Terrain - looking further afield.

[Mr Mystery]

How do?

Another random one before I go pick up my laundry.

Today, I took delivery of some 3D asteroids intended for X-Wing (a superb game, and a more in depth product review will soon be on the relevant board, with photos taken in crap-o-vision, why not check it out?).

Currently got them on my floor, and gazing upon them from my vaunted position of the sofa, I twigged 'hey, these might actually do for 40k'

See, not only are they on clear Perspex stands, for floaty appearance, but the stands have a clear base, and thus a defined terrain perimeter (more on the Importance of that in the formal review thread).

My Lord! Alien floaty rocks, perhaps on some kind of Daemon or Deathworld, or even (dirty word time) Vespid.

They're fairly chunky too, and should make pretty cool 40k terrain as something a little different. How one would play it is of course up to the players - perhaps the base perimeter blocks all LoS if you deem the rocks should be gently spinning, or if LoS is drawn through the defined perimeter, the cover save kicks in. Mayhap even strict WYSIWYG, and the bases 'aren't there' for the purposes of LoS, meaning they're mostly a hindrance to the larger models, leaving the view clear for infantry.

And this got me thinking, if we think similarly, if not exactly out-of-the-box, then at least from one of the cardboard flaps, what other third party terrain could be adapted for use in games other than its intended?

If you want to see pics, they'll be in the X-Wing review thread I'll do later.

Did I mention they're appearing in an X-Wing review thread? Because they are. You should check it out. In the X-Wing lounge. A review thread. About third party provided asteroids. With pics. In a review thread. Yes.

[Kirsten]

have the floaty rocks move 2D6" in a random direction at the start of every turn and potentially damage whatever they bump in to, based perhaps on how far they moved, strength equal to the highest die roll for example.

I am a big fan of Sarissa Precision laser cut MDF, and similar companies making that kind of stuff. a whole range of world war two through to Infinity sci fi terrain these days, all pretty cheap. we are spoiled for choice.

[Lord Manton]

I spend a lot of my time these days looking on eBay for aquarium decorations. Ocean plant life and coral make for some pretty cool looking terrain, whether it be alien flora or just bizarre jungle stuff. Also the rock formations are designed with crevices and things that fishies like to swim around and hide behind and this can make for some truly awesome looking rock formations for your gaming table. And it's all useable straight out of the box cos aquarium folk don't know how to dry brush. :P

The floating rocks idea makes me think of a psyker powering up all super saiyan style.

Xwing, you say... How novel.

[Da Gargoyle]

I picked up a box of asteroids for scenery to add to the BFG games I play. I think they are the same as yours with some on stands and some sitting flact on the floor. In BFG the whole scale is revisited as they represent something equivalent to the size of the ships floating in space. They also fit nicely with the standard 40K as chunks of building in a city scape.

Use the aquarium flora in my FOW games because they present the huge reeds and marsh land that occurs in delta type swamps. But thinking on the comment above they would fit in nicely in 40K games. We do a scene with the older ruins that came in one of the earlier starter packs. The greenery is sort of like wild grass growing in the turned up earth.