About a week ago I purchased two Dungeons & Dragons: Battle for the Underdark Master Sets from one of the sponsors of this site. After digging into the box and looking through all the figures, terrain, and other materials, I've decided to sit down and write a review for those thinking of purchasing one. This review will be broken into three parts: The Terrain, The Figures, and Miscellaneous Materials. Now for part one…
The Terrain
I'm always excited about getting new terrain to build with. The new D&D MS3 has a good bit more terrain than the Marvel Master Set but far less than that of previous sets.
Note: 3 Attack vs. 2 Defense (on same level, no bonuses)
= 62.9% chance of inflicting at least one wound
The Rock Outcrops, although really only an adaptation of the ice glaciers from the Thaelenk Tundra Expansion Set, are a nice addition. Although perhaps stalagmites might look more appropriate in a cave setting, I feel the designers made the right choice; outcrops can look good both below and above ground.
Outcrops vs. Glaciers
Overall, the terrain in this set is kind of bland. A completed Battle for the Underdark-only map appears as shades of grey dotted by puddles of blue; not very visually appealing. Combining it with other sets could make for a very interesting map in the hands of a skilled map maker. The top grey color of the dungeon tile is very similar in shade to the Marvel concrete. It might look nice as broken concrete in a MarvelScape battle. Below I’ve compared it with other relative tiles.
Various Tiles in Comparison
The Terrain
I'm always excited about getting new terrain to build with. The new D&D MS3 has a good bit more terrain than the Marvel Master Set but far less than that of previous sets.
Hex-Count Breakdown:
The D&D MS3 features two new terrain tile types (Dungeon Tiles and Shadow Tiles) as well as Rock Outcrops as LOS blockers. Shadow tiles can give an added defense bonus. However, many HeroScape cartographers often like to build-up around 0 level tiles. In this condition (Height Bonus for the attacker) the overall defense bonus is only an illusion. With the exception of Very High Attack vs. Low Defense the change in advantage is always in favor of the aggressor. For real value shadows need to be on the level. - Rise of the Valkyrie – 359 Total Hexes
- Swarm of the Marro – 232 Total Hexes
- Battle for the Underdark – 161 Total Hexes
- Marvel: Conflict Begins – 103 Total Hexes
Note: 3 Attack vs. 2 Defense (on same level, no bonuses)
= 62.9% chance of inflicting at least one wound
Have a look at my Dice Probability Chart to compare the effectiveness of the Shadow Bonus.
The Rock Outcrops, although really only an adaptation of the ice glaciers from the Thaelenk Tundra Expansion Set, are a nice addition. Although perhaps stalagmites might look more appropriate in a cave setting, I feel the designers made the right choice; outcrops can look good both below and above ground.
Outcrops vs. Glaciers
Overall, the terrain in this set is kind of bland. A completed Battle for the Underdark-only map appears as shades of grey dotted by puddles of blue; not very visually appealing. Combining it with other sets could make for a very interesting map in the hands of a skilled map maker. The top grey color of the dungeon tile is very similar in shade to the Marvel concrete. It might look nice as broken concrete in a MarvelScape battle. Below I’ve compared it with other relative tiles.
Various Tiles in Comparison
Terrain Verdict: Bland colors, minimal terrain, repainted glaciers. Makes a better expansion than a master set.
[ C+ ]
