A guide to terrain and how it affects your game (pic heavy)

[Zeruel13]

It depends I guess, but certainly a step in the right direction no matter what. What it really hinges on is how easily you can see through those ruins. If they're all windows it won't be that much better (though still better). If you do house rule it to say ruins block line of sight when firing right through them then it would be as close to perfect as I could imagine.

Also completely unrelated but after having seen two tables by you now you have some killer looking terrain at the very least.

[francisco]

If i was playing in that terrain, the 1st player would choose the right side of that area, why?

a) the top right tower is diagonal facing and how this affect line of sights? seems not but diagonal positioning objects that blocks line of sight offers more protection vs angle of line of fire, its a perfect spot for small units with heavy weapons for example since they can reposition bettewn left and right of that building and cover an entire flank with the minimum move requirement to do it, without losing a turn or 2 much time to set it up. Also allow to counter 1 side fairly easily with support nearby and flip sides in case the other "window" is far 2 crowded.
The trick thing on that is outflankers, since if an enemy unit reach their, they will get the same odds and protections offered by it

b) the corner right of that photo have a ruin with a crater while the other side got nothing, they do have a ruin in the middle of the map, but hardly people will deploy units to get a free round of shooting, the middle ruin right next to it pend more in favour to the right side in case we need to reposition units around and buy time, forcing your oponent to play more with the left side of his board area which is 50% covered by point a) tower

If your a very mobile army like DE or eldar, they will exploit their point of entry on the left side pic play by the open picking units 1 by 1, hitting softly till they can break your army in half, while the right side player supress much of your units from a) advantage

[Spacefrisian]

Reading the article i think i was already on the right track with loads of terrain.

Might i suggest peeps to look at Strikingscorpion82 on youtube, he also seems to use a good filled board most of the time (not all due to high models seeing easily over alot of current terrainpieces), might help seeing it in action.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ThZEr3MW ... A&index=10

[potato32]

I play Tau, and I like LoS blocking terrain... so long as it is not paper thin. Countless folks I play with don't seem to understand the point of having it there. It isn't to make Tau Weaker, it is to make it fair for everyone.
A block is way better than some less than an inch thick wall. Most gw ruins are way too thin to be LOS blocking terrain.
I suppose the worst part is people who fire through their aegis defense line from way back despite not seeing anything at all.( I do mean at least 4 inches from the ones actually manning the line.)

[Arnathos]

Well an Aegis defense line does block LoS for Ratlings and some fire warriors. Its like in fantasy with dwarfs that cannot see over the citadel 'hedges and fences' kit. Its stupid, but it is true line of sight.

[Vespan]

Taller segments of Aegis have eye openings. So if a model's head is on the height of the opeining it should see through it

[Arnathos]

The problem with ratlings though:



Can't take better pics as I left my Ratlings at the FLGS, but you can see how they would have trouble looking over the Aegis defense line when they would be next to it.

[MarcelatMWG]

Also a rules question on template weapons. If there is an object that blocks line of site to a model. But the model falls under the template say from like a flamer. Can the model that is out of line of site be hurt? Or does it follow the rule you can't see it, you can't wound it?

I think a flamer template is a good example What you cannot see, you will hardly be able to shoot, but: if you are shooting your flamer into a building at an.. hum lets say guardsmen - there are so plenty of them, you will always find one somewhere - you will hit that guy and surely his comrades, hiding left, right or behind him, too.

The same thing applies if shooting a grenade launcher, plasma cannon etc. There is kind of an explosion, shockwave or splash, that will hit all the guys in the area of your shot, not only the one you can see.

So yes, your template hits all the guys covered under it

[GLUG5]

wow I pretty new to the game and to cheap to buy terrain and to lazy to build terrain so when me and my friends battle we just use a lot of book (like I mean a lot to the point half the table is just a wall) and the little bit of terrain that I have so its really just obstacles not cover and my friends use a lot of lance cannons and meltas (but I use orks) I think I might start using more cover

[cracklingvoice]

My FLGS has some urban terrain from a company called BPLaser, out of Australia. Their 28mm Sci-Fi buildings are pretty awesome. They aren't very cheap (three buildings cost me $300), but are totally worth the investment and come with more-or-less simple directions.

I'm planning on doing a reboot of my model set (selling everything to make room for the new), and am going to work toward a fully urban terrain set. Lots of narrow streets, blind corners, and terrain high enough and close enough that my assault marines can jump from rooftop to rooftop while staying about eight inches above the table surface and out of sight of anything else not at their height. I'm waiting for the battle where my Assault Marines or Vanguard Veterans run headlong into a squad of Warp Talons or Swooping Hawks while jumping rooftops.

The eventual goal is to make a table that is over 60% terrain, with up to four levels (three floors and roof). I want to go for a three-dimensional battlespace, where you can't afford to only worry about what is to your front and sides. I want you to start losing units quickly if you aren't looking up. Tau Pathfinders, Eldar Rangers, IG Veterans, Marine Scouts, Necron Deathmarks ... all scout/sniper style units that can tear a unit apart if not dealt with. How about Sternguard carrying Combi-Meltas on an upper floor, waiting for a Leman Russ or Wave Serpent to drive by?

Urban warfare is a very unforgiving environment for all parties, and very disorienting for players not used to it. It makes a game into more of a battle, more of a challenge. Plus, it has rather spoiled me as a player. I have made some scary killzones with three squads of scouts and some HB-carrying devastators.

Just my $.02