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  • Avatar photoRobey Jenkins
    Participant

    OK, let’s look at the AA question first.

    No, in principle there’s no reason not to give the AA upgrade to non-mech elements for house-rule purposes.  It’s not an option for them in the rules because dedicated anti-aircraft elements have no good reason for being involved in battles that are supposed to represent the “big hand/small map”, Cold War style of open warfare.  Review the use of AA elements in history and you’ll find that they are positioned in the rear echelon to protect logistical assets or on the home front to defend against enemy strategic strikes.

    However, I recognized that people would want them in the game, so I added rules for mechs to be upgraded to AA elements.  Mechs are wacky, experimental elements to begin with, so it isn’t so odd to find them on the front line.  But it also means that there’s a hint there for people who want to design fixed AA batteries or AA conventional elements for home-made scenarios representing the defence of the logistical rear echelon.

    As for tac-nukes…

    I really decline to believe in any such thing, even at 2mm or 3mm.  A nuke is a strategic asset, and there’s plenty of evidence to illustrate that being behind hard cover isn’t going to save your arse from the effects of having all the air sucked from your lungs and replaced with molten, radioactive dust.

    However, given that this is *your* fictional universe, feel free to have nukes operate differently (or call them something else).  Still, for an example of why you might not want to unleash a strategic asset on a tactical battle, I would refer you to Warhammer 40k 2nd Edition and the thing of beauty that was the vortex grenade.  It’s not that you can’t write rules that will work or that you couldn’t make an argument for the presence of such a monstrosity in your army list.  It’s that doing so is basically creating a honking great fun vacuum that will render your (or your opponent’s) carefully planned strategy and finely judged tactical decisions null and void, because someone decided to press the big red middle finger button.

    If you want to embed nukes into your game’s idiom (to use your word, because it’s a *good* word), I’d recommend making it part of the game’s situation: this battle takes place immediately *after* a nuclear strike, so everyone’s in full CBRN mode, running around in Noddy suits.  The terrain would all become treacherous.  All buildings would be ruins and hazardous.  Infantry would lose its Alert ability (due to the Noddy suits).

    That’s my thoughts, for what they’re worth.

     

     

    Avatar photoRobey Jenkins
    Participant

    Not so much a rules question, but:

    I seemed to have a much stronger force then my opponent who just chose Mechs and Conventional forces.  A  Conventional Force CHQ can take Mechs as well – no other restrictions?

    Obviously, it depends a bit on what conventional forces your opponent took.  But mechs really are very good.  If a mech-heavy force can’t win against a force with no mechs, then someone isn’t designing or using his mechs properly.

     

    Avatar photoRobey Jenkins
    Participant

    Updated 23 July 2016

    in reply to: Painting Power Armour #45131
    Avatar photoRobey Jenkins
    Participant

    For an effective digicam/MTP effect, use a sponge and apply blotches of dark brown, pale green and black over a dark green base.  Each new layer should be applied more lightly than the previous one.  Pick out weapons in black, visors in yellow or blue and bare faces in flesh tones.  Wash the whole with a dark brown wash.  Quick and surprisingly good-looking.  I’ll try to post an example later.

    R.

    Avatar photoRobey Jenkins
    Participant

    Yes! Me. I treat the little mini tank bases as heavy infantry. Otherwise, out works pretty well. Airships aren’t covered very well by the game, but you can just about get by using the super-heavy supplement.

    Avatar photoRobey Jenkins
    Participant

    I guess this is one of those times when I look at my own design work and just have to accept that I did a poor job of executing a good idea.

    I played various versions of this scenario and tweaked them as I went in response to experience.  Reading over it now, I would make three simple adjustments to make the game balance better.

    The first is – yes – to restrict the “only one order per turn” for the civilians to the Patrol version of the game (with a 2′ wide board, an 8″ move per turn is plenty!).  The second is to change the “W” on the table size to “L”.  The third is to reduce the table size for a Squadron to 6’x4′.  Of course, the key issue is how far civilians can move per turn, not the size of the respective opposing forces.

    That said, I would also emphasize the tactical advice given in the rulebook.  The defender’s best solution to having civilians die too quickly is not to let them move on their own.  Surround them with  punchy protectors to block LOF (two per civvie element will usually be enough), make good use of cover and aggressively close with enemy elements.  Charging is a very good option for the defender, because the critical thing is to degrade the attacker’s ability to close with and kill the civilians.  The massive damage that a good charge can inflict will often be enough to either crush movement or firepower – either of which is a good option for the defender.

     

     

    Avatar photoRobey Jenkins
    Participant

    they look good. Only comment to make is that you need to separate the Mv and Mb for your aircraft. Different rules affect each, so they need to be individually stated.

     

    R.

    Avatar photoRobey Jenkins
    Participant

    Annoyingly, I wrote a blog article about this but it got lost in the transition to my new website.  We’re in the process of recovering it.

    Bascially, the broad doctrines of mechanized infantry are covered either by Mobile Infantry or by using a combination of Light Cavalry and Light Infantry.

    There are no battlefield taxis in Horizon Wars.

    R.

    Avatar photoRobey Jenkins
    Participant

    strictly-speaking, just mechs. This is due to how upgrades are bought for conventional elements (using CR), which would mean you would have to upgrade all the elements of that type to all be squadron commanders, which doesn’t make any sense at all.

     

    But if you felt inclined to experiment, I’d be interested to hear the results.

    Avatar photoRobey Jenkins
    Participant

    Yes.  That’s an embarrassing editing failure in text copied from MechaWar material.  For “mech” read “element”.

    Avatar photoRobey Jenkins
    Participant

    A lot of reasons.

    The D value represents, amongst other things, an element’s organic support assets.  It’s a lot easier to give integral or close support to an infantry squad than it is to a tank.  If a soldier loses his rifle or a radio, another one can be handed up the line very quickly (and the sergeant major will pencil in a severe bollocking to the offender, if he or she survives to receive it).  But if a tank so much as throws a track – a comparatively quick and simple fix – it will still usually have to wait until the battle is finished before it can be addressed.

    It also represents that whilst infantry are squishy – only A1 in some cases – they possess a different kind of resilience to mere armour that comes from the fraternity of a battle squad.

    Less poetically, it’s also a balancing mechanic.  But I wouldn’t have used this as a reason if I hadn’t already felt that the true resilience of combat infantry was accurately represented by a high D stat.

    Avatar photoRobey Jenkins
    Participant

    It seems to be a good rounded out ruleset. Me and my mates are mustering forces (old space marine and epic minis) and looking forward to the first games. Am I right in the assumption, that it is not intended for the CAV to get rid of the vanguard rule (by command recources upgrade)?

    Not only not intended, but also not implied, suggested, hinted at or otherwise permitted.  If you want a tank to not have the Vanguard upgrade, take a mech.

    Am I assuming right, that a conventional element can get more than one command recources upgrade?

    No reason it can’t.  Saw someone dump 8 CR into two elements yesterday.  Now that was a recon element from nightmares!

    R.

    in reply to: Final preparations for Horizon Wars #41136
    Avatar photoRobey Jenkins
    Participant

    A glut of HW AARs?  Ooh, I do hope so!

    Avatar photoRobey Jenkins
    Participant

    Yes, D is not an active stat. It’s ability to help you repair is already degraded by your damage track.

    R.

    Avatar photoRobey Jenkins
    Participant

    Thaddeus – yes, although it’ll be fairly useless before then. Plus, critical hits will usually see for a seriously damaged element long before that point.

    Also, there is an oft-overlooked rule covering “ineffective” elements that applies in several missions.

     

     

    Avatar photoRobey Jenkins
    Participant

    Faster, more resilient, more flexible.

    Avatar photoRobey Jenkins
    Participant

    The definition of what constitutes a “mech” is somewhat loose. But I don’t mind saying that just running up some “mech” stats for a non-mech and calling it a mech isn’t really in the spirit of the game.

    Of course, don’t let me tell you how to play! But without being technical about it, there are thematic reasons why conventional elements are built differently to mechs.

     

    that said, the super heavy expansion gives rules for building super tanks at P4+.

    Avatar photoRobey Jenkins
    Participant

    Just a reminder that the Horizon Wars Facebook page is the best place for regular updates, FAQs, clarifications and a heads-up on new material coming soon for Horizon Wars:

    https://www.facebook.com/groups/1087742501257769/

    Avatar photoRobey Jenkins
    Participant

    define “afternoon”.

     

    if you’ve got three or four hours to play, you could comfortably play up to battalion level. That’s three companies of three platoons of three elements, plus support, so 30-ish?

     

    R.

    Avatar photoRobey Jenkins
    Participant

    playing in cm is definitely a way to approach the 2mm game if playing on a 2×2 board or smaller. If you want a “grand sweep of battle” game, though, play it in inches over a 4’x6′.

    Avatar photoRobey Jenkins
    Participant

    for sheer value, EM4 is untouchable. And mechs are tricky. One of the reasons I wrote MechaWar in the first place was to have a cheap game I could play with cheap mechs, and there was a serious dearth of cheap mechs and still is.

     

     

    However, there are now a couple of new options. Sayiner Microtoys is a little Turkish company that’s just getting started, but they are collaborating with a Canadian designer to put some really nice-looking mechs on the market. If the prices of their current range is anything to go by, you can expect great value. Not EM4 value, but close.

     

    The other one to watch is Brigade Models. They have been re-tooling their 15mm range and are now replicating that across their 6mm stuff. Their 15mm mech has yet to appear in 6mm, but I’m told it is coming. And as their value has always been amazing, I expect that to continue.

    Avatar photoRobey Jenkins
    Participant

    I’ll be at Salute on the Osprey booth with boxes of copies to sign and sell. I think I’ll be at the booth from the start for about an hour, after which I’ll be wandering around. I should have my “demo kit in a bag” with me, so I’ll try to find a quiet corner or cafe table to run games during and after the event.

    R.

    Avatar photoRobey Jenkins
    Participant

    That’s exactly correct, Mike.

     

     

    Avatar photoRobey Jenkins
    Participant

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xs5o7KewpE0

     

    Playthrough video is up, just in time for the big pre-release at Salute this weekend!!!

    R.

    Avatar photoRobey Jenkins
    Participant

    Author interview for Osprey Games:

    https://youtu.be/kcY-xDw2vYY

    R.

    Avatar photoRobey Jenkins
    Participant

    It has been described by others as being like a skirmish game, but not like KR16 is a skirmish game: more that it plays with a similar pace and urgency to a 28mm skirmish game.

    R.

    Avatar photoRobey Jenkins
    Participant

    Ah, right.

    Yes, you’ll find the rules for designing your own mechs will make specialist mechs perfectly feasible. Your VOTOMs sound like high M, high D, low F, A1, perhaps with an upgrade like stealth suite, jump frame or a shooting upgrade.

     

     

    Avatar photoRobey Jenkins
    Participant
    1. No, but I’ve played it solo many times during development. There’s almost no “hidden” info.
    2. Not sure what you mean. It’s a wargame with mechs in it. If you want your mechs to be smaller, either they can be little mechs or they can be big heavy infantry or some other conventional element.

     

     

    Avatar photoRobey Jenkins
    Participant

    I ran a demo for a local group the other night which went brilliantly.

    I’ve spotted a couple of errata points, but they’re comparatively minor and easily fixed.

    R.

    Avatar photoRobey Jenkins
    Participant

    the game does involve rolling multiple d12s, so that may be a lot more fiddly than it’s worth.

    R.

    Avatar photoRobey Jenkins
    Participant

    Steve – Don’t use 2d6! That wouldn’t work at all. But you can use d6s. Just multiply the result by 2, to give results of 2, 4, 6, 8, 10 or 12.

    Thaddeus – I can’t speak for the availability of dice in Brazil, obviously. But there are shops serving the d&d community that stock polygonal dice in quantity.

    Avatar photoRobey Jenkins
    Participant

    It’s not so much an aversion to d6s. More an addiction to d12s. They speak to the maths-geek in me.

     

    However, yes you can convert the system to d6s. You get twice as many critical hits, but you also get more effective defence.

     

    The game works but it’s not strictly as I designed it.

    R.

    Avatar photoRobey Jenkins
    Participant

    those things turn out to be unexpected benefits to the  British officers, who really just wanted to scare the crap out of the French.

    Avatar photoRobey Jenkins
    Participant

    You may find the justification for their existence in Horizon Wars to your taste, then…😁

     

    R.

    Avatar photoRobey Jenkins
    Participant

    I’ve just been asked the same question on the HW Facebook Group.

    Yes, categorically.

    Mechs are the jacks-of-all-trades: fast, durable heavy hitters.  In some respects they could be described as Horizon Wars’s “easy mode”.  Playing exclusively with conventional and air elements would be “hard mode” in the sense that you will have to make more challenging decisions in both army building and tactically on the tabletop, but in the hands of a skilled tactician, a conventional army can take on a mech army and win, and if you just find mechs too silly for words you can enjoy the game without having mechs on the table at all.

    R.

    Avatar photoRobey Jenkins
    Participant

    Thought you guys would also appreciate an early sneak peek at the interior, seeing as how the proof copies hit my doormat this morning!




    Regards,
    Robey
    Avatar photoRobey Jenkins
    Participant

    First, it’s on pre-release at Salute 2016, on 16 April 2016.  But it’s on general release (and pre-order fulfilment) from 20 April.

    Second, in response to multiple questions (demands!), I’ve written a battle report on my blog to illustrate the rules somewhat:

    http://precinctomega.co.uk/wp/?p=196

     

    Avatar photoRobey Jenkins
    Participant

    There is a significant difference between trying to model actual tactical experience and writing a game. Actual combat is mostly quite dull, tactically speaking. You don’t get into a fight with superior forces of you can help it. And ideally, you didn’t worth overwhelming superiority from the start. I was actually taught not to initiate any contact without a minimum 3:1 advantage.

     

    Meanwhile,a game is supposed to be fun!

     

    The art of writing a war game is to strike the balance between having a game that is fun for both players, whilst also giving an impression of tactics.

     

    Anything else might not be “fooling ourselves” but c certainly isn’t my definition of a good time.

    Avatar photoRobey Jenkins
    Participant

    Actually, I totally agree with you, Thaddeus, and I address that very question in the book.  The “hard SF” label is something my editor put on the game for marketing reasons to distinguish it from games that really do indulge more extreme flights of fancy.  For my part, antigrav or hovertanks are as practically silly as mechs, but that doesn’t stop them from being a staple in hard SF classics like Hammers Slammers (and, of course, I allow rules for them in Horizon Wars).

    The game, setting and rules are all written to accommodate the assumption that there is a good reason (at least, what seems like a good reason at the time) for humans to adopt mechs as a practical and sustainable warmachine, but it’s perfectly possible to decide that mechs are just too silly and to stick only to conventional elements and aircraft.  The game is just as fun and tactical that way.

    Avatar photoRobey Jenkins
    Participant

    Sorry to have been slow to respond to this, recently.

     

    I’ve been fixated on getting the whole thing finished and off to the printers. But it’s all done, now, so it’s time for the charm offensive to go into full force.

    Somewhat ironically, then, I have to report that Horizon Wars will not be available to demo at MiniCon, because I’m one of the event organizers, and that job is incompatible with also being an exhibitor.

     

    But once the official launch is done at Salute, I’ll be hitting events all over the UK and, if sales justify it, overseas, too. And in 2017, I’ve arranged to step down from running MiniCon for the year to be able to demo Horizon Wars at my home convention.

    On other news, the National Star College is a wonderful place and I can’t recommend it highly enough as a caring and positive learning environment for kids with special educational needs.

Viewing 40 posts - 81 through 120 (of 184 total)