Comments on NOVA 2013 Draft Scenarios

IMO, MVB is making a step in the right direction here.  Dropping the points to 1850 is a good thing for several reasons, but the stated one of worrying about "Internet chatter" is the weakest IMO.  First, it will stress the lists a bit more since the major difference between 2000 and 1850 points in most lists boils down to one unit.  Second, 1850 point games do play a little faster which will help on the time issues, as will the proposed 3/3/2 game format (Fri/Sat/Sun). 

I would have like to have seen how a double FOC would have worked out, but this works too.

The draft mission packet has six missions available.  Three are the older 'tiered' system of Objectives, Quarters and (replacing KP) Slay Warlord + Linebreaker.  MVB & company have come up with an interesting way to deal with many of the abuses which makes Quarters a substandard victory condition.  Specifically a unit cannot score (deny) an objective at the same time and all models to be used for scoring a quarter must be within 3" of that quarter.  I still for the reasons stated in my linked post, think that the "Tiered" missions should be dropped in favor of a unified "Cumulative" system like the other three missions are setup for.  I mean, seriously, Slay the Warlord + Linebreaker as a "victory condition"?  It is even and like Quarters, one to try to lock in a tie and then edge the other guy out on.  KP with Slay/Linebreaker as "KP" would make more sense IMO.

Comparing the NOVA examples with mine, I will say that Mike & Co. have hit on some stuff I didn't think about, specifically giving two VP for controlling more objectives on the table rather than the one VP per I was giving.  IMO, "Purge the Alien" would benefit from that condition rather than just making it straight KP.    I really hope that "Cumulative" becomes the means to determining the winner in all of the missions because they are clean and elegant.