Starting Zone Woes

[RobWeaver]

The classic old wargamer's response is that those units not deployed at the beginning of the game spend their first movement point marching onto the battlefield in the starting zone. I'd be careful about expanding the starting zome too much. A space or 2, OK. I'd even be cool with giving you enough hexes to deploy one more squad if that's all you had that wouldn't fit. More than that, though, and you're running into a very real tactical problem: How do you get your mass to the point of decision on the battlefield? Giving you more space to deploy just shortcircuits what could be a very interesting puzzle.

[bpwwrestling]

My friends and I do the starting areas a bit differently when we play. We do our best to make a symmetrical map and then just divide it in half (or thirds, quarters, etc.). Once the technical line is drawn as to what side starts where, then we roll the dice and the highest number gets to pick which side they want. If there are any limitations on where you can't place figures (such as on or in a castle), they are mentioned prior to the roll.

[Rÿchean]

Originally Posted by Blackrock

......but unless they're zombies that's a real thorn in the side;

For Marro Warriors and Zombies, if they do not start the game on the battlefield they are not in play and are never in play during that game. (unless you are house ruling something) You can't clone back or rise again a unit that was never there in the first place. If you had to eat a marro or zombie to squeeze into the start zones, the units that did not make it on the board are not in play for that game.

Originally Posted by Blackrock

....it doesn't seem fair to have to off your own men at the start just because there's so many of them. If it fits within 500 points, it's fair! Isn't it?

I don't know if it is fair or not, you might ask Hasbro since it is their rule. Is it ok there to spill over? Nope, sure isn't. Again, house rule if you need to. Start Zone restrictions are very real and very necessary especially in tournament settings.

[tvar]

If you sacrifice, say, a 4th Massachusetts Line guy, and you have several squads in your army, do you still need to destroy 4 to have killed the first whole squad, or do you only need to kill 3? Basically, which squad is considered to be short-handed, the first squad killed or the last one killed?

[Blackrock]

Originally Posted by Rÿchean

For Marro Warriors and Zombies, if they do not start the game on the battlefield they are not in play and are never in play during that game. (unless you are house ruling something) You can't clone back or rise again a unit that was never there in the first place. If you had to eat a marro or zombie to squeeze into the start zones, the units that did not make it on the board are not in play for that game.

I don't know if it is fair or not, you might ask Hasbro since it is their rule. Is it ok there to spill over? Nope, sure isn't. Again, house rule if you need to. Start Zone restrictions are very real and very necessary especially in tournament settings.

Thanks for clearing that up, I was considering said zombies previously destroyed In a way it makes sense, since you're really just turning the corpse of your victim into a zombie, but from a technical stand-point I can see the rule's purpose.

[LongHeroscaper]

If I can play with unlimited starting zone, I'll play with 10 squads of Rats and KMA, or 8 sets of Rats and KMA+ Old Raelin, or 8 sets of Rats and Q9.

[Revdyer]

Originally Posted by LongHeroscaper

If I can play with unlimited starting zone, I'll play with 10 squads of Rats and KMA, or 8 sets of Rats and KMA+ Old Raelin, or 8 sets of Rats and Q9.

And the game will take fourteen hours or so! <laughing>

[Rÿchean]

Originally Posted by tvar

If you sacrifice, say, a 4th Massachusetts Line guy, and you have several squads in your army, do you still need to destroy 4 to have killed the first whole squad, or do you only need to kill 3? Basically, which squad is considered to be short-handed, the first squad killed or the last one killed?

That is an interesting question. I am not sure of what the official answer here would be but I would say that the first card's worth would be short.

In other words, if your opponent is having to eat a figure to start the game they are already behind.

[Jexik]

Originally Posted by Rÿchean

That is an interesting question. I am not sure of what the official answer here would be but I would say that the first card's worth would be short.

In other words, if your opponent is having to eat a figure to start the game they are already behind.

I'd agree with this interpretation. Almost every scenario I've ever read says to count the number of points on the battlefield. If three 4th Mass died, and there's one that never made it to the fight, that's a whole dead squad.

[InfinityMax]

Blackrock, I'm a huge fan of squads, and that 24-space limit has always chapped my butt. I often have to include some expensive heroes in my armies simply because I don't have enough room to build what I want. In my opinion, if the game lets me have 30 orcs, I want 30 orcs.

But I'm kind of in the minority on that, and since I have a lot of respect for the guys I play, and many of them are some of the best friends I have, I don't tend to make it a big deal. But I sure would like to overturn that starting zone restriction.

[Jexik]

Originally Posted by InfinityMax

I'm a huge fan of squads, and that 24-space limit has always chapped my butt. I often have to include some expensive heroes in my armies simply because I don't have enough room to build what I want. In my opinion, if the game lets me have 30 orcs, I want 30 orcs.

Originally Posted by InfinityMax

But I'm kind of in the minority on that...*snip*

Add one more to the list!

The only bad thing in my mind about tons of squads is that it lengthens games. Just roll your dice faster to make up for it.

For some of my lame thoughts on this: go here.

[MechaBeast]

Rats x 11
Dead Eye Dan

500pts in only 45 spaces


Edit: Maybe the starting zone limit is to ensure there is HEROES in Heroscape