Last week I received my hex-terrain from Kallistra. This terrain system consists of hexes (along the lines of the old Geohex), but smaller, and sturdier. The different hextiles come in groups of 6 connected hexes, they are stackable, and take up a small volume so they can be very easily transported. Also, I ordered some scenic element (hills, mountains) to go with the terrain.
Last weekend we used it for the first time. I transported the terrain to a friend's place, thereby testing the portability of the whole thing, which went pretty smoothly.
The terrain is very well suited for hex-based games such as Memoir44 or Battlecry. Since I'm a big fan of hex-based games these days (they play more quickly, and it doesn't really reduce the resolution of movement and firing ranges), this was one of the reasons I bought the terrain in the first place.
The scale of the hills and mountains might make it a bit unfeasible for 25/28 mm though. It is better suited for 20mm and smaller in my opinion, although your taste in what's visually pleasing might of course be different from mine.
Just to give you a feel of what it looks like, here are some pictures. The first two pictures are from a 6mm SciFi game (a home-made variant based om Memoir44), and the next two are from a 1/300 WW2 game, also played with Memoir44 rules.
The last picture was not part of a game, but shows some 20mm Vietnam figures on the terrain.
SciFi game: View image
SciFi game: View image
WW2 game: View image
WW2 game: View image
Vietnam (20mm): View image
Phil,
ReplyDeleteGreat, although; a word of warning: please look what has happened in Afriboria:
[http://www.rudi-geudens.be/html/afriboria_aid.htm](http://www.rudi-geudens.be/html/afriboria_aid.htm
)
A very important message to all Kallistra-terrainers!!!!!!!!!
Rudi
Egads, Rudi, that is harsh. Are you going to organise a Hex Aid 05 concert now? Are are you going to sing for money at Crisis? :)
ReplyDeleteHey Robartes,
ReplyDeleteThanks for the support! I kinda hoped you were going to sing at C05 (I don't wanne scare away the conventioneers...).
Rudi
Phil,
ReplyDeleteSome advice for your next order (from someone living in a Hexon II infested home...). Do buy a box of Flocked Green tiles: I found that a 50% Green/Earth and 50% Green table looks best. As you know by now, I already finished a "desert" table as well. This went easy & fast (starting from Brown hexes and using white glue and fine aquarium sand highlighted with some ochre paint, then sealed with varnish from a spraycan) though my living room table looked like the beach of Knokke-Heist (withhout bikinis, though) after a while...
Even if you're not planning to make a desert terrain right now, I would advice to buy the brown escarpment set, the brown mountain set & the brown hill set together with the green flock they offer: in combination with the aquarium sand you will be able to get some nice variations (and cheaper...). I've first tried some other green flock, but although it was close, the difference did show.
However, I do not recommand to try and produce entirely green flocked tiles yourself: it'll be difficult to come close to their (industrial?...) approach and it's not worth trying it.
I've got 42 green, 21 green/brown and 42 desert tiles now and plan to buy (order it for Crisis) one more box of brown tiles to make a 50/50 sand/grass set.
Hills & mountains I've got plenty and a trench set (lovely!) as well (need some more).
However, I bought roads & rivers from another manufacturer earlier this year and plan to cut'm in lenghts to fit the Hexon II. I prefer this over what Kallistra offers, but that's a matter of taste. The system is not "cheap", but I've seldom been this pleased with a wargame related purchase!
Rudi with-his-bank-account-in-red.
As a follow-up, I can say I'm now the proud owner of an even bigger Kallistra terrain. I got an additional baseset, some extra hill, and the trenches and fortifactions set.
ReplyDeleteI'm very enthusiastic about this terrain system! I'm already tinkering with some Napoleonic rules to be played on this terrain.
Even more Kallistra acquisitions!
ReplyDeleteI'm now the proud owner of some very big hills and mountain ranges as well, all bought at CRISIS 2005 in ANtwerp. The Kallistra people are really nice to talk to, and we chatted a bit about the best techniques to do desert or snow terrain.