Avrik_Shasla wrote:
I honestly just want to see more of the Aquan Prime right now.

Anyone got a release date for this yet?

roadkizzle wrote:
I love the Battletech world, and the mechs. I've read a handful of the books. But I've never enjoyed a game of it. I've always felt that mech games represent a few mechs in basically arena/very small scale combat, but they have always felt much more based around target priority and in Battletech weapon controlling with the heat mechanics.

I prefer my games with actual squad actions and a bit more strategy with a little less of the nitty and gritty. I think I may prefer some more of the very simplified Battletech rules, but then I'd prefer something where I could easily control four or more lances of mechs or two or three with a number of supporting tank/infantry formations.

I see Planetfall as more of large scale war scenarios with some heavy backup in the Leviathans or heavy tanks rather than a mech game with some supporting tanks and infantry backup.

Severoth, on 21 Aug 2014 - 01:31 AM, said:




•Win conditions (how many what they are).
•Scenarios in the rulebook?
•Ideal table size (I'd assume 6x4 from pictures).
•Size of armies in a general game.
•Time it takes to play a "general" match.
•Tactics/Strategies etc.





Sev

Hi Sev, Delboy/Spartan Derek here!



Thanks for the questions, which I'm happy to answer!

I've grouped my responses since a lot of what you are asking dove-tails into each other.



1+2 - Win Conditions and Scenarios.

There are 3 ways to play a Planetfall Game - Objectives, Narrative or Scenario Games

*Objective Games involve the placing of Primary and Secondary Objectives (each with an Attached Tactical Value -TV) and you win the game by moving your Zero-Hour Tracker down to 0 by taking and holding these objectives, along with killing the enemy of course!

*Narrative Games allow players to build a scenario by bidding points on conditions prior to the game such as Battlefield Conditions, Deployments, etc. This also uses Objectives if desired and the Zero-Hour Tracker is used too..

*Scenario Games are pre-set games generated using a simple D6 (i.e. there are 6 of them!). This is the simplest game designed for those who don't have much experience of combined strategic/tactical gameplay and allows those folks to get started straight away. The Win Conditions here are dictated by the scenario played.



3 The ideal gameplay space?

Well it all depends on your agreed MFV (Maximum Force Value) but a 6x4 will give you enough space to play up to 5000pts....I know that doesn't really mean anything to you right now as you don't know how much things cost...... but...... its enough space to play a game with 4-6 Helixes in it!



4+5 Size of Armies and How long for a game?

It really depends on what size of game you want to play. Competitive Play is designed to be at 4000pts, with 6x4 being used and games should last about 2-2.5 hours depending on the players! This means that Planetfall should be suitable for many folks who want to use it as a Tourney-Game.



6 Strategies

Yikes.....where do I start?

The game is designed to encourage players to think strategically (prior to the game starting) with the placement of Terrain, Objectives, Sky Drop/ Ordnance Markers, and Deployment.....along with Tactical Action Cards and their likely execution in-game.



But once the game kicks off its the tactics of the player and their ability to adapt that becomes important - in much the same way as most Spartan Games. Explosive Dice can be unforgiving, but its a poor player that cites their dice (....even if I do it all the time.....but that's different.....). Having a battle plan, a route to engagement, perform success plotting, reserve elements and in some cases having the wherewithal to deliver a Forlorn Hope into the teeth of the enemy all combine to achieving victory.

I know that I've not been very helpful with question 6....but there is simply too much to cover to paint with anything other than broad strokes


Hope that's answered a few things for you?

Cheers

d

Boblogik, on 28 Aug 2014 - 07:39 AM, said:



Nifty info. I have a question, are the helix choices fixed or are there different configurations within them? I wouldn't mind seeing a teaser entry like what was shown for the pathogen, just a screenshot of a helix entry itself (any helix) would be nice.

Here is an example of a Helix: The Directorate Recon Helix


Quote


The Directorate Recon Helix MUST contain:

1 Reprimand Light Recon Tank Squadron – The Squadron gains the Command Element (8”) MAR

Options: *In addition, the Recon Helix may add the following squadrons:

0-2 Clearance Infantry Cadres - A Clearance Infantry Cadre may be deployed via a Breacher Medium Transport for the appropriate additional points

0-1 Avenger Medium Ack-Ack Tank Squadron


The Directorate Recon Helix has only one Requisite - The Reprimand Light Recon Tank Squadron, but has options to take Light Infantry (which can be mounted in an APC), and an Ack Ack Squadron too.



When you buy the Directorate Recon Box, you will get all the options available. Of course you don't need to use them all, all the time, but its nice to have access to all of them if you want them.

During testing last night we had a 'Drone Heavy' Relthosan list (....with so many Light and Heavy Infantry Drones on the table, we could hardly move them!) against an Aquan 'Focused Anti-Armour' list.



The elite Aquans were brutally efficient, shooting round corners and sniping off the larger elements in the Relthosan force....and then the Drones began to capture the objectives, scoring solidly, pushing the Aquans back with sheer weight of numbers.



In the end both forces were in tatters, with an Aquan Heavy Helix (with 2x Heavy Tanks and 2x Tank Hunters) and the remnants of the Core Helix holding out against the Relthosan Assault Helix with loads of Heavy Drones in objectives..... a fantastic game that ended in an exact draw (in terms of Tactical Value). Both players achieved their Zero-Hour score by the End Phase, and even managed to score the exact same amount (due on part to a TAC played by the Aquan Player to win the Recon Phase)....leading to our first draw in over 200+ games!



Both players noted that the flexibility in the building mechanics meant that taking lists that were off the wall didn't feel off putting and both are now away to build more zany lists that push the system to maximum - I believe one is planning a Leviathan Stampede (2x Leviathan Helixes and an Assault Helix) whereas the Relthosan player is planning a Drone Nexus/Brood Mother Force (A strong Core Helix with lots of Light Infantry and 2x Field Support Helixes....including 2x Brood Mothers!)



Taking a leaf out of their book, I'm planning a game today with a list I'm calling 'Iron Rain'.....a Dindrenzi force with so many Drop Pods and Nexus Designators (the mechanic used to guide the Drop Pods to their target) that I feel kinda....dirty.....I'm even planning to drop in a Leviathan (...cos I have no shame!) :blink:



Of course I'm informed that my Sorylian foe is planning an Assault Force, with 2xAssault Helixes! ......which may be a tough prospect. :unsure: ....especially if they get close to my Hyperion Leviathan.



Cant Wait!


For me, this is one of the best things about the upcoming Planetfall - the diversity that is possible within the simple system of list building. The Core Helix has 3 Requisites (1x Heavy Tank Squadron, 1x Medium Tank Squadron, 1x Light Recon Tank Squadron), and all other Helixes have 1 Requisite (although this differs between the Helixes)......and after that, the restrictions are minimal, and are based upon the choices of helixes players decide upon.


Of course, that said, List Building in any game is important - but it shouldn't replace gameplay.

I would have looked at the Aquan/Relthosan game last night on paper and said the Aquans were gonna get hammered. but good gameplay and some acts of in-game heroics meant that it was the Relthosan player that was scrambling at the end (....the Aquans hit their Zero-Hour mid turn, and the Relthosan had to pull out all the stops to get over the line - performing a Storming CQB Action into a building with Heavy Infantry deployed via a Birthing Pod shot by the Brood Mother......). All this lead to a lot of people crowding round the table, watching the Relthosan player 'throw the long bomb'.......with some scattered cheering and more than a few shouts of "you jammy git!" chorusing out from the watchers.

Just to chip in here chaps, I saw the rapid prototypes for the Directorate Heavy tank and infantry, Relthoza small & medium armour units, infantry swarms, Sorylian Medium and Heavy walkers, heavy/light infantry and APC, plus some other (more hush-hush!) toys yesterday - and they're looking awesome!

At the moment I plan to just get EVERYTHING!!!

So far the games I've played have been BRUTAL. Don't get attached to your units, people, the Firestorm Universe is a harsh and unforgiving one where weapons tech is very, very nasty! Scrambled Terran, anyone?

Directorate Armoured APC

Just finished painting this one, so thought I would snap a quick picture. This is one of my favourite models for the Directorate, I just love its battle hardened exterior and those chunky wheels!

It is a great size model, sitting on a 70mm x 40mm scenic base and designed to hold several bases of the Shock Infantry I posted a picture of earlier. The logic being it had to look like it could actually carry its occupants.

Meet the Bruisers!

It is fair to say the Sorylians are the heavyweights in the game, their reptilian nature showing through. In Planetfall they have two types of troops to start with, Light and Heavy. Although Light is almost an odd thing to say, given that they are larger than humans.

But it is the Heavies that are the scariest to engage as they are designed (and armed) to take on vehicles.

Here are some sample poses.

str00dles1 wrote:
Wow they all look amazing. No release date yet though right?

 agnosto wrote:
Stuff looks great but I literally am unable to paint models that small. I might be interested in a 28mm game, if one ever arises, but tiny unpainted models are a non-starter for me.

Eumerin wrote:

 agnosto wrote:
Stuff looks great but I literally am unable to paint models that small. I might be interested in a 28mm game, if one ever arises, but tiny unpainted models are a non-starter for me.

Seriously?

In my experience, the itty-bitty stuff is *easier* to paint than larger models. If you don't pick out the fine details on 28mm stuff, that's all anyone sees. If you don't do that on 15mm figures, no one notices.

10penceman wrote:
I have and play on occasion dystopian wars but not played it since the new rules mostly because ever second word in the book is in bold so couldn't be bothered with it.

Problem I have with Spartan is all the games are the same play dystopian wars you have played firestorm or legions or even uncharted seas they have never modified the rules correctly to scale and have no concept that you have to change the rules when you scale a game up.

I really don't think this game is going to be any different all hit on the same everything will be subject to the 4 range bands and dice according to the band and the link fire makeing the tank in this case have no flavour on its own and try and put in Mars (special small bits) to pug the dull gap.

I so hope I am wrong but I won't be best thing to do is make your own game with it which is what I am considering depending on how good or bad the rules are where its simple fixes or throw the book away time will tell
Only thing that gives me hope is this is the longest play tested of the games I think so who knows