Adding movement to your tabletop terrain is a fantastic way to bring your wargaming setup to life. Whether it’s spinning windmill sails, rotating radar dishes, or other kinetic features, the process is surprisingly straightforward and only requires a handful of cheap electronics components.
In this guide, I’ll walk you through how I added a simple motorised system to one of our builds using affordable components and 3D printed parts. The best part? No complex electronics or programming required.
What You’ll Need
For this project, I used the following components:
- N20 motor
- Speed controller board
- AA battery pack
- Wires and basic tools
- 3D printed parts (custom sails and a wall mount)
I sourced all the electronics from TerrainTronics, who specialise in hobby-friendly components for miniature terrain builds.
Step-by-Step Instructions
1. Print / build the Terrain Housing
Start by 3D printing the terrain piece that will house your motor (we used the windmill terrain from our DarkMyth Village set). In this case, a wall section with a mount for the N20 motor. I also printed custom sails to attach to the motor shaft.
2. Wire the Power Supply
Connect the positive and negative wires from your AA battery pack to the input terminals of the controller board. Most boards are clearly labelled, so it’s easy to get this right.
3. Connect the Motor
Now wire the motor to the controller board. The motor typically has two wires – connect these to the board’s motor terminals. If the motor spins the wrong direction for your project, just swap the two wires around.
4. Test & Adjust
Before final assembly, do a test fit of all components inside your terrain piece. Power it up and make sure everything spins smoothly. Most speed controller boards include a potentiometer (a small dial), allowing you to adjust how fast the motor spins—super handy for getting just the right motion.
5. Enclose the Electronics
Once you’re happy with the setup, fit all the electronics neatly into the terrain housing. I designed the set so the motor and wires are completely hidden, keeping everything tidy and immersive.
Wrapping Up
With just a few components and some basic wiring, you can easily add motion to your tabletop builds. It’s a fun way to level up your terrain, grab your opponent’s attention, or bring a sense of life to a battlefield or RPG setting.
If you’d like to use the same terrain shown in the video, check out the links in the description or browse my other modular sets at Saucermen Studios.
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