This longread gives you a clear on ramp to Leviathans - what to buy first, how altitude and arcs really work, how to draft a beginner fleet that plays cleanly, and how to keep games decisive without rules drag. If you are still weighing the whole Catalyst portfolio, skim the brand overview and come back ready to lift off with a simple teaching plan and a balanced fleet.
Leviathans is tactical airship combat. Each round flows through initiative, movement, attacks, damage checks and morale. Movement sets up altitude steps and firing angles. Attacks resolve through arcs and range, with blocked lines reducing options. Damage tracks degrade a hull and its systems, and morale forces tough decisions when crews face fire. Scenarios end on objectives - not on tabling - so you win by escorting a convoy, holding a zone or breaking contact at the right moment.
Position beats raw dice. Climbing costs speed but opens high arcs and line of sight over obstacles. Diving trades height for reach and can bait opponents into bad lanes. Channels on the table compress choices so a slow turn now can cost you two turns later. Leviathans rewards players who read lanes, pre-plan altitude changes and keep one ship free to punish overextension.
A typical starter includes ships, ship cards, quick rules, tokens and training scenarios that teach movement, altitude and arcs without dense chrome. You will be able to set up a compact table and finish a first duel in under an hour. New crews learn faster if you run the first scenario twice - once to feel turning costs, and again to practice altitude trades.
Bring a rigid ruler or movement template, a simple protractor or arc overlay, altitude markers that do not tip stands, and sleeves for ship cards. Colored dice for different weapon groups reduce talk time. A shallow tray keeps tokens and pencils visible so you do not knock them over mid turn.
Before doubling up on the same hull, add a second class. Role diversity teaches the table how fleets work - a scout that manipulates lanes, a gunship that threatens broadsides, a support hull that shapes zones, and a flagship that anchors morale. Once everyone understands why each role matters, mirror or counter-pick to taste.
| Item | What it adds | Best for | When to add next |
|---|---|---|---|
| Core starter | Ships, cards, tokens, quick rules and scenarios | Learning movement, altitude and arcs | After 2 games add a second hull class |
| Arc overlay | Fast arc checks | Teaching accurate fire lanes | Immediately - it speeds every turn |
| Altitude markers | Readable height state | Reducing confusion in crowded lanes | Before your first 3 ship game |
Add tools that remove slow decisions without changing core rules. Clear arcs and altitudes keep focus on choices, not arguments.
Movement is commitment. Straight lines are cheap, gentle turns cost a step, hard turns cost more and may reduce speed. Plan routes two moves ahead and keep one lane free for evasive options. New players over rotate their lead ship and expose a soft flank - keep your flagship a half step behind until you read the opponent's plan.
Climbing usually costs speed. That cost is not a penalty - it is tempo control. Use climbs to clear island tops and to fire over allies. Dive when you need reach or when you must cross a threat lane quickly. Avoid oscillating up and down without purpose - altitude drift wastes turns that your opponent converts into shots.
Each hull has bow, broadside and aft patterns. Aligning a broadside while denying one in return wins games. Blocked lines come from terrain, friendly hulls and altitude mismatches. Rotate only as far as needed to open a clean arc - over-rotation can pull you out of position and invite a punishing crossfire next activation.
As damage tracks fill, you lose accuracy, speed or systems. Crits can force decisive choices like breaking off, passing initiative or sacrificing a shot to manage a fire. Morale keeps fights honest - crews that stay under pressure may falter, so your flagship's presence and order timing matter. Know when to disengage a crippled hull - saving points wins scenarios.
| Phase | What you do | Common modifiers | New player pitfalls |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initiative | Determine move and fire order | Command effects, scenario rules | Forgetting to plan second activation |
| Movement | Advance, turn, climb or dive | Turn difficulty, altitude cost | Over-rotating into crossfire |
| Attack | Check arc, range, line of sight | Cover, altitude, fire arcs | Shooting before lining the better arc |
| Damage | Mark tracks, apply crits | Weapon type, target profile | Ignoring degraded systems next phase |
| Morale | Check crew state and effects | Flagship range, losses this turn | Staying in losing lanes too long |
Teach the loop with two ships per side first, then add a third ship and objectives. Ground minis fans will recognize familiar pacing - if you prefer land battles, compare notes with a minis tactics alternative to import terrain habits that make movement matter.
Scout manipulates lanes, spots threats and sets up angles. Gunship delivers consistent damage in bow or broadside arcs. Support shapes zones with control effects, smoke or disruption. Flagship anchors morale and cleans up fights when lines collapse. A good fleet covers at least three roles so every activation has purpose.
Balanced line: scout plus gunship plus flagship. Use the scout to bait, the gunship to punish and the flagship to hold the center. Skirmish line: two scouts plus gunship. Dance around arcs, trade chip damage and never offer a clean broadside. Anchor line: flagship plus gunship plus support. Dictate lanes, accept shorter trades and let support deny enemy approaches. These templates are teaching scaffolds - adjust once players find a preferred rhythm.
Layer upgrades only after the table is fluent with movement and arcs. Add one crew perk that changes a decision point you already use - a better turn, a steadier aim or a more reliable climb. Signals that inform allies beat flashy one offs - clarity saves more damage than spikes.
| Role | What it does | Typical base speed | Best partners |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scout | Screens lanes, sets traps, finishes stragglers | High | Gunship that punishes exposed hulls |
| Gunship | Wins trades with bow or broadside | Medium | Scout that feeds angles, flagship for morale |
| Support | Denies space, obscures lines, fixes problems | Medium | Flagship that anchors and calls shots |
| Flagship | Holds center, stabilizes morale, ends fights | Low to medium | Gunship to apply pressure, support to shape lanes |
Before deployment, define who flexes if a role dies. Fleets that can reassign jobs mid game survive crits and still score objectives.
Use islands, smoke banks and altitude steps to create channels. Keep gaps large enough to fly through without precision measuring every inch. Put one obvious high path and one risky low path on the map so choices feel meaningful. A small apartment table can still deliver rich play when lanes and arcs are legible.
Convoys, timed exits and zone control force movement and reduce long range staring contests. Objectives also telegraph when to disengage a crippled hull - saving points while your ally scores is a win condition, not a failure. If your group wants a narrative arc with progression between games, consider mixing in cooperative deckbuilding on off weeks to keep campaign energy without changing the fleet game.
Weather shifts change visibility and lanes. Smoke or cloud banks open or close arcs. Signaling interference complicates command timing. Tie events to scenario clocks so they feel fair. For story heavy nights, borrow tools from a cyberpunk RPG alternative and write quick scene beats that connect your air battles into a larger plot.
| Objective | Setup notes | How to win | Time target |
|---|---|---|---|
| Convoy escort | 3 waypoints and one fog bank | Escort reaches exit on time | 60 to 75 minutes |
| Zone control | Two central markers, altitude step nearby | Hold zones at end of round | 50 to 70 minutes |
| Breakout | Attacker starts boxed in, defender outside | Attacker exits with 2 ships alive | 45 to 60 minutes |
| Relay strike | Radar relay on ridge, narrow approach | Destroy relay and disengage | 50 to 65 minutes |
Write victory conditions first, then place terrain that makes those conditions interactive. This keeps games brisk and decisions focused.
Prime, lay base metals and panels, wash, then pick edges and lamps. A controlled wash does most of the visual work. If you want extra pop, glaze a subtle hue shift on panels that catch the sky and add a tiny reflection on glass domes to sell scale.
Stability matters more than looks for stands. Weight bases or magnetize them so collisions do not topple ships. For storage, foam trays keep antennas safe, while magnetized crates speed setup. Label slots by ship name so you can re-box in seconds between rounds.
Use simple streaks under vents and along panel lines, soot around exhausts and a little salt chipping on leading edges. Less is more - heavy weathering can flatten contrast from table distance. Keep one accent color per fleet for identity without noise.
| Step | Product type | Pitfalls | Time guide |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prime | Neutral or metallic primer | Thick coats hide rivets | 10 to 15 minutes per batch |
| Base metals | Acrylic metallics | Patchy coverage | 20 minutes per ship |
| Panels | Opaque color layers | Pooling near seams | 20 to 30 minutes per ship |
| Wash | Acrylic shade | Staining on large flats | 10 minutes plus drying |
| Edge and lamps | Lighter tones and glaze | Too bright highlights | 15 to 25 minutes per ship |
Batch paint 2 or 3 ships at once so you can rotate tasks while layers dry. Small wins build momentum, which beats perfect results that never finish.
Keep ship cards and quick references as PDFs on a tablet. Bookmark common pages and zoom arc diagrams to avoid table clutter. Share a folder with your group so everyone has the same version. If you want backup one shots for busy weeks, queue up rules light pulp missions and you will never cancel game night when time is short.
Print arc overlays, altitude dials and scenario sheets on heavier paper. Sleeve overlays so dry erase markers work. Use short filenames and a simple folder structure so you can find assets mid game without hunting.
Choose it when you want breadth, restock visibility and digital tie ins that place PDFs in your account library. It is also the most predictable place to confirm which accessories match your hulls. For cart planning, taxes and proof packets, keep the complete buying and shipping guide open while checking out.
Pick a local shop for speed, pickup and easier returns. Stock varies by region, but you gain the ability to combine accessories across publishers and to replace damaged parts without cross border shipping.
Photograph packaging and any damaged parts, keep labels and the invoice PDF, and contact support within the stated window. A short, numbered packet resolves most cases on the first reply.
| Route | Pros | Cons | Who benefits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Official storefront | Widest catalog, restock alerts, digital tie ins | International shipping may cost more | Collectors and players planning full fleets |
| Local retailer | Faster shipping, pickup, easy returns | Selection varies by store | Groups starting this week with limited time |
Bundle sensibly. One consolidated shipment often lands faster and cheaper than several micro orders that each cross a border or a hub.
Balanced line - scout, gunship, flagship. It teaches movement, arcs and morale without heavy rules.
Compact dining tables work if lanes are readable. Use islands and smoke to shape approaches, not to block entire halves of the board.
Climbs usually shave speed so plan them before a hard turn. Dives can recover speed for a closing attack but may expose your flank.
Use a clear overlay or a printed guide that wraps the base. Check once, then move on - fast checks keep games brisk.
Objectives with timers, terrain that forces movement and morale pressure. Disengage a crippled hull rather than feeding it into a losing lane.
A little goes a long way. Two islands, one smoke bank and an altitude step already force interesting choices.
Weight bases, magnetize stands if possible and use foam for antennas. Label slots for quick pack up.
When damage cripples its job or when keeping it alive wins on points. Saving points is playing the scenario, not giving up.
Run a duel at equal altitude, no events. After one game, add a third ship and one objective. Keep language consistent and simple.
Yes. Chain scenarios with a short log of who escaped, who took crits and what changed on the map. Add a small twist per game and recap next session in one minute.
You now have a straightforward route through Leviathans - starters that make sense, rules translated into choices, fleet templates that teach roles and scenario tools that keep games moving. If you ever want a change of pace on the ground, compare ideas with a minis tactics alternative, use cooperative deckbuilding for linked campaigns, try a cyberpunk RPG alternative for story heavy nights, drop in a quick abstract duel as an icebreaker and keep rules light pulp missions handy for zero prep sessions.
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