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Joined: Fri May 13, 2005 11:01 pm
Posts: 1455
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Update: The English Beta rules are available for download.
Despite some odd translation artifacts in phrasing, and some example pics that didn't get translated (not that it really affects my readability of the rules), it's actually a pretty tight system. The rules do make allowances for >10 models per side (although I'd guess that many models starts to bog the game), with multiple 'combat groups' of 10 orders each.
The game has multiple balancing mechanisms built into army construction: Points per model, model availability limits, and support weapon points. Model availability is just that: Every model has a limit on how many models of that type can be fielded, from "total" to 1. When building an army, every 50 army points gives 1 Support Weapon point, and certain models have a Support Weapon Cost, in addition to their points cost and model availability. This prevents taking pure heavy weapons, which would otherwise dominate the game (they pretty much dominate the game now, if you don't get enough terrain on the table).
Example 1: I'm building a PanOceania force of 300 Army Points, so I have 6 Support Weapon points. Fusiliers have Total AVA(lability). This means that they can make up the entire force (most other troop types have a limit of 2 or 3). A basic Fusilier is 10 Army points, as is the Fusilier Lieutenant. I'll start by taking a Fusilier Lt for 10 Army points and no Support Weapon points. A Fusilier with an HMG is 19 Army points, and costs 1 Support Weapon point in addition. A Fusilier with a Hacking Device is 22 Army points and 1 Support point. A Fusilier with an underbarrel 'Light Grenade Launcher' is 15 Army points and 1 Support point. A Fusilier with a Missile Launcher is 26 Army points and 1 Support point. A Fusilier Sniper is 24 Army points and 1 Support point. Each Fusilier Paramedic is 14 Army points and 0.5 Support points, so I take 2. So far, I've used up all 6 of my Support Points and 144 Army points, so I could take another 15 Fusiliers, for a total of 23 models at 294 Army points.
There's one other limit in the army builds: You can't take any REM(otes) without either a Hacker or a Tactical Assault Gear in the force.
Example 2: I'm building another 300 point force, but this time I'm using the Yu Jing army. Guijia TAGs are AVA 2, so I can't have more than 2 of them in the army. I'll take one Guijia Lieutenant for 91 Army points and 1 Support point, and another Guijia armed with a MultiHMG and a Heavy Grenade Launcher for 99 Army points and 1 Support Point. Now, I'll add a pair of AVA 2 Husong REMotes for 35 Army points and 1 Support point each, and one AVA 2 Weibing REMote for 21 Army points and 1 Support point. That makes for 5 models at 281 Army points and 5 Support points.
Some models actually add support points instead of costing support points. These are usually the super-heavy hitters of that faction's force.
The Army boxes seem to be built around 150 Army point forces, although the PanO and Haqq' starter boxes are right about 120 points (the Yu Jing box has more expensive troops on average, and is just under 150 points for the full box, but by taking one model out it ends up at 107 points to the PanO's 113 or the Haqq' 115).
I still haven't had a chance to play yet, but I have 3 of the starter boxes now, as well as the corresponding REMotes. The Remotes are on 40mm bases, not 25s, and are roughly shoulder-high to Infinity minis.
From reading through the full rule book, it actually looks like it flows much easier that CS' impression, although activating a model that's badly outnumbered seems a sure recipe for disaster, with all the Automatic Reaction Orders available to the other side. The limit is that all AROs must be resolved simultaneously on the FIRST action of the Order, so if a hidden sniper activates and tries to move and shoot the only figure that can detect it (ie, is within 8"), even if that unit detects the sniper, all the other AROs can't be to shoot the sniper, as the sniper was hidden when the AROs were declared (and therefore untargetable).
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"For the Lion and the Emperor!"
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Which one?