06.19.08

  

New DCI Floor Rules

Happy days are here again!  Just shy of a year over due, those of us that play DCI can rejoice in our new floor rules.  After looking over the new rules, I can say I am over all pretty happy with everything that has been changed.  Here is a recap.

 

1)    Mustafar and Geonosis have been removed from all formats.  For any that were at the Gencon championships last year know how big of a problem Geonosis was, and Mustafar is the most anti melee map in play.  These are two maps that were so bad they needed to be removed.

 

2)   The Hoth map from the Hoth Battle Pack is now legal at all point levels.  This is the map from the Blizzard Scout 1 pack, not the AT-AT.  For those that do not know what it is you can go to the-holocron.com to see it.  Click on holocron guides on the left and then click on map guide, and it is at the bottom.  This is the one change I do not like.  It is WAY too open.  To me this will be the same as the Deathstar or Mustafar.  You either line up where you are going to get shot in the open or park your butt in front of the door and wait for them to override it open and rip away.  Super stealth will rule the day on this one.  You better get your key pieces tucked away fast if you want them to live.

 

3)    The ruined base and Jedi Temple are now legal for 200pt games.  This is fantastic for the 200pt game.  The temple looks like a pretty straight forward map, but most games I have played that are not mirror melee squads end up trying end runs to either side once gambit is secured.  The ruined base is perhaps the best map in the game right now.  Melee love it because they can safely reach gambit and then engage with a minimum of exposure before the charge, and shooters can sit back and get some very nice lines of sight from further back, especially mobile shooters.  It also brings a bit bigger door strategy to the 200pt game for the first time.

 

4)    Set up has now changed to a singe die roll.  You both roll.  The highest roll picks the map.  If both people bring the same map, then it’s a bit of a bust, but its better than someone getting their map and side.  The lower roll can either pick a side and set up, or defers the choice back to the other person.  In a balanced map the person will usually defer to set up in response, but the advantage is usually minimal as it is a balanced map.  Unbalanced maps like the starship hard board map will make the low roll person set up first to get the good side (most of the time).  In the end this will really balance what maps are played.  Maps that are unbalanced will not be played as much when you know you will not get the advantaged side.  That is unless the person knows they can deal with the bad side of the map against the squad they are facing.

 

5)    Oversized bases now have an advantage.  They are no longer forced to be within the first four squares of the starting side.  Large and huge figures now only need to have a “part” of their base in the start zone, usually the rear row of the base.  Why is this a big deal?  Because certain maps, such as Bespin, will no longer trap huges on the landing pad side of the map.  They can now legally set up out on the landing pad.  They can also have a jump on reaching gambit.  Is this overpowering? No, but anything that helps huges see play is a good thing.

 

6)    Center points are nor referred to as Gambit.  No big deal.  It’s just official now.

 

7)    Mandalorains are now officially a neutral faction when it comes to light/dark games.

 

8)    The final change is that sealed and draft events can now be 100 or 150pts.  In todays world of costing, the 150 mark generally makes for a better game in these formats.  It is usually pretty easy to reach the value and still have choices.  These event are always about the draw, but this at least allows some more help if your rares are not the greatest.

 

Outside of the Hoth map, I love all of these changes and think they will greatly improve the game play and experience for official tourneys.  I was very happy to see Korriban and Ossus NOT make the map lists.  The Hoth map may not be as big a deal as it looks.  I haven’t actually seen it played yet, but time will tell.  With our new DCI rep promising better updates, changes should be faster coming.  Any questions or comments feel free to send me an email as usual at Sithdragon13@yahoo.com.