We’ve been enjoying Resurrection league locally, but I’m not sure that we’re interpreting the scoring of this scenario properly. The Defender scores a point for each statue they secure uncontested, starting on Round Two. This has resulted in the defender rapidly gaining a scoring advantage as they typically score two points on the invaders’ second turn (from the rear statues, which the invader hasn’t reached), and the invader is just getting to the statues on his second turn (He hasn’t been able to spend a turn next to the statues to knock anything down yet).
This means that unless the attacker’s force is particularly speedy, the defender is up four points at the end of round two. If the defender is able to kill off all attacking models within one inch of a statue on his turn, he can be up 5 points and win at the end of round two.
Am I misinterpreting the scenario, or is there some tactical element that I’m overlooking? (I know that our local players haven’t been placing the terrain as aggressively as we might have when setting up: Perhaps we could block off the cussed statues to make it harder for one side or the other to get to them…)
The Invader only has to cross 17" (more like 16", considering they just need to contest) over the course of two rounds to contest the forward statues. That can be done by even the slowest SPD 4 models.
So, it’s likely the Defenders score the rear two statues, but destroying all models contesting the front statues is not guaranteed. The Invader might be a bit hard-pressed to run back and contest the rear two statues the next turn, but it’s certainly doable.
Is the defender scoring on each turn, or only once each round? Our local crew initially thought it was each round, but someone claimed it was each turn.
If its each turn, the defender racks up points awfully quickly.
Turn 2 Invader - (Invader arrives where he can contest forward statues) Defender up 2
Turn 2 Defender - Defender up 4
Now, on the invader’s Turn 3, if the Invader managed to keep a living warjack/beast within an inch or the front two statues and knocks them both down, the Defender is back to being only up 2. On the Defender’s turn, he brings that back to +4. The defender has to really foul up not to claim a commanding lead almost from the start.
It feels like we’re misunderstanding how scoring should be done in that scenario. If each player only scores on their own turn, the scoring seems more sensible.
I thought it was supposed to be at the end of each round, myself. But, I checked, and I didn’t see any explicit scoring timing. Let me go check again…
Anyway, scoring at the end of the round gives the defender a chance to respond to any models the invader puts in contesting range. The defender is probably likely to go up 2-0 at the end of round 1 that way, but the invader is almost certainly going to be able to hold them there. It provides the invader some impetus to get there quickly, but I don’t think that makes it a blowout for either player.
I checked again, and unless I really missed something, it doesn’t say when to score those VPs.
Scoring each turn and starting scoring in round 1 makes it a lopsided victory in favor of the Defender, so I don’t think that makes sense.
Scoring at the end of the round starting on round 1 also allows the Defender to win pretty easily. They score 4 in round 1, and then just need to clear off any contesting models from 1 single statue in round 2 to win, so this doesn’t make sense.
Scoring starting at the end of round 2 (during the second player’s second turn, which is the Defender’s second turn) makes it a game. The Defender is almost certainly up by 2 at this point, but a huge wave of Invaders is likely to crash into their lines next turn. The Defender will need to clear 3 statues of contesting models and clear the big monument too, which sounds like it’ll make for a good fight, with plenty of opportunities for heroic last-minute swings.
Starting scoring any later than that just doesn’t make any sense. I don’t think anybody is going to win on points by then, and it’ll come down to “whoever wipes out their opponent’s models first.” Which, as scenarios go, kind of makes the statues superfluous.
So, I’m going to stick with “score at the end of each round, starting at the end of round 2.”
If I recall correctly, it does say to start scoring in Round Two, but it just wasn’t clear whether scoring happened each turn (problematic, as noted above), or at the end of each round (more reasonable).
But, I checked, and I didn’t see any explicit scoring timing. Let me go check again…