Getting Started — Part 1
by Carl Hotchkiss
We get many requests from people looking to begin AT-43, but want to know where to start. What are the different types of boxes? How do I configure a company? In this article, I will be describing the different types of product, and how they relate to each other. While the rule book describes building your company, I will tie that into what that means from the product standpoint as you look at it in your local game store.
Boxes
The main box type is called the Unit Box. These boxes contain the basic troops of any given type, whether they be infantry or Armored Fighting Vehicle. These are the core boxes required to actually field a unit in your company. They usually contain a card for the core troops, and a card for the lowest level leader of that faction, i.e. - the U.N.A. unit boxes contain a Sergeant.
The next box type are the Attachment Boxes. While not required to field units, these boxes contain the special weapons, specialists, and leaders that will make the units more effective and deadly. These boxes are infantry only and contain cards not only for the special weapons, but for the Level 1 through 5 leaders of that unit type.
Hero Boxes are a fun addition to any company. They are not required to play the game as the unit and attachment boxes have leaders who are capable of leading units. However, heroes are very powerful leaders whose special abilities can make the difference between winning and losing. They also add flavor to the storyline side of the game.
Accessory Boxes bring a variety of pieces to the game. While there are no miniatures in them, they add extra dimension to the game. From necessary components of the game such as the artillery template, to a variety of terrain components, these boxes add a lot to the tabletop.
The Operation Damocles box set is a bit different from the other boxes, as it is a starter set, and contains miniatures from two factions, plus a large selection of terrain and other things from a variety of accessory packs. It is a great way to start the game as it is a great value, as there is a lot packed in this very big box. The miniatures are from the Therians and U.N.A. factions.
Rule Book
The Rule Books are necessary for building your company, and understanding how each army works. While the cards carry the information needed during play, the information such as points for army building are contained in the rule books. There is one rule book for the main rules and information on the overarching AT-43 story, and each faction has a rule book with rules for their units and universe information specific to their faction.
Army Building
So how does all of this get translated into army building? Your overall force is called a Company, which is built using Army Points (A.P.). Values are usually the same for both sides at tournament type games, while scenarios can change that (giving the defender less points but more defensible terrain, etc). The basic structure of the company is the platoon, which, depending on the number of points allowed, can be a single platoon or as many as you allow points for. To prevent people from only using elite units, each platoon has a platoon pattern that represents the structure of that army, along with variant platoon patterns for sub-factions. Each platoon pattern allows 5 Units as part of its structure. The first unit listed is a compulsory unit, and marked by an !. This means that that platoon can be from 1 to 5 units in size, but must contain the compulsory slot. If the compulsory slot specifies a unit of soldiers of Rank 1 or 2, then you have the freedom to choose which one that will be, but it must be a soldier of one of those ranks. Also, your company may have multiple platoons, but a platoon pattern’s 5 slots must be filled before moving on to the second pattern.
Here is how to tie the army building rules together. As an example, I will use the U.N.A. basic platoon pattern. The Priority (compulsory) slot is a unit of soldiers of Rank 1 or 2. I look at the various soldier types in the rule book and see that the Star Troopers, Steel Troopers, Wing Troopers, and Shock Troopers all meet the Rank requirement. I pick a Wing Trooper Unit Box, which has 6 basic soldiers, including one with a Laser Gun for a special weapon. Looking at the entry for them in the book, that matches my needs for a minimum size unit. However, I am allowed to have at least 9 soldiers in this unit. I could pick up a second unit, and have enough soldiers to finish a full size unit, plus the beginnings of another one, or preferably, I could pick up an attachment box, which still fills my squad, but gives access to more powerful soldiers. For instance, I take the unit box, but leave out the Laser Gun, instead taking the 2 sniper rifles, the medic, and a Sergeant, giving me a full unit of troopers. Once I have calculated the points this will cost, I may now move on to my next unit, and continue until I have no more points to spend.
Check back soon for more articles — I will go into greater detail about each faction, and how to put together various types of companies. These articles are geared for beginners, with ideas of where to start to get your armies started.
