Road to Deadzone: Third Edition – Rob’s Mazon Labs

29th Sep 2021

Rob Burman



Hi everyone! After going through some of the exciting rules changes in Deadzone: Third Edition, we’ve got a new series of blogs that will hopefully inspire you to start your own Strike Team. Here at Mantic HQ we’re obviously extremely excited about Third Edition and a number of us are undertaking a Strike Team Challenge – in other words, to build and paint a Strike Team ready for launch. We’ve got almost a month to finish… what could possible go wrong? Today Rob is talking about his Mazon Labs.

John (first year Mazon Labs PHD student): Tracy, have you ever thought about our Mazon Labs seminar titles?

Tracy (third year Mazon Labs PHD student): Not really. I’m just busy dissecting this ralarat at the moment John. Can’t this wait?

John: It’s just, you know, courses like ‘Best Ways to Secretly Re-animate the Corpses of Test Subjects Without Alerting Loved Ones’ and ‘Improved Methods for Undetectable Lethal Toxin Distribution on Newly Discovered Planets’ don’t really sound like what I was expecting.

Tracy: It’s just science.

John: Sure, sure. Science… although, do you think it’s strange that there are a lot of gurneys with blood and other stuff splashed across them in some of the labs in the basement?

Tracy: Ok, so the cleaners probably need a good talking to.

John: And then there are all the cyborgs and Plague victims milling around… and security guards that shoot people if they go into the wrong room. Bit odd for a university campus, right? I mean, there was an Aberration in the DreadBall court this morning.

Tracy: What are you getting at John?

John: Tracy… are we… are we the baddies?!

That’s right folks, for my strike team I’ve decided to do the 100% legitimate and totally not evil corporation, Mazon Labs. In the run up to Third Edition, I’ve become slightly obsessed with Mazon Labs and their nefarious plots… sorry ‘plans for corporate growth and expansion’. I really enjoyed writing the Mazon Bulletins as a teaser to Third, so thought it was only right that I put together a strike team for the galaxy’s most trustworthy organisation.

So, I quickly dug out my copy of Star Saga, which was a little unloved since I got it a couple of years ago and started working out how many miniatures I had. In Third Edition Mazon Labs get a boost with a couple of extra leaders (Doctor Gayle Simmons and the Cyborg Prime) but I decided to go the classic route of Doctor Octo… sorry, Doctor Lukas Koyner. I really like his ability to turn characters that are killed into Plague Victims… which reminds me that I probably need to paint up some more Plague Victims.

You may have seen I mentioned the Cyborg Prime as a potential leader… and that’s because the Mazon Labs have some more options in the form of a cyborg leader, troops and specialists. Currently I’m using the New Eden Revenants from DreadBall as my cyborgs – but who knows what the future holds for Mazon Labs? Cyborgs are a nice companion to the Plague Victims and have the potential to stick around a bit longer with the Resilient (1) rule, which allows me to re-roll one die on a Survive test.

The majority of my list is close combat focused, so I’ll be backing it up with some Urbana Black Wing Marines and Rangers. Currently I’ve got the marines painted up, and just need to grab some Rangers to finish off my shooty options. Elsewhere, I’ve got some Lab Techs, who look useless on paper but are good for grabbing objectives… and potentially stabbing people with their test tubes. Then, of course, I’ve got some muscle with the Aberration Specimen. Currently my list looks like this:

  • Dr. Lukas Koyner 26pts (Leader)
  • 2 x Mazon Lab Technician 7pts each (Troop)
  • 2 x Urbana Black Wing Marine 11pts each (Troop)
  • 2 x Cyborg Beta 12pts each (Troop)
  • 2 x Plague Victim 12pts each (Specialist)
  • 2 x Cyborg Alpha 16pts each (Specialist)
  • Aberration Specimen 40pts (Support)

This brings me to 182pts, however I’m likely to tinker with it a bit before launch. I’m hoping to squeeze in some of those tasty new GCPS Tac Drones – as they’re included in the Mazon Labs list too. 18pts for the heavy laser rifle option will give me decent range and armour piercing.

I’d also like to do a display board based around the Mazon Labs canteen (the safest department to work for in Mazon Labs) but I’ll have to see how much time I’ve got before launch. Anyway, can’t wait to stuck into Third and start playing some games… in the name of science, of course.

Related Products

Deadzone 2-Player Starter Set

The best sci-fi skirmish game is about to get better. Third Edition takes everything you love about Deadzone and turns it up to an exploding 8.

Add to wishlist

$140.00
MGDZM103