By Guy Rheuark

Setting up terrain for Blood & Plunder, as listed in the core book, can be a little uncertain. How much terrain is enough?  How much is too much? The only guidance you get is to follow the scenario, but few scenarios mention terrain.

I usually end up setting up terrain based on my terrain pool, and most of the time it is the player who gets to the store first that sets up the board. After a while however, it felt like my games always took place at the edge of the same forest. After expanding my terrain pool a little, I started thinking about ways to shake up how we play terrain.

To this end I made a simple system you can use before a game to determine where the scenario is going to take place, if you don’t have a specific location in mind. What follows is a rule variant to semi-randomly let the attacker choose terrain for land games. It’s fun to use, and has already pushed me out of my comfort zone.

You may notice that most of the examples are hex grids instead of photos (using Hextml). This is because I thought it helped illustrate what I intended, without putting unrealistic expectations on what you might need to play. Felt rivers and forests, and cardboard houses work just as well as anything.

I also added a small terrain collecting guide at the bottom of this article. Blood & Plunder has a few scenarios that require certain terrain pieces, and it is a good idea to collect those.

While testing this, I also used the hex grids to work out a way to play Blood & Plunder online. I’ll publish a primer in the future, or if you’re curious message me I’ll share what I have.

Terrain Setup for a Land Game

Before setting up terrain, but after rolling for attack or defender, the attacker draws three cards from their activation deck. If the attacker draws an event, they may discard their hand and draw three new cards. The number on each card refers to one of the terrain types below, with King being 13 and ace a 1. If you are using the Firelock Games activation deck, each card already has these numbers on them. The attacker chooses one card and reveals it. This is the terrain set up that the game will use.

If the scenario is Raze or Plunder, instead of drawing cards, the attacker must choose one of the Settlements. These two scenarios require at least two structures, and only the first three terrain setups have the required structures. When setting up for these scenarios, each player should take turns placing the required structures first.

Most terrain setups have a piece of terrain in the center. As the attacker, place that piece of terrain within 6” of the center of the table. The defender then places a piece of terrain listed in the setup. Terrain that is near other terrain or the board edge has to be within 6″ but more than 2″ away. The attacker and defender then take alternating turns placing terrain until all the terrain listed is set up.

Once the terrain listed in the setup is on the table each player should take turns adding object terrain or scatter terrain to the table. You can also add additional area terrain, until each side is happy with the board.

The attacker then returns the cards they drew to the activation deck and shuffles it.

If you do not have enough terrain to make some of the terrain set ups, the attacker can discard that card to draw a replacement.

Settlements

13. Town Center

This includes a central feature, such as a large building, a church, or market, and four buildings near it. One or two streets crisscross the town.

12. Town Outskirts

This includes a road down the center of the table. Three buildings are near the center. Two farmed fields or animal enclosures are near one edge of one side of the board. One thicket or hill is near the edge of the board opposite the farmed fields.

11. Farmstead or Villa

This includes a large building in the center, along with a smaller building and a farmed field or animal enclosures near it. Two thickets or hills are near the edges of the board.

Wilderness

10. Single Home

This includes a small building in the center of the board. Two thickets are near the building. Four thickets or hills are near the edges of the board.

9. Grassy Plain

The entire board is covered with long grasses. This is not rough terrain, but units attacked from more than 12″ away count as being in cover. One thicket is in the center of the board, and two thickets or hills are near the edges of the board.

8. Ruins

This includes a size two fortification or a linear fortification, with at least eight segments, in the center of the board. All parts of the fortification have been breached, and have half their starting fortitude. Four thickets or hills are near the edges of the board.

7. River Basin

This includes a river or large stream that cuts through the board. The river is less than 6″ wide, so it may be crossed. Two thickets are next to the river, near the center of the board, and three thickets or hills are near the edges of the board.

6. Lake Shore

This includes a small lake or large pond in the center of the board. The middle of the lake is at least 3″ away from the shore, so it may not be crossed. Three thickets are next to the lake, and two thickets or hills are near the edges of the board.

5. Forest or Jungle Outskirts

This includes a thicket in the center of the board. Three more thickets are near it. Two thickets or hills are near the edges of the board.

4. Road Through the Woods

This includes a road that crosses the board, either from one edge to another, or one corner to the opposite corner. Two thickets are in the center next to the road, and four thickets or hills are near the edges of the board.

3. Hillocks

This includes one hillock in the center of the board. Three more hillocks are near it. Two thickets are near the edges of the board.

2. Forest or Jungle

The entire board is covered with trees. This is rough terrain that grants cover. Visibility is limited to 16″. A clearing, building, river, road, small lake, or pond is in the center, surrounded by three clearings near it.

1. Dense Forest or Jungle

The entire board is densely covered with trees. This is rough terrain that grants cover. Visibility is limited to 12″. Units attacked from more than 4″ away also get a -1 bonus to their saves. A clearing, building, river, road, small lake, or pond is in the center, surrounded by three clearings.

Blood & Plunder Terrain Collecting Guide

Firelock Games

Longboat                                           Required for Amphibious Escort
Gun Emplacement
Stone Tower Fort                          Required for Tower Ambush
Farmed Field
Palisade Fort
Square House                                   Suggested for Land Raze and Land Plunder
Thatched House                              Suggested for Land Raze and Land Plunder
Tiled House                                        Suggested for Land Raze and Land Plunder

4Ground

Grave Boards
Peasants Ox Cart
Ports of Plunder – Barrels
Ports of Plunder – Boat Under Construction
Ports of Plunder – Carts
Ports of Plunder – Colonial Port House 01        Suggested for Land Raze and Land Plunder
Ports of Plunder – Colonial Port House 02        Suggested for Land Raze and Land Plunder
Ports of Plunder – Colonial Port House 03        Suggested for Land Raze and Land Plunder
Ports of Plunder – Colonial Port Hovel 01         Suggested for Land Raze and Land Plunder
Ports of Plunder – Colonial Port Hovel 02         Suggested for Land Raze and Land Plunder
Ports of Plunder – Colonial Port Hovel 03         Suggested for Land Raze and Land Plunder
Ports of Plunder – Colonial Port Shed                   Suggested for Land Raze and Land Plunder
Ports of Plunder – Colonial Port Walled Yard
Ports of Plunder – Colonial Port Workshop        Suggested for Land Raze and Land Plunder
Ports of Plunder – Crane
Ports of Plunder – Dock Ramp
Ports of Plunder – Docks with Stairs 01                  Suggested for Supply Raid
Ports of Plunder – Docks with Stairs 02                  Suggested for Supply Raid
Ports of Plunder – Docks with Stairs 03                  Suggested for Supply Raid
Ports of Plunder – Docks with Stairs 04                  Suggested for Supply Raid
Ports of Plunder – Short Dock                                       Suggested for Supply Raid
Ports of Plunder – Square Dock                                   Suggested for Supply Raid
Wild Beast Shipping Crates

Gale Force Nine

Large Rocky Hill
Extra Large Rocky Hills
Small Rocky Hills
Large Pine Wood
Small Pine Wood
Large Summer Woods
Ponds
Swamps
River Bends
River Islands
River Fork
River Fords
Large River Set

Other Terrain Types

Small Buildings: Any size 1 building                 Suggested for Land Raze and Land Plunder
Large Building: Any size 2 building                 Suggested for Land Raze and Land Plunder

Thicket: This is used to describe a stand of trees, mangroves, or a dense palm grove. It counts as area terrain that is usually at least 4″ to 12″ wide. This is rough terrain.

Hill: This could be a gentle slope or rocky outcroppings. It has light tree cover or rocky ledges to hide behind. It counts as area terrain and is usually 5″ to 8″ wide. The middle of the hill is at least 2″ above the board. This is rough terrain, though it isn’t steep enough to need to be climbed.