AMOUNT OF TERRAIN
efore you run out and purchase a single Manufactorum or 10 giant Cities of Death boxed sets (that's 100 buildings!), you should think about the size of table that you want to have when you are done, and how densely packed you want the terrain. Do you have a large gaming group that wants to host colossal mega-battles, or is it just you and your friend with the hopes of fielding 500-point armies each?
Two or three ruined buildings are enough to play an Alpha-level cityfight mission.
The first thing that you need to think about is the size of table you want for your games. If your group is relatively small and you don't yet have large armies (but you will someday, right?), you may want to think about designing terrain for a 4' x 4' area. To start, you can make this surface area by covering a kitchen table with the new Cities of Death Battlemat, or mark off a square on your floor with tape. For larger, conventional games, a 4' x 6' area is best. The grand-daddy 4' x 8' is well-suited for two or three players per side (as long as the armies aren't huge).
Once you reach the point where you're fielding enough miniatures for a battle of significant size, you might want to build a wooden framed table, as not many kitchen tables are this large, and not many people have floor space for a 4' x 8' game while still having room for players around it. Playing on the floor is also not great for the back, or when Fluffy the cat decides to romp through your battlefield. Bad Fluffy, bad!
Add in a couple more ruins to a 4' x 4' table and you're ready to tackle a Gamma-level mission.
Once you decide on the table size, you can figure out how much terrain you want to have on it. For a bit of insight, take a look at the Cities of Death expansion and review the Alpha-level, Gamma-level, and Omega-level table set-ups. Make sure you have a good idea of how much you're building, as the rest of your project depends on this decision. Make a plan before you start! Especially if you are working with others.
Next: Modular Table or Non-modular Table
Previous: Introduction
