you may remember me mentioning that I won a prize draw at Broadside this year. Well the prize was a "Battle Systems" Shanty Building.
So this will be a mini review, I'm sure there are much better reviews out there but here's what I know. Firstly we'll do the positives starting with the quality. The pieces are printed on really thick card which is very sturdy and should stand up to a lot of punishment. The designs are nicely printed, to a high standard and suit the subject matter very well. There is quite a bit of variety and you can vary how you build your piece as there is no prescribed way - it literally is whatever you can imagine! Because it is flat packed and interchangeable it is very easy to store which is invaluable to most gamers for which storage is a premium.
Ok, negatives now - there are not enough clips! I could have added another story or extended the walls further but I ran out of clips too quickly. Yes you can buy them separately but that's not the point.
 |
| left over bits cos I ran out of clips! |
Another thing is that although it's meant to be all beat up, it's still very shiny.... It needs to be weathered so that it looks rough and ready.
Overall I give it a steady 7/10, which is good but I do like to make my own terrain, so it's more likely that I will carry on making my stuff. Still its a good product and bonus - it was free!
hope you enjoy
dGG
I rate the Battle Systems terrain sets very highly - a 10 out of 10 for me. I see from your photo that you only got a small portion of clips. This is unfortunate, as you rightly state, it does limit what you can build. Personally, I'd bite the bullet and buy more of them.
ReplyDeleteYes there was a distinct lack of clips mate, there's good and bad points about the system tbh but I really enjoy making terrain so may pass on expanding my collection
DeleteThe shininess can presumably be countered easily enough with some matt varnish or the like. You state that packing it away flat is an advantage, but how much time and effort does it take to set up & tear down a build? I've heard that such systems can be cumbersome?
ReplyDeleteGood point Hugh, it took me a good while to build one structure so a whole table would be a pain
DeleteWe are a little more fortunate in that we have most of the other sets too, as well as the shanty town (and they all use same clips) so we have an abundance of them. But tip of the day, to get rid of that shiny glare: use Games Workshop Matt Purity Seal. Spray it lightly from a foot away and in seconds it will not only be dry to use, but your horribly shiny shanty will now look suitably grim and matt hued. Works a treat Andy
ReplyDeleteGreat tip T, I might try that and see if it adds to the appeal ;-)
DeleteI can see myself using it all, but not at present. Shame there were not enough clips for you. It must be hard for a company to judge as what is right for one is wrong number for 1 other.
ReplyDeleteWhile I am in no rush to get more bought terrain I am always keen to see what is available. So thx for that
No worries buddy :-)
Deletenicely made building, especially for a first build attempt. Most impressive. Like T says, a quick squirt of Purity Seal (matt) will do it. Other varnish will possibly warp (and bubble) your card - Purity Seal WONT. As for clips hmm, yes this is a problem with their sets. Personally mate, bite the bullet and buy some more. Its a one time purchase and one you will not regret once its done.
ReplyDeleteCheers Steve, I'll see how I get on
DeleteNice little review Andy. The modular idea with all its options is brilliant but I think the style is a bit of a "Marmite" thing, some people will love it while others (like myself) won't be too keen.
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely Greg, I do prefer to make my own terrain
DeleteAttractive (I`m a Marmite liker lol), usable, very adaptable, and the multiple configuration potential renders it an essential piece of gaming kit. Nice personal design build too btw.
ReplyDeleteThanks Dave, I'm sure it would appeal to a great many people and is very flexible
DeleteHaving got a feel for the system at Bryans, it is very versatile. With a few more clipsyou should be able to expand using the extra pieces you have. Sounds like some great advice from Tarot to get rid of the shineyness. Great prize as you have a use for it
ReplyDeleteIt would fit in a 2000AD cursed earth scenario nicely Dave
DeleteAwesome
DeleteNice review dGG. They do look sharp, but not really for me. I have seen some other folks do pretty amazing stuff with the Battle Systems stuff though.
ReplyDeleteYeah the bigger systems look really nice especially the Malifaux stuff
DeleteI'm a big fan of "Battle Systems", Andy, but didn't go with the Shanty Town look as it wasn't my particular coup-of-tea. Interestingly, I backed their Kickstarter and found that that too arrived without anywhere near enough clips to do what was possible with all the buildings etc. Fortunately, they were at "Salute" this year, and were selling their clips at a reduced cost - as their full price is very high, imho.
ReplyDeleteGreat review though, and very fair I thought. Nice to see other people's opinions on this 'Marmite' product. I like them, especially good for "Zombicide". But you do need to either go all-out for their stuff on the table or not. Its not a product I think you can easily mix with other stuff - at least, that's my opinion...
I think I agree Simon
DeleteWow! That does look good! Lucky chap!
ReplyDeleteI do like a freebie Gordon!
DeleteThe building does look pretty good once all together, but having seen what you usually come up with I have to say that I would expect you to be able to produce something vastly superior from scratch Andy.
ReplyDeleteCheers Roger.
I appreciate that Roger, challenge accepted..... ;-)
DeleteAll things free is good... ah with some exceptions that is :)
ReplyDeleteI had been thinking of getting the shanty buildings as I have way to many scratch build projects I need to finish, not easy with a chaotic mind and being a perfectionist *sigh*.
Absolutely mate.
DeleteProjects, projects, projects!!
I've seen quite a few of these sets now and save for the shiny aspect of them, they look pretty good. I can't beleive though that once assembled you would want to take them apart for packing, surely like my foamboard stuff they can be stored high up on a shelf?
ReplyDeleteOn a purely whimsical thought, who would build a shanty type of building three stories high?
True Joe, I have enough storage space fortunately so no need for flatpacking
Delete{{On a purely whimsical thought, who would build a shanty type of building three stories high?}}
ReplyDeletevery good point actually.
.. the again, in a future such as Dredd`s Cursed Earth, where buildings rise into the very clouds and beyond, three remaining stories of an old dilapidated ruin would most likely look in place. You`d maybe expect ten or even twenty story ruins remaining.
ReplyDeleteMulti story shanties are a bit unusual. I might have a go at making some shanty buildings with corrugated card at some point
DeleteThank you for the review most informative.
ReplyDeleteNo worries Phil, only a mini review and I'm sure there are better ones
DeleteSorry Andy, been a little remiss in my comments of late, due to work commitments. A nice little review of what I've heard is a good product, although the initial outlay seems rather steep.
ReplyDeleteNo worries Jez RL always gets in the way...
DeleteThe price has always kept me at arms length before with the system tbh, even though I've admired the other systems. Thankfully this one was free for me!
they looks hard to build, but great job!
ReplyDeleteIt's actually really simple mate and perfect for a newbie to the hobby
Delete