As with everything you need to take my comments with a little perspective. While I am vocal about my complaints on version 2 it is good to have the game there. If TT combat wouldn't have taken over then most likely we would have seen a community driven game. A version I think would have died eventually.
Part two, the last part, about my opinion of Dropzone version 2 is a bit more whiny. While the second edition have some good points there are many things that changed the fundamental positive things with first ed that I really really miss.
The bad with version 2
I will discuss the 2 worst changes from my perspective first. They are also the most controversial opinion I think I have since so many who play the game now likes them: Disembark and fire and Open transports.
Disembark and Shoot means to me that the main aspect of the game, that you couldn't "rhino rush" (a term used in older versions of 40k where people used put people in transports and then rushed out killing the opponent with little chance of them doing anything - really really boring). I demo over 200 games basically selling the game as "not as 40k" and then they just went with "Oh! Lets make it like the worst times of 40k!"
I felt betrayed. And then they changed it so you couldn't embark and shoot and got +2 to hit when disembarking and shooting. It makes a huge difference but still very bad in my perspective. You get another shooting round. And with how the game is now we have lots of lots of transports left at the end of our games.
2 Odins disembarking and shooting their Railguns at Rapiers means one dead Rapier now. Instead of none. In a game like DZC that is huge. So the AA units really takes a beating as well as the best they can do is to shoot at buildings unless the have rule to always damage on a 6.
This is the single horrible change for me as it made my entire selling point of the game was screwed over.
Note that TT hav noticed this change in balance and have made AA a bit cheaper. Problem is that they should be even more cheaper to be right. And that balance between expensive AT and cheaper AA is hard to get right.
Open transports is another big one for me. It is awkward, makes for a lot of markers and is really tough to get it right. And Scourge's transports have one of the game's best anti-tank. And they can all activate in the first activation? And UCM's Condors doesn't even have a missile? That is just really really bad. Then we have the marker game. Keeping track on all of this is hell. It is actually one of the problem with the first DZC - it was hard to keep of track of units. And now they went with that you have to Shaltari-keep check on your transports? For everyone? It is time consuming and very easy to make mistakes.
The thing is - if the above two rules would have had command cards for this I don't think I would have felt so bad about it.
Targeting system stabilizer upgrades (3 cards in a deck):
Target: A friendly transport.
Sphere of influence.
Play at start of the turn.
Any squad that disembark from this transport or embark on this transport this turn may still fire two weapons on ground targets. Their accuracy is modified +2 even against buildings during this attack.
Emergency transport (3 in a deck):
Target: A friendly transport.
Sphere of influence.
Play at start of the turn.
This transport may activate with any battlegroup this turn and may transport any units that fit in it.
Had it been command cards I wouldn't have had so much of an issue. As a matter of fact it would have opened up some strategy as well. Instead of being the norm. Note that I still want some heavy restrictions on them.
Another thing is that the game have become much more complicated to keep track of. Keeping track of battlegroups is much tougher and the risk of making a mistake is much higher. There are even more possible battlegroups. The E vs A system, open transports, unique command cards instead of fewer that are more easy to remember, keeping track of critical hits on buildings and so on means that this game is really slower than the old ed. And that was pretty slow. Both the E vs A system and the critical hits on Garrisons are two things that looks kind of ok while you look at each of them but really bogs down the game while playing.
The command cards is another thing that bother me. I know the intent was to have a deck building game with unit-unique cards. But I suspect that it takes loads of time to produce them and get the balance on 54-55 cards is really awkward. I think they would just go with 10 basic cards with 3 of each for all factions and then 8 faction specific cards (but not specific for certain single units) and then no deck building. That adds up to 54 cards. A normal deck of cards (with 2 Jokers) are at 54 cards so it should be cheap to produce. Heck I could make those cards and I am just a complaining middle-aged man! There is no reason to delay these cards' production. Make it simpler and get it done!
I note that the current deck with no repeating card is awkward. Several of them are similar but not exactly the same. Just make them the same. And bring back monorail. I miss the monorail-cards!
One thing I note is that TT Combat seem to want to have no cards on the table. That makes sense (especially when you need loads and loads of markers just to keep of track of your transports and burning houses) but I actually like cards on the table as it shows something important have changed.
The next one is short: In 1st ed you could have 6 battlegroups. That was to many. Now you can have lots more. That sucks. 5 is a much better balanced and that would have made the game flow faster. The amount of battlegroups is a really a time consuming part of the game. Making it possible to have more battlegroups was basically shooting themselves in the foot. Just bad without adding anything. This should be considered at the same time that alternating Battlegroup activation is a awesome way to play the game.
A irritating thing for me is that they changed how the mainstay mission Targets Of Opportunities works. It was a perfect mission where the player that played the missions tended to loose the kill point game. You hade to cover your units to get the objectives. Now TT have made a initial v2 bad version slightly better as it now takes two actions to search. But you know what - it is basically a nod to that the rules in vers 1 was better (at least in this aspect). Searching for objectives is really really fast now. And then it becomes a slug fest. DZC isn't supposed to be a slug fest.
As a last complaint there are some things that are worth considering if they were the only changes but with all the other changes it come out strange.
- Ground APC can help searching but since ground transports are so stupid fast and hidden objectives are easier to find if you just sit and wait a few turns now it was completely pointless change.
- A scourge marauder with APC and infantry can get the infantry stupid far. To much. It should be half movement for disembarking as well. And 1" disembark.
- The game should be improved with having a 1500 battle on 6x4 table. Especially with the fast transport moves.
If I had written DZC 2
This is the easy part. Opinions I don't really have to take responsibility of. It is really really easy to say "Oh how much better it would have been if I had just written the rules". But once one would actually start to write it would show how difficult it is.
So take it as it is. An opinion that is easy to write but not one I have to actually stand for in real life. From V2:
- Skip Drop N shoot and open transports. Make them into less powerful cards.
- Increase the Hot LZ rules to make a larger impact than in 1st ed. So it would make it harder for aerial transports but not so much for ground transports.
- Skip the CQB phase of version 1. I think that the activating infantry squad could attack like today's rules (not the turn they enter a building though) but the target then also can attack but re-rolls hits no matter if they have entered this turn or not (but can attack in their turn normally and defend several times e t c).
- Use V 1 system of E vs Armour. Make the "double damage rolls" standard for buildings and critical hits on infantry as well. Use the version 1 system of damaging infantry from falling masonry but makes it less powerful than in v1).
- Also skip the critical hit-markers on buildings and just go with a roll when the buildings takes damage if there are infantry inside. I know why the rules are there but is just adds up to much work to keep extra markers.
- All units can walk on but are at +2 to hit turn 1 on any building or taget on the opponent's side of the table. Skip all the new reserve rules.
- Fewer command cards for easier to balance. Make several of the same instead.
- Keep the way activations are done for transports (i e not moving at the same time as their transported unit).
- Down to max 5 battle groups.
- Use old Target of opportunities-rules though both sides always can search. Make it only 1 action so they can fire as well (except the base that searches). Increase the number of units that are at -1 on the roll to search (basic infantry should be the ones searching and the special infantry should be there to handle enemies).
- Flying transports should be as V2 when disembarking/embarking units but only 2" disembark/embark. Ground transports should place models 1" away from the transport when disembarking (only one need to reach is to make all embark though). To enter a building a model should be in contact with it. I see a point with ground transports being allowed to move full unless they disembarked themselves. Thus krakens get a 10" move, disembarking units 1" and then they can move half. If you then have bus', the distance becomes about 10"+1" disembark, 3" move bus, infantry jump out 1" and if within 1" of a building they can embark. 16". Scourge Maruaders with Invaders get: 12+2+3+1+1 thus 19". A Scourge Intruder Troop transport then get 15+2+1+1=19" as well but should be affected by Hot LZ if an enemy infantry is in the building (making it harder to move between one building to another the same turn). The details are of course something that could change. My main point is that transport should slow down a bit to stop the move-into-opponent's-half-turn-1"-move.
- I would make the standard table at 1500 points 6x4'.
- I would also consider slowing ground units down a bit. Just a inch here and there to better motivate transports.
That's it for this time.
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