By Jason Soles

A number of questions have arisen since we posted our Insider on Defenses last week, and I would like to take a minute to address some of them. We are excited for what Defenses bring to the game and would like to put some of your concerns to rest.

Will there be any guidance on the placement of Defenses?

Yes. Defenses can be placed on hills but otherwise cannot be placed within 3 ̋ of another terrain feature, including other Defenses.

Are Defenses required to play?

No. Defenses are optional. Players can place Defenses if they wish, but they are not required to do so.

Do Defenses cost army points?

No. Defenses are free to place on the table.

Will Defenses be allowed in Steamroller or other OP events?

Yes. Defenses are a new element being added to the WARMACHINE rules, intended for all modes of play unless expressly restricted.  

Are there any restrictions on how many of each Defense a player can place?

Not at this time. The only current restriction is that each player can place up to three Defenses, with the second player able to place a fourth. We may introduce more limited Defenses in the future.

Defense are removed from the table if contacted by 80 mm or 120 mm models, but only the new armies have those. How do Legacy armies compete?

We will introduce battle engines to the Legacy Prime armies before Defenses are released. Colossals will soon follow.

Can we 3D print our own Defenses at home?

Defenses fall under the same rules as other models with regards to official Organized Play events: proxies would not be allowed.

Why Defenses?

The idea behind defenses grew out of looking for more interesting ways to create scenarios. In an environment where players are placing terrain at the beginning of a match, we are limited in what can be done with scenarios due to the necessity of generalizing terrain as well as restricting its placement in order to ensure terrain is not being placed in a way that is abusive or promotes an unpleasant play experience. We are exploring scenario creation in the future in which maps are fixed, allowing for increased narrative opportunity as well as map construction that has an intentional influence on the course of a game. However, we also know that allowing players to place terrain provides a strategic component to the game we did not want to completely abandon. From the desire to retain a degree of strategic pre-game battlefield manipulation, Defenses were born. With a more compact footprint and placement rules, players can place several Defenses without jamming up the tabletop with terrain that restricts the passage of models with extra-large and huge bases. Further, because Defenses are models, we could create specific rules for them that we feel make placing and playing with them more interesting than simply putting another obstacle on the table. And what we have shown so far is just a starting point. We have imagined Defenses in the future that are specific to armies or Factions, allowing players to further express their forces through unique Defenses placed across the battlefield. Our hope is that they become as much a part of an army’s identity and its player’s strategy as warjacks, units, or any other models that comprise a player’s force. They are a new component to the game that we feel will add strategic and narrative opportunities and even more dimension to the game.