How to Mix Autumn Forest and Cargo Containers on One Table

Quick answer

Treat the Autumn Forest as the soft, dense half of the board and the cargo containers as the hard, vertical half, then blend them along a single seam. Place the forest area mat first, cluster the trees inside it, and use container stacks to frame the open lanes outside it.

Step-by-step mixed terrain setup

1. Lay the forest mat as a fixed zone: Place the Autumn Forest area mat on one third to one half of the table, choosing the leaf-covered side for a dense woodland or the reverse for a lighter edge. Do not center it; push it toward a corner or short edge so the rest of the board stays open. Checkpoint: the mat should not cover more than half the play area if you plan to stack containers.
2. Cluster the trees inside the mat: Set the three trees and the stump within the mat boundary, grouping two trees close enough to block a sight line and leaving one tree slightly apart to create an internal gap. Keep the canopies on for now so you can judge the real silhouette. Common mistake: spacing all three trees evenly, which creates a thin screen instead of a dense pocket.
3. Build one low container run along the forest seam: Interlock two containers end to end and place them along the edge of the forest mat, leaving a gap roughly wide enough for a model to pass. This run frames the forest without sealing it off. Checkpoint: leave at least one gap in the seam so the forest is not a closed box.
4. Add a stacked container yard on the open side: Interlock the remaining three containers into an L-shape or a two-high stack on the open half of the table. Test the stack by nudging it gently; if it shifts, lower it by one container rather than adding support. Common mistake: stacking all five containers in one tower and calling it cover; that creates a single fragile obstacle instead of a playable yard.
5. Use one container as a bridge or raised walkway: If your scenario allows vertical movement, lay one container flat across two low stacks or between a stack and the table edge to form a makeshift bridge. Confirm the ends rest on stable surfaces before play. Checkpoint: a bridge that wobbles will be knocked over during the first movement phase.
6. Walk the sight lines before you commit: Crouch to table level and trace lines from the open side into the forest. If every lane ends in a tree or a container wall, rotate one container or shift one tree by a few inches. The goal is at least one long lane and one short, broken lane. Common mistake: judging line-of-sight from standing height, which hides gaps that appear at model eye level.
7. Remove canopies to reset the silhouette between games: After the layout works, lift the removable orange canopies off the trees to create a sparser late-autumn look, or leave them on for a fuller forest. Store the canopies separately so they do not get crushed. Checkpoint: if you change the canopies, re-check the sight lines, because the silhouette changes.

Product facts that shape the layout

• Autumn Forest: The Autumn Forest set contains three pre-painted trees with removable orange canopies, a stump, and a two-sided neoprene forest floor area mat. The mat defines a clear forest zone, and the removable canopies let you change the silhouette without repainting anything.

  

• Cyberpunk RED Special Edition: Cargo Containers: The Cyberpunk RED Special Edition: Cargo Containers set includes five containers that interlock with each other. Interlocking means you can build bridges and stacked yards that stay together during play instead of sliding apart.