Table too small

[Ease]

So I've just bought a new table, primarily to act as a "dining table" but also to serve as a Warhammer board. Finding a 6' by 4' was truly impossible (within my budget, at least!) but I have managed to obtain an 8' by 3'1" table.

This means that I can play, but with deployment zones of 6.5" each. Can you guys see that being too big an advantage/disadvantage for anyone?

I'm sure it would massively negatively affect a dwarven gun-line, but there are none of those in my current tournament (the only dwarves got knocked out round one, and weren't a gunline anyway!) - and even if there were some dwarven gun-lines, screw 'em. They're no fun, and don't deserve fairness

Also, I have some spare floorboards and such, but no way of holding them at the correct height. Does anyone know of a cheap and easy way of adding a foot or so to the width of a table? I have some ideas, but would like to hear of some tried-and-tested methods!

[Aezeal]

Well the table isn't that small.. you could certainly try it.
If you want a 6x4 you'll just need to place some boards over it I guess. 3 boards of 4x2 next to each other maybe? I'm sure you could create some sort of locking system for them. Maybe just some small hinges.. if you place a green table cloth over it then you shouldn't have to much problems with them sticking out (especially if you try to sink them a bit into the material). Nothing tested and tried though... I currently play in the shop mostly and before that on a table tennis table .

[Hyarion]

One easy solution is to put down a sheet or something to protect your table, then to merely use the dining room table to support a 4x8 sheet of plywood. Just remember not to lean on the plywood.

Some consequences of skinny deployment zones.
It will force terrain towards the center of the table, blocking more lines of sight.
Units will be forced together increasing the value of template weapons/spells on the first turn and second turn.
It will be harder to create a two tiered battle line as units will be more likely to be side by side, making it harder for horde armies to deploy as they wish.
Scout deployment will be hampered.

[Joolz]

You can always buy a right size plywood piece. They are pretty cheap and should come in those exact measurements. Easy to store etc. Just put it on the table.

If you had the budget I would suggest ordering a "F.A.T Mat" from Frontline gaming, they are awesome and I just ordered one myself

[Joolz]

You beat me to it Hyarion...

[Ease]

I wanted to go the plywood route, but didn't have time to buy it last night (when I picked up the table) - and that was my only opportunity to use the work van; so now I would have no way of getting the plywood home. Plus the missus would kill me if I tried to leave a 4x8 sheet of wood lying around the house.

However, I have devised a solution. I need to get home to test it, but my thoughts are this:
I have a load (hopefully enough) of spare floorboards.
Each floorboard is nearly a foot wide, and 4'6" long.
The floorboard 'clip' together.

My hoping is that I have enough (I need 9) floorboard, and I can just click them together atop the table. I believe they're quite sturdy, but will need to test them when I get home. Also, I have no idea how many I have... could be 2, could be 20.

But I'm glad that the general consensus is that while skinny deployments do alter the game, they don't completely ruin it.

[Aezeal]

If you use 3 plates of plywood 2x4 like I said you can probably transport them and store them easier than a single large plate. But maybe your floorboards will work (they could end up not being completely flat but you'll find that out soon enough I guess )

Joolz: that mat wouldn't increase his table size right? or is it so stiff it can be larger than the table and still function?

[Billthesurly]

Get the 2'x4' plywood sheets just like Aezeal said. Then go to an office supply store or some such place and get four large, heavy duty paper clips. Place a blanket over your dining table so that your wife will not go all Comanche on you for scratching it then clip the ply sheets at the joins. This and the friction from the blanket will hold your ply sheets in place unless you really lean on them or bump them hard.

Now if you want to get serious.... you can buy some little screen door, hook and eye latches and screw them into the edges of the ply sheets for a more permanent fix. This locks the three sheets together so that while they may shift a bit they won't come completely adrift and have one of them wind up on the kitchen floor - having carried a few hundred points of fragile plastic figures to their doom.

My gaming friends and I have found the three interlocked plywood sheets the best solution for apartment dwellers as they are easily stored under a bed or leaned against a laundry room wall behind the door. They are also easily transported for game events. If you play enough to warrant the cost - go purchase a 5 foot folding table and some self adhesive Velcro. Put one side on the table and the other side on the Plywood. Now when you assemble your table it won't move at all. (If you used enough Velcro.) This is more or less what I did and the wife loves it because it doubles as an extra 4x6 foot table for family events.

[Aezeal]

If you make the plates lock together (wither with the mechanism Bill mentions or with something else (like the hinges I mentioned or whatever)) you could also put a few small blocks/strips of wood on each side so they fall just over the edge of the "regular" table. This prevents most accidents with movement of the tabletop... but of course makes it a bit less flexible for use on other tables.

[frogboy]

Make the deployment zones smaller, simples

[Billthesurly]

Make the deployment zones smaller, simples

Silence! Thou small, aquatic, reptilian, (however cute and loveable) git. Keep thy gaming heresies to thyself. (insert pompous, self righteous smiley here)

We got a bunch of guys talking woodshop projects here!

[frogboy]

Should have saved your money's and played on the floor lol

[Aezeal]

Playing on the floor is not a good idea. Some of us care about our backs. Some of us still playing the game that is.

[Ease]

Playing on the floor is not a good idea. Some of us care about our backs. Some of us still playing the game that is.

Too right. Did a 5 game 3000 pt tournament on the floor back in '06. Still aching.

[Aezeal]

Ah this topic is good: 2 times already people have said I'm right

Well GL with whatever solution you'll end up creating. Game on! Defend the Forest!

[Joolz]

If you use 3 plates of plywood 2x4 like I said you can probably transport them and store them easier than a single large plate. But maybe your floorboards will work (they could end up not being completely flat but you'll find that out soon enough I guess )

Joolz: that mat wouldn't increase his table size right? or is it so stiff it can be larger than the table and still function?

Well no the mat is not solid.. but I've got a plywood sheet in mind that fits the size perfectly

[Ease]

The floorboards worked! Okay, so there are small ridges every 8" across the board, but not enough to disturb gameplay, and it saved me from having to engineer anything! Plus they stack neatly away in the cupboard, as they're only 8" wide. To be honest, if floorboards are cheap (I have no idea how much these cost, they were left by the previous owners), I might start recommending them to everyone!