AOA: Playing The New Factions

[chas]

In the NYCG4 thread (see my signature below) I have now also posted up how I'll be initially using the AOA bonus figures--the customs for the upgraded 5 SOTM Heroes (my versions) and the 7 Kyries (Anitar's versions). Check it out there. The custom cards are all in the Customs threads of this site section.

I've already played a couple of games with the SOTM Heroes: the four Good Guys vs Evil Raelin with some Marro forces on the AOA First Scenario map. This is now also briefly described on my local group signature thread.

This month I'll continue to use the eight AOA Faction armies (600 Points each) I made up and played with Taeblewalker in games with more than 2 Players. These are posted, along with photos and commentary, in my signature thread. Later on I'll be considering all Scape cards for army building along with the 51 AOA cards now available.

[chas]

I'm continuing to integrate my new AOA cards and proxy figures into our games. We have two dates to use the eight armies I've posted on my signature NYCG4 thread. We'll be using them in combo armies with other Classic and Custom cards in February and March for the first time. Our most intense army buildier, Kolakoski, will allow for such mixed armies in his March game. See his Blog for his scenario.

Since I'm getting little feedback on this thread, and I'm used to posting there the details of what my local group is doing, I refer you again to my signature thread for many more details, photos, etc.

[chas]

As a final touch to my AOA games, I have now posted up my Draft Rule For Illusory Walls. This is a Scenario Rule. It is a formalization of the Avalon Hill description during the offering period on an online discussion. You can find it here (Scroll Down):

https://www.heroscapers.com/communit...40#post2553140

What do you think?

[chas]

I've now played four more AOA games with Thrasher Darkrai (a new member of our local group). See the descriptions and photos on my signature thread (as usual). These games include our first use of Illusory Walls. I got to play all the other AOA cards I hadn't used yet! Coming up later in the month will be my first AOA games with more than two players.

These last games were played on my AOA Mirror map. It was free built, based on the Haslab Offering Display Photo but changed to make a balanced battlefield. So I've now put in everything offered by Avalon Hill and The War Council that was revealed to us during the offering period last Fall (and some cards that were not) except the 7 Kyries! Wow.

Some of TD and my commentary describe how we used the AOA Faction Armies I'd posted previously. So far I'm having a great time--even if I've lost 7 of the 8 AOA games I've played so far! Well, another was very close.

On January 25 I expect to be facing Taeblewalker, Kolakoski, and anyone else who can be there!

[chas]

Next month the floodgates will be open! I will remove my artificial requirements to only use the eight "playtest" AOA armies I made up for our games, so that we could get as many of the AOA cards as possible out on the table quickly. Almost all of us will have played at least some of them by then.

We will then fully integrate AOA into the rest of Classic and Custom Scape (except Supers). Kolakoski and Thrasher Darkrai are already contemplating playing such "combo" armies. While I've bee busy providing the physical components to play AOA, they've been forging ahead in considering the best synergies for "combo" armies.

It will be interesting to see what they and the others come up with for sure.

[chas]

Had two more games with the AOA cards, a map based on the Haslab Display Photo, and even the 7 Kyrie by Anitar. These were 3 Player games; the first with more than 2 Players, and the second session with my Illusory Walls rules. For details see my signature thread!

While I don't plan on changing the cards any (except perhaps my own customs; I just made a work change on my Zed Nesbitt), I'll mention any discussion we have about using the cards as such. One of my pals did criticize one of the cards, but that's a can of worms I don't want to open for now, unless its done here by group.

[Myriadite]

How have the Vorid Glide Strikers been working out? Do you find that your custom Zed Nesbitt is a must in terms of mobilizing them?

[chas]

Pretty much so far. Although both times I or Sherman Davies used them they had my Zed, so I don't know how it is to put them out only one at a time.

They are much weaker than the old Airborne Elite, but good shooters--they put a couple of wounds on my Brood Queen! I specifically limited Zed's Tow power to take a turn dropping them and doing nothing else, for the bump he gives them in dropping the entire squad at once! When I was playing Zed, I found it difficult to do so, since you have to get to the drop zone a turn before you drop them, and by the time you do the situation may have changed. But I meant it to be a tricky maneuver.

I was actually towed in a Glider one time.

Its great to be finally able to talk specifics about the new cards, having played them all. But "once is not enough" to make any but preliminary remarks. I look forward to further games with AOA units.

[chas]

We've now integrated AOA into our regular Scape games. We just held a game by Sherman Davies which did not allow them. However, our March game will include them. This is the first game run by someone other than myself which rules them in! And its a pirate themed game, in which Kolakoski for already posted an AOA Pirate faction army. We're only allowing one each of any AOA card in any one game. This scenario is a variant of others he's run, including movable longboats and a treasure chest which is the victory condition if you get it back to your boat!

Check out my signature thread later on for a description of this March 18 game.

I'm surprised to see that no one else onsite has described any AOA play. We here assume people are still amassing more proper proxies for some. Thrasher Darkrai, who is still actively collecting Scape figures, brought the new VC dragon to show off, and even had a very impressive 3D Printed mini for the AOA Brood Empress. Photos of them both were taken and should appear soon in my thread (one easy click away down below). None of the rest of us old fogies have used this technology yet, so this was the first 3D print to appear on our table here at The Game Palace.

Excelsior! ("Ever Upward," the New York State Motto, as popularized by the late Stan Lee).

[chas]

The two games went well in terms of integrating old and new Scape characters. Kolakoski was the only one using AOA units in the 4 Player game. He used some pirates, some bears, and the version of Shiori by Anitar rather than my own, one which I hadn't gotten to the table yet. I used the new VC Star Lich and Gold Dragon in different armies; it was also their first time on our table. For details see our NYCG4 thread down in my signature.

[Tauros105]

Played a couple games with my lovely girlfriend yesterday. In the first one she had the glide strikers, xenithrax, and tuck harrigan vs my monks X2, agent carr, and the tarn. Xenthrax really struggles without some sort of screen and the strikers have a really tough time early game coming out without getting sniped. Tuck didn't come out till like round 5. I also think that its pretty easy to keep your squaddies separated to prevent a strong xenithrax attack if you only have a couple. Game 2 she had rats X4, raelin, Q9, and the glide striders again against my Scavorith, hellforge, and iron lich. I loved this matchup. My eiseneks each really got to show off their abilities against this team. I think I made some decisions early that cost me the game, but it was not an unwinnable matchup to be honest. Part of my loss was just getting outplayed lol. Both mostly AOA teams lost, but that might be an issue with neither of us knowing how to play them well. I think eiseneks are solid A- and have decent matchups against some traditional "cheese".

[chas]

The New York City Gang of Four continues our regular monthly Scaping, now including AOA cards for most of our custom scenarios as well as all the Classics and Customs. Check out the latest, THE CHAS ROAD RALLY, being played as a 5 Player this Saturday, right down in my signature thread. The armies include 3 AOA fan custom Cards, two by Anitar and one by me.