By: Phiasco
So for those of you who haven't heard Wyrd has opened Gaining Grounds 2018 for beta testing. Odds are I won't get around to updating this blog real time. So what I am thinking is I will update this once a month or so. I will endeavor to record the evolution of the document to it's final form.
I think this link will get you to the page where the link to the current iteration of the document can be found. Link to page with the current Gaining Grounds 2018 document.
If you wish to participate in the beta there are a few things you should keep in mind. There are likely things you might have strong feelings about. The best way to make sure your opinion is considered is to play games to generate data in a battle report. From what I understand, if you send them I think this X scheme ought to be written as Y, and there is no data to support it, then odds are good it will be ignored.
Things that I have noticed have changed in the general document:
-There appears to be a change to deck etiquette. But the language needs to be cleaned up as there is contradictory elements but it looks like players will gain the ability to refuse to cut your opponent's deck.
-Slow play has been redefined since it is difficult to establish it is intentional.
Strategies:
-Strategy conditions may Not be ignored in any way. This includes things such as condition immunity.
Initial reaction; Up to now there have been no strategy conditions. As such this has possibly been an issue for schemes where some crews just shut down condition schemes forcing the opponent into a smaller pool. Looking at the document I am happy with strategy conditions sticking to all models. If we are lucky the handing out condition based schemes will not fall on suits or doubles and then worse case scenario is there are 3 viable schemes verse Hamelin.
-Summoned models do Not count for strategy purposes.
Initial reaction; McCabe's horse reclaims its Master status. In all seriousness this is something the game probably needs regardless if this iteration makes it or not. In the end it changes the function of summoned models to screen for scoring models or to go run schemes. I have a feeling this will cause the greatest gut reaction but I think most players will adapt and a few will abandon summoners instead of embracing the challenge of slight alterations to play style. To be fair summoned models in most cases feel like cannon fodder I care less about then the peons in my lists. So thematically it doesn't make sense for them to score. I expect there might be a tweak to this condition but I do expect it to make it through to the final document in some form.
- Ours (masks); Basically reconnoiter but you add up SS value of all of your models per quarter vs the SS value of your opponents models.
Initial reaction; I have a feeling this will be clunkier than intended. I know people who have trouble adding their acting value to the flipped card in a timely manner to the point I have started to memorize the acting values of most of the common models. I will attempt to play test it as is when I get a chance.
- Ply for Information (tomes); I read this wrong in the late hours of last night. Your model interacts with an enemy model to gain the condition on your model. Then you try to keep the condition until the end of the game.
Initial reaction; Your crew will want to be able to hit, run and survive. Or just have a ton of activation control. Very interesting in any case.
- Public Executions (crows); Kill a non peon bad guy and prevent the bad guys from capturing the flag it drops. Score if you have more friendly flags than your opponent.
Initial reaction; Summoned models won't drop flags, they can make the enemy drop them, and claim them (the turn after they are summoned). Lure and anti lure tech will be big for this strategy. I like the idea but something feels off and I probably won't see it until I play it a few times.
- Symbols of Authority (rams); Place 4 flags (2 on each side). Score VP for flags you remove from their side and flags remaining on your side at the end of the game.
Initial reaction; Chatty, Don't Mind Me, Lure, Anti-Lure, push, anti-push, and probably a couple other abilities will be big. It will probably play a lot like Rock, Paper, Scissors depending on if your crew trumps what your opponent crew is trying to do. I like strategies where there are only 4 VP total to be had.
- Put Out a Hit (jokers); <I realize this is in programmer speak> place 2 30mm strategy markers, one on each side not in deployment. Discard a card a the start of any turn to hand out a condition nested in another condition to an enemy model. Then kill the enemy model to collect the nested condition. Bring the nested condition to either marker to score VP.
Initial reaction; So basically my crew discards a card and selects super beater model in the other crew. Then I kill that model to get the payment condition and try to get the model with the payment condition to either strategy marker to score. If the other crew kills or sacs the model after it is targeted then I score a VP. There are a few moving parts to this but outside of Ours it seems the most straightforward new strategy. Can't wait to play it to have some constructive feedback.
I will run the new Schemes in the next blog which I ought to have out shortly.
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