Finally Got to Look at the D&D Terrain Case

I'm enjoying Christmas at the family farm, which is a long (almost exactly 12 hours) drive from where I live & work. That's too long of a drive for me so I tend to break it down into two 6 hour drive times. On my way up I managed to stop by an Ollies and pick up a copy of the D&D terrain case and the creature case. I had actually seen these for sale a a game store for $65, online for a bit under $20, and I paid $2.75....

I mention the prices not as a humble-brag, which would be applicable since I am a Midwesterner and it's common for us to say what price we paid for something as a casual part of conversation. I mention it know because I wanted to see how much value I felt there was in this product.

I'm going to only cover the Terrain Case because that's what I have in-hand and I'm not putting on pants, going outside, and digging through the truck to find the other case amongst the Christmas presents I have to unload later. Yes, I'm lazy....deal with it.

I'm probably going to be a bit petty about this "review" because if Hasbro (and that one game store) wanted me to pay $65, it better be a damned fine product.

The box has a hefty weight to it and my first issue was trying to actually open the thing. The outer wrap is glued pretty well and I had to flip it a few times to find a weakness I could rip off. While I had a knife I was loathe to use it because I didn't want to scratch the case.

Case is pretty enough, but I really don't care for the thick rope handle. It seems out of place aesthetically and the case isn't so heavy it has to have a handle. Now if I had a small issue opening the outer wrap I'm damned if I can get this actual case opened easily. Seriously? Do I need to look up a effing unboxing video to figure it out? 

Ok, now I feel stupid, but it actually opened easily, just not the way I was trying to open it. The sides of the case have a small V cutout at the top/front and between these cutouts and the stupid rope handle make sit seem obvious that the internal box slides out of an external box. No....the top of the case is magnetic and it flips open, revealing a forest path scene on the inside of the lid and a removable tray set on top of a larger tray/open-sided box. The inside box has two paper-wrapped tile sets and the smaller removable tray has a big red ribbon sticking out of it. Pulling up the ribbon lets you remove the folded map board and an actual folder containing five pages of static clings.

Ok the clings are pretty cool and the maps/tiles are both wet & dry erasable marker capable.  There are really only two map designs: generic grassland & generic stone. That's it.

Honestly I'm not impressed. Don't get me wrong, it's a pretty case, but $65.....no. Now if I paid $65 to Hasbro I'd get a digital DMG, but I don't want/need a digital DMG. Not knocking the game, but if I played it and was looking for terrain that means I'm the DM and I would already have the fricken DMG. Even if I didn't have a digital copy if that had value to me then I'd have already bought the thing. Adding something I don't want/need that costs the company nothing does not magically add $30 of value to a physical product.

Now I like the clings. I will use the clings, BUT.....I really wish they had provided a handful (five maybe) of empty cling backing sheets because once I remove a cling from the sheet, it's not going back on perfectly. Trying to fiddle with this in-game will prove to be an exercise in frustration. Now going ahead and peeling off all of the on-item cling and throwing it away gives me a lot more wiggle-room to replace items. Instead of spending money on producing a rope handle or and art insert I'll not use, give me something useful.

Speaking of useful, only two map designs? Really? Between the tiles and the foldable map that's four surfaces. If they had switched out the designs on the tiles then I could have used them with the foldable. A marsh map, rubble, rocky/hilly, cart path, creek, river, generic water......anything would have greatly increased the value of this terrain product.

IMNSHO the D&D Terrain Case is not worth the MSR of $65. It is too much style over substance and I think it isn't worth $20. Actually it is worth $20, but probably not to one person. I think any GM can get good use out of the clings and as far as the maps or tiles....pick one. I think I'd prefer the folding map, but I could totally see assembling the tiles and pre-drawing my map on it and then number & break it back up. As you play you only have to lay down the tiles as you need them. It really depends on your particular style. If I was running a con game I might like the tiles, already loaded with clings (obviously where appropriate) that lets me save time trying to draw things out during the limited convention game time.

Pro (ok personal experience) tip: If you're running multiple games (I'm specifically thinking multiple games at once as a head GM), but this will work for one game at a time as well, you can go to a fabric store and purchase clear vinyl "fabric" of various thickness/gauge material. It's normally 3-6' wide and sold by running foot. You can cut that up into smaller bits and draw your map out as individual rooms/halls, essentially creating your own clings! When you have multiple tables going at once you can easily lay one piece of vinyl over another and trace out a copy so all the table GMs have the same map layout all prepped in advanced.

Lastly....Merry Christmas everyone. I hope you all get to enjoy the holiday with friends and loved ones.

Scratching an Artistic Itch

 

Maybe three of you guys know that a lifetime ago I used to work in the addiction industry. During that time my boss tricked me into attending a week-long intensive outpatient group therapy "retreat". Don't get me wrong, it was awesome....I worked through some repressed shit and made some friends I'm still in touch with (Group 4 represent!), but I thought I was going to evaluate the place in advance of my company trying to provide some specific business services.....

....anyway, as part of my therapist's recommended future "self care" I was specifically told to take up some more artistic pursuits. This is the biggest reason I started doing maps and writing some game "stuff". While I have been blogging for close to twenty years I do not consider myself an artist or writer, so working on "artistic" pursuits is a stretch for me, which was kind of the therapists point. I'm supposed to push myself and try new shit....which can be a lot harder than you might expect. I can come up with ideas, but execution....that's difficult for me. I love to gather up materials, plan things out, and try to figure out how I'm going to execute, but actually pulling the trigger.....yeah, I procrastinate like a....well, I just do. I know this is a problem for me and a barrier to my own prescribed after-care.

A couple weeks ago when I came down with the Flu (Covid?) I knew I had to do something 'cause if not I'm going to have a problem just wallowing in my sickness and doing nothing but watch TV. I needed a project....and I found one. I decided I'd make some terrain, specifically some round stone & thatch dwellings. I was inspired by this YouTube video by Landvetter's Lair

While this was my inspiration, I wanted to make it my own and do some tweaks. My original idea was to work on the scale of the wattle and try a few different techniques. I actually started on doing four separate buildings. I liked the way the wattle came out, but to say it was labor intensive was an understatement. I think the wattle for each building took eight hours. In retrospect while I got the scale of the wattle how I liked, the buildings, intended to be two story, were still too tall. I don't like the enormous doorways I ended up with.

This whole endeavor took about a solid week and a half of work. At one point the walls of three of the buildings....well, I think they just sucked. I attempted to use thin foam-core and texture using a greenstuff cobblestone roller. While you could see the cobblestone, the moment you worked with it or God-forbid, try to paint it....the cobblestone pretty much disappeared. I ended up ripping the glued foam-core off and applying clay, which does hold the texturing, but had its own problems.

My workspace is a mess I still need to clean up, but I did at least finish....well kind of. My goal was to finish by today's post, but I still need to coat the four models with a protective spray. I'm not sure I'm going to keep these particular models.....I'll probably send them to a gaming buddy who I know will use them at his gaming table.

This whole process has been a PITA, but I did enjoy trying to figure out how to do  few things, and how to fix some mistakes. I already have a couple of ideas on how to improve upon the build process, getting all of the scale how I want it, and where to spend just a little bit of money (not much in the scheme of things though) to improve the outcome. 

I think the thatch roof I did was much easier than in the video and I'm looking forward to trying it in an easier (rectangular) application.

I'm glad to be "done" with this initial project. I hope this was sufficient to scratch my art itch, at least for a while. I have other things I want to work on.....

Aside from the huge amount of time expended here, the actual cost comes down to maybe $3-$4 a piece for these things....seriously. The most expensive supply, use-wise, was probably the Modpodge I used generally to seal various bits and bobs. One of the huts I used plain Modpodge to see how that worked on the "wattle", and some black-ink infused Modpodge was used as a sealer for the clay and the roofs. The foamcore was from the dollar store and the clay was $10 for a HUGE box I used a tiny portion of.

I'm not looking for encouragement or even kind words about this project (I'm not an idiot, I won't turn them down), but I thought it might be nice to share a gaming-related project that I've spent some serious time on. After I seal these models and document my build-process and lessons-learned I hope to be able to revisit this style of building and eventually make a small bronze-age style village.

Kickstarter - Dungeon Craft: Build your own battle maps!

"A book that has over 1,000 terrain pieces for you to use in Dungeons & Dragons."

Terrain for RPGs is all the rage these days. Whether it's Dwarvern Forge or 3d printed at home, it isn't always the price that is the issue - its storage space. Where do you store all of these pieces when not in use?

This brings us to the Dungeon Craft: Build your own battle maps! Kickstarter. Over 1k terrain pieces delivered in the size of an 8 1/2 x 11 spiral-bound notebook. What's that? You are not impressed? Well, open your eyes because this Kickstarter has already raised over $200k with just over 2 days left to fund.

Actually, that's $208k and over 3200 backers. Not bad for a first time Kickstarter creator.

Why the huge numbers? Because for 30 bucks (plus shipping - 40 bucks shipped) you get all of this potential terrain to use. What do you get for 30 bucks of Dwarvenite? Maybe an unwalled hallway?

But this isn't as simple as it seems. The terrain isn't cut out for you, nor is it punched. Instead, you need to cut it out yourself. Better get some quality scissors or an Exacto knife and a cutting board.

The pieces are double-sided, which maximizes usability but does mean there are potentially pieces that will not be usable together, as they are on opposite sides of the cutout terrain piece.

They use 12 point paper, but it still means the terrain will move easier, and therefore, unintentionally, more so than traditional terrain. Not for outdoor use, I would guess.

I want to see a usable, affordable Colorforms like terrain set. I've seen attempts in the past, but none have impressed me.

Kickstarter - Static Cling Table Top RPG Terrains and Interior Decals

"Reusable static cling decals to design RPG games and scenarios. There are terrain, foliage, dungeon tiles and interior items.   "

You might be scratching your head over this Kickstarter. I know I did for a bit. And then it came to me! Static Cling Table Top RPG Terrains and Interior Decals Kickstarter is Colorforms for RPG terrain. Which is kinda cool, and then so not cool at the same time.

I had the Peanuts Colorforms back on the day. Loved it. This version for RPGs? Not so much.

Hi, I'm Benito Garcia and we are hard at work designing reusable static cling decals  that can be used on your vinyl mats and map books to enhance your favorite roll playing game. Watch your maps pop with color. Each pack will have two 12”x12” sheets packed full of reusable decals.  We will start with, foliage, rocky terrains, interiors for taverns and homes as well as shops. Also there will be a dungeon pack with corridors, rooms,
hidden passages  and cool traps to make your game more fun and visually appealing for your players.  We will move into elements as well, things like fire, ice and waterways after the first sets are completed. The Rough Terrain pack will have 18 decals just on its own and we'll do all we can to pack the others full to make a more fun game for everyone. Your imagination will have no limit. No more dry erase marker doodles and scratches on maps. These high quality reusable decals are also washable so they never lose their stick. That means hundreds of game scenarios. You may come up new ideas you hadn't thought of after you open the packs and see whats inside.   

I'm looking for like minded supporters  to get this off the ground and moving forward so everyone can have a great experience when it comes to playing RPGs. 

1 set of sheets (2 sheets - 18 decals) is 30 bucks. Seems fairly steep and the sample pieces are just not appealing to my eye. Typos in the above don't instill confidence. Oh, this isn't the pith - its the whole description.

Did I mention the wonky math?

1 set is $30.

2 sets are $50

4 sets are $125

Dungeon terrain isn't available until the $125 pledge level.

Hard pass. Interesting idea but the execution is lacking.

Kickstarter - City of the Hobgoblin King: 3D Printable Fantasy RPG Terrain (Matt Finch)

I'm in a bit of a Kickstarter coverage backlog due to last week's TotalCon and this week's upcoming Gary Con. I'm trying to get in what I can before I fall into "Con Posting Limitations." I'm happy to get a post a day in while at a convention.

As usual, I blame Tom Tullis. Tom of Fat Dragon Games knows 3d printing and has released some amazing 3d printing files via Kickstarter. If I told you how close I am to buy a 3d printer because of Tom, you might not believe me. Well, Matt Finch and his City of the Hobgoblin King: 3D Printable Fantasy RPG Terrain Kickstarter may just put me over the edge. I think when I get back from Gary Con we're moving my son's boxes (of shit he left being when moving to Salt Lake City) to storage. I need room for a 3d printer.

Seriously, look at the samples pictured (yep, pictures speak volumes with this Kickstarter)

5 bucks

49 bucks

Damn you all! I do not need but I sure do want...

Neither The Tavern nor myself receive compensation for Kickstarter coverage or Kickstarter posts. Some Kickstarters are brought to the attention of The Tavern by their creators. Such communication does not guarantee coverage here at The Tavern. I do not back every Kickstarter I highlight as my wallet's contents are not limitless but I do find all highlighted Kickstarters interesting for one or more reasons - Erik Tenkar

Kickstarter - Tabletop Tokens: Premium Plastic Tokens for Tabletop RPGs

This is one of those Kickstarter projects where I say to myself - "how come no one thought of this before?" Its basically Colorforms for Tabletop RPGs.

Tabletop Tokens - Colorforms for adults!  (they can pay me later for that witty catchphrase ;)

None of the initial sets really strike me as something I need, but a Dungeon Trappings set would be awesome!

Its funded with 22 days to go.

Heck, I might still be tempted if the right sets get added as stretch goals...

Kickstarter - TerrainCrafter 28mm Silicone Floor Terrain Molds - Make 100

With 3d printing all the rage these days it isn't surprising that terrain, both dungeon styled and outdoors, are becoming popular.

What if you want to "create" your own terrain but can't afford the expenditure involved in buying and maintaining a 3d printer (or maybe its simply space issues).

Well, Terrain Crafters 28mm Silicone Floor Terrain Molds might be an alternative for some.

Buy the mold and pour your own terrain - about 40 resins pours per mold and hundreds of plaster pours per mold.

Square and hex tile molds available.

Tempting - but then I have all these unpainted minis I'd have to paint too ;P

Still, for those that use terrain the price point becomes truly inexpensive if you decide to make dozens of pieces. Heck, there's even a license that allows you to commercially sell the pieces you make.

Terrain Crafter is part of Illusionist, the same fine folks that bring you the Tenkar's Tavern Crate, Mythoard and other monthly goodies.

Kickstarter - 28mm Terrain for Tabletop Gaming (or Chocolate Covered Fig Newton)

Look at the above. Tell me what it looks like.

What? You don't see 28mm Terrain for Tabletop Gaming?

Really, do you need more?

Kickstarter - DRAGONLOCK 3: Dangerous Lairs (Terrain for your 3d Printer)

I love Fat Dragon's line of releases. Their printable paper terrain line is quite simply amazing. Now they've gone into making files for 3d printers and I am soooooo very tempted to buy a 3d printer for this reason alone. DRAGONLOCK 3: Dangerous Lairs looks damn good.

Yes, if I had a 3d printer I'd be all over this.

Maybe I should get a 3d printer...

Already funded and then some, busting through stretch goals like they are paper (terrain) heh!

If you have a 3d printer this is a no brainer. If you don't have one, maybe you should.

As an aside, Fat Dragon has a strong Kickstarter history of delivering on its promises.

DRAGONLOCK™ is an interlocking terrain system that allows you to create fully modular, multi-level 28mm scale village terrain for your RPG or wargame on your home 3D printer. Each set is delivered in a downloadable .stl format via our online distribution partner DriveThruRPG.com, and once you have the set, you can print as many pieces as you like and never run out or need to purchase more. These terrain sets represent the culmination of over twelve years of gaming terrain design experience. 

Fat Dragon Games is the only 3D printer terrain company that is part of the prestigious DriveThruRPG Community Content program, which includes Margaret Weis Productions, Monte Cook Games, and Wizards of the Coast’s DMs Guild. Our Dragonbite Community Creator program allows YOU to sell your own Dragonbite-compatible terrain designs on DriveThruRPG, RPGNow, and Wargame Vault! 

By supporting us through Kickstarter, you get bonus models that won't be available later, and access to free stretch rewards. We have been in the 'print-and-play' terrain business for over twelve years, and have successfully delivered eight previous Kickstarter projects, so you can pledge with confidence that we will deliver a high-quality product on time.

Fat Dragon Games - Papercraft 2017 Mega Deal - Over 80% Off Printed Terrain Bundle

Fat Dragon Games offers an impressive line of printable 3d terrain pieces. I picked up sets last year to print and fold for my 6 year old niece and she loves it.

The Papercraft 2017 Mega Deal gives you over $154 worth of printable terrain for less than 30 bucks. Shannon may be getting more options for her dungeon building.

There are 33 releases in this bundle.

All purchases made via The Tavern's affiliate links help to support The Tavern. Thank you in advance :)

Fat Dragon Games Printable Terrain - PWYW Selection Through This Weekend

Yes, I feel like I've been playing catch-up for this week. My holiday weekend in the Pocono Mountains of PA was an amazing recharge of my battery but I'm still not where I should be when it comes to posting.

That being said, Fat Dragon Games is offering SIX of their printable terrains at PWYW pricing through the weekend.

This is an amazing offer and your are limited only by the amount of paper or card-stock you feed into your printer.

E-Z DUNGEONS: Deluxe Edition - Normally $15, you can often find it on sale for $7.50 - PWYW

Ah heck, just catch all SIX at this page. Grab them all. You would be a fool not to.

5% of all sales made through The Tavern's affiliate links go to support The Tavern. Thank you so much for your support.

Bundle of Holding - Fat Dragon +2

I seriously don't know how i almost missed this. What am I talking about? Fat Dragon + 2 at Bundle of Holding.

Why am I upset?

Because Fat Dragon makes the sharpest print at home terrain of any publisher I've looked at. The fact that they are a supporter of The Tavern has nothing to do with it - their shit is simply awesome.

My suggestion? Get some white, slightly heavier printer paper and have at it. That's what I'll be doing for my 6 year old niece - more terrain than she can shake a stick out. She'll be in heaven, it won't break my bank and if she needs more pieces, I simply print them out.

$11.95 for the starter collection. Currently $22.46 for the bonus collection.

Time to print out some terrain!

Kickstarter - Miniature RPG Terrain Wood Furniture (There's a F@ckin' Tavern!)

My God! This is so damn sweet! The Miniature RPG Terrain Wood Furniture Kickstarter has a tavern option. More accurately, multiple tavern options.

Tenkar, The Warrior Tavernkeeper NEEDS this!

You can actually get in on this for as little as 15 bucks:

The Kickstarter has about 5 weeks to go and it is already funded. Andy "Cosmo-Joe" Watkins has offered to send me a sample to review and I jumped at the chance. In the meantime, I'm backing at $50 for the Complete Tavern. I mean, I literally have no choice in the matter. The Tavern must be THE TAVERN.

I'm already thinking of a use for this.

Kickstarter - Fantasy 1" Grid Dungeon Tiles for Tabletop RPGs (Flat Terrain)

Its strange. Up until this year I never really thought much about terrain or grids or battlemaps. Sure, I'd grab the latest Dwarvenite compose set, but that was more for me to play with than to use in play, if that makes any sense.

Two things chance my perspective on visual aids in game - playing in a regular, face to face, twice a month game has reminded me of the importance of visual aids AND my niece using Dwarvenite to build dungeons at the not quite age of six.

Here's my issue with terrain - its a pain in the ass to move for storage to gaming. Heck, its a PITA to store. Oh, and it isn't cheap.

Tiles, on the other hand, stack. They store easily. They are less expensive than 3 dimensional terrain and they serve the same purpose.

Which leads us to the Fantasy 1" Grid Dungeon Tiles for Tabletop RPGs Kickstarter. The only thing its missing is tokens for doors, stairs, bookshelves and the like. But since you can use wet or dry erase markers, that really isn't an issue.

The only issue I see is "how many sets do I order?" I set is 20 bucks for 30 tiles (1 set), 38 bucks for 2 sets, 54 bucks for 3 sets all the way to 104 bucks for 7 sets - yes, you get much more bang for your buck if you invest in more sets. And it is an investment, as the more you own the more use you will get from it.

Oh, and the tiles are double sided, with the obverse being a blank piece with no walls, just flooring.

Create awesome maps for your epic adventures with these beautiful 4x4" double-sided adventure tiles made of wet and dry erase compatible, high quality chip board. Each tile has walls to show a variety of hallways or room configurations on one side, and an open room with no walls on the reverse.

I'm tempted to drop in for 7 sets of Dungeon Grid Tiles. I certainly have enough unpainted minis to get use of it ;)

E-Z DUNGEONS - Print and Fold Terrain - 50% Off

Last night, Turkey Night, my so close to 6 years old niece was hanging out with me in my room. I was on my computer, because I had an idea.

"Uncle?" she said.

"Yes Pinky?" I answered. I've called her Pinky since she was a but a babe in the arms. Only Uncle can call her Pinky.

"You are on the computer too much!"

I laughed.

"Really? You think so, do you? So, tell me what you see on my computer." I was looking at E-Z DUNGEONS: Deluxe Edition. It was that "idea" that I had.

"Is that Dungeons & Dragons?" That's what she calls Dwarvenite from Dwarven Forge.

"Almost. Its very much like it, but you print it from your computer."

She looked at me, back to the computer screen and back at me again, Her eyes twinkled and her mouth was slightly agape.

"So Pinky, what does this mean?"

"It means I can have all of the Dungeons & Dragons I want! Just print more!"

From the mouth of babes.

Last night, Fat Dragon was not running a sale. I almost bought, but I figured I had some time and maybe a set would pop up on a Dead of the Day Special.

Today I saw the E-Z Dungeons line was 50% off. $14.99 for the Deluxe Edition became $7.49 - snagged and done.

Now to print out dungeons in time for Christmas ;)

Remember, all purchases using The Tavern's OBS affiliate links puts 5% of your purchase price into The Tavern's coffers. Don't leave that money on the table for the greedy corps! Tip your barman!  ;)

Deal of the Day - E-Z DUNGEONS: Caverns of Chaos (Print and Play Terrain)

Fat Dragon Games has it's Caverns of Chaos as the new Deal of the Day at RPGNow. E-Z Dungeons is probably the most affordable terrain that is useful and pleasing to the eye. Print and Play makes this an infinite series of caverns.

Caves of Chaos is usually $12.99, but for the next 24 hours or so it can be grabbed for $3.90.

From the blurb:

Caverns of Chaos provides you with a completely modular cavern construction system. Easy to build and featuring lush graphics, this set includes flowing lava falls, a modular bridge system that includes our exclusive no-slip construction system that allows you to put miniatures on inclines, a massive dragon skeleton, stalagmites, tiered terrain, and much more.

This PDF includes:

Modular cavern walls (1", 2" and 4" lengths)
Modular bridge and ledge system, expandable
Modular elevated floor models (6 styles/heights)
'L' wall intersection
T' wall intersection
'X' wall intersection
Cavern wall opening 2"
Cavern wall opening 4"
Flowing lava fall
Lava tiles (multiple styles)
Water tiles (multiple styles)
Crevice tiles (multiple sizes)
Massive dragon skeleton
Stalagmites (small)
Stalagmites (large)
Exclusive no-slip construction technique that allows miniatures to be placed on slopes

Remember, all purchases using The Tavern's OBS affiliate links puts 5% of your purchase price into The Tavern's coffers. Don't leave that money on the table for the greedy corps! Tip your barman!  ;)

edit - the title got shared out as Dead of the day - damn! heh

Kickstarter - Legendary Realms Terrain - Ice Caverns & Terrain Accessories

It's funny. I never made the connection between the Legendary Realms Terrain and the Legendary Realms Game Store until I actually walked in and saw the terrain for sale in the store. It was one of those eye opening moments ;)

What this means is that I actually got to look at this stuff in person and its fairly impressive.

Then I realized something else. I had backed and received some amazing pieces from a previous Legendary Realms Kickstarter a few years back. I had forgotten that the company was one and the same. Nice set of painted terrain pieces (there was no unpainted option, which is cool, because I suck at painting) and accessories. Sadly, I wasn't doing face to face gaming at the time, so it was boxed up fairly quickly. I did unbox them this morning to ogle it all and remind myself I will soon have an opportunity to use them.

But I digress. Yes, the Legendary Realms Terrain - Ice Caverns & Terrain Accessories  Kickstarter looks pretty cool. According to the KS page, if a piece needs to be painted (I'm assuming the basic ice pieces won't need it) it will be painted. I was pleased with the painting jobs from the previous KS.

So tempting.

Why is Ice, Ice Baby bouncing through my head?

Kickstarter - Table Top Blocks - 3D RPG Terrain

"Man, I wish I had some versatile building blocks to use with my gaming mats."

"Why not use lego, or even better, one of the cheaper knockoffs?"

"No! I can build uglier, more expensive blocks on my own using a 3d printer! Kickstarter, here I come with Table Top Blocks - 3D RPG Terrain!"

Really, is there all that much more that needs to be said?

Here's what you get for the basic $25 pledge:

Now, what could you get for about 25 bucks from Lego?

Well, for 30 bucks (shipping Prime from Amazon, so you get it in 2 days, not 4 overly ambitious months) you could get this:

Where's your bang for the buck going?