In just over three days, Wayland Games will start selling their first new models and rules with the Hunt for the Prometheus starter box, the next iteration of the Dystopian Wars rules since they bought Spartan Games' assets. A friend and I are splitting the box and I do not need the rulebook as I will be getting my own physical copy, with their registration program. In that program, you could post yourself with an Spartan Games Dystopian Wars rulebook in order to get the new one. I did that over a year ago and received notification that it would be coming after they affirmed my address.
That brings me to Firestorm Armada. They are in a beta right now and intend on doing the same thing. Post yourself, fill in the form, and join the new community for the next version of the game. You can even have the rulebook delivered to your local gaming store if you wish, probably to show off a bit and generate interest in the game. The link is here for details and I intend to do the same for this game.
Now if a new Planetfall and Uncharted Seas rulebook would come out...time will tell.
They are up to 0.03 at the moment and have changed several aspects of the game. I will not go into detail here as it is still an evolving ruleset that is being clarified as playtesters add their input. Why not give the free rules, templates, and ships a try. You can take a look at the new designs for the ships and races of this universe here on the Warcradle Firestorm Armada blog. It looks pretty cool.
Bumped into a friend at the LANtasy 2016 gaming convention and realized we hadn't played Firestorm Armada in a while. Glad we found a time to do so and make me wish more locals would play.
We had 635 points each with myself being Terran and him being Directorate. We also picked different lists. We both had two frigate squadrons and one cruiser squadron but in his case he got another cruiser squadron and two heavy cruisers while I got a battleship and three escorts.
No scenario was picked, just a planetoid with some asteroids. Through most of the first part of the game, he got initiative.
My ships lobbed missiles at long range for the first turn for minimal damage but he closed in fast.
Then he started picking on my cruiser squadron which was damaging but allowed my battleship and frigates to get in good positions for damaging more ships. There was a point where he had several cruisers and a heavy cruiser aft of my battleship and tried to capture it but with two escorts left and no damage to the battleship it was apparent he should have fired more to reduce my crew and PD size. Eventually once my cruisers were gone I concentrated on his heavy cruiser squadron and admiral's ship, then proceeding to reduce his cruiser forces.
We realized that frigates, in particular Terran ones, were deadly to the medium capitol ships at long range. His directorate frigate squadrons were good at taking out my frigates or conducting damaging attacks on my capitol ships.
A really good game and I squeaked out a major victory. Until next time Directorate!
Along with the newest edition of Firestorm Armada, they also made resin objectives and event cards to use when playing games, as an option. I can see using them in X-Wing, Star Wars Armada and other space based games.
These are much more uniform than the previous models that were made for Firestorm Armada before (civilian ships, point defence and comm satellites, and gun and torpedo satellites) although the older ones are still valid as units rather than objectives and are perfect for X-Wing and Star Wars Armada.
The above is a picture of a portion of my friend's Dindrezi fleet. The paint scheme is incredibly simple and incredibly effective. Prime flat black, drybrush dark grey, lightly drybrush a lighter grey and trim in red. It makes the fleet look evil and badass, exactly what the Dindrezi should. Above is, from front to back, a dreadnaught, newsculpt battleship, newsculpt frigate and cruiser
My friend and I also played the first and second scenarios in the Battle for Valhalla starter box to get used to the new rules. We have not played since the box came out. These two scenarios are short and each scenario introduces rules as they are played in sequence. Very smart way of doing things. We're looking forward to our next game.
From the Storm Zone: Battle of Valhalla set is the research station. I wanted to keep the paint scheme generic so that any race could use it.
Below is a size comparison to the new Terran Cruiser, from the same set.
If you are wondering why the station is not on pegs or posed on the legs, shown in the picture on the website and box, see below.
I have tried and tried without gluing, because that will limit transportability, to put these fracking legs on the station. I've given up and will drill two holes so that a large/massive base will be able to be used. This is my main complaint with the model, otherwise it looks cool.
Spartan GamesTerran Escorts for their space combat Firestorm Armada game is very good with point defense versus missiles and boarding parties. They can be attached to a large model in a squadron of one to three and each cost the same as a cheap frigate.
I painted them the same as my Terran starter in the Valhalla box set.
This is definitely more dramatic and functional. Exactly what is expected of a desperate Earth Force.
Primed black.
Drybrushed heavily with dollar store dark grey.
Lightly drybrushed with dollarstore lighter grey and parts painted with
P3 Cygnar Base Blue. Then the blue parts lightly drybrushed in P3 Cygnar
Blue Highlight.
The solar panels were painted with P3 Cygnar blue Highlight and drybrushed with P3 Arcane Blue. The missile doors were painted with P3 Cygnar Yellow. The guns were drybrushed with P3 Cold Steel.
I then used my detailing friend, Prismacolor Premier black fine line marker to take care of the detailing. Its much easier than painting those fine lines with my hands.
Here's the Terran fleet! One Battleship, three Cruisers, four frigates, four bombers and four fighters. There are more fighters and bombers than normal but that is because of the repair facility. I'm still wondering how to paint that one.
Close up of the cruisers.
The Battleship.
The fighters. I tried to make a star scape but it didn't turn out right, alas.
Well, the new edition came out last month but my copy from Spartan Games didn't arrive till recently, due to the courier company forgetting to leave a card that it had arrived. I was going to write a review but this one here from Mann's Model Moments covers it all and then some. His review and unboxing for the Battle of Valhalla 2-Player box here is also excellent and I would be hard pressed to improve on it.
The two player set is also a great cash value. Each patrol fleet costs 39 pounds sterling each and the rulebook costs 20 pounds sterling. The two player starter costs 80 pounds sterling and includes a Drindrezi and Terran patrol fleet plus a rulebook plus a repair dock model plus two extra large and small SRS wing tokens and a bunch of dice. Its at least a savings of 18 pounds sterling (~$32 Canadian). Buy a little more and they ship for free. An excellent way to start in the game and you can get two with a friend and you would each have two patrol fleets of a race, a rulebook and a repair dock.
I'll be posting my painting of the models from this box and my own attempts to spread the word about this great game in the year to come.
Spartan Games has a nice product for their Firestorm Armada line that has five civilian ships. These ships, made up of one refinery, two cargo haulers and two cruise liners, are great for scenarios. They come in one piece and paint easily.
For the cruise liners in order to accentuate the windows without steady hands I used my old trick, Prismacolor paint pens. Above is the before...
...and here is the after picture.Just lightly applying it gets great results with the simplest of ease.
The refinery.
One of the two cargo haulers. I tried to make logos on the containers and failed so I painted on top of them, alas.
The way the number of planes you have in a wing are marked in Spartan Games products are different for Firestorm Armada and Dystopian Wars.
In Firestorm Armada, wings can be Fighters, Interceptors, Assault Shuttles or Bombers. The wings are indicated with a chit or handmade plane (they have no resin markers yet so i'm using a Dystopian Wars Prussian one) plus a die to represent how many planes are in the wing.
In Dystopian Wars, wings can be Fighters, Scout, Dive Bombers, or Strike bombers. They are represented by a resin marker for each plane squad (of three) in the wing.
The advantage of the Firestorm Armada method is saving space. The advantage of the Dystopian Wars method is at a glance you see how many wings you have and you have to think about how to have them attack a target.
Regardless, for Firestorm Armada I will use my Dystopian Wars Wing markers.
My next models in the world of Firestorm Armada are the Point Defense and Communications Satellites. They come in a pack of three PD sats and 4 comm sats. These miniatures make for nice scenery, even if you don't use rules for them. The models came as they were so no assembly required.
Above is the Comm Sat.
I used P3 Bastion Grey thickly drybrushed on the model then drybrushed with P3 Cold Steel. The guns on the PD models were painted with GW Blood Red. The comm arrays and little detail on the PD satellites were painted with GW Dwarf Bronze. The domes on the comm sats were painted first with P3 Arcane Blue then lightly brushed with P3 Menoth White Highlight. The top tip of the PD sats were painted with P3 Cygnar Yellow.
Above is the PD sat.
My cat Squeak wanted to see what the fuss was about. Cats don't make good terrain.
The group of three PD sats.
Four comm sats.
After some petting, the giant cat space monster was appeased. The planet was saved!
Sorry i'm late with the post. Had to work overnight last night.
Sunday morning started well. I encountered a fellow who was demoing Firestorm Armada and brought my own ships to play. No need! In fact (I wish I took pictures before he left) they were Star Blazers models on interesting stands. For those of you unfamiliar to Star Blazers...
...cool huh! I grew up with this series in my teenage years and was drawn to the continuing rather than episodic storyline. Anyways I played a game with him and his son while I had a young fellow on my side. They controlled Terrans, represented by Earth Force, and we were Sorylians represented by the Gamilons. He's recently into the Firestorm Armada rules but I was impressed by how his young son liked the game. Always good when a gamer can get their children involved.
After that it was the Malifaux Sunday tournament...
My first game was against a fellow who had a Neverborn Dreamer force. His pastel paint scheme was nicely done and stood out on the table. His alternate sculpt Teddy was quite cute.
He used the nightmares and bad dreams to make his forces very mobile. I just couldn't get around the table fast enough. I could have put a sacrificial model towards him and the executioner close behind to charge him, alas. A learning lesson.
On my break between games, I saw this army for Warhammer Fantasy that was modded up to the nines. A Spartan themed Dark Elf army!
I don't know what he used but as reader of ancient history, this made my jaw drop. He had calvary and winged warriors as well.
Just awesome!
My other two Malifaux games were against another Dreamer player, whom I did much better against but he still won by the shared scheme "Treasure hunt". He popped a Teddy that I couldn't stop in turn 1 and he took off with the chest to his own side. It was the only model of his left at the end. That is one of the things I like about Malifaux, that you have to play to the scheme and objectives.
The last game was against the lady who played Ramos yesterday, with a slightly tweeked list. I had my Perdita and Santiago left and she had her master Ramos but again I lost by objectives. I'm getting better though. Even though I played six games and lost them all, I still had fun and learned lots. I also demoed the game to two of my gaming friends and they were quite interested in picking up some models.
Here was a nice terrain feature that is the size and type that I wish to build. It would be good for Malifaux and Warmachine in particular.
Another great looking model.
Fences made from cardstock and such.
Another nice building.
That was Gottacon 2013! I'll be back again next year, this time trying out some board games hopefully.
