Dungeons & Lasers terrain, thoughts?

[nicknorthstar]

We're importing the Dungeons & Lasers sci-fi terrain into the UK from Poland. I'm quite excited about it, and looking forward to getting some corridors & rooms done up for our Stargrave games, we've been very much outside upto now.

What do folks who've already got it think of it?

When it's in, it'll be here on the website: https://www.northstarfigures.com/list.php?man=303&page=1 £46 a kit.

[Chief Lackey Rich]

I've been pretty impressed by the build-up vids I've watched so far, but haven't seen the frames in person here in the US.  Definitely looks like good value for small skirmish tables, although building a whole "old fashioned" 8' x 4' layout might be a little too steep for my tastes - although maybe a partly-open big table with this stuff as the interior of a large building would work.

[Elbows]

The products look nice enough, but they're still on my boycott list for their old KS shenannigans, etc.

[Grumpy Gnome]

I quite like the D&L terrain. It is not perfect but it is good value for money in my opinion.

The scatter terrain is particularly brilliant.  EDIT: As Robh has said below… some of the Wall accessories and scatter terrain is oversized, I would say “cartoony” but the rest is excellent and still great value for money.

Originally I did not get into the sci-if D&L because we use Battle Systems terrain for our sci-fi gaming but recently I got a bunch of D&L sci-fi for “alternative sci-fi” projects where the Battle Systems stuff might not be quite right aesthetically, ie steampunk, dieselpunk and atomicpunk.

It is at its best as just interiors right now but I do wonder if at some point it will evolve to work better with the  Archon Studio Rampart System for exteriors.

I would think it will work a treat for Stargrave.

Attached is a photo of a test piece I did.

[robh]

I have some, well OK, a lot, of the sci-fi pieces from the first 2 KS campaigns and think they are great. Well cast, sturdy and with enough detail to make them look good with even a simple paintjob*

The only issues are:
The clip system to allow build/rebuild will weaken with use, each time you clip it together the securing pegs round off slightly and will eventually loosen. Not a fault per se just an inevitable result of making them in styrene. Creating a series of modular sections and giving up a bit of the ability for unique builds will help, especially if you can magnetise the places where modules join.

Some of the detail add on bits (lights, cameras, weapon mounts etc) are horrible, Overscale and lacking in detail, a bit of a let down frankly. Although many of the other bits are superb.

Depending on how much you actually get, the lack of variety in floors and walls can become a bit annoying, it is a shame that the feature rooms (wonderful though they are) are so specific in design as it is difficult to use the pieces from them in a general build.

I also cannot fault the new team at Archon for the way they have handled the kickstarter campaigns and any resulting problems, excellent service.

*Absolutely not a simple paintjob, and not my work, but this is how they can look in talented hands:

or even

[hubbabubba]

The products look nice enough, but they're still on my boycott list for their old KS shenannigans, etc.

I'd feel the same way about buying directly from them, but if the product is good I'd buy from Northstar or another reliable trader.

I'm not that keen on these though, they look too busy for my tastes, although I'll look forward to seeing what people do with them.

[Daeothar]

I'm not that keen on these though, they look too busy for my tastes, although I'll look forward to seeing what people do with them.

Might be the rather garish paintjob, but I find them rather busy as well. A more muted finish might help a lot in that regard...

[LiamFrostfang]

  they look cool!!!

[Mason]

I can certainly see those components being very useful for detailing scratchbuilds.
 

[Grumpy Gnome]

They are a bit busy.

Woffboot has an interesting grimdark industrial take on them.

https://woffboot.blogspot.com/2021/05/int-industrial-clutter.html

[Cacique Caribe]

Very nice!
Dan

[Mr Tough Guy]

Might be the rather garish paintjob, but I find them rather busy as well. A more muted finish might help a lot in that regard...

I found the Sci-fi starter a bit too busy myself, so I mainly bought the fantasy stuff, but I did get a few of the Vault 7 rooms, which are a bit cleaner and not as busy

[hubbabubba]

Yep, the vault stuff is 100% better

[robh]

Yep, the vault stuff is 100% better

Agreed, for a general sci-fi (or post apoc) setting that is easily the best of the designs. Sadly buying them by room rather than the base sets runs the cost up considerably.

[Ultravanillasmurf]

That Vault 7 stuff does look useful.