Monsterpocalypse: City Planning in Destructive Times – Part 2
We’re finishing our reviews of the initial Monsterpocalypse buildings! In this article we look at the Skyscraper, Power Plant and Downtown Highrise. How should you integrate them into your city?
Last article we covered the Corporate HQ, Communications Array and Industrial Complex buildings. Today we’re continuing our city planning with 3 more buildings; the Skyscraper, Power Plant and Downtown Highrise. Like the others, these buildings are ready to go right out of the box, so you can pick them up on game night and use them right away. Let’s review the rules for each building and talk about where you might want to place them at the start of the game.
Skyscraper, Power Plant and Downtown Highrise
Building Basics
In case you missed the last article, here are the building basics again.
In Monsterpocalypse, buildings are part of the forces you bring to the table. Each players brings 6 – 12 buildings and before the game starts you take turns placing buildings to construct the city. Every building has an ability that you gain/benefit from when you secure it. Also, just because you bring the building, doesn’t make it automatically yours during the game. The player who secures it by having 3 adjacent units gets the benefit.
The starter box comes with 6 apartment buildings which is all you need to play with, however they don’t provide any special benefits during the game.
Skyscraper
- Discount – When securing this building you can reduce the cost of spawning a unit by 1
This building is best placed on your table edge, next to your spawn points. This way you can spawn units next to the building and immediately secure it. Because this is happening during the spawning phase you will immediately get to use the discount! This will allow you to spawn an extra unit or save a die for an important attack. It’s also noteworthy that this building is the hardest to destroy currently, with a DEF of 7.
Power Plant
- Electrical Node – If a mechanical monster destroys this building with a Brawl, they heal for 1 damage
- Incombustible – This building doesn’t create a hazard when destroyed, but watch out for the blast!
- Blast Radius – When this building is destroyed all unit are returned to the reserves.
- Power Producer – Gives an additional Power die when securing this building
This building has a lot of abilities, making it one of the most interesting buildings to date. Power dice are typically the key to winning the game, so getting more of them is always good. However any units securing this building are at risk of being wiped out due to Blast Radius. Remember: Blast Radius returns units to the reserves, it doesn’t destroy them, and therefore those units won’t give you power dice for destroying them.
If you want to use this building to gain Power Dice, placing it somewhere as safe as possible is key. Another good strategy is to place a Power Plant on your opponents side of the table, but in the danger zone. Tempt your opponents units into securing the building for Extra Power dice and then destroying it if they get near. This is especially useful if the building location happens to be next to a Power Zone or Spawn Point.
Downtown Highrise
- High Occupancy – Lets a living monster heal if they Brawl attack and destroy this building
- Security Building – All adjacent units get an additional Boost die on attacks if you are securing the building.
Security Building is the moneymaker, cranking up the damage output of all nearby units. Combined with Elites your units might start being able to generate 3 Blue die each attack. That lets a few units really start to threaten monsters and gives you the ability to 1 shot other units. Send your units with Blast attacks to secure this building, then let them sit back and shoot anything that comes close. Combine that with +1 Range from the Communications Array and you start to get some serious firepower at pretty decent range.
Placing this building will depend on your strategy, you can leave it farther back and shoot at enemies that wander close/mid field. Or you can place it aggressively mid board to disrupt the enemy on their side of the map.
Wrap Up
Adding buildings to your force brings a new depth of strategy, decision making and fun to your game. Do you give the Power Plant to your opponent as a trap? Do you play the Downtown Highrise aggressively and try to get your units to put the hurt on the enemy monsters? The answers will vary with each game and monster/units you are playing.
Which building is your favorite? Any plans to run multiple of the same building?
