FA: Directorate and Aquans

Kill everything in sight.

After creating a bunch of lists over the last couple of days, I think I've finally found something that I'm comfortable with.  I'm definitely going to be playing Directorate and Aquans as my primary fleets, as I'm a huge fan of having one good faction and one evil faction with completely different playstyles.

1200
Directorate

Persecution DN = 325
Improved Shields
Upgraded Engines I
Decreased Turn Limit
Biohazard Ammo
Special Forces

Eliminator BB = 220
Improved Shields
Upgraded Engines I
Decreased Turn Limit
Biohazard Ammo
Special Forces

Eliminator BB = 220
Improved Shields
Upgraded Engines I
Decreased Turn Limit
Biohazard Ammo
Special Forces

3x Abraxas CA = 195
Biohazard Ammo
Special Forces

4x Enforcer FF = 120
Biohazard Ammo

4x Enforcer FF = 120
Biohazard Ammo

This list is pretty straight forward:  Put Biohazard Ammo on everything that I can while maintaining a good amount of Special Forces on all my ships.  Three big ships allow me to put out a lot of damage and the -1 Turn Limit is absolutely mandatory on any ship that has a Fore Fixed weapon.  The extra speed allows me to cover a greater arc of fire and gives me a little more range to launch assaults.  Due the bigger ships packing unimpressive long range damage, the faster I can get close to the enemy the better.  Since most of my ships already have Reinforced Fore, adding a little bit more Shields really improves their durability on the battlefield.  I'm a pretty big fan of the Abraxas Cruiser's impressive cost to effectiveness ratio.  They have good speed, biohazard turrets and comes charging with Special Forces and 12 AP.

1200
Aquan Prime

Manta BCV = 270
Improved Shields
Decreased Turn Limit
Energy Transfer I
Quick Launch
Corrosive Torpedoes
6x Bombers

Poseidon BB = 235
Improved Shields
Decreased Turn Limit
Increased Wing Capacity
Energy Transfer II
Precision Strike
Corrosive Torpedoes
6x Bombers

Poseidon BB = 235
Improved Shields
Decreased Turn Limit
Increased Wing Capacity
Energy Transfer II
Precision Strike
Corrosive Torpedoes
6x Bombers

4x Storm CA = 260
Difficult Target
Energy Transfer I

4x Piranha FF = 100
Energy Transfer I

4x Piranha FF = 100
Energy Transfer I

This list is pretty similar to what I was rocking back in 1.5.  The Manta BCV and 2x Poseidons all reeling with 6x Bombers is something that looks really scary on paper.  Corrosive Torpedoes on everything so I can play a medium ranged game and deal damage from afar while extra Shields help for when I get close.  Once I weaken my enemy and open up a corridor of opportunity, I will charge in and let things rip with Energy Transfer.  With Beam Weapons all over the place, enemy units should be very wary when fighting the Aquan Fleet.  One of the biggest weaknesses to Aquans in general is their vulnerability to assaults.  Thankfully, most of their ships have relatively high PD and can now link their mine for deadlier payloads.

FA: Fleet manuals released!

Not sure if human or alien.

Spartan Games released their updated Fleet Manuals for 2.0 today and I'm loving every second of it.  As part of the release package, Alex and Chris from the SG forums have also created some user-made fleet material for us to use.  Thanks to them, we can pretty much see what all of the MARs and special rules do.

After seeing the fleets, I'm pretty determined to work on my Aquans and build up a Directorate force.  Although I'm not a huge fan of how the new Aquan ships look, I can at least use my old Poseidon BBs and them on the table with fresh, new upgrades.  As for the Directorate, I'm completely in love with the new ship models so picking some up will be no problem.

Let's just say it didn't take me long to whip out some lists with the new rules.

1200
Directorate

Persecution DN = 325
Improved Shields
Upgraded Engines I
Decreased Turn Limit
Biohazard Ammo
Special Forces

Eliminator BB = 220
Improved Shields
Upgraded Engines I
Decreased Turn Limit
Biohazard Ammo
Special Forces

Eliminator BB = 220
Improved Shields
Upgraded Engines I
Decreased Turn Limit
Biohazard Ammo
Special Forces

3x Abraxas CA = 195
Biohazard Ammo
Special Forces

4x Enforcer FF = 120
Biohazard Ammo

4x Enforcer FF = 120
Biohazard Ammo

1200
Aquan Prime

Manta BCV = 270
Improved Shields
Decreased Turn Limit
Energy Transfer I
Quick Launch
Corrosive Torpedoes
6x Bombers

Poseidon BB = 235
Improved Shields
Decreased Turn Limit
Increased Wing Capacity
Energy Transfer II
Precision Strike
Corrosive Torpedoes
6x Bombers

Poseidon BB = 235
Improved Shields
Decreased Turn Limit
Increased Wing Capacity
Energy Transfer II
Precision Strike
Corrosive Torpedoes
6x Bombers

4x Storm CA = 260
Difficult Target
Energy Transfer I

4x Piranha FF = 100
Energy Transfer I

4x Piranha FF = 100
Energy Transfer I

FA 2.0 Fleet Construction

That looks like a blast to play!

With Firestorm Armada 2.0 coming up in the next couple of days, we're starting to find out a little how fleets are going to be constructed.  On the individual ship level, the larger ships in the form of Cruisers onward will have options to customize how you want them to play.  There will be hard points and upgrade options on these ships that you can take for a few extra points.

The example here is from Alexmann on the SG forums.

Furthermore, you're allowed to use any Cruiser model that they currently have in the game.  It doesn't matter if you're using a MKI CA, MKII from the last batch of releases or MKIII from the new patrol set, you can basically build your own cruiser with the points allowed.  This is Spartan Games' way to allow you to build your fleet how you see fit; using the models that you enjoy rather than buying the new stuff every time.  While some question whether this will be good for business, I think they're missing the fact that SG puts out some ridiculous looking sculpts.  I know for a fact that I'll be picking up some new Patrol Fleets even though I have the older ships.

Personally, I really like how this system is done.  I've always wanted to customize my ships and one of the biggest turnoffs with version 1.0 and 1.5 of the game was that I couldn't.  As a big supporter of BFG, the lack of special rules and customization really bothered me.  With this new system, admirals can pretend that the older ships have been retrofitted to new specifications, giving his older models purpose and functionality on the battlefield.  Not only does this focus more on gameplay, but allows the player to try out some of the new features without having to commit to new models.  Frankly, it just makes sense, especially when you consider the fact that most of the models you're playing with is a mere spec on the flight stand anyway.

While I haven't received my copy of the rulebook yet, I did have a chance to get a few blurbs from some of the beta testers on the forum.  One of the best things I've heard today was that MARs and other special rules will be true to the fantasy.  Expect to see Bio-hazard Ammo to be on Directorate vessels and Energy Transfer to be pretty much an Aquan thing.  Star Cards are also gone, replaced by the Tactical Cards that can be found in the patrol boxes.

According to reddwarf on SG:
"Star Cards are gone, replaced by Tac cards.   There is a limited selection of Tac cards available (by limited I mean fewer but generally stronger, as well as some that are faction/alliance/league specific as well as general usage cards) but you get to choose the ones you want at the start of the game and play them on the turn you wish, *if* your Admiral is on the board.  So I guess they represent "Admiral Upgrades" in a way, as well as "action" orders.  Tac Cards are a standard rule, so unless the tournament decides differently I would think they would be included.  Technically the rule is worded "You may choose up to X TAC cards" (X varies a little), so I suppose X can be zero if you choose/don't like cards.  But each player makes that decision on their own by default (certainly you could both agree to skip taking them)."

Once again, really exciting.  Anything that gives the game more flexibility while allow for deeper gameplay is good for the longevity of the game.  After all, you just can't have players lining up their ships and rolling assloads of dice without any thought.  Just a couple of days left until I get the book in my hands, but I'm sure players all over the place are brainstorming like crazy what their list will be.  Until I know for sure what will be a good point range to play competitively, I'll still aim for 1000 points as my comfortable flying zone.  Now all Spartan Games needs to do is release their PDF ship stats so I can see what I want to field!

Revisiting Firestorm Armada

Check out this badass battleship!

In December, Spartan Games is going to release Firestorm Armada 2.0.

This is what has been advertised:

• Distinct play styles across the core races
• Greater tactical diversity, including new ‘Tactical Ability Cards’
• Targeted Strikes to take out key systems on an enemy ship
• Faster and deadlier rules for Carriers and their Short Range Spacecraft
• New Fleet Building systems, presenting you with more options and tactics
• Rules for dynamic moving Terrain
• Smoother Boarding Assaults
• Brand new Weapon Types to crush your enemies!

“It was very important to us to ensure that as we moved to version 2.0 of the rules we catered for the needs of our existing players. It was key to remain loyal to their gaming needs and the investment they had made in our models,” explains Chris Worth, lead designer of FA 2.0. “Gamers needed to feel like they were playing the same game, but at the same time we had to introduce all of the new concepts they wanted.”

Aquan Prime Patrol Box

Sorylian Collective Patrol Box

The Directorate Patrol Box

Well, what can I say:  The new ships look amazing and the proposed rules fixes are spot on.  This time around, I'm more excited about the Sorylian and Directorate ships than the Aquans.  I know a few guys in the club are looking at expanding their ships as well.  Hopefully the new rules fix everything that was lacking in the first ruleset.

You can read more about how I feel about the matter here.

Two games I'm looking at

Now that Diablo III is out the door (I hope you fellas are playing it!) and I'm back from Europe (it was amazing), let's get back into some minis!

To lead some stuff off, there's 2 games that's looking to be pretty promising.  Some of my friends are already looking into one of them and from what I hear, it sounds pretty damn good.  That game is Dust Warfare:

This game takes place in an alternate reality WWIII setting and it's pretty much Red Alert on the table-top.  There are 3 factions in the game; the Axis, Allies and SSU (Sino-Soviet Union).  It's pretty much one of my favorite settings in a game ever, but I haven't got my head around the rules yet.  From what I hear, it's really back and forth with players taking alternate/interactive turns like Infinity and Firestorm Armada.  I ordered the rulebook and its on its way!  I'll let you guys know one I read that thing in and out.

Time for some Firestorm

Aquan Prime BB.

I'll be playing Firestorm next week hopefully.  Pretty damn excited.  My fishmans (Aquan Prime) haven't seen the light of day in forever.  Maybe they were hibernating?  Or maybe they're just waiting for SG to get out more ships and MARs!  Did you guys see some of the new Dreadnoughts and Destroyers Spartan put out for Firestorm?  They look quite bad ass.  I'm a huge sucker for space combat and I'm about to indulge myself in some casual, exploding dice fire frenzy.  I'll try my best not to rage quit and throw my models across the table if they blow up.

Here's what I plan on bringing at 1k points:

Poseidon BB (3x AP) = 215

Poseidon BB (3x AP) = 215

Manta BC (9x AP) = 275

4x Storm CL = 240

2x Pirahna FF = 40

+3x Interceptor Wings = 15

Also thinking about possibly dropping the Manta's AP for max Pirahna squads.. but realistically, they're probably just going to have to swim somewhere and hopefully not die.  Might also drop a CL for max FF, what do you guys think?

FA Fleet Analysis

This post will highlight and analyze the pros and cons of each faction of Firestorm Armada.  There's currently 6 factions for FA and all of them play very differently.  I'll use some bullet points for each of these factions and talk about their strengths and weaknesses.  For anyone thinking about getting into FA, this article is for you!

Aquan Prime

• Their fighting style is like a pack of piranha.  Everything moves fast and like group up together to take advantage of their high PD.
• Aquans have weapons on all arcs and torpedoes that shoot in all directions.  This means they can charge into the heart of the enemy fleet and explode in all directions.
• Most of Aquan Prime's heavier ships are equipped with powerful mines.  This adds another layer of tactics for them as mines can do solid damage and provide area denial.
• AP ships generally have above average DR.  This allows him to take more small arms fire and allow them to drop mines comfortably.
• The damage output for each ship is really low compared to the other fleets.  AP really need to utilize their mines and stay together to get any real damage done.
• Aquans are also really vulnerable to anything that reduces crew.  Boarding assaults, decompression or ship fires are deadly for them.

How to read FA ship stats

There's 6 distinct factions for Firestorm Armada and each one has its own unique playstyle.  Unlike GW-style games, there's no special rules that makes each and every unit play differently.  Stuff like Lance weapons, Melta weapons or Holofields doesn't exist in FA.  What's unique about the game system is that each ship's stats (including weapons) is what separates it from other another of its class.

This is probably best done through example:

Check out these two Cruisers.  One is from the Sorylian Collective and the other is from Aquan Prime.  Before we talk about each individual stat, let's look at what each stat stands for.

Aquan Prime, I choose you!

For the last week or so, I've been doing some crazy research into Firestorm Armada.  I really enjoyed my first game with the starter sets and I can't wait to play more!  The most exciting thing about this fleet-based game is that it's different.  By different, I mean a different game system and balance design philosophy than GW.  Spartan Games actually shows off its timeline of what's to come and lets the community playtest their rules before finalizing them.  Even then the rules can change should the model become too imba because all the unit stats are online in .pdf files.  I have never played any fleet games before and this looks like the best game system I can get into right now.  Time, money and support is what I care about these days.

So what army did I eventually decide on?  I chose Aquan Prime out of the 6 factions currently available.  They have some of the fastest ships in the game (fastest Battleship), good defensive measures (high PD and DR) and they're one of the hardest factions to play.  Now maybe it's the elitist side in me thinking that I can handle the most tactically challenging factions, but I absolutely love a good challenge.  What makes Aquan Prime hard to play is their subpar ship damage.  Their main batteries are weak across the board except for the BB.  With 8" speed and 11/14 broadside lasers at RB1/2, the BB can put out a respectable amount of damage.  To nullify the weakness of the onboard weapons, the Aquans have retro-fitted all their ships with guns that can shoot in all directions.  Unlike the ships from other factions where they have torpedoes or guns on a fixed or specific arc, Aquan ships can deliver their payload (including torps) from all directions.  This, in combination with their ability to drop mines on the enemy, opens up another layer of stratagems.

In terms of tactics, the Aquan Fleet likes to engage fast and and deliver simultaneous damage from all directions. They do best when they stay together and fly straight up the middle of the enemy fleet.  If you have a BB and Cruisers swimming together into an enemy fleet, they can deliver powerful broadside and fore damage from all angles.  With torpedoes coming out of every direction as well, Aquan ships do the most damage up close and surrounded.  That's when they acquire the most targets to shoot at.  I think in terms of 40K, their playstyle is closest to Seer Council Eldar.  They like to get up close and personal with their opponents, but they have to use their tricks and maneuverability to survive prolonged engagement.

Addition to weapons on all arcs, most of the heavier Aquan ships come equipped with mines.  These are normally MN4 or 5 rating with the heavy cruisers and the battleships having MN5.  This means that when I fly over a batch of enemy Frigates or even Cruisers, each ship that flies over can drop a mine from their aft port up to 4" away.  If any enemy is within 4" of that mine on their next activation, they're taking 5 dice worth of damage.  Imagine the possibilities when 3 MN5 ships fly over and drop mines.  Awesome.

Finally, the last reason I went with Aquan Prime is because of their models.  I'm not a Star Trek fan, but I really like the look of the Enterprise and the AP BB reminds me a lot like it.  My friend tells me it looks more like the Mon Calamari cruisers from Star Wars, but who cares.. it's all good!  The rest of the ships are decent looking, but the capital ships (the BB, Manta and Triton) look fantastic.

BR: 500pt Terrans vs. Sorylians

I played a test game of Firestorm Armada today and I'm very satisfied with the game.  I'm going to keep this in note format so people can follow along a lot easier.  I played Sorylians and Dimitri played the Terrans.  We played with no wings and no game cards since this is our first learning game.

First, the army lists.  The starter boxes can produce the following lists:

Terran
"Razorthorn" Battleship
3x "Sentinel" Cruisers
3x "Pilgrim" Frigates
3x "Pilgrim" Frigates

Sorylian
"Swordbreaker" Battleship
3x "Skyhammer" Cruisers
3x "Scythe" Frigates
3x "Scythe" Frigates

As you can see, the two armies are very similar to eachother with 1 mainstay ship, 2 squads of smaller ships and 1 squad of medium ships.  Here comes the quick BR:

Firestorm Armada

I'm really thinking about getting the game.  First of all, it reminds me of Battlestar Galactica.  Second, it's about epic-scale space battles where ships blow apart other ships.  Third, a starter set that plays at 500 pts is 50 bucks.  That's pretty freaking awesome.

For those that want to check out what the factions of the game are like, check out this short pdf file here.  It's a link to Spartan Games' website where they have a bunch of files up for the game.  The game itself is relatively new since it came out in November '09 and there seems to be a good amount of support for it.  I never played BFG before, but from what I hear: the game is massively imbalanced.  I'm going to be honest here:  I absolutely hate game imbalance.  Aside from terrible game design, nothing puts me off faster than a imbalanced game.  I don't care if your game is beautifully designed, if it's imbalanced to a point where I can't field a army because it face rapes everything it touches, there's no point playing it.  My friends tell me that Necrons in BFG is laughably overpowered.

Let's talk about Firestorm Armada really quick.  The game has 6 factions and each faction has like 6-7 ships.  Each ship does something different with the big Battleships being the mainstay of each force.  There's also Cruisers, Heavy Cruisers, Frigates and Escort ships for each faction.  What makes each faction different is that their ships are designed differently; from the looks to the stats of the ship themselves.  There's nothing crazy like in BFG with Holofields or Lance-type weaponry.  Instead, there's more subtle changes to the ships stats like their armor, weapon systems, crew rating or defense stats.