The tiles are printed on a glossy cardstock that is about the same weight and texture as professional high quality photos (not the flimsy ones you get at the corner drug store). After a year of light use I have noticed a little bending of the corners that cover approximately 1 to 2 mm. The art is only on one side so none of it ever needs to sit directly on the table and endure that extra scuffing. The printing is generally very clear with small items such as weapons, foods, and playing cards easily visible in the appropriate locations.
Here is an overview of the first 6 sets (which I own) with a separate rating for each:
Village: Tavern, General Store, Gallows, Magic Shop, Marketplace, Shrine. - These tiles are all quite bright with a daylight setting. The Tavern (6 tiles) has been used the most, by far. It has even shown up in modern Call of Cthulhu game as a rural Scottish pub. 4/4
Graveyard: Cemetery Gate, Church, Crypt, Gravedigger’s Hut, Monument, Mausoleum, Plenty of Open and Closed Graves – This set has much darker, maybe a little too dark, print and represents the locations at night. Being a graveyard, this set has less general uses. 3/3
Countryside: Ambush, Campsite, Coaching Inn, Roadshrine, Ropebridge, Ruins, Tollbridge – This set returns the daylight level of color but some of the buildings and roads are still a little dark. The 2 tile tollbridge is nice but the 6 tile inn is redundant if you have the Village set. These tiles are more general and can be used in more ways. 3/4
Fortress: Drawbridge/Moat/Gatehouse, Throne Room/Banquet Hall, Kitchen, Master Bedroom, Treasure Vault, Barracks, Arrow Slit Corridor, Prison – This set has varying areas of light and dark but no torches or lanterns visible. The coloring of the water on the 2 moat tiles is quite ugly. This set also introduces a new feature: “corner arrows” that help line up the multi-tile rooms. I would have liked this set better if it had formed one continuous building but that is not the case. 3/3
Haunted Mansion: Entry Hall, Attic, Cellar, Portrait Hall, Hedge Maze, Nursery, Sacrificial Chamber, Sitting Room – This set have very dark printing (as you might imagine) with lamps and candles in various rooms. A lot of this set might be redundant if you have the Fortress set but the 4 tile Hedge Maze is fun. 3/3
Dungeon Chambers: Beast Lair, Spiked Pit, Bridge Over Bubbling Lava, Guard Barracks, Abandoned Storeroom, Ruined Temple, Interrogation Chamber – This pack is not quite as dark as the Haunted Mansion. Light shines in some doorways but the lamps are missing. This is another set that is of limited use. Except for the Interrogation Chamber, which has cages to function as a medieval jail, everything else here has a generic mono-colored feel. 3/2
While I generally like these tiles there are a few things about them that bother me:
First, the cardstock could be a little thicker, not a major issue but its there.
Next, I sometimes find it hard to put together the room I want especially in the early packs that do not have the “corner arrows”. Also, with the 4 and 6 tile locations, its hard to keep them together when players start trying to move their miniatures around.
Another issue is that the tiles, even in the individual packs, are not all designed to join together in a single design. You can probably do it with enough trial and error but they are best used as overlays on a battle mat or other tiles. If your battle mat has hexes then you even more work to do.
Finally, the price for these may be a little too high. The first two packs are listed for $9.95 and the rest are $12.95. I probably would have given this line a 4 for substance if I had gotten a little more for my money.
Overall, if you are likely to use miniatures, battle maps and terrain tiles then some of these map packs would be a good (but not required) addition to your collection.
