Help support TMP


"Are Your Tundras And Steppes Completely Bare?" Topic


12 Posts

All members in good standing are free to post here. Opinions expressed here are solely those of the posters, and have not been cleared with nor are they endorsed by The Miniatures Page.

For more information, see the TMP FAQ.


Back to the Terrain and Scenics Message Board

Back to the Medieval Discussion Message Board

Back to the Historical Wargaming in General Message Board

Back to the Ancients Discussion Message Board

Back to the Fantasy Discussion Message Board

Back to the Prehistoric Message Board


Areas of Interest

General
Fantasy
Ancients
Medieval

Featured Hobby News Article


Featured Link


Featured Ruleset

The Art of War


Rating: gold star gold star gold star gold star 


Featured Showcase Article

Dreadfleet Ship's Wheel & Navigation Rod

Personal logo Editor in Chief Bill The Editor of TMP Fezian may be slow, but... well, he's just slow.


Featured Profile Article

Report from Bayou Wars 2006

The Editor heads for Vicksburg...


Featured Book Review


2,307 hits since 19 Jul 2018
©1994-2024 Bill Armintrout
Comments or corrections?

Cacique Caribe20 Jul 2018 5:55 a.m. PST

(Mainly for Prehistoric, Fantasy, Ancients, Medieval, scenarios)

Do you add bushes/shrubs, snow patches, small ponds of ice melt, exposed bedrock, or anything else to break up the look, or do you leave it all completely bare on purpose?

Is this how you imagine should be the typical look of tundra terrain?

picture

picture

picture

Or would you make rockier, it more like this?

picture

link
picture

How about your steppes? Unbroken grass?

Got photos of your terrain board to share?

Thanks

Dan
PS. In other words, what scatter or accent pieces, if any, would you add to this type of playing surface?
link
link

Oberlindes Sol LIC Supporting Member of TMP20 Jul 2018 8:50 a.m. PST

There has to a collapsed Cthulhu temple.

Cacique Caribe20 Jul 2018 9:29 a.m. PST

LOL. I was expecting something natural, but heck why not!

You mean something poking through from under the "permafrost". Perhaps the top third of a giant statue that looks like this?

picture

I was thinking something megalithic too, so why not Cthulhu, right? Perhaps instead of using my terrain mat to depict Canada, Alaska or Siberia, the mat could have a temple that is discovered after Antarctica thaws out a little. :)

Dan

Frederick Supporting Member of TMP20 Jul 2018 10:35 a.m. PST

A few bushes and rocks but not much else for me

Personal logo Sgt Slag Supporting Member of TMP20 Jul 2018 1:03 p.m. PST

Need to have something to break it up, to force players to choose tactics aside from how fast each unit can move. It also needs something to break it up to prevent cavalry from running everywhere… >;-)

I would employ rock outcroppings, mainly. Some brush, and scrub bushes would work, as well, to vary it a bit.

Keep in mind that I play "games", not "simulations", so take my comments in their proper context. Cheers!

catavar21 Jul 2018 9:32 a.m. PST

Rocks, scrub brush, etc.

altfritz22 Jul 2018 4:55 a.m. PST

Lakes, lots of lakes. With streams between them. And marshy areas. Los of marshy areas. And rivers. Lots of rivers flow North.

Dashetal22 Jul 2018 5:37 a.m. PST

Most of the time land or resources were what were fought over. Meeting engagements might have been in indefensible terrain but usually at least one side would move to someplace safer maybe with the other in pursuit. Rarely are you ever going to see a featureless area. Dips, vegetation, water, rocks should be present.

Asteroid X22 Jul 2018 11:34 a.m. PST

How many battles were fought on the steppes?

They would have been cavalry engagements. So, large open spaces to allow for a lot of maneuvering.

Hills (rolling) would be the main feature and Line of Sight (LOS) would be the main tactical element. (now, please show me a set of rules, not house modified, that allow for that)

Personal logo Sgt Slag Supporting Member of TMP23 Jul 2018 1:19 p.m. PST

Pretty much any fantasy set of rules would allow everything you listed, wmyers. The fantasy rules I have played, had no rules for setting up terrain; others I've heard about give each player an alternating turn to place terrain onto the tabletop, in their choice of location.

Can you elaborate on your point of rules not allowing for battles in rolling hills, with large open spaces allowing maneuvering? Maybe you need to find different rules to play by? Cheers!

Asteroid X23 Jul 2018 2:24 p.m. PST

Sgt. Slag, I meant rules that allow for Line of Sight.

As soon as a unit is moved out of line of sight it becomes invisible to the opponent.

(Yes, I guess a person could home design rules that would allow for a map, that was hidden behind a screen from the opponent, and then mark movements on there and when they become visible again, place what would be visible back on the table.)

Cacique Caribe26 Jul 2018 4:23 p.m. PST

Guys

The photos of trundra vegetation and contours that I keep finding are truly incredible. Really beyond my imagination.

link

picture

link

Dan
PS. I'm starting off with the Frontline Tundra neoprene mat which definitely has lots of potential:
TMP link

picture

picture

picture

Sorry - only verified members can post on the forums.