Playing your first full game of Armoured Clash
So, you’ve bought the Battle for Singapore Two-Player Introductory Set, built your models, played through the Introductory Campaign, and are eager to try out the Core Rules using expanded Forces? Well, look no further!
This blog aims to provide a starting point for those of you looking to get stuck in with a game of Armoured Clash, using a Force suitable for a Skirmish-scale game, with the recommended limit of 1,000 points.
Each Force consists of a single Faction Battlegroup that draws on the units found in the Battle for Singapore boxed set, with a few additions and swap-outs on each side. This allows both players to get to grips with new units they might not be familiar with, and Bolstered units, which are larger than those they may have encountered before.
The Crown Force includes units from the Crown Armoured Regiment box, including a unit of Blackwatch Assault Dragoons. These chainsaw-wielding exosuits can devastate Light and Heavy units alike in a Close Quarters Combat. This Force List also boasts a unit of Gallahad Breachers, which combine the tenacity of the Galahad Main Battle Tank with a short-ranged anti-Light attack that can reduce Defensible Buildings to unoccupiable ruins! It also swaps out the Mordred Heavy Artillery with Bors Heavy Bombards to really dish out the hurt on the Empire’s Light units.
The Empire Force incorporates models from the Empire Armoured Regiment box, with a unit of Tongshi Lion Automata Bolstered into a Reinforced unit, doubling the number of models it contains and greatly increasing its Attack Pools. This Force List also includes a unit of San Lei Heavy Artillery, which gives this list some significant extra firepower to take on the Crown’s potent Heavy units.
Each General’s Force also contains at least one Boon, purchasable abilities and Special Commands that provide tactical flexibility that can turn the tide of battle when used just at the right moment.
For the Crown, this is Mad Minute, a Special Command that can be issued once per Round to an Infantry unit that is about to make a Ranged (Light) attack. If successfully issued, this Command adds four extra dice to the unit’s attack pool, meaning that you can add a significant punch to a unit of Rifle Command Platoon, Royal Engineer Sappers, Sharp Rifles or Spitfire Rocketeers.
The Empire gains the Forlorn Hope Boon. This is a handy little ability that allows a single unit in the Force to gain the Vanguard (10”) Special Rule. This creates the opportunity for a unit of your choice to move up the Battlefield before the Clash begins - perfect for getting a slow unit into the thick of combat as quickly as possible! Placed on a melee-centric unit, such as the Jianhurren Terracotta Automata or the Tongshi Lion Automata, this opens up the prospect of a potentially brutal charge in the first Round of the Clash.
Future campaigning…
Once you’ve played some Clashes with these Force Lists, you may feel confident enough to start building your own using your Faction’s ORBAT.
As each of these Crown and Empire lists are built around their respective Faction Battlegroups, why not try swapping out some of the optional elements present in these Force Lists with other units in your collection?
If you want to try some larger games, you can expand on these Force Lists by adding an Auxiliary Battlegroup to each Force, which can help tailor your Force to suit your preferred playstyle, opening up options to include more units and providing extra Commander Bonuses that allow for interesting tactical plays.
Alternatively, If you have a Crown Faction Battlegroup Starter Set or an Empire Faction Battlegroup Starter Set, you could use this Force List as a template for building your first Battle-scale Force. Simply take the units included in these Force Lists as Reinforced Units, adjusting their points costs accordingly, then add any extra units and Boons you like until you reach the required Points Limit.
Of course, to use these you will need a copy of Armoured Clash: The Core Rules, which can either be purchased as a physical book or downloaded as a free PDF from the Armoured Clash website, and the Crown and Empire ORBATs, which can also be downloaded for free from the Armoured Clash website.
Good luck Generals, glory and ruin await!