IT'S A JUNGLE OUT THERE
The more astute readers out there may think that a jungle-load of scenery would result in a slow, congested game. This was one of the challenges that Andy and the team faced.
"At first we looked at the rules presented in the Warhammer rulebook for buildings, but we found they needed a bit of work."
Yes, the idea of skirmishing minotaurs roaming around the jungle does sound a bit scary.
"It stopped looking like a game of Warhammer with skirmishers all over the place. We also found that there was no physical way to get movement bases through all that jungle scenery without serious irritation. So we introduced the formation of Loose Order, available to large blocks of infantry."
So how does this formation help negotiate all that nasty flora and fauna?
"It has similarities to Warhammer Skirmish formation in that a unit in Loose Order can move through difficult terrain without penalty, but units in Loose Order must keep a tighter formation. They do not impose a -1 to enemy shooting, for instance."
And, of course, they lose their rank bonus. So does this mean you get more unit-on-unit combat, instead of the complex multi-unit fights so common on the standard Warhammer battlefield?
"Yes, you don't get so many clusters of units. We tweaked the rules so that generals face an interesting tactical dilemma: enter Loose Order formation to get into the action quickly and get the charge or move in cautiously with a decent rank bonus and hope the enemy comes to you!"
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New plastic jungle trees. |
"I'm glad you asked me that one. We didn't want players to have to spend weeks making terrain and only to use it for a couple of games."
This led to Games Workshop producing a new range of jungle plants, which accompany the release of the Lustria book. The jungle plants provide a quick and easy way to create a dense tropical jungle on the tabletop.
"A couple of packets of this stuff, and hey presto, you have an instant jungle!"
However, for those who prefer the personal touch, Warhammer Realms: Lustria has a complete section talking players through how best to make their own jungle terrain quickly and efficiently and also how to make their own markers to represent encounters.
INTO THE DARKNESSDespite the book's title, the new rules needn't be restricted to battles in Lustria. They can also be applied to other inhospitable jungles and forests across the Warhammer world. You can fight battles in these regions with a few simple tweaks to the Lustria jungle fighting rules. Thus, you can play your games beneath the eaves of Athel Loren, in the Beastmen-infested Drakwald, throughout the Great Forest, or in the Forest of Shadows, of Arden, of Châlons, of Naggaroth... the list goes on. With revised Event tables and special rules to tailor your game to each location, plus tips on building the terrain involved, this supplement will add a new dimension to your campaigns even if you decide not to take part in the struggle for the New World. We'll be exploring these dark, inhospitable places a lot more in the pages of White Dwarf over the next few issues. |
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