Heroscape Room

[TheDruid]

The new Heroscape room is ready to go.

There were some worries about lighting, so i put in a 120w equivalent florescent bulb. It brightened up the place pretty good.


However i wanted more light, so i added dual hanging florescent fixtures. That makes for a total of 4x2850 + 1x2150 = 13,550 lumens. The picture doesn’t really do it justice of how bright it is, defiantly brighter then upstairs. Also the above picture the flash had to cut in on the camera, where as the below one it didn’t (you can tell by the brightness of the storage container to the left)


The great part about it is all the land pieces and characters are now stored right next to the table, no more lugging storage containers up the stairs.


The big tables are permanently setup, and the room is heroscape dedicated, so now we can have games that span multiple sessions. There is about 2 1/2 to 3 feet clearance around the entire table which is 1.5x to 2x more space then we had upstairs. There is some pieces of carpet over the floor but there are a few bare cement spots, wear wool socks or slippers Heat wont be an issue since i can open a few vents and literally cook everyone out (or a window to freeze everyone), the basement *can* get very warm if i open the vents.

The only thing is that were not close to the kitchen anymore, so we'll probably be using the cooler full of ice more. I got a little beer fridge for Christmas, it holds about 12 cans of beer. But i don’t think drink management will really be an issue.

[Bixby]

Nice digs. Our HeroScape collection got so big we needed to dedicate an entire room to it as well. Here is the link to the pics on scapers.

http://heroscapers.com/community/viewtopic.php?t=6675&start=0&postdays=0&postorder=asc&highlight=

[Lazybones]

Nice.. Our play area size needs grew rather rapidly..

We started out each collecting sets, but eventually TheDruid out paced us all and we just play with his massive collection now.

[Mr. Analog]

Nice.. Our play area size needs grew rather rapidly..

We started out each collecting sets, but eventually TheDruid out paced us all and we just play with his massive collection now.

Good thing he didn't get addicted to Warhammer eh?

[Ustauk]

Looks like a great place to play, Druid.  I like your room too, Bixby.  Bixby, are your figure storage shelves old library file card storage drawers?  They look nice, whatever the source.

[Bixby]

Yes, Kathy (my other half) and I were out Yard Saling and someone had old card file cabinets from the University of Regina. A lucky find.

Druid: How much HS stuff do you have? Do you have a regular game night with large games or campaign over several nights?

[TheDruid]

Hey Bixby, sorry for the slow reply; its been a busy week for me. Below is my current collection:

13 Master Set - Rise Of The Valkyrie
3  Wave 1 - The Ix Roman Legion
3  Wave 1 - Grut Orcs
4  Wave 1 - Snipers & Vipers
3  Wave 1 - Heroes Of Bleakwoode
3  Wave 2 - Knights & The Swogrider
3  Wave 2 - Heroes Of Barrenspur
4  Wave 2 - Drones & Minions
3  Wave 2 - Minute Men & Wolves
4  Wave 3 - Monks & Guards
4  Wave 3 - Kilts & Commandos
3  Wave 3 - Gorillas And Hounds
4  Wave 3 - Heroes Of Nostralund
2  Wave 4 - Heroes Of Trollsford
2  Wave 4 - Lawmen & Samurai
2  Wave 4 - Soulborgs & Elves
2  Wave 4 - Greeks & Vipers
3  Wave 5 - Warriors And Soulbougs
2  Wave 5 - Gladiators And Agents
2  Wave 5 - Ninjas And Samurai
2  Wave 5 - Soulborgs
2  Wave 6 - Zombie Horde
2  Wave 6 - Heroes Of Durgeth
2  Wave 6 - Shades And Orcs
2  Wave 6 - Archers And Kyrie
2  Large Hero 1 - Orm’s Return
2  Large Hero 2 - Ranknar’s Vision
10 Forest Exp. - Road To The Forgotten Forest
6  Lava Exp. - Volcarren Waste Land
6  Ice Exp. Thealink Tundra
6  Castle Exp. - Fortress Of The Archkyrie
2  Jandar's Flag Bearer
2  Utgar's Flag Bearer
2  Einar's Flag Bearer
2  Ullar's Flag Bearer
2  Vydar's Flag Bearer

Thanks in part to Shaynes recent donations which boosted waves 1 through 3 by +1 and an extra master set. Basically i order 70% of my stuff through HouseMouseGames, i buy at least 2 of everything then plus more of what we find to be popular drafts.

[TheDruid]

I see we've come up with very similar storage solutions for terrain.

Figures were a challenge for me, i started with a very large tackle box which we soon out grew. So i had to go to a system that was expandable and cheap. So i acquired the 12"x12" Tupperware containers from Wal-Mart, i then used foam board to create custom partitions for each squad. I plan on eventually posting the details of how i make the partitions on Heroscapers.com

I separate the figurers by the following categories:

3 unit squads
4 unit squads
Small Heroes
Medium Heroes
Huge Heroes
Kyrie Units
Miss. (land exp. units)

At first i came up with an addressing grid system and every unit had an "Address". This with the reference sheet proved to be very easy to find a unit, but a pain when putting them back. So we scrapped the address idea.

I’m curious as to how you find your units? there’s a lot of card drawers in your picture, so do you use special grouping or an addressing system?

I also noticed that you had little card containers for your army cards (im assuming since there's 5 and their colors match the factions). Not a bad idea since im assuming each card has a plastic cover and you can easily flip through the case.

We use a CD binder for our cards where we order them by point value. We just pass the binder around when we do draft. Although the only flaw is that the cards aren’t protected with each of their own plastic case. However we only had one incident where a card got spilled on and we wiped it up pretty quick, no harm done.

From the looks of your pictures i think our collections may be quite comparable, however i think you may have a little more ice and lava expansions?

Im envious of your on site bar, maybe i'll finish my basement one day with a bar 

The white board is a great idea, i have one just like it kicking around doing nothing at the moment. We use colored turn markers to track initiative (Gold, Silver, Bronze, Green, Orange, Red).

I also see you use the folding banquet tables as well, easy to expand and provide tons of play area when combined.

What’s the biggest number of players you've ever had in a single game?
Ours is 6, we find it hard to schedule games that big though due to last minute dropouts and such.

[Mr. Analog]

The white board is a great idea, i have one just like it kicking around doing nothing at the moment. We use colored turn markers to track initiative (Gold, Silver, Bronze, Green, Orange, Red).

I should give that back to you! Drop me an e-mail tomorrow.

[Bixby]

Thanks for the posting Druid, our setups are quite similar indeed.

What I Own:
Currently I am running with 18 MS, 12 of all of the terrain sets and 6 of all of the figure sets. I do not have Nerak or Hawthorne.

Where It Goes (Figs):
Since I have six sets of all of the figures, each column of the card cabinet is devoted to a set.

Set 1 - As is.
Set 2 - All the figs and the cards have a green dot on them.
Set 3 - All the figs and the cards have a blue dot on them.
Set 4 - All the figs and the cards have a red dot on them.
Set 5 - All the figs and the cards have a yellow dot on them.
Set 6 - All the figs and the cards have a purple star on them.

There are 15 rows, so each row is used to group units thematically. Orcs, Marro, Agents, Flyers, etc. The fig storage has worked very well and units are easy to locate quickly.

Where It Goes (Cards):
The cards are all in a large CD binder. They are currently ordered by point cost. The containers you see on the shelf I used to use when I played "Magic: The Addiction". They are used to hold laser pointer, and other odds & sods we use for the game.

Games:
Most of our games are now 3-4 players. We went through a period where we would have 6 players out every game and it was insane with some of the scenarios we played. Some of the best were on a six sided symmetrical map (symmetrical 6 ways). Every player would draft a unit and ALL players would get a copy of that unit, and that is how draft went. Object was generally to get over the mountain and into the well spring of the player opposite you.

I think we had an eight player game once about a year and a half ago. I do not remeber the details but I recall it was slow playing.

Invite:
If any of your group travels to Regina, be sure to tell them to give me a message, I will try to get a game on and show some Regina hospitality.

[Shayne]

That's my biggest complaint about the big games is the slow going.  You end up getting to make your move every 15 minutes as opposed to every 5 minutes in a 4 player game.  It seems that each person added makes the time exponentially increase.  We have had some really good 6 player games, and other times not so good.

Personally I think the 4 player maps are the most fun.

We have also gone the router of making our maps non-symmetrical now as it adds far more strategy to the game,  Different points of view, different choke points, different elevation.

[Adams]

3 vs 2 was pretty good as well, when we had the siege map.
I do like the current map it is quite versatile and leaves room for changes and updates.

[Bixby]

We play both symmetrical and non symmetrical maps. We mix it up quite a bit. Typically we build a map and leave it up for 4-6 weeks and play it weekly. Then it gets deconstructed and another one gets built.

Maps are really only the foundation for the fun. We play we lots of elaborate scenarios and various victory conditions. That is where the game can really come alive. We haven't played an elimination only game for over a year.

[TheDruid]

What I Own:
Currently I am running with 18 MS, 12 of all of the terrain sets and 6 of all of the figure sets. I do not have Nerak or Hawthorne.

Wow, and here I though I had one of the biggest collections in Western Canada.

However do you really find you need as many as 12 ice and lava expansions? Other then aesthetic looks we find they mostly just serve to slow down the game, grant it you can make some nice scenarios. I guess you just have a lot of options available.

Forest Exp. i think are totally worth it, and i plan on acquiring up to 4 more sets. Castle expansions are really proving their worth and i could probably boost them by another 4-6. However we haven’t run into a situation where we ran short on castle pieces, although we haven’t gotten too ambitious with our designs.

6 of every character pack is quite impressive, im assuming you picked that number so that every possible player in the game could have the same char? As you mentioned with one of your symmetrical scenarios, I must admit that would make for a really interesting game.

We have a house rule where a unique card must be unique on a team. Most of our games are 2v2 or 3v3 (there’s the odd FFA or 2v2v2). We found that it prevents scenarios where your facing a team with two green dragons, or a double set of agents, where you basically have to limit your draft to counter these scenarios. Even when there are more then 2 sides its kind of nice to have the armies mixed up a little. I hate fighting against mirrored armies, makes for boring stalemate style games (just like two Terran races facing off in StarCraft). So usually having any more then 2 of the same unique unit is a waste at our table.

The commons would be nice to boost to your numbers though. Currently we are boosting the more popular commons picks. Like i said, i buy two and we test play them, then i order more later. Where do you get your sets BTW?
I buy as much local, but most of the time im forced to order online.

I also don’t have, Nerak or Hawthorne or the black vipers, but I don’t want to pay the ebay prices either. Nerak is just a remake of an existing char. Hawthorne I think would be a pretty cool unit to have.

I brought up the idea of an 8 player game the other day, if only for the novelty of pulling it off. If it ever happens im sure it will only be once.

If you’re ever passing through Edmonton let us know and we’ll offer the same hospitality. My table is always open to a fellow Heroscaper enthusiast.

It’s nice to chat with a Heroscaper outside our group. I’m not sure what it’s like in Regina, Edmonton is pretty quiet on the Heroscape scene.

[Bixby]

THanks for the reply and invite.

The volcarren expansion is the least useful of the expansions but multiple sets allows for great volcanic elevations. Having lots of terrain just opens up lots of mapping opportunites. We sometimes have guest "directors" (map makers) come in and make a map. Nice to get different perspectives and approaches to the maps.

Our general house rule is one unique per team. We play a wide gamut of options and scenarios though so there is a fair bit of variety. I was lucky enough to scoop some EOV from HMG but I will NOT pay the silly prices on eBay for Hawthorne or Nerak. What are some of the scenarios you use? I will include on of ours here as an example. I apologize, it is a bit wordy. This was our most elaborate from a game machanic scenario.

Kyrie Counsel Moot played on Castle In The Sky Map

Background:
The ancient Kyrie Counsel Moot is a courtyard around a large wellspring where various lords and power mongers could meet in a peaceful setting. It is a quasi-neutral area where conflict is discouraged and alliances are forged. It is nestled between the glacial mountain of Dzutal-Gin and the molten mountain of Jargaduun. To the North of the Moot lie the Marro Mounds and the Sylvan Wood is just to the South. The Moot is surrounded by hostile unforgiving lands. The lands are perilous but offer great opportunity to those who venture to the wellsprings concealed in their inhospitable landscape.

This is a highly magical land and the teleports created by the old sage Kyr-Lodin are still in place. They are sometimes functional and sometimes inert. There are strange forces at play that control these devices; as mystical as Kyr-Lodin’s tower itself. Kyr-Lodin’s tower can be seen appearing and disappearing at various places throughout “Castles In The Sky” map. It is rumored that the old wizard lives still and it is his essence that is imbued into meandering Tower.

Four castles hang in the air, keeps for the four lords that have made this part of the world their home. The bonds of peace are tenuous and they continue to vie for control over the wild lands and the lands of their neighboring lords.

Rules for this Scenario:

The Draft
The following units are not available for draft for this scenario:
•   Marro Warriors         Me-Burq-Sa      
•   Warriors Of Ashra      Aubrien Archers         Syvarris
•   Dzu-Teh         
•   Obsidian Guards

The Drop
The airborne elite can only drop on Grey Hexes, (Dark Grey – Rock or Light Grey Road). These hexes cannot be part of the official starting zone of another player. (This excluded the Jargaduun area of the map which is a No-Drop zone.

Special Counsel Moot Defense
The Kyrie Counsel Moot is a place of peace. Blessed are those who visit this ancient site.
Any figure in the Kyrie Counsel Moot gets to add two additional defense dice to any defense rolls.

Kyr-Lodin’s Tower
The Tower begins the game off of the map. It is rolled for much like “The Drop” used by the airborne elite. Before every turn, roll a d20…
01-03 Kyr-Lodin’s Tower vanishes. Any units occupying the tower are destroyed.
04-06 Move the Tower 1 teleport higher
07-08 Move the Tower 2 teleport higher
09-10 Move the Tower 3 teleport higher
11-11 Move the Tower 4 teleport higher 
12-13 Move the Tower 3 teleport lower
14-15 Move the Tower 2 teleport lower
16-20 If Kyr-Lodin’s Tower is not currently on the map, it appears; roll a d8 to determine where it appears.
            Any units on the teleport pad where the tower appears are destroyed.

Teleport Pads
At the start of every round roll eighteen special Jandar Flag Bearer dice. Count the number of Jandar symbols; that is the number of teleports that are operational this round. Each player selects the teleports that he/she will use this round in secret based on the result of the dice roll. For instance, if three Jandar symbols appeared, player 1 may select teleports 2, 4, & 8 to use for this round, whereas player 2 may elect to use teleports 3, 4, & 6. The player indicates which teleports will be in use by selecting the corresponding playing cards from a regular deck of cards. Each player will be given the cards Ace – Eight to use of one suit for this purpose. The cards only need to be revealed when the teleports are being used for travel. To use a teleport, you simply enter at one number and exit at the other at the cost of only one movement. At no point may a player end their movement on the actual teleport.

The Wild Lands
The four wild lands are inhabited with denizens that are hostile to anyone entering their lands.
• The Marro Mounds
o   A Squad of Marro Warriors
o   The Hero Me-Burq-Sa
• The Sylvan Wood
o   A Squad of Warriors of Ashra
o   A Squad of Aubrien Archers
o   The Hero Syvarris
• Glacial Dzutal-Gin
o   Two Squads of Dzu-Teh
• Molten Mountain of Jargaduun
o   Two squads of Obsidian Guards

Any unit entering the wild lands does so at great peril. Any player may opt to take a turn with an army card of wild land creatures instead of their own army card. In this manner, the wild lands are quite protected and hard to assault. Used in this manner, the wild land units MUST remain in the wild lands. If they later become allied with a player, there are options for them to venture out into the rest of the land.

Wellspring Powers
The wellsprings play a very important role in this scenario. They are places of power and worship. Much of the mystical nature of this land stems from these strange waters. Here are the effects for occupying a wellspring:
(1)   When you have a figure occupying your own wellspring it instills courage in your whole army.
a.   All attack rolls get a bonus of one additional attack die.
 
(2)   When you occupy an opponent’s well spring you have demoralized their army.
a.   All attacks rolls against that opponent get a bonus of one additional attack die.
b.   All defense rolls against that opponent get a bonus of one additional defense die.

(3)   When you occupy the wellspring of Dzutal-Gin your army has learned the secrets of the glacial people.
a.   You get to move your figures on Deep Snow and Slippery Ice without the extra movement penalty.
b.   You have forged a deep alliance with the denizens here.
i.   No players may activate these units anymore, they are allied with you.
ii.   Your “X” Markers become a fourth activation and grant you use of the Dzu-Teh.
iii.   The allied units may now leave their lands although when not in their land they lose 1 attack die and 1 defense die.
c.   All of your figures add +2 to their movement score.
 
(4)   When you occupy the wellspring of Jargaduun your army has learned the secrets of the molten people.
a.   You get to move your figures on Lava Fields and Lava without taking damage.
b.   You have forged a deep alliance with the denizens here.
i.   No players may activate these units anymore, they are allied with you.
ii.   Your “X” Markers become a fourth activation and grant you use of the Obsidian Guards.
iii.   The allied units may now leave their lands although when not in their land they lose 1 attack die and 1 defense die.
c.   All of your figures add +2 to their movement score.

(5)   When you occupy the wellspring of the Marro Mounds your army has learned the secrets of the Marro.
a.   You have forged a deep alliance with the denizens here.
i.   No players may activate these units anymore, they are allied with you.
ii.   Your “X” Markers become a fourth activation and grant you use of the Marro Warriors / Me-Burq-Sa.
iii.   The allied units may now leave their lands although when not in their land they lose 1 attack die and 1 defense die.
b.   All of your figures add +4 to the range of units that current have ranged attacks.

(6)   When you occupy the wellspring of the Sylvan Wood your army has learned the secrets of the Elven Ways.
a.   You have forged a deep alliance with the denizens here.
i.   No players may activate these units anymore, they are allied with you.
ii.   Your “X” Markers become a fourth activation and grant you use of Syvarris / Aubrien Archers / Warriors of Ashra.
iii.   The allied units may now leave their lands although when not in their land they lose 1 attack die and 1 defense die.
b.   All of your figures add +4 to the range of units that current have ranged attacks.

(7)   When a hero unit enters the Wellspring in the Counsel Moot they are imbued with the power of peace. Instead of attacking, they may instead roll a d20 and try to disarm the efforts of their warring opponents.
All defense rolls against that opponent get a bonus of two additional defense dice.

20-20…You may select one order marker from each opponent and remove it for this round.
19-19…You may select one order marker from two opponents and remove it for this round.
10-18…You may select one order marker from one opponent and remove it for this round.
04-09…Nothing happens.
02-03…the wellspring doubts the sincerity of your intentions of peace, your opponents each may remove one of your order markers.
01-01…Your peaceful façade is remarkably shallow, all units if this type that belong to you are removed from the board and are destroyed, the wellspring has spoken.

Each player may occupy only ONE of the Moot wellspring hexes. No double space creatures are allowed. 
 
Victory Conditions

Instant Victory Conditions
•   Destroy all of your enemies units, or…
•   Capture of flag of any enemy fortress, or…
•   Occupy all three enemy wellsprings, or…
•   Occupy all four of the wild land wellsprings, or…

Victory Conditions Should Time Run Out
The following points are awarded to players at the end of the game.
•   100 Points for having a unit in your own castle.
•   150 Points for having a unit in another player’s castle.
•   120 Points for having a unit in Kyr-Lodin’s Tower.
•   030 Points for having a unit in your wellspring.
•   060 Points for having a unit in a wild lands wellspring.
•   100 Points for having a unit in another player’s wellspring.

Also, all of the standard points for eliminating units, heroes, squads, first blood, etc, are counted.

Other Notes
•   Must control the wild lands to get credit for any points due to wild land creatures eliminating other units.
•   Wild land creatures cannot get activated until someone has entered their lands, after that, they are in play for the remainder of the game.

Here are four views of teh map we played on...