Dropzone Commander Factions: The Resistance

5 Minute Read

Oct 16 2014

With the basic book factions covered, it is time to move on to the Reconquest. The Resistance are live, and there is a score to settle!

When the Scourge launched their invasion of Earth and the Cradle Worlds, humanity was fragmented under the terrible assault. Many of the more intact elements made for the stars, forming the beginnings of the future UCM. Others were left behind, and humanity was no longer at the top of the food chain.

The Resistance eked out an existence in sewers and isolated areas, each group forming its own identity and way of life in the sudden absence of governing authority. Some groups maintained a quiet meager life, while others became subjects under tyrannical dictators. In all instances, there existence was one of continually hiding from the eyes of Earth’s new masters.

Fast forward one hundred and sixty years, and the Resistance has become known to the UCM as they begin their Reconquest. Some of the groups are eagerly working with the UCM to bring down the oppressive Scourge, while others are bitterly fighting to maintain their rough form of independence. As you can see, the Resistance is all across the spectrum when it comes to allegiance!

The Resistance rely on antiquated military units, painstakingly maintained over the years, and retrofitted civilian vehicles to do most of their fighting. Their units are very much veteran in status, meaning that they hit more often and hang around to keep fighting when others have lost the stomach. Theirs is an interesting faction, in that their allegiance and approach to war (Feral or Allied) changes some of their units and Command Cards. With that said, let’s jump into a generalization of their units. They’re too varied for anything other than a generalization!

The Technicals

A large portion of the Resistance’s military might consists of repurposed civilian vehicles. From pickup trucks to school buses, nothing is safe from these scavengers!

These vehicles have extremely low armor, limited countered range (in general), and average to slightly-above-average speed. However, they are cheap as chips. You will generally have three or four of them when compared to one enemy tank, meaning that you can swarm them across the board. Add to that their specialist transports (more on that later), and you have a fast-moving swarm of vehicles that are extremely difficult to knock out.

With that said, their limited armor and tight concentration on the battlefield means that they are extremely vulnerable to area-of-effect weaponry. Keep them protected and watch out for artillery, and they will give smaller, more “elite” units a difficult time in the mid-game.

The EAA Leftovers

The remainder of the Resistance’s fighting force is focused around the surviving Earth Administration Authority assets. These include the ponderous Hannibal, the powerful Zhukov, and the massive Alexander.

These assets are everything the technicals aren’t. They’re slow, powerful, and pack considerably devastating firepower. They are leftovers, however, so there aren’t near as many of them in operation. Whereas the Technicals are literally disposable, the EAA vehicles are maintained and protected as the precious, irreplaceable commodities that they are.

On the tabletop, these models are excellent bullies. Their Lifthawk Dropships mean they can survive to drop at the center of the table, and their own resilience makes sure they live to return fire! These units are true beasts, and you cannot understand their power until you watch an Alexander cut a damaged Ferrum in half with a single shot!

Their mix of traversable cannons and forward-only mounts allow them to multi-task, fighting flanking enemy forces with their turrets while they pummel enemy-held buildings with their hull cannons.

These units are slow, however, and therefore prone to ambush. They are resilient, but never make the mistake of thinking that they can weather anything. Keep them protected with Technical assets that can move to intercept attackers; a combined arms approach is key here.

A Different Breed of Transports

The biggest difference between the Resistance and other factions comes in the form of their transports. Whereas other races have easily identifiable small, medium, and large choices, the Resistance is somewhat more diverse. While they lack the smaller, faster airships to deliver infantry to the fray, they have access to ground-based skimmer ships, called Hovercraft. These vehicles couple some of the survivability of skimmers with an inordinate amount of Damage Points. Units can also give up their second Embark/Disembark move in order to fire that turn. This is an extremely useful aspect of their vehicles, giving them a very unique advantage.

However, being ground-based also opens them to anti-tank fire. While they have some protection against these attacks, it is imperative that they use cover on the approach to get where they need to be.

Added to these specialists is the Drill; it literally gives you the ability to drill onto the table wherever you would like, potentially bringing your assets up near the enemy’s weak support units. This can help relieve some serious pressure and give the Resistance an initiative advantage.

The only true dropship that the Resistance use is known as the Lifthawk. This thing is a true heavyweight, taking an absolute ton of punishment before crashing. Because of this survivability, heavy armor and infantry can be maneuvered to the center of the table and beyond. Most factions cannot be so sure of their transport’s survival, but with careful maneuver these beasts will almost always get you where you need to be.

Conclusion

The Resistance are a truly unique faction, bringing some very different approaches and styles to the table. Master their disparate elements and meld them into a cohesive fighting force, and you have a truly devastating potential at your fingertips.

In the crowds at Bell of Lost Souls, the Resistance are hiding, waiting for their moment. What say you rebels?

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Author: Randall Madden

Randall is an experienced tabletop wargamer with over a decade of experience. His specialty is Dropzone Commander. He began writing for BoLS in 2014.

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