Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you:
No adverts like this in the forums anymore.
Times and dates in your local timezone.
Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance.
Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely.
Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net.
If you are already a member then feel free to login now.
My local store is carrying Deadzone which is nice to see as they only carry a small handful of mini related stuff, mostly privateer and malifaux. (GW isn't carried at all)
I was considering giving the game a try but was curious what experiences people had with it. Are there any games that it plays similar to? How much do you need beyond the starter box? I'm assuming I'd want more terrain then just what's in the base set but how much extra?
The models seem ok, there's a few small goofy elements to it but IMO nothing worse then GW's silliness. I'd likely use one or both of the factions from the starter.
Anyways just looking for general experiences with it, I do like the look of the terrain as it gives me options for using it with my infinity stuff, but despite having an army for Infinity I haven't played it much as the rules are pretty expansive and I prefer simpler less complex stuff.
Paulson Games parts are now at:
www.RedDogMinis.com
It's great, and I unreservedly recommend it. To answer your questions:
What's in the box?: In the box you get the dice, rules, mat and cards for the 2 factions, as well as all the counters you'll need. You also get more figures than you'll ever need in a standard game, which is 70 points. The Enforcers get around 120 points of models, the Plague about 100, so there's no need to expand model-wise, although you may want to for even more variety. This is also a good way to sell the game to friends- they can get a whole faction with more models than you'll need for less than a box of Space Marines.
Terrain: The terrain in the box gives decent-ish coverage, but if you do make another purchase with the core box, I'd seriously consider another battlezone, simply for more variety and the fact that more terrain in generally better in DZ.
The Rules: I don't know what to compare them to, but of themselves, they are simple, intuitive, and very good fun. Due to Opposed Rolls, you're always involved, and the alternating activation means there's plenty of scope to react to your opponent.
The game is a blast. Fast playing, with turns alternating within the round - so if you have thirteen models, and a command total of six then you would activate six of your models, then your opponent will activate models equal to her command total, the you will activate six more, then your opponent will take her turn, and finally you would activate that last model and your opponent will follow suit, assuming that she also has models left.
One thing that adds a nice bit of uncertainty - you do not know what your opponent's victory conditions are, so she may be racking up victory points that will allow her to spring a victory on you.
And those victory conditions are weighted by faction - so it is usually a safe bet that Plague want to kill things and Rebs want to grab stuff then flee the table... but only 'usually'.
The terrain may look kind of samey - but they actually have a reason for that saminess - the buildings are all made out of shipping containers. Stuff is packed into shipping containers, sent to a new colony, the stuff is removed... and the shipping containers repurposed. (There are examples in the real world, so this does not bother me.)
Four factions are described in the base game -
Plague feels like the old rules for Genestealers, from back in the Rogue Trader days, with the least infected being able to use ranged weapons. (Generation 1 is like a Patriarch, 2nd Generation is like Genestealers, and Generation 3 is similar to Genestealer Hybrids.) There are even infected aliens and animals.
Marauders... are a lot more flexible than you might think - orks with brains. Whether you are playing them or fighting them, treating them like a waagh is a good way to die. There is errata for the GunTrack that was much needed - the marauders are quite possibly the strongest faction, and that gun needed to be nerfed a bit.
Rebs - the faction that I intend to play at some point - are a mixed bag of aliens and humans - the weakest of the factions. Not in a good situation to stand and fight, they tend to go in, accomplish an objective, then flee the table - most often to grab stuff, but sometimes assassination of a target is the goal.
Enforcers... the most solid of the factions - good armor, good weapons, good discipline. Their objectives are also flexible, it can be hard to guess what they are up to. But their numbers are small.
The Auld Grump
Kilkrazy wrote:When I was a young boy all my wargames were narratively based because I played with my toy soldiers and vehicles without the use of any rules.
The reason I bought rules and became a real wargamer was because I wanted a properly thought out structure to govern the action instead of just making things up as I went along.
Don't forget the Deadzone demo game video. - There should be a 'full game' video out eventually too.
The game most similar to Deadzone I find, isn't Necromunda, or even Infinity. - Though there are fairly close similarities, I've always found the best example is none other than a computer game. - The venerable and mighty X-Com!
A number of the games general mechanics are very similar. You move from a square to square (well, cube - it's a 3d game). A cube either gives you cover, or doesn't. Line of sight and positioning still matters and if your opponent gets a clear shot on you...
Compel wrote: Don't forget the Deadzone demo game video. - There should be a 'full game' video out eventually too.
The game most similar to Deadzone I find, isn't Necromunda, or even Infinity. - Though there are fairly close similarities, I've always found the best example is none other than a computer game. - The venerable and mighty X-Com!
A number of the games general mechanics are very similar. You move from a square to square (well, cube - it's a 3d game). A cube either gives you cover, or doesn't. Line of sight and positioning still matters and if your opponent gets a clear shot on you...
Well, very ouch.
It is quite honestly my favourite tabletop game.
Yeah - I have been watching the X-Com - Deadzone on the Mantic forums with a great deal of interest.
Hell, I still play the old X-Com - the new version is naught but a pale imitation, though I have high hopes for Xenonauts.
*EDIT* To be clear - I would not argue against your point in any way, Deadzone does have a lot of similarities.
The Auld Grump
This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2014/06/12 00:56:20
Kilkrazy wrote:When I was a young boy all my wargames were narratively based because I played with my toy soldiers and vehicles without the use of any rules.
The reason I bought rules and became a real wargamer was because I wanted a properly thought out structure to govern the action instead of just making things up as I went along.
Yeah, you really don't need more models for the factions in the starter box which is very nice. The thing you are going to want more of is the terrain, and that's not a horrible investment since you can use it elsewhere and it mixes and matches well with other terrain to make a cool dynamic board.
The game plays fairly quick, but the campaign mechanics gives it some legs for a gaming group to play regularly as well. With the upcoming stuff to be released in a few months (Zombies, 2 new factions, big Striders, etc.), that adds even more options for variety.
My only complaint from what I received was the restic, particularly the Marauders, is a bit bothersome. However, with the low model count required by DZ it's not as aggravating as if you had to do up a full army and hot water does fix most any issue you'll encounter. Just something to keep in mind.
Overall, I'd say it's a fun way to support your FLGS.
Are the Faction/mission cards available separately?
BlaxicanX wrote: A young business man named Tom Kirby, who was a pupil of mine until he turned greedy, helped the capitalists hunt down and destroy the wargamers. He betrayed and murdered Games Workshop.
Eldarain wrote: Are the Faction/mission cards available separately?
Some people sell them separately on ebay and other resale sites.
Mantic doesn't sell them separately.
My guess is because it would lose them sales on official models.
Folks would just buy a deck for $6-$8 and be done with it.
Thanks for the quick reply. I can see why they'd do that. I'm keen to try the game out as people often rave about the quality of the rules. I just don't have need for the models or terrain so I was hoping I could buy the rules and mat separately.
Maybe I can find someone who would want the models and terrain from the boxed set.
BlaxicanX wrote: A young business man named Tom Kirby, who was a pupil of mine until he turned greedy, helped the capitalists hunt down and destroy the wargamers. He betrayed and murdered Games Workshop.
If it helps, you can download the 2 beta strike forces' cards for free from www.quirkworthy.com.
Just google Asterians, Forge Fathers and Deadzone cards. They have mission cards; stat cards; and battle cards that are in alpha or beta stage.
You'll need the rulebook to make sense of the game and you'll have to read the site's description of the FF/Asterian special abilities as some of those are new.
It won't be perfect or perfectly balanced, but you can get a general sense of how to play the game and use your own models and terrain. Just a thought.
I ended up picking up one of the battlezone terrain boxes, which is a lot of stuff. The store was out of starter boxes and it's out of stock for a bit with their distributor so I managed to find a starter online which should be arriving next week. I also picked up a box for the Marauders so I'd have an extra option for testing the rules.
Looking forward to playing, although I think I'm going to need to do some conversion work on the models. Based on the pictures there's several I like but there's a bunch of models that would really benefit from having their poses changed, Thinking about mixing it with some of the Sedition Wars stuff I got, I really like the look of the strain models. But the rules set for SW is terrible.
This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2014/07/06 18:39:08
Paulson Games parts are now at:
www.RedDogMinis.com
Several people have used Sed Wars stuff for Deadzone, the Strain make neat Plague and the humans sub fairly nicely as Rebs humans (Or I've made some Corporation/Human house-rules a few threads down).
When reposing, remember that a minute in hot water will soften the models, making them far easier to cut, or just bend them into a new shape.
My DZ stuff came in today and I started piecing together some of the models and my Enforcer Captain seems to have a serious case of gimp leg where the one leg looks shrunken and considerably shorter then the leading leg. Is this normal? Does he suffer from polio?
The leg seems to be shorter and there is a section of detail on one side just above the knee that's not featured on the shorter leg. There's also funny white line/ridge just above the knee that looks almost looks like the leg was made in two separate pieces but appears to be solid. Made me wonder if somehow it was broken and repaired, but if so it's an amazingly strong bond between the pieces.
Taking some measurements the gimpy leg is a good 2-3mm shorter then the other leg.
Looking at pics that are available online they don't look quite like this. Now I'm wondering how the other models are going to be, ugh.
This message was edited 2 times. Last update was at 2014/07/07 22:53:52
Paulson Games parts are now at:
www.RedDogMinis.com
Um, yeah, my model looked nothing like that. Truth be told, he was perfectly fine. I did have a bit of trouble with my marauder captains leg though.
The first step for any Deadzone models though where you think something has gone completely wrong, is boil a kettle, leave it for a minute or so (although, I do it mostly boiled) pour it into a pot and sit the model into it for a while. Thinks should straighten out mostly. And if they don't it's a helluva lot easier to put them to right while they're warm.
To be honest, I'm not sure hot water will fix that. If it doesn't, send a pic to Mantic and ask for a replacement, they're usually pretty good with that I think.
Don't take that as an indicator of DZ quality though, that's just an unusually bad cast.
I spent most of the evening assembling the rest of the models from the starter box alongside an Orx starter. I hate cleaning up pvc as it's so much more difficult to scrape & shave smooth. Files are all but useless, same crap as sedition wars although I think overall it's a bit better then the SW stuff. My stage one has a nasty mold line across the right palm which I was able to trim down a bit but it'll take some greenstuff to fully hide it. Some of the models required some hot water to get into place which wasn't complicated but it did add to the build time. I'd highly prefer to work with anything other than pvc so I'm looking forwards to when they can offer hard plastics, even if they offered metal or resin it'd be a major improvement.
While my initial interest was in enforcers I'm really liking the Orx and I think it's quickly becoming my favorite based solely on the models, no idea how they play yet but I really like their look.
Overall for the price the game is a good deal, the building sprues are great and useful for so many other games.
The Enforcer Caption I was able to get standing a bit more evenly but the gimpy leg is still noticeably undersized, and once seen it cannot be unseen. I suspect that there was some uneven cooling during the molding process and the PVC somehow shrank more on that leg. I'll contact Mantic about seeing if I can get a replacement.
This message was edited 2 times. Last update was at 2014/07/08 22:06:39
Paulson Games parts are now at:
www.RedDogMinis.com
Honestly, the Orx are my favorite faction. I originally thought it would be the Enforcers based on looks and their love of shooting, but quickly found it a tossup between Plague and Orx, with Orx winning because the Plague seemed to be made up of invincible bullet sponges or cannon fodder and my opponents knew which to target.
The rebs are my favorite models, but damn they are really subpar, especially getting the crap end of the stick for missions.
Imagine the feeling when you position your tanks, engines idling, landing gear deployed for a low profile, with firing solutions along a key bottleneck. Then some fether lands a dreadnought behind them in a giant heat shielded coke can.
Paulson, good lord, I have 4 of that model, and none of them have that issue!! Ring Mantic for a replacement, and show them what it looks like. You got a bad cast.
Also, anyone who needs/wants faction decks, PM me: I have extra of everything ATM, and can slim down (3 enforcer decks, 3 plague, 2 Rebs, 1 marauders as extra). $7 plus shipping, per deck.
Reality is a nice place to visit, but I'd hate to live there.
Manchu wrote:I'm a Catholic. We eat our God.
Due to work, I can usually only ship any sales or trades out on Saturday morning. Please trade/purchase with this in mind.
Sounds like a replacement is on the way so Capt Gimpy will likely end up as conversion fodder or something.
Despite scalding my finger tips with all the hot water I enjoyed putting together all the models. The plague have grown on me, I wasn't too keen on the heads initially but I think they have a lot of character. The Orx are by far my favorite models now and I also put in a second order of stuff for a rebs starter and a couple support packs for each gang.
I managed to clean up all the mold lines so three gangs are ready for primer, but I move at a glacial pace when it comes to painting so it'll likely be a while before I have anything pic worthy. Looking at getting in a game at the local store later this week. Not quite sure I get all the rules based on my read through but I'm sure it'll click when I see the game in action.
Paulson Games parts are now at:
www.RedDogMinis.com
The game becomes very intuitive after a while, once you get a handle on all the modifiers it becomes more about tactics that looking up rules, so you're sure to have fun playing it.
I must have the worst luck ever when it comes to buying this stuff as my second order arrived and I'm missing parts again, grah. Picked up the plague monsters and my Teraton is missing his groin plate and the Rebs stuff is missing the head piece for the weapon team loader as well as being short several bases.
Mantic was certainly helpful with the previous email I sent about the captain and the goblin sniper, but I'm just curious if I am having particularly bad luck or if other people have been running into similar results?
With the whole sprueless thing I can see how it's easy for the smaller parts to disappear, so I'm not mad as I'm sure they'll fix it but I do worry about how often this occurs. I know that international postage isn't cheap. Even just a 3-4 oz package of a couple parts tends to run about $9 to mail, which if you have occurring on a regular basis really negates the majority of profits Mantic would make on the sales. (And I do want them to make money so they can keep making cool stuff)
I'm really looking forwards to when they have their hard plastics available as I think it'll help with the QC on parts, plus it'll help so much with the prep-work as the current pvc material sucks when it comes to cleaning mold lines and needing to heat and unbend so many parts. I'm really enjoying the miniature design and the models looks great when they are nice and tidy, but the extra work due to the pvc is frustrating.
I now have a starter for each of the factions so I have options to run all 4 gangs and loan the others to friends for games, for terrain there's a quadrant battlezone plus the stuff from the starter box. Plague I picked up the monsters for the Teraton and Rebs I got an extra troops and support booster as I really like the small monkey looking aliens. Looking forwards to when the next wave of expansions becomes available although I think I may end up broke with so much stuff coming out.
On the fence about if I want to pick up one of the ruined quadrants so that I can mix it with the regular one and have all the buildings with minor damage, but it seems like I already have a ton of terrain so while I like the idea I'm not sure if I actually need more (yet).
This message was edited 3 times. Last update was at 2014/07/18 14:22:13
Paulson Games parts are now at:
www.RedDogMinis.com
If you play 40k/Necromunda at all, then the Ruins terrain fits in with those games better than the Urban Buildings Battlezones, so there's no harm in having it for those as well.
There's also the potential for introducing some Destructable Terrain rules if you have a bunch of ruins, make the bigger weapons and attacks capable of attacking and damaging buildings and replace them with Ruins if they do enough damage. Not in the rules, but wouldn't be impossible to implement and would be very cool.
Legion: Dark Angels