Tinbane here with some DzC crunch gleaned from an interview with Dave on Beasts of War. I’m getting REALLY excited about the launch of Reconquest: Part 1! Check out the Tactics Corner for more great DzC content!
The Ferrum has already been a test bed for a new special rule (Focus Fire) which is going to be in use by the resistance, likewise the “transition” mechanic is in use with some PHR and Scourge units.
In addition there will be a number of new rules, including a “barrage” rule, which Dave has mentioned in part 2 of his Beasts of War interview, won’t be restricted to Resistance. This new rule allows for the overwhelming of countermeasures using massed fire, and potentially allows you to decrease the size of a blast to increase it’s countered range.
There’s new rules such as “rare” (which may apply to ferrums), which limits the number of a certain unit you can take in a list. We know this will apply to the resistance fast mover, which can convert into a gunship seemingly after it begins it’s attack run.
Evasion countermeasures is a to hit modifier, similar to the skimmer rules (maybe skimmers will be given evasion countermasures?).
Praetorian snipers will be buffed with the dispersed formation rule, this will improve their survivability in buildings dramatically, as it prevents more than one being lost from a single hit. No longer will falling masonry have a 50% chance of downing two snipers, so a squad of 9 will be quite survivable, potentially a viable choice simply for taking an objective while the building is under fire (need to do a cost analysis).
Devastator is demolisher for units. In effect, a damage multiplier to represent incredibly devastating weapons that do more than a standard amount of damage. It will be interesting to see whether units such as the Ocelot, and the Kodiak are rebalanced to include these rules!
Fragmentation appears to be a rule that allows an area of effect weapon to have a chance to hit targets in it’s area. Currently AOE weapons have 100% chance of hitting units they land on.
There’s rules for famous commanders, who are available for the existing factions, as well as the Resistance. These new commanders are recommended not to be in tournaments, and many of them will have model releases. One example is a tank commander, who forces you to mount everything in dropships, however your tanks get cheaper. He is going to be represented by a new experimental command tank. While this is purely conjecture on my part, it would be awesome to provide “generic” rules for use of these units by other “generic” commanders. So if I purchase the tank commander special character, I can use the tank alone, with a generic commander. This alone, I believe, would diversify army composition.
I have to quietly admit, that I’m quite excited by the fluff. The artwork, the fluff on various theatres of war, etc all look brilliant. And as much as I am chomping on the bit to read how the experimentals and resistance units have been realised in final form, I think I’m actually going to be reading through the commanders’ fluff, reading the fiction pieces, and looking at the planets.