News:

For the most up to date reports about what is going on with the forum, and the latest topics of interest, throw us a like on Facebook, and if you're wanting some light banter with the seasoned and spiced members, join the Second Sphere Members Group.

Main Menu

Why I'd rather play Firestorm: Armada

Started by knightperson, December 05, 2012, 07:38:53 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

knightperson

For those unfamiliar with it, Firestorm Armada is a tabletop strategy game of space combat made by another UK model company called Spartan Games. It's the same theory as Warhammer 40k, Warmahordes, and many others, but I think it has several advantages over the rest.


  • Low model cost: A starter set, roughly equivalent to a 500-750 point 40k match, can be purchased for $60 US, and the book is $30. That's all you need to get started, and you can actually play with any existing models, or even print out PDF cut-outs, without fear of legal complications. My force includes almost every model in the range for my civilization, at an investment of about $300. $300 barely gets you started in 40k!
  • Exploding Dice: The dice system is about half way between 40k and Warmahordes in the sheer number of dice used, but it has a neat twist I haven't seen elsewhere. Most of the time you need a 4+ to hit, but a 6 counts as 2 hits, and you get another die. If that one is a 6 it's 2 more hits and yet another die! So you never have a situation where you want to shoot at a model but have no possibility of hurting it.
  • Premeasuring: About the only thing I like better about 40k now over Warmahordes is that you can premeasure anything at any time. Firestorm allows it as well.
  • Turns by units: I activate a unit, then you do. There is no waiting for my opponent to move his entire force before I need to do anything, so the game keeps flowing a lot better.
  • Resin models: Well, mostly. A few of them have some white metal bits, but the vast majority of the models are resin. And I've seen almost zero miscasts, voids, and similar problems. Spartan has proved to me that it IS possible to reliably cast resin. And they're very nice-looking models in my opinion.
  • Detailed universe: It's not nearly as extensive as the fluff in 40k, but it's detailed, sensible, full of interesting alien races, and not nearly as depressing as GW's Grim Dark Future.
  • Options for multi-scale campaign: This is very new and somewhat experimental, but Spartan is working on a companion game called Firestorm Invasion. Invasion will happen at three different scales and handle the fighting on the surface of a planet after the battle for the airspace (vacuumspace?) above it has been resolved. Planetfall, the massive initial landings, is handled at 10mm scale because of the sheer size of the battle. Conquest, the fights for cities and strategic areas, will be done at 15mm. And Special Ops house to house fighting is at 28mm. I'm not usually into campaigns with my toy soldiers, but it's such a creative concept that I want to see them pull it off.
I've been trying to get some people playing it in my local area, with limited success. There was a bubble of interest about 2 years ago after Adepticon, but the interest from most other players died out as they defected to Warmahordes or went back to 40k. Once I get a second fleet painted up nicely, I will be applying to be a "Spartan Vanguard", which is the program of semi-official hobbyists who like to push the games. I think Privateer Press's Press Gang is similar.

Cured of what I'm suffering from, but suffering from the cure.

Carrelio

A very compelling opinion piece.  I'll look into the game.

crisis_vyper

Quote from: knightperson on December 05, 2012, 07:38:53 PM
For those unfamiliar with it, Firestorm Armada is a tabletop strategy game of space combat made by another UK model company called Spartan Games. It's the same theory as Warhammer 40k, Warmahordes, and many others, but I think it has several advantages over the rest.


  • Low model cost: A starter set, roughly equivalent to a 500-750 point 40k match, can be purchased for $60 US, and the book is $30. That's all you need to get started, and you can actually play with any existing models, or even print out PDF cut-outs, without fear of legal complications. My force includes almost every model in the range for my civilization, at an investment of about $300. $300 barely gets you started in 40k!
  • Exploding Dice: The dice system is about half way between 40k and Warmahordes in the sheer number of dice used, but it has a neat twist I haven't seen elsewhere. Most of the time you need a 4+ to hit, but a 6 counts as 2 hits, and you get another die. If that one is a 6 it's 2 more hits and yet another die! So you never have a situation where you want to shoot at a model but have no possibility of hurting it.
  • Premeasuring: About the only thing I like better about 40k now over Warmahordes is that you can premeasure anything at any time. Firestorm allows it as well.
  • Turns by units: I activate a unit, then you do. There is no waiting for my opponent to move his entire force before I need to do anything, so the game keeps flowing a lot better.
  • Resin models: Well, mostly. A few of them have some white metal bits, but the vast majority of the models are resin. And I've seen almost zero miscasts, voids, and similar problems. Spartan has proved to me that it IS possible to reliably cast resin. And they're very nice-looking models in my opinion.
  • Detailed universe: It's not nearly as extensive as the fluff in 40k, but it's detailed, sensible, full of interesting alien races, and not nearly as depressing as GW's Grim Dark Future.
  • Options for multi-scale campaign: This is very new and somewhat experimental, but Spartan is working on a companion game called Firestorm Invasion. Invasion will happen at three different scales and handle the fighting on the surface of a planet after the battle for the airspace (vacuumspace?) above it has been resolved. Planetfall, the massive initial landings, is handled at 10mm scale because of the sheer size of the battle. Conquest, the fights for cities and strategic areas, will be done at 15mm. And Special Ops house to house fighting is at 28mm. I'm not usually into campaigns with my toy soldiers, but it's such a creative concept that I want to see them pull it off.
I've been trying to get some people playing it in my local area, with limited success. There was a bubble of interest about 2 years ago after Adepticon, but the interest from most other players died out as they defected to Warmahordes or went back to 40k. Once I get a second fleet painted up nicely, I will be applying to be a "Spartan Vanguard", which is the program of semi-official hobbyists who like to push the games. I think Privateer Press's Press Gang is similar.



Firestorm Armada is cool, but I like Dystopian Wars better. Nonetheless anything from Spartan Games tend to be fairly supported.

Restayvien

I haven't the time to do an indepth analysis, but it might be worth comparing this to Battlefleet Gothic rather than 40k, as they seem more alike. One of the major benefits of BFG is that it's much cheaper than 40k (models aren't cheap, but you don't need many...rulebook and fleet lists are free to download etc).

knightperson

Quote from: Restayvien on December 17, 2012, 04:01:23 PM
I haven't the time to do an indepth analysis, but it might be worth comparing this to Battlefleet Gothic rather than 40k, as they seem more alike. One of the major benefits of BFG is that it's much cheaper than 40k (models aren't cheap, but you don't need many...rulebook and fleet lists are free to download etc).

Had I ever played BFG I would probably have done some comparison! I know they are identical in principle: both 2-dimensional simulations of far future space combat, but I don't know enough about the way BFG works to have an opinion on their differences. BFG doesn't have Exploding Dice, though, and Exploding Dice is one of the things that makes the Spartan games as much fun as they are.

@Crisis_vyper: I've heard good things about Dystopian also, and a couple of people in my area are giving it a try. I find the models a little TOO small, making them harder to paint well, and I'm not a big fan of Steampunk. The game systems are similar, although Dystopian's is slightly more complicated, and I'm hoping that Firestorm: Invasion uses something very similar as well.
Cured of what I'm suffering from, but suffering from the cure.

Zen

I first got a Terran fleet then quickly switched over to RSN coz they look cooler :P I think the major thing FA has over BFG is that FA is currently supported rather than just mothballed and left to fend for itself, and the models are still in major production.

knightperson

Quote from: Zen on December 18, 2012, 03:21:05 AM
I first got a Terran fleet then quickly switched over to RSN coz they look cooler :P I think the major thing FA has over BFG is that FA is currently supported rather than just mothballed and left to fend for itself, and the models are still in major production.

I haven't seen them in the resin, but the pictures of the RSN craft make them look GOOD. I have around 1200 points of Relthoza, who were also picked for sheer coolness. Nice looking craft, different from most other things I see out there, and the fluff behind them is fun. Arachnids with cloaked ships that fire ice sickles full of metal-eating nannites. Or as I call them, Spiders with Squirt Guns! I'm considering getting a set of Aquans to play against the Relthoza, since I want something from the other side of the war. The Aquans are nice-looking craft as well, and I haven't seen anyone else playing them in the area.
Cured of what I'm suffering from, but suffering from the cure.

Thantos

Since im currently making spaceships for a RTS space strat game , im in the mood for some space mini goodness! Ive been meaning to start BFG or FA properly. Someone post some FA minis in showcase? id love to see some of the range properly.

Another pro is space games dont have much scenery to store, black tablecloth with some 50p polysty balls for planets. ..  makes me want to get the airbrush and paint some nebulae on my tablecloth now :P ... that would be a nice surprise for the GF im sure :shifty:


Restayvien

Quote from: knightperson on December 17, 2012, 06:44:11 PM
Had I ever played BFG I would probably have done some comparison! I know they are identical in principle: both 2-dimensional simulations of far future space combat, but I don't know enough about the way BFG works to have an opinion on their differences. BFG doesn't have Exploding Dice, though, and Exploding Dice is one of the things that makes the Spartan games as much fun as they are.
BFG is a nice system - the main focus is on movement which is relatively restrictive (you can only turn incrementally), although this is dependant on the race. I'm not sure what exploding dice are! Though the term rings a bell.
Quote from: Zen on December 18, 2012, 03:21:05 AM
I first got a Terran fleet then quickly switched over to RSN coz they look cooler :P I think the major thing FA has over BFG is that FA is currently supported rather than just mothballed and left to fend for itself, and the models are still in major production.
I know where you're coming from, but BFG is actually such a well-rounded and 'complete' game that it doesn't really require anything in the way of support. Infact it probably benefits to a degree from not having GW meddling with it constantly like 40k! I got a hard copy of the Rulebook when it was still in store and I have electronic copies (including all the updates and expanded fleet lists) so I have everything I need really. The one real pain used to be not being able to buy models in-store, but I never go to GW now anyway so that's not an issue for me. :)

Quote from: Thantos on December 18, 2012, 07:38:17 PM
Since im currently making spaceships for a RTS space strat game , im in the mood for some space mini goodness! Ive been meaning to start BFG or FA properly. Someone post some FA minis in showcase? id love to see some of the range properly.

Another pro is space games dont have much scenery to store, black tablecloth with some 50p polysty balls for planets. ..  makes me want to get the airbrush and paint some nebulae on my tablecloth now :P ... that would be a nice surprise for the GF im sure :shifty:
The RTS strat game sounds intruiging...any more info on that? ;) And you're spot on with the scenery, I have a variety of polystyrene globes, cotton wool and sand just waiting to be turned into celestial bodies...I just need to find the time and space to do it!

knightperson

Quote from: Restayvien on December 19, 2012, 11:27:14 AM

BFG is a nice system - the main focus is on movement which is relatively restrictive (you can only turn incrementally), although this is dependant on the race. I'm not sure what exploding dice are! Though the term rings a bell.
Exploding Dice is the thing with the 6's. 4 and 5 count as a single hit, while 6's are exploding hits. Each 6 counts as 2 hits, and you throw another die.

Quote from: Thantos on December 18, 2012, 07:38:17 PM
Since im currently making spaceships for a RTS space strat game , im in the mood for some space mini goodness! Ive been meaning to start BFG or FA properly. Someone post some FA minis in showcase? id love to see some of the range properly.

There are some good ones out there on the web. The Black Ocean is an excellent source of lore, and a Google Image search for Firestorm Armada will turn up all kinds of things. A couple crashes ago I think I had my fleet posted in showcase, and I still have the images stored locally somewhere. I'll see if I can dig them up and repost them.
Cured of what I'm suffering from, but suffering from the cure.

Restayvien

Quote
Exploding Dice is the thing with the 6's. 4 and 5 count as a single hit, while 6's are exploding hits. Each 6 counts as 2 hits, and you throw another die.
Ah ok, sounds similar to the critical hit mechanic in BFG - effects are quite varied and different depending on race though (in addition to extra hull damage).