Things are pressing forward towards H-hour.
Scenario testing is underway, the first solid idea is a tableau called 'daybreak' that has one unit from each of the FOC families deploying turn 1, and the remainder delayed until turn 3. Secondary objective will be control at the end of turn 3. This will likely be our first scenario. A few feasibility games are yet needed.
Scenario 2 promises to be interesting. Tentatively, the entire area 6" from the board's center (9" will contest/control) will count as an objective, with two more to either side. The secondary, a choose-your own assassinate, should leave some blood on the ground (each player secretly nominates, then reveals, an FOC type to kill all of from the opponent's list).
Scenario 3 is up in the air, but neccessarily will be a kill point primary...the recent 'Ard Boyz modulation of it was (in our most humble evaluation), utter crap. Due to the sparing points onboard, we'd like to still encourage more little units zooming about, and the player with more total units on the board at the game's end may get a tertiary bonus. . Secondary is up in the air, but here's one that's on the table: (this idea coming fresh and may be retracted): A special objective placed by each player. Only FA and HS units may score it.
MEANWHILE, several poorly run tournaments in our area have left us sure that things can be done better. The terrain statement holds-expect fair and varied abundance of it. Expect us to be solomonic, and well grounded in the rulebook, as opposed to relic folkways from 3rd and 4th edition. We don't want to get in the way of two people having fun, but part of being accessible to new players neccessarily will mean that we will facilitate clarity where necessary on the way that LOS and cover works according to the 5th edition rulebook. Speaking personally, there are some old ways of doing things that I had stuck in my head that, aren't in the game any longer.
One example is combat squads. Units DEPLOY as they arrive from reserve, and therefore any splitting happens as they place their models on the board--whenever that may occur. This is a tiny thing...but what I mean to say is,
We're working hard to have answers to questions if they come.
Remember the most important rule though--have fun, and if it comes to it, roll a die (or adjust cover plus or minus one) and move on. That should go without saying.
EXPECT to always get an even number of turns. This should go without saying, but somehow ending on the bottom of any turn after time was called was apparently not an obvious necessity for a local TO, leading to a breach in the tournament's valididty...and then some.
EXPECT clarity on some things. Example: here, DoA won't work with a drop pod, because the unit DSing is the pod, not the men inside. Likewise, a commandment to deploy a 'unit' refers to the rhino and its companion men as separate entities that are, in fact very separable.
For now...
We're looking forward to the best four days in Gaming as much as you!
Rock on!
