It’s been a little while since I last talked about DW here on the blog! Too long…
This is a topic I’ve been wanting to discuss for some time. DW 2.0 offers players a lot of flexibility with their deployment, and one of the most intriguing options is to put some of your forces into a flanking force that will come in from the “short” table edge. Which of course, begs the question of whether or not this is a Good Idea, and, assuming it is, what units would be good to put into such a force.
The Flanking Zone
By way of review, here is the diagram of the new DW deployment zones:
As you can see, the Flanking Edge encompasses the 16 inch wide band that comprises the “No Mans Land” in the middle of the table (assuming a standard 4’x6′ table). So, that comprises some immediate advantages for a player that is going to flank a portion of his force; it will be able to start around 16″ further down the table than forces that are coming from the Main Deployment zone. Now, the trick here is that players do not get to pick exactly when flanking forces arrive. Each player rolls a D3 at the start of the game, and the result (1, 2, or 3) is the game turn that those forces can be brought onto the table. The player with “Operational Advantage” (ie, the one that lost the roll to set-up) may re-roll this D3 in an attempt to get a better result.
Who can be in the Flanking Force?
The rules for this can be found in the list building rules. To put it simply, the models must be Small, Medium, or Tiny, and the Flanking, Advance, and Reserve forces combined cannot exceed 40% of the entire force. So, while you could have up to 40% of your force acting as flankers, that would preclude you from using and Advance or Reserve forces.
Advantages
Being able to out-flank with certain units confers certain advantages. First, it allows the forces to enter much closer to your opponent’s deployment zones, which means they might be able to get off attacks earlier than they would otherwise. Additionally, given the fragility of medium and small models, putting them in the flanking force may keep them off the table for a turn or two, allowing them to avoid excessive fire from the enemy. As a result, a flanking unit of, say, frigates, will have the advantage of being able to deploy onto the table closer to their targets, allowing them to dart in and hit the enemy without having to be chewed up on the way in.
Disadvantages
Unfortunately, there are some downsides to this deployment method as well. The most obvious one is that your forces will be divided at the start of the game, which could lead to the isolation and destruction of individual parts of your fleet by locally superior enemy forces. The truism about “Concentration of Force” became a famous military dictum for good reason! Also, you must designate your flanking forces during the list construction phase. This means that you have to know what forces will be out-flanking before knowing your opponent, or even knowing what the table set-up will be. This means your deployment options will be somewhat less flexible in this regard, which could put you into a sticky situation. Another issue is that you do not have perfect control over the arrival of your flanking force; that D3 roll could really hurt or help your cause. If you have a large flanking force, and wind up rolling a “3,” you might have just locked almost half your forces off the board for what will (probably) be at least half the game. Not good! Another issue is that a canny opponent might just deploy all of his forces as far from the flanking zone as possible, preventing your flankers from doing much good. This can be mitigated somewhat by keeping your flanking forces limited to the faster ships in your force, however.
Thoughts on Employment
Given all that, how would I employ flankers? Well, the first thing that occurs to me is that this deployment method seems tailor-made for Small class ships, like Corvettes, Destroyers, and Frigates. Smalls are typically armed with short-ranged weapons, meaning they need to get to RB1 or 2 to do their damage. Without the benefit of terrain or larger models to “hide” behind, they tend to get shot up pretty badly on their way to the target. Putting them on the flank would potentially allow them to get close to their enemies before they are shot off the board. Certain mediums might also make sense in this role; I’m thinking Gunships in particular, as they tend to be “glass cannons” that pack a wallop but can’t take much damage in return. I think I would keep it to a maximum 25% of the total value of the force. That way, I won’t be too seriously inconvenienced by a high D3 turn roll at the start of the game.
Example
Assuming a 1200 point game, this is what I would think about putting in a flanking force for my Prussians. I have 300 points to work with, so lest see what we can get for it:
Arminius Frigate Squadron (4 ships, 120 points): The Arminius, despite its 2.0 nerf, is still a force to be reckoned with. It’s firepower at short range is ferocious, and coming in off a flank means that it can put that firepower to good use more quickly. Additionally, its speed means that even if the enemy deploys away from the flank, they will be able to reposition.
Hussar Gunship Squadron (2 ships, 170 points): The Hussar is something of a poster-child for the glass cannon syndrome I mentioned earlier. They are scarcely more survivable than a standard cruiser, with no shields available. Putting these on the flank would, like the frigates, might allow them to get in close and light up their targets. Additionally, while slower than the frigates they are still fast enough to close in on an enemy that is trying to keep its distance.
Conclusion
Flanking forces have been a key part of military tactics since the dawn of warfare. It is neat that DW 2.0 allows players a way to incorporate this tactic into their tabletop games. However, effectively employing this deployment method for your forces requires some sober analysis of the limitations of doing so. Likewise, if your opponent is taking flankers, make sure you take that into account when deploying your own fleet. As always, I’m anxious to know what your thoughts on this topic are; feel free to comment here or in the forums. Good luck!