I would like to play some Zone Mortalis games. I am lacking the thematic terrain to pull it off. I plan on organizing a Badab War campaign soon and it will be nice to have some Zone Mortalis or a close replica to play on. I’ve been scouring the internets and I am looking for opinions and experience with Zone Mortalis.
Here is a list of what my search has uncovered:
Forgeworld Zone Mortalis– this is the Cadillac of all Zone Mortalis sets. Forgeworld came out with the rules and the kit first. All other kits have been inspired by this. Since it is the Cadillac of all kits the price is reflective of the quality. The pro is that it is the best quality set out there and seems to be the most durable. The cons are that it is the most expensive and there is a chance of the resin warping.
Battle Systems Sci-Fi Modular Terrain– this project started out as a successful Kickstarter. Here are some pros- it’s already painted and it can be made into multi-levels to enhance the gaming and thematic element. Here are some cons I see- the set-up and disassembly time and long-term durability.
Bug Hunt Corridors by Fantasy Arc– this is another successful Kickstarter. Some pros- cheaper than Forgeworld and being made out of plywood it has durability. Some cons- there is some assembly and painting required and there is a chance for parts to break since it is glue. The walls are low, which provides less thematic pictures.
Maki Games– again Kickstarter is on a role. I will not be going with this one but I decided to add it in case someone suggests it or it may pique the interest of another gamer. It is modular, which is a plus for many. It is possible for the pins/slots to break. The big one for me though is I do not know how many I would have to buy to assemble a 4’x4′ table.
DIY- this is the potentially the cheapest of all options. While this is an option and I have seen some posts on DIY Zone Mortalis, I have decided to not pursue this route. This would seem like more of a chore for me and the project is supposed to be fun. I don’t mind spending the extra money to buy a set that has already been designed.
I want to hear from you. Do you have any experience with any of the above sets and what is it like? Do you know of any other Zone Mortalis projects that I have not mentioned and what is it? I’d love to hear from you in the comments section.
The Roost of Turkadactyl 
I used Blotz terrain for mine.
http://blotz.co.uk/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=23_29_91
Been very happy with the results and durability of the sets
LikeLiked by 1 person
By: dibdab666 on February 23, 2016
at 10:36 am
Thanks for the link. I just checked them out. The product looks good. I didn’t see that website when I was scouring the world wide webs.
LikeLike
By: Turkadactyl on February 23, 2016
at 9:41 pm
I actually intended for my Carcharodons to specialize in Zone Mortalis. Firstly because I don’t really like having a lot of vehicles which is becoming a very common trend, and second, because it just fits the chapter and really benefits any fleet-based chapter’s theme and a foot army’s expertise.
A ZM board is a huge dedication usually only seen from people who actively play the game mode. But what a lot of non-ZM players don’t realize is that you don’t need a specialized ZM table. All you really need is enough walls. ZM isn’t only just space ships, either, it has a table for underground fighting, so you can replace hull breaches and ship quakes with tunnel collapses and earthquakes. Large patches of space can be replaced with bottomless underground pits and caverns.
If you have enough walls, say, stone walls, brick walls, junkyard barricades, train and shipping containers, military crates, etc, that are commonly found in a wargamer’s terrain collection, you can build your own maze and corridors for ZM out of these materials.
You can play ZM in a junkyard, or a shipping yard, etc. It doesn’t have to just be in a space ship. And this way, you can break up the ZM formation and play normal games with your walls being used as scatter terrain and small line of sight blockers spread throughout the board.
LikeLiked by 1 person
By: Anonymous on February 24, 2016
at 1:50 am
And by “table for underground fighting” I meant a roll chart to determine what happens that turn, not a physical table.
Catacombs or underground tombs would also be a good theme.
LikeLiked by 1 person
By: Anonymous on February 24, 2016
at 1:52 am
Thanks for the suggestion. Shipping crates will not be difficult to find. We’re on the same page with Carcharodons and ZM. The two are like peanut butter and jam. It’s the main reason I chose the bases I am using for the models.
LikeLike
By: Turkadactyl on February 24, 2016
at 7:34 am
Well you have done your research, bravo. ZM always looks like fun to me.
LikeLike
By: Thousand Eyes on February 24, 2016
at 2:41 am
It sure does doesn’t it.
LikeLike
By: Turkadactyl on February 24, 2016
at 7:36 am
I’m doing a Zone Mortalis game on sunday as part the War zone Hague: Survival campaign. We’ll be playing on my not yet finished DIY board.
LikeLike
By: Thomas on February 24, 2016
at 8:32 am
Sweet. Are you posting pictures on the Eastern Fringe?
LikeLiked by 1 person
By: Turkadactyl on February 24, 2016
at 8:51 am
Yeah, I’ll do both a pre and a post game post. The pre game post should drop shortly.
LikeLike
By: Thomas on February 24, 2016
at 8:53 am
[…] February I posted on Zone Mortalis and options available to purchase. I ended up going with the kickstarter from Death Ray Designs. A new kickstarter has emerged […]
LikeLike
By: Sylvaneth- Dryad WIP | The Roost of Turkadactyl on July 25, 2016
at 3:35 am