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 AndrewGPaul wrote:
It's not forgetting to activate a unit I have problems with; it's remembering which units are grouped into each battlegroup.

I typically have a list from the building app printed out, and put a dash next to each group I've used. Beyond that, I typically make it plain to my opponent what goes with what, and ask them to speak up if I misfire on any pairing.

Yeah, I always write my list down too. It only takes a few minutes time and is greatly useful during a game.

I tend to use whatever objective tokens we aren't using during a game. If we end up using multiples at some point then um....

Also, 6mm dice are a godsend. Buy some, buy some now!

You probably want at least 2 colours, one set for building damage, one set for model damage. They even fit nicely on infantry bases.

Just got into this game and its more fun then I could have thought, although my current record is 4-0 against my buddy. And I thought Scourge against UCM would be harder for me to win! The rules are very straightforward and seeing it on the table its easily the best terrain I have seen in a game. Wish it had more exposure, it seems pretty dead on the internet.

It is far from dead. It is just that DZC is a small community compared to the big ones like 40k, FoW and Warmahordes.
It is growing and developing quite nicely though.

XvReaperXv wrote:
Just got into this game and its more fun then I could have thought, although my current record is 4-0 against my buddy. And I thought Scourge against UCM would be harder for me to win! The rules are very straightforward and seeing it on the table its easily the best terrain I have seen in a game. Wish it had more exposure, it seems pretty dead on the internet.

The facebook group has a lot of activity, as do the Hawk Forums. I think the game deserves more exposure than it gets, its pretty well thought out and fun.

Personally, Dropzone Commander is the second most well designed tabletop battle game I've ever played. - and I've played really quite a few. The only one that really surpasses it is X-wing and that's only because it has very easy rules for new players, whereas DZC by its sheer scale (which is kind of the point of it!) Is more complicated to pick up fresh.

I'm batting at about 50% odds for getting a close combat timing right in any given game. Still not entirely sure I've got disembarking and reembarking infantry distances right either, for example.

Anyhow, I apparently haven't shown off my armies yet in this thread.

I've got about 3000 points of UCM total, with this pic being my main 2500pt chunk of it minus my Ferris, command ship and some other bits and pieces.







I've got about 4000 points of Scourge, kinda accidentally really, Wayland were selling the resin starter set for £30 and I had most of my army done. In any case, here's another 2.5k pic.




Finally, my complete PHR army, probably bought because I have more money than sense. That and army of giant robots.




Still trying to decide the color scheme on them. Thinking maybe going for a bright scorpion green, contracting with black or red.

I know, I just love DZC's rule set.
Its just so well thought out, and its both simple yet complex.
The models are pretty nice as well. I think Scourge are my favorite so far, though PHR comes pretty close.

The rule book impressed me with the high quality of production, fluff and clarity. I haven't played the game yet, but I've already bought additional units for scourge and started kit bashing 1/144 scale kits for a counts as resistance force. However, the minis themselves are the real winner. Every single faction has its own style, looks great, and has far more hits than misses.

I have a friend who started playing Shaltari and I recommended him to use activation tokens, because he normally get confused on what he activated or not.

-Tokens for search turns of squads for intel.
-For the damage in buildings.
-For the damage in units.
-For units doing on the deck

Any tips for UCM vs Scourge? I play Scourge and have beaten my buddy 4-0. We are only using the 2 player starter on the starter scenario. I think he can beat me but so far he hasn't, but he wont listen to my advice lol. I get to the buildings first, and usually get lucky with the intel roll. 3 of the 4 games I was able to kill a drop ship carrying most or all of his infantry =). Maybe he will take advice from you guys, any tips for him? he seems to think the starter scenario is unwinnable for him.

Also, double check on the rules, can I really roll for intel and then abandon the building and haul ass into the transports? He says I can but it seems like its too powerful.

A few weeks late, but hey. Here's a Homeworld themed PHR army I threw together

XvReaperXv wrote:
Any tips for UCM vs Scourge? I play Scourge and have beaten my buddy 4-0. We are only using the 2 player starter on the starter scenario. I think he can beat me but so far he hasn't, but he wont listen to my advice lol. I get to the buildings first, and usually get lucky with the intel roll. 3 of the 4 games I was able to kill a drop ship carrying most or all of his infantry =). Maybe he will take advice from you guys, any tips for him? he seems to think the starter scenario is unwinnable for him.

Also, double check on the rules, can I really roll for intel and then abandon the building and haul ass into the transports? He says I can but it seems like its too powerful.

For what it's worth, the starter set / game uses the 'Objective' rules, not the 'Intel' rules - That completely changes the way you play the game. The starter game is more based on scenario 1, 'Targets of Opportunity' rather than scenario 2.

I think the UCM have 2 'good' plays in the starter game.

Either hug the skyscraper with the infantry APC carrier, dropping off one APC on the first turn to head off to the side building, keeping the other on board to either go for the middle, or try for the right. Alternatively, go straight up the middle, 18 inches, ready to drop all your infantry into the central building on turn 2.

The skyscraper in the UCM deployment zone is your friend. Hide your dropships beehind that is often helpful. Other than that, UCM fight best up to about 1/3rd of the way up the board, with good sight lines. UCM vehicles also fight best deploying in a 'Line astern' formation, due to various rules interactions (particularly line of sight and their special weapon rule).


On another note, here's my current PHR test model.



He's currently painted with dark angels green basecoat, then snot green.

What I'm probably going to go for though, is use Snot green as the basecoat, then Scorpion Green as the main layer (helpfully, Vallejo have a highlight colour for Scorpion).

Those PHR are fantastic Killionaire.

Would it matter much if you were to put ground units on bases? My biggest concern is probably handling painted models - but is there a chance for misunderstandings, or worse, cheating, if they were based?

 Beer_&_Bolters wrote:
Would it matter much if you were to put ground units on bases? My biggest concern is probably handling painted models - but is there a chance for misunderstandings, or worse, cheating, if they were based?

So long as you always measure from the models, I cannot imagine anyone giving you grief. Plus, the game's terrain TENDS to be uncluttered, so they will be sitting flush, on flat surfaces, much of the time.

All measurements are from the center of the miniature, so a base would not matter. Anyone that would cause a problem probably should be shunned.

Just played 2 more games, 1 with my new PHR starter army. Seemed to have more trouble with them because im used to my scourge speed. Cant wait to get more units to be able to compete with ucm firepower wise. Seems like those aa tanks are the reason they are so tough. Their aa can kill my tanks, but my aa on the scourge and PHR cant damage a10. Still pulled out a win with the PHR coming down to kill points!

This game is crazy fun, can't believe it doesn't have a bigger following. The rules are dead simple but the tactical decisions really make this game shine more than any other wargame I have ever played!

XvReaperXv wrote:
Just played 2 more games, 1 with my new PHR starter army. Seemed to have more trouble with them because im used to my scourge speed. Cant wait to get more units to be able to compete with ucm firepower wise. Seems like those aa tanks are the reason they are so tough. Their aa can kill my tanks, but my aa on the scourge and PHR cant damage a10. Still pulled out a win with the PHR coming down to kill points!

This game is crazy fun, can't believe it doesn't have a bigger following. The rules are dead simple but the tactical decisions really make this game shine more than any other wargame I have ever played!

1-Too many GW addicts that are still holding out hope and understandably want to use their models.
2-All that have left GW are spread to the wind for games, Infinity, Warmachine, DzC, etc.......

 Killionaire wrote:
A few weeks late, but hey. Here's a Homeworld themed PHR army I threw together

Oh man, I love them!! Nice color choices, and that big ship in the background makes for a cool display

Great touch with all the terrain elements on the infantry bases, too!

 FeindusMaximus wrote:

XvReaperXv wrote:
Just played 2 more games, 1 with my new PHR starter army. Seemed to have more trouble with them because im used to my scourge speed. Cant wait to get more units to be able to compete with ucm firepower wise. Seems like those aa tanks are the reason they are so tough. Their aa can kill my tanks, but my aa on the scourge and PHR cant damage a10. Still pulled out a win with the PHR coming down to kill points!

This game is crazy fun, can't believe it doesn't have a bigger following. The rules are dead simple but the tactical decisions really make this game shine more than any other wargame I have ever played!

1-Too many GW addicts that are still holding out hope and understandably want to use their models.
2-All that have left GW are spread to the wind for games, Infinity, Warmachine, DzC, etc.......

1. I am a GW addict, or was. I dunno if its because im older or I have kids now, but i just cant wrap my head around the 40k rulebook anymore. I mean, waaayyyyy to much to remember. I did play a game with a buddy and hated it, each unit having 8-9 special rules on top of the weapon and moving rules for each different type, just not for me anymore. Loved it growing up though! AOS is really fun for me, nice easy way of putting models on the table and rolling dice, I mean, thats what its all about in the first place right?

Also the same reason why i love DZC. rules were learned in 1 game and now its just tactics. Even after about 10 games so far in 2 weeks, we feel like we haven't even scratched the surface on what we can do tactically. And hell this is just with 500 point armies! Gonna be playing this game for a long time!

Newb question inbound. All of one game under my belt.

At the start of a battle groups turn, could i embark a unit of tanks already within range of a dropship, fly the dropship's half move, and disembark said tanks?
Following that, does my dropship count as landed at the end of that move, since its gone the full distance and finished the move with a disembark?

 Beer_&_Bolters wrote:
Newb question inbound. All of one game under my belt.

At the start of a battle groups turn, could i embark a unit of tanks already within range of a dropship, fly the dropship's half move, and disembark said tanks?
Following that, does my dropship count as landed at the end of that move, since its gone the full distance and finished the move with a disembark?

Yeup! You've performed 1 embark move, 1 disembark move with all the involved units. That totals 2, which means it's a legal move. It's a common thing to do later in the game when your Anti Air tanks need an emergency reposition to stop someone flying off the board next turn.

The whole 'landing' thing can tend to get confusing. The language they've written was done so to prevent shenanigans. In reality, basically, you can choose to be landed or not, it's up to you (Just make it clear to your opponent).

If you're doing an embark/disembark, then the 2" reduction in Move isn't needed - the half move includes that (in our games, it's assumed that such an action automatically includes the dropship landing, then taking off again, unless we specify it's remaining grounded. It would be equally valid, however, to assume that a dropship stays landed unless you specifically point out it's taking off again).

If I land my aircraft, I take them off the flight bases, to make it clear. I've also got a vague idea of how to make the actual flight mode (normal or hitting the deck) obvious too.

 Killionaire wrote:
A few weeks late, but hey. Here's a Homeworld themed PHR army I threw together

Spoiler:

[img]http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y246/Spirry/IMAG1498_zpskucdthkj.jpg[/img

]

Wow! Those are awesome. Really like the way the different colours work together. Especially the white stripes.
Where did you get that Homeworld ship, by the way?

Collector's of the Remastered Edition I presume, which makes me want to hate him and not at the same time, because I wanted one of those too but didn't have the money, and his army is so nice looking that I can't complain.

I love the idea of dropzone commander, and recently got a scourge starter set and some ucm models. The only disappointment is that the ucm conder dropships cant hold models!
A quick fluff query for my scourge- if the warriors have issues with constantly sweating and thirst, why do they wear heavy greatcoats? Cheers

You can make the condors hold the models. You just need to avoid gluing the turrets together and make sure that the holding 'arms' of it are angled inwards when you're gluing them together.



If it is particularly important to you, you can cut off the 'knob' on the top of the Hawk widget, put a magnet on it, then put another magnet on the underside of the middle tank on any of the 3 tank carriers.

Tailessine wrote:
I love the idea of dropzone commander, and recently got a scourge starter set and some ucm models. The only disappointment is that the ucm conder dropships cant hold models!
A quick fluff query for my scourge- if the warriors have issues with constantly sweating and thirst, why do they wear heavy greatcoats? Cheers

Because their coat absorbs the sweat so they can drink it?

Tailessine wrote:
I love the idea of dropzone commander, and recently got a scourge starter set and some ucm models. The only disappointment is that the ucm conder dropships cant hold models!
A quick fluff query for my scourge- if the warriors have issues with constantly sweating and thirst, why do they wear heavy greatcoats? Cheers

Pretty sure the long coats are justo o make them distinctive and the constant thirst is a reference to The Faculty.