Galactic Conflict & Historical Games ... > To the Galaxy and Beyond
Anyone get into Dropzone Commander? And Dropfleet Commander?
KTG17:
I recently got this game.
https://ttcombat.com/collections/dropzone-commander
So this was originally released by a company called Hawk Games a number of years ago, but I think they had some issues and sold it to TT Combat. I am a sucker for starter sets and even though the version Hawk released is no longer supported, I hunted down an old set and picked up the corresponding army command cards and I am pretty impressed with it.
I don't really know much about the TT version of the game tho.
Since I am a longtime fan of Epic 40k, I was attracted to the scale of this. The premise of the game involves airlifting units around the board to duke it out to meet various objectives. I find it a little unrealistic that a flyer can pick up and fly off with several units and cover the ground they can in a turn while others barely move, but movement like this is a big part of the game so units deliberately move rather slow when not being transported. And the crazy thing is that the models being transported actually clip into the flyers that are transporting them.
The Hawk version comes with two sheets to use as a playing area and some rather large card buildings, so with the units that are included, you have a game ready to play right out of the box. In the TT version, you just get the models for two armies (more than the Hawk version) but have to buy the terrain and buildings separately. Lame so not interested.
The buildings are pretty important as the flyers need cover as they are pretty easy to shoot down.
I tend to judge games these days based on how far the starter will take me. If it involves me having to buy a lot of additional stuff to have a proper game then I am not a fan. If I don't have some cap set, and I really like it, I will just overspend. To my surprise, while I think Dropzone Commander is an interesting game I don't have much interest in expanding on what is already included in the starter, so its like a win-win to me.
I know I have a weird way of collecting now, but its for my own sanity. I really appreciate that this version of the starter really has all I need/want. The only thing I also tracked down were the Command Cards I mentioned above, which are basically cards you draw that you can use throughout the turn to use on your forces or your opponents. Kind of like Tactical Objective cards in 40k.
Of course, if I did want to expand, there are a ton of more models out there.
Edit: I did expand on the two armies a bit, buying a command unit each and some more of the units that come in the starter. I am a huge fan of the command units.
The vehicle on the left (the Kodiak) calls in orbital barrages! Command units are pretty important as you can buy various commanders who allow you to draw a certain number of cards each turn that allow you to do things like repair units, move further, etc. The cheaper commanders you can add to infantry stands but the more expensive ones have to be put in their own command vehicle. Another cool thing about the Kodiak is that is that the radar dish folds down and the whole unit can be clipped into the same Condor aircraft that comes in the starter.
Also, there was a limited release of resin civilian vehicles to add to the game which I just had to get. Basically adding some cars, trucks, buses around the board which does break up some line of sight. Nice touch.
As I have been a fan of Epic40k since I first got into wargaming, I pretty much considered those games to be the gold standard in games of this scale. Dropzone makes Epic really show its age. Actually, it kind of makes 40k in general show its age.
KTG17:
Well it seems no one seems to care about this game but I am pretty impressed with it. I can’t pry myself away from it. I started to assemble the models (which I feel really aren’t in the right scale for the rules but cool anyway), and have decided to buy more, in particular the UCM Kodiak and the Scourge Desolator, two models I really liked for the get-go but was trying to resist buying anymore. :icon_lol:
GamesPoet:
I've heard it is a fun game. Except I have lots of those I'm working on already. :icon_wink: :icon_lol:
KTG17:
Well, I was so impressed with Dropzone Commander I got its sister game, Dropfleet Commander.
Whereas Dropzone Commander focuses on the local battle, Dropfleet Commander focuses on the orbital battle. Remember Andy Chambers? He co-wrote these rules.
So even though you are using space battle cruisers and all, the focus is not on destroying your opponent's fleet for example, but capturing objects on the surface of the planet. There are three layers of orbit that the ships can manoeuver in (high orbit, medium orbit, and low orbit), even though not all ships can go into low orbit. There are sectors on the surface that have to be captured by landing troops on the surface, so you have to position your troop carrying ships into position under the cover of your gunships. You track a lot of the information about the ships on their bases. These ships can also deploy fighters and bombers too and I bought an expansion set for the 3D models as opposed to using counters.
Anyway, really impressed so far with the quality of the games, the contents, and the models. I can't say that I love all the factions though, and that might be a thing that keeps the universe from expanding, but sticking close to what comes in both starters is really rewarding.
If Hawk Wargames had produced a third game before selling itself to TTCombat, I would buy it.
KTG17:
Adding a link here to an open box review of Dropfleet Commander with the game designer.
https://youtu.be/2u6lzTpwLxc
It’s really a flawless starter set.
This game and Dropzone have really ruined my other hobbies at the moment.
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