This is the first in a series of reviews of MicroTactix’ new Color Vyllage on the Cheep cardstock building sets. Skip down to the models section if you read any of my other reviews.
In 1999, MicroTactix released the first Vyllage-On-The-Cheep fantasy cardstock building kits. Soon after, the company went totally electronic, and the Vyllage became a PDF product. A second set was added the following year. Both original sets were in black and white, and I put dozens of buildings from these sets together. While the buildings were fun to build, the black and white effect didn’t do anything for me. Yes, I could have colored them, but that was just adding too much time and hassle to make it worth my while.
Now, in 2003, MicroTactix is releasing several new sets of color Vyllage on the Cheep buildings. And if Set #1 is any indication of what the rest of the sets will be like, you’ll want to grab them all.
The Tools
All you need to start building is a color printer, some cardstock, a straight-edge, scoring tool (I use an x-acto knife), scissors, and some white glue. The PDF is available on RPG.NOW at http://www.rpgnow.com/product_info.php?products_id=631.
Set One features the following models: the Main Gate, Orc and Cleaver Tavern, Town Square, the Swine Herder’s Place, and Wagons and Coaches.
Let’s take a look at all the models in detail:
The Main Gate
The Main Gate consists of the gate itself, two towers, walls, and two guard posts. The gate is easily constructed (it’s basically a “box”). A separate portcullis standup is included which you can put in the gate’s entryway if you want your Vyllage to have some added protection. The walls are also constructed as “boxes”, but include upper walls which can be used as battlements. These upper walls give your minis something to hide behind as they walk the parapets.
The two large towers construct as boxes but have peaked roofs with skirts. Roof assembly is easy, though you have to be careful when attaching the roof to the tower to make sure the roof is properly centered. The two smaller guard posts assemble the same way.
The Main Gate is mostly colored in a gray stonework pattern, and looks very sharp. The large towers are half-stone, half plaster/wattle & timber with tiled roofs. An assortment of extra doors and windows are also provided to allow you to further customize your towers. Obviously, the towers and walls can be used by themselves to surround your Vyllage with fortifications.
Orc and Cleaver Tavern
This building easily assembles as a box and has an entryway as well as a chimney. The tavern appears to be a run-down scum-hole run by (you guessed it) Orcs. The building’s color job suggests wood with a tiled roof, while the entryway sports saloon-style swinging doors. An extra door and signs are provided so you can customize the tavern.
Town Square
The Town Square consists of three models: a well, a fountain, and a monument.
The Well is fairly easy to construct. The only real trick is if you want the inside of the model to have any detail, you have to print a reverse-image of the main well box on regular paper and glue that to the back of the well box, creating a two-sided piece. I had to let this piece dry quite well before attaching the roof, but it came out very nice. This model is one of those cool accessories that few other building kits give you, and it just looks cool.
The Fountain is another easy build, consisting of two boxes joined to a double-sided flat piece. This piece is unusual, and it has become one of my favorite models despite it’s relative ease of construction.
The Monument consists of 3 boxes stacked on top of each other and crowned by a standup of a warrior. While this model may seem simple, its components give you some versatility. You can use the boxes as pediments for other models, like the well or the fountain, or vary the height of the monument with more boxes.
The Swine Herder’s Place
This small set of models all construct using the box-method. You get a run-down shack, chicken-coop, outhouse, and some pig standups. The shack and outhouse are versatile models. After all, the peasants have to live somewhere, and with enough of these models, you could create a refugee town or a slum quarter.
Wagons & Coaches
Finally Set #1 provides you with two wagons and two noble coaches, plus some teamster standups. The wagons and coaches assemble as boxes for the most part, and the horses are standups. The coaches are beautifully colored, especially the one in heraldic livery which is pulled by two horses. Again, these are not-often seen models, and they are a welcome addition to my collection.
Summary
These models are easy to build, reasonably priced, and look great. While the buildings have their own themes to them, they can easily be used in multiple roles. The Color Vyllage Set #1 will spice up your RPG session (“So THAT’S what the tavern looks like!”) and are a real boon to wargamers and skirmish-players looking for cheap, easily constructed terrain pieces for their battles.
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