Battle Report: The Anatomy of a Demo Game

My friend Rusty Panama couldn't make the game last Sunday so I visited him last night and we ran through a demo game so he could get more acquainted with the rules.

Me (2 Frames & 8 Systems) = (5 Points per Asset) * (2 assets) = 10 points.
   RB-91RF Boxxer -- 2Ra+d8/2Y/2W+SSR.
   RB-91H Boxxer -- 2Rd/2B/1Y/2W+SSR.
Rusty Panama (2 Frames & 8 Systems) = (5 Points per Asset) * (2 assets) = 10 points.
   Scavenger Thumper -- 2Ra+d8/1B/1Y/2W+SSR.
   Scavenger Brawler -- 2Rh+d8/2B/1Gd8/2W+SSR.

Starting out with the same amount of Frames and Systems makes the start of a demo game even, which is good for a person who has never played the game before and hasn't been exposed to the asymmetrical nature of starting points in Mobile Frame Zero.  Also, putting a single Station in the middle of the board gives an obvious object or point in space to fight over which is also good for beginners.

This is what the table looked like at the start of the game.  My forces are on the right side of the board.

Events of Turn 1 (DDC@7): Rusty's Brawler frame takes the Station.  His Thumper frame hits my RB-91RF frame for 1 damage.  My RB-91RF frame hits his Brawler frame for 2 damage.  My RB-91H frame hits Rusty's Brawler for 1 damage.

Rusty: 15 points.

Me: 10 points.

Events of Turn 2 (DDC@5):  My RB-91H frame hits Rusty's Brawler for 1 damage.

Rusty: 15 points.

Me: 10 points.

Events of Turn 3 (DDC@3): My RB-91H frame hits Rusty's Brawler for 1 damage.  My RB-91RF frame hits his Brawler frame for 1 damage and finishes it off.

Rusty: 10 points.

Me: 10 points.

Events of Turn 4 (DDC@1): I seize the Station.  The Doomsday Clock is ticked down to zero.

Me: 15 points.

Rusty: 5 points.

Thoughts & Observations:

• Sorry about the crappy pictures.  I forgot my green felt and I should have rolled back that tablecloth.
• I set the clock to seven because a two turn game is just too short.
• Rusty made the smart choice to grab the Station right away and try to control the tempo of the game.
• His Brawler almost held on.  Three turns of Hit, Spot, Hit is a long time to take damage.
• We both had SSRs and never used them.  Whoops.
• I don't think anyone has posted a breakdown of a short game using Vincent's Demo Rules.  I hope this helps anyone who is thinking of running a demo to introduce people to the game.

Battle Report: Last Game of the Year

The gaming group I'm a part of usually takes November and December off due to all the holidays and general busyness of the season.  But this past Sunday several members of the group had a clear moment in all our schedules.  So we decided to get together, along with two newcomers, to have a game of MFZ: RA.  Here are the results.

Me (3 Frames & 11 Systems) = (7 Points per Asset) * (4 assets) = 28 points. (T.U.R.D. Bots)
Occam's Spork (4 Frames & 16 Systems) = (3 Points per Asset) * (5 assets) = 15 points. (Triskelions)
Tom (4 Frames & 16 Systems) = (3 Points per Asset) * (5 assets) = 15 points.
Narbey (4 Frames & 16 Systems) = (3 Points per Asset) * (5 assets) = 15 points. (Skitterers)
Gusindor (4 Frames & 16 Systems) = (3 Points per Asset) * (5 assets) = 15 points.

Gusindor was selected to be Primary Attacker by lowest dice roll.

Here's how the table looked at the start of the game.  My squad started out in the center of the table.  Occam's Spork's squad controls the lower left corner.  Tom's controls the upper left corner.  Narbey's controls the upper right corner.  Gusindor's controls the lower right corner.

Events of Turn 1 (DDC@11): A fair amount of movement and jockeying for position occured.  Gusindor did the most damage with his HtH specialist, dealing three hits to my HtH specialist.

Me: 28 points.
Occam's Spork: 15 points.
Tom: 15 points.
Narbey: 15 points.
Gusindor: 15 points.


Events of Turn 2 (DDC@8): Narbey destroys one of Gusindor's Soldier frames.  Occam's Spork seizes Gusindor's Station, then later in the turn does the Station Dance to avoid damage on the frame that took control.

Me: 28 points.
Occam's Spork: 18 points.
Tom: 15 points.
Narbey: 15 points.
Gusindor: 9 points.


Events of Turn 3 (DDC@4): I seize Gusindor's Station away from Occam's Spork.  Occam's Spork destroys that frame and takes back control of the Station.  Gusindor destroys my Soldier frame.

Occam's Spork: 18 points.
Tom: 15 points.
Narbey: 15 points.
Me: 14 points.
Gusindor: 9 points.


Events of Turn 4 (DDC@1): Occam's Spork kills one of Tom's HtH Specialist frames.  Gusindor seizes my Station.  Narbey destroys one of Gusindor's and one of Tom's frames with a single shot then seizes my Station.  Narbey destroys another one of Gusindor's frames, aka "Shinkicker".  Tom kills Narbey's frame that had taken my Station, allowing Gusindor's frame to recapture it.  The Doomsday Clock is ticked down to zero.

Occam's Spork: 18 points.
Narbey: 12 points.
Tom: 9 points.
Me: 7 points.
Gusindor: 6 points.

Final picture of the area around my Station.

Final picture of the area around Gusindor's Station.

Thoughts & Observations:

• This was Occam's Spork's first game.  I think we have another convert.  :-)
• This was the debut of Narbey's new squad.
• The Primary Attacker position was once again decided with a die roll.
• We only used one Single Shot Rocket per squad as I forgot to make any for the squad Occam's Spork was using and had to loan it one from my squad.
• The third and fourth turns really got chaotic.
• I could have gotten away with having full systems for my squad instead of underbidding.

Battle Report: TopatoCon Throwdown

Last Sunday I helped run demos at TopatoCon with CmdrRook.  Comrade Gorbash, whom I hadn't seen since PAX East 2013, showed up with his gear so we decided to have a game.  This is what happened.  :-)

Me (4 Frames & 16 Systems) = (7 Points per Asset) * (6 assets) = 42 points.
Yellow Strider (2Rh+d8/1B/1G+d8/2W)
Green Strider (2Rd+d8/1B/1G/2W)
Blue Strider (2Ra+d8/1B/1G/2W)
Red Scrambler (2Rd/1B/1G/1Y/2W)
CmdrRook (5 Frames & 20 Systems) = (3 Points per Asset) * (6 assets) = 18 points.
Comrade Gorbash (5 Frames & 20 Systems) = (3 Points per Asset) * (6 assets) = 18 points.

This is how the table looked at the start of the game.

Events of Turn 1 (DDC@11):  I capture the Minigun Station CmdrRook placed beside my frame.  I capture Comrade Gorbash's Tall Station.  I also hit one of his Melee frames for five damage.  He hits my Yellow Strider for four damage in return.  CmdrRook destroys my Blue Strider, seizes his Staion back and captures one of mine.  I destroy the Melee frame of Comrade Gorbash that I damaged earlier.  CmdrRook destroys my Yellow Strider, then captures the Tall Station I had seized from Comrade Gorbash.

CmdrRook: 27 points.

Me: 21 points.

Comrade Gorbash: 15 points.

Events of Turn 2 (DDC@9): CmdrRook captures my second Station.

CmdrRook: 30 points.

Comrade Gorbash: 15 points.

Me: 14 points.

Events of Turn 3 (DDC@6): I capture CmdrRook's Drone Launcher Station.

CmdrRook: 27 points.

Me: 21 points.

Comrade Gorbash: 15 points.

Events of Turn 4 (DDC@4): Comrade Gorbash destroys two CmdrRook's Soldier frames and recaptures his Tall Station.

Me: 21 points.

CmdrRook: 18 points.

Comrade Gorbash: 18 points.

Events of Turn 5 (DDC@1): I capture Comrade Gorbash's Flat Station after he does the Station Dance to keep one of his Frames alive.  CmdrRook destroys my Green Strider then recaptures the Drone Launcher Station it was holding.  After that he destroys one of Comrade Gorbash's Melee frames.  In retaliation Comrade Gorbash destroys CmdrRook's Scrambler.  The Doomsday Clock is then ticked down to 0.

CmdrRook: 18 points.

Me: 14 points.

Comrade Gorbash: 12 points.

Thoughts & Observations:

• The Primary Attacker position was decided with a die roll.
• Once again we have a game with mixed scale Frame designs.
• We did not use Single Shot Rockets.
• I played a little too aggressively.
• I also tried the "Forget About Me" strategy from PAX East 2015.
• CmdrRook's decision to place one of his Stations directly under my control at the start of the game was curious and maybe a little bit of genius.
• I'll leave you with a picture of the first Activation roll of the game for my Red Scrambler.

Battle Report: September Showdown, Part 2

Here are some incidental photos that weren't included in yesterday's post.

These are some game info cards Tom printed
up for us to hand to interested passer-by.

Turn 1, the scrum around

one of Tom's Stations.

Turn 2, the same scrum.

Narbey's five hit damage

roll on my Black frame.

Damage done to the Solar
Panel Installation in Turn 2.

The scrum in turn 4.

My dead Frame in Turn 4.

My stations in Turn 5.

Turn 5, Tom's dead Frame.

The scrum, Turn 5.

A Frame's eye view of one
of my Stations after Turn 5.

Battle Report: September Showdown, Part 1

A few of us got together last weekend for a friendly game of Mobile Frame Zero: Rapid Attack.  Narbey was initially thinking of using my Blue Devil Chub Squad but he ended up going with my Defender's of Ahu's Wisdom squad after getting a look at them.

Tom (4 Frames & 16 Systems) = (7 Points per Asset) * (6 assets) = 42 points.

   #1 Tank -- 2Rd+d8/2B/2W.

   #2 Recon by Fire -- 2Ra+d8/2Y/2W+SSR.

   #3 Armored Swarmer -- 2Rh/2B/1Y/1Gd8/2W+SSR.

   #4 Armored Swarmer -- 2Rh/2B/1Y/1Gd8/2W+SSR.

Me (5 Frames & 19 Systems) = (4 Points per Asset) * (7 assets) = 28 points.
   Black Brawler -- 2Rh+d8/2B/1Gd8/2W+SSR.
   Yellow Watchtower -- 2B/2Y/1Gd8/2W+SSR.
   White Light Tank -- 2Rd/2B/2W.
   Silver Artillerist -- 2Ra+d8/2B/2W+SSR.
   Blue -- 3Rd/1Rh/2B/2W.

Narbey (5 Frames & 20 Systems) = (3 Points per Asset) * (7 assets) = 21 points.
   Red Fast Brawler -- 2Rh+d8/1B/1G+d8/2W+SSR.
   White Heavy Assault -- 2Rd+d8/1B/1G/2W.
   Bronze Heavy Assault -- 2Rd+d8/1B/1G/2W.
   Blue Recon by Fire -- 2Ra+d8/2Y/2W+SSR.
   Black Recon by Fire -- 2Ra+d8/2Y/2W+SSR.

Events of Turn 1 (DDC@11):  Tom attacks my White frame then Narbey's Red (2 Damage).  Tom attacks Narbey's Bronze frame.  There's a major scrum by one of Tom's Stations.  Tom's #2 frame takes 3 damage, his #3 frame took 1 damage and both did the Station Dance.

Tom: 42 points.

Me: 24 points.

Narbey: 21 points.

Events of Turn 2 (DDC@9):  Tom attacks my Silver frame for 2 damage.  I take one of his Stations with my Blue frame.  His #2 frame takes 1 damage.

Tom: 35 points.

Me: 32 points.

Narbey: 21 points.

Events of Turn 3 (DDC@7):  I seize Tom's other Station with my Black frame.  Narbey's Bronze frame attacks my Black for 5 damage, I do the Station Dance.  Narbey takes the Station I just abandoned.  Tom recaptures his other station from my Blue frame after it does the Station Dance.

Tom: 35 points.

Narbey: 24 points.

Me: 24 points.

Events of Turn 4 (DDC@4):  Tom destroys my Silver frame and takes the Station it was guarding.  I recapture his other Station back after doing 4 damage to the Frame that was holding it and he does the Station Dance.

Tom: 42 points.

Narbey: 24 points.

Me: 20 points.

Events of Turn 5 (DDC@2):  I destroy Tom's #2 frame with 3 damage.  We all debate the issues of Frames as Cover in the scrum around Tom's former Station.  Narbey inflicts one damage on his White frame in an Artillery attack on Tom's #4 frame.  The Doomsday Clock gets ticked down to 0.

Tom: 35 points.

Narbey: 24 points.

Me: 20 points.

Thoughts & Observations:

• As you can see in the pictures above, the new terrain I talked about in this blog post did what it was supposed to -- look good and take damage easily.
• We Played a Skirmish instead of a Battle.
• Narbey and I let up on Tom too early.  We should have kept pressing him in Turn 4.
• My Strongarms Squad is back!
• I'll have more incidental photos tomorrow.