Steamroller 2017 Overview

There have been a bunch of changes from Privateer Press over the last while. It always blows me away how much free stuff they offer - Not just all the rules for their games, but the cards / rules for all their models as well as their tournament kits.

Today, I'm going to highlight some of the details in the now official Steamroller 2017 organized play kit that has been tested over the last months. I strongly recommend taking a read through the official PDF, but you can get some idea of the changes below.

The PDF also has a number of optional rules, which I'm not discussing here.



Templates and Such

I'm a big fan of the limitations they've placed on markers and pre-measuring. Think this should give people the freedom they want while keeping the flow of the game moving along.

• Tokens and Templates
• Basically unchanged. Anything representing in game effects should be placed next to the model or location in question, everything else should be off the table or away from the battle.
• Table Marker
• Used to mark things like threat ranges and model placement.
• Can't have more than 2 on the table at once.
• 30mm, 40mm, 50mm and 120mm markers, 3", 4" and 5" AOE templates, wall templates and small beads or coins.
• Measuring Device
• Can make a single continuous measurement.
• Can also mark melee ranges of opponent's models during your turn.
• Can't be left on the table when not in use.
• Tape measures, war sticks, melee gauges.

Tournament Play

Tournament Army Lists

• 1 army list, second optional.
• Different warcaster / warlock for each list. Different versions of warnouns can be used.
• Lists can't be over the set game value OR more than 4 points under.
• Objectives can be changed each game.
• Attachments, clients, marshals must be specified in lists and can't be changed.

Sportsmanship

• Warnings, losses or disqualifications can be handed out for unsportsmanlike behaviour, immaturity, bullying, cheating, stalling, etc. (Further details in the kit itself.)

Rounds and Timing

• Round maximums depending on number of players.
• Pairings
• First Round: Random
• Subsequent Rounds: Players are matched against people with the same number of wins, or the next group down if there's an uneven number. (Called "pairing down".)
• Byes: If there's an odd number of players, lowest point player gets the bye, which means 1 win, 3 control points and half the army points for the event.
• A player shouldn't pair down, face the same person or receive a bye more than once.
• Timing
• Deathclock is used with a time depending on the event size. (50pts = 42mins, 75pts = 60mins.)
• Turns are at least 15 seconds long. (More details in kit.)
• A turn can be less than 15 seconds if ending the turn would result in a control point victory.
• Only the EO can pause a clock.
• Games with less than 5 minutes of time combined can be played out.

Victory

• 5 control points MORE than your opponent is the new standard, with a max of 7 rounds.
• There are new scenarios and only 3 objectives now: Armory, Fuel Cache, Stockpile.
• Conceding
• They get a loss and NO points at all.
• You get a win, 3 control points, (unless you already have more) and half the opponent's starting army value rounded up. (Unless you destroyed more.)
• Tie Breakers
• Assassination
• No longer provides points for the battlegroup.
• Control Points
• Whoever has more.
• Army Points
• Casters are worth 10 points.
• You gain additional points for models which are summoned / revived during the game as per points on their cards.
• Scenario Presence
• Tally point cost of models in scorable positions, ignoring contesting models.

Scoring

• Contesting
• Control at least 1 model within a zone or within 4" of a flag.
• Warlocks / Warcasters, inert warjacks, wild warbeasts and models out of formation can't contest.
• Circular Zones - Units
• Warcasters, Warlocks and warrior UNITS which are in formation and all models within the zone.
• Rectangular Zones - Big Stuff
• Warcasters, warlocks, jacks, beasts, monstrosities, battle engines.
• Flags - Solos
• Warcasters, warlocks and solos.
• Kill Box
• Starting first player's second turn.
• If your caster ends the turn fully within 12" of the edge of the table, opponent scores 2 control points.

Terrain

• 8 pieces between 3"- 6" in size, mostly unrestricted, 2 that block LOS are recommended.
• Unrestricted Terrain - dense fog, forests, hills, rough terrain, shallow water, trenches, rubble.
• Can't be placed within 2" of other terrain.
• Restricted Terrain - hazards, obstructions, obstacles.
• Can't be placed in deployment zones or within 5" of each other.
• Don't place anything within 6" of a table edge.

There's some more details in the kit on terrain and recommended ways to set it up. I wrote an article ages ago that might help you out, called Random Terrain Placement.