Deployment

Things are progressing rapidly, so I thought I would post up and share how deployment and first round's Initiative is worked out.

6. Deployment

Deployment Areas are divided on each side of the board into six deployment zones which are numbered 1-6. On a 4x4 board, each zone is 6”x16”. On a 4x6 board, each zone is 6”x24”.

Standard Deployment Zones

Center of Board                      Area of Conflict
4	5	6
1	2	3

          Players Board Edge

There are two types of deployment options players can take: Standard or Forward Deployment.

6.1 Standard Deployment: If you choose a Standard Deployment, select three deployment zones, two of which must be on your long board edge. This gives you the option to select one of the forward deployment zones.

6.2 Forward Deployment: You may instead choose to take a chance to gain forward deployment zones within the Area of Conflict.

To do this, select one deployment zone 1-6 as your first zone and then roll 2d6 to determine up to two additional forward zones.

If any die roll is the same number as the first deployment zone you chose, then the dice roll is ignored and lost.

If either die roll is different than the zone chosen, add a +2 to the d6 result to determine your deployment zones.

This creates two new deployment zones, numbered 7 and 8 that are within the Area of Conflict that can be used if rolled.

Any duplicate die results are not re-rolled, resulting in the risks of attempting to push your deployment zones forward into the Area of Conflict.

Forward Deployment Zones

7		8
4	5	6
1	2	3

          Players Board Edge

Any board edge that is part of your deployment zone becomes a board edge through which your army and reserves can enter the board.

Forward Deployment can be a risky venture. If for any reason you do not have a deployment zone that gives you access to a table edge, all of your models must be deployed onto the board unless they are starting the game in reserve. Your reserve units must come in using the edges of Deployment Zone 1.

6.3 Determining Initiative for the First Game Round:

The numbers of each deployment zone (either chosen or rolled for) are used in determining which player has Initiative to begin the game. Each player adds up the numbers of his or her deployment zones, and the player with the lowest total number has Initiative heading into the first round of the game. Both players roll off on 1d6 if the totals are the same, and the higher goes result goes first.

Unlike further Game Rounds, Initiative cannot be challenged in the first Game Round.

Deploying your Forces

The player without Initiative declares and deploys his or her first squads. Players alternate deploying a number of squads onto the board, two squads at a time, until all models have been declared and deployed. If both players agree, they may set up simultaneously to save time.

When deploying you have two options: deploying your forces or declaring them as reserve.

6.4 Deployed Units: Deployed squads are placed either directly onto the board or are placed along the table edge of your deployment zones that they will be coming in from during the first Game Round.

Squads deployed onto the board start the game where they are deployed.

Squads placed along the board edge are not yet on the table for game purposes, but must move on the board from the deployment zone edge they are lined up on during the first Game Round. Squads ready to enter the board this way must do so at some point during the first Game Round.

6.5 Reserves. Up to half your squads can be put into reserves during deployment, and each squad rolls separately each round to enter the game.

Reserves are brought in on a die roll with a target number of 7+ under normal circumstances. During the Events Phase for the player, roll 1d6 for each unit and add the Game Round to this number.

If the result is a 7+, place the unit along any of the board edges inside your own deployment zones. This is where the unit will enter the board.

If a player is running reserves, he or she may choose one game round as their chosen reserve round. During that round, the highest level command in the player’s army on the table may be added to his or her die roll for all squads still in reserve.

The Chosen Game Round normally insures and increases the odds of that your squads will arrive on time. However, leaders being killed, or a very early chosen round can result in missed opportunities making reserves difficult to get into the game.

Any squads that enter the board from reserves must be activated first before their controlling player’s other units during the Game Round.

Any squad that has not entered the board after four Game Rounds does not make the battle and is considered a casualty for Kill Points or other game purposes. Battles happen fast, and delays or miscommunication or unlucky timing can quickly mean squads miss the entirety of the action.