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Experiences playing Epic on a city board?

 Post subject: Experiences playing Epic on a city board?
PostPosted: Wed Jan 20, 2021 3:57 pm 
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I’m planning to build an Epic city board to play on occasionally as a change from the usual more open battlefield. By city board I’m meaning the entire 6 by 4 table would be covered with buildings, ruins or roads and a way, way higher number of terrain pieces than the norm for the Epic tournament scenario.

How have those of you that have played on city boards found it? Does it unbalance the game in favour of some armies more than others? Have you still just used the standard tournament scenario or come up with a different city board scenario(s) instead? I don’t expect it would ever be used to play on at an Epic tournament but I would like to make playing on it a good experience for friendly games.

The table will be on a grid pattern of roads but I'm thinking of making the city tiles so the grid of roads is fixed at maybe a 45 degree angle to each player's table edge as having loads of open roads running straight across the board (like on the Titanicus city board tiles) seems boring tactically.


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 Post subject: Re: Experiences playing Epic on a city board?
PostPosted: Wed Jan 20, 2021 6:18 pm 
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Hi there. We played using a city board for a few weeks and found that it certainly changes things. For example, scouts became an absolute necessity, the models hiding behind buildings out of sight but with an ability to project their ZOC well beyond. We moved on after a few games but, if you are taking the effort to build boards (rather than drop a stack of buildings on as we did), it might be worth looking at this and coming up with a house rule.

I would certainly suggest some variety in the terrain, so, for example, having more open 'park' areas or ruined parts.

Perhaps think about the practicalities of play as well so that you can reach in (avoiding too many tall towers or lots of antennas that will snag and snap off).

I would also suggest thinking about the placing of buildings to allow LOS breaks rather than very long open avenues. Again, variety would be good.

Finally, perhaps try some games first (with drop on buildings) just to see if you like the games before spending hours making the boards and realising you don't enjoy using them (which would be a nightmare). I remember reading about a gamer eons ago who converted an entire 28mm ancients army but hardly used them as they were really boring to play.

Hope that helps. Phil

I do like the idea of tiles on a 45 degree angle to the bases - something we didn't think of.


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 Post subject: Re: Experiences playing Epic on a city board?
PostPosted: Wed Jan 20, 2021 10:34 pm 
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I could potentially house rule scouts or other things as needed. Though maybe scouts are more of a problem with small buildings that are less than 10cm across? I imagine 90+% of my building / ruin area terrain areas will be more than 10cm across, so that if a scout units wants to be in a position to ZoC the other side they would have to have to be visible from the other side also.

Making the tiles go at 45 degrees is going to complicate building it a lot – as I’ll have to make a load of square tiles and then lots of small triangular tiles around to fit inbetween around the edges of the board - but I think it’ll be worth the extra effort.

Yeah I’d like the flexibility to set it up so some roads can be seen down all across the table but line of sight can be blocked in areas. Most of what’s between the grid of roads will be ruins or buildings but yeah I’ll have a park, open plaza with statues and more. I’m also thinking of having one corner of the board be a harbour with a 40k cargo ship partly on the board and cranes unloading shipping containers. Also a giant cathedral a foot or two across with interior detail and doors so large titans can walk through around the inside (to make it practical in game).

I think I’m mentally committed to the project and will make it work somehow. I’ve got a pile of part assembled buildings and I’ve started buying Titanicus terrain tiles which I plan to cut up to make lots of low level building/ruin scatter terrain. The below will get separated to become a building and an area I'll count as ruin, both area terrain around 20 by 50cm across. I didn’t want to use them as was as I didn’t want to be forced into the same layouts each game or the straight across the table roads people are often critical about with them.

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 Post subject: Re: Experiences playing Epic on a city board?
PostPosted: Thu Jan 21, 2021 3:16 am 
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I've played a few games like this and yes it definitely affects balance, in the ways you might expect. Eldar shooting is affected as pop-up is a lot less effective, especially the longer range skimmers. Likewise shooty titans. However I suspect you could counter this a little if you didn't have straight roads, as this would restrict movement a lot more and units that can jump over terrain benefit. In general ignore cover and indirect fire get a boost. The net effect of it though was mainly in the army compositions chosen - what you lose in shooting you gain in assaults and being hidden yourself, so whilst it changed the internal balance, Biel Tan were just fine. Likewise shadowswords werent as good, but more artillery came out. I'm sure some armies would suffer more than others.

I didnt ever play with tyranids but I'd expect they'd get a boost against armies that lack indirect fire, potentially even more depending on whether you use buildings or ruins, in the EUK list anyway. Namely the fact they ignore dangerous terrain. Not sure if the NetEA lists have it.

One thing I did plan to add was a huge parade ground/plaza (for public executions, naturally) - engineered open space. Even though our roads were not at 90 degrees, it was still quite samey.

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 Post subject: Re: Experiences playing Epic on a city board?
PostPosted: Thu Jan 21, 2021 12:04 pm 
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As Kyrt says, it changes things in roughly the way you'd expect, with an additional change that FF values on vehicles become less valuable as it's harder to get LoS. Ignore Cover Barrage that doesn't have Indirect can see a big boost in effectiveness, due to only needing to see a single stand within 10cm of the edge to push the template further through, which I've used mercilessly with my Death Guard.

GlynG wrote:
I’m planning to build an Epic city board to play on occasionally as a change from the usual more open battlefield. By city board I’m meaning the entire 6 by 4 table would be covered with buildings, ruins or roads and a way, way higher number of terrain pieces than the norm for the Epic tournament scenario.

And bear in mind that while you're going to end up with more items of terrain, you're almost guaranteed to still be within the tournament guidelines in terms of coverage, as the guidelines allow up to 50%! Even more if using hills, and then roads are on top of that as well...

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 Post subject: Re: Experiences playing Epic on a city board?
PostPosted: Fri Jan 22, 2021 3:45 pm 
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we normally played heavily urban areas way back when in the Microsoft Players club. we found that infantry became a real bear to dislodge from position. SL was way powerful. Found that guardian heavy Eldar seemed to be nasty as well

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