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Space Hulk using Litko Aero space corridor system

 Post subject: Space Hulk using Litko Aero space corridor system
PostPosted: Tue Oct 07, 2008 7:34 pm 
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I'm a long-time fan of Space Hulk.  Back before I went off with the Army (circa 1991) and my entire game collection was stolen, I had the base set, both expansions, and about 25 metal Termies in all configurations.  We played the hell out of that game.  

When I got back into gaming in 2003, I made finding a copy of Space Hulk one of my top priorities.  Little did I realize how the landscape had changed!  A squad of Termies was then around $35, which was ridiculous for five figs.  If only I had known...

Anyway.  I managed to land a base set for $75, which I realize now was an incredible deal, compared to prices on eBay.  However, my search for Deathwing and Genestealer has been fruitless;  the copies that come up for auction are often incomplete or damaged, and even then can still run for hundreds of dollars.  One online dealer is offering copies of Deathwing and Genestealer, minus minis, for $110 each, and copies of them with minis for $160 or more.  And I've seen the base game go for as much as $300, unpunched.  

I'm notoriously cheap, which comes from having a total hobby budget of $100 a month, which includes games, paint, supplies, ammunition, targets, parts for my bike, and any lattes or fast food I feel like eating.  Thus, I can't pay premium prices for this nearest-and-dearest-to-my-heart game.  In looking for alternatives, I've looked at Hirst Arts molds (good results but an incredible amount of work), scratchbuilding boards using cross-stitch fabric, and, finally, Litko Aero's "Space Corridor" system.



http://www.litkoaero.com/page/LAI/CTGY/CS

The base set of the system is $50 and includes over 100 pieces.  The expansion set is $25 and includes around 50 pieces.  Then there are the myriad of tokens, markers, doors, etc., to be factored in.  For sake of this thread, I'm skipping any discussion of miniatures and sticking with the boards and markers.

Board Pieces

So.  How much would it take to recreate roughly the entire Space Hulk trilogy using Litko's products?  Here's a rough analysis.

Attached is a spreadsheet that counts up the various individual pieces and their corresponding Litko replacements.  However, the Litko parts don't match up directly with the GW parts, because the shapes are somewhat different, both for better and for worse.

For instance, a four-way intersection in Space Hulk looks like this:



While a four-way "cross" from Litko looks like this:



So, to use Litko's four-way piece would also require using four 1x1 corridor pieces to complete the "+" shape represented by the Space Hulk tiles.  Is this a problem?  Not really, since if you buy the Litko Master and Expansions sets, you receive a total of 28 1x1 corridor pieces, which is well beyond the measly 4 1x1 pieces that come in the original trilogy.

Another piece that may be problematic is the Deathwing "spiral" four-way intersection:



There is no corresponding Litko piece.  However, using four 1x1 "cross" pieces (which have attachment points on all four sides), or four 1x1 "T" pieces, combined with four 1x1 corridor pieces, you can easily recreate the Deathwing spiral intersection.  As it is, the Litko Master plus Expansion sets include seven extra "cross" pieces and six extra "T" pieces, so there is plenty of excess to use in making this particular board tile.

Now, the 3-square wide passages in Deathwing and Genestealer present a bit of an issue.  On the positive side, Litko's rooms can be clipped together end-to-end to create long, 3-square wide passages.  On the down side, the Deathwing and Genestealer passages come in odd lengths, such as 4- or 5-square lengths.  It would be easy to recreate these using extra 3x3 rooms from the Litko sets, plus odd 1x1 pieces to bridge the gaps.  I haven't explored all the possibilities, but I think you would need to purchase a few extra 3x3 rooms and possibly some extra 1x1 tiles in order to have enough to recreate the sum total of the extra wide passages in Deathwing and Genestealer.

Some specialized floor tiles are also not immediately represented in the Litko set, such as the Ladder markers and Chute tiles.  However, the Litko sets include eight 2-square corridor pieces beyond the eight included in the Space Hulk trilogy, so there is ample overage to use in converting for Chutes and Ladders (also a classic game).

On doors and bulkheads:  there are excess doors included in the Litko sets, so that isn't a problem.  The five bulkheads in the Deathwing set aren't represented, but it would be fairly simply to make something out of plasticard, or else use a couple of the wall pieces from Litko's Industrial Tower System.

I figure that, factoring in the extra rooms you would need, you can recreate the basic floor tiles of the Space Hulk trinity for roughly $100 (actually $96, plus shipping).  Not bad considering that a single copy of Space Hulk or one of its expansions may run twice that.

(cont.)

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 Post subject: Space Hulk using Litko Aero space corridor system
PostPosted: Tue Oct 07, 2008 7:46 pm 
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$100USD ain't worth squat in today's economy ! :mad:  So go for it !  :O   Before $100 will only pay for a loaf of day old bread ... :sigh:   :_(

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 Post subject: Space Hulk using Litko Aero space corridor system
PostPosted: Tue Oct 07, 2008 8:01 pm 
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There's 3 sets of scanned SH tiles up on Board Game Geek:

http://www.boardgamegeek.com/files/boardgame/2163

I'd make my own before I went with Litko. A couple of bucks at a printing shop will get you plenty of nicely printed tiles. And if money is an issue you can always make it Epic scale.

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 Post subject: Space Hulk using Litko Aero space corridor system
PostPosted: Tue Oct 07, 2008 8:29 pm 
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Okay, the Excel spreadsheet seems to upload in an odd way.  To use it, save it to your machine and then change the file extension from .txt to .xls -- that seems to work.

Markers

Okay, on to the markers.  If you've never bought any of these from Litko, they are freakin' beautiful.  The precision laser-cut and etched acrylic is fantastic, and the bonus for sci-fi games is that the edges of cut acrylic tend to glow when they catch the light.

Luckily, nearly everything used in the Space Hulk trinity is available from Litko, and if it isn't already in stock, you can order custom-engraved tokens in your choice of colors, so those funky Genestealer psyker markers and whatnot can certainly be recreated that way.

Blips.  Gotta love 'em.  Blips are one of the mechanics that gives Space Hulk its feeling of desperate tension, like the parts of Aliens where the Colonial Marines are tracking the bugs on their motion sensors as they come scrambling through the duct work.  Litko's blips (which, I am proud to say, I suggested to Ken Litko;  yes, in some small way I had a hand in inventing the Intern- er, the blips) are perfect for this game. (Sock puppet disclaimer: I have no commercial relationship with Litko other than regularly sacrificing money on the altar of their greatness).

 

The parts inventories for the Holy Trinity indicate that there are around 37 green blips, including the Hybrid blips and 4-5-6 blips from Genestealer.  Litko's blips come at ten for $5, so $20 will supply you with all the green blips you might need, plus a couple extra if you lose some.  Then there are the red "ambush" blips from Deathwing;  luckily, Litko makes blip markers in six colors, including a vivid amber.  Again, $5 worth will supply your ambush blip needs.

For labeling the blips, I have a DYMO Letratag label maker, but you can also just print the numbers you need on standard mailing labels, cut them out, and stick them to the underside of the blips.  No one can read the number through the label, so even though the blips are transparent, there shouldn't be any problem.

By the way, the numbers of standard blips are:

Stealers -- # of Blips
1 -- 8 blips
2 -- 4 blips
3 -- 9 blips
4 -- 2 blips
5 -- 2 blips
6 -- 2 blips
Hybrid -- 10 blips (lettered A through J)

(Thank Vishnu that there are only 2 each of the 6 'Stealer blips!  My Marines wouldn't be able to handle much more.)

Overwatch and Jam markers are standard fare for Litko.  You get ten Overwatch markers (available in a variety of colors) for $6, and ten Jammed markers for $5.



Litko's Flamer markers come in a variety of shapes, colors, and sizes.  For basic Space Hulk, you need 12 (6 per squad).  I would prefer to use the Medium Amber Flame Markers, which are 5 for $5:



For your reloads, either for Assault Cannons or Flamers, you can utilize Ammo markers, which come in at 15 for $5:  http://www.litkoaero.com/page/LAI/PROD/TS/TS021

Or you can design your own custom tokens at 10 for $7, if you don't like the color of the Ammo markers:  http://www.litkoaero.com/page/LAI/PROD/CTOK/CTOK002

So that leaves us with a lot of the miscellaneous stuff -- crates, cryo units, CAT markers, psyker power cards, etc.  These will have to come from other sources, but, luckily, shouldn't be too hard to fill:

-- Crates can be bought from Castlekits.com or Armorcast.
-- Cryo units can be bought from Scotia-Grendel or scratchbuilt.
-- CAT markers can be made pretty easily from Mechwarrior clicky tanks or other small-scale tracked tanks.  Maybe even using the smaller Axis & Allies Minis or the bodies of the Epic Ork gunwagonz.
-- Most of the Psyker cards and whatnot from Genestealer can be downloaded from the Space Hulk tribute site and printed on thick card, then cut out and laminated.  http://spacehulk.barsoom.cc/gsinv/cards.html
-- Psyker effect tokens can also be printed on card or you could order some from Litko's custom token service.
-- Ladders and Pitfalls, again, can be made using some of the excess corridor tiles from the Litko Master and Expansion sets.
-- Power field markers from Deathwing could be just about anything, including the teleport poles from the Macragge or some of the space combat markers from Litko:  http://www.litkoaero.com/page/LAI/PROD/TS/TS053-TYL or http://www.litkoaero.com/page/LAI/PROD/TS/TS052-TYL

Anyhoo... maybe in a later post I'll discuss how I plan on adapting Genestealer Hybrids, which are, by far, the rarest pieces from the minis side.  However, I think that my overall conclusion for prices is that the boards and core markers can be had from Litko for around $150, and that isn't bad!  That price may grow as you add in more fancy stuff, of course, but as a solution to the Space Hulk scarcity problem, I think Litko's offerings are a good way to go.

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 Post subject: Space Hulk using Litko Aero space corridor system
PostPosted: Tue Oct 07, 2008 8:41 pm 
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Quote: (Dave @ 07 Oct. 2008, 12:01 )

I'd make my own before I went with Litko. A couple of bucks at a printing shop will get you plenty of nicely printed tiles.

Oh, indeed one could.  I've had those scans saved to my hard drive for ages.  But, unfortunately, I have the manual dexterity of an epileptic hippo with severe narcolepsy, so any effort of mine along those lines would likely be doomed to utter failure.  Also, I'd probably hurt myself.

It would be nice to have a 3D Space Hulk set, but as a compromise offering most professional bang for the amateur buck, I think the Litko stuff is pretty darn good.

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 Post subject: Space Hulk using Litko Aero space corridor system
PostPosted: Tue Oct 07, 2008 8:44 pm 
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Cool. Keep in mind $ 100,- is $ 85,- more then my monthly budget....

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 Post subject: Space Hulk using Litko Aero space corridor system
PostPosted: Wed Oct 08, 2008 2:30 am 
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Whoa... check this auction out:

Massively insane Space Hulk auction

$470 for an unpunched 1st Ed. Space Hulk??  That's just nuts.  Nuts, I say.

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 Post subject: Space Hulk using Litko Aero space corridor system
PostPosted: Wed Oct 08, 2008 6:55 am 
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i like the game but id like to make it bulkier with walls and doors. ive started a projekt of makeing templates to print, paste on card and play.  my lack of 3D-modelling skills put a stop to it though. if anyone want the files to pick up where i left it can pm me.

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 Post subject: Space Hulk using Litko Aero space corridor system
PostPosted: Wed Oct 08, 2008 4:39 pm 
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Cool Markers regardless ! :cool:   :alien:




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 Post subject: Space Hulk using Litko Aero space corridor system
PostPosted: Wed Oct 08, 2008 5:04 pm 
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Whoa... check this auction out:

Massively insane Space Hulk auction


That's sick, sick and twisted! Why Oh Why did I let my wife chuck mine out years ago!  :_(  It was a friends. He gave me it when he moved house.

However I think I have some plastic minis from the original (Plastic crappy Terminators and Genestealers covered in way too much undercoat). I also have a few old metal Terminators too... somewhere... dunno' if they are Deathwing though but they were Space Hulk. I'll find 'em and post a photo if you want 'em?

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 Post subject: Space Hulk using Litko Aero space corridor system
PostPosted: Wed Oct 08, 2008 7:05 pm 
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Quote: (Warhead @ 08 Oct. 2008, 09:04 )

However I think I have some plastic minis from the original (Plastic crappy Terminators and Genestealers covered in way too much undercoat). I also have a few old metal Terminators too... somewhere... dunno' if they are Deathwing though but they were Space Hulk. I'll find 'em and post a photo if you want 'em?

Sure, I'll take 'em!  Is there anything you need Epic-wise by way of trade?  I have oodles of Orks, if you need some greenskinz.  Also some Marine and IG stuff, too.

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 Post subject: Space Hulk using Litko Aero space corridor system
PostPosted: Wed Oct 08, 2008 7:40 pm 
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Please await PM that shall be sent soon.

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 Post subject: Space Hulk using Litko Aero space corridor system
PostPosted: Wed Oct 08, 2008 9:04 pm 
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PM sent Javelin.

Here is what I have...




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 Post subject: Space Hulk using Litko Aero space corridor system
PostPosted: Thu Oct 09, 2008 4:55 pm 
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Cool.  I PM'ed you back with some potential trade stock, so look over that and let me know what you think.

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 Post subject: Space Hulk using Litko Aero space corridor system
PostPosted: Thu Oct 09, 2008 5:16 pm 
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Thanks Javelin,

I'm just sending a PM reply now.

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