Drop Fleet Tournament - In space no one can hear you consult the rules.

As I type this post, due to my failure to visit and update the pledge manager, I have not yet received my Drop Fleet Commander Kickstarter pledge (no one to blame other than myself). However, has that stopped me from playing the game? The answer: no. I bought two of the UCM starter boxes (and a stand alone set of rules) so that I could give the game a go. Also, just before Christmas, there was a DFC tournament taking place in Woking, and with the other Orbital Bombardment crew going along, how could I not respond to peer pressure?

Above: Venue and participants.

Before the tourney I played two-thirds of a practice game around at Mike's. I was able to pick up some of the basic rules regarding ship movement, but ground combat, remained a mystery.

Above: Stuff happening during my practice game. Only 27% of which I understood.

Something that did strike me during the game was the fiddlyness of the card tokens and the much vaunted flying bases, with their various dials and widgets. Being a clumsy oaf I decided to do something about this before I played my tournament games.

I give you, big circular atmosphere markers (black, white and zebra stripes) which I place behind each ship in my fleet.....

......and once my ships beginning picking up damage I just place a dice on top to record the ship's damage. 

Also from that photograph, you will see that I bought the UCM starter box from Drop Zone Commander and constructed infantry bases for ground combat. And using some of the UCM vehicle parts and bits left over from building my UCM fleet, I put together some tanks and ground defence lasers. 

Following the practice game, it was clear that I needed more ships to deliver ground assets to the cities planet side, and so I added a second San Francisco. I was also able to build some space stations with the free sprue given to us all that attended the most recent Invasion event.

With regard the 3 tournament games I fear that notable points were my complete inability to kill any enemy ships until my third game. And unsurprisingly, with so little practice, I lost all three games, the first ten to zilch, the second nine to nil, and the third and final game, six to nil. Well, I guess, on the positive side, My margin of defeat was less as the games went along. Here are a few photographs from the day.

Above: Mike - Apparently, disappointed with the current length of his beard, measures it again.

Above: Busy.

Above: Stuff happening around a space station.

Above: Mike and Michael's game comes to moment of uncertainty.

Above: We were all envious of Ed's proxy space station (he found the Red Dwarf model in a toy shop). It's all too much for Dan as he sheds a tear.

Above: Embarrassing moment at the UCM fleet party as they all arrive wearing the same outfits.

I have not played with the fleet since the tournament, and, as you can see, I still need to paint my ground assets. I have now bought a box of fighters and bombers to build. I imagine that the eventual arrival of my pledge will inspire me to finish the remaining bits and pieces. I then have the decision to make, battleship or no battleship? They certainly look like a great centre piece for the fleet.

Happy New Year and happy wargaming.

Alex.