tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1448296907784874327.post343772611288172119..comments2024-03-27T07:28:18.776+00:00Comments on Frontline Gamer: Games that currently intrigue me: Heavy Gaer BlitzFrontline Gamerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09110901356802705087noreply@blogger.comBlogger49125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1448296907784874327.post-24400336298005820062012-01-22T23:01:09.407+00:002012-01-22T23:01:09.407+00:00Yeah I've been told the average game is betwee...Yeah I've been told the average game is between 1000 to 1500 TV by a few peeps now. I'm sold on NuCoal, and I know there's a friend is very, very keen on the South, another looking at PRDF and a third now looking that Black Talon. Sooooooo close, just need that little push / shove and I think we'll have a Heavy Gear Blitz community here in the West Midlands in no time at all. So many gaming clubs and they're all so interlinked that this stuff snow balls eventually. I've seen some Mech a few weeks back and I love them. Ah well I guess I'd better see how much lungs are going for on the black market now.Frontline Gamerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09110901356802705087noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1448296907784874327.post-72635548013863446122012-01-22T22:53:16.543+00:002012-01-22T22:53:16.543+00:00Still leafing through it. I've got another pot...Still leafing through it. I've got another potential convert today, so I'm up to 3 players who would consider taking the plunge IF I got an army. Beyond those we now have people saying if this core group of 4 get into the game and do demos that could snow ball round here to roughly 15 to 20 gamers in no time at all. So it looks like a lot of it is on my shoulders again to take the plunge and my 3 closest gaming mates who pretty much are my entourage now. :p <br /><br />Yeah I've got an entourage!!!Frontline Gamerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09110901356802705087noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1448296907784874327.post-24422632082801215052012-01-22T22:44:31.755+00:002012-01-22T22:44:31.755+00:00From what I've read, standard games are betwee...From what I've read, standard games are between 100-1500TV (points). A friend and started recently, and buying through the warstore (discounts!) we each now have a 1000TV force for about 100$. The models look great and come with a plethora of extra weapon options, but there were some mismolds...all I had to to rectify it was email dp9 customer service and bam! A few days later replacement parts showed up at my door. I too cringe at the cost of tanks, but guess what-you can easily build an army of just mechs! And the rules are awesome (if complicated). It reminds me a little of infinity and flames of war mashed together.dmgd_mindhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02706805251167517273noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1448296907784874327.post-77825947518085177242012-01-11T02:46:35.420+00:002012-01-11T02:46:35.420+00:00@FG, I totally understand the 'leaf through ru...@FG, I totally understand the 'leaf through rules' thing. I do that with a lot of games, if only because it's a fun mental exercise. <br /><br />The GP squad intro works well, with only a few exceptions: It's not terribly friendly to some of the factions. Black Talon's primary insertion unit, for example, with chew up and spit out every other GP squad... Similarly, The PAK and CEF (the two earth based forces) don't really have a GP analogue... But crafty and determined players could figure that out.False Mindhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18225419854554964283noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1448296907784874327.post-56329128531117382662012-01-10T09:50:06.959+00:002012-01-10T09:50:06.959+00:00@False Mind, thanks. I've been flicking throug...@False Mind, thanks. I've been flicking through the rules again and again recently. You know, just because. I really do like the look of them, and your advice about just buying a GP squad to start with seems like sound advice to me.Frontline Gamerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09110901356802705087noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1448296907784874327.post-2038051021301264662012-01-10T01:05:06.873+00:002012-01-10T01:05:06.873+00:00Heavy Gear Blitz is a fantastic game with the mos...Heavy Gear Blitz is a fantastic game with the most amazing and developed electronics warfare element I have ever seen. Sometimes jamming a command or getting that key communication through is as important as making that lucky kill shot, or positioning your army. The game as a whole, in my opinion, very efficient in terms of cost against most games on the market. It's start up cost isn't gentle if you're looking at the 'army starter' boxes, I'll admit: at 115 USD, they aren't just a casual buy, but they are well worth the cost. <br /><br />I would consider a solid starting position to be just buying a GP squad. Every player picks up the GP squad of his 'i like that' faction, builds 5 gears and puts in 2 weapon upgrades... Bam. You all have spent 45 USD on well balanced training armies that will give you all a strong feeling of how the game plays. I can't emphasize how well balanced the GP squads are right out of the box: Much more so than some games 'starter' boxes are.<br /><br />The army starters are a good deal, definitely, but they make a better buy for someone who is satisfied with the rules and ready to dive in. Buying a GP squad is quick, simple, and uncomplicated. Fire support and strike squads (which come in the starters) have a great number of options that are daunting for newer players, I would think. But, once you have a GP squad, then you can get a starter, and those three squads (general purpose, fire support and strike) create a core army that is flexible and powerful!False Mindhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18225419854554964283noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1448296907784874327.post-4218935643105546092012-01-05T19:27:40.653+00:002012-01-05T19:27:40.653+00:00Also like to say that I had an email off of John N...Also like to say that I had an email off of John Nguyen from Dream Pod 9 today and he was very helpful indeed. Unfortunately, he's made me want to work harder at getting others interested in the game. So I'd better get a job soon hadn't I? Come on somebody has got to want to employ a tall leggy blonde!!!Frontline Gamerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09110901356802705087noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1448296907784874327.post-53209742975677337072012-01-05T19:23:28.365+00:002012-01-05T19:23:28.365+00:00@The Angry Lurker, couldn't you just give me s...@The Angry Lurker, couldn't you just give me some of your followers. Hate to say it buddy but having 900 just seems a little bit greedy to me!!! :P Thanks for the advice. Not sure I'm ready to do the whole blog pimping thing though!<br /><br />@IceRaptor, again Thanks. That's really, really helpful stuff. You get a thumbs up from me... obviously though you can't see it because this is the Internet. Stupid Internet.Frontline Gamerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09110901356802705087noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1448296907784874327.post-75212191119221297832012-01-05T18:49:30.480+00:002012-01-05T18:49:30.480+00:00@Ishibi For NuCoal, you need the "Field Manua...@Ishibi For NuCoal, you need the "Field Manual" (all the rules), plus "The Perfect Storm" (NuCoal army list). Beyond that you should be good. The same is true of the PAK list, which is an separate but similar list to NuCoal, and is in the same book (TPS).IceRaptorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16034880001462386488noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1448296907784874327.post-7181381634811988442012-01-05T17:30:30.233+00:002012-01-05T17:30:30.233+00:00So assuming you say want to play something like nu...So assuming you say want to play something like nucoal which books do you need?Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00667633028740842556noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1448296907784874327.post-6260836261862261262012-01-05T14:12:07.974+00:002012-01-05T14:12:07.974+00:00@FG NuCoal is a good force in most ways; they get ...@FG NuCoal is a good force in most ways; they get very fast 'Hover' Gears, good scouts, and many vehicle options. They also have interesting infantry and options to do mixed combat groups (e.g. add infantry to a Gear group). They are however a newer style of army construction with fewer weapon upgrades; this might put them at a slight competitive disadvantage but I've not going in that many GA games (instead of playtests) with them to know for sure. They do however combine every aesthetic from all the lines; they get Hover Gears, tanks and vehicles from the CEF / PAK forces, 'big mecha' (the Hussar) from the PRDF and lots of normal troopers when compared against the North and South factions. <br /><br />As far as starter armies, I don't think they have a bundle out there yet that's in the £80 range; they do have a 'super-bundle' but that's nearly $300 USD through the DP9 online store only. Until I see what they get in terms of an army bundle I can't say for sure if it's a good start or not. But do note that most army bundles are essentially a strike group and fire support group put together; you just wouldn't get the rulebooks, which would be a pain. <br /><br />If you like the aesthetic, NuCoal can certainly work for you. There are fewer 'swarm' options available, but you get some decent flexibility in terms of what you can bring that opens up lots of different tactics. You could start with Gears and quickly add light Hovertanks (the Fusilier) to change your gameplan entirely, for a nominal addition to your army. <br /><br />If you want to know specifics, let me know!IceRaptorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16034880001462386488noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1448296907784874327.post-4737995464012310312012-01-05T10:49:36.887+00:002012-01-05T10:49:36.887+00:00The more you comment on other blogs the more it se...The more you comment on other blogs the more it seems to help.......The Angry Lurkerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01227314379603418332noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1448296907784874327.post-79700969756967768952012-01-04T22:00:34.377+00:002012-01-04T22:00:34.377+00:00@IceRaptor, again all really useful stuff. I agree...@IceRaptor, again all really useful stuff. I agree to an extent about the ignorance tax with some games. But I haven't actually found it that bad with Infinity. I also think If I sat down with HGB I'd do OK at picking a force if I thought about it. I'll be honest I'd almost certainly be looking at NuCoal as my first force as I love the look of their Mecha. Any pointers on them as a force? Is the starter set any good for them?Frontline Gamerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09110901356802705087noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1448296907784874327.post-39246099436108518792012-01-04T18:22:07.368+00:002012-01-04T18:22:07.368+00:00One thing I will say, is that like Infinity you pr...One thing I will say, is that like Infinity you probably want to play a few games with proxies if possible to get a feel for the army 'type' that you like to play with. It has the same sort of ideals where you may end up liking a certain style of play but only figuring it out after sinking some cash in, and paying the ignorance tax. I really suggest people try a few games from demoers (if available) or try the rules out with proxied models to see exactly what sort of army people would like to build. Some people love tanks, some hate tanks while they love infantry. Even between Gears there's variation between chaff / elite and support / assault that can vary heavily depending on your local metagame. Again like Infinity; lots of heavy weapons tend to make Camo be more important, but if you don't have alot, Camo tends not be around as much either. At least, in my (admittedly) very limited experience with Infinity.IceRaptorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16034880001462386488noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1448296907784874327.post-75624399386060967832012-01-04T17:24:45.274+00:002012-01-04T17:24:45.274+00:00@FG will do. We are discussing entry point at the ...@FG will do. We are discussing entry point at the moment we can go for the Starter set to have a taste or jump straight in.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00667633028740842556noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1448296907784874327.post-69740373972861794582012-01-04T17:17:01.406+00:002012-01-04T17:17:01.406+00:00@Ishibei, you know me...
Frontline Gamer pimping ...@Ishibei, you know me...<br /><br />Frontline Gamer pimping toy soldier crack to unsuspecting gamers since 2011. <br /><br />Seems that I've caused one or two others to take a look at the game again. That was and is the aim of these articles if I'm honest. If it helps a few gamers get their gaming fix off of something new then my work here is done. :)<br /><br />Let us know how it goes though if you do start playing it!Frontline Gamerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09110901356802705087noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1448296907784874327.post-31905597553780474412012-01-04T17:11:58.975+00:002012-01-04T17:11:58.975+00:00@FG It was all in jest i am actually extremely hap...@FG It was all in jest i am actually extremely happy a friend is interested means i will have someone to play with and if hes involved i can get 2 more and thats my whole Dystopian wars group in :)Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00667633028740842556noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1448296907784874327.post-19999107140186852052012-01-04T16:42:54.874+00:002012-01-04T16:42:54.874+00:00@MiniGeek, here in the UK Heavy Gear isn't che...@MiniGeek, here in the UK Heavy Gear isn't cheaper than Infinity, Warmachine or Dark Age actually on a per miniature basis. I have checked it out. Not that that's the issue. Thanks for the info on the size of games you play though. I'll bear that in mind.<br /><br />@Ishibei, I know I'm sorry. You aren't the only person who has contacted me to have a whinge about me doing this series of articles!!! I've been warned that I better not do anymore... sadly I've got a fair few already planned.<br /><br />@IceRaptor, Thanks for taking the time to post such a useful and thorough response. Don't worry about going fanboi either. I 'd much rather hear from somebody who is passionate about their hobby than not. I try to keep things on an even keel myself... but I know sometimes I can come across all insane rabid fanboi because I love toy soldiers too much!!! lol.<br /><br />@Martin, thanks for the link to the army builder I'll have a fiddle around with it cheers.Frontline Gamerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09110901356802705087noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1448296907784874327.post-47145167746182020892012-01-04T16:27:38.769+00:002012-01-04T16:27:38.769+00:00Just noticed that no one has mentioned Gear Garage...Just noticed that no one has mentioned <a href="http://www.dp9.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=241&Itemid=242" rel="nofollow">Gear Garage</a> yet. It's an army builder program that's available to download for free from dp9.com. It's not as flashy as, say, DevilTeam's Infinity software but it certainly gets the job done. And with all the different equpment options available it's a big help!Martinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14273617095134919455noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1448296907784874327.post-91384460415305171112012-01-04T14:30:49.534+00:002012-01-04T14:30:49.534+00:00Greetings all. Martin posted about this blog entr...Greetings all. Martin posted about this blog entry on the DP9 forums (www.dp9forums.com) and I figured I'd wander over and see if I could clarify some things. I'm not a DP9 official, just a fan, though I do run demos for them from time to time. I'm also an inveterate wargamer that dabbles in many different games, so if you'd like I can break down how HGB compares to Warmachine / Infinity / Fow / 40k / etc.<br /><br />First the cost, since it seems to be the most prevalent issue. Most games of HGB sit at the 800 to 1000 TV mark; that's roughly between 10-20 models. Tanks and Infantry (both of which play a significant role) can skew those numbers quite a bit; at 800 TV you could field 6 Gears and 1 Heavy Tank and that would be your whole force. Similarly 5 Gears and an Infantry section with transport would be in the rough ballpark. However, certain armies can easily get 30+ models at the 800 TV mark, whereas others might be able to get by with as few as 5-6. Going from the Wayland Games page, that looks to be in the £100-£120 range, give or take. The downside to that is that Gears tend to be the nicest looking models, whereas tanks and infantry are only 'eh' - so generally expect most players to want to field about 10-15 models at 800 TV, which is a starter box (£78 from Wayland) plus one more 'box' which will probably be in the £40 range. That compares favorably to Warmachine, but not to the other games you mention earlier. HGB is certainly positioned to be best savored at higher than skirmish scale engagements, unlike Mercs, Dark Ages, Relic Knights, etc - so that accounts for some of the cost. <br /><br />As for the rulebooks, that's a weakpoint, most certainly. Unlike most other games they are trying to evolve as they go, which has led to a less consistent product line (in respect to the books) than I would have liked. They also seem to be positioning more for the PDF space rather than the print copy space, with many add-ons in their PDFs (indexed search, etc) that you don't get in the print copy. But yes - compared to their competitors their books lack some polish. The Perfect Storm books was just released has many elements of that polish, but has a pretty steep price of $55 USD. <br /><br />However, the game does combined arms really well, balances giant robot combat pretty well, and has electronic warfare and other elements like in Infinity but at in a *slightly* simpler, easier to play format. <br /><br />If you have specific questions feel free to ask. I've played HGB since it's inception and know lots of information about the army construction. I'll try to be balanced and not go too fanboi as well.<br /><br />Thanks!IceRaptorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16034880001462386488noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1448296907784874327.post-71067713472796345472012-01-04T12:30:01.986+00:002012-01-04T12:30:01.986+00:00FG what did you do, a friend just mailed me "...FG what did you do, a friend just mailed me "did you see fg latest post, i always loved heavy gear we should start playing." <br /><br />Can someone advise whats the smallest table size you can play heavy gear assuming we are playing small gamesAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00667633028740842556noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1448296907784874327.post-17815116617383508282012-01-04T11:30:27.276+00:002012-01-04T11:30:27.276+00:00The game plays well at any point value. Depending...The game plays well at any point value. Depending on your player group, the size of the games can be shifted up or down. We have regular play locally on Thursday nights. We have found that 750 point games fit well in that time slot. I am planning a 750 point tournament for later this month. When I starteed running demos in this area, there was one guy who had some stuff but that was it. He was not a staple to the FLGS with regularity. I started running demos and now I have 5-6 regular players and another 4-5 that are not regular. We seem to be gaiing some each month as well. <br />On the priceing issue, keep in mind that you get a squad for $35-55 USD. The average GW squad is $35 USD. In HG, 3-4 'squads' is average. Some may have more, some may have less. A MILICIA army may have a ton more models but at the same time, with the Black Talons, you can field 1000 points in 5 models. If you look at it on a per model cost, it is still cheaper than Infinity and Privateer Press and is pretty much on par with Dark Age IIRC.MiniGeekhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12672786394589010562noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1448296907784874327.post-79797079463640094652012-01-04T10:34:22.357+00:002012-01-04T10:34:22.357+00:00@marjedi, will you look at that!!! How very funny....@marjedi, will you look at that!!! How very funny. Those are 3 of the games that really, really interested me. Two of them I now have stuff for / have on pre-order... can you guess which ones? lol.<br /><br />@MiniGeek, thanks again for taking the time to comment like the colour Kiwi. It is really appreciated, genuinely it is. I have to say as somebody who has spent 27 years of 32 years on this planet being involved in playing wargames I was very impressed with the rules of Heavy Gear Blitz. Hand of Heart after I'd finished reading them I went out to try to drum up support for it. The perception of it being an expensive game though is a very strong one, almost debilitatingly so. However if what you are saying is that these starter sets get you to the average game size of circa 750points then that's interesting. I'd been told average games were 1250 to 1500 points. Double what you've said or almost double.<br /><br />If that's the case then I guess Dream Pod 9 need to call their 'starter sets' something different 'army deals' being a good name!!! lol. And actually release starter sets that are a lot cheaper to entice people in. Also list in points value what you get in their current starter deals on their website and how this fits in with average games. Their website layout is dire.Frontline Gamerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09110901356802705087noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1448296907784874327.post-58038234631243095672012-01-04T00:23:38.075+00:002012-01-04T00:23:38.075+00:00Hey- I found this and thought I would chime in wit...Hey- I found this and thought I would chime in with some comments. While the cost of a starter does seem high, the 'normal' game size my group plays at is 750 points. Any of the starters will get you to that point or close to it. Costs may seem high, but it a fairly low model count. The tanks you referenced that were very expensive will typically be fielded as a stand alone model. I have 4 armies at this point and I don't feel cheated in the least bit on the costs. Heavy Gear Blitz is one of the best balanced games I have ever seen. I have yet to see the 'I am king and can't be killed' model or combination.MiniGeekhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12672786394589010562noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1448296907784874327.post-32233462970585680172012-01-03T23:42:05.638+00:002012-01-03T23:42:05.638+00:00From the list of games you have put in one of the ...From the list of games you have put in one of the comments the following have me veeery interested, mostly cause they have alot of....uhhhhh nice minis<br /><br />Dark Age - awesome faction designs<br /><br />Dust Warfare - walking ww2 tanks....whats not to love<br /><br />Bushido - well heck the name sais it allmarjedihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16968221193511634885noreply@blogger.com