New Breachstorm Rules Update - v1.1 Changelog

What's up, Breachstormers!? Change is in the air, and the time is upon us for an update to Breachstorm's rules. This update represents a fundamental shift in how cooperative games (Covert Ops) are played; with most of our time dedicated to fleshing out a new 'squad' mechanic that simplifies and streamlines the AI-controlled Opfor activations, to make their turns simpler to resolve, and player unit attacks feel more relevant against them.

That said, we are excited to announce new content for all game modes, including new missions, upgrade cards, and some reworked core mechanics. All these documents are currently available for download on the Rules Page.

Core Rules Updates

Defenses

• Armor Defense: Can now reduce damage to zero (previously reduced damage to a minimum of 1).

The minimum reduction of Armor has been a lasting artifact of the game's older combat mechanics that we no longer feel is necessary. Removing it reduces complexity, and makes armor feel truly impervious in the specific instances where it can be added to existing damage reduction. This change also makes it meaningfully stronger than Resist in some cases, and requires that some lesser-played units (such as TITAN drones) require specialized equipment to reliably take down.

• Dodge Defense: Can now reduce damage by a modal amount (previously it always reduced damage by 1). All existing examples of the Dodge defense are considered to be Dodge (1).

• Reaction Attacks: The Riposte defense mechanic has been redefined as a providing a melee-only "Reaction Attack". Fundamentally the mechanic has not changed, but reaction attacks of different types can be provided by different effects and will all operate the same way.

• Quickdraw Defense: This is a new defense that provides a ranged-only reaction attack (similar to Riposte).

Engagement Zones

• Engagement zones: The engagement zones of units are now considered independent of one another (i.e. it is possible for a unit to engage an enemy but not be engaged themselves. Doing so confers all of the benefits of engagement (preventing enemies from shooting, and providing a -1 Acc penalty to incoming ranged attacks) with none of the downsides.

Another minor change, but clears up what happens if LOS is blocked by elements that affect one player and not the other. It also allows for units with variable engagement zones (such as that provided by the new Intimidating Presence upgrade).

Unit Subtypes

• Keywords applied by effects such as objective cards are now considered unit subtypes.

  
  

This is another minor change; it simply allows other rules to reference units that are, for example, 'objective carriers', and will allow us to design mechanics in the future that can mesh more closely with missions and objectives (for example units that gain buffs when they target or become an objective carrier).

Terrain

• Hazardous Terrain: Now also deals damage to units ending their activations inside it.

• Enterable Obstructions: Now specify that placements and displaced units may not be placed from outside an obstruction to a position inside that obstruction.

Covert Ops Rules

The 'Squad' Mechanic

ALL Covert Ops card decks are being made available for free on the rules page using the updated mechanics we list here. The Volucrid Host Opfor cards are in a state we feel comfortable about releasing, and are also available for download, with future factions releasing soon.

• Squads and Squad Cards: Opfor units have been totally overhauled for Covert Ops Games; they now have their own unique profile cards with simplified rules, and are organized into "Squads" that activate together as a separate entity with unique attributes.

• Opfor Unit Setup: Opfor units now set up in a pattern away from player units next to their activity markers.

• AOE Attacks: Player AOEs now automatically score a glancing hit on all Opfor targets, rather than rolling individually.

• Action Cards: The Opfor now always resolves the effect of their Action card regardless of awareness (although most of the time it still requires them to be Alert).

This represents a paradigm shift in how we design Breachstorm for cooperative play; in the past our philosophy has been that rules knowledge from TacOps gameplay should inform Cooperative play, with Opfor units using the same profiles and strategies that a real player would. What we found instead was that this simply increased the playtime and complexity of Covert Ops games without adding much to the gameplay.

New Opfor profiles will be much simpler; with most balanced around moving and attacking a single time. In general they will represent higher Ev values, but dramatically reduced damage boxes; meaning peppering them with small attacks tend to incapacitate them more easily. AOE attacks now don't need to be rolled against Opfor units, further improving play time. Their attacks are individually higher Acc and damage than those of player units, but each enemy will make 2-3 fewer attacks each activation.

• Sensor Ping Action Card: Now automatically applies Marker tokens to the two closest player units.

While we liked the idea that the Sensor Ping mechanic invoked; that being a comprehensive sensor sweep of the area that unit might get caught in, in practice we found it to be too time consuming and annoying to resolve, for too little on-table effect. Instead it now automatically applies a debuff that may impact the activating squad's attacks.

• Tracelock Acquired Action Card: Specifies that Concentrate Fire tokens will provide activating Opfor units +1 Acc.

This card required a rework since Opfor units are no longer guaranteed to possess the Concentrate Fire ability, meaning the tokens generated could be meaningless.

While all these cards are available on the rules page; for players who already own Covert Ops decks, you can find the updated cards listed individually here for easier printing:

Tracelock and Sensor v1.1.pdf

Download PDF • 301KB

Interaction Tests

• Field Medicine: Difficulty reduced to 8 (from 9).

• Interaction Tests: Interactions can no longer be repeated during an activation if failed.

Because of the fact that failing an Interaction test cancels the Interact action being performed; that fundamentally allowed Interaction tests to be repeated once failed, but this lead to gameplay where difficult interactions could be 'brute forced' by a team with multiple units attempting the test several times each round. This interaction has been removed, but we plan to reduce the overall difficulty of action tests in mission briefings in future mission releases.

Upgrade & Objective Updates

• New upgrades added: Ferocity, Intimidating Presence, Gunslinger, Stoicism

• New upgrades added: Night Raid, Deliver Payload

We consider these cards to be in a state of beta for now, so their mechanics may change down the road.

Ativari Conclave Updates

• Invisibility Nanofield: This special rule now applies a hit-level modifier to all attacks targeting the unit from more than 3" away. It retains the end-of-round placement effect, but no longer places the unit in response to attacks.

We found that the Invisibility Nanofield mechanic had too transformative an effect on certain matchups; with some teams being able to proc its placement effect easily, and some having no chance to deal lasting damage. We've opted to change this to a more streamlined effect that will simply reduce the hit levels of attack performed from a long distance. In playtesting the mechanic has had similar effects (forcing enemies to push in close to get consistent damage through their stealth fields), while making games against Ativari more consistent.

• Legate Atrius: Damage increased to 28, gained Armor (1). Prelator Combatskin now provides an instance of Armor (2).

• Prelator Optius: Damage increased to 27, gained Armor (1). Prelator Combatskin now provides an instance of Armor (2).

• Prelator Vanguard: Damage increased to 27, gained Armor (1). Prelator Combatskin now provides an instance of Armor (2).

  
  

In exchange; we've elected to significantly improve the defenses across the board of the faction, with all units getting additional damage and at least Armor (1) on their profiles. Many units have also gotten some much-need cost cuts as well.

• Prelator Supplicius: Damage increased to 27, gained Armor (1). Prelator Combatskin now provides an instance of Armor (2). Cost reduced to 18.

• Precari Adept: Damage increased to 27, gained Armor (1). Cost reduced to 18.

• Precari Vortex: Damage increased to 27, gained Armor (1). Cost reduced to 19.

• Praetorian Interdictor: Damage increased to 28, Graviton Impactor gains Slow. Cost increased to 20.

Some of the more elite Ativari units have been rebalanced to be more competitive with one another - as we watched team compositions developed we found that most eschewed units aside from Field Officers, Prelator Vanguards, and Praetorian Interdictors. The latter we found to be too much of an all-rounder, with decent damage, mobility, ranged attacks, and survivability. To curb its utility as a ranged damage dealer its AOE attack has also been given Slow.

• Evocatus Helcia: Damage increased to 25. Gravitic Leap increased to Cost (2 Adaptation), but places 3" rather than 2".

Helcia has very much been an experiment since her release last year; and ultimately we found her mobility to be too extreme. To this end we've imposed a small tax on her Gravitic leap mechanic; sending her a longer distance in exchange for an increased cost. The extended distance of the leap will occasionally make maneuvering around intervening terrain and units easier, but ultimately represents more limited mobility. We'll be keeping a close eye on her play as players get games with these updated rules.

• Qairus, Precari Operative: Invisibility Nanofield renamed to Apparition Nanofield.

The one Ativari unit profile we didn't feel the need to change is Qairus - who retains the original Invisibility Nanofield mechanic in full. As a shadowy covert operative we feel that it's pretty thematic for him to keep this disruptive stealth technology as a sort of personal brand.

We look forward to getting your feedback from these changes; and releases more content for the new Covert Ops rules in the near future. See you in the combat zone!