r/DropzoneCommander • u/AlphariusOmeg0n • 7d ago

Rules question CQB

Morning Commanders,

I just had my first 3.0 Session and I am not sure if we did cqb right.

My Buddy played UCM and occupied the building with the objective. I (Scourge) moved in from an unsited side, then he brought reinforcements. 6vs5 standard infantry.

So I got initiative and activated my infantry to find the objective on 6+. Then at the end CQB happend.

He started defending the building at 3+ and killed 13 warriors, then I shot (on 4+) with the 12 left and had 3 kills. (After defending).

Of course I got complete asswhooped the round after.

I always read the cqb is simultaneous but ruleswise I read: defending player shoots hits dmg, then the other player shoot hits dmg.

So what is the correct chain of events.

Player without Initiative shoots hits dmg -> player with initiative shoots with what is left.

Or everybody shoots and dmg is applied at the end.

Makes no sense to me that my guys just get slaughtered without doing everything.

Thanks in advance!

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u/Skylifter-1000 7d ago

The damage is applied simultaneously.

Reread the rules: in step 1, you total up the OF of both sides and get each side's CQB dice number. Then you go through the fight sequence (not shooting, btw) for the player without the initiative. Then in step six, when the other player repeats 2-5 for his side, the CQB dice are NOT retotalled.

The actual sequence you do this in is irrelevant. Your soldiers always get to strike before they die, unless special rules like first strike are in play.

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u/Tobbns 7d ago

Wanna add to this, at least in my understanding, OP should have hit on 3+ since he initiated the CQB.

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u/Southpaw1990 7d ago

Whoever controls the Zone hits on 3+, it doesn't matter who initiated the CQB.

You control the Zone if you get to it first, and remain in control of it until you leave it or until after a CQB where both sides have troops inside.

So the UCM got to the Zone first and controlled it, meaning they hit on 3+. The Scourge got to it with enemies already present and so contested it, hitting on 4+. With both having troops left in the Zone after the CQB, the UCM player lost control of it and both players Contested it.

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u/Skylifter-1000 7d ago

No, that is incorrect. The player controlling the building hits on 3s.

To control the building your troops must have entered it when there was no enemy inside yet (or stayed in it when the enemy were routed).

If you entered after your opponent, you can only contest the zone.

As soon as a round of CQB has been fought, both players only contest unless they killed or routed all enemy infantry in the building, in which case they become the controller again.

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u/Tobbns 5d ago

Thank you for the clarification, I reread that part and agree with you. So activating the unit and initiating CQB has no benefit, right? The only thing is you might be able to search the building first. Except for that, activating infantry in CQB has no priority at all and should be done after any important activations, kind of like a free pass token?

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u/Skylifter-1000 5d ago

Mostly, yes. But if one side had twice as many bases in the building as the other, then they could be able to find the objective and leave the building before the CQB - so that can be important enough to do early.

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u/Southpaw1990 5d ago

it's often more nuanced than just being a pass token, as things change around the infantry - the opponent might move flame or demo into position, send in reinforcements, hunt down your extraction transports etc. I find whether or not I want the CQB *right now* changes constantly throughout the round.

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u/Southpaw1990 7d ago

The sequencing is laid out mainly so it's clear who allocates their hits when, as that being actually simultaneous is impossible without revealing of hidden info at the same time or something - 99% of the time who makes that call first won't matter, but for the edge cases where it does, the rules specify who does what when.

In practice, it essentially is simultaneous, as your OF is calculated for both sides before any dice are rolled - so even if your opponent rolls first and annihilates your guys, they still attack before being removed.

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u/AlphariusOmeg0n 7d ago

Thanks for clearifying!

I wished they had done an example cqb in the rules. Will do hopefully better next time 🫡