So I (henceforth, called the Zealot for my blind faith in pre-ordering Dropzone) at the suggestion of my friend Stephen (the Prophet - for telling our gaming group about Dropzone) played with the Starter Armies for practice...
We played a Scenario where there were 3 buildings (the downloadable buildings from Hawk were printed on 110lb cardstock) with objectives hidden inside.
In this scenario, the Occupying Infantry must roll a D6 to search for the objective in each building - the difficulty becoming easier with each successive turn of successful occupation.
Scourge:
Marauder Medium Dropship
Invader APC
3 Stands of Warriors (15)
Invader APC
3 Stands of Warriors (15)
Marauder Medium Dropship
3 Hunter MGT
Marauder Medium Dropship
3 Reaper AAGT
Points: 541
PHR:
Neptune Medium Dropship
Juno IFV A1
2 Stands of Immortals (10)
Juno IFV A1
2 Stands of Immortals (10)
Neptune Medium Dropship
2 Ares Walkers (Anti-Armour)
Neptune Medium Dropship
2 Phobos Walkers (Anti-Air)
Points: 559
After 6 Turns.... Zealot (1)(found center objective)... Prophet (0).
The key to victory was that the Immortals (with better Close Quarter Battle - CQB and A - Armor) were superior infantry to the Warriors. The Prophet and I think that Scourge Warrior Hordes should always upgrade to Aged Ones. Razorworms are better infantry but they cannot take or hold objectives.
The other important factor was that I won the initiative roll the first 3 turns and that allowed my Immortals to enter buildings and gain protection!
Some observations:
1 - PHR is the slowest faction in the Dropzone Commander universe. The Prophet destroyed the Juno IFV that carried the Immortals so they could not load onto the Neptune (carrying the objective off the board would have gotten me another 1 VP). Destroy PHR transports and their ground forces are going nowhere allowing you to destroy them piecemeal.
2 - With 2 DP (damage points) on all Walkers, they are resilient.
3 - Scourge can do extra damage from their Plasma weapons to infantry. Their weaponry appears to be like "shotguns" (short range, but devastating). I also believe that Scourge needs to demolish buildings as a battle tactic.
Transports:
"Two-Timer" Rule... they can do two "transport actions" per activation (so you can load (1) and unload (2) on the same activation). A Dropship can unload an APC (1) and then the APC can unload the infantry (2). A Dropship can unload one APC (1), move, and unload the other APC (2).
Sunday, August 12, 2012
Tuesday, August 7, 2012
Beardy/Power Gamers Need Not Apply!
Inevitably, people are going to want to play in a tournament setting!
In both WarmaHordes/Games Workshop products, a measuring tape is needed to measure ranges and charge distances. In the course of our tabletop wargaming careers, we've all encountered opponents who have judiciously measured 1.2" as being closer to 2" instead of 1."
In DropZone Commander, I am concerned with TWO play mechanics in this regard. (For the record, I prefer the Prime Directive of "Maximum Destruction" - if it's close, the person should always get the benefit where he will do the most damage. Whether you win or lose, if both sides get to destroy alot of models, both sides usually have fun.)
1) Measurements distances are measured from the center of a model. Determining the center of irregular shaped models with dynamic poses (e.g., turrets aimed differently than "square" to the body of a tank) can be an exercise in subjectivity, not objectivity.
2) The "brackets" (10% < "Hull Down" < 50%) for determining line of sight (LOS) and Armor (A) bonuses can also be daunting! I think you're gonna have to state what you think your vehicle's status is and agree with your opponent. "Half" is eyeball-able but 10%? I would argue that the calibration of one's eyes does not allow such a precise measurement with consistent accuracy. Astute readers will catch my allusion to one of the first things you learn in science class!
All in all, I'm hopeful that inches will not matter in a game with such futuristic weaponry (even with the Active Countermeasures mechanic). Also, beards will grow and haters are always gonna hate.
Each faction does have a Super Weapon that will pretty much vaporize any ONE model (UCM - Kodiak, ACV; Scourge - Desolator; PHR - Athena Air Superiority Fighter; Shaltari - Ocelot Warstrider). Nevertheless, even without force restrictions, I'm pretty confident that an army composition of Super Weapon units will handily lose. The more I think about it... the gameplay reminds me of Panzer General (PC).
For StarCraft fans, would you rather have 20-40 Zerglings or one Ultralisk? Oh yeah, remember Dropzone Commander emphasizes objectives, not just last man standing!
In both WarmaHordes/Games Workshop products, a measuring tape is needed to measure ranges and charge distances. In the course of our tabletop wargaming careers, we've all encountered opponents who have judiciously measured 1.2" as being closer to 2" instead of 1."
In DropZone Commander, I am concerned with TWO play mechanics in this regard. (For the record, I prefer the Prime Directive of "Maximum Destruction" - if it's close, the person should always get the benefit where he will do the most damage. Whether you win or lose, if both sides get to destroy alot of models, both sides usually have fun.)
1) Measurements distances are measured from the center of a model. Determining the center of irregular shaped models with dynamic poses (e.g., turrets aimed differently than "square" to the body of a tank) can be an exercise in subjectivity, not objectivity.
2) The "brackets" (10% < "Hull Down" < 50%) for determining line of sight (LOS) and Armor (A) bonuses can also be daunting! I think you're gonna have to state what you think your vehicle's status is and agree with your opponent. "Half" is eyeball-able but 10%? I would argue that the calibration of one's eyes does not allow such a precise measurement with consistent accuracy. Astute readers will catch my allusion to one of the first things you learn in science class!
All in all, I'm hopeful that inches will not matter in a game with such futuristic weaponry (even with the Active Countermeasures mechanic). Also, beards will grow and haters are always gonna hate.
Each faction does have a Super Weapon that will pretty much vaporize any ONE model (UCM - Kodiak, ACV; Scourge - Desolator; PHR - Athena Air Superiority Fighter; Shaltari - Ocelot Warstrider). Nevertheless, even without force restrictions, I'm pretty confident that an army composition of Super Weapon units will handily lose. The more I think about it... the gameplay reminds me of Panzer General (PC).
For StarCraft fans, would you rather have 20-40 Zerglings or one Ultralisk? Oh yeah, remember Dropzone Commander emphasizes objectives, not just last man standing!
Monday, August 6, 2012
Introduction: "Balance" of Power
Welcome to my blog about Dropzone Commander by Hawk Wargames!
Game Workshop's Epic Space Marine is what got me into tabletop wargaming and Victory Points through the capturing of objectives is, to me, what makes a wargame more fun than lining up and battling it out in the Thunderdome where "two [armies] enter, one [army] leaves. I'm starting this blog as a place to share tactics and experiences for what I believe will be the "next big thing" in tabletop wargaming. I'm guessing you found my blog because you've heard about Dropzone Commander.
In days of yore, "the sun never sets on the British Empire" was true because the Royal Navy controlled the seas and therefore had the naval mobility to choose when and where to extend the Empire's military might on the global scale. Fittingly, Dropzone Commander comes from the mind of Dave in the United Kingdom where space mobility, in the form of dropships, is the key to interplanetary conflict on the "universal" scale (see what I did there - LOL).
I went with "Flight in the Shade" as an appropriate pun from this Spartan quote...
"Although extraordinary valor was displayed by the entire corps of Spartans and Thespians, yet bravest of all was declared the Spartan Dienekes. It is said that on the eve of battle, he was told by a native of Trachis that the Persian archers were so numerous that, their arrows would block out the sun. Dienekes, however, undaunted by this prospect, remarked with a laugh, 'Good. Then we will fight in the shade.'" - Histories, 7.226
Instead of arrows, we have dropships and airpower. The Spartans held off their invaders with superior equipment/technology AND superior tactics - the tactics is what I believe Dropzone Commander has in spades!
Over the next few blogs, I'll try to explain how the game plays...
ARMY COMPOSITION/BALANCE:
I remember the days of "Herohammer" when you needed 25% of TROOPS and could have 50% in CHARACTERS... I beat someone in a local gaming store tournament because I avoided his Mounted Chaos Lord with Khorne Juggers and defeated his other unit - a lowly 5-man minimum unit of Beastmen. His response was that I was being "beardy" by avoiding his "auto-win/kill unit." I think I successfully stalled it with a neverending batch of skeletons warriors.
Fast forward to today, on the heroic scale, I play and absolutely adore Warmachine/Hordes. I play Khador and I must agree that almost everything in WarmaHordes is devastating so "overpowered" is a relative term; however, I'm a faction purist and I don't play Winter Guard Death Star or Kayazy Assassins because I believe that looking good while winning is important! As such, I don't think I can ever reach the pinnacle of the tournament scene. (Granted, my skills suck too but I'd like to see a world-class Khador player win without the above two mentioned units in their lists.) As a sidenote, Dropzone Commander models are THE MOST BEAUTIFUL models that I've ever seen!
Dropzone Commander has you organize your Army, consisting of a few Battlegroups (none of which can be greater than 33% of your Army) in alternating fashion (you move one Battlegroup, then your Opponent, then you, etc...) in a turn. Each Battlegroup consists of Squads of SIMILAR TYPE UNITS. Based on the size of the game... Skirmish, Conflict, Battle... there are limits to the number of Squads in each Battlegroup. This makes Army Building challenging because you need to satisfy a few "rules":
1 - If chosen, all Dropships must carry the full load of units.
2 - All infantry USUALLY has a dedicated Transport.
3 - Squad restrictions within a Battlegroup.
4 - Max number of Squads in a Battlegroup.
5 - Battlegroup restrictions within an Army.
6 - Max number of Battlegroups in an Army.
This maintains the military feel and structure of an Army.
UNIT TYPES:
TRANSPORTS: This includes Dropships and APCs. Hey, it's the future... why march when you can catch a ride? Why ride when you can fly? Mobility and military might, remember?
AIR: This represents fighters/bombers... during their activation (attack run), they fly on, attack, and off the board. Only susceptible to other fighters and units with AA capability. Right now, I wonder if they will be too powerful but with a 33% of them not being available when you want to use them, I think you will be punished if you rely on them too much (along with restrictions on how many you can have).
COMMAND: These vehicles allow you to play tactic "Cards" which can affect things on the battlefield. Your commander, if you choose to have one, is within one of them and they allow your commander the full range of his abilities.
SCOUT: While light vehicles, they can be fitted to take on anti-armor, AA, or anti-infantry roles. More importantly, they are like "arc nodes" for your commander (e.g., your commander can play "Cards" from them, keeping your COMMAND vehicle safe at a distance from the front lines.
STANDARD: Your Main Battle Tanks (MBT). Like Panzer General, you need them to take out air defenses and other MBTs.
SUPPORT: Your AA guns and Helicopter-equivalents. AA Guns provide "overwatch" fire to protect zones against raiding aircraft. Like real warfare, they rely on an inaccurate volume of shots to down aircraft.
HEAVY: Artillery and Heavy Battle Tanks.
TROOPS: Infantry. They will die in the open but hand-to-hand (usually in buildings, there is no "assaulting" of tanks with infantry like WH40K) fighting with other TROOPS and EXOTIC (Elite Infantry) and they can fire upon Aircraft (airborne units) like the Terran Marine in StarCraft. You will need infantry to capture and hold buildings.
EXOTIC: Elite Infantry (e.g., Special Forces)
Right now, with the Army Building Rules and the roles for the different type of units, I see COMBINED ARMS appears to be the most sound tactic. Time will tell if a Zerg Rush will be developed successfully.
Game Workshop's Epic Space Marine is what got me into tabletop wargaming and Victory Points through the capturing of objectives is, to me, what makes a wargame more fun than lining up and battling it out in the Thunderdome where "two [armies] enter, one [army] leaves. I'm starting this blog as a place to share tactics and experiences for what I believe will be the "next big thing" in tabletop wargaming. I'm guessing you found my blog because you've heard about Dropzone Commander.
In days of yore, "the sun never sets on the British Empire" was true because the Royal Navy controlled the seas and therefore had the naval mobility to choose when and where to extend the Empire's military might on the global scale. Fittingly, Dropzone Commander comes from the mind of Dave in the United Kingdom where space mobility, in the form of dropships, is the key to interplanetary conflict on the "universal" scale (see what I did there - LOL).
I went with "Flight in the Shade" as an appropriate pun from this Spartan quote...
"Although extraordinary valor was displayed by the entire corps of Spartans and Thespians, yet bravest of all was declared the Spartan Dienekes. It is said that on the eve of battle, he was told by a native of Trachis that the Persian archers were so numerous that, their arrows would block out the sun. Dienekes, however, undaunted by this prospect, remarked with a laugh, 'Good. Then we will fight in the shade.'" - Histories, 7.226
Instead of arrows, we have dropships and airpower. The Spartans held off their invaders with superior equipment/technology AND superior tactics - the tactics is what I believe Dropzone Commander has in spades!
Over the next few blogs, I'll try to explain how the game plays...
ARMY COMPOSITION/BALANCE:
I remember the days of "Herohammer" when you needed 25% of TROOPS and could have 50% in CHARACTERS... I beat someone in a local gaming store tournament because I avoided his Mounted Chaos Lord with Khorne Juggers and defeated his other unit - a lowly 5-man minimum unit of Beastmen. His response was that I was being "beardy" by avoiding his "auto-win/kill unit." I think I successfully stalled it with a neverending batch of skeletons warriors.
Fast forward to today, on the heroic scale, I play and absolutely adore Warmachine/Hordes. I play Khador and I must agree that almost everything in WarmaHordes is devastating so "overpowered" is a relative term; however, I'm a faction purist and I don't play Winter Guard Death Star or Kayazy Assassins because I believe that looking good while winning is important! As such, I don't think I can ever reach the pinnacle of the tournament scene. (Granted, my skills suck too but I'd like to see a world-class Khador player win without the above two mentioned units in their lists.) As a sidenote, Dropzone Commander models are THE MOST BEAUTIFUL models that I've ever seen!
Dropzone Commander has you organize your Army, consisting of a few Battlegroups (none of which can be greater than 33% of your Army) in alternating fashion (you move one Battlegroup, then your Opponent, then you, etc...) in a turn. Each Battlegroup consists of Squads of SIMILAR TYPE UNITS. Based on the size of the game... Skirmish, Conflict, Battle... there are limits to the number of Squads in each Battlegroup. This makes Army Building challenging because you need to satisfy a few "rules":
1 - If chosen, all Dropships must carry the full load of units.
2 - All infantry USUALLY has a dedicated Transport.
3 - Squad restrictions within a Battlegroup.
4 - Max number of Squads in a Battlegroup.
5 - Battlegroup restrictions within an Army.
6 - Max number of Battlegroups in an Army.
This maintains the military feel and structure of an Army.
UNIT TYPES:
TRANSPORTS: This includes Dropships and APCs. Hey, it's the future... why march when you can catch a ride? Why ride when you can fly? Mobility and military might, remember?
AIR: This represents fighters/bombers... during their activation (attack run), they fly on, attack, and off the board. Only susceptible to other fighters and units with AA capability. Right now, I wonder if they will be too powerful but with a 33% of them not being available when you want to use them, I think you will be punished if you rely on them too much (along with restrictions on how many you can have).
COMMAND: These vehicles allow you to play tactic "Cards" which can affect things on the battlefield. Your commander, if you choose to have one, is within one of them and they allow your commander the full range of his abilities.
SCOUT: While light vehicles, they can be fitted to take on anti-armor, AA, or anti-infantry roles. More importantly, they are like "arc nodes" for your commander (e.g., your commander can play "Cards" from them, keeping your COMMAND vehicle safe at a distance from the front lines.
STANDARD: Your Main Battle Tanks (MBT). Like Panzer General, you need them to take out air defenses and other MBTs.
SUPPORT: Your AA guns and Helicopter-equivalents. AA Guns provide "overwatch" fire to protect zones against raiding aircraft. Like real warfare, they rely on an inaccurate volume of shots to down aircraft.
HEAVY: Artillery and Heavy Battle Tanks.
TROOPS: Infantry. They will die in the open but hand-to-hand (usually in buildings, there is no "assaulting" of tanks with infantry like WH40K) fighting with other TROOPS and EXOTIC (Elite Infantry) and they can fire upon Aircraft (airborne units) like the Terran Marine in StarCraft. You will need infantry to capture and hold buildings.
EXOTIC: Elite Infantry (e.g., Special Forces)
Right now, with the Army Building Rules and the roles for the different type of units, I see COMBINED ARMS appears to be the most sound tactic. Time will tell if a Zerg Rush will be developed successfully.
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