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Hi everyone,

I've just started playing 40K after 5yrs in Mordheim. I'm playing Tau and my friend plays Nids, so things can get heated pretty quickly. However there is one table top topic which is really screwing me about, which is cover.

I completely respect that as a Nid force my friend is going to need an ample amount of cover to make it a fair game, so there are plenty of area terrain and other bits which he can get his cover save from. HOWEVER there is one piece which he demands is necessary for a fair game, its about 18" long 12" wide and 4" tall (about the hight of a hive Tyrant from experience) and is always counted is impassable terrain and cannot be shot through (but can be shot over which is handy for his biovores). When Inspected terrain used in other games is is apparent to me that although some terrain may cover this amount of space it is usually littered with open spots such as windows, blast holes, etc; Allowing the odd shot to be fired at the hidden enemy. What I'm basically asking is if this piece of scenery (a polystyrene block) is allowed to be used, or whether its just frowned upon by gamers.

Please let me know what you think, constructive comments preferred

Cheers all.

LOS blocking is good. I see no problem with the height or width of the terrain. I think the game is better with a large LOS blocking piece in the middle, shooty armies already have a massive meta advantage without needing a killzone empty middle.

As for impassible... I think impassible terrain is a bad thing for the game in most situations. Making it so models become unassaultable shifts the unfairness again... Making everything passable allows blocking LOS but you can at least get over/through it if you really need to.

Shooty people are going to want less LOS blocking terrain, assaulty will want more LOS blocking terrain.

Every table should have LOS that can hide a land raider, usually in the middle. That is fair and shooty armies can still shoot around it and maneuver if needed, the idea your heavies can set up with full LOS to the entire table turn 1 and pepper people with crap all game without needing to move is unreasonable to me.

Some thing's should be Impassable mind you; Steeple mounted rooftops; Statues. However no large area that gives an advantage.

I like alot of LOS blocking Terrain personally. It makes it harder for people to shoot my manticores ...

An example of the worst table i've played on was this Desert table at Ardboyz Semis. it had some 1" sand duneish areas on it ... no other terrain.

Tip ... he places a piece of terrain, then you place a piece of terrain and repeat till all terrain is placed. That way you can both be happy with the lay out. You could also make it so that specific piece isn't the first down.

It depends, does his favourite piece of terrain always handily end up in his deployment zone?

As an Ork player I love LOS blocking terrain, but an impassable 18" by 12" area is a little too extreme IMHO! And if there is going to be something that big on the table I'd definitely want to be able to move in it rather than around it.

No single piece of terrain is essential, variety is good.

A piece of terrain that big is fine but it shouldn't be used all the time.

jdjamesdean@mail.com wrote:Some thing's should be Impassable mind you; Steeple mounted rooftops; Statues. However no large area that gives an advantage.

I like alot of LOS blocking Terrain personally. It makes it harder for people to shoot my manticores ...

An example of the worst table i've played on was this Desert table at Ardboyz Semis. it had some 1" sand duneish areas on it ... no other terrain.

That was a horrible table.. especially for the capturing terrain scenario.