"25% terrain coverage"

[jumai]

So, we've all realized by now that peoples' estimates of 25% surface area tend to vary wildly. So out of boredom, I made a to-scale image of a 4'x6' surface which is broken up into coloured tiles, and further subdivided each tile into differently shaded sections. The idea is that, if one were so inclined, one could cover 1 quadrent per tile in terrain for a quick, proportionate, and well distributed table setup. Then things are easily fine tuned by shifting things a bit or breaking up the solid sections.

I was mostly interested in knowing with certainty what 25% terrain "really looks like", but I figured others might benefit.

The finest grid squares are 1"x1", the darker squares overlaid on the lighter are 2"x2". The purple hash lines occur every 12".
The coloured tiles are sized for convenient divisibility. Each quadrent is 8"x9".



...and with 25% filled in:

[Terraforcer]

Nice graph, and a good setup to show 25% cover.

[Ssyrie]

Well, on a 4'x6' table 25% would be 864 square inches of terrain. One way would be to mark each piece of terrain with the amount of square inches it takes up, and keep picking pieces until you get somewhere around 864. Or just mark off a 2'x3' corner of the table and fill it with terrain. Then remove the terrain and begin placing it on the table.

And remember, not all terrain needs to block LoS. Rivers, craters, swamps, etc... count as terrain.

[henrythesecond]

Terrain is one of my "soap-box" subjects. My friends and I put just as much effort into ensuring we have great looking terrain as we do painting our armies.

As for the amount of terrain, I find myself constantly amazed at how little terrain some people use, even at stores and clubs where there is plenty laying around to be used. As a treat, we'd taken a trip up to Warhammer World for a day's battling just before Christmas and there was a couple of guys playing a Tau vs Guard Pitched Battle. They each had a hill off-centre in their deployment zone with 2 woods and small rock roughly on the centre line. That was it.

I realise they're both shooty armies so each had a vested interest in open lines of sight and killing zones, but it just doesn't lend itself to any kind of tactical thinking. He who has the first good Shooting Phase wins! I know everyone plays the game and enjoys it in their own way, but in my opinion terrain can add so much more to a game if selected and placed with a bit of thought. Make each player earn their small victories.

Anyhoop, thanks for letting me rant. Later.

[Shotgun Justice]

Opponents are often amazed by how much terrain 25% is, I use the same method as Ssyrie, mark out a table quarter and then fill it. People don't often believe that so much terrain should be used and will try to remove a few pieces to 'get better firing lanes'
How boring.
I find that many tables also lack a good mix of area and los blocking terrain, hence why my terrain is always on the large side.
My most regular opponent and I are on opposite sides of this issue and have compromised on D6 + 5 pieces of terrain per battle, I love it when it comes up with a 6.

henrythesecond - I'm with you mate, great looking terrain plus little men and tanks maneuvering through and around it is a key part of the experience for me. Have started a project log in the Modeling and Painting sub-forum with my current terrain projects.

[MaltonNecromancer]

Nice graph. That's slightly less than the amount of terrain I like to use. I like shooty armies, but frankly, if you have a clear fire lane anywhere on the board, how is that going to stretch you as a general?

[JMichael]

I agree...nice graph.
At our club we have 8foot tables (remember when the battle was supposed to be 8x4?) and we have 2' on one end sectioned off, to make the current 6x4.
So we fill the 2' end space with terrain, then place that on the table.

To be frank, we don't do it that often. Mostly we just eyeball the terrain and try to make the deployment zones even.
After all, sometimes one would fight on near open fields and other times, in forests or cities.

[Da Gargoyle]

I like 25%, most guys I play don't. It gives me half a chance of getting my Eldar in close for shooting and combat. Once they're in, they're in with a vengeance.

[jumai]

At our club we have 8foot tables (remember when the battle was supposed to be 8x4?) and we have 2' on one end sectioned off, to make the current 6x4.

All tables should be like this. The game surface may only be 6' long, but the last 2' are incredibly convenient when you need a spot to put your dice/templates/rulebooks/drinks/out-of-play models.

[Archduke]

The one danger with actually trying to place 25% terrain I have found is that people tend to pick the big fancy terrain out of the box and you end up with a map that has no LOS for anyone and is very difficult to move model around in.