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www.spartangames.co.uk/products/firestorm-galaxy/planetfall

I just got my stuff for this game last week, and I'm really impressed so far. I like the looks of the miniatures, and the box set is one heck of a value. The rules for this game are, I think, the biggest departure yet from the Spartan Exploding D6 system...in this game, it has shifted from a model-based system to more of a unit-based system (you now fire at a whole tank squadron, instead of just one tank, for example).

Has anyone else gotten this game? I haven't gotten a chance to play yet, have any of you? What did you think?

Well actually, the original Firestorm Invasion: Planetfall and Dystopian Legions have a slightly larger departure from Exploding D6.

They both target units instead of models but use the colored D6 mechanic where only certain guns use the full Exploding D6 while others just don't get additional dice to roll and others don't even get two successes on a roll of 6.

I have a friend obsessed with the idea of doing a campaign across their game systems (space, army scale, unit scale if the 28mm game eventually comes out). For myself, I'm oggling the awesome models but not ready to commit to another game system yet. I too would love to hear from anyone who has played a game of it.

I picked it up a couple of weeks ago and me and my friends have been really enjoying it and have found it pretty straight forward to learn. There are a few bits in the rulebook that could do with an FAQ but Spartan have already answered some of them.

The Skydrop mechanic and the use of designators is fun and the use of the ZHT and how the objectives score also leads to interesting games for what you need to focus on.

I also think in larger games the way activation works with the helixes will lead to needing to make some interesting tacticle choices.

At the moment we have found 6s still tend to explode quite a lot though that might just be due to the models we have at the moment as I imagine against Relthoza you're not going to get many exploding 6s at all.

Anyone done a How to play video? OR some type of demo?

I got it, split it with my friend and we are going to try it Sunday. Just we both haven't read the rules and the book seems daunting

Not sure if they have but if you got the starter set there is a campaign book which starts off with some escalating missions so various rules get introduced at different points (the 1st mission is kind of pointless though as it's a 1 player mission that just invloves driving up to claim an objective).

Well we tried it out today. Painted everything all up, and did mission 2 and 3. Over all, its "Ok". I think our group will stick with Dropzone.Its not a bad game, just felt kind of bland to us. So we are gonna try and sell it

From what I've played, I'm interested in. The concept art or renders have really drawn me in. The rules still needed some refining, but these days it's seeming more par for the course for most companies.

I love it!

I have played heaps of battles.

My Terquai are finished as well!;

http://theimperialpatrol.blogspot.co.nz/2014/11/the-terquai-recon-forces-painted.html

Its growing big time in our club. In a few months we went from 2 firestorm players right up to 8. Great fun.

Models are amazing as well.

Took me a little while, but I finally got some impressions of the rules up on my blog:

http://www.manbattlestations.com/blog/2014/12/23/planetfall-rules-impressions/

I have been playing the heck out of this game. The models are absolutely amazing. I find the game is more fun at about 3-4k points. That equates at the lower end to a full core helix and one of the ally helixes.

But also a word of warning:

> There are parts of the rules simply missing. They get errated, but for a second edition that is a little bit emberassing.

> Army lists get upgraded faster than you can look 1.1 > 1.6 in approx a month is a lot.

In January they will release the DL-version of the rules. I would wait until then and check first whether they have substantially upgraded the DL-version of the book.

I'm tempted by the models, but the rule omissions or errors and a 10 page FAQ put me off especially after release. Hopefully more minor factions turn up, that's Spartan Games strength in terms of model design in my opinion.

I recently picked up a couple of planetfall core boxes (Sorylians and Relthoza) and the models are great. The casts are very clean with few if any air bubbles and the mold lines are very well placed to not obscure detail (after RRT this is highly appreciated). Personally, I feel that these models blow most of the dropzone commander stuff right out of the water.

I also picked up the rulebook and I have to say, while the book looks very good, I'm disappointed with the quality of the rules. I get the feeling that there's a really good ruleset in there, but it needs some serious work to get out (much like other Spartan games, you really feel like you're playing a Beta rather then a finished game). I'm hoping that they use the free nature of the PDF's to correct many of the glaring inconsistencies/rules issues. They really need a good playlets/editing community to help them out with their writing. They should also use the old test of "give the rules to 10 people that have never seen them before and let them play a game. What worked and what didn't?".

Firestorm Armada rules are close to perfect. So easy to read and use. Planetfall however simply wasnt clear enough with its rules.

The game is great when you get passed the rules though. Especially when all the models are painted up.

Actully it is not really possible to compare models DZC vs PF. The design premisse is completly different. DZC designs are hard-SF and thus their design is much more realistic and more on the practical side, even for the aliens. They are much closer to modern designs than PF. PF on the other side is more "Fantasy"-SF and thus much more eye-porn. They look fantastic, but on a real battlefield they would be considered failures (e.g. to many grenade-traps, essential parts too unprotected etc.).

But that´s really a matter of taste. What I personally don`t like is the fact that I don´t get a feeling for size with those designs. There is nothing my eye can get a hold on. With DW or DZC there are things in the designs that I can relate to and thus guess the size, with PF I rally have a hard time. That´s maybe because they changed size in mid-design. It was intended to be 28mm/15mm/10mm until they realised that three sizes is too much for a new game. Now it is called 10mm, but if you measure it is more like 13mm. I also don´t like that they reduced the metal parts cause they nearly always had problems with metal casts (very often alignement of the form-halves). Get a better caster, but don´t go to resin for those metal parts.


Also be aware that quite some boxes are mispacked, so better check right after buying the box.

The problem with PF is that this is actually the 4th version of the rules. The first was created back then when Dave disagreed with Spartan and took his ideas and founded Hawk Wargames. Then the game lay dormant for quite some years. After DZC was released Spartan felt the desire to have such a game too. They derived the rules for PF from Armored Clash and released them under Studio Sparta. The most recent rules are a rewrite of the Studio-rules. And sadly there were quite some testers involved. But in best Spartan-tradition they changed things the testers were happy with and ignroed glaring issues. Spartan is a nice company and has great designs, but they really need an editor and someone that can cast netal parts. (I do have a huge bag of replaced DW metal parts). But we are still lucky with PF, just have a look at how they messed up Dystopian legions.

Wow so realistic



Man they look so realistic im sure they could fly!

Haha in all seriousness I dont think either game looks remotely realistic. As much as I love realism both games fail on that part. Especially the aircraft.

But thats my opinion.

I think Spartan Games has the superior models, I havent played DZC but the models really put me off that game. They look very odd and very anime cartoony to me.

Their terrain looks amazing compared to planetfall though.

I am actually a huge fan of the Shaltari designs. Their dropships are advanced teleport gates with powerful anti-gravity lift-veins providing support and thrust. They have a number of advanced redundant power cores, teleport webs built into their superstructure, powerful shield generators, and all the while maintain a low profile. The cockpits look small, but only require enough space to fit in a 4' tall pilot in a prone or partially prone position. Shaltari infantry look big in comparison because they are individuals in advanced battle-suits.

Scourge meanwhile do look kind of tacky. I am not the biggest fan of the CD rack style, but the background behind it is that rather than being true fliers their dropships are powerful skimmers (in the literal sense). They have low flight envelopes and are incapable of re-attaining orbit without assistance. They utilize multiple limited micro-fusion cores and "coast" with anti-grav generators while using plasma-thrusters for propulsion. Much of this has to do with their "do or die trying" aggressive battlefield ethos.

You will also not see any cockpits for Scourge vehicles, nor are they needed per-se, because Scourge that have grown too old to take hosts (whispy parasitic aliens small enough to comfortably fit alongside a human spine) are wired into the vehicles permanently. The vehicles in essence become their bodies.

More to the topic:

My biggest issue with the Planetfall designs is that they tend to be chunky, extremely high profile, and have multiple locations where enemy munitions can easily find purchase. I agree with Duncan when he says that they look more like 13mm designs. The large Aquan tank in the starter set, for instance, is three stories tall true-scale. Where as a UCM tank is (on the other hand) between four and five feet in height with a single driver in a prone position.

That said! Not all is bad in Planetfall land in regards to my opinion. I have a soft spot for insectile races and really like how the Relthoza are developing.

I am not sure how Planetfall plays however. I tried downloading the rules to figure it out, but was a bit intimidated by the large FAQ required to put it all together. From what I can tell it seems like FSA with squadron mechanics and every model capable of engaging in CQB. It also felt odd that buildings, no matter the size, are all considered a single floor for the purposes of infantry.

I agree, I wish the vehicles where smaller too. The heavies are HUGE and they arent even the biggest! But it turns out thats what all the players in my area like about it? So maybe Spartan is on to something.

What we do with buildings is cut the bigger ones into sections. So each section can be occupied instead huge buildings held by one base.

The problem with planetfall is its a bit messy to get started. But once you have started the games are fast, tactical and smooth. It just takes a few games to break the ice due to its rules. Which is its major flaw and the reason for the FAqs etc.

I see it as a huge potential for a soon to be great game.

I am actually a huge fan of the Shaltari designs. Their dropships are advanced teleport gates with powerful anti-gravity lift-veins providing support and thrust. They have a number of advanced redundant power cores, teleport webs built into their superstructure, powerful shield generators, and all the while maintain a low profile. The cockpits look small, but only require enough space to fit in a 4' tall pilot in a prone or partially prone position. Shaltari infantry look big in comparison because they are individuals in advanced battle-suits.

Scourge meanwhile do look kind of tacky. I am not the biggest fan of the CD rack style, but the background behind it is that rather than being true fliers their dropships are powerful skimmers (in the literal sense). They have low flight envelopes and are incapable of re-attaining orbit without assistance. They utilize multiple limited micro-fusion cores and "coast" with anti-grav generators while using plasma-thrusters for propulsion. Much of this has to do with their "do or die trying" aggressive battlefield ethos.

You will also not see any cockpits for Scourge vehicles, nor are they needed per-se, because Scourge that have grown too old to take hosts (whispy parasitic aliens small enough to comfortably fit alongside a human spine) are wired into the vehicles permanently. The vehicles in essence become their bodies.

Amen. I never said they are real machines that we can build instantly, just that they are realistic from a technical point of view. As mentioned above the design makes a lot of sense from a military/technical point of view and they share many design ideas with modern day military designs. Even the Shaltari walkers are quite explainable in this context. The walkers are designed to the mentality of the Shaltari who are Warriors that scoff at camo and hiding. The legs are not just mechanically driven but also use a combination of tractor beams/Antigrav for maoving along. The legs alow the Shaltari to get over the many destroyed buildings easier than skimmers and wheeled vehicles. Since Shaltari are quite small they also have a need to compensate for it and this shows in theri designs too, especially with the big battle-suits and walkers. Even the padels are no frills, they are emmiters that allow them to fly and the markings on their vehicles are needed to scan the dimensions of the vehicle for transportation.

The Scourge designs are quite bug-like, cause they are half machine and half organical. The eyes are actually sensor arrays and the small crawlers usually hop on enemy tanks to insert plasma into the hatches.

My biggest issue with the Planetfall designs is that they tend to be chunky, extremely high profile, and have multiple locations where enemy munitions can easily find purchase. I agree with Duncan when he says that they look more like 13mm designs. The large Aquan tank in the starter set, for instance, is three stories tall true-scale. Where as a UCM tank is (on the other hand) between four and five feet in height with a single driver in a prone position.

Actually they were 15mm designs in their first incarnation as I found out. Spartan intended to start with 15mm first and later extend the game to 28 and 10mm. But that never materialised. Since scaling is easy with CAD they resized it. And I think that´s why I have a problem judging the real size of PF-vehicles. DW-vehicles were designed from the beginning with a fixed size in mind and with one look you can see how large it is because you have something familiar that gives you a size reference. With the resizing this went out of the window.

I am not sure how Planetfall plays however. I tried downloading the rules to figure it out, but was a bit intimidated by the large FAQ required to put it all together. From what I can tell it seems like FSA with squadron mechanics and every model capable of engaging in CQB. It also felt odd that buildings, no matter the size, are all considered a single floor for the purposes of infantry.

I would wait until they release the Living Rules somtime in January, hopefully by then most of the issues are sorted out (and hopefully no new ones are introduced...). Don´t like the building mechanics either. I prefer the DZC ones that allow me to stay in the center of the level or shoot out from one of the sides of the building. And though most buildings are gamewise considered one level, too (and all the infantry distributed inside the whole building), the a rules allow you to divide any building in sub-levels, which takes care of building with many levels.

 Duncan_Idaho wrote:
I would wait until they release the Living Rules somtime in January, hopefully by then most of the issues are sorted out (and hopefully no new ones are introduced...). Don´t like the building mechanics either. I prefer the DZC ones that allow me to stay in the center of the level or shoot out from one of the sides of the building. And though most buildings are gamewise considered one level, too (and all the infantry distributed inside the whole building), the a rules allow you to divide any building in sub-levels, which takes care of building with many levels.

Of course, from what I've seen, buildings are pretty much *all* that DZC has...

My glance at the game gave me the impression that DZC overemphasized city fights to a ridiculous degree.

Of course, from what I've seen, buildings are pretty much *all* that DZC has...

My glance at the game gave me the impression that DZC overemphasized city fights to a ridiculous degree.

DZC has rules for rural terrain and the game runs quite smoothly with it. Focal point or kill point missions are wonderful in that environment, as are many of the alternative scenarios provided in the books. I played a rural game of decapitation with my UCM vs. PHR recently. It was an absolute blast.

That stated. Part of the allure of DZC is futuristic urban combat. Most players stick with it not because they have to, but because city tables provide a dynamic backdrop, catch the eye, and prevent games from becoming static gunlines facing off too often. It encourages careful movement, selective targeting, and requires you to think a turn or two ahead. I also feel the need to note that even on Spartan's online community players seem to be jumping at the idea of urban games. Often utilizing the DZC city set alongside the Planetfall bunkers (which look pretty sweet side by side).

Not to detract too much from the topic of this thread. I want to defend my current favorite game system, but I do not want to start a skirmish of words between DZC and Planetfall. Both games look fun and bristle with potential. DZC is currently more well rounded, but Planetfall is trying to catch up. If Planetfall does well enough I might pick up a small force to go along with my Firestorm Armada fleet.

Aesthetically and thematically I am less inclined towards Planetfall's bombastic nature and loose sci-fi elements, but there are those that do like it.

Now to bring things back to the topic at hand (if possible) I do have a couple of questions about Planetfall. Does anyone know how well the Relthoza are doing and what their typical strategies in Planetfall consist of? The war log only shows one crushing defeat to Dindrenzi currently and I can find no battle reports involving them yet.

Can only speak from the Orbats and my experience with my Directorate but Relthoza look bloody hardy in Planetfall, the cloak rule nullifying exploding dice and practically the whole Relthoza army having cloak, also while Dindrenzi cornered the market on drop podding troop slaughter machines, Relthoza can make quite a good attempt at the same trick but for much cheaper, a core Relthoza helix can have far more sky drop markers for drop pod deployment owing to their heavy core tanks having sky nexus and there own designators, they put out a lot of short range fire-power with high AD pools and the kinetic MAR and to top it off they have a bizarre inverse damage curve.

That's right, the more damage you do to them, the more their damage rating goes UP.... this combined with a racial for self repair...

Also their natural ally helix has many a Terran player complaining by comparison, though that seems to be a running theme with Zenian League ally helix's the Works Raptor Helix is also pretty brutal.