Vehicle Explodes Craters

[phoenyxx]

Hello,

So I'm starting a new project. I am planning to build some craters for my friends and I that play 40K together. While they can be used as general terrain, I am mostly building them for use to represent Vehicle Explodes results on the vehicle damage table.

Here is my question. Do you build your craters to exactly fit the dimension of the vehicle, or do you build your craters in a rouch circular pattern that's approximately the size of the vehicle?

I realize that I am probably over-examining the situation, but I'll explain my thought process here. My main concern is when units charge a vehicle. If a unit charges a vehicle then it has to be in base contact with the vehicle. After it blows the vehicle up is it supposed to end up in the resulting crater, or is it supposed to be in base contact with that crater?

If you make a round crater that's the diameter of the vehicle that has just exploded, then it's quite likely that the unit that charged the vehicle is going to end up at least partially in area terrain. They would then get a cover save from units firing at them in the opponent's next turn. Is this intended?

Or do you build a crater on a square base that is exactly the dimensions of the vehicle so that the attacking unit is in base contact, but not in, the resulting terrain.

Again, I realize I'm probably overthinking this, but the thought crossed my mind and I was curious to see what other people had done. :)

Thanks in advance for your input!

[sketchesofpayne]

Use a generic 5-inch blast sized crater for all vehicles. The squad that was in the vehicle is now sitting in the middle of the crater.

Use the plastic clear CDs that come with a spindle of CDs as the base for your craters, it's very handy.

[jeffersonian000]

I just use the craters from the Moonscape battlescape set. The big craters are roughly the right size for an exploded Land Raider, while the medium ones are good for Rhino-sized explosions. Until Planet Strike, I had no need for the smaller ones, but now I'm thinking about using those for Firestorm misses.

SJ

[crazyredpraetorian]

I have seen it done 3 ways.

1. Use GW craters. The problem is they are not the size of the vehicle.

2. jwolf made some craters by hollowing out a block of wood that is the same size as a Chimera. This works great for game purposes.

3. The owner of Montag's Games in Pearland Texas made some using contoured mdf cut to size. He then added basing and some chopped up Rhino bits and painted them to a AAA standard. They are functional and look outstanding on the table. He bought a junk Rhino and he said he will get about 12 "craters" out of the 1 Rhino. I plan on making some of these when I get a chance.

[mathhammer]

The size of the crater by RAW should be the exact same size of the vehicle, with room in the center to place models for a number 6 roll.

You may also want to make ruins for #5 if your a shooting army.

If you make the craters larger realize if there is an assault army in base to base with the vehicle the crater may bring in enough models to put 50% of the squad in cover. The models that were in base to base are already in cover per touching the terrain.

If you play a skimmer army it may be in your best interest to not have craters.

[Xas]

raw wise the crater is exactly same size as the parental vehicle. so a unit destroying it in cc would touch the crater's base but not be inside it.

[Culven]

I will probably go with the "same size as the vehicle" group. This would then represent the remnants of the hull and smaller bits sent flying by the explosion would just be treated as general battlefield detrius and ignored for modeling purposes.

[DarkLink]

If you really wanted to go all out (and had the money), buy duplicates of all your vehicles. Then, stick firecrackers in each. Base and paint the results. Though on second though, that's not the best idea in terms of saftey.

Try taking some cardboard and cutting pieces out to roughly the size of each vehicle, then put little explodey looking bits on it so it looks like vehicle remains in a crater. You can even -gasp- make it so your models won't fall over a dozen times no matter how carefully you place them :eek:.

[sketchesofpayne]

The size of the crater by RAW should be the exact same size of the vehicle, with room in the center to place models for a number 6 roll.


While this may be true, it's hardly practical to carry around a large variety of craters of different shapes and sizes.

In pick-up games at my local game store people usually don't have any craters on hand an so just ignore this rule. A handy alternative is if you are like my play group we have a load of templates from buying past starter sets, so we often throw down a large blast template to mark where the crater would be.

[phoenyxx]

Thank you everyone for your input.

Yes, at the moment, we make do with whatever is at hand: blast template, some tape put on the table in the vehicles outline, some other small piece of terrain that's not currently in use, etc.

I recently visited a local craft store though seeking a better solution. I walked out with basically a 2' X 4' piece of plasticard for $2 and some air-drying craft clay for about $5. I can easily cut the plasticard to a wide variety of sizes, and there is plenty of clay to vaguely shape into a crater. This will easily allow me to create a dozen or more craters of any size/shape I want for a measly $10.

I also have enough sprue left overs to cut up and stick into the craters to signify some wreckage. I am debating just painting them, or purchasing some sand and white glue to do them up with a little more style. I'm going to experiment with a few first though before I purchase any more materials.

Mostly I just wanted to verify what shape I'm going to cut the basing material into before I started using it up. :)

[Jawaballs]

The size of the crater by RAW should be the exact same size of the vehicle, with room in the center to place models for a number 6 roll.

You may also want to make ruins for #5 if your a shooting army.

If you make the craters larger realize if there is an assault army in base to base with the vehicle the crater may bring in enough models to put 50% of the squad in cover. The models that were in base to base are already in cover per touching the terrain.

If you play a skimmer army it may be in your best interest to not have craters.

As I understand it, the exploded vehicle is replaced with an area of Difficult Terrain, not area terrain. Does this tank sized spot of difficult terrain grant cover saves or just create a space on the map that requiers a Difficult Terrain roll?

[The Green Git]

As I understand it, the exploded vehicle is replaced with an area of Difficult Terrain, not area terrain. Does this tank sized spot of difficult terrain grant cover saves or just create a space on the map that requiers a Difficult Terrain roll?

Per the cover chart on pg 21 both "Wreckage" and "Crater" supply a 4+ cover save. Per the vehicle damage descriptions on pg 61 you replace an explode vehicle with "wreckage" or a "crater".

Sounds like a cover save to me.

[Zaklifean]

We use blank CD's as the base. The crater itself is done using little aluminum pie tins (think the size of banquet pot pies).

[Logan]

I dont bother with craters.
Instead when I assemble my vehicles I keep all turrets and so on loose so they can be removed.
Then I turn the model upside down and cut through the bottom making a jagged hole, the edges can be bent a bit but making sure the vehicle still stands upright.
When painting I paint the underside around the hole black and smokey with some bare metal.
During play when the vehicle blows up, I whip off the turrets and simply turn upside down to show the damaged section.
For extra brownie points have a few small coins with cotton wool glued, on to one side in long streamers to resemble smoke, and drop one inside the hole with the "smoke" coming out.
An even fancier way to do this uses scarps of tin foil, as trays, and incense cones to create the smoke, it can get very foggy when two gear head armies meet though.

[TSINI]

An even fancier way to do this uses scarps of tin foil, as trays, and incense cones to create the smoke, it can get very foggy when two gear head armies meet though.

did you just suggest putting a heat source inside a polystyrene tank?

lol

[Lord Azaghul]

did you just suggest putting a heat source inside a polystyrene tank?

lol


Its all about the 'realism' of the war game! Next we'll be plugging the barrels of our battle cannons with gun power, just to get a more realistic cannon effect!

[Vepr]

Thank you everyone for your input.

Yes, at the moment, we make do with whatever is at hand: blast template, some tape put on the table in the vehicles outline, some other small piece of terrain that's not currently in use, etc.

I recently visited a local craft store though seeking a better solution. I walked out with basically a 2' X 4' piece of plasticard for $2 and some air-drying craft clay for about $5. I can easily cut the plasticard to a wide variety of sizes, and there is plenty of clay to vaguely shape into a crater. This will easily allow me to create a dozen or more craters of any size/shape I want for a measly $10.

I also have enough sprue left overs to cut up and stick into the craters to signify some wreckage. I am debating just painting them, or purchasing some sand and white glue to do them up with a little more style. I'm going to experiment with a few first though before I purchase any more materials.

Mostly I just wanted to verify what shape I'm going to cut the basing material into before I started using it up. :)

You might have to rough up the surface of the plasticard and run some pins up through it. I tried the same thing for terrain and when the air drying clay finally sets it does not stick to the plasticard very well. I ended up using epoxy to glue mine back down.

[Duke]

I really like Crazyredpraetorians idea of buying a junk vehicle and making craters out of MDF... generally speaking I will use GW moonscape or simply ignore the rule.

Duke

[Logan]

did you just suggest putting a heat source inside a polystyrene tank?

lol

Never had a fire yet!
It doesn't get that hot and the incense fragrance can help if any of your fellow players are soap dodgers (an unfortunately common complaint amongst commanders of tiny men I find).
If you watch really crash footage, even that of fragile vehicles like F1 cars, the vehicle stays pretty much intact just a few bits missing and clouds of smoke. So to me the "and all that was left was a big crater" is a bit like something from a looney tunes cartoon. Which is why a choose a wreck over a crater.

[TSINI]

Never had a fire yet!
It doesn't get that hot and the incense fragrance can help if any of your fellow players are soap dodgers (an unfortunately common complaint amongst commanders of tiny men I find).
If you watch really crash footage, even that of fragile vehicles like F1 cars, the vehicle stays pretty much intact just a few bits missing and clouds of smoke. So to me the "and all that was left was a big crater" is a bit like something from a looney tunes cartoon. Which is why a choose a wreck over a crater.

lol i know all too well what you mean about certain people who use chemical warfare - or at least gaseous warfare to aid their army.


funnily enough we had a thread before on the subject of Destroyed - Wrecked, and Destroyed - Explodes

the conversation was about being able to drive other tanks over the top of wrecked vehicles.

i thought that wrecked, just leaves a vehicle sized piece of terrain (as you say, a pretty much intact shell)so other vehicles wouldnt be able to move over it.

whereas explodes leaves the carton crater :)

[Ming]

I typically grab the crashed McCragge shuttle terrain and use that, since it is roughly the same size and "wrecktangular".

An armored vehicle "explodes" is more steel and smoking hulk/debris than crater.

Note to GW...make some cheap plastic exploded vehicles for the next intro box set...we don't need palm trees...