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After having drunkenly purchased Deadzone after the office crimbo party (alcohol + eBay app = BAD) I've managed to play a couple of full plague vs enforcers missions this weekend.

Models
I haven't gone through everything yet but so far the models are nice for the most part and the enforcer sniper and stage 1 are beautiful.

There are some awkward mould lines here and there on some detailed areas that were frustrating to remove, e.g. where the sprue connected to the stage 3a faces and on the side of the stage 1.

I'm not a fan of the models for the stage 2s. I can't put my finger on exactly why but there is something that bugs me about them, maybe it's the tiny heads or that they just don't look as epic as the stage 1s.

Scenery
If I was to sum up my experience in one line it would be:
"**** you you stupid ******* corner connector"

I've broken 6 of them so far and they were a right pain until I started scoring the tile sockets to remove the mould line inside, now I'm not having nearly as many rage moments.

There's enough in the box to make a good paintball arena, but if you're looking to make a lot of actual buildings from it then you're going to be out of luck as there aren't enough tiles or connectors in the main box to do this.

Rules
A bit hit and miss for me. I do like that once you get used to them they are quite easy to remember but maybe they are too simple?

I like that close combat can result in the chequers like move if there are enemies in the next space and that being out in the open can be a death sentence.

The stage 2s are definitely the MVPs from every game I've played and in the first mission one killed a sniper, moved into a trooper killed him. Then moved into a srg and killed him too. They must be under costed surely?

I don't like:
That I can't try to kill someone with a Hmg, incinerator or Burst laser even if they are right in front of you because they can only blaze away. Yes you can do some damage from tripling but unless this is a very low armoured target you're going to struggle to do this. Wouldn't it have been better to let "rapid fire" weapons make 2 shoot and blaze attacks with a long action?

That if I suppress a model behind a barricade and then flank him with another unit for a clear shot he gets +1 to survive even if I'm in the next square? If it was an extra +1 when in cover that makes sense to me but a +1 always seems wrong.

Overall
It's a nice game, not amazing but it is quick and fun to play and does require some tactical thought.

I had hoped to use this system to get some fluff like Space Marines (without using inquisitor) into a skirmish game but at the moment I don't think the Deadzone rules offer the ability to do this. (Even with rules to match the models you'd only get maybe 3 a side and they would get blazed away into submission)

Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Joe.

My mate and I are hoping to get our first game in ASAP!

 JoeRugby wrote:
After having drunkenly purchased Deadzone after the office crimbo party (alcohol + eBay app = BAD) I've managed to play a couple of full plague vs enforcers missions this weekend.

Models
I haven't gone through everything yet but so far the models are nice for the most part and the enforcer sniper and stage 1 are beautiful.

There are some awkward mould lines here and there on some detailed areas that were frustrating to remove, e.g. where the sprue connected to the stage 3a faces and on the side of the stage 1.

I'm not a fan of the models for the stage 2s. I can't put my finger on exactly why but there is something that bugs me about them, maybe it's the tiny heads or that they just don't look as epic as the stage 1s.

Yeah, I imagine it's the heads, a lot of people aren't the biggest fans of those. I personally like them, as it's almost surreal having such a small, smooth head on a huge, hulking creature, but I can see why some would see that as jarring. I agree entirely about the S1 and the sniper.

Scenery
If I was to sum up my experience in one line it would be:
"**** you you stupid ******* corner connector"

I've broken 6 of them so far and they were a right pain until I started scoring the tile sockets to remove the mould line inside, now I'm not having nearly as many rage moments.

There's enough in the box to make a good paintball arena, but if you're looking to make a lot of actual buildings from it then you're going to be out of luck as there aren't enough tiles or connectors in the main box to do this.

I agree with this as well. Filing the holes is worth the effort for ease later on, and doesn't take too long, and while there's not that much scenery, it's easy to get more, and with the full release there will be a lot more variety.

Rules
A bit hit and miss for me. I do like that once you get used to them they are quite easy to remember but maybe they are too simple?

I like that close combat can result in the chequers like move if there are enemies in the next space and that being out in the open can be a death sentence.

The stage 2s are definitely the MVPs from every game I've played and in the first mission one killed a sniper, moved into a trooper killed him. Then moved into a srg and killed him too. They must be under costed surely?

I don't like:
That I can't try to kill someone with a Hmg, incinerator or Burst laser even if they are right in front of you because they can only blaze away. Yes you can do some damage from tripling but unless this is a very low armoured target you're going to struggle to do this. Wouldn't it have been better to let "rapid fire" weapons make 2 shoot and blaze attacks with a long action?

That if I suppress a model behind a barricade and then flank him with another unit for a clear shot he gets +1 to survive even if I'm in the next square? If it was an extra +1 when in cover that makes sense to me but a +1 always seems wrong.

The rules are actually one of the things I love most about DZ. They're simple enough to get into, very interactive, and with plenty of scope for awesome stuff to happen. They're also very clear and balanced at first glance. The cover mechanics are an abstraction, I'll grant you, but one I think works better than the kind of 'is that 24% or 25% in cover?' arguments.

Overall
It's a nice game, not amazing but it is quick and fun to play and does require some tactical thought.

I had hoped to use this system to get some fluff like Space Marines (without using inquisitor) into a skirmish game but at the moment I don't think the Deadzone rules offer the ability to do this. (Even with rules to match the models you'd only get maybe 3 a side and they would get blazed away into submission)

If you're looking for a good ruleset to represent true-to-fluff Space Marines, then I'd suggest In The Emperor's Name. It's a very nice skirmish ruleset, and because of the nature of retinue building, you have a blank canvas when creating unit stats, and an online stat builder that calculates the cost for you. As such, it's pretty easy to get to a point where 2 space marines against 15 guardsmen is about a fair fight, should you want to. You might find it to be what you're looking for. The stats, being homemade, take a while to balance, but once you've got a good setup, it's a very nice and adaptable game.

monders wrote:Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Joe.

My mate and I are hoping to get our first game in ASAP!

No problem, have you had a crack at the "starter scenario" on the manic site yet? If not have a go at that a couple of times before moving on to the full game it really does a great job of getting the basic rules down locked in your head.

Paradigm wrote:

 JoeRugby wrote:

Rules

I don't like:
That I can't try to kill someone with a Hmg, incinerator or Burst laser even if they are right in front of you because they can only blaze away. Yes you can do some damage from tripling but unless this is a very low armoured target you're going to struggle to do this. Wouldn't it have been better to let "rapid fire" weapons make 2 shoot and blaze attacks with a long action?

That if I suppress a model behind a barricade and then flank him with another unit for a clear shot he gets +1 to survive even if I'm in the next square? If it was an extra +1 when in cover that makes sense to me but a +1 always seems wrong.

The rules are actually one of the things I love most about DZ. They're simple enough to get into, very interactive, and with plenty of scope for awesome stuff to happen. They're also very clear and balanced at first glance. The cover mechanics are an abstraction, I'll grant you, but one I think works better than the kind of 'is that 24% or 25% in cover?' arguments.

Overall
It's a nice game, not amazing but it is quick and fun to play and does require some tactical thought.

I had hoped to use this system to get some fluff like Space Marines (without using inquisitor) into a skirmish game but at the moment I don't think the Deadzone rules offer the ability to do this. (Even with rules to match the models you'd only get maybe 3 a side and they would get blazed away into submission)

If you're looking for a good ruleset to represent true-to-fluff Space Marines, then I'd suggest In The Emperor's Name. It's a very nice skirmish ruleset, and because of the nature of retinue building, you have a blank canvas when creating unit stats, and an online stat builder that calculates the cost for you. As such, it's pretty easy to get to a point where 2 space marines against 15 guardsmen is about a fair fight, should you want to. You might find it to be what you're looking for. The stats, being homemade, take a while to balance, but once you've got a good setup, it's a very nice and adaptable game.

I'll give it a look. I've backed the mars attacks and AVP kickstarter so I'll see which one works best for me out of all these rule sets. Needless to say I'm a fan of the war hammer settings just not the 40k rules.

As far as the cover rule I'm total a fan of how it's been done(even though this once resulted in a stage 1 getting cover because his thumb was blocked by a wall), and I understand the logic that if someone's in a cover cube they would jump behind this once they come under attack.

The example I gave above was that the model I flanked wasn't in a cover square just behind a barricade so in game got +1 to survive my shot when he was cowering in position so shouldn't have had more of a chance to survive. (Yes this was the another stage 2 who did another chequer move and killed 2 of my enforcers so I may be bitter)

Ah, that's a bit clearer. I see what you mean, then about having a clear shot and still getting cover bonuses. I'd think of it like going to ground in 40k, lying down and hiding somehow increases your chances of survival.

Regarding barricades, if they're on the edge of a cube I tend to house-rule it that they only provide the cover bonus if you're being hit from that direction. It's not technically correct but it works well enough.

A good reason to flank the enemy is just about the only major thing missing in the rules.

 JoeRugby wrote:


No problem, have you had a crack at the "starter scenario" on the manic site yet? If not have a go at that a couple of times before moving on to the full game it really does a great job of getting the basic rules down locked in your head.

No, I haven't seen that! I'll get over there and get it downloaded.

Cheers!

 lord_blackfang wrote:
A good reason to flank the enemy is just about the only major thing missing in the rules.

Maybe if there was some sort of "If you get injured in a Fight, you retreat in a direction indicated by a scatter. If that direction is occupied by an enemy model, they make a single free Fight action against you" or something to that effect?

Had a game in and I have to say that frag weapons are the most annoying mechanic of the rules. A Plague player that gets 1st turn can lock you down the whole game by continually pinning everything with mortars and grenade launchers. You set up and then a massive frag from the mortar can nearly hit all your units. Bigger boards wouldn't be so bad but on the 2x2 that comes with the game, one shot hits 9 cubes. Frag needs some work because the affects hit such a large area and you only need a 4+ for potential damage.

18 cubes. It goes upwards as well!

Yeah, massive frag as it stands breaks the game. If you wanna have a good time, ban the Plague Mortar and Marauder Guntrack Mortar.

That's the conclusion that we came to as well. Other than that, a very enjoyable game.

So played a game last night with my fiance. Rebs vs Plague.

Game went very quickly. It might just be me, but the "Survive - 2VP" Mission for the Plague seems incredibly OP compared to the other missions. My wife had a "Kill [x] pts - 1VP" and a "Survive - 1VP" mission, but she only managed to kill one model (A HMG 3rd Gen) before the 5 turns had elapsed and I'd won.

Has anyone else had any issues with that mission being too easy to accomplish?