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4e Combat an Illustrated Example
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MadMaligor
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Last Visit: Jun 06, 2009
Location: Sacramento CA

Posted: Tue Jun 03, 2008 12:26 am

Badmike wrote:
I have two or three "regular" sized mats and one "battlemat" that covers an entire table and then some. We've been using them as long as I remember, probably since they started making them. Yeh Aneoth is right, roll them...I used to have them laying flat but I ended up folding them, then they end up with large creases....

Through the years I've found battle mats stop a LOT of arguments before they get started, particularly if you are already using minis and some kind of dungeon wall system like Dwarven Forge or even the old fashioned Dungeon Tiles. "No, as you can see, your thief CANNOT sneak past the barbarian swinging the long sword and the 8 wererats he is battling in the 10x10 corridor...even if you climb the walls, dude"

Mike B.

I put the two big ones together when I need a super large mat, but I was tempted to get the table top one.

I too like that minis create a good setting so players in combat can visualize whats going on. It certainly doesnt replace good DM description and ambiance, but I dont think they were ever meant too.

You know, it makes me wonder if minis were actually meant to be used all the time. Its just that as the game grew, TSR didnt envision that people wouldnt use them. Then generations of gamers grew up, many whom never played with them because they werent required and walla!, you get a faction of players who see using minis as something odd or unusual, or even not part of the natural form of the game. To me, they have always been a part of the game, just never required (until now that is...which is why I can sympathise that it might chap some peoples behinds).

MM

Okay, I can't help but ask, but what exactly is a "potato wedger"? - bclarkie

sauromatian
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Last Visit: Jan 06, 2024
Location: Far Harad, Texas

Posted: Tue Jun 03, 2008 1:04 am

Aneoth wrote:I have a question about the mat.
It looks like it might be a mass produced generic Terrain Map?
Who makes them?
It would be handy for many roadside wilderness encounters between dungeons.

It looks like one for the D&D minis game. They are sold in packs, & as promos. The promo poster for the current boosters has one for "Caves of Chaos" on the reverse.

Aneoth wrote:They also offer Factory Second Mats at a discount rate and they will accept returns of them too!

I bought one a few months ago. The flaw is that the squares are slightly misaligned with the cut of the mat, so if you put two mats together they will not perfectly match up. A minor error to me, I think it's worth the discount.

Badmike
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Posted: Tue Jun 03, 2008 1:09 am

MadMaligor wrote:
I put the two big ones together when I need a super large mat, but I was tempted to get the table top one.

I too like that minis create a good setting so players in combat can visualize whats going on. It certainly doesnt replace good DM description and ambiance, but I dont think they were ever meant too.

You know, it makes me wonder if minis were actually meant to be used all the time. Its just that as the game grew, TSR didnt envision that people wouldnt use them. Then generations of gamers grew up, many whom never played with them because they werent required and walla!, you get a faction of players who see using minis as something odd or unusual, or even not part of the natural form of the game. To me, they have always been a part of the game, just never required (until now that is...which is why I can sympathise that it might chap some peoples behinds).

MM

I honestly think we might have used minis by the second time we played, in 1978 or so. The Wizzards and Warriors box was out then, I believe, and the grenadier box sets were the first we bought and painted (inexpertly, I might add....). The Woodland Adventurers and Dungeon Explorers boxes contain all of the figures from our first forays into G1-3 and beyond. Yeh we used to look at people funnywhen they said they never used minis in their gaming....

Mike B.

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killjoy32
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Location: Wallasey, Merseyside, UK

Posted: Tue Jun 03, 2008 2:32 am

i only use the mini's if its particularly necessary, ie. a lot of units in the combat - as it helps to get perspective of position and multiple-attacks, but if its say the PCs attacking a hill giant, i dont bother.

you can also waste too much time faffing around too, and i want the game to keep moving nicely along.

Al

Are we nearly there yet?

MadMaligor
Active Collector

Posts: 97
Joined: Feb 04, 2006
Last Visit: Jun 06, 2009
Location: Sacramento CA

Posted: Tue Jun 03, 2008 4:17 am

Ahh Mike that brings the memories back. I remember that guy with the lantern no one wanted to use cause he didnt look cool enough. Im even embarassed to say before we had the money to get the metals we used cardboard cutouts with monster names and the PC's used Playmobile Knights with swords, crossbows, and halberds. Its funny now, but back in the day I was ready to pimp myself on a street corner to scrounge enough dough for the real thing. :lol:

The first set I ever actually painted was the undead one "Lords of the Undead" I think it was called.

Killjoy...I agree, there are situations where its a no brainer. Thats what I love the most about D&D. Every mans (or womans) game is different. Some like the combat, some like the story, and some need both, heck some just like the free cheetos and beer. But at the end of the adventure, it really is about the company you keep.

MM

Okay, I can't help but ask, but what exactly is a "potato wedger"? - bclarkie

Gnat the Beggar
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Posted: Tue Jun 03, 2008 9:41 am

Until recently, I had NEVER used minis in D&D play.

When I first started playing D&D I was in the US Navy and the ship I was on was at sea a lot of the time.
There were a half dozen of us who played OD&D whenever we could while out to sea.
When in port, we would get sloshed............ and then look for some game materials and play sometimes if not on duty.
But when at sea, there were NO stores to walk into and search the shelves for games and minis.
There was also nothing else to do.
So, we made do with what we had.
Pencils and paper moslty.
We ran the Giants series after B-1, but then we started to run into problems with no materials.
So, much of the time we created our own, and we mostly drew our own dungeon maps, etc.

One thing that helped though was when one of us was able to find the City State of the Invincible Overlord.
Loads of materials to work with there.

All that said, now that I have used them (Minis) I really do like doing so and I would not go back to doing without if I had the choice.

"Guys, I am starting to think Tegel Manor might be haunted..."
Stated by me as a PC during a run of Tegel Manor DMed by killjoy at NTRPGCon 2010

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