New Uncharted Seas Campaign

The goal of this campaign is to develop a fleet and engage in missions to secure gold by transporting cargo to and from the Old World or simply seizing it by raiding villages or securing valuable cargo from shipwrecks.  The first player to accumulate 10,000 Gold Bars is declared the winner of the campaign.

Tournament in Ten Days

I'm making the final edits in the scenarios, putting together some more buildings and bridges, getting the word out, and thinking about what I want for the next Dystopian Wars event.  For the DWVA Spring Event, only ten days out now, I mostly wanted to set up a day of some fun games for both experienced and new players.  At least two players planning to attend only own a naval starter box while several others have more than a thousand points in naval and armored models each, so I wanted a format which would welcome the new players while still providing some variety for the more experienced players. 

Street Fighting

I've been thinking about combining land & sea operations for Dystopian Wars in an urban environment, and I started tinkering with a scenario which features a city with several large canals and bridges.  I set up the scenario this past Sunday for two local players along with some infantry rules to playtest.

Unfortunately, I forgot the box of land templates I had cut out at home, so I pieced together the equivalent using sheets of paper and some pieces of green felt.  The objective was the single bridge in the center of the table, flanked by a clock towers which could be captured by infantry or rocket marines.  The Imperial force managed to steam up into the channel and capture both clock towers after destroying lead aerial elements of the opposing British force.

DW Tournament

Place: The Game Vault, Fredericksburg, VA

Date: Sunday, November 6th
Time: Dice roll at 11am
Cost: $5
Prizes: 1st Place: 50% of all entry fees, 2nd Place: 30% of all entry fees, 3rd Place: 20% of all entry fees

Because of the demand for something including Uncharted Seas, I'm also going to run a multi-player scenario for Uncharted Seas starting at noon.  Only DW players will pay the $5 entry fee and be eligible for victory winnings for the DW event.  The "best painted fleet" by secret ballot, however, will be open to both DW and US players.

Naval Clash in the Bermuda Triangle
Fleets from all corners of the globe clash in the Bermuda Triangle in search for and take control of a Sturginium Gate rumored to be recently discovered in the area.

Winning Conditions:  Three rounds will be resolved between random pairings by lottery of players and their respective fleets.  Accumulated Victory Point scores from all rounds combined will determine first, second, and third place winners.  Each player will participate in 3 different scenarios against opponents.  Late players may be allowed to participate, but only in remaining rounds.

Fleet composition:  400 and 800 point fleets according to Tournament Game specifications according to DW rule book page 28.  In each fleet there must be at least 1 squadron each of Small, Medium, and Large.  Painted models are not required.  Different fleet compositions may be used in each round, and the 400 point may be part of or completely separate from the 800 point force.  Please bring a copy of your fleet lists to share which include ship and squadron point costs as a courtesy to your opponents.

Special Conditions:  This is primarily a naval engagement; land units may be included in fleet lists, but deployment and area of operations for land units will be severely limited by the few islands involved in scenarios; include steam tanks with your force at your own risk.

Air Support:  The contested area is far out to sea, beyond the range of Tiny Flyers from land airstrips.  Bombers are within range as well as Tiny Flyers attached to carriers.  But no 10 free tokens of Tiny Flyers are allowed in any rounds.

Victory Points:  VP will be counted according to enemy ships destroyed and damaged beyond 50% in addition to bonuses for completing objectives according to respective scenarios.  Scenario objectives will be revealed at the start of the respective rounds of the tournament.  Each registered player starting the tournament on time will be able to participate in all three different scenarios.

Registration:  Pre-registered players on the DWVA forum will receive a custom badge at the start of the event.  Register at:  http://www.etcinversus.com/dw/forum/

Special Prize:  Also, we'll have a secret ballot among all players for the best painted fleet, DW or US, and I'll personally buy a paint pot of the winner's choice and award a certificate suitable for display in the admiral's quarters.

Thoughts on opening my new copy of Dreadfleet

"Wow!  This castle island will look great as a fortress for DW games."

 

"The black kraken will make an awesome proxy for the Blazing Sun mechanical squid, and it's just the right size!"

 

"The dragon models are perfect tokens for my dragon carrier ship for my Dragon Lords faction in US."

 

"These two ships will work great as heavy cruisers for my Imperial Human fleet in US."

 

"The Tomb Kings galley will fit right into my Bone Griffons fleet in US."

 

"This High Elven ship will work fine as an Elven merchant ship, if nothing else in US games."

 

"Wow, the shipwrecks are cool!  I need more shipwreck markers for Uncharted Seas!"

  

"I wonder if I can incorporate these great FATE and DAMAGE cards into Uncharted Seas?"

Pirates of the Uncharted Seas

The nations of the Old World send fleets of warships to expand their colonies and protect their interests in the New World, the islands scattered among the Uncharted Seas.

The Iron Dwarves establish mining colonies to increase their imperial treasure vault as well as fuel the research and development of new weapon and steam technologies.  Our campaign focuses around the Dwarven colonial city of El-Aron just southwest of Denonia (right-center of map).  Many minerals are mined and processed here, and each week a fleet arrives with new Dwarven colonists, returning to Kulloria with cargo holds filled with resources.

The Kullorian trade fleets must maintain safe passage, and the Uncharted Seas are too vast to be routinely patrolled by warships.  From the Darnak Cluster in the south come Orc Raiders to pirate and plunder; from the ancient Dragon Lords in the west come war flotillas intent on driving out the Iron Dwarves, and their cousins the Shroud Mages from the southwest want nothing better than to wrest control of Denonia and take posession of the city El-Aron for them own expansion; and the Thaniras Elves to the north are untrusted neighbors, keeping to themselves as they wait to see the other powers weaken the fleets around Denonia.

We will have two parts of this campaign.  The larger group of players in NOVA will conduct naval operations around El-Aron, the Dwarven player largely fighting off pirate raids by the Orcs, while the smaller southern group of players will conduct operations between the Dwarven and Human Imperial fleets maneuvering for control of the Boiling Seas to the east to secure trade routes with the Old World Kingdoms.

Father's Day DW Game

We played using the VA campaign set with Greg as the challenger, a 400 point Recon Encounter.  Greg rolled for terrain, a double 4, which put moving icebergs on the board; we decided our forces had met in the frigid waters off the coast of Patagonia, in the Southern Hemipshere.  The Blazing Sun Recon Force included 1 Mechanical Squid, 2 Scout Gyros, and 2 squadrons of 3 Frigates each deployed on the flanks.  The Americans deployed a pair of cruisers with shield generators in the center, a pair of bombers and w squadrons of 3 Frigates each.  We each selected one Secret Objective.

More Dystopian than Uncharted

I've hammered out the final draft of the campaign guide, and I've spent more time painting scout rotor flyers than dragonsail ships.  All because I can find a few more opponents for DW around.

The Perfect Ruler

I've had some discussion with my regular opponent about the comparisons between using a flexible tape measure versus a rigid yardstick.  He prefers the tape measure which is compact and easy to use for a variety of distances; I prefer the yardstick which is not so compact or easy to use, but it makes a satisfying snap when I slap the length against my leg while contemplating my next move.  But the yardstick, although perfect for measuring the limit of range band four, is too long for plotting ship movement, so I supplement it with a standard wooden foot-long ruler, only that stick is often too short, especially when moving my Elven frigates or trying to measure the limit of range band four.  I have seen 16" wooden rulers, and I thought one would be a perfect tool for my games of Uncharted Seas.  But now I found and immediately bought my perfect measuring device for the tabletop....

New Rule Modifications

I'm angling for more risk management in my games of Uncharted Seas, so I'm trying some tweaks to the basic system.

First, in addition to making small ships more difficult for capital class ships to hit, any pair of 3 results on any attack dice roll will score an additional hit against a large class ship.

Second, replace the effect of a stern rake position.  Rather than adding a +1 DRM for a stern rake, consider any Damage Rating to score a Critical Hit instead, and enough hits to score a Critical Rating will roll twice for Critical Hits.

Finally, when a friendly ship partially blocks the LOS from a firing ship to an enemy target, then the full complement of attack dice are rolled.  All misses, however, will be rolled against the friendly ship, possibly scoring damage as friendly fire.

Determining Terrain & Conditions

If no special terrain is called for in a scenario or mission then roll 2d6 to determine number of terrain pieces and any special conditions in effect for the game.