Dropzone Commander: The UCM Needs You!
3 Minute Read
Sep 4 2014
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What is Dropzone Commander? Keep reading to find out; if you aren’t playing, you should be!
Dropzone Commander is a 10mm scale tabletop game, produced by Hawk Wargames. It pitches two or more players into a battle of fast-moving armies that seek to accomplish missions across the battlefields of a not-too-distant future. Dropships are the name of the game, with the various factions using fleets of aircraft to quickly deploy forces into the thick of the action.
I’ve always been skeptical about trying new things, and Dropzone was no exception. When I first heard about the game I wanted to give it a shot, but I was also leery about dropping money on a game system I knew almost nothing about. Luckily, some friends made the plunge and purchased the two-player starter set. Within a few weeks they brought it down for our regular gaming session, and we were quickly embroiled in the war between the United Colonies of Man and the insidious Scourge!
Some History
Dropzone Commander is set in the not-too-distant future, and mankind has been displaced from Earth by a terrible alien menace known as the Scourge. Leaving as refugees from their own planet, humanity is forced to make their existence on a group of new colony worlds. Known collectively as the United Colonies of Man (or UCM), these planets quickly begin building to retake their previous holdings. Other factions become involved along the way as humanity prepares to retake their homeworld; the alien Shaltari and the cyborg Post-Human Republic make appearances, and the Resistance fighters who were left behind Scourge lines also play a major role in the story.
These factions come together in the story as the Reconquest is set to begin, with alliances and enemies forming as the armies fall into place. The war for humanity’s birthplace is set to begin!
Give It a Try!
After one game with the starter set, I was ready to throw my disposable income at Hawk Wargames. The action in Dropzone moves very quickly, with players alternating between activations of battle groups. This means that none of the players are standing waiting for very long, and it adds a tactical element in considering what must be activated next. This combines for a very exciting game that almost always ends with a deciding moment in the final turn.
The sample mission is a good example. In this mission, each player comes on from the board edge, mounted in their dropships and speeding for the center. The objectives are hidden in three Buildings across the center of the table, and each side must get their Infantry into these structures to search for the objectives. Each marker successfully recovered is worth one point, and each marker that you manage to get off the table is worth two points.
While your Infantry are busily searching for objectives and trying to drive their counterparts off, anti-aircraft tanks prowl the streets, looking for dropships to destroy. If this happens your units can become stranded. When you consider that a Scourge medium dropship moves 24”, and a Scourge Warrior Horde (infantry) moves 2”, this can quickly become a problem!
Luckily, each side also includes a squadron of main battle tanks. These will seek to destroy one another, as well as hunting the AA tanks. This all works together to create a deadly game of cat and mouse, with units rapidly redeploying to deal with emerging threats. Nothing is safe, not even the Buildings themselves!
If you have never played Dropzone Commander, I urge you to give it a try. The story is fantastic, the factions are varied and well-balanced, and the gameplay is ultra-fast and loads of fun. Even if you never expand into the wider range of miniatures and rules, purchasing the economical two-player starter set is still worth the money. It comes with everything you need, and will provide loads of tabletop entertainment.
Have you given Dropzone a try? If so, what did you like/dislike about the game? Tell us all about your DzC experience in the comments below!
Also, join us over at Enter the Maelstrom for an eclectic mix of all things DzC and 40k!
Author: Randall Madden
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