions.
Footprints turn “vibes” into a clean boundary.
Wholly On Terrain vs Behind Terrain (The Two Most Common Arguments)
AoS draws a distinction between a model being wholly on a terrain feature versus simply being near it, plus the idea of a unit being behind terrain for attack purposes.
You do not need to rules-lawyer this to feel the impact. A footprint makes both situations clearer:
- Wholly on becomes a simple base check against a defined boundary.
- Behind terrain becomes a consistent “line check” without arguing about jagged edges and rubble bits.
This is one of the biggest quality-of-life improvements footprints provide, because it removes the “this ruin is shaped weird” problem.
Scenery Pieces: When Multiple Pieces Count as One Feature
Some terrain features are made up of multiple scenery pieces, like clustered ruins or a set of trees.
In practice, players treat the full group as one terrain feature, not a bunch of separate micro-features.
Footprints are perfect for this. You place all the scenic pieces on or within the footprint, and everyone knows the full collection is the single terrain feature.
It looks good, and it plays clean.
Faction Terrain: The “Special Case” That Footprints Make Way Easier
Some factions have special terrain with its own rules and interactions. This is where footprints shine, because faction terrain can bring extra complexity around:
- How units interact with it during combat
- What can target it
- How measuring works when a unit is placed on it
A footprint makes it instantly clear what “the terrain feature” is for measurement and interaction purposes, even when the model itself has overhangs, platforms, and awkward geometry.
Charging Units on Terrain: When “Close Enough” Needs to Be Clear
Charging becomes messy when an enemy unit is on top of terrain and there is no clean place to physically stand a model on the platform.
AoS accounts for this kind of real-table problem. The game has practical ways to resolve “I can reach you, but I cannot physically fit.”
Footprints support that intent by making it clearer where the terrain is and where models can reasonably end movement.
Terrain Control and Scoring: Some Battleplans Care About Terrain Too
Most players think about objectives first, but some battleplans care about controlling terrain features as well.
The key high-level idea is this: objectives tend to stay under control until taken, while terrain control can behave differently depending on the battleplan.
When terrain control matters, footprints become even more important, because you need a clean definition of what terrain feature is being interacted with.
If you want the “objectives” side of the table to stay clean too, this is a good companion article: How Big Are Objective Markers? (Size Guide)
Why 3D6 Terrain Footprints Exist
3D6 terrain footprints are designed for real games, not perfect photos.
- They make terrain boundaries obvious
- They help with “wholly on” and “behind” calls
- They clean up multi-piece terrain features
- They reduce friction with faction terrain
They are basically spill-resistant engineering for the tabletop. The game still works when the table gets bumped, pieces shift, or terrain is complicated.
If you want to build cleaner AoS tables, this is the best place to start: Terrain Footprints and Bases
The Bottom Line
Terrain footprints are not required, but they make Age of Sigmar play smoother.
They help players agree on terrain boundaries, resolve visibility and placement cleanly, and keep multi-piece and faction terrain from turning into a rules argument.
If you want tables that feel fair and consistent, footprints are one of the simplest upgrades you can make.
If you are still building out your overall setup, these two guides pair well with this topic: