If your D&D campaign is about to venture into the Underdark, and especially if your adventurers will be exploring Drow ruins, you should check out the brand new Underdark pre-painted terrain set from Archon Studio. This plastic terrain set builds on the clip-lock tiles and machine-painted technology from Archon's existing Dungeons and Lasers terrain range, but carries the official D&D stamp of approval from Wizards of the Coast.
Archon Studio revealed the new terrain set on Friday. For $139 (£99), it contains a battle-map's worth of D&D scenery: there are several (un)natural caverns, corridor pieces, and a centerpiece Drow ruin.
You won't be able to build a complete dungeon floor from one set, but there's definitely enough to create a map for a satisfying encounter. And because all the components clip together without glue, you can take it apart and put it back together again in new configurations.
The main selling point for the set - which is up for sale already on Archon's webstore - is that it looks great straight out of the box. I've received a review sample of a different set from Archon which demonstrates the Prismacast pre-painting technology, and yes, the photos are what the actual product looks like.
Pre-painted it may be, but be aware that the components come supplied on plastic sprues - you'll need to clip them out, and that can be quite a laborious task. Budget a couple of hours.
Archon Studio is both a game developer, most recently the new Starcraft tabletop miniatures game, and a manufacturer, producing plastic sprues for other games including Trench Crusade. The Dungeons and Lasers range has some excellent miniatures - I've bought one of the dragons, and received a review sample of the Tarrasque, and they're both very impressive kits. More Archon-designed plastic miniatures would certainly brighten up the D&D release schedule, so I hope this is just the start of the partnership.
If you decide to pick up one of the other Dungeons and Lasers sets - specifically, any of the sets with hinged doors - here's a note of caution. The doors function well, but once you push the door hinges into their sockets in the doorframe, it's almost impossible to remove them without breaking the hinge off the door. So be certain that you orient the door correctly before you push it into place!
Do you use dungeon tiles in your D&D games? Which ones? The classic Dwarven Forge sets? 3D printed Red Dragon or OpenLock tiles? Something hand made? Let us know in the Wargamer Discord community - and show off some pictures of your custom setup!