Justin Fletcher and I are going to play the two teams featured in the Lite version of the strategy game Neuroshima Hex in order to help people acclimate. We did this for Ascension, and were nominated for a Qt3 “Queeth” Award.
I’m playing the Green team (otherwise known as The Outpost). Justin is playing the Blue team (Borgo). Here is a partial unit list for my team (available by clicking Rules and then Armies at the main menu).
My headquarters (HQ) unit, to the left, has two stars on it, indicating that each adjacent unit will be able to act not only in the round indicated by its initiative level (the circled number on each tile), but also in the following round.
The long triangles on the tiles indicate a ranged attack in that direction, and the short triangles indicate a melee attack in that direction. Multiple triangles indicate multiple attacks. As you can see in the screenshot, most of my units have ranged attacks.
A couple of units have circled arrows, indicating that during my turn, they can move and/or change their facing.
We can talk more about these matters when we are placing units on the board.
My turn is first, and I placed my HQ away from the edge.
This allows Justin to attack from six sides instead of fewer, had I placed my HQ on the edge of the map, but I am willing to risk that for the sake of giving me more spots adjacent to my HQ. I’d like to fill those spots with ranged units that will then be able to fire twice per turn.
Incredible! Thanks for doing this again, Dave (and Justin). And if Neuroshima Hex is tempting anyone, the app is currently on sale for $2.99 (down from $4.99) to celebrate its new online multiplayer component. I have no clue how long it will last.
Dave, thanks for doing this. I have the Lite version and was puttering around with it, so this would help a lot. Also – can I get a link to your Ascension demo thread?
It ended last Friday. Its back to $4.99.
You’re welcome! But I don’t have links to those threads. I know Justin does.
BTW, feel free to ask specific questions as we play!
Take a look at the might of the Borgo:
The HQ bonus for Team Mutant is to increase the initiative of any adjacent unit by 1.
Initiative dictates which units go when. The order goes backwards from the highest levels of initiative to the lowest. For example, a unit with an initiative of 3 will act before a unit with an initiative of 2 (as designated by the black circle with the white number on each unit). Unless specially modified, HQs always have Initiative 0 and are last to attack.
The game breaks this down into initiative rounds during a battle, with all units of the same initiative from all players acting “simultaneously.” For clarity, the game shows each unit of that initiative acting one at a time, but the effects are simultaneous.
Picture a green and a blue unit, each with Initiative 4 and each having their attack triangles facing the other. During the Initiative 4 round, green attacks blue and then blue attacks green. At the end of the round, both of them are destroyed. Even though it looked like green got the upper hand on blue, their attacks really happened at the same time.
The HQ bonus of Dave’s green team (which is actually The Outpost, not Moloch) is pretty powerful because it lets each adjacent unit have another attack in the following Initiative Round (if a unit’s initiative is 3, then it also gets to attack in Round 2).
However, my HQ bonus makes the initiative of adjacent units higher (a unit with Initiative 3 will become Initiative 4). Since attack order is based on initiative, attacking in an earlier Round can allow you to wipe out enemies before they have a chance to fire back. Which is what I’ll aim to do before Dave’s units can perform their double attack.
Borgo has a lot of melee units, so I’m going to get right up in Dave’s grill.
Risky, perhaps, but it’s a bet I hope to make pay off.
I think Justin placed his HQ very well. This should be a bloody, offensive game!
My first tile draw gives me a badass unit. He not only has a ranged attack, but does a double melee attack in nearly the same direction. Further, he has a mobility marker (the arrow in a circle), so I can move him once a turn!
He is not a tough unit (which would be indicated by a plus sign in a circle), so the first hit on him will kill him. We are just starting, so there is no reason for me to place him next to Justin’s HQ, who will kill him at the first battle. An HQ performs a melee hit in all directions in the Initiative 0 round of a battle.
I decide to place him out in the open so that it will be difficult for Justin to prevent him from moving, and aim his ranged attack at Justin’s HQ. If a battle occurred right now, my unit would shoot once during the Initiative 3 round, again during the Initiative 2 round, and then once again (thanks to the HQ bonus) in the Initiative 1 round. However, its melee attack would do nothing. (Thanks to Lantz for correcting what I have bolded.)
I do not have a battle tile, however, because the first player is dealt just one tile in the second turn of the game. So it’s over to Justin!
I’m not seeing the plus sign.
He’s NOT a tough unit. I’ll bold that word. I don’t want to trade away two hits on Justin’s HQ for that unit dying, should there be a battle.
Ah, gotcha. Thanks for the clarification.
He would attack in the 3, 2, and 1 rounds. He already attacks in 3 and 2 (note the black circles with 3 and 2 in them on him) and your HQ gives him 1. If you had him and a battle token you could have staked yourself to a 6 point lead (by going melee).
The unit also has another cool ability that he can move 1 space and/or rotate once a turn. It’s designated by the black circle with the left hook arrow in it.
Just for further explanation for people, the “fatter” black triangles represent a melee attack. Dave’s unit has 2 of them facing one direction so each round he does 2 melee damage to the unit in that hex. He also has a single ranged (skinny triangle) attack facing just left one hex of the melee attack. He’s one of the very best units in the game due to his high initiative, mobility, multiple round attacks, and also ranged ability.
Thanks, Lantz!
Thanks guys for doing this. I have had the app for months and played againist the ai with little understanding. I hope this makes it click so I feel good enough to join the league.
Sweet! I had no idea that so many people might find this helpful. We might win a Queeth Award this time, Justin!
Is Justin up? More please.
Thanks for doing this Dave & Justin. I absolutely love this game and would appreciate more opponents. :)
I also cannot stress enough how good the NH Puzzle is at making you really good at the game. It’s $3 now, but there’s 100 puzzles that will make you an expert at the game if you can even get through half of them. They are frustrating at times until you figure out the ‘trick’ though. (Note: even if you do know the game, the puzzles are great fun). I’ve seen it on sale for as cheap as a buck before.
Then take your mfn turn in our game, b!
Just did!
The draw: A (non-FEV) Super Mutant and a (non-diabolical) Butcher.
The Super Mutant has a ho-hum initiative of 2, but he has a double melee attack (i.e. two short triangles) on one of his sides. The Butcher is faster; he has Initiative 3 and concurrent melee attacks on two adjoining sides.
I’m sitting right on top of Dave’s HQ, and since there are no other pressing matters, I decide to go the rough and tumble route.
My HQ’s initiative bonus speeds up the Butcher to Initiative 4. Plenty of time to take out Dave’s relatively pokey Mobile Armor. That won’t happen, of course; because of the Mobile Armor’s…um, mobility, Dave will probably move him out of harm’s way before I have a chance to draw and play a battle tile. But wherever he goes, he will no longer have a bead on my HQ.
So, for the moment, I’ve effectively disabled an aggressor and lined up three damage for Dave’s HQ. I find that a reasonable trade for my two units. Yes, they’re on a suicide mission. HQs always attack adjacent enemy units in the Initiative 0 round. Since neither beauty queen has a toughness symbol (+), one hit each will take them out.
But given their genetically ravaged minds and bodies, they’re happy to die for Borgo.