The Alliance of the Dystopian Age is a shining beacon of what strong leadership and a willingness to set differences aside can achieve. At least that’s how Prince-President Louis-Napoleon would describe it.
The Great Powers are monolithic institutions, either homogenising disparate cultures into their own or outright conquering surrounding nations to consolidate power. The Alliance avoids this generalisation by design.
When Napoleon realised he couldn’t measure up to the other Great Powers with France alone, savvy political machinations allowed for Italy, Spain and the Socialist Unity of South America to join forces and step forward into a world where they could be considered equals. At least until Napoleon can find a way to further increase his political sway across the globe
You can find the reinforcements for your budding Alliance fleet that are mentioned in your blog at your FLGS or online today.
Like a phoenix rising from its ashes, the Latin Alliance shall burn away the shame of past defeats!
How The Alliance Plays
The Alliance playstyle mirrors their political stance: arguably a faction of subfactions, each bringing something distinct to the table.
The French contingent is elite, represented by the Stoic Property giving them the effective ability to absorb an additional level of Disorder. Their rapid Marine Levant vessels have the Low Altitude Property, providing the best of both worlds: Airborne models that still count as scoring units.
The Italians are tough brawlers, Ablative Armour providing an extra layer of defence before they attempt a ram. They can also play tricksy with the likes of the Scorpio Artillery Cruiser and its Rostrum Naval Ballista pulling enemy ships out of position… possibly into the path of an aforementioned ram, or perhaps into a well-placed minefield.
The Socialist Unity of South America (known as S.U.S.A.) use former Union ships that are still rugged and capable, despite their advanced years. They afford the Fleet a good degree of manoeuvrability, as well as cost-effectiveness.
Portugal is known for its use of Heavy Magnetic Bombards, accurately targeting the enemies of the Alliance from long-range. Defensive by nature, their ability to surround a civilian convoy and stay effective is enhanced by their Battlefleet Bonus bestowing the Hydrophone Relay property onto Portuguese ships.
Last, but certainly not least, there are the newly added Papal vessels.To oversee and integrate these varied forces, Pope Pius IX has commissioned the Marina Pontificia Battlefleet, which brings together multiple nations and grants its Flagship the Generator Ship System, further emphasising His Holiness's beneficence.
Battlefleets
Small Scale (1000 point) list
This force, which uses the Alliance Starter Set and Alliance Frontline Squadrons boxes, is an excellent way to start your journey with the Alliance. The Concordat Command Cruisers backed up with escort support provide a sturdy core while the Charlemagne Heavy Cruiser gives added punch.
The Ecuyare Frigates and Bretteur Destroyers are smaller models and can provide flanking support while the Loire Light Cruisers use their Vanguard Property to move ahead of the main force at the start of the game and get stuck into the action.
The Rolling Broadside Doctrine can give you an extra couple of inches of range to Broadside attacks. It may not sound like much but being able to unleash a wall of fire while your enemy can’t retaliate could turn the tide.
As for Hardpoint options, I’d recommend sticking with Heavy Gun Batteries on everything other than the Loire Light Cruisers, giving them Heat Lances and Lancettes. Their Vanguard move will get them stuck in early, making the most of that close range. Don’t forget that you could always temporarily place Hardpoint options using poster tack or even magnets so you could switch them out from game to game and see what works best for you.
Medium Scale (2000 point) list
The next force is built around the stunning centrepiece of La Dame Liberté. A variant of the Couronne Grand Carrier, its statuesque appearance will inspire your dice to roll well. This is relatively easy to create from three boxes, The Couronne Battlefleet Set, the Mars Battlefleet Set and a box of Alliance Frontline Squadrons.
Unsurprisingly, the Flagship of the Main Battlefleet is La Dame Liberte herself. We’ve added an attachment of Ecuyere Frigates, specifically with Heat Lancettes for some added close-range firepower. You could use the abundance of fighters defensively or attempt to pile on as many Critical Damage Effects as possible to help the Heat Lances/Lancettes along. And more importantly to any Alliance player, it looks gorgeous.
The solid core of the fleet is made up of the Chevalier Cruisers and Ecuyere Frigates. Both are good for scoring objectives and can be loaded up with any hardpoint weapons that you prefer.
The rest of that Battlefleet has Chasseur Levant Strike Cruisers and Sirene Attack Submarines to get up close and personal with more Heat weapons.
The second Battlefleet is Italian, led by the powerful Mars Heavy Battleship. The Cestus Zebeks provide a surprising amount of punch for their size. Meanwhile, the Scorpio Artillery Cruisers can pull enemy vessels into range of Heat weapons and generally be a nuisance.
All in all, this is a damaging but well-rounded force giving an Alliance player a chance to see what their faction of choice has to offer.
Large Scale (3000 point) list
Our final example list leans heavily into the distinguishing theme of the Alliance. Crafted from a selection of sources this could be a defensive convoy of civilian ships and their escort stopping off to resupply an outpost of platforms. To dive this deep into the Alliance, you’d need the Vauban Battlefleet Set, the Alliance Starter Set, two boxes of Alliance Frontline Squadrons, a Sturginium Platforms & Objectives Set and a box of Merchant Convoy Squadrons.
The core is made up of the Heavy Platforms, Titan Mass Conveyors and Hermes Supply Conveyors. These can tie up parts of the play area and give your opponent a tempting target while scoring you Victory Points if ignored.
Their main guardians are the rest of the Protecao Commercial Battlefleet, ideally armed with Heavy Magnetic Bombards. The Advanced Telemetros Doctrine boosts their effectiveness and lets you threaten from almost anywhere.
Meanwhile, the Vauban Skyfortress and its associated Battlefleet hover above the sea, striking where needed for a decisive thrust at the enemy’s heart. Be sure to remember the Coordinated Support Battlefleet Bonus as it can let you activate two units in succession if you need to double down on dealing with a particularly pernicious enemy.
Closing Thoughts
The Alliance is a faction that will certainly have the tool for the job you want to do. Your only issue may be fitting all those tools into your force. You may want to lead a perfectly balanced fleet, using all of the weapons in your arsenal and gathering what you need from across the varied nations at your disposal.
On the other hand, you might want to specialise. SUSA, Italy, and the Marine Levant each have their own style and peculiarities, giving you interesting strengths and challenges.
Perhaps, you’ll even start with one approach and find yourself drawn to another. Such is the benefit of being in the Prince-President's glorious Alliance.
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Vive l'Alliance!