MFZ @ Gen Con

Gen Con is four weeks away tomorrow.  Or is four weeks and a day less confusing?  :-)  I won't be attending but lots of other people will.  In fact there are a number of Mobile Frame Zero: Rapid Attack events on the schedule.  See here.  The majority of them are sold out but a few are still open.  So if you're there, stop by, have a look, and maybe even participate.  Please post pictures if you do!

War College: Squad Composition

We were discussing squad composition over on the Discord last week and it's made me think about it more in depth.  Squads in MFZ: Rapid Attack should have a purpose.  This is not about "I need X melee, Y Direct Fire, and Z Artillery frames to make a squad.  You can't just put a bunch of archetypes on the table and expect them to work together.  At the risk of using a business buzzword, the Frames in your squad need to work synergistically.

To start with, I find that "Soldiers All the Way Down" works well as a catch-all squad to put on the table when you don't have a plan and you don't know whom you're facing.  X amount of Frames all sporting (2Rd/1B/1G/1Y) with one or more of them carrying Single Shot Rockets.  As they all have the same loadout they can all support one another, move, and possibly attack in concert depending on how the Initiative Stack favors you.  It scales up, it scales down, and it works fairly well at either end of the spectrum.

There's a squad that gets used by one of the players in my group that works pretty well.  It's (3x) Armored Swarmers (2Rh/2B/1Y/1Gd8/2W), (2x) Hammers (2Rd/2B/1Y/2W), and (1x) Recon by Fire (2Ra+d8/2Y/2W).  The RbF sets Spots for the Armored Swarmers-- and maybe softens targets up a bit.  The Armored Swarmers chew into the opponent and set Spots for the Hammers.  The Hammers bat clean-up.  This is an offensive squad.  It's meant to start on the Defender's Perimeter and crash inward wreaking havoc all the way in.

Moving on to a pretty advanced strategy, the Frames in the Sniping Turtle Formation all have roles.  The Watchtower Frames provide Cover and Spots for whichever Artillery based Frame is used as the "hitter" for the squad.  While the Medium Artillerist -- for example -- provides the long range damage potential.  It's meant to be defensive.  The operating plan is to retreat away from your opponents into a "hull down position" -- to borrow a tanker term -- then sow discord with Spots while sniping soft targets.

If we want to get even more advanced, then you can try my squad of Defenders (2B/1G+d8/1Y/2W + SSR) from this game.  The first two Frames set the Perimeter, the third one captures any open station.  Then you spend the rest of the game running away, while setting Spots, and hopefully use your three SSRs to destroy some enemy Frames.

MFZ: RA is a game that requires a lot of thought before you even hit the table.  If you get the mix of Frames/Systems right to be where you want in the Initiative Stack and you put together a mix of archetypes that you think will work well together, you still have to get through the Set-Up Phase correctly.  If you place a melee squad at the other end of a long table from an Artillery squad you're probably not going to get in range before the game is over.  In more ways than one.  That is also a conversation to have at a different point in time.

So, in short, have a plan.  Pick the Weaponry for the range you want to work at.  Pick enough Defense to survive long enough to execute your plan.  Pick enough Movement to capture Stations, or run away.  And lastly pick enough Spotting to enhance your -- or someone else's -- attacks.  Then, go to it.

Review: Build A Flower 3

This is the sixth separate line of botanical sets from another completely different manufacturer.  I found these in Target several months ago in the "impulse buy" section right by the front doors.  There haven't been any since Summer arrived, that I have seen, but I'm willing to bet they're just in storage and will be on the shelves again come Fall.

Box.  MSRP is $1.00, for a $0.02 Price per Piece.

Instructions.

Parts.  Quarter Circle Plates, Studless Slopes, Clip Plates, Wedge Studless

Slopes, Bar Plates, Plates, Stadium Tiles, Quarter circle Tiles, Levers,

Bases, Travis Brick, Round Brick, Antenna, and Double Sided Stud.

Build.  Frame (2Rd/1Y).

The Questions:

Can you build something -- a frame, station, or starship -- right away?  Yes.  (+5)
Is it below, at, or above the golden ratio?  Below.  (+5)  (The Golden Ratio is $0.10 per part.)
If you can't build a frame right away, or choose not to, does it have parts you should be able to put into use right away?  Yes.  (+5)
Does it have more than a handful of immediately useful parts?  Yes.  (+5)
Score: +20 (A+).  Another micro-Frame build, this time with some Systems.  As with the Make-It Blocks Bird series, I'll have to track down more of these for building plants.

Review: Build A Flower 2

This is the sixth separate line of botanical sets from another completely different manufacturer.  I found these in Target several months ago in the "impulse buy" section right by the front doors.  There haven't been any since Summer arrived, that I have seen, but I'm willing to bet they're just in storage and will be on the shelves again come Fall.

Box.  MSRP is $1.00, for a $0.03 Price per Piece.

Instructions.

Parts.  Octagonal Bar Plate, Studless Slopes, Brick w/Stud on Side, Round Bricks,

Bar Plates, Clip Plates, Double Sided Stud, Round Plates, Antenna, and Plate.

Build.  Frame (2W).  

The Questions:

Can you build something -- a frame, station, or starship -- right away?  Yes.  (+5)
Is it below, at, or above the golden ratio?  Below.  (+5)  (The Golden Ratio is $0.10 per part.)
If you can't build a frame right away, or choose not to, does it have parts you should be able to put into use right away?  Yes.  (+5)
Does it have more than a handful of immediately useful parts?  Yes.  (+5)
Score: +20 (A+).  While you can build a micro-Frame right out of the box, I feel like it needs some "filler" pieces.  I'll have to check and and see if that Hot Pink matches the parts I use on the Amalgamate.

Review: Build A Flower 1

This is the sixth separate line of botanical sets from another completely different manufacturer.  I found these in Target several months ago in the "impulse buy" section right by the front doors.  There haven't been any since Summer arrived, that I have seen, but I'm willing to bet they're just in storage and will be on the shelves again come Fall.

Box.  MSRP is $1.00, for a $0.03 Price per Piece.

Instructions.

Parts.  Octagonal Bar Plate, Clip Plates, Wedge Studless Slopes, Studless

Slopes, Studless Slopes w/Cutout, Travis Brick, Plates, Bar Plates, Double

Sided Stud, Lever Base, Round Plate, Antenna, and Round Brick.

Build.  Frame (2W) and Station.

The Questions:

Can you build something -- a frame, station, or starship -- right away?  Yes.  (+5)
Is it below, at, or above the golden ratio?  Below.  (+5)  (The Golden Ratio is $0.10 per part.)
If you can't build a frame right away, or choose not to, does it have parts you should be able to put into use right away?  Yes.  (+5)
Does it have more than a handful of immediately useful parts?  Yes.  (+5)
Score: +20 (A+).  This seems like a useful set, I may have to track down more.  Actual Octagonal Bar Plates in Red from Lego are ridiculously expensive so it would be worth it for those alone.

Review: Make-It Blocks Birds 1.4

Finishing up this week's reviews with the fourth set in the new line of Make-It Blocks sets from this year.

Box.  MSRP is $1.25, for a $0.03 Price per Piece.

Instructions.

Parts.  Round Plate, Angled Axle/Pin Connector, Perpendicular Axle

Connector, Axle Connectors, Studless Slopes, Inkwell, Tooth Plates,

Plates, Printed Round Tiles, Clip Plates, Cheese Slopes, Barb, Sword Spike,

Axles, Headlight Brick, Travis Bricks, Plant Stem, and Minifig Nozzle.

Build.  Micro-Frame and 1 Hit piece of Cover.
  

The Questions:

Can you build something -- a frame, station, or starship -- right away?  Yes.  (+5)
Is it below, at, or above the golden ratio?  Below.  (+5)  (The Golden Ratio is $0.10 per part.)
If you can't build a frame right away, or choose not to, does it have parts you should be able to put into use right away?  Yes.  (+5)
Does it have more than a handful of immediately useful parts?  No.  (-5)
Score: +10 (A-).  Like Wednesday's review, this one took a little work to make something viable.  I think the big selling points for me in this line of sets are all the new Brown Axle (and/or) Axle/Pin Connectors in Brown -- along with other pieces -- that will expand the ability to make new and different plant life for MFZ.

Review: Make-It Blocks Birds 1.3

Carrying on with the third of four sets in the fourth new line of Make-It Blocks sets this year.

Box.  MSRP is $1.25, for a $0.03 Price per Piece.

Instructions.

Parts.  Round Plate, Round Brick w/Leaves, 3x4 Leaf, Round Jumper, Clip

Plates, Angled Axle/Pin Connector, Axle Connector, Perpendicular Axle

Connectors, Studless Slopes, Printed Tooth Plate, Apollo Studs, Inkwells,

Round Tile, Round Plates w/4 Knobs, Cheese Slope, Bracket, Axles, Skeleton 

Arms, Wings, Minifig Flipper, Travis Brick, Pneuma-T, and Minifig Speargun.

Build.  Hover Frame and 1 Hit piece of Cover.

The Questions:

Can you build something -- a frame, station, or starship -- right away?  Yes.  (+5)
Is it below, at, or above the golden ratio?  Below.  (+5)  (The Golden Ratio is $0.10 per part.)
If you can't build a frame right away, or choose not to, does it have parts you should be able to put into use right away?  Yes.  (+5)
Does it have more than a handful of immediately useful parts?  No.  (-5)
Score: +10 (A-).  I had to stretch a bit to make something from this set.  The selling point for me has to be the Red Pneuma-T.  Also, the Axle Connector isn't as fluted as the Lego version so it won't slot into the space between Studs.  Which means you need the Inkwell if you want to connect it to a non-Technic Plate/Brick.