Critical Engagement and Prizes galore

It's time to mobilise your forces

I promise, it's the last reminder about our upcoming tournament, Critical Engagement 2015! - But check out the prize pool!

OB Podcast Episode 6.5: MBT All Right With Me

It's time to settle down from the mania that was Salute and the revelations that revelated the DzC community. Some people may practise yoga, whereas others might have a lovely bubbly bubblybath to relax. Well allow us to provide an alternative:

Episode 6.5 of the podcast!

Salute 2015 – The Pictures

The almost completed 'Avenger' New Orleans Frigate

It may be late, but I told you they would be up tonight! My free evening was suddenly occupied when I transformed into a giant gorilla and stomped over downtown Manhattan in King of New York. I was beaten by a huge fish in an even bigger nineteen hundreds scuba suit. But that's by the by really.

I present to you beautiful people, Salute 2015 in all it's visual glory! (obviously picture heavy)

Salute 2015 – The News

Well, wow. Let me catch my breath for second. *Wheeze* Right, okay, I'm good.

What a day. What a great, knackering, exciting, debilitating, awesome day! At the risk of running cliché; it was the best Salute I have been to yet! If today was this good, I can only dream to think about how good the UK Games Expo will be!

But you don't care about that do you. You don't care about how I became the law in Judge Dredd, shouting in my gruffest voice I AM THE LAW at the gent demoing the game (my Dredd sounds a lot like Admiral Stone as it turns out). You don't really care that I tried to get a demo game of the new Spartan Halo game and because it was being run so inefficiently I walked off after 20 mins (FYI, basic simple boring rules system from what I saw). You don't even care about Captain 'Slippery' Pete, the Vaseline soaked sniper who navigated past a horde of zombies with some kind of golden box from Hitler's bedroom. No, all you care about is Hawk, Hawk, Hawk. You hunger for the information. In fact, I'm going to have to ask you to wipe away the anticipatory drool from your mouths; It is most un-fetching.

Salute 2015 – Live Twitter stream

As another year trundles by the next Salute is upon us, and quite frankly we can't wait; I'm putting us all into stasis to avoid waiting in fact. For those of you who don't know, Salute is the largest trade show in the UK, and will feature a huge assortment of stalls and participation games. I've been told that Salute in a way feels like home for Hawk, as Dropzone was first unveiled to the world at the show, hence why so many large releases have been dropped there!

Hawk will be back this year with some special treats for all (seriously, they are super special) and in order to bring this all to our loving community we will be live tweeting pictures, info and news all day! We have been invited down by Hawk to run some demo and exhibition games, so will be in a little early and able to take a few pictures before everyone is bum rushed by the crowds.

Our twitter is @OBDZC

So be sure to stay tuned in from around 9:30am this Saturday to be one of the first in the know!

If anyone doesn't happen to have/want a Twitter account we will pop together a post in the evening with all the pictures consolidated in for your viewing pleasure.

Critical Engagement 2015 – Sunday 3rd May

To kick start this week, here is another tasteless reminder about our upcoming tournament, Critical Engagement 2015!

The rules and mission pack are now live (compiled into one handy document) and can be found with the link below:

Critical Engagement 2015 rules and mission pack

It is a one day event taking place on Sunday 3^rd May, in Tolworth, London (further address details can be found in the pack). It will include three missions from the official rules pack, two of which have been tweaked ever so slightly to make them more viable for all races (amendments to missions also in the pack). Tickets are £10.

We will have some fabulous prizes to give away on the day, in the form of some lovely Blotz pieces and some surprise prizes sent over from Hawk Wargames!

We still have a few spaces left, and would love to see both familiar and new faces down for the day! Also, if you would like a demo game or just want to have a chat I will be refereeing, which really means lazing about and interrupting peoples games with witticisms and mocking remarks.

If you have any questions please send us message at obteamdzc@gmail.com, or simply comment below. Also we can answer short questions on our Twitter; @OBDZC.

Mission test: Recon+

For Critical Engagement 2015 we are running the following 3 missions:

• Recon+ 
• Ground Control+
• Secure the Flanks

The tournament (I hope) will have a more casual feel to it. Lots of friendly people playing friendly games. We are changing up the scoring system and the missions (a bit). Ground Control+ is exactly as GC but units can contest quarters too. It should make the mission more interesting. The big change is Recon.......

Best of Friends

Best of friends. Or an opportunistic photo taken
before the bear started it's dinner...

As Dropzone has grown and aged, much like a fine wine (I use this metaphor without being able to back it up, all wine tastes like sweet petrol to my unrefined pallet), the roads of choice have forked and had lanes added, tunnels of dilemma have grown and widened like sink holes, and appetisers and deserts added to the menu of DzC. First there was the second standard choices, which were then followed by a host of unique support, heavy and scout choices which nestled neatly into their respective races slots. The latest twigs to branch from the DzC tree are the new Commanders, which has given most races an entirely whole new spin on army selection! Maybe that metaphor should have been seeds sown in the garden of Dave and Simon... Hm. Or the latest sails on the good ship Commander.

Crap metaphors aside, there is one avenue which isn't looked upon very often, and that is the unique choice that Scourge and Resistance armies have access to; the second commander.

OB Podcast Episode 6: When Will I, Will I Be Famous?

In answer to the podcast name; I can't answer, I can't answer that. Well I can, but you won't like to hear it: probably never. A question I can answer however, is what is the next podcast about?! It's all about new commanders people!

This episode's recording was situated in Joe's fresh and surprisingly un-squeaky gimp palace, and for the first time in a while we have a full house! The group discuss the new commanders individually going through all aspects of the units, from likes and dislikes, to use within the army.

Total Air Supremacy

After a hard day killing off Phobos - time to jet off into the sunset

Whether you embrace the change with open arms or a clenched fist, it's happened. The UCM are now the best at something. No longer a 'jack-of-all-trades, masters of none' army. The secret (well, it's not really much of a secret) is in the skies. 

The UCM air force is spectacular, efficient and effective, but it takes a bit of practice to perfect.

There are 4 or 5 elements to owning the skies when creating a list. You can't just mish mash everything together and expect it to work.......this is not Shaltari.......

Twitter and Critical Engagement 2015

Although I know you all thirst for more ‘actual’ Dropzone posts (don’t worry, this weekend something will be up, and you have a new podcast next week!) I have two big announcements in the meanwhile!

  

First You Stalk, And Then You Slay. It's Scourge 101.

The true 'Other Guys'. Mark Whalberg may even be driving a Slayer, they are as average as he is

With the Tormentors tested, used in hope, sworn at vigerously, done, dusted, and thrown forcefully back into the bag, it is time for me to move onto the next couple of lesser used units in the Scourge army. Well, lesser used in Tolworth at any rate.

My next test; The Stalker and the Slayer. These are a couple of units that I have had my reservations about for a while, but the more I look at the rules, the more potential I see. Let's start with the Stalker.

Building in Style: War Mage Games

Creating a cityscape, and loving it

“DAN! What is all this wooden crap, and why does the lounge smell like TCP?!”

These were the cries of my wife the day I received the package from War Mage games. I had ripped open the battered cardboard box like an expectant child at Christmas, and filled the room with the obnoxious scent of burnt MDF. Man, that smell is like catnip to a wargamer.

Anyway, a little explanation first. After my loving reviews (rants really) regarding the 4Ground buildings, a chap at War Mage Games decided to contact us directly to ask if we would be interested in posting a review of his kits. Always in the search for great products to add to our warzones we happily accepted the offer, and now having received the buildings and put my own together, I am happy to be able to review a great product!