Deadzone: The game I've been waiting for, what about you?

DeadZone
2 Players, 45-60 minutes, Requires Hobby skills, Deep gameplay
by Ray Snyder

Deadzone is a game of Sci Fi skirmish combat on a Plague-infected world that has been quarantined from the rest of the Galaxy. Players control small strike teams of Plague Victims, Corporate Enforcers, Marauding Orx, or Rebels looking to steal supplies and equipment from the abandoned World. The Starter box set includes the Enforcers and the Plague. The Enforcers are the best soldiers the Corporations could buy or create, they are Clad in full enclosed power armor that protects them from the plague. The Plague Victims are horrible mutations of the citizens that live on the infected world. Some are huge monsters that have lost all their humanity while others still retain some idea of who they are and how to use technology.

The Game itself is part board game and part Miniatures game as it combines aspects of both to make very satisfying but quick gameplay. All most all  dice tests such as shooting or fighting are handled with a dice pool of three dice rolled against a target number list on the models unit card. If the test is easy you add more dice to the pool, if it’s harder you remove dice, it’s fast and easy. Additionally most tests are opposed by the opponent, so you both roll a dice pool and see who gets the most successes, ensuring both players are always engaged in the game. The map you play on is a two foot by two foot square, so it will fit on most tables easily, it’s broken down into three inch cubes that are used to count range and movement. The thing that’s really neat about the squares are they are much bigger they your figures and you get to place your figures any where your want in the square, so your could place a figure behind a barrel for cover or on top of some crates so he could see better, or maybe hidden behind a wall. True Line of Sight rules mean you can only shoot what you can see, so careful positioning of your figures could be the difference between victory and defeat.

The Game also uses secret victory conditions, a deck of cards that can be used to boost your character’s effectiveness and exploding dice (if your roll the max number you get an extra dice to roll) so you never know for sure how things are going until the game it over. That plus very cinematic details and effects make for an very entertaining game. If your like skirmish level games or want to play a game that also feels like watching a movie unfold, I recommend you give this game a try.

However: one warning, this game requires a lot of assembly, it’s what some might call a Hobby game, in that constructing and painting the pieces can be a hobby in itself. If you have no desire to spend a few hours gluing plastic figures together and then possibly painting them, this may not be the game for you. That said, I highly recommend this game, it’s great fun and tends to create awesome moments when a grenade explodes and threw the opposing team’s leader off the top of a building and down into the Plague Hounds below it. Or your Sniper manages to thread the needle and get a head shot on the approaching Plague beast that was about to eat your Enforcer Sergeant.

Dust:Warfare photo dump

Dust:Warfare photo dump

First post of 2013

I've been sick, doing holiday stuff, and working alot, so I haven't done much on the NinjaHut in quite some time.

Gaming update: I'm playing a lot of Dust:Warfare lately  I've been taking a Break from Warmachine and Hordes, It's a great game but I was starting to burn out on it, so stepping back seemed the correct call. I'm sure I'll catch the Warmahordes bug again soon, but lately  I've been enjoying board games, League of Legends and Dust:Warfare.

The board and card games I've been playing are in the last few months are:
Legendary, the Marvel Deck Builder (I've played this alot)
Zombiecide
Super Dungeon Explore
Dungeon Command
Star Trek Fleet Captains
Wiz War (The FFG version, it's an Amazing game)
Spartacus
Descent 2nd Ed
Nettrunner

Dust Warfare just seems to get better as a Wargame, each campaign book really adds to the game, adding some new units, but also new ways to play the game. They have some good looking rules for 3 player games in the first expansion book, while the latest one, The Hades Campaign, adds campaign rules. However all of this only adds to the amazing core rules. The rules are simple but very satisfying. The game play is fast, but the tactics are deep.

Gold Rush Rampage is almost here

The Gold Rush Rampage is a few days away and I'm trying to get my new Skorne painted in time. I'm playing Xerxis, Epic Makeda, and Prime Morghoul. My lists are all very similar with 3 big beasts, Pain Givers, Nihilators, and sometime a Swamp Gobber. It should be fun, but I don't know Skorne enough to be competitive yet, but after five tournament games, I think I'll be dialed in and ready for the next tournament.

I've been playing a fair amount of Dust Warfare and I'm still really enjoying that game. It's sweet and now that the third faction is out(the Russians), it's really starting to get interesting.

My new miniature gaming find has been Dungeon Command by Wizard of the Coast. It's a prepainted skirmish game that's diceless. It's just a blast and reminds me of playing cards games, but with minis and map movement. It's still early days as there are only two factions Drow and Good Guys, but Goblins and Undead should be out by years end. This is a tight game that's fast, playing out in 45 minutes or so. It might look pricey at $40 for a faction box, but it's really well designed, both in gameplay and the components. I look forward to playing it more.

Skorne and Stuff

Skorne are an army I've been playing as my next Hordes army for over two years, but I finally bit the bullet and bought into them. I spent the weekend assembling and painting, in the hopes of playing them for the next League. Additionally I've been painting Mercs and Cygnar.

I'm still playing Dust:Warfare. It's pretty solid and totally fills my Army scale war gaming needs.

I'm taking a bit of a break from the Warmachine and Hordes until Warroom or Kublacon happens. Latily, I've been trying out Dust:Warfare. It's diffidently a fun game with a lot going for it. The Supression, reactions, and commands really shake up the UgoIgo turn. The wacky custom dice also really speed up dice rolling. The Models are nice, Cheaper then most, pre primed, pre assembled, and the walkers have pre-applied decals and modular weapons that pop off and on easily. You can even buy official prepainted models, though those are a pricey.

The Allies from the basic Set

The Axis from the Basic Set

A battle using the a prepainted Revised basic set

I'm a Artist

It's a Masterpiece!

Moar painting stuff

So I've been painting some more.

Here are the results of the painting and stuff.

Bay Area Open Raffle Terrain

More Terrain won at the Bay Area Open

My new Menoth Paint jobs

I really like the grays and bright fiery Orange

Long Gunners and UAs to allow me to run two min Long Gunners with UAs for Theme lists.
The Objective is one of the Objectives from the Bay Area Open. Free stuff rocks. 

Making some trays for my Storm Striders so I can carry them around in an army bag.

I'm playimg my trolls at Lunch's at work. Go Trolls.

My Cygnar Vs Trolls
Prime Stryker Vs. Epic Grissel.
I would have had a chance at win but I missed a 10 Man CRA into Grissel by rolling Snake eye while she was Knocked down.