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What makes the perfect collection of terrain?

 Post subject: What makes the perfect collection of terrain?
PostPosted: Sun Jun 08, 2008 10:10 pm 
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I'm about to start making/buying some terrain for epic and wonder what advice you lot might have? How many pieces? what types etc etc? I'm guessing that I'll need more than the six or so pieces that we tend to use for Warhammer...


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 Post subject: What makes the perfect collection of terrain?
PostPosted: Sun Jun 08, 2008 10:47 pm 
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All types for various environments ... Desert, Jungle, Temperate, Urban, farmland, forest, swamp/marsh, alien, deamon, etc. ...  The E40K Battles Book (the game came with 3) had a lot of ideas and suggestions too. That's certainly worth a look also.

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 Post subject: What makes the perfect collection of terrain?
PostPosted: Mon Jun 09, 2008 8:31 am 
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@L4: Thanks, I'll try and get hold of a copy. (although I don't think I've got space/time to build quite so many terrain sets! For now I'm hoping to get one flexible set of 'scatter terrain' that can be easily stored and will allow for some fun and tactical games)

As for the theme of the board, I'm going for an edge-of desert look. So there'll be a fair mix of terrain (nothing overtly 'alien like your crazy-nice tyrannid stuff L4!), including palm-tree woods/jungle, a city, hills and craters.

For most of these things I have ideas in mind (I'll be using the GW plastic hills, plastic craters, jungle-tree sprues and maybe Forge World buildings and, if I can get some, the old ruined building sprues). Roads I'll have to think about...

A couple of more specific questions:

1) How much of the board should be covered by terrain for a good fun game?
2) Are there any terrain types that are essential? Or any that duplicate the effect of others?
3) Do roads add much to the game?
4) I'm hoping to make my terrain look nice but also to be good for gaming purposes, with this in mind what would make woods/buildings/ruins most 'playable'?
5) What size would make the best wood/jungle? I'm thinking of using the old GW jungle trees and basing them up on old CDs but I'm not sure if that'll be big enough to have a decent in-game effect.






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 Post subject: What makes the perfect collection of terrain?
PostPosted: Mon Jun 09, 2008 4:19 pm 
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Sounds like you have a good plan. Edge of the Desert is a good choice, one of my favs. ?O.K., Question 1) At least 50% IMO. 2) Trees & hills, structures/ruins. 3) Roads are good because based on the rules you use, they give a movement benefit. But not essential. 4) I always try to make terrain in small enough groups so that models can be easily be placed in, on or around them. 5) CDs is a good idea for basing trees and other terrain. ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? In general I try look at what "real" terrain whether on Earth, a planet on Star Gate, etc. and get some ideas. ?Egyptian type is one of my favorites. My predilection for the Star Gate theme plays into this. And is one of the most numerous in my collect. I've posted pics of some of my "Star Gate" type terrain, even including a small model of the Star Gate. I call that set Abydos. I'm working on more, Luxor and Saqqara. I have some of that completed so I may post those soon. Also don't be attached to only 6mm terrain, I use 15, 20 & 25mm based on the piece. Some times with a little modification. Remember many Ancient structures were huge. ? ? ? ? ? ? ?So I hope that helps. I know my 'Nid terrain was pretty elaborate. ?I was collecting that for years before I got around to finishing it. :alien: :D




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 Post subject: What makes the perfect collection of terrain?
PostPosted: Mon Jun 09, 2008 4:57 pm 
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The perfect collection of terrain is enough for 12 distinct pieces to be placed on a 6x4 board and that all fit (just) in a standard GW space marine box! I get hills, woods, ruins and more ruins in!

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 Post subject: What makes the perfect collection of terrain?
PostPosted: Mon Jun 09, 2008 7:20 pm 
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Thanks guys. That's really helpful. I'll get my terrain-making hat on...


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 Post subject: What makes the perfect collection of terrain?
PostPosted: Tue Jun 10, 2008 2:04 am 
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if you get bored making regular terrain try something really 'out there'. Like ork buildings. Man, i pumped out enough of those in an evening to build an entire city and i had a blast.

those  GW hills will save you time but i think home made ones have more character and each one is different.

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 Post subject: What makes the perfect collection of terrain?
PostPosted: Tue Jun 10, 2008 8:29 am 
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For now it'll definately be the plastic GW hills. Time is something of an issue and the offer of ready-made, durable, easy to store, and reasonably cheap hills that look good (to me at least) is too good to pass up.

That said, I've been having a look at the terrain on this site and I've seen some lovely stuff. I'll get the basic 'set' sorted as quickly as possible to get playing and then start tarting it up with some fancy bits and bobs...


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 Post subject: What makes the perfect collection of terrain?
PostPosted: Tue Jun 10, 2008 10:50 am 
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I've gone for GW hills too, for me storage is the big issue, small house with family, you know how it goes so small pieces for me.
Here are a couple of forest/wood markers I made at the weekend.

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 Post subject: What makes the perfect collection of terrain?
PostPosted: Tue Jun 10, 2008 4:18 pm 
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Looks good !  :D

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 Post subject: What makes the perfect collection of terrain?
PostPosted: Wed Jun 11, 2008 3:13 am 
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nice!

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