First Dystopian Wars Game!

Hey Folks,

Pooch and I played our first game of Dystopian Wars and it was pretty brutal!

We each had 3 Cuisers and 6 Frigates (two squadrons of 3 each) with Pooch leading forth his Kingdom of Britannia Fleet while I fielded my partially painted Empire of the Blazing Sun train-boats that I scored in the Southern Sort Out buy/sell at Conquest.

I also managed to get the remaining three sections of the Board up to a playable standard.

We played two games, but I only got (bad flash) pics of the first one;

Japs to the left and Brits to the right...

A steamp punk Light House keeps watch

KoB Fleet deployed for battle, they may be stumpy but the look awesome and Pooch has painted them really well. 

Part painted EoBS. I'm still tinkering with a paint scheme as I can find one I really like.  Not sure about the Bands...

Fleets manoeuvre, initial salvos take a point off all my "Ichi" Squadron of frigates while I sink a KoB frigate and damage a Cruiser. 

Moving on here "San" squadron has destroyed a KoB Cruiser behind the Oil Derrick with some insane dice rolling while the KoB Frigate counter attack guts my Frigates...but then is smashed by the waiting EoBS 

Cruisers

KoB fleet mid game, its down to two Cruisers (one damaged) and a couple of frigates.  At the top of the photo "Ichi" Squadron burns.

Cruisers swing round with the top one being nailed by a "Hard Pounding" critical.  In a collision followed by boarding attempt Pooch's frigate killed off the marines from my frigate, but then I shot his marines down as well so we ended up in contact but unable to prize the other.  My Cruiser boarded to resolve the issue, but then had to All Stop so as not to ram the rocks!

And the Kob Cruisers take more of a pounding and use the Island for cover.

In the end I had sunk all of Pooch's fleet except a badly damaged Cruiser.

We played a second game which we didn't get to finish in which once again the Japanese frigates got the upper hand on their Pommy counterparts and my Cruisers had sunk a KoB Cruiser for minor damage.

What seems to be decisive is that my ships have a higher Critical Rating by one point, which means my Frigates  and Cruisers are really survivable compared to the British. I did tend to get some insane dice with the "exploding dice" mechanic (one chain of 4 "sixes" which was silly) and this lead to multiple critical hits which will kill any Cruiser. The KoB seem a bit weak in this department...so perhaps Shield Generators might be the way to go, even with the reduction in Firepower.  Air Power will add another element too...with KoB CAP Dive Bombers being particularly cool.

It is really hard to line up the fixed arcs of the EoBS ships though, so this will take some practice.

Overall its silly, fun and I get to roll lots of dice so I give DW a big thumbs up!

Cant wait for my Prussians to arrive!

Cheers
Jason