These new 40k terrain templates are free, printable at home, and match GW’s basing, but like most free things, there is a catch.
Go looking for 40k terrain templates, and you’ll find plenty of paid Etsy files, MyMiniFactory packs, and 3D-print sets. GW went ahead and released its own versions for free.
These free downloads use the standardized terrain areas found in Warhammer 40k 11th Edition missions, but instead of the single Armageddon brown design that launched with the edition, there are now four styles built around common basing colors.
That makes it easier to tie your 40k terrain into the rest of your army without buying another footprint pack, but the catch is that GW formatted the files for A3 paper, which most US home and even office printers can’t handle.
Either way, this freebie gives way more options besides GW’s paid Terrain Area Set and the third-party footprint packs already competing with the best 40k terrain sets on the market.
- Four new styles: Death World Jungle, Imperial World, Maelstrom World, and Death World Snow, each keyed to a common basing scheme.
- Free, but A3-only: they cost nothing to download, though the A3 print size means most US home printers can’t run them without a shop trip.
- Lands on the paid market: GW’s free files drop right on top of the third-party sellers who built these first.
Free 40k Terrain Templates Finally Match Your Basing Recipes
These four versions line up with basing recipes many hobbyists already use: Death World Jungle works with Verdia Veldt tufts, Imperial World matches Astrogranite, Maelstrom World uses a Martian Ironcrust-style red, and Death World Snow fits Valhallan Blizzard.
Match one to your army’s basing scheme, and carry the same color onto your terrain with textured paints, to make sure the table starts looking like one cohesive battlefield instead of several unrelated projects.
There Is A Catch If You Are Printing These In The States
Unfortunately, files are made for A3 paper, which most US home printers don’t support. So, printing them on standard letter-sized stock at the wrong scale will change the footprint dimensions used with the 11th Edition terrain rules.
Most American hobbyists will need a trip to Staples, Office Max, etc to print them out. So while the files are free, getting them printed correctly will still cost a few dollars and some of your time (just like most things in this hobby).
This Also Undercuts Everyone Who Sold Terrain Templates First
We all know third-party companies were already selling these terrain area footprint sets before GW released its free files.
So, this is a useful release for players that couldn’t get the official terrain sets from GW after they sold out, and a rough one for the companies that filled the gap first.
That being said, paid versions still offer materials that paper can’t. So, anyone who wants their sets made out of neoprene or acrylic can still get theirs from manufacturers who are selling their own designs. And because GW’s own Terrain Area Set product has already sold out, as with most of their restocks, it may not return to shelves very quickly, if at all.
Final Thoughts on 40k Terrain Templates
Overall though, four free styles are way more useful than one brown default, even with the A3 printing problem. Players can now match their terrain areas to jungle, urban, Mars, or snow bases without having to make a purchase from Games Workshop.
And while GW may add more styles later, either as another free download or as physical products, the demand for these smaller game aids is hard to gauge as the new edition ages.
🔗 Related Reads:
- Warhammer 40k 11th Edition Rules
- 40k 11th Edition Terrain Area Set Lineup
- Terrain Area Footprints for 11th Edition
- Best Warhammer 40k Terrain 2026
- 11th Edition 40k Terrain Rules Guide
- Easy Basing Ideas Cheap
- Making GW’s Textured Paints Work For You
What do you think of GW handing out 40k terrain templates for free when the A3 catch means most US hobbyists still can’t print them at home?
I’m in the UK and the print scale is still an issue for me. The vast majority of printers here are built for A4 sized paper (half the size of A3) so I would also need to find somewhere to print them for me.