Point Blank is a card game of squad-level combat in World War II that is inspired by the Lock 'n Load Tactical game system.
Lock 'n Load Publishing
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Sunday, September 5 at 1:00 PM MST
We will be playing a live solo game tomorrow on our LnLP Twitch channel for Point Blank and answering questions from the audience.
For those who wish to play live online via the internet with our Table Top Simulator Module.
Download Table Top Simulator Module Here.
Quick Video Showing Off Our Table Top Simulator Module.
And we're back with another walkthrough, this time of the unique terrain and movement systems in Point Blank. Strap in, this one's a long one.
Terrain in Point Blank is a dynamic entity, meaning the battlefield develops and recedes during gameplay. This mechanic was developed to put a maneuvering feel to the game while keeping the footprint of the game manageable on a household table. At the start of a scenario your map board will have some of the sectors filled with terrain while others will remain blank.
During the game, the battlefield will add terrain through gameplay while other terrain cards may be discarded. This could be due to a unit maneuvering or a removal mechanic when there is not a unit adjacent to a sector containing terrain.
Let’s look at a few situations.
In addition to an action deck where your action cards are drawn from the game includes a terrain deck of cards. This terrain deck is configured to what the scenario requires. This means that some cards may be removed from the default terrain deck and some cards may be added from the additional terrain cards included in the game. For example, a scenario may call for the removal of Stream, Marsh, or Woods cards from the default terrain deck and adding 5 bocage terrain cards.
This means that in this scenario there are not any Stream, Marsh, or Woods that will be encountered and there is a chance that bocage will be encountered. In some cases, these cards may be required to start on the map as per the scenario rules. In addition, these Terrain Cards are held in, and sometimes even played from, a player's hand!
During a players turn, they may order units to move from one Sector to another. Their units are marked as moved and they do not enter the new sector until their next Upkeep phase. Once the opponent completes their turn the player who ordered a unit to move resolves terrain (during their upkeep phase). If the forces were moving into a sector that already contained terrain, they are moved into the new sector with the terrain. If the sector they are moving into does not contain any terrain, they must resolve that terrain for their forces. If the player has a terrain card in their hand (terrain may be acquired into t player's hand, explained later) they may play a terrain card from their hand onto the empty sector in which their forces are moving into. If they do not possess terrain or do not wish to play terrain from their hand they must then draw the top card of the terrain deck for which their forces will occupy.
The terrain may not be favorable to them. If the terrain can be refused, the units may refuse to enter the terrain and do not enter the sector. However, they would retain the movement marker. The movement marker can be removed by the discard of an action card during a player’s future impulse. During the opponent’s upkeep phase they may also play a terrain card into an empty sector that your opponent’s forces are moving into providing one of the phasing player units have line of sight to that sector. This has the feel of Up Front, where unfavorable terrain can be played to make it difficult for an opponent's units.
A US Infantry unit occupying clear terrain is at C3 on the US player side. The US Player during their impulse issues a move order to that infantry. The US infantry unit is marked with a movement marker which is positioned to point to sector C2. C2 has no terrain in it currently.
The opposing player takes his turn and sends playback to the US player. During the US player’s upkeep phase they resolve terrain for the infantry moving into the empty sector C2. The player does not have any terrain in their hand and resolves the terrain by drawing the top card of the terrain deck. The player draws a Woods card which is placed into C2. The US player now moves his US infantry marked as moving from C3 to C2. The player has no other upkeep items to take care of and may now perform their impulse phase.
If the drawn terrain card was Clear Terrain the US player during their upkeep phase may refuse the terrain (Clear Terrain can be refused). The Clear Terrain card is placed in C2 but the US infantry unit is not moved into C2 and remains in C3. It will retain the moving marker, however.
If the US player initiated a move action in his turn and the opposing player had terrain cards in his hand he could place one of those terrain cards from his hand into C2 (Enemy Unit must have Line of Sight to C2). In this example the enemy opponent has a stream terrain card in his hand and elects to play it during his upkeep phase. When play switches to the US player their US infantry must enter the C2 as the stream terrain cannot be refused.
A player can accumulate terrain through the play of a recon action via an action card or available leader action. The Recon action has two abilities. The player may either spot or draw terrain. Drawing terrain cards allow a player to draw the top 2 cards of the terrain deck and keep one of the drawn cards. One of the two terrain cards must be discarded. A player may not have any more than 3 terrain cards total that may remain in their hand.
A German player has a recon action card in their hand. They decide to play a recon card for its terrain draw ability. The German player selects the top 2 cards of the terrain deck and draws a Clear terrain card and a Marsh terrain card. If the German player were attacking this may be a horrible recon result. However, the German player is on defense and selects the Marsh card. They have plans to use this to interfere with their opponent’s future move actions.
Terrain cards remain on the battlefield throughout the scenario. However, Terrain cards may be removed should no unit be adjacent to the terrain card.
Example: A Woods terrain card is in C4 on the US player side. An M4A1 AFV just resolved terrain moving into C2 from C3. The Woods terrain card in C4 is no longer adjacent to any Unit and will be removed from the map and the sector will now be empty.
Sectors represent a portion of the landscape that may contain different terrain options. Units that are in terrain within a sector may move to different terrain while remaining in their same sector. This action is performed through a Move action but is specifically called an In-Sector Move. To execute an In-Sector Move a player plays a Move action onto the unit(s) in a sector and marks them with an In-Sector Move marker. During the terrain resolution phase the player replaces their existing terrain card with a new terrain card either from the top of the Terrain deck or from the player’s hand.
Note: An opponent may not play a terrain card from their hand during their upkeep phase onto an opposing player’s unit(s) performing an In-Sector Move.
Example: 2 German Infantry units are in clear terrain in sector A2 on the German player side. For their turn, the German player plays a Move action on their units in A2 and marks them with an In-Sector Move marker. During the German player’s next upkeep phase he plays a woods terrain card from his hand replacing the clear terrain card with a woods terrain card.
The In-Sector Move marker is removed and the player may now go onto their player impulse.
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