Wyrdscapes Street Lamps and Sewer Bases: Terrain Setup Guide

Quick answer

Set up Wyrdscapes street lamps and sewer bases by treating them as playable terrain, not just decoration. Place lamps to create vertical sightline breaks and sewer bases to anchor centerpiece models. Paint both with a consistent palette and seal them for table use.

Plan the table before you place a single lamp

Start with a rough sketch of your board. Mark objective zones, deployment edges, and the main lanes models will travel. Wyrdscapes: Street Lamps work best when they frame a street corner, an objective, or a narrow passage rather than sitting in the middle of open ground. The sewer 50mm base is a single-model scenic base, so decide which centerpiece model will stand on it before you glue anything down.

A common mistake is placing lamps evenly across the whole table. That flattens the visual story and gives every lane the same silhouette. Instead, cluster two or three lamps near a ruined intersection and leave other areas darker. This creates contrast and makes the lit area feel like a real place.

Assemble and prep the lamps and base

Clean mold lines with a hobby knife and a fine file. Test-fit each lamp post into its base or the table surface before committing to glue. If you are using the sewer 50mm base, check that your centerpiece model's feet or contact points sit naturally on the brickwork and grates. You may need to trim a small area or add a thin shim so the model does not wobble.

Wash resin or plastic parts in warm soapy water, rinse, and let them dry completely. This removes release agent and helps primer stick. Do not skip this step on the sewer base, because its deep detail can trap residue that causes paint to flake later.

Prime and basecoat for a unified look

Prime the lamps and the sewer base with a thin, even coat of gray or black primer. Gray shows detail well and works for both rusty metal and dark stone. If you plan to use the lamps as light sources on the table, consider a lighter primer on the lamp heads so the glow reads clearly.

Basecoat the lamp posts with a dark metal or black-brown, then drybrush a lighter metal on the edges. For the sewer base, start with a dark brown-gray on the brickwork and a cooler dark green or blue-gray in the runoff areas. Keep the palette limited so the pieces look like they belong to the same city.

Add weathering and light effects

Use rust pigments or thin orange-brown glazes on the lamp bases and the sewer pipes. Keep rust heaviest where water would collect, such as the bottom of the lamp posts and around the sewer grates. For the lamp heads, paint a pale yellow or warm white, then glaze a soft glow onto the surrounding metal.

A common mistake is overdoing the glow. If every lamp is blindingly bright, the table loses its moody Malifaux atmosphere. Leave some lamps unlit or dim so the lit ones stand out. On the sewer base, use a gloss varnish in the runoff channels to suggest wetness, but keep it off the brick surfaces.

Seal, mount, and play

Seal the finished lamps and base with a matte varnish, then add a second coat of gloss varnish on any water effects. If your lamps are freestanding, glue them to a thin base or washer so they do not tip during play. For the sewer 50mm base, pin your centerpiece model through the foot into the base for a strong bond.

During games, treat the lamps as area terrain or simple line-of-sight blockers, depending on your group's rules. The sewer base is part of the model, so it moves with it. Check that the base size matches your model's intended profile; if the model originally used a different size, confirm with your opponent before the game.

Step-by-step terrain setup

1. Map your table zones: Sketch objective areas, deployment zones, and main lanes. Decide where lamps will frame a corner or objective and where the sewer base will anchor a centerpiece model. Checkpoint: you should have at least one open lane and one cluttered area for contrast.
2. Prep and test-fit every piece: Clean mold lines, wash parts, and dry-fit lamps and the sewer base before gluing. Make sure your centerpiece model sits flat on the sewer base. Mistake to avoid: gluing before test-fitting, which can leave a model rocking on uneven detail.
3. Prime and basecoat with a limited palette: Use gray or black primer, then basecoat lamps in dark metal and the sewer base in dark brown-gray and cool runoff tones. Keep colors consistent across both pieces. Checkpoint: the lamps and base should look like they come from the same city.
4. Weather and light selectively: Add rust to lamp bases and sewer pipes, and paint a warm glow on only some lamp heads. Use gloss varnish in runoff channels for a wet look. Mistake to avoid: making every lamp equally bright, which flattens the mood.
5. Seal, mount, and agree on rules: Matte-varnish the pieces, gloss the water effects, and base the lamps for stability. Pin the centerpiece model to the sewer base. Confirm with your opponent how lamps block line of sight. Next step: store lamps in a padded tray so they do not bend in transit.

Products that make this setup work

• Wyrdscapes: Street Lamps: Wyrdscapes: Street Lamps includes five detailed street lamps that bring instant height, atmosphere, and a touch of uneasy civilization to Malifaux bases, dioramas, and gaming tables. Five lamps give you enough pieces to frame an objective or create a street corner without buying multiple sets.
• Wyrdscapes: Sewer 50mm Base: Wyrdscapes: Sewer 50mm Base surrounds a larger miniature with brickwork, pipes, runoff, grates, and underground detail, making it a ready-made scene for rust, slime, water, and heavy weathering. The 50mm size suits centerpiece models, and the sculpted detail gives you a clear painting plan for a focal point on the table.