city terrain piece

[Geep]

It's hard enough moving the models in crowded, ruin-filled streets at 28mm. Did you have to play using tweezers?!

[jchaos79]

Tutorial for forest is great!

[cjbennett22]

I had this piece of ply wood ready to go to start a dice tower so I am just borrowing it for now.  Drew up the city on it and put in my brumbear paper buildings after repair a few of them from heavy use.  The streets line the troops up sideways and for infantry that is an irregular formation putting them at half pace, the streets I am saying makes the first order issue automatic from a commander that is also touching the road.  Combat in the streets is just like on a fortification wall, no flanking or support so very drawn out combat for both sides.  No LOS through 2 cm, only infantry and machines can enter (just like fortifications).  I think I will give the buildings 8 structure points and use infantry like a battering ram when getting rid of them.  and I might just give the city certain zones, knock down this building and now LOS and regular movement in that zone, reducing the town.  Still wondering if I would have the infantry take down a building to make an earthwork. 

Tactically you could send calvary around the town and secure it for the infantry to come pouring through.  everything would be really small and low so not to mess up the miniature bases that much.  the terrain would keep massive units out during gameplay anyways so I doubt it would be that much of a pain.

[cjbennett22]

as for the woods, that is my small woods, I used the same 1/8 plywood for the base, just kinda painted it and flocked it with several different grasses and used finishing nails to hold up the canopy.  hammered them in like normal and then glued them to help hold them in place.  after you move your troops into them you can replace the canopy.  if you move troops in with your opponent in the bathroom or just not paying attention then replace the canopy, he or she will be in for a surprise next turn!  I like to think that these woods show that I want terrain to be as pretty as possible without taking away any game play if not actually enhancing it!  Pretty and cheap actually!

[cjbennett22]

one with troops, rangers of course!

[forbes]

I'm not sure I would be allowing normal troops to demolish buildings. Knocking down a building is a major under taking, and even if it was knocked down, there would be a big pile of rubble. Giants and other monsters are another matter - but will still make lots of rubble.

Burning buildings was the normal medieval method of removing buildings - but this causes more of a blockage in the short term with fire and smoke, and can spread...

[mlkr]

Thats a nice little village you've got there

[cjbennett22]

i was reading that reply and another thing popped in my head.....

If i was using artillery to destroy the buildings would the infantry still be able to use the wreckage to build their earthworks?  and that is the loophole in my rules so that would be a bad idea, and i agree the buildings would not be able to be taken down by basic infantry because of the mortar they used to create them hence burning them down is the only way to get rid of them.

So maybe a simplified sacrifice of their movement phase to roll a dice and on a 3+ they could "rummage" through the buildings to grab enough furniture and things to erect their fortifications?  But the cannons can still take the buildings away from being able to be "rummaged".  That sounds more balanced too, to me anyways.  I am still hoping on play testing this weekend before building a finished product. 

I hope everyone likes the woods "how-to".  The nails still impede a bit no matter what but everything works out really well and it doesnt slow the game down at all in my opinion.

[jchaos79]

nice, tell us how is the playtesting

[cjbennett22]

I played a 1k game on my workbench, 2x2 feet there about.  Put the city terrain in the center just about and played my dwarves against my chaos. 

City terrain rules:  only infantry can move into it, LOS is blocked 2cm deep.  The city roads are regular roads and therefore anything can enter them (skinny roads, so to change formations and possibly imposing half pace movement).  With the infantry moving around and through the buildings they need to be removable for sure.  I wouldn't even allow the use of any modeled fences and hedges, etc. to give defended status as it would just be too cramped (but maybe on another city terrain piece).  no support, flanking and advancing bonus' (not in the open) as per the fortification/walls rules for siege games.  I did not playtest it but I was thinking that a building would not be blown up by a solid cannon ball or rock but just put a large hole in it so no taking away buildings (maybe a scenario specific rule).  And I would allow any infantry to rummage at a 3+ during movement phase to not move but instead erect 3 places of earthworks, road blocking could happen and an infantry unit could waste its time and not find enough stuff.

the first picture was of the hounds just entering the city to try a line jump and flank, using the roads they could make up a lot of ground in a single turn to do it but the first order was all they received, then fired upon by rangers, as per the drive back rule imposing a "straight line back" then they would have been driven back into the "city terrain" and confused as they could not enter it.

the second image just highlights the road access in the city for everyone and everything, the rangers never took the time to make any fortifications but won the fight against the hounds anyways (the rangers rolled very well all through the game)

I like the terrain rules, makes it a different and fun point of interest on the map.

overall, in the game, the chaos pushed everything forward like normal but the dwarves took it all like a champ.  The chaos had to give up when a last ditch push by marauders led by the general himself was eventually countered and pursued to death back into the city terrain, by the dwarf rangers.

Thanks for hearing me out and giving me some feedback or questions to help me out!!

[cjbennett22]

second image

[jchaos79]

I like the city rules, maybe I would not use the status of ramparts in other terrain than ramparts. But in general interesting rules for a city scenario.

It remembers me a famous an episode of a charge of mameluks cavalry in the middle of my natal city (Madrid) during napoleonic times... you know a regiment of cavalry charing inside a city, because they were in the main streets main square (plaza mayor).

[cjbennett22]

maybe not ramparts but whatever you want to call them.  defended none the less, 5+ to hit. combined with the lack of +1 to attack for NOT being in the open.

[jchaos79]

if I understand right, defended is:
5+ to been hit
No in open (negate the +1 to charger attack)
If it is shot, negate 1 dice to fall back.

[cjbennett22]

yes,  if the terrain sits in the right spot it could prove very costly to the opponent of someone who can get an infantry brigade through the town terrain first and set up a defensive position in time.  defended position is a pretty good bonus.

  that's kind of what I am aiming for but at the same time that infantry would probably be way out in front of the army in a huge effort to get there and set up.  or with both players doing it combat could possibly commence very quickly and a defense would never get put up. 

Or everyone avoids the town and goes around.  ha! 
anything is possible I suppose