This is the official page for Scenic Steamroller. An Adobe PDF file can be found just a little bit further down on the page for printing out the changes needed to turn a Steamroller game into a Scenic Steamroller variant game. If you play Scenic Steamroller, add the hashtag to your video, blog post, or whatever. #ScenicSteamroller
What is Scenic Steamroller?
What if we played a variant of Steamroller where we didn’t have to move terrain around to make room for flags and objectives? What if this variant Steamroller didn’t have scenarios? What if the table is the scenario? No zones, no flags, no objectives. What are you fighting over? How do you score?
The table is the scenario!
Players pick lists, roll for deployment order, and then pick Scenario Elements. Scenario Elements are terrain elements that are scored by controlling them, like flags and zones in traditional Steamroller. Players fight over buildings, trenches, hills (just kidding), quicksand, and bodies of water, instead of rectangles and circles.
How it works in a casual game.
- Once both player’s army lists and deployment order are determined, the first player rolls a d3+3 to determine how many Scenario Elements are on the table. There will be between 4 to 6 Scenario Elements.
- The second player chooses a terrain element, and they mark that terrain by placing a token on that terrain. The token is marked to indicate either a solo, unit, or warjack/warbeast/battle engine. The Scenario Element can’t be within 12 inches from the player’s table edge.
- Next, the first player chooses an unmarked terrain element, and places a token on that terrain element. The token is marked to indicate a solo, unit, or warjack/warbeast/battle engine. The terrain can’t be within 12 inches from the player’s table edge.
- Players alternate until they reach the number of Scenario Elements determined by the first player’s roll in step one.
Scoring
Scoring occurs at the end of the second player’s second turn, same as normal Steamroller. Count the number of controlled Scenario Elements.
How it works in a Tournament
The EO should roll ahead of time to determine the number of Scenario Elements in each round. Selecting the Scenario Elements should happen off the clock, but players are encouraged to do this quickly, as part of setup.
Download the printable PDF below!
If you don’t want to download — here’s the full doc’s text:
This document explains modifications to table setup, the beginning of the game,
and how to control Scenario Elements. Replace the indicated sections of the Steamroller document as
indicated below.
Page 5: Scenario Selection
Replace whole section with the following:
“Scenic Steamroller Scenario Elements are determined by the players after rolling for
initiative, but before deployment. Prior to each round, the EO can either choose the number of
scenario elements (4 to 6 recommended) or roll 1d3 + 3 to determine the number of Scenario Elements. It helps if each table has a description of the terrain elements present. “
Page 6: Terrain
Replace paragraph 2 (beginning with “As a general rule”) with the following:
“The size of terrain is important, as well as composition and density. Terrain sizes should be between 3 to 8 inches in length and width. Walls, obstacles less than 1 inch tall, should be between ½ inch to 1 inch wide. Obstacle and Obstruction height should be noted.”
In Unrestricted Terrain bulleted paragraph: Add crater.
In Restricted Terrain bulleted paragraph: Remove crater.
Replace bulleted line “Do not place terrain pieces within 6 inches of any table edge” with “Do not place restricted terrain pieces within 6 inches of any table edge.”
Delete bulleted paragraph beginning with “When placing restricted terrain within scenario zones or near flags and objectives…”
Page 6: Terrain Setup Methods
Add the following to the beginning of the section:
“Terrain density should be high enough to force player decisions when selecting Scenario Elements. To determine the appropriate density, use the following guidelines:
Less than 50-point games:
Fill a 24 x 24-inch area with terrain. A third of the terrain in the square should be restricted terrain.
50 to 75-point games:
Fill a 20 x 20-inch area with terrain. A third of the terrain in the square should be restricted terrain.
Above 75 points:
Fill a 15 x 15-inch area with terrain. A third of the terrain in the square
should be restricted terrain.
When using the following three methods of terrain placement, fill in the gaps with the left-over terrain pieces. Inevitably, some terrain will be placed within deployment zones. This is permissible, and encouraged, but remember to avoid placing restricted terrain in deployment zones. Having rough terrain in a deployment zone may encourage players to choose sides rather than go first.”
Page 9: Scenario Elements
Replace Scenario Elements section with the following:
“After rolling initiative, and choosing sides, the player who chooses sides selects the first Scenario Element, and places a token on it indicating whether it is scorable by a unit leader, solo, or warjack/warbeast.
The player who goes first selects another terrain piece as a Scenario Element, and places a token on it indicating whether it is scorable by a unit leader, solo, or warjack/warbeast.
This process repeats, alternating between players until the number of scenario elements indicated by the EO is reached.
No terrain piece may be selected more than once.
No terrain element within 12 inches of a player’s table edge may be selected as a Scenario Element.”
Page 9: Contesting
Replace the first paragraph (“A player must control at least one model…”) with:
“A player must control at least one model within a Scenario Element to contest that Scenario Element, or base to base with the Scenario Element if that element is an obstacle or obstruction.
A model may contest more than one Scenario Element at a time.”
Page 9: Controlling Scenario Elements
Delete the section on Controlling Zones, the section on Controlling Flags, and the section on Objectives. Add the following sections in place of Controlling Zones, Controlling Flags, and Objective.
Controlling Scenario Elements:
The model must be completely within the Scenario Element to control the element, or base to base with the element if it is an obstacle or obstruction.
For a warcaster/warlock/infernal master model that is a member of a warcaster/warlock/infernal master unit to control a scenario element, all models in the unit must be in formation.
A model may only control one Scenario Element at a time. In other words, a huge-based model can’t score a forest and a wall on the same turn. It only earns a single point, no matter how many terrain elements it is base to base or within.
Controlling Scenario Elements marked with a solo token:
A player controls a scenario element marked with a solo token if they own one or more warcaster, warlock, infernal master, or solo models within or base-to-base with the scenario element, and no opponent contests it.
Controlling Scenario Elements marked with a unit token:
A player controls a scenario element marked with a unit token if they own one or more warcaster, warlock, infernal master, or unit commander within or base-to-base with it, and no opponent contests it.
For a unit commander to control a Scenario Element, all members of the unit must be in formation.
Controlling elements with a warjack/warbeast/battle engine token:
A player controls a scenario element marked with a warjack/warbeast/battle engine token if they own one or more warcaster, warlock, infernal master, warjacks, warbeasts, or battle engines within or base-to-base with it, and no opponent contests it.
Scenic Steamroller battle reports
Click on the reports below in order to read about our Scenic Steamroller games!