When I talk about "terrain" I often mean a simple generalisation of a large area of land. In the Joy Of Hex, the image that represents terrain takes up the entire hex. Contrast this with "terrain details" like roads and hillsides which only take a fraction of the hex.
There are a few main terrain types with the variations making for some variety. The variations arise out of climatic effects like snow or heavy rain.
Terrain: | Graphic: | Description: |
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Clear Fields: | ![]() |
This is meant to represent a clear field of grass with little in the way of obstruction. Clear fields are very hard to defend because of their openness. |
Light Forest: | ![]() |
This is meant to represent a decent scattering of trees. Though movement is slowed there is an improvement for units trying to defend in this sort of terrain. |
Heavy Forest: | ![]() |
This is meant to represent a dense collection of trees and other forest making material. Movement is greatly reduced, but defense is greatly improved. |
Light Village: | ![]() |
This is a light scattering of buildings. This is slightly harder to travel through, and the defensive possibilities are marginally improved. |
Heavy Village: | ![]() |
This is a much more concentrated collection of buildings. Movement is further hindered, and defensive possibilities are moderately improved. |
City: | ![]() |
This is a highly concentrated collection of buildings. Movement is very slow, but defense is very good. |
Factory: | ![]() |
This is meant to represent factory areas. Factories are often solidly built and so this is a great terrain for defense. |
Hedgerows: | ![]() |
In clearing their fields, farmers often push the stones that they find to the borders of the land plots. This latter can be worked on to become a more familar stone wall. This is slow terrain to move through, but it is great defensively. |
Swamp: | ![]() |
This is a wet, soaked ground. Difficult to do anything in this terrain. Not all units can enter this hex without roads, and those that can will find themselves endless exhausted. Without roads, only non-motorised units may enter this terrain. |
Sand: | ![]() |
This sort of terrain typically appears along coastlines and the such. |
Lightly Destroyed: | ![]() |
This is what Clear Fields, Light Forests, Light Villages, Heavy Villages and Sand look like when they are destroyed. |
Heavily Destroyed: | ![]() |
This is what Heavy Forests, Cities, Factories, Hedgerows, and Swamps look like when they are destroyed. |
Water: | ![]() |
This is what a large body of water looks like. No units can normally enter this terrain. If this terrain is lightly frozen then non-motorised units can enter, and when fully frozen then all units can enter this hex. |
The terrains above can be heavily influenced by the weather. The following graphics show what changes are possible. Light snow is good terrain for mobility. Heavy snow is almost impossible to move around on. Wet is tough to move on, but if you do then the hexes that you move about in turn to mud and become even more difficult to move in.
Terrain: | Dry: | Light Snow: | Heavy Snow: | Wet: | Mud: |
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Clear: | ![]() |
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Light Forest: | ![]() |
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Heavy Forest: | ![]() |
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Light Village: | ![]() |
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Heavy Village: | ![]() |
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City: | ![]() |
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Factory: | ![]() |
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Hedgerows: | ![]() |
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Swamp: | ![]() |
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Lightly Destroyed: | ![]() |
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Heavily Destroyed: | ![]() |
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Water: | ![]() |
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Sand: | ![]() |
Other then the above terrains, there is are terrains concerned with the desert environment.
Terrain: | Graphic: | Description: |
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Sand Dunes: | ![]() |
This is the standard fields of sand that one thinks of when one thinks desert. |
Oasis: | ![]() |
This is often a small water-bearing well with a plant or two. It doesn't really contribute much to the game other than breaking up a hex map that might consist of large block of sand dunes. |
Small Landmark: | ![]() |
This is often a lone building or even a small monument. It doesn't really contribute much to the game other than breaking up a hex map that might consist of large block of sand dunes. |
Light Village: | ![]() |
This is a loose scattering of buildings, which provide a very weak defensive contribution. |
Heavy Village: | ![]() |
This is a moderate collection of buildings, which provide a mild defensive quality to them. |
City: | ![]() |
This is a large collection of buildings, making good defensive terrain. |
Factory: | ![]() |
Why include factories in the desert? I don't know! I was on a roll while doing the graphics and never stopped to really think about it, but I might as well include it in case some scenario makers want the option. |
Schist: | ![]() |
This is a very rocky terrain - difficult to travel over though it does have a mild defensive quality to it. |
Salt Pans: | ![]() |
These are bodies of sand where salt has collected on the surface. This is very difficult terrain to try and cross, acting much like swamp. |
Lightly Destroyed: | ![]() |
This is what Sand Dunes, Oasises, Landmarks, Light Villages, Heavy Villages, and Sand turn into when destroyed. This does mildly increase the difficultly to travel over these hexes, also the defensive qualities are mildly increased. |
Heavily Destroyed: | ![]() |
This is what Salt Pans, Cities, Factories and Schist turn into when destroyed. This is dificult material to travel over, but is great for defensive purposes. |
Water: | ![]() |
Though lakes don't commonly exist in the desert, some deserts lie alongside oceans and so this terrain choice needs to be provided for these cases. |
Sand: | ![]() |
It might seem odd to include "sand" when there are already "sand dunes" but there is a subtle difference between these two terrain types: "sand" is what you find along a coastline where it is in contact with water, whereas "sand dunes" have no such similar contact with water. |
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Do you have any suggestions for new terrain types should appear in latter versions of the Joy Of Hex? Is so, feel free to send me some email with your thoughts. |