Our terrain goals: fun and balance.

One of the great assets that the FOW tournament scene is a terrain ethic that forces armies to fight over many different battlefields, some suited to them, others not, while enabling all types of armies to compete so long as they are well-made and complete.

One example lies in the use of constricted LOS, buildings, and cover that can be 'hopped' by infantry. In 40k, much has been made of the dominance of mech and the preponderance of vehicles in 5th edition. It is our belief that some of the feeling of imbalance stems from insufficient use of terrain to both protect infantry and hinder vehicles (on some tables, and to some extent).

Likewise, the use of vehicles should be rewarded where appropriate--lakes and rivers crossable by amphibious and skimmers but few others; roads that hasten the travel of wheeled vehicles, and so on, all belong on some fraction of tables to allow vehicles' unique types to be used on the battlefield.

Therefore, expect to see the following at the Shenanigan 40k:

• 25% as the median terrain fraction, with a standard distribution up and down from there. Deviation of 10%, meaning about 1 table will have only 5% terrain, while another will have 45% (but remain playable. trust us.)
• The use of buildings. Foot armies are out of favor at least in portion because they lack the small arms-proof cover of a transported list. About 1/3 of tables will have 2-3 AV9-11 buildings available. We will present a notecard with each building at the table with its characteristics...and they really ought to be played according to the rules rather than as ruins (protection+danger of catastrophe+vulnerability to flamers)
  
• The use of roads. Roads provide mobility to hasten games (good at a tournament), but only if the objectives are placed nearby. Another 1/3 tables will feature a road, probably with linear cover along some portion of its length.
• The use of flat area terrain (ala marshes, uneven grass). This sort of terrain is simple, requires little argument, and hinges battlefields. About 2/3 of area terrain will be of this sort.
  
• Sensible ruins. Too often ruins are built impractically for the players to reach into/around them, or they are preponderant to the point that a bike list is deprived of any means of attacking troops/objectives on upper levels. (objectives must be placed on table at this point.) While the trouble bikers experience in ruins should remain (it is one of their limitations that should be felt), It should not present a total obstacle to victory.