Are deployment types likely to change in Gaining Grounds?

[Maniacal_cackle]

Just curious, do we have any information that helps predict whether or not future Gaining Grounds will change deployment types? Was that done last edition?

I'd love to see some new deployment type, like a 'split' corners where you can deploy within 12" of either corner on your side.

[Morgan Vening]

As far as I can recall, there's only ever been DZ changes at the edition.

I'm not sure if they changed the definition of Close between 1E and 2E, but they did from 2E to 3E's Wedge.

That's the only change I can remember.

Story encounters can change things up a lot, but that's a different thing.

[Angelshard]

I highly doubt they'll change deployment types between gaining grounds. I would personally hate it as I use a printed mat with center lines and deployment zones printed on. 

[Morgan Vening]

3 hours ago, Angelshard said:

I highly doubt they'll change deployment types between gaining grounds. I would personally hate it as I use a printed mat with center lines and deployment zones printed on. 

Though Cackle's suggestion wouldn't change that. You'ld just use both Corner Deployments on your side of the board, essentially doing a reverse Wedge.

Sure, your distance to the enemy's DZ is 12" apart, but it's really not that much different that Flank, where the closest distance is less than 13" apart. Does make getting to the edges of the centreline a lot easier though (any model with a 6+" move and no intervening terrain should be able to move and throw an Idol on Turn 1).

[solkan]

I don't think Gaining Grounds has ever changed the deployment zones.

The M2E yearly books that typically included story encounters for each faction; and M2E had those story encounter boxes.

I've seen story encounters do all sort of things, including inventing/reinventing deployment mechanisms like confused deployment (I think that's what it was called--where you alternate placing cards onto the table, and then deploy models onto the cards, basically ignoring the normal deployment zone during deployment).  Or things like having one side deploy in the center radius and the other side deploy in one of the "normal" deployment shapes.  But story encounters can pretty much get away with anything because after it's over you can just shrug and go, "Wow, that was crazy," and wander back to the safe, comfortable stuff.

But even story encounters with unusual deployment types are pretty much always followed by instructions concerning the schemes, because of how much difference they make.  I mean, if one of the players is deploying in the center of the table, that makes a big difference which schemes becomes fair.

9 hours ago, Maniacal_cackle said:

I'd love to see some new deployment type, like a 'split' corners where you can deploy within 12" of either corner on your side.

I think the really important thing to remember is that even Gaining Grounds gets play testing.  And the changes caused by different deployment zones are at least as drastic as new strategies and schemes, but they interact with everything.

There's a lot of things over the years that have made it into the standard play formats that started out as a bunch of players sitting down, trying non-standard things out, and sharing the results.  I think that's how enforcer brawl and henchman hardcore originated. 

So if you're interested in seeing different deployment zone options in the future, you can probably increase the odds of that by trying out different things, and sharing the results.  And, if you need to offer encouragement, story encounters are a safe setting to try out this sort of thing.

 

[Maniacal_cackle]

6 hours ago, Angelshard said:

I highly doubt they'll change deployment types between gaining grounds. I would personally hate it as I use a printed mat with center lines and deployment zones printed on. 

This is part of what made me wonder, as my club is buying mats soon. Good to know!

[Angelshard]

@Maniacal_cackle I find the mats to be one of the best quality of life buys you can get with malifaux. Clearly defined centerlines and deployment zones makes a lot of things much less of a hassle