Post by dantrollblitzer on Jan 28, 2013 22:55:12 GMT -5
What is Steamroller 2013? Some of you out there may be asking this question. Well, it`s a thoroughly play-tested set of 12 scenarios produced by Privateer Press and used in nearly all of their official tournaments. The scenarios are much more balanced than the ones in the rulebook...and you need to have a plan (other than just run across the battlefield and shoot the opposing caster in the face) to win.
Steamroller 2013 is available for free; anyone can dowload it from the PP site. It contains all the rules you need for tournament play. Not only does it have 12 very challenging scenarios, but it also has the rules for these scenarios...so you know how to score Control Points (CP) from zones, flags and objectives (yes, the requirements are different for each). For those who have never tried Steamroller before, more than getting scenario CPs, the challenge will be timed turns. 35 point games use a 7-minute timed turn, with just a single three-minute extension allowed (for the entire battle). This means you will constantly be moving models, announcing your intentions, rolling dice and marking cards. You need to think about your plan in your opponent`s turn and then act in your own turn.
Gannon and myself tried three of the new Steamroller scenarios. They were extremely tactical, and they open up a whole new area of WarmaHordes - board control. It suddenly becomes a legitimate tactic to run your entire squad of Long Gunners forward into certain slaughter, if it denies your opponent a Control Point...or better yet, gains your side a CP. The battles themselves finish in just over an hour and you may not be able to get a caster-kill in that time, in which case the battle is decided by CPs. You can be wiping the floor with your opponent`s army, but if you forget to score CPs, you will lose. The timed-turns also take getting used to. More than once we both "timed out" (ran out of time without moving all of our minis).
So there you have it: Steamroller 2013 in a nutshell. Get those scenarios dowloaded, read and start formulating you strategy. Scenario play isn`t easy, but it really expands your battles and makes the game even more fun. You`ll find that Warcasters and Warlocks that looked weak or sub-optimal before, will gain a whole new life in scenario play. The same goes for some units and solos (and beasts and jacks). But the best way to adapt your style of play is to get in a lot of games...so get out there and play like you gotta pair. Good luck!
DanTrollBlitzer
Steamroller 2013 is available for free; anyone can dowload it from the PP site. It contains all the rules you need for tournament play. Not only does it have 12 very challenging scenarios, but it also has the rules for these scenarios...so you know how to score Control Points (CP) from zones, flags and objectives (yes, the requirements are different for each). For those who have never tried Steamroller before, more than getting scenario CPs, the challenge will be timed turns. 35 point games use a 7-minute timed turn, with just a single three-minute extension allowed (for the entire battle). This means you will constantly be moving models, announcing your intentions, rolling dice and marking cards. You need to think about your plan in your opponent`s turn and then act in your own turn.
Gannon and myself tried three of the new Steamroller scenarios. They were extremely tactical, and they open up a whole new area of WarmaHordes - board control. It suddenly becomes a legitimate tactic to run your entire squad of Long Gunners forward into certain slaughter, if it denies your opponent a Control Point...or better yet, gains your side a CP. The battles themselves finish in just over an hour and you may not be able to get a caster-kill in that time, in which case the battle is decided by CPs. You can be wiping the floor with your opponent`s army, but if you forget to score CPs, you will lose. The timed-turns also take getting used to. More than once we both "timed out" (ran out of time without moving all of our minis).
So there you have it: Steamroller 2013 in a nutshell. Get those scenarios dowloaded, read and start formulating you strategy. Scenario play isn`t easy, but it really expands your battles and makes the game even more fun. You`ll find that Warcasters and Warlocks that looked weak or sub-optimal before, will gain a whole new life in scenario play. The same goes for some units and solos (and beasts and jacks). But the best way to adapt your style of play is to get in a lot of games...so get out there and play like you gotta pair. Good luck!
DanTrollBlitzer