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 Post subject: Dernse Forests
PostPosted: Mon Jan 20, 2014 8:40 am 
Wayfarer
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The DoS expansion mentions 'normal rules for dense forests' but I'm sure I cannot find anything specific in the main rulebook - if I'm missing something apart from difficult terrain can someone please give me a reference page?

Assuming I haven't got rule-blindness (and I'm not assuming that) how do people handle scenarios where the whole table is wooded? Normally LoS is determined by terrain models but I simply don't have the trees to recreate Mirkwood, nor would it be practical to play on if I did.

Is there a limit to the distance you can see within a wood. In a game last night we fudged a rule that there had to be an 'in the way' test for every 6" of 'wooded' terrain the LoS went through and it worked okay but I wonder if there's anything official?

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 Post subject: Re: Dernse Forests
PostPosted: Mon Jan 20, 2014 10:59 am 
Ringwraith
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There are no rules for 'dense' forests in the main rulebook, only normal woods that reduce movement and the new rules for woods in the DOS book. Obviously tress block line of sight.

As for scenarios where the whole table is wooded, personally I use free standing trees, I have about 4 'woods' (4 or 5 trees glued to a base that represents difficult ground). and then about 30 free standing trees glued to 40mm bases. I find that these loose trees, spaced about 60mm apart and interspaced with hills, rocks and ruins, give a much better idea of a 'wood' than a base with 4 trees stuck to it.

Thus, for my games, the whole game looks like a forest and feels like a forest but there is very little of it that actually counts as difficult ground. I find the In the Way tests created by all the trees have more than enough effect on the game to not worry about the movement penalty. I also find that woods that count as difficult ground give Woodland Creatures (particularly elves) an unreasonable advantage as they'll often just camp in patches of woodland, hiding behind trees with their elf cloaks, robbing cavalry of their charging bonuses etc. For me, that just doesn't feel right, the way we play means they get exactly the same bonuses for their elf cloaks but that they can still be caught and run down as normal.

However, that's just my opinion and preference, there are a whole bunch of people on here that will swear blind that the more traditional woods with a base size that dictates difficult ground are a major part of SBG. You've just got to find what best suits your taste and scenery collection.

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 Post subject: Re: Dernse Forests
PostPosted: Mon Jan 20, 2014 11:30 am 
Kinsman
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True, but you are paying point to be able to use the 'woodland creatures' rule. If you had no difficult ground but trees everywhere, it would play totally different to interconnected bits of difficult ground, but would look very much the same.

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 Post subject: Re: Dernse Forests
PostPosted: Mon Jan 20, 2014 4:56 pm 
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I'm not sure if you're paying points for Woodland creature any more than haradrim are for poison arrows - its just a racial ability that is thematic and comes into play occasionally. That said, it would be cool to play against an elf force in a heavily wooded area and see what happens.

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 Post subject: Re: Dernse Forests
PostPosted: Mon Jan 20, 2014 8:49 pm 
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VandalCabbage wrote:
That said, it would be cool to play against an elf force in a heavily wooded area and see what happens.


I can tell you a bunch of Dwarves got shredded!!! :shock:

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 Post subject: Re: Dernse Forests
PostPosted: Mon Jan 20, 2014 10:20 pm 
Kinsman
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I fought the First Battle of Dol Guldur once (White Council, Eagles and Elven warriors versus Necromancer, Trolls, etc.). The entire 9 by 6 table was considered woodland, with trees moved aside as necessary to move the figures. Specific areas were designated as clearings (Dol Guldur means 'Naked Hill', after all) but everywhere else had 12 inches visibility, but no movement penalties.We also permitted some spiders to be completely hidden (marked on a map), which came as a surprise to Gwaihir as he dive-bombed a Siege Bow...

I don't believe in blanket abilities such as Woodland Creature and - rather than penalise everyone and slow the game down - we allowed full movement. In the books Legolas was mystified by both Lorien and Fangorn, being used to the trees of Mirkwood (and northern Mirklwood at that). Fangorn is described as having rocky parts (the shelf where the Hobbits met Treebeard) and Ithilien had overgrown ruins, so terrain that is purely beneficial to one race or another can easily be overcome.
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 Post subject: Re: Dernse Forests
PostPosted: Tue Jan 21, 2014 12:32 am 
Elven Warrior
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When it comes down to movement I rarely create difficult terrain pieces, as I find it tends to slow the game down too much.
On the other hand Goblins have a huge advantage when fighting in areas with lots of buildings, climbs and jumps.
Difficult terrain in woods is something which I would only really ever insist upon when playing battle companies, as it is part of the tactical challenge, but never in points matches

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 Post subject: Re: Dernse Forests
PostPosted: Fri Feb 07, 2014 11:00 am 
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We use the movement penalties and while it does slow the game down it gives elves and other woodland units the advantage they need. Also the only time we ever play a fully wooded map is during our campaign where the spot on the campaign map is fully wooded ie mirkwood. So the attacker knows what they're getting into. When we play casual games a base of difficult terrain woods is used and we count the whole thing as a wooded area with the movement penalties as well as the whole thing as cover
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