The Basics
Stat Sheets
Models in Dropzone Commander are referred to as units. Sometimes a unit will be a single battle tank or dropship, and other times it will be a single base of infantry. Each unit in the game is represented by a stat sheet. These sheets show all sorts of information about the unit's attributes and abilities. It shows their strength, protection, weapons, and even details such as the type of unit it is and the points it costs a player to field them in a game. An example of a stat sheet is shown below.
All stat sheets can be found at www.dropzonecommander.com.
Hazard Suit Team (35 pts) EXOTIC
| Move | Countermeasures | Armour | Damage Points | Type | Special |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1" | - | 9 | 3 | Infantry 4+ | Resilient |
Troops: 1
Squad Size: 2
| Weapon | M&F | Arc | R(F) | R(C) | Shots | Acc | E | Special |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Light Rail Guns | 0" | F/S/R | ∞ | 24" | 3 | 2+ | 6 | Focus-2, RW-1 |
| Powered Armour | - | F/S/R | CQ | CQ | 3 | - | 5 | RW-1 |
Hazard Suit
Re-roll successful Collatoral Damage hits against this unit.
Name
The name of the unit.
Category
This defines the unit's role within a Battlegroup.
Points Cost (Pts)
Most units in the game cost points to field in your army. Units with a higher points cost will generally be more potent, but you will not be able to field as many. This number is for a single unit within the squad.
Transport Options
This represents if this unit can carry other units and if it can be carried by other units, as well as how much it can carry and how much space it takes up if it can be carried (see Transports for more details).
Move (MV)
The maximum distance the unit may move. This is listed in inches.
Countermeasures (CM)
The type and potency of the Countermeasures utilized by the unit (see Shooting for more details). Active Countermeasures are denoted by an "A", Passive Countermeasures by a "P" with a number next to it, and Evasion Countermeasures by an "E" with a number next to it.
Armour (A)
Represents the resilience of the unit to damage. Higher numbers represent better protection.
Damage Points (D)
The maximum number of damage a unit may sustain before it is destroyed.
Type
The type of unit. Certain special rules apply to certain unit types (such as when moving through or over scenery). Infantry types will have a number showing their Fortitude.
Special
Any special rules which apply to the unit. Any rules listed here are described in the main rules.
Squad Size
This number represents the allowed number of units in the Squad. In this example, a Squad consists of 2 Hazard Suit Teams.
Weapons
Any weapons the unit has access to are listed here. A unit may have multiple weapons, and unless otherwise stated can use them all in a single activation.
Extra rules
Some units have options, such as additional weapons. These are listed here along with any additional points costs. If a player chooses to pay the points cost, they gain the weapon on the stat sheet. Note that all units in a squad must be armed identically, so if one unit choose to replace its weapons, all units in that squad must also do so. Any special rules unique to the unit are also listed here.
The Golden Rule
Dropzone Commander is a game designed for fun and tense battles. The rules are written to minimise disagreements, but will never be ironclad - particularly in high stakes competitive settings. In situations where it's not immediately obvious how to proceed, always remember the Golden Rule: the object of the game is to win, the point of the game is for both players to have fun.
In a fun game, it's good practice to allow your opponent a little leeway, whether measuring line of sight, planning their actions, or any number of other options that come up during a game. If your opponent wants to do something fun and interesting, put yourself in their shoes - who knows when you ll want to try something equally as daring?
Failing that, if you still can't decide on a way to proceed, roll a dice! It's easier to do that than to spend a long time poring over rules - roll off, then make a note to double-check after the game is over.
Dice
Dropzone Commander uses 6-sided dice, often referred to as D6. Unless otherwise stated, when instructed to roll a dice, it will be a D6. Occasionally a D3 dice will also be needed, although it's easy enough to simulate these using D6 (1/2 = 1, 3/4 = 2, 5/6 = 3).
Often dice will have modifiers to their rolls. A plus penalty (such as a +2 penalty) will increase the number needed to roll, whereas a minus bonus (such as a -1 bonus) will reduce the number needed to roll.
For example, a weapon suffers a +2 penalty to its 3+ AC value. The player now needs to roll a 5+ to hit with the weapon.
A roll may have multiple modifiers, which are all added or subtracted together. However, a roll of a 1 is always a failure.
Sometimes you may be instructed to re-roll dice. A dice may only ever be re-rolled once.
Measuring
All distances in the game are measured in inches, noted with inverted commas (for example 6" is 6 inches). You are allowed to measure distances at any time.
Unless otherwise specified, distance is measured to and from the centre point of a unit. When measuring, judge the distance from centre to centre, even measuring diagonally, for example when measuring to Aircraft in the air.
Line of Sight
Dropzone Commander uses true line of sight. To check if a unit has line of sight to another unit, draw a straight line between the miniatures. The easiest way to do this is to get close to the unit itself for a "miniature's eye view" of its surroundings. If any part of the main body or base of the target can be seen from the centre point of the main body or base of the unit, it is in line of sight. If only weapons, arms, or legs can be seen for example, it is out of line of sight.
Units in the same squad (friendly and enemy) are ignored when checking line of sight.
The centre of an Infantry unit's base must be visible for it to be in line of sight (this represents the ability of infantry to hug the terrain and hide just around corners).
How you measure line of sight is up to you. Straight poles and laser pens are commonly used. How precise you are with line of sight measurements during games is also up to you. Being diligent will improve game accuracy, but may slow the game down - as with most things, it's best to take a balanced approach.
Friendly & Enemy units
Any unit in your army is a friendly unit, and any in opposing armies are enemy units.
When abilities say they affect any or every friendly unit, that does include the unit using the ability, provided they are eligible to be the target.
Units, Squads & Battlegroups
Dropzone categorises miniatures in three ways: units, squads, and Battlegroups. These three categories are used in different ways in many of the rules, so it's important to note the differences between them.
Units are a single model, or base of models. Identical units band together to form squads - small fighting groups that take to the battle together. Units within a squad perform actions simultaneously. If there is only 1 unit in a squad, it is still counted as a squad for all purposes.
Squads are then formed together into Battlegroups, which consist of several different types of units to form a fighting force greater than the sum of its parts.
Squads in a Battlegroup are activated together. If there is only 1 squad left in a Battlegroup, it is still counted as a Battlegroup for all purposes.