Wargames - Playing Deadzone Ed2 on the Makettfesztivál Miskolc 2017 (2017.02.18-19)

Wargames - Playing Deadzone Ed2 on the Makettfesztivál Miskolc 2017 (2017.02.18-19) - Warpath Gameplay narrative
Deadzone Ed2

I had a chance to attend the Makettfesztivál Miskolc 2017 on 2017.02.18-19, where I organised a couple of Deadzone Ed2 demos. There were lots of kids eager to play games. I tried to set up my Battlezones. Necromunda and Infinity scenery I prepared for the event, but as the kids were harrassing me to start playing, I gave up, and just used my trusty Nexus Studio container buildings. This is a retelling of the games played on the convention, at least what I remember from them. To fit with the previous gameplay narratives, I'll probably set the story in the universe of the Imperial Space setting at a later date.

Incident at the Festival

The Manufactorium Festival held on the 14th planet of Father George lured lots of traders and visitors from all around the surrounding systems. One of the starships brought Plague infected travellers. The festival devolved into chaos. When the defence systems fell, Reb forces appeared from hiding, trying to claim the planet. Enforcer dropships were dispatched to clear the planet, but not before large parts of the planet were conquered by the Plague, or rebel forces.

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Playing the game

Deadzone Ed2: As the players were kids of 5 to 10, and while they wanted to field larger forces than the usual demo squads (I prefer 3-6 models), we used a very rules-light version to accomodate their needs. Also, as I had to take care of the whole room full of children, I didn't have the time to enforce every rule every time, so I had to come up with something that the players could use even when I was helping someone else at another gaming table.

1 dice instead of 3 - we didn't count degrees of success.
For some groups we used a rule that the model goes down if it gets a wound, so we needn't bother with wound markers. The models were turned to their side, and if they got first aid, they could join the battle again.
Didn't use realistic line of sight - I ruled that every unit on the battlefield have some kind of sensor that allows them to shoot at anyone. Cover modified the shooting roll.
No initiative - Enforcer player had the first activation, then the Plague player, as the Enforcers are more prepared. In retrospect, as the Enforcers won most of the games, I'd exchange the two, and let the Plague player go first.
I allowed the players to choose whether they want to use command dice. If they didn't like the concept, I allowed both sides to have one free reroll, and one special ability use every turn.
We didn't use rerolls of command dice.
Some of them didn't even get the concept of a turn, and got only a vague idea of activations and used minis. Next time I'll probably prepare a more balanced force for them, with a same number of models, so they could just play along, and activate whatever they would like.
I tried to teach them the use of marker tokens, but most of them didn't get to like or use them. Only the wound markers were popular, they wanted to know how much life they have left.
I ruled that sniper rifles have unlimited range, so they didn't need to check range. Most of the time a sniper could see almost anything on the board anyway.
Enforcers used the usual rules, except for the Peacekeeper Captain, who only had 1 wound instead of 2, so the kids wouldn't need bookkeeping.
For Plague commander we used a normal humanoid model, and the commander was allowed to use both the original Commander's zombie ability, and the Stage 1A's mutation ability, to allow more flexibility for the Plague player.
The Rebs commander ability is to put equipment on the table, but equipment didn't really interest the players, so I just allowed a free reroll as a Special result.

There were many rules they got instantly:

Rolling dice.
Number of spaces used for moving. It was easy to understand and use.
Number of spaces used for shooting range.
It was interesting, that those kids who understood the use of command dice, really got into it. After explaining them once, they either didn't use it, or liked them, and remembered the meaning of the signs.

And as they were really small kids, I didn't want them to have nightmares about Plague creatures, so I told them they are pirates and rebels. Luckily I had one of my Plague troops painted as an almost normal humanoids, so I used those. Instead of Stage 1 and Stage 2 creatures, I used cute little creatures from other games.

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Battle at the abandoned factory
Enforcers vs Plague - Plague victory

Deadzone Ed2

Enforcers invaded an enclave of Plague creatures, hiding in an abandoned factory. Even though the Enforcers planned a quick victory, due to the clever use of Plague zombies, the Enforcers were overwhelmed by their own former members.

Deadzone Ed2: The Plague General is able to raise fallen enemies as Plague Zombies. You can use this ability to bolster your forces.

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Wasteland battle
Enforcers vs Rebs - Enforcer victory

Deadzone Ed2

The Enforcers found a Rebs hideout at a pumping station in the deserts of Exham IV. The Rebs were too eager to take their chance to finally overcome their oppressors. As they were charging out from their covers, they were massacred by the Enforcers. One of the few survivors of the Rebs force was Blaine, who was detained by the Enforcers.

Deadzone Ed2: It was an extra large battle, using two Exham game mats. As there was very little scenery, we ruled that the dark parts of the mats are elevated hills. Getting on them didn't require an extra move, but they blocked line of sight, and gave an elevated (level 1) position for the models on top of them.

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Battle in the warehouse
Enforcers vs Plague - Enforcer victory

Deadzone Ed2

As the Enforcers charged the Plague creatures, they bravely charged back. This lead to an easy massacre of them.

Deadzone Ed2: The Plague player concentrated on killing the Enforcers, while the Enforcers took objectives early in the game and just had to hold them until they achieved victory.

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Battle in the warehouse
Enforcers vs Plague - Enforcer victory

Deadzone Ed2

The Enforcers took the mission objectives, while the Plague forces tried to kill the Enforcers. As they didn't succeed in the shooting, the Enforcer accumulated enough victory points to win the game.

Deadzone Ed2

Even though the Plague player got help from a professional (Kelemen Gábor), he still lost to the superior firepower of the Enforcers.

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Battle in the warehouse
Enforcers vs Plague - Enforcer victory

Deadzone Ed2

The Plague commander survived, and gathered another group of mutants to raid another warehouse.

The Plague player charged the Enforcers. Most of the soldiers didn't even leave their starting position before the game was over.

Deadzone Ed2: The Plague soldiers are not sharpshooters, and they lack the armour the Enforcers have.

Deadzone Ed2

* * *

Battle in the warehouse
Enforcers vs Plague - Enforcer victory

Deadzone Ed2

The Plague player quickly got on top of the buildings. The Enforcers had a better chance to shoot them, and statistics proved themselves.

Deadzone Ed2

* * *

Battle in the warehouse - Rematch
Enforcers vs Plague - Enforcer victory

Deadzone Ed2

A Stage 1 Plague creature joined the battle to give a better chance to the Plague player. Finally the Enforcers had to move around the warehouse to win, and about half of the Enforcers became casualty during the combat.

Deadzone Ed2

image © Aradi Gábor
Deadzone Ed2

Deadzone Ed2

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Battle of Container Hill
Enforcers vs Rebs - Rebs victory

Deadzone Ed2

Containers were piled up in the middle of the battlezone, providing cover and cutting off line of sight. The players had to climb up the containers to reach the other side, but doing this allowed the enemy snipers to pick them off one by one. I missed the end of the game, and the players were gone by the time I got back, but counting the number of standing models, probably the Rebs won.

* * *

Enforcers: 5 victory (4 against Plague, 1 against Rebs), 2 defeat (1 from Plague, 1 from Rebs)

Plague: 1 victory against Enforcers, 5 defeat from Enforcers

Rebs: 1 victory against Enforcers, 1 defeat from Enforcers

Although the Enforcer clean-up team didn't achieve flawless victory, they managed to clear the planet from the Plague and the Rebel rabble.

* * *

Players: Many very young kids. Some of them slightly older.

System used: Deadzone Ed2 from Mantic Games.

The Enforcers used the normal rules:

Peacekeeper Captain, as Peacekeeper Captain (with 1 wound)
Assault Enforcer, as Assault Enforcer
Enforcer Sniper, as Enforcer Sniper
Enforcer with Burst Laser, as Enforcer with Burst Laser
Enforcer, as Enforcer with Laser Rifle
Sentry Gun, as Sentry Gun

The Plague forces used mostly the normal rules:

Plague Stage 3A with grenade launcher, as Stage 3A General with grenade launcher (even though it's not allowed in the rules), and the player had the ability to use the command ability of both the General and the Stage 1A
Plague Stage 3A, as Plague Stage 3A
Rahdox sc1 v1 for Project: ELITE range from Artipia Games, as Aberration
Zombies for Zombicide from CoolMiniOrNot, as Plague Stage Z Zombies

The Rebels had to be substituted:

Sponsor Blaine, as Rebel Commander
Kroot Shaper from Games Workshop, as Yndij Infiltrator Commander
Long Rock Lifer's Grogan Thug, as Rebel Teraton
Long Rock Lifer's Con, as Rebel Trooper
Kroot from Games Workshop, as Rebel Yndij

Miniatures used:

The Enforcers are Warpath miniatures (1x Enforcer Captain, 1x Assault Enforcer, 1x Enforcer Sniper, 3x Enforcer) for the Deadzone game from Mantic Games. They were painted by Takács György (Kadmon).
The Rebels are DreadBall Extreme miniatures (1x Sponsor Blaine, 1x Long Rock Lifer's Grogan Thug, 2x Long Rock Lifer's Con, 1x Bremlin Nebulas' Prone Kalyshi, 1x Free Agent Jetari Training Drone Guard, 1x Free Agent Jetari Training Drone Striker) from Mantic Games. They were painted by Takács György (Kadmon).
The Rebel Yndij are Warhammer 40.000 Kroot miniatures from Games Workshop. I got them already painted, and I have no clue who painted them.
The zombies are Zombicide zombies from CoolMiniOrNot. Most of them were painted by Takács György (Kadmon), although some was painted by the kids in the club.

Scenery used:

The battle mats were the Deadzone Deluxe Rubber Mat, Exham IV Deluxe Mat, Exham IV Paper Mat for Deadzone from Mantic Games.
The pipes are Battlezones Industrial Accessories for Deadzone from Mantic Games. They were painted by Takács György (Kadmon).
The industrial buildings are Necromunda bulkheads from Games Workshop. They were painted by Takács György (Kadmon).
The container buildings were created by the Nexus Studio.

Photo manipulations: GIMP

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