The Big D&D MS3 Review: Part #1 - The Terrain
Posted January 30th, 2010 at 01:13 PM by AliasQTip
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
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.(Thanks, Darkmage7a)
- 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+ ]
Total Comments 8
Comments
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On hex count, I think it's meaningful to break it down into stackable and unstackable terrain. So, for instance, RotV has 338 stackable hexes, 21 level zero hexes, and 2 ruins.
For a good example of combining this terrain with new older terrain for both visual and gameplay effects, see Gamebear's new map, Jack of Spades. He mixes in Marvel, both to give a more manageable number of tiles and to provide a nice visual match between shadow and asphalt. Also, he puts the level 0 shadow tiles next to jungle. That makes it +2 against range, which makes it a useful path for those crossing under the height. |
Posted January 30th, 2010 at 02:18 PM by dok
Updated January 30th, 2010 at 07:08 PM by dok |
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Not sure, but you seem to be implying that Shadow tiles add height to the hex they're on, which I don't beleive they do. Just like Water and ice, don't add to the level they're on...
Brandon |
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Posted February 1st, 2010 at 04:27 PM by The B.I.V.
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No, I understand that Shadow tiles don't add height. I'm implying that moving down into a shadow tile for the apparent bonus will not out-weight the height advantage given to the attacker. Logically, you would think the two would nullify each other. But they don't.
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Posted February 1st, 2010 at 06:22 PM by AliasQTip
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Well, the old "3 skulls, 2 shields, 1 blank" thing should be enough to lead your intuition toward the correct answer.
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Posted February 1st, 2010 at 06:47 PM by dok
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Quote:
Originally Posted by A-Q-Tee
No, I understand that Shadow tiles don't add height. I'm implying that moving down into a shadow tile for the apparent bonus will not out-weight the height advantage given to the attacker. Logically, you would think the two would nullify each other. But they don't.
So basically you're saying mapmakers should put shadow tiles on same-level spaces rather than down one level like most do with water/ice/lava...cool. I agree. Brandon |
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Posted February 1st, 2010 at 07:13 PM by The B.I.V.
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You got it, Brandon. Or designers could put them up even higher; peaks with +1 Attack and +1 Defense.
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Posted February 1st, 2010 at 08:23 PM by AliasQTip
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Actually, it would be (relative to the low ground) peaks with +1 attack and +2 defense.
Putting shadow on high ground actually doesn't really solve anything. High ground is already valuable; giving it more benefits is overkill in map design. AQT, you've pointed out an important thing (i.e. height is better than +1 defense) that map-designers should be aware of. One would imagine that the more experienced map designers were already aware of this, due to the +1 defensive bonus for jungle adjacency. However, this does not, in and of itself, mean that low-ground shadow is a bad thing. If I have a choice between defending against an attack from a height of one on level one grass or level zero shadow, I'm picking level one ground (unless it's a special attack). However, if I have a choice between defending against an attack from a height of two on level one grass or level zero shadow, I'm taking the shadow. I'm surrendering height advantage either way, so I may as well get a defensive bonus. Once you wrap your head around that, you start to see all sorts of interesting ways to use shadow. |
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Posted February 1st, 2010 at 08:31 PM by dok
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You have made a breakdown of the number of hexes, but not compared with the price. Feels kind of redundant to make the breakdown that way.
As for colors, I could actually have done without the grass. This Master Set is made to build dungeons - they are supposed to look dark. If I were to complain, I would say they should have included some swamp instead. Or, if they really wanted to make an impression, they could have included a few tiles from Volcarren Wasteland. |
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Posted February 6th, 2010 at 05:51 PM by DBC
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