MODULAR TABLE OR NON-MODULAR TABLE
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This building is set on a hardboard base for a modular table. |
non-modular table is one where all of the scenery elements are built into the table and cannot be removed. A modular table, on the other hand, is a table where all of the scenery pieces are individual, free-floating objects that can be easily added or removed from your table depending upon the scenario or the amount of terrain you want for your 40K games.
Non-modular tables have a few disadvantages – the most significant of those is that once built, it is set up and games played on it will always have the same layout. These tables also have a few huge advantages, like the fact that a non-modular table can usually have a much stronger theme since the parts of the table fit together and interact better than one made up of many individual pieces. Non-modular tables are great choices for a one-off themed battle in your store or a presentation game at a Games Day. The greatest tables ever shown in White Dwarf or the GW website have been non-modular.
Modular terrain is usually small and can be arranged in many different ways so you can make every game you play with it unique. Modular terrain is easier to store than a table with immovable terrain, and modular terrain is also easier to transport. Heading to a friend's house? You can easily bring a few pieces of terrain inside a box with some bubble wrap. Good luck transporting the complete, non-modular table! Another advantage of building a modular city is that once you've made a thorough plan, you and your gaming group do not need to be together to work on it. You can work separately and come back once your buildings have been constructed. A non-modular table requires your group to meet where the table is being built and stored, which can sometimes present a difficulty.
We figure that most gamers will be using modular tables for their Medusa V and Cities of Death games. Thus, modular terrain receives a disproportionate amount of coverage in this building guide, although most of what is said is at least partially true for non-modular terrain.
MORE ON MODULES
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2.5" gaps between buildings (1.25" of space around each building on our 1' x 1' bases), is enough room for troops to move though, but not enough for tanks. |
f you have chosen to go with a modular table, there are a few more things to decide when it comes to building your modular city. Firstly is the size of the modules. Do you want all of your buildings to be 1' x 1', 2' x 2', 1' x2', or do you want variety? If you opt for larger sizes, are these to be made out of multiple smaller pieces, or will they be solid large pieces. How flexible do you want your terrain to be?
Something else to consider when deciding upon the size and orientation of your modules is the room between them. How much space do you want between buildings? It won't do you much good to make an amazingly flexible City of Death if you don't have room for models or for your hands to fit between the terrain pieces. Also, do you intend to fill your 4' x 6' table with 24 1' x 1' buildings, or does your plan call for open spaces (courtyards, parks, bridges, etc.) and roads? Too much density, and you won't have a place for your troops, let alone your tanks. Too little, and your table will look less like a war-torn city.
For our project, we decided that our building tiles would be 1' x 1', but some buildings would be made out of multiple tiles by placing them next to each other. There are a few 1' x 2' building that can easily be "broken" apart and still fit the look and feel of the city. We also decided to have one 2' x 2' factory that is a little less modular. In all, we created 24 1'x 1' modules, although some of these were split in half to make spacer tiles (rubble piles, open areas) to keep the city from becoming too grid-like. |
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