Endor Terrain

So having completed the core troops, I was wanted to give the game a go and fortunately Messrs Bull and Templar were keen to oblige.  A convenient date was scratched into the diary and we all set about trying to get to grips with the rules ahead of the meeting, some more than others.*  I had envisaged using my swamp mat, which at 4’ x 3’ was a little smaller than suggested, but as this was our first venture I thought that it would pass muster.  Similarly I thought that I could use some of the jungle terrain created for the Congo board to represent the forest landscape of the Sanctuary Moon, Endor.

*I am really bad at this sort of preparation, it feels too much like homework! 

All of this would have been more than adequate, but then it happened again…

Before I knew what I was doing I had placed a not an unsubstantial order for elements of 4Ground’s Jungle Set. This was pure indulgence, but as it had happened so quickly the pain was superficial, at least until it duly arrived in the post.

From the outset, I should stress that I am normally a big fan of 4Ground’s terrain; innovative design, pre-painted pieces and good customer service - there is a lot to like. This set, however, was not as I had hoped. It is kit bashed from several other ranges in order to provide you with an idea of the treetop dwellings inhabited by the Ewoks in Return of the Jedi. Consequently not everything was as good a fit as it could have been and the instructions required several leaps of faith in order to get to the desired result. Now you could argue that this ‘loose’ approach to construction allows you more freedom to interpret the kits to your individual requirements and I think this is definitely the way to approach them, but I couldn’t help thinking that with a little more time and effort, I could have created something equally comparable by following one of the many YouTube tutorials, and for a lot less money!

Grumbling aside, the kits did serve a purpose and certainly saved me considerable time.  The quality printed bark textures, to wrap around the cardboard tube tree trunks, worked well and the bunker, albeit it simple, was perfectly serviceable.  So whilst the Jungle Set may lack some of the production values that one normally associates with the company they do a job and I have to say helped ‘sell’ the idea of battling for supremacy in a galaxy far, far away.

Although I didn't record the battle, so to speak, Mike did and his report,  The Empire Invades Pevensey, can be found here.