The Comm Guild Maelstrom's Edge

One of the goals of the new version of the Maelstrom's Edge rules is to give players some real tactical control over their units on the table. One of the ways we've achieved this is through breaking down a unit's activation into separate action categories, to give you more choices when it comes to choosing what to do with them each turn. We'll have a look at these different actions below.





When a unit activates it can chooses up to three actions from Movement, Status and Shooting categories. Some of these were already present in the V1 rules, but were a little more spread out and more difficult to keep track of. By consolidating a codifying the various actions, it's easier for players to remember what they can and can't do in a turn.

Movement actions dictate how fast the unit moves.

MOVEMENT ACTIONS

• MOVE: The unit moves up to its MV characteristic in inches.
• DASH: The unit moves up to double its MV characteristic in inches, but at the cost of degrading the accuracy of any shooting action it performs.
• CHARGE: The unit moves up to double its MV characteristic in inches, but must move into contact with an enemy unit, who then gets to perform Defensive Fire against the charging unit.

Status actions allow you to focus a unit towards specific goals.

STATUS ACTIONS

• ON THE MOVE: A unit on the move immediately gets to make a bonus move. In addition, a unit that is on the move is both less accurate when shooting and harder to hit when being fired upon.
• TAKE COVER: A unit taking cover gains protection from the terrain it is touching when the enemy shoots at it, and even gets a small amount of protection if it is in open ground. A unit which is taking cover cannot also be on the move, and vice versa.
• AIM: A unit that aims is more accurate when shooting during its activation.

Finally, Shooting actions cover the different options for attacking other units.

SHOOTING ACTIONS

• FIRE: The unit fires a standard round of shooting, which can cause both damage and suppression on the target.
• SUPPRESSIVE FIRE: A special round of shooting, which utilizes a weapon’s Suppression characteristic. No damage can be inflicted, but more suppression can be caused than with a standard round of shooting.
• CQ FIGHTING: A special attack against enemies in base contact with the firing unit, using melee weapons or pistols.

By selecting actions from each categoy in turn, a unit steps through its activation. For example, a unit can Move, Take Aim in order to gain a boost to their shooting attacks, and then Fire on an enemy target.

While a unit can only select a single action each from Movement or Shooting, multiple Status actions can be combined so long as you stay within the maximum of three actions in total. So you could, for example, have a unit Take Cover and Aim, and then Fire upon enemy units from their more protected position.



Check out the Beta version of the V2 rules by downloading the PDF from the Trial Rules section of the Maelstrom's Edge website here. The Beta rules documents contain all of the rules for playing V2 games, but keep in mind that these are just 'preview' documents - some rules may be revised based on feedback, and the final layout including background material for the factions and the Maelstrom's Edge universe, artwork and other 'flavor' material is missing.

If you have any thoughts on the new rules, pop on over to the Comm Guild Facebook group, or start up a thread in the Maelstrom's Edge section on the Dakka Dakka forums. We welcome any feedback, and would love to hear how everyone's forces stack up in the new rules!