Monday 9 June 2014

Underhive Terrain: Playing With Hexagons

During my current search for decent Necromundan Underhive terrain, I kept seeing tantalising references to a couple of systems by Conflix called Platformer and Hexagon. I'm not sure if these are still being produced, as my search to find a UK stockist was incredibly frustrating. However, I managed to track down a single Hexagon small box at 4TK Gaming (see what they did there?) for £6.30. At the price, I thought it was worth a punt, and the box duly arrived last week:


 
Even though the set I bought was the small set (I couldn't find a large set in stock anywhere), the box artwork promises a fairly decent sized kit.
 
The kit is a snap-fit style plastic set, manufactured in Russia from hard silver plastic. You simply join up the panels through a selection of different connectors like these:
 
Some of the connectors left over from my construction session. There are 2-way, 3-way and 4-way connectors, allowing you to make 45, 90 and 100 degree joins

With the connectors, you are able to assemble the various panels in a variety of different ways. Like this:


Or this:


I started out building the second structure shown on the rear of the box (I didn't really like the top one). After a lot of experimentation, and getting approximately 75% completed, I was coming to the conclusion that I didn't like the end result. My main issue was that the structure I was building didn't have enough realism - unsupported, gravity defying platforms, ladders in strange places, hatches on ramps.

I decided to throw caution to the wind and, like a true Master Builder*, I started to freestyle. My first structure was this - intended to be a sort of fortified gate to a compound or similar. Just the sort of thing you might find at the entrance to a Necromundan settlement.


The second structure is really a refined version of the structure I was originally copying from the box. Just with some of the more physics-defying elements removed!


So, not too bad a result - two decent-sized pieces of Necromundan terrain for a very small outlay. If I was going to be critical of the kit, I'd say it doesn't have enough platform supports or ladders, and too many awkward triangular shapes, but for under £7, I'm not complaining!

*Go and see the Lego Movie. Everything is awesome! Ahem.

1 comment:

  1. It is still out there - I know Wayland Games has a bunch of their stuff. I also have a box to play with at some point, which I haven't gotten around to - again, a single box I found at the bottom of a bargain bin of a local games shop!

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