So let’s switch gears this week and talk about Terrain. Every game requires terrain of some sort. Some, like historicals and WFB require less. Others like Infinity, Necromunda, and Mordheim require, or at least play optimally, with large quantities of terrain. Up until recently I primarily owned WFB terrain with a small smattering of 40k terrain. With my big jump back into Infinity I have recently invested in more terrain so that I can cover my board with enough terrain to block LOS and avoid the “shooting fish in a barrel” syndrome that can plague Infinity without proper terrain. So let’s take a look at what I bought, how easy it was to assemble, and why exactly it is important to have sufficient terrain for Infinity.
All of the terrain I purchased was part of the District-5 series of terrain from MicroArt Studios. This terrain is lasercut MDF terrain with the added perk of having some laser-etched details on the exterior surfaces. The kits vary widely in size, shape, and components but the key point to take not of is that they are all interchangeable. Some forethought is required if one decides to mix kits however as there are different assembly parts that are used when/if you want these buildings to fit together properly.
In general the kits fit together well. All the pieces are snug enough to assemble the buildings without glue if desired, but there are components I’d suggest gluing down. As a caution, sometimes the bits are too snug and a hefty dose of force is necessary. Just be cautious where you put pressure and where your fingers are pressing.
Let’s look at the individual sets though.
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| I haven't poked out windows yet. |
District 5 – Apartment
Description: A basic 3 story apartment building. The building is 8 inches in length by 4 inches wide. At its full height of three stories it stands roughly 8 inches. The addition of balconies could extend the length by an inch or two depending on where the balconies are placed.
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| The three levels separate |
Assembly: Given that this was my first MDF terrain construction, and MicroArt’s instructions are far from specific, the task went very smoothly. The key to assembling this structure is to ensure that you have the top and bottom borders on properly as that is how the levels stacks easily on one another.
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| Balcony Detail |
Assessment: A great multi-story building with plenty of options. Want a tall building? Buy a couple kits and stack them all on top of one another. While the apartment was a little smaller than I was expecting in terms of length and width, I certainly was not disappointed. The building offers multiple levels with windows, doors, and balconies.
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| Blurry shot. My apologies. |
District 5 – L-Shaped Apartment
Description: A one-story L-shaped apartment. Each section of the L is 8 inches wide and 4 inches long. This kit has the same amount of add-ons as the multi-story apartment, but they are different. Instead of balconies, you will find tall supports so that you can create overhangs.
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| With roof section off. |
Assembly: After building the multi-story apartment I tore into this kit thinking it would assemble essentially the same way. Well it doesn’t. There are several new connectors and the short walls have different lengths depending on whether they will go on an end or face each other. This led to confusion and a couple stressed parts that I ended up gluing together. So just realize that assembly, while similar to other District 5 kits, will not be exactly the same.
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| Close-up of front with windows removed. |
Assessment: After the multi-story apartment, this is my favorite kit. I can’t wait to pick up a few more of these and create some overhands for models to hide under. What a great idea! This kit, like all the other District 5 kits, can be mixed and matched with a little planning. Even without much planning it is pretty easy to create a multi-level apartment instead of an L-shaped apartment if desired.
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| Completed guard house. |
District 5 – Guard House
Description: A two story reinforced structure that is 4 inches squared and stands 4 inches tall. This kit comes with some unique short walls offering different window configurations not seen in other kits. Additionally it comes with ladders that can be placed to access doors on 2nd or 3rd floors without balconies or catwalks.
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| Guard house front. |
Assembly: Incredibly easy and simple. Follow instructions and you’ll be done in no time. Do pay attention to the ladder construction. That small tabs that hold it in place are positioned differently depending on where along the walls you want the ladder.
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| Guard House separate levels. |
Assessment: While I like the appearance of the kit, part of me wonders if I should have just spend the extra money to buy a GW Bastion. It’s about the same thing in all reality. Still, it fists the aesthetic of the other structures and, again, can be mixed and matched with other building kits in the same line.
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| Completed garage with doors shut. |
District 5 – Garage
Description: A small one-story structure that is the same length and width dimensions as the multi-story apartment. This building however has larger openings for vehicles (Infinity has no vehicles, but terrain vehicles or TAGs could fit inside easily). A new feature are the garage doors which actually do slide up and down!
Assembly: like the L-shaped apartment this kit is deceptive. It looks like it should go together like the multi-story apartment, but it doesn’t. So take your time, pay attention to what connectors are used, and get it right the first time. This was the first time I broke a piece on a kit and it was because I had assembled it incorrectly and so I broke the piece trying to take it off.
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| Garage with one door removed. |
Assessment: A neat building that adds some character and a change of pace from walls/doors/windows. I see a lot of use for this kit in depicting a parking area for a tall apartment building. I do think the “working” garage doors add a lot of character and are ultimately one of the greatest aspects of this kit. That and having a building where a TAG could hide out if necessary make it a pretty solid addition to the tabletop.
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| Corner shot of objective room (to highlight neon plastic). |
District 5 – Objective Room
Description: This building is perplexing. It measure 8 inches square and doesn’t come with a roof of its own for whatever reason. It does come with some plastic bits to add a little character, but truthfully these are a bit of a pain as, whenever you choose to paint your models you will need to take those bits off, which in some cases involves removing MDF to free the plastic for removal. Overall though it is an interesting room and possesses the largest floor plan of any kit. Additionally it has doors large enough for TAGs and remotes.
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| Need a roof? I used a WFB movement tray that was uncut. |
Assembly: This goes together pretty easily even if it does differ from the other kits substantially. The plastic parts may or may not require glue to stay put. Most of mine stay without glue, but I did glue one that kept falling out of place. The missing roof is a bit of a weird thing. I realize that the objective is supposed to be in the room, but really? No roof?
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| Doorway of Objective Room. |
Assessment: I had my reservations about even ordering this kit but once it was assembled, I actually do like it. Now I just need something to put inside other than my lone console. It looks a little empty otherwise.
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| Completed catwalk |
District 5 – Catwalk
Description: The catwalk is a neat kit that gives two long, straight sections of catwalk with two landings and the steps to lead from the main walkways to the landings and then from the landings down to the ground. Maximum height stands at roughly 8 inches and the walkways themselves are 2 inches wide. I should note there is an optional catwalk armor kit available separately.
Assembly: Believe it or not, this kit goes together pretty easily once you figure out the connections. All of the stairs and railings took me maybe 20 minutes to assemble my 2 sections of catwalks. Be careful though. The railings are extremely fragile and I did snap one railing in my attempt to assemble this. Fortunately it was right in the crux of a fitting and I was able to glue it together and it will remain unnoticed.
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| The Broken Segment (now fixed) |
Assessment: Easily one of the neatest kits that can be used to wrap around buildings, have large elevated walkways to add height in addition to buildings, or to connect two buildings, the options are nearly limitless. I had thought the railings would offer more cover though, so I will likely invest in the armor plates as otherwise they are “raised alleys of death” that give you a great vantage point over the battlefield… and make you an excellent target as well.
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| Infinity terrain setup I'm currently using. I need more ground clutter. |
So why does Infinity require so much terrain? The quick answer lies in the reactive nature of the game. If you played on a blank table then on your first order, your opponent would react by shooting at you. That’s not too bad, right? Just a single reactive shot? Well, that’s just it. Any model with an LoF to the model spending the order can react.
So let’s say you have 10 models and your opponent has 10 models. You take the first turn and there is no terrain. Every time you move a model with an order your entire opponent’s force can react by shooting you. You can respond by shooting as well, but most weapons max out at a burst value of three. So at most, your model could prevent 3 shots but would still have to take 7 and that’s if his three shots are split amongst the visible targets AND he wins the face-to-face roll for each of those. All the time the other 7 simply require a normal roll (much easier to accomplish). It quickly devolves into 2nd edition 40k.
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| Parting shot. |
Now when you add in terrain you limit the number of models that can draw line of sight when orders are performed. The more terrain, the fewer models can draw line of sight. Now, you don’t want so much terrain that your models are forced to walking single file down rigid corridors, but you want some open space, some variation in levels, some walls, some ground clutter, and plenty of LoF blocking terrain. In general, if you can see from one side of the board to the other, you need more terrain or at very least you need to shift existing terrain around to fill gaps.