Welcome to my RAMPANT
STARS battle report. This is a
generic ruleset for Sci-fi games that are miniature line agnostic, scale
agnostic, and usable in any sci-fi setting from a grim dark universe, to
Vietnam in space, to the war against the machines. Rampant
Stars uses relatively broad unit types and Sci-Fi traits to allow you to
customize for the game you want. In
addition, Rampant Stars uses a three
tiered scenario generator that allows for countless variations for the games
you play. Finally, it is designed to be
played in one hour of game time.
Today,
I wanted to try the rules out using Battletech miniatures for a different style
of game. Instead of unit sof 10 Effectiveness Points, each Mech will have 10 Effectiveness Points. This will be two mercenary units in the employ of rival Corporate States. Let’s see how it went.
Polanski’s Lancers
have been hired by Lacstar Industries to grab some rival Klan Enterprises
executives from a corporate off-site on the Low-Grav world of Toth Secundus. The executives are travelling under the
protection of Thor’s Hammers. Thor’s
Hammers have been contracted to protect the Klan executives while having their
off-site team building excursion. Trust falls on low-grav worlds are so much safer.
Polanski’s
Lancers
Enforcer
Elite Infantry Effectiveness
rating: 10 Points: 4 (+2 Points)
Move Command Assault Defense Shoot
Armor
6 2+ 2+ 3+ 2+ 1
Traits:
Commander
Rapid Fire- 2 Points
Trebuchet
Regular Infantry Effectiveness
Rating: 10 Points:
3 (+3 Points)
Move Command Assault Defense Shoot
Armor
6 3+ 3+ 4+ 3+ 1(+1)
Traits:
Blast Radius- 1 Point
Armored- 2 Points
Quickdraw
Regular Infantry Effectiveness
Rating: 10 Points:
3 (+4 Points)
Move Command Assault Defense Shoot
Armor
6 3+ 3+ 4+ 3+ 1(+1)
Traits:
Armor-piercing- 2 Points
Armored- 2 points
Assassin
Regular Infantry Effectiveness
Rating: 10 Points:
3 (+2 Points)
Move Command Assault Defense Shoot
Armor
6 3+ 3+ 4+ 3+ 1
Traits:
Rapid Movement (+1 Point)- Roll 1 d6 for Double time
Enhanced Senses (+1 Point)- Ignore battlefield conditions
Total= 24 Points
 |
| Left to right: Quickdraw, Enforcer, Trebuchet, and Assassin |
Thor’s Hammers
Dragon
Regular Infantry Effectiveness
Rating: 10 Points:
3 (+3 Points)
Move Command Assault Defense Shoot
Armor
6 3+ 3+ 4+ 3+ 1 (+2)
Traits:
Commander
Power Armored (+3 Points)
Dervish
Irregular Infantry Effectiveness
rating: 10 Points: 2 (+3)
Move Command Assault Defense Shoot
Armor
6 4+ 4+ 5+ 4+ 1(+1)
Traits:
Armored- +2 Points
Blast Radius- +1 Point
Hunchback
Regular Infantry Effectiveness
Rating: 10 Points:
3 (+6 Points)
Move Command Assault Defense Shoot
Armor
6 3+ 3+ 4+ 3+ 1 (+1)
Traits:
Heavy Weapons- +4 Points- 1 Hit counts as 3.
Armored- +2
Whitworth
Irregular Infantry Effectiveness
rating: 10 Points: 2 (+2)
Move Command Assault Defense Shoot
Armor
6 4+ 4+ 5+ 4+ 1(+1)
Traits:
Armored- +2 Points
Total Points= 24 Points
 |
| Left to Right: Dervish, Dragon, Whitworth, and Hunchback |
Mission
Missions are generated by rolling 3d6 three times and
consulting a mission, complication, and Location chart. Of course, you don’t have to roll any at all,
but for a test game we might as well go for it!
Abduction Mission
The
attacker sets-up the terrain per the guidelines. The defender places one unit in the
approximate center of the board. Place a
single “NPC” model with the unit. The
defender deploys the rest of their force on any one other board edge of their
choice with one model touching the edge.
The Attackers can deploy on any other board edge touching the edge as
well.
The
attackers must secure the NPC. They can take the NPC by eliminating the Unit
accompanying it with shooting or assault and then moving the NPC into their Zone of Control. The unit with the NPC may not leave the board
and if they retreat/rout the NPC is left behind. The NPC can be passed off between enemy units
this way many times. The game last 8
turns, one hour, or until one side is destroyed/routed. If the attackers have the NPC they win. If the Defenders have the NPC they win.
The Attackers are
Polanski’s Lancers.
Rain
Tut tut, feels like rain!
The entire board is considered difficult terrain as a wall of blizzard
like snow hangs across the battlefield.
Location
Outdoor, Low
Gravity
The battle takes place outdoors, but is on a low-gravity
world. All units have their movement
increased by 1d3 inches, and Double Times roll 2d3 and add the results
together. You can really move in this
gravity!
Set-up
This board is 6x4 in size with trees, two hills, and a
pond. The Trees are covering the center
of the board with hills on both sides.
The Executives are placed in the center of the main forest.
Thor’s Hammers’ Dragon mech is accompanying the
executives as close protection for their team building exercise. It is during their trust falls that the
Dragon detects Polanski’s Lancers coming in from the west. They are approaching in groups of two, using
the hills as a screen for their approach.
The rest of Thor’s Hammers respond to the Dragon’s call for aid and
arrive on their board edge. The rain
obscures visuals and targeting computers, but not the high powered early
warning detection scanners equipped all of the machines of the future.
Turn 1:
The Lancers all Double Time forward, but the blizzard is
hampering the speed of their approach.
The Dragon detects the approaching Lancers and shephards
the executives away at full speed. The
Dervish moves forward to assist at double time, but the other two mech pilots
nervously scan their sensors instead of moving up.
Turn 2:
The Lancers pursue at max speed, but the Trebuchet is
momentarily blinded by a gust of snow and falls out of formation.
The Dragon continues moving out of the forest, but poor
communication and blinding snowfall cause the others to miscommunicate. The Hunchback rallies, but the others are
shaken.
Turn 3:
The trebuchet rallies.
Meanwhile the Quickdraw forges ahead at double time. The Assassin gets momentarily confused as
they approach the woods edge. The
command Enforcer barely sees the Drgaon through the woods and snowfall, and opens
fire with is gatling blaster. The few
shots that find the mark ping harmlessly off the Dragon’s heavy armor.
The Dragon ignores the fire and moves leads his wards
closer to safety. The Hunchback moves up
to support the Dragon, while the Dervish stays shaken and the Whitworth
rallies.
Turn 4:
The Lancers charge forward into the woods and close on
the Dragon.
The Hunchback double times up to support the retreating
Dragon. He is in a good position to
cover the retreat now. The Whitworth is
again shaken due to the inexperienced pilot, and the Dervish rallies.
Turn 5:
Both the Quickdraw and the Enforcer move and fire on the
Dragon, but fail to penetrate its heavy armor due to the range and
terrain. The rest move up as fast as
they can to support the attack, but so far things look grim for the
Lancers.
The hunchback drew a bead on the Enforcer, and opened
fire with his heavy weapons on the much lighter mech. The heavy weapon on the Hunchback does its
worst and shreds 7 Effectiveness Points from the Enforcer despite terrain and
range. This causes the Enforcer to fall
back out of the fight after a completely failed morale test.
The Whitworth stays shaken, while the Dervish rallies.
Turn 6:
The Assassin races forward towards the enemy lines. The Trebuchet opens fire with a barrage of
long range rockets at the Hunchback, hoping to retaliate. The blasts catch the Hunchback, but barely
damage it. The Quickdraw also riddles
the Dragon with armor piercing shells, and a few manage to penetrate the Mechs
armor and reduce it 1 damage point.
This time, the Hunchback targets the Assassin, and again
a light mech takes horrendous damage to the Hunchback’s heavy weapons. The Assassin loses 6 effectiveness and is
force to retreat shaken!
The Dragon keeps moving to safety but has to bypass the
confused Whitworth.
Turn 7:
The destruction caused by the Hunchback causes the pilots
of the Trebuchet and Quickdraw to hesitate, and they are shaken. The Assassin rallies.
The Whitworth final decides to double time towards the
fight. Meanwhile, the Hunchback targets
the Quickdraw at long range and opens fire.
This time, the Mechs firepower is much less effective against a heavier
target. The shells ping harmlessly away
or outright miss.
The Dragon’s detail cause a moment of hesitation as he
regroups his executive wards.
Turn 8: Final Turn
The Trebuchet and Quickdraw rally. The assassin darts forward and fires some
parting shots at the Hunchback, who easily absorbs them all.
The Hunchback is shaken from the incoming fire and fails
to return fire. The Dervish and Dragon
both rally. The Whitworth opens fire on
the battered Assassin, trying to claim a kill.
The shooting manages to peel off one armor from the light mech, and
forces it to retreat again.
Conclusion:
The defenders, Thor’s Hammers win the battle. Polanski’s Lancers failed to even shake the
executives loose from the Dragon.
Using the heavily armored Dragon Commander as the
escorting unit was a good idea. He
rarely was going to fail Command Checks to escape and methodically moved away
from the attackers. Plus, his heavy
armor shrugged off my pursuing shots.
Once the Hunchback got in position between the Lancers and the Dragon it
was all but over.
The heavy weapon upgrade on the Hunchback made short work
of the armor 1 targets in this game. The
lower skill of the Dervish and Whitworth pilots made them non-factors, and I
forgot to use the Enhanced Senses on the Assassin to move him faster. However, that would probably of just gotten
him shredded faster.
The combination of Rain as a Complication and Abduction
made for a tough combination. Thank
goodness we had a Low Gravity world and no one would have been moving
anywhere!
I think I want to try this Battletech version of Rampant
Stars out again with a different set of complications, terrain and
mission.
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