Starting All Over Again!
January 23, 2014 by warzan
Myself and @lloyd have embarked on a journey together into the world of Dropzone Commander. We will be attending the Hawk Open Day at the beginning of February, and I’ll even be competing in the tournament taking place that weekend.
Starting a new game within our hobby for me is always daunting and exciting in equal measure, and so often I hear newcomers to the hobby asking ‘How do I know which army to pick??!’ anyone of us who have been in the hobby for even a short while will know there is no right or wrong answer to this, it's just a matter of picking the one you like.
Easier said than done sometimes, so here is how we picked each of our Dropzone Commander armies...
Like any game out there, picking your first faction is always a tricky but intensely satisfying experience, many of us just pick a faction we like the look of and in many games this is a fairly straight forward experience, but for others (and for me Dropzone Commander falls into this bracket) its not so easy, when all the factions are so cool it's difficult to pick one in particular that appeals to you more than the others.
How do they look?
Looking at the pictures below you will see what I mean about all being so good that it’s very hard to make a choice based on looks alone!
It's worth bearing in mind your own hobby skills, as sometimes a very sexy looking army might just be out of reach due to the skills, time, equipment and materials you have at your disposal.
How do they play?
Most armies in any wargame are designed to play differently, to maximize the variety and tactical depth of the overall game, Dropzone Commander is no different, so before choosing our armies, we picked a few brains in Hawk to get a little checklist of how each faction plays (please bear in mind that this is just a very basic list and play style is as much down to the player as it is the game designer!)
UCM
A good all rounder army, particularly good in the air, the standard core choices are quite tough, this army would likely be the most forgiving to a new player of the game.
PHR
Very tough army, but is also the slowest faction, a good range of weapon types but specialize in building destruction (important in DZC), would suit more castling type tactics. Second most forgiving in terms of new players to the game.
Shaltari
The tricksy army, very maneuverable but via teleportation gates etc, experience would be a bonus when playing this army, they are good at long range but fragile up close. If it goes wrong with these guys, its going to be difficult to recover.
Scourge
A very fast and aggressive army that is the fastest of all the armies in a straight line, a little weaker than the UCM but tactical movement is key as it will all start to unravel if you are badly out of position.
What’s their story?
For me the joy is ‘Gaming in the Gaps’ so when I look at an army I’m looking for a story that acts as a framework on which I can build my own story. This helps me relate to my army and gives me huge satisfaction when I’m adding more units and models, as I play out in my head the impact that will have on my army and its background story.
Here are the basics of what motivates each force in Dropzone Commander
UCM
This is what was left of humanity two hundred years after a short civil war (with what became the PHR) and then being decimated by the invading scourge. But the planets they retreated to were very resource rich and now they have spent two centuries building and planning revenge. Each of the outer worlds would have created its own legions and the abundance of various materials and social structures means a wide potential for differences in the look and feel for those legions.
PHR
These are the descendants of the humans that opted to follow a mysterious alien broadcast warning of impending doom. They gathered round a jump portal, and had a short but devastating battle with the rest of the humans (who became the UCM) before jumping away from the scourge assault. Now they have returned and have some bad ass technology. But for obvious reasons are not well liked by the UCM. (Splitters!)
Shaltari
A straight up ancient alien race that is split into countless tribes. “Their swiftness is unmatched, their firepower unequaled, their bravery undeniable. The beauty of their constructs bellies their true nature; engines of death, honed to lethal perfection long before humanity learned to throw stones. They are peerless masters of technology.”
Scourge
These guys are parasites, that gobble up entire systems and take over the bodies of those who occupied the systems. The UCM have found themselves fighting the two hundred year old corpses of those who were left behind. Disgusting, terrifying and simply awesome...
Convenience
Each army has the vast bulk of its units available in resin and they are exquisite models, and the casts I have seen so far have been practically flawless. However there is a starter box that contains the UCM and the Scourge in hard plastic.
This also played a part in our decision, after looking at the above for both myself and @lloyd it was coming down the the UCM and the Scourge.
For me it was the UCM, as I liked the ‘framework’ of their back story for creating my own army with its own back-story, they also looked like an easier prospect to paint based upon the skill level and the fact that I don’t have access to a lot of hobby materials or tools at the moment as a result of the recent studio move.
For Lloyd, the aggressive play style of the Scourge appealed to him, and once again they looked a more simple proposition to paint and work with given our limited access to 'stuff' at the moment.
The fact that they both were available in the starter box was what tipped it over the edge for us, as that way we could get a starter force each from the one box and get playing with terrain!
In the next article…
Assembly of the armies and our hopes for their back-stories and gaming in the gaps.
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"Most armies in any wargame are designed to play differently, to maximise the variety and tactical depth of the overall game, Dropzone Commander is no different"
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"For me the joy is ‘Gaming in the Gaps’ so when I look at an army I’m looking for a story that acts as a framework on which I can build my own story"
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Hawk have created a very neat system, beautiful minis, a wealth of terrain, and since it is a universe of their own making, they can take this where ever they wish.
I just wish they were thinking of more plastics like the starter box 🙂
“I just wish they were thinking of more plastics like the starter box”
Considering how good the plastics are I have no doubt as the company grows that’s exactly what they will do 😉
I watched the demo game you guys did, It got me to get out my copy of the rules and begin to plan out my army… I have to say Im being to expand my UCM into a WW2 of the future army lots of planes with invasion stripes and Irish Guards ala Battlefeild 2042 ish
Ohh Dave – I really like that, bring that over with you when we get you over here ok?
I’m sat here looking at my newly acquired PHR starter army. In the process of paining a winter camo scheme on them.
Why PHR? Coolest looking vehicles and ships in my opinion, followed by UCM.
I’ve never been one to go for an army based on tactics, it’s all about looking swish as you get annihilated 🙂
MY UCM are currently army green, but winter camo and lots of snow etc is where I’m ultimately going to head with them I think.
Or maybe Germany 2042 ;)…..
On looks alone it’d be PHR by a mile. Trouble is I don’t enjoy being the slowest (too many memories of when I still played football). So it’d probably be UCM for me.
One day …
For me if it were just on looks Id go for the Shatari, perhaps in some kind of white scheme. But I just don’t have the painting chops to pull that off… yet.
My modest painting abilities meant Shaltari were never in contention. I even have the 1.0 rulebook and don’t know a single thing about their fluff.
You’d be surprised, because of the level of detail on the models shaltari are are really easy to paint. Spray, ink, ink, wash, in that order.
I’ve not jumped into this yet. Still looking in from the outside.
At the moment I’m liking the look of the Shaltari and I also like armies that can punch hard but are also a bit fragile so they would seem to fit the bill.
PHR look great, but I’m looking for something that can take some abuse.
UCM it is!
I’m still waiting for you to unbox your 2 player starter so we can toss the dice around.
Chop chop Mr Yeti.
PHR is my first love. Though I’ve driven enough beat up trucks to love the spirit of the Human Resistance.
Baby Rocketyeti says:
You think my daddy had time for 40k, Infinity, writing for BoW, painting, a full time job, taking care of me AND ME?!?!
You’re funny.
PHR makes up for being slow by having good armor and some of the best range in the game. I went Scourge based on the battlebox. But I’m planning to expand into a very different sort of army than the usual Scourge Rush. Cause I like being different and the models are cool as heck!
I would really like to see that!
Would be interesting to see another sort of Scourge army list! Recently read Faeit´s blogpost about a major clash between his Scourge and an opponents PHR. In that particular scenario, the Scourge Rush was Faeit´s downfall. So other army builds are certainly viable 🙂
Dropzone BoW’s video have convinced me to play this game (thanks mate, wonderful job !).
I’ve just received my brand new starter set, and i’m totally in love with these miniatures. The Rules are great, and i love the background. I’m with UCM and my buddy will play PHR.
We still haven’t play any game, but we’ll go for it soon (I will try the Scourge ^_^ )
So the Starter Box is a nice thing to begin with and i hugely recommend it.
DzC is a real surprise, and a good one. Thanks BoW to make me discover this one !
I’m probably going to pick up a human resistance force when they come, always like the human resistance in the terminator series, and its funny that some of the PHR look like hunter killers…
Yeah PHR for me, too. An awesome asthetic AND walkers? SOLD!
UMC seems neat, I like the idea of a strong airforce. The PHR walkers do look pretty cool, but most of them look identical.
I have a group of about 6 guys who get together and play tabletop games once or twice a month. We do Infinity for fireteam skirmishes, and Dystopian Wars for large scale theater engagements. But we don’t have anything that “fits” between those two. Between Dropzone Commander and Flames of War, they seem like the scale we’re missing. But which system? Can anyone recommend one system over the other?
The video convinced me that I want to play this game, but my wallet has convinced me to hold off for a bit. I’ve started multiple new games already in the new year, and I just can’t squeeze another in right now. I’m definitely watching, though. Maybe when I’m done painting my Aquan Prime fleet. One thing though: Thank you Hawk Wargames for the widget! Seriously, that is maybe the best gaming accessory someone has designed in a decade. I’m using them on all my Firestorm Armada models (a decision I made unfortunately after I already bought a fair sum… Read more »
My preference would strongly be for PHR just based on the minis. As it is, funds dictated splitting a two-player starter and I have Scourge instead.
Already chose UCM. They remind me a fair amount of Imperial Guard, which was my very first tabletop army. So it was too hard to not pick up something that reminded me of my first miniature love. I’ve already got my UCM from my two player starter, a second regular starter, and a healthy pile of blisters that I still have to get through. Already got a Scourge player and two PHR players in our group. No Shaltari player yet…but that would be my second choice. The PHR are certainly cool looking but teleportation is such a cool theme. 🙂
It would be UCM for me I like the tanks
I’ve jumped into the Dropzone as well, starting both Scourge and UCM, just cause, well, they were both in the box. I think I’ve ended up with a 1500 point army for each now,for a total of, I think it was about £220 thanks to buying 2 starter sets plus assorted bits. Which, is pretty good going, I think. So my total for the Scourge is: 6 Medium Dropships, a Heavy Dropship, 6 bases of razorworms, 12 bases of infantry, 6 tanks, 6 AA tanks, 2 Heavy tanks, 6 APCs, 2 corsair planes, the cards and the Desolator. And the… Read more »
I’ve just bought a pile of UCM. Love the idea of the Longbow, and it’s revolver like barrel.
Still not sure how to paint them. Army green seems like a good start, but I’m also considering Plate-mail Metal + a blue wash and highlights. I just wish I could paint!
I play PHR, so my vote was a little biased. Good luck in choosing your faction!
I have played this game a lot less than I would have liked. It is truly a great game so far, really interesting and characterful.
Its unfortunately expensive to get into which has precluded my friends from major investment despite my efforts to emphasize that the returns out weigh the costs.
I hear you man, I´m in a similar spot. It is a great game that deserves to be played a lot more in my parts of the woods. Hopefully plastic starters for all factions will be a great gateway into the game.
I was sold on this game ever since I heard Warren say “LOOK AT THAT!! JUST LOOK AT IT!”, but since I play with a small group of people, weather or not I start a game is mostly determined by if they want to as well. I’ll probably buy a few kits just because they look so awesome, but until then I’ll just have to endure the shiny syndrome.
Cool, thats timing. I just bought the starter with a mate 🙂
The scale just kills it for me. Yes, 10mm is a good scale for this kind of thing… …but I already have tons of stuff in 6m, 15mm and 28mm. I am NOT getting another scale. As a long standing hobbyist, I always evaluate game systems based on my ability to use my existing stuff with them and to source stuff from multiple vendors. In DZC this ability is pretty much zero, which I admit kinda makes commercial sense for Hawk but it also makes me not buy anything from them… Compare this to Hammer’s Slammers that I’m starting… I… Read more »
I’d go with Scourge based on their very Art Deco surface details. Those are mostly wasted in the ‘official’ blotchy paint scheme. But I have a painting plan involving original Art Deco and Tiffany colors.
That sounds awesome. I’d love to see it 🙂
It might be a while. For the moment these models are still on my wishlist.
Once my PHR are sorted I’ll finish off my UCM and Scourge starter box set armies. Be nice to have a selection of skirmish size armies before expanding my PHR.
PHR and UCM are both very tempting. Shaltari are cool but not my style, and the scourge is just too comic-book style for me. It’s tanks have leafblowers and elephant trunks for guns, I just can’t get over that I’m afraid. Now hurry up and release plastic PHR so I can have sensible priced starters plz!