Well, it's obvious, isn't it? You just plonk it down on your gaming
board. Not so - here are a few things to think about when placing and
using your terrain - **board balance, placement, knowing your terrain,
and special rules**. Of course, the challenges posed by different
types of terrain and landscape are part and parcel of the game. I am not
suggesting that you eliminate this challenge, but there are certain
pitfalls to be avoided.
Board balance Try to ensure that each side of the board is
reasonably balanced in terms of cover, difficulty of ground and height
of ground - unless you need a particular layout for a scenario or
re-fight. This does not mean that the board has to be symmetrical or
exactly the same on each side - it is more a matter of balance. One side
could have more cover, but at the expense of it being surrounded by
difficult areas of terrain. Another could have more high ground or
buildings on one side but they could be difficult to capture or get
into.
Placement Be careful about the placement of terrain in
deployment zones. Allowing deployment on a high building or hill with
good lines of fire could seriously favour one side. Availability of
cover in deployment zones is important too - especially for the person
who goes second! Think about the placement of buildings and hills and
don't disadvantage a player who has vehicles by making it impossible to
get between them - life shouldn't always be easy but deliberately making
things difficult for your opponent because you know they have large
vehicles and you don't is a subtle form of cheating. Consider breaking
up large areas of open ground with something that provides some cover -
a few rocks or trees for example - otherwise it might become a redundant
area because no-one wants to risk crossing it.
Know your terrain Having to stop and ponder about the effects
of a terrain type in the middle of a game is frustrating and spoils the
flow of the battle. Before commencing run through the terrain and agree
that, for example, that river can't be waded, that slope or hill is
difficult terrain, chain link fencing provides soft cover etc. Think
about making up some terrain datafaxes that carry these details
for easy reference. The datafax should include the armour value of the
terrain, effect on movement, type of cover it provides, type or degree
of obstacle, and any special rules that apply.
Special rules On the whole I don't recommend introducing lots
of special or complex rules to do with terrain - it complicates the game
too much. However, it can be interesting to use a special rule now and
then. Why not leave some of the details about terrain to be discovered
during the game?
Examples...
# When using rivers leave the decision about how deep they are, and
therefore how easily they can be crossed, until someone reaches it
during play. Place blank counters every 6 inches or so along one
bank. When a trooper or vehicle reaches the river roll a D10, D20 or
whatever. This becomes the depth of the river at that point. Write
this on a counter and place it face down - your opponent must reach
the river himself to discover the crossing points!
# Chain-link and other fencing could have variable armour value or
toughness rolled up when someone reached it. Once discovered this
could be kept secret from your opponent. Why not try randomly
deciding if the fence is electrified or protected by a stasis field
or something.
# These gameplays make scouts into true scouts, determining the lay
of the land before the main drive begins.