LPG - Steamroller
Jump to navigation
Jump to search
| LPG Articles (Edit) |
|---|
Gameplay
Attacks Power Attacks Model Types Unique Faction Rules Other |
| 101 Articles (Basic) |
| LOTS Articles (Advanced) |
- This article is part of Warmachine University's Learning to Play the Game (LPG) series, which is "Intermediate Training" aimed at new players who are still learning the core rules.
- (See also Basic Training and Advanced Training.)
We have two articles regarding Steamroller, you're reading the first.
- LPG - Steamroller - The version you're reading, contains 3 parts:
- An intro to "what Steamroller is" aimed at new players
- A "Quick Reference" for the Steamroller rules.
- Rules Clarifications
- Lesson 6: Steamroller - This version is aimed at intermediate players, and gives advice on how to win a Steamroller game and tournament.
- Download: Refer Useful External Links to get to the latest Steamroller
Steamroller - Intro
What is Steamroller
Steamroller is an official document updated annually and it does two things (1) It is the official rules for how to organise a tournament - how long games run, how to set out terrain, how to do tiebreakers, etcetera. As a player, you can ignore a lot of these sections. (2) It is a set of scenarios. These are considered superior to the scenarios in the core rulebook, and most players will always play Steamroller.
The key differences between a Steamroller scenario and a core rulebook scenario are:
- Each player has two army lists, and they pick which one to play after seeing their opponent's two lists.
- There are three ways to win: Assassination, Scenario, and Clock.
- Scenarios contains a mixture of flags, objectives, circular zones, and rectangular zones in different layouts. These are used to earn "Control Points (CP)". Different model types have to be used to control different types of scenario elements.
- If a player scores 5 CP more than their opponent, they win the game on Scenario. Neither player can score any CP until the second player's second turn.
- Players use a "deathclock". You can take as long as you like for each of your turns, but each player only has 60 minutes to play their entire game. Your clock is paused during your opponent's turn. If your opponent's clock reaches zero, you win the game on Clock.
- The game only lasts 7 rounds. If both players finish 7 turns without winning or running out of clock, there is a series of tie-breakers to determine the winner.
Download link
Refer to Useful External Links.
How to Win a Steamroller
This is covered further in Lesson 6: Steamroller of the Intermediate Training section.
Steamroller 2021 - Quick Reference
This is a summary only. Refer to the actual Steamroller document if in doubt.
Game Setup
- Set up the terrain and scenario. (In a real tournament, the Event Organiser will do this. You shouldn't move terrain yourself at a tournament).
- View each others lists, secretly choose one of your own, and then simultaneously reveal your choice.
- Choose what objective you'll use.
- Roll to determine player 1 vs 2 and choose sides.
- Start the clock.
- Only after the clock starts can you declare any "before the game begins" abilities such as Grymkin Arcana, placing terrain that you gain from a theme benefit, etcetera
- Start deploying models.
Scoring Scenario Elements
You score a scenario point if you Control the scenario element and no enemy model Contests the scenario element. You can also earn a point by destroying the enemy objective.
Controlling scenarios
- Circle Zones can be controlled by units and/or casters that are within the circle.
- Units must have all surviving members within the same circle, and they need to be in formation.
- Rectangle Zones can be controlled by warjacks, warbeasts, monstrosities, horrors, battle engines, and/or casters that are within the rectangle.
- Flags can be controlled by solos and/or casters that are B2B with the flag.
Contesting scenarios
Scenario elements can be contested by almost any model.
- To contest a Circle or a Rectangle, you need to be within it.
- To contest a Flag, you need to be within 4" of the flag.
- The following models cannot contest:
- Inert warjacks and wild warbeasts (ie their controlling warcaster/warlock died)
- Models out of formation (units only)
- Casters
Warcaster Units and Warlock Units
These change the contest/control rules slightly.
- The caster cannot contest scenario elements, but the other troopers can.
- To control a circle or rectangle, only the caster needs to be within the zone, and the other members need to be in formation.
- To control a flag, you need the caster in B2B with the flag and the other members within 4" of the flag.
Scoring & Winning by Scenario
- If you destroy an enemy objective, you immediately gain 1 point.
- Otherwise, scoring is done at the end of each player's turn. Both players can score on either player's turn.
- You win on scenario if you get a 5 point lead to your opponent. 5v1 is not a winning score, but 6v1 or 7v2 is.
2021 Terrain
Starting with 2021, new types of "official terrain types" were introduced via the Steamroller document.
| Crater | Restricted terrain | Same rules as Trench terrain, except it is also rough terrain, cannot be placed in contact with other Craters. | Craters are irregularly shaped, often circular, and should not be larger than 5" in diameter. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Open Grave | Unrestricted | Same rules as Trench terrain, except smaller. They are 2" x 3" rectangles and can be placed within 1" of each other. | Open Graves should be placed in clusters, and each cluster of 2-4 graves is considered a single terrain piece (when working out how much total terrain is on the table) |
| Quicksand | Restricted terrain | Quicksand is a hazard and rough terrain. The hazard is: models lose and cannot gain Pathfinder while within Quicksand, and models that become knocked down while within Quicksand suffer 1 damage point. |
Quicksand is irregularly shaped, often circular, and should not be larger than 5" in diameter. |
| Squall | Unrestricted | Squall is a cloud effect and can be either a 3", 4", or 5" AOE template. When a model that is completely within a Squall makes a ranged attack or is targeted by a ranged attack, that attack suffers -3 RNG. |
|
| Tall Grass | Unrestricted | Tall grass is rough terrain. It provides concealment to small- and medium-based models completely within it. | Tall grass should be about the same size as most forests. |
| Windswept | Restricted terrain | Windswept is a hazard that can be added to any difficult terrain (forests, rough terrain, shallow water, and rubble). The hazard is: Models with Flight move at half rate while within Windswept terrain. |
2021 Objectives
Some scenarios use objectives, one per player. Before the game starts, the player chooses which type of objective their one is going to be. All objectives share a bunch of "boiler plate" rules, but are differentiated with a unique rule.
Shared rules
- DEF 5, ARM 18, 15 hitpoints
-
Construct - Immobile - This model has no Normal Movement or Combat Action, cannot become knocked down or be moved, and is automatically hit by melee attacks.
- Objective
- This model is a friendly Faction models to the player who owns it.
- This model cannot be placed, cannot channel spells, and cannot be chosen as a Prey target.
- This model cannot be targeted or damaged until the second player’s second turn.
- This model cannot engage or be engaged.
- Models never gain a back strike bonus against this model. (Backstabs are ok though)
- Friendly models can ignore this model when determining LOS and can advance through this model if they have enough movement to move completely past it.
Unique rule
Each objective has a unique ability. This ability boils down to "At either Maintenance or Control Phase, choose a friendly model within 4" to gain [a buff]."
|
Tip ! |
| Objective Name Ability Name |
Phase | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Armoury Superior Ammunition |
Control Phase | Choose one of the chosen model's weapons. That weapon gains  Damage Type: Magical for one round.
|
| Fuel Cache Fuelled Up |
Control Phase | Choosen model gains  Pathfinder for one round.
|
| Cargo Nets Netting |
Control Phase | If the chosen model is knocked down, it stands up. Also, the chosen model gains Steady for one round. (Steady - This model cannot become knocked down.) |
| Dugout Anchor |
Maintenance Phase | Chosen model cannot be placed, and cannot be moved by a push, slam, or throw for one round. |
| Observatory Rangefinder |
Control Phase | Chosen model model gains True Sight for one round. (True Sight - This model ignores cloud effects when determining LOS. This model also ignores Stealth.) |
| Wreckage Shelter |
Control Phase | Chosen model gains concealment for one round. |
2021 Changes
- Scenarios
- Invasion - No change
- Recon - No change
- King of the Hill - Outer zones moved closer to centre
- Bunkers - Lost centre flag
- Spread the Net - 2 objectives added
-
Anarchy. Anarchy has been removed.
Split Decision - New scenario
- Terrain - SR 2021 introduced several new terrain types
- Crater - like a circular trench, but also it is rough terrain
- Quicksand - rough terrain that pathfinder doesn't work on
- Open grave(s) - like mini-trenches
- Tall grass - concealment for small/medium models
- Squall - AOE which reduces the RNG of guns of models shooting into the AOE or out of it.
- Windswept - A new hazard-type that can be added to other types of terrain. It is not rough terrain but models with Flight (even if the models with flight also have Incorporeal or Ghostly) move at half-speed through windswept terrain.
- Objectives
- Armoury (Magic weapons) - Gives Magic damage to a single weapon on the model (used to give it to the first attack the model made)
- Dug Out (anti-place etc) - No change
- Fuel Cache (Pathfinder) - No change
- Observatory (True Sight) - Used to give Eyeless Sight.
-
Stockpile (heal d3)- Removed -
Treasure Chest (reroll)- Removed - Cargo Nets (anti-knockdown) - New objective
- Wreckage (concealment) - New objective
Rules Clarifications
Current version
- Ghostly ignores Windswept terrain penalties. A model with both Flight and Ghostly will move through Windswept terrain at full speed. (Infernal Ruling)
Previous years
|
|
Tip ! |
Steamroller 2017
Terrain
- Terrain that normally randomly expire (Dense Fog & Burning Earth) does not expire as per the Steamroller rules.
- It doesn't randomly expire, regardless whether it was part of the original terrain setup or put into play by a Theme bonus (such as Dark Host). (Infernal Ruling)
- The clouds can, however, be forced to expire by spells/effects that make clouds disappear.
- If a "terrain cloud" is dispelled, the entire terrain piece is removed from the table.
To reiterate: if you have a Forest which is also Burning Earth, it counts as a cloud. If that cloud is dispelled, the entire Forest is taken off the table. (Infernal Ruling)
Scoring
- Scoring is done very very last, even after stuff that happens "at the end of the player's turn" (such as triggering Last Stand). (Judge Ruling)
- Units that contain non-warrior models (such as the Legion Spawning Vessel) are not eligible to score circular zones. (Infernal Ruling)
- Any kind of solo is eligible to control flags, even if it is Immobile and/or Created (like the Stormwall's pods).
Steamroller 2016
- You do not need to spend all of your Warjack points, but cannot play an army more than 4 points lower than the point level at which you are playing. Ref: niceas, 2016-06-17.
- Terrain may be placed in such a manner as to block line of sight to a zone or flag from a deployment zone. Ref: niceas, 2016-06-20.
- Ghetorix: The new model is tournament legal. The fact that one hand is open and it doesn't have a separate claw attack does not matter. Ref: DarkLegacy, 2016-06-29. Ref: PPS_Hungerford, 2016-08-11.
- Objectives are a friendly faction model to the player who owns them, and models with the repair skill can repair objectives. Ref: bulldog, 2016-06-30.
- Any player may score at the end of any player's turn, starting with the second player's second turn. Ref: DarkLegacy, 2016-07-07.
- If you are going so fast your opponent cannot verify your dice rolls, you need to slow down. You cannot speed up in such a way that it is unreasonable for them to check. If you roll the dice and then immediately switch the clock to your opponent, you will get a warning for sportsmanship. Ref: DarkLegacy, 2016-07-07.
- It is possible to get a tie in a game. Ref: rydiafan, 2016-07-08.
- If you forget to prey, and you and your opponent cannot agree on the resolution of such, it is lost for the game. Ref: LEJ, 2016-07-11.
- Flags are valid targets for chain lighting and e-leaps. Ref: bulldog, 2016-07-18.
- Steamroller objectives do not have an activation. Ref: DarkLegacy, 2016-07-18.
- Models not yet released cannot be used in organized play, including conversions. Ref: LEJ, 2016-08-11.
- Theme forces in NQ are legal in pp organised play on the street date of the NQ issue. Ref: LEJ, 2016-08-13.
- Arc Nodes are not weapons so you could remove them without falling foul of the official guidelines. Ref: LEJ, 2016-08-26.