Video Index - Magnetic building system expansions and accessories

So I had some time while I was waiting for resin to cure :)

This page contains timestamped links and advice on what videos to reference when making expansions to the Magnetic Building System tiles.

It's designed to be easy to browse, be organised by builds, not videos, and include any advice I wish I could have added to the video, but YouTube wont let me :)

Back to Video Index

Cottage tiles (or half-timber/wattle and daub/Tudor - whatever you want to call them!):

Cottage Walls method (timestamped)

Alongside some updates to the roof video, this video shows how to make the typical medieval house walls, which are a great expansion to any stone walls for urban builds :)

This build still talks about cocktail stick accessory slots (timestamped), which you can use if you like, but these days I would use the methods shown in the Updated Magnetic Stone Floor and Interior Walls video (shown for the floors) to embed in the foam and make the wall magnetised, allowing you to attach magnetic accessories to.

This magnetic accessory standard is something I've moving towards over time for myself, though cocktail sticks will always be an option - just a less pretty one that involves holes :)

You can use these walls with the same rooftops and floors you've made for the core system, so they're a nice little addition that doesn’t take too long but adds a lot of visual interest!

I made:

2 ivy walls

1 moss wall

1 plain wall

1 moss window

2 plain windows

1 plain door

4 sloped roof walls

I really need more for large buildings!

Diagonal Stone Wall expansion:

This is a more recent video that shows how you can use 3 new clip on pieces to make your existing stone walls usable on diagonal angles, alongside some diagonal floor tiles to match, and including many jigs to make life easier. 

Fairly quick and easy, but makes a huge visual difference to buildings and dungeons.

Modular Templeblocks, castle walls, castles, towers, dungeon entrances and like, 8 other things :D

The updated 2.0 Temple Blocks are in a bonus video linked here, and are magnetic, more detailed and generally far superior, albeit not as suitable as a first project!

I made 30 standard blocks, and 8 corner blocks for the updated set :)

The originals are some of my first videos, and show how to make temple blocks, an adapted, upgraded version of the ever popular dungeon stackers (I credit BMC in the video), as well as some new ways to make modular battlements and a dungeon/town wall/castle entrance.

Why I went with square blocks (timestamped)

OLD VERSION - non magnetic: Crafting the temple stairs (timestamped)

These are slightly out of date, in that I have plans to update the battlements to work magnetically with the new magnetic floor tiles, as well as update the stairs to connect magnetically and work with magnetic accessories, but haven't yet managed to get that released in a video.

If you really wanted to make them in the meantime, for magnetic accessories, you can embed magnetic connections in a pretty similar way to how I show in the Upgraded magnetic walls bonus video.

Alternatively, you can just roll with the cocktail stick method shown originally (timestamped) - though if you want to upgrade, I'd advise doing it from the start, it's a lot easier!

Castle wall crafting (timestamped) just involves making a new piece that adds on top, but if you wanted to magnetise them for the now-standard floor tile connections, you could just make the battlements with the machicolations filled in with more foam and add magnets in the relevant places :)

Crafting the corner pieces, modular doors, postern gate and arrow slits (all timestamped) of the castle walls are covered in a separate video.

These days I'd replace the cocktail stick connections of the corner pieces with magnets, with north on the right and south on the left when looking at the front/outside of the battlements/corners (but basically putting the magnets exactly where the cocktail stick holes would go)

I'd also make the modular doors the same way as show in the video, but by using the template from the magnetic building system video so the doors are all the same size!

The arrow slits I'd just add two magnets to at the top and bottom to line up with the wall gaps between block, and they should connect magnetically (if you've upgraded the system respectively). Long run I have aims to be able to build towers and castles from the magnetic building system, there's only a few extra pieces we need it's just getting the time to get it out there :)

The postern gate is good to go, I wouldn't change a thing so far, it's pretty awesome!

Crafting the gatehouse (timestamped) is a mini project on its own, and can be used as a dungeon entrance too! It's a pretty flexible starter piece and hasn’t really changed much, other than I would add magnetic connections instead of cocktail stick ones as shown in the Upgraded magnetic walls bonus video.

I made:

30 temple blocks (I'd make a few more if you can, its nice to have spares!)

14 battlements

12 battlement corners

Stairblocks:

Stairblocks are kind of an expansion but also great standalone terrain. Very flexible. Basically minecraft for D&D. I'd advise using 4x2mm magnets instead of 3x2 for better grip honestly. I mention something along these lines in the video -3x2 work, but for larger builds the bigger the magnets the better. To save you could also make maybe half of your blocks with 4x2 and half with 3x2, and use the 4x2 blocks for the more crucial connections, and the 3x2 pieces for columns and such…

I made:

64 blocks

32 stairs

MOSTLY enough, though I could always use more. They're just SO useful.

There's also a nice little jig STL a patron made for punching the magnet holes faster HERE.

Modular Scaffold and Balconies:

An awesome and highly underviewed video. You should absolutely check this out, they're great for TONS of common D&D scenarios and can make fight scenes so much better so easily! And people seem to make it a lot, which I take as a vote of confidence for that :D

The video has 4 main builds, the scaffolds, the wooden balconies, the magnetic railings and magnetic ladders (all timestamped)

I made:

11 3" tall pieces

2 1.5" tall pieces

22 1.5" railings

11 3" railings

2 2" railings

2 1/2" floor tile 'column' extensions for corners

this is decent, but I really want more, and to expand the pieces for more epic builds in the future...

Rope bridges:

This video is a bit of a mix of things, but the rope bridges are definitely something that I'd count as a building system accessory (the bridge tutorial is timestamped). I'd advise just using some dull metal jewellery chain as the handrails though. Much easier than the string I showed originally. You'll spot that's what I do in future videos where I show these pieces :D

Torches, gibbets and banners:

The original video (torches, gibbet and banners timestamped links) is good for the most part, though I'd make a few changes. I'd definitely make the banner and gibbet posts from balsa wood, which I show visually a little in the road video.

I'd print the banners on cloth, which I show the result of in the tent video (but no actual instructions - its pretty much the same as the other banners though! Links to the printing cloth are in the equipment list)

As for the torches I'd texture the flame as I do for the evil themed torches I made in that tiny candelabra video…

Originally I made these with cocktail stick attachments, though obviously if you're using the upgraded magnetic walls from the patreon bonus video you'll want magnets in these, and for the heavier ones like gibbets and banners I'd use 6x2 magnets drilled into the back of the balsa wood or foam.

For the magnetic torches I go through your options in the Upgraded magnetic walls bonus video at 1:26 :)

Stable accessories - wood fence, Hay feeder, straw pile, water trough, hay floors:

These are in the stable video…fairly obviously but just in case you were looking for one of these from another video :) links are timestamped.

So, things I'd do differently…for the wood fence it's pretty good as is even now. I wouldn't make the outdoor scatter terrain clip on because these days I'd clip the card tab between dirt or grass tiles. Honestly with that in mind I'd probably glue a thin strip in there on either side, and paint/mod podge it to blend better. I'd also stain the balsa instead of painting it, the way I do in my scaffolds video, the mix is in the pinned comment.

The hay feeder is mostly fine, it just needs magnetising for magnetic walls as I've mentioned previously. I would probably make it entirely from balsa these days instead of matchsticks because it stains better, and stain it as I do the wood in my scaffolds video. I'd also seal the hay with scenic sealant for more hold…

The hay floor is also pretty good, though these days I'd do the mud effect with dirt and grout, and maybe sprinkle some 'dirt' on top and scenic seal it for good luck ;)

The hay pile again, I'd seal with scenic sealant, but it's otherwise perfect as is :)

The trough again I would stain the balsa, and I'd also use UV resin as the water to make it deeper…

Dockside warehouse - magnetic scatter terrain and more foam wood walls:

Magnetic crates and barrels for easy placement, piles of rope and chain, Fishing nets(including wall hanging ones), company signs/billboards. MOSTLY scatter terrain really, but some is wall mounted so I've put it here.

It also includes foam wood doorways and interior walls/doors…though I'd honestly advise doing the wood as balsa using the patreon bonus video for wood walls. Wood interior walls can be made by mixing the techniques from that video and the NEW magnetic Interior wall method, though I plan on thinning them down as much as possible too! I'll probably do a full bonus video on it at some point :)

Modular overgrown building effects:

This is an older video, but still has some pretty cool techniques. The large mossy piece I'd probably do differently now, and a lot thinner.

The overgrown grassy bits in particular are great for a derelict look. These effects can also be done with a magnet underneath, which I showed in the water tiles video.

Benches/pews/rich tablecloth for the modular tables:

These are in the cathedral video, just some little extras I threw together for that build. Links are timestamped :)

Benches/pews

Rich tablecloth/carpet

Buttresses and plinths/Arched walls/Stained glass windows/Church entrance or Shrine attachment

These are a collection of videos that probably would have been one video if I'd made them now - together they give you the pieces to make a church or cathedral - but the arch walls, buttresses and plinths are worth making for dungeons too…

Buttresses and plinths

Arched walls

Stained glass windows

Church entrance or Shrine attachment

Wall crawling monsters:

This video is a bit out of date now, at least for the patreon exclusive magnetic walls. I show in that video a bit of how I plan to get this effect with the new walls though, I'll flesh this out to a full bonus video when I get a chance :)

Dungeon tiles of Elegant Evil:

Soul Columns

Currently these are the first in the series, and are mostly scatter terrain that can be used internally - but I have big plans for this set!

Back to Video Index