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Hey All,

Firstly I wasnt entirely sure where to post this topic so if its the wrong section I apologise!

I've been thinking about getting a gaming board (I'm bored of using the floor/my new flats floor is wooden and I don't want to mark it!). I've been looking at the RoB board by gamesworkshop/citadel and I was wondering what peoples experiences were with it? I have a few questions regarding it:

1) Do things actually stay on the hills/slopes or do they just slide down them if their heavier models (e.g metal)?

2) It says on the website that in order to use the extension tiles you *have* to have bought the main battle board. Is there an actual reason for this or is it simply a marketing trick? I ask simply because my flat isn't huge and neither is my wallet!

3) What are peoples experiences of storing it away? The website says its easy to store but I have some doubt due to the hills?

I apologise if this has been discussed previously! Also as a side note, what are peoples experiences with this board from http://totalsystemscenic.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1031_1292_1033_1034&products_id=5018

Thanks,

Minaith1989

I've never seen that company before so I can't comment and I can't see anywhere on their web page that stipulates what the main boards are made from only that the hill sections are made of 20mm foam, if the board is also foam even if it has a backing board it will be more fragile than the GW cast plastic realms of battle board.

Use 1/2 inch or 3/4 PLYWOOD. not OSB it'll warp more easily. Cut It in half lengthwise and put hinges on the back side or leave it as two halves if you are going to play on the floor. Build your terrain on top with foam and just think out how the join will look.

I appreciate the help so far!

Unfortunately though i don't have time to build up my own board so I'll be after something pre-made. Thanks for the advice about custom making a board though.

I hadnt seen the tag on the website about it being made of foam and I think tbh thats put me off that board a little. Still if anyone has anything to add about other boards of can answer my questions about the RoB board I'd love to hear!

Oh well probably the best way is to stick to roll outs and add terrain pieces.
http://www.zuzzy.com/rl-tf-001_terra_flex_gaming_mat.html

My response in red because im not good at multiquotes :<

1) Do things actually stay on the hills/slopes or do they just slide down them if their heavier models (e.g metal)?
It still obeys gravity, so if your metal miniature have a weird center of gravity, yes it'll slide or even tumble down the slopes.
There is no way yo go around it unless everything is magnetized.


2) It says on the website that in order to use the extension tiles you *have* to have bought the main battle board. Is there an actual reason for this or is it simply a marketing trick? I ask simply because my flat isn't huge and neither is my wallet!
Im assuming the ground level isnt the same height on the different tiles. But really you can just buy those pink foam boards and create your own.
R O B boards are way too expensive for something you can build easily and way cheaper.

3) What are peoples experiences of storing it away? The website says its easy to store but I have some doubt due to the hills?
just stack them on each other inside a random cardboard box, its what the staff does.

Citadel ROB board is plastic, fits into a carry case looking roughly 60cm by 50cm. Still need to flock it when you buy it and comes with 6 4'x4' pieces.

1.) depends on the slope: steep, everything falls, medium, metals and imbalanced fall, shallow, nope.
2.) you are better off making your own board. You learn a lot of handy things, it builds character, and you can have pride in it. It will also be much cheaper.
3.) i'd imagine its easyish to store, but making your own table has the added advantage of not having the seams which are dead giveaways for distance/range. That said, its harder to store a 4x4 table. What I reccomend in such a case is to create a table thats 4x4, with a raised lip around it. This way the table can be covered and used as a normal talbe when the game board is not in use, and the cover removed when its hammer time. Storage is now no longer an issue as its usable furniture.

Hello,
Thought I would send a quick reply. I have one of the Games workshop realm of battle boards I however do not have one of the expansion tiles as yet. They consist of 6 2 foot by 2foot sections, 4 hill sections and 2 flat with ground details.

1) Do things actually stay on the hills/slopes or do they just slide down them if their heavier models (e.g. metal)?

This would depend on the models themselves, with my own models I can easily set then all on the downward ramps/ road areas leading up to the hill, however there are places which whey will not fit due to scenic rocks etc. on the base, which I count as difficult or impassable terrain, and therefore they cannot fit or balance there safely. The majority of my models have a low centre of gravity and are therefore quite stable, the more unstable Tau Broadsides, which are top heavy due to the metal cannons, are able to balance without problems and do not have extra weights within the bases.

2) It says on the website that in order to use the extension tiles you *have* to have bought the main battle board. Is there an actual reason for this or is it simply a marketing trick? I ask simply because my flat isn't huge and neither is my wallet!

From reading the Games Workshop website and the pictures shown, I believe that the expansion set is just a set of the 2 flat sections included within the realm of battle set. The need to have an original board may be because with the original there are a set of plastic clips which are used to hold the plastic sections together to prevent them from shifting during use. These clips are not necessary to use the six sections however, as I do not use them and have never had any problems with the board pieces moving during play. However, depending on your play style and frequency of nudging the board if you lean over it to reach a model in the middle for example these may be needed to keep the sections from moving around.

3) What are peoples experiences of storing it away? The website says its easy to store but I have some doubt due to the hills?

I usually keep my board set up on a large table (as I have a room set aside for my modelling and gaming), however, I have taken it to friends’ houses on occasion. The hills can be placed together so they take up less room in the case:
Hill section 1 +
Hill section 2 =

++++++++
====++++
========

They do all fit in the supplied bag, and mine came with some padding to help prevent the corners getting chipped or broken when it is set on the floor. My only complaint is that the fabric is quite a snug fit around the six sections this however may be the initial state of the bag and because I do not use it to store the board regularly it has not stretched a little due to normal use which would make it easier to get the sections into it. The carry strap also appears to be durable enough to carry it, however it does weigh quite a bit and is bulky which makes carrying it for long distances unpleasant but not impossible.

All in all I like it and it serves my needs appropriately. As some of the previous posters have commented a flat board can be made with some wood sections and polystyrene insulation foam for a few pounds. My decision to go with this one was due to time constraints, convenience of a pre made item which had detail and needed very little assembly/ work, and a perceived level of durability.

Hope this helps.

Noel

Thanks for all the advice people! Think I've got all the answers I was looking for. Thanks for the advice! Looks like I've got some thinking to do :-)

In my experience customizing RoBs, I can tell you that they really do have ups and downs compared to making your own boards, and in the end it comes down to you and what you have the time, money and energy for. Here are the pros:

1. Durability. They're hard molded styrene, with a reinforced gridwork underneath each section, so it will never warp severely, break or have crumbling edges like you may encounter making a board from insulation foam (unless you frame each piece.)

2. Price. Price as a pro? Actually yes, depending on how proficient you are building things and what kind of leisure time you have. If you live a life where time is money or you have a lot of after-work/school responsibilities, the time spent engineering and building a set of boards, as well as materials needed, may actually cost you more in the end than just shelling out the cash.

3. Pre-made, lets you skip right to the fun part, which is customizing, texturing, painting, Etc.

4. They really do fit neatly into their case, which is strong and has a big huge GW logo on it, showing your undying allegiance to uhm... the mighty corporate empire.

Cons:
1. Price. See above. If you have tools and time, and have a lot of fun doing DIY projects, you may as well try your hand making your own boards and you can enjoy the process as you go.

2. Diversity. There are only so many ways you can arrange the 4 hill sections and 2 flat pieces. And if you want to add on more variety you have buy more boards to customize. (which now wont all fit in your case.)

3. Some of the molded-on textures seem a bit too smooth for my taste, but that can all be customized if you have the time and know-how.

4. If you decide that you want to permanently attach any additional features, you are limited to small structures by the base of the hills, or they won't fit into the carrying case anymore.

EldarN00b wrote:Citadel ROB board is plastic, fits into a carry case looking roughly 60cm by 50cm. Still need to flock it when you buy it and comes with 6 4x4 pieces.

Actually, it comes with 6 2'x2' square pieces, not 4'x4'. Otherwise you would have a table that was 12'x8' (would almost be worth its local price for that).

IDK what prices are like in your area(country) but for the game table here its 450$.
A 2foot by 2 foot inch thick peice of MDF is 8.50$.
A pack of craters from GW is 20$ and a box of castles/buildings is like 50-80$.

Buy the wood from a hardware shop. Paint it with paint from a cheap shop($2 shop if you have those), assemble your terrain and play. The timber can go to any size then if you dont play huge games, you can store it under the couch/bed whatever, and you have terrain you can take to tournaments for points or to friends houses or even into the store.

Plus it will be ALOT cheaper!!! And less money you spend on a table means more money on models...