Ambush skill and CON 8+... game breaking, can this be fixed?

[mdomino]

Check the Alert rule, as Ambush is essentially Alert. I believe it does not interrupt an action, but is used after an action. If a lurker makes it into BtB you won't get to shoot, as you fight immediately. So- threshold agent on alert with one cultist 7 inches away and another 9 inches away. The closer cultist doesn't activate, so no alert action allowed. The farther cultist activates and moves 5 inches closer. Alert agent takes his shot. Cultist continues if he survives. Had a cultist started at 5 inches or closer and moved into BtB with his first action, no alert shot as you fight melee immediately as part of his first action. Check me on this, but I think that's correct.
Mike D

[mdomino]

Check Power or Blast, whichever one it is for shotgun. I think you need to wound, but not remove from the table, before that takes effect. Simply hitting does no knockback if I am correct.
Mike D

[Malebolgia]

I don't see the issue at all.
First, I think most players play the game for fun and not to maximise skills and weaponry. It's just not that kind of game. If you play with such people, I'd suggest playing a different type of game (like Warmachine, where it's encouraged and not frowned upon). How much fun is it to build a totally reactive team without any differentiation?
Second, Ambush isn't really that great of a skill. Agents hit on a 5+ and characters on 4+. Add cover for the Lurkers and you have good chances you don't even hit the Lurkers in their turn. So for a starting skill, it's a fun one but not that great if you have a Lurker who knows his models and how to use the scenery well.
So far most one-sided games I saw were because of Threshold teams kicking major butt in close combat. Close combat is way more deadly and can deal with Lurkers much easier.

CON on the other hand...I totally agree. I think a good house rule is that Lurkers can have a maximum CON of 8 (unless their base CON is higher). Period. CON8 is already rediculously difficult to deal with. Another house rule is to allow Threshold to take the nice special goodies after 5 won games (instead of 15). This gives you more options to play with and better equipment to take on the really nasty stuff.

[DoctorDuckButter]

Another house rule is to allow Threshold to take the nice special goodies after 5 won games (instead of 15). This gives you more options to play with and better equipment to take on the really nasty stuff.

I like this idea, 15 missions seems like an awful lot. My team has played 4 and won 4, but that was time consuming and the team is getting smaller and smaller. I know you can shorten the time with certain missions, but those missions are very hard! 

[styx]

I like this idea, 15 missions seems like an awful lot. My team has played 4 and won 4, but that was time consuming and the team is getting smaller and smaller. I know you can shorten the time with certain missions, but those missions are very hard! 

You can opt to take the Quest with the hound in it. If you survive that you get a perk to take special stuff early but you have to roll to see if you get something or not. Same for the Doomsday device...but it drops from 15 missions to 10.

[superflytnt]

Yeah, with the game balance as it is, simply make the "Unbreakable Rule of 8", sort of like the "Rule of 3" in Heroclix...No model may ever have its CON exceed 8, for any reason.

[Basement Dweller]

I found the high CON more frustrating at the beginning than I do now...now I know how to beat it and there lots of options.  I don't find that happens a lot anymore as there are things in the game to deal with it.  As well, with so many options for lists, I find that people don't take the same things over and over which is nice.

1. Ignore it.  This is usually how I deal with uber tough models. You can't always do this but in a lot cases you don't need to kill every model or any in some cases.  Sacrifice a civilian or 2 to big guy and your real models can go about completing the scenario objectives.  Seems very pulpy to me that some monsters are almost unkillable...leads to more running and crying like we used to in the old Call of Cthulu game...

2. Dyn-o-mite.  For 2 points its great fun.  Lightning fast and you can run and toss it.  It's fun when you kill yourself and even more fun when you kill your oponents uber-model.  Most of my agent lists have a dude whose is my dynomite guy.

3. Tommy guns and criticals.  It works bringing down my blasphemous contructs in Kulten.

4. Numbers - A lot of the missions require the lurker to have more models than the agents...this makes it difficult for them to build those uber models especially if you load up on a mob of civilians.

5. Special weapons - As people pointed out, it may take a while to get there, but they blow things up real good.

6. Fire - If beasts are his thing, make them run...a torch will cost you 0.5 points and can be fantastic.

7. Spells - Not really my thing but have seen them used to good effect...take control of your opponsents big guy, touch of death him, etc...annoying when it happens to me...



Ambush is an interesting one as I like the skill but am not in love with it.  Some games you roll well and nothing gets close to you...others i miss and the big nasty comes and bonks me on the head.  Some reasons why I don't have a problem with ambush spamming:

1.  Both teams can do it.  Agents can load up...so can lurkers so you can have cultits with shotguns or Tommy guns sitting there waiting for the agents.

2.  Terrain - We use lots so people can run from cover to cover and make the shooters work for their kills

3.  Big monsters - Those high CON models don't care much if you shoot them once...

4.  Speed - lots of lurkers can go fast and ambush won't save the agents

5.  .30 Cal machince guns.  Can't ambush when I shoot them from 25 inches away.  Long range rifles work as well but are less fun for me.  I have a mummy with .30cal which has torn up some nice agents lits

6.  I's not fun taking the same skill on every model - that's probably the main reason I don't do it.


I understand that high CON mdoels and Ambush spam can be daunting and seem imbalanced.  If this happens in your world, it's your game after all, change up the rules to disallow it.  I personally don't think the game needs a rule to not allow it, but what do I know...I have eaten a lot of paint over the years painting little lead men...

[LidlessEye]

2.  Terrain - We use lots so people can run from cover to cover and make the shooters work for their kills

Can't stress this enough.  Strange Aeons plays best with lots of terrain.  Unfortunately, I think the popularity of 40k and Warmachine has led to a lot of very barren gaming tables, as terrain tends to be more of a frustration in those games than a benefit.  In a skirmish system, clutter that table up!  At least one good piece of cover per square foot.

On the CON front, I've had absolutely terrible luck with dynamite, so I tend to stick to the trusty double-barrelled shotgun.  Fired inside 6", that D+3 hit can take out some pretty formidable foes.  Tack on Armour Piercing and Crack Shot, and it'll be your Lurker opponent crying foul!

[superflytnt]

SA is way better in an urban/suburban setting. We generally have at least 12-14 set pieces, most of which have interiors, and so it's much more of a 'house to house fight' than an old-style 'lines of guys shooting one another' which is arguably less fun than watching paint dry.

[Bergh]

Can't stress this enough.  Strange Aeons plays best with lots of terrain.  Unfortunately, I think the popularity of 40k and Warmachine has led to a lot of very barren gaming tables, as terrain tends to be more of a frustration in those games than a benefit.  In a skirmish system, clutter that table up!  At least one good piece of cover per square foot.

Agree 100%, lots of terrain is essential for having a varied gaming experience.

[Mathyoo]

SA is way better in an urban/suburban setting. We generally have at least 12-14 set pieces, most of which have interiors, and so it's much more of a 'house to house fight' than an old-style 'lines of guys shooting one another' which is arguably less fun than watching paint dry.

Agreed! Ever since I've tried a board with a building or two, I come back to it. Shooting each other across the map with cover saves is "fun", but having LOS completely blocked really makes this game better. And I can't wait to shotgun blast someone out of the upper floor window!

[Mason]

Agree 100%, lots of terrain is essential for having a varied gaming experience.

I agree, too.

We also try to theme the terrain in some way to represent a set enviroment: Farm, clearing in the woods, village, docks etc....

Makes it more plausible for the narrative in a campaign setting.

[Bergh]

I agree, too.
We also try to theme the terrain in some way to represent a set enviroment: Farm, clearing in the woods, village, docks etc....
Makes it more plausible for the narrative in a campaign setting.

My next project is deficiently to have some "dunwich"-terrain, so I can play the Return to Dunwich Black dossier.
Actually my plan is to make one Large/long table, as the 6 missions in the dossiers are linked well together and uses the same terrain for most missions.
this of course does not change game play in any way, as you just make markers to show the gaming area in the given scenario. But it will look great and help set the mood for the players. 

[Malebolgia]

Can't stress this enough.  Strange Aeons plays best with lots of terrain.  Unfortunately, I think the popularity of 40k and Warmachine has led to a lot of very barren gaming tables, as terrain tends to be more of a frustration in those games than a benefit.  In a skirmish system, clutter that table up!  At least one good piece of cover per square foot.

Agreed 100%. Scenery makes for a better game. Not only rules-wise, but also in telling a story and creating a mood. And Cthulhu is all about mood!



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