Post by Fadril Adren on Apr 16, 2015 22:42:53 GMT -5
By CoH Link to ConClave of Har's Hobby Review Page
Enter the Storm Zone - Firestorm Armada
Recently Spartan Games released the second edition of its popular space combat game Firestorm Armada with the release of a new rulebook, a two player starter set and a series of newly sculpted patrol starter fleets for the six major powers in the Storm Zone war. I picked up the rulebook for a browse but ended up also picking up another fleet (I already own a starter for the Rense System Navy) in the form of The Directorate to stake my claim to the riches of the Storm Zone.
What is Firestorm Armada?
Firestorm Armada was the second game Spartan Games released after Uncharted Seas and used the same exploding dice mechanic that had debuted with that game and which was later used again in Spartan’s steampunk game Dystopian Wars. All three games share the same basic mechanics, fleets of large vessels manoeuvre about a game board bringing their different weaponry to bear on the enemy with the intention of victory but differ in ways dictated by their setting.
As Firestorm Armada is set in space the rules have been tweaked to represent the conventions of spaceship combat. Fighting in a three dimensional environment means that other models do not block lines of sight though planetoids or asteroid fields still do, swarms of fighter craft fly in formations to protect their carrier or seek out targets of opportunity, damaged ships spool up their fold space drives in attempts to escape rather than be destroyed totally, ships roll in order to bring their active weapon systems to bear and face damaged sections away from incoming fire as there is no ‘up’ in space!
The Dindrenzi score a direct hit against the Sorylians
Each ship in a fleet has its own role but each ship also has a plethora of weapons to bring to the field. Ships of the line carry broadsides, turrets and torpedoes that sport a variety of weaponry with their own special effects; primary, beam, kinetic, scatter and nuclear. These different weapon types mean there is more than one way to cripple an enemy ship and offer up a choice of tactical options. Do you destroy it utterly or kill its crew so you can capture it as a prize?
As well as the big guns ships have secondary systems geared towards attack and defence. Players can launch boarding assaults against enemy ships in an effort to cripple, destroy or capture them. Banks of point defence turrets co-ordinate overlapping firing patterns to intercept incoming torpedoes. Some ships drop AI driven mines that latch on to passing vessels that do not broadcast the correct IFF signal. Sophisticated computer systems launch electronic cyber-attacks to cripple enemy ship systems. All these add layers of options to a fleet admiral and allow for more interesting battles.
In order to win a game a commander must accumulate the better score on his or hers Battle Log. This is a slider with a series of positive and negative scores on it. Starting at zero each player moves their log marker up and down the scale dependent upon what happens in the game. Destroying an enemy vessel will allow you to move up the scale whilst losing your own vessels moves you down the scale. These are the most obvious ways to score or lose Log points but there are many different ways to move the Log marker. At the end of a game players compare their scores and work out the difference to see what margin of victory if any has been won.
The Setting
15,000 years previously Mankind launched its first serious forays into the stellar void. In that time Humanity built a mighty empire to rival that of any of the alien civilisations that were encountered. Wars of first contact were fought but either through victory or negotiation Mankind maintained its grip on the territories it had colonised and even expanded its holdings; forming amiable relationships with two of the more powerful interstellar civilisations, the diverse Aquan Sebrutan and reptilian Sorylian Collective.
Vast Kedorian vessels test their might against an advanced Aquan fleet.
Eventually mankind spread itself too thinly and descent erupted in its outer colonies. One man, Ignatius Rense, Governor of the planet Damos, rebelled against Terran rule which he perceived as overbearing. Although Terra was victorious in the First Succession War its grip on power was weakened. Several large corporations purchased their freedom from central rule and carved out their own stellar holdings, using their arms manufacturing facilities as leverage in negotiation. Once free these corporations pooled their resources becoming The Directorate and soon allied themselves with the wealthiest colonies in the Outer Reach.
The fires of rebellion had not been entirely put out however as Ignatius Rense’s grandson Markus declared the beginning of the Second Succession War that was to grind on until the Terrans annihilated the secessionist capital world Dramos in a nuclear apocalypse. Enraged by this the rebels and Terrans fought each other to a standstill and terms were reached. The Outer Reach colonies won their independence and a new nation was born, the Dindrenzi Federation.
A Ryushi carrier with its attack wings visible through its atmospheric integrity shield.
Races
Decades after this tentative peace was achieved war begins again. The instigators of the war, the Dindrenzi Federation have put aside their xenophobic tendencies to form the Zenian League. Acting on their paranoia that the Terran Alliance will never let them live free for long they have allied, with the spider-like Relthoza, the devious Kedorians, the fierce Ba’Kash Clans and the militaristic Illosians who are out for revenge against their former home the Aquan Sebrutan. Directing this coalition of tenuous allies is The Directorate, the shadowy corporate empire who stands to profit well from arms sales to the various parties involved.
Arrayed against them is the Kurak Alliance led by the Terran Alliance and bolstered by the advanced forces of the Aquan Sebrutan and stoic navy of the Sorylian Collective. They are supported by the avian Xelocians who flock to the strength of the Alliance for protection from Zenian League pirates. Driven from their home worlds the Ryushi seek vengeance and a way to return to their ancestral home. Even former enemies have found a place in the Alliance, the Veydreth are a centauroid race who once plagued human colonies before joining against the Dindrenzi for glory and adventures sake. The mysterious Tarakians have even sent delegations from their secretive fortress worlds, seeing the approach of war as a threat to their eternal watch for something they do not share the knowledge of with outsiders.
The Terran Alliance takes to war in new ship designs a match for any in the Zenian League.
So the scene is set for clashes amongst the stars. There are plenty of releases coming for Firestorm Armada with new fleet expansions for the 6 major players as well as fleet manuals and eventually expansions to deal with their numerous other allies and unaligned marauders within the Storm Zone. I have my fleet and some allies which I will be getting painted up to go so they can start filling space with the debris fields of my enemies!