"Space fighter combat rules?" Topic

Since i obtained from friend some EM4 space fighters i would like to ask if there are any rules for small space combat fighters,bombers,interceptors and occasional ships like transports up to cruisers but main concern should be on space fighters
also i dont want hex game thanks

I think I heard that they are reissuing Silent Death?

War Rocket is a fantastic ruleset. Very fast-playing, but not uber crunchy. It's cinematic like Star Wars.

It has its own minis line, but you could certainly play it with Silent Death ships. I don't care for the retro-50s look they're going for, but the rules engine is great.

hard Vaccuum is a cool set …Asteroids on a board

Tac ship is a good free set. Even has it's own construction rules to cover most eventualities.

sfsfw.org/a/03/tacship.php

Fighters but no hexes?

Re-skin Full Thrust.

Tacship look intresting,propably look into it.
Iam playing Full thrust with classic space ships so i would like to skip it.
Wasnt Silent death hexbased?

the fighters are for silent death, but that is hex based. It is also brilliant and the best sci-fighter game I have played. Some of the fighters could pass for bigger ships and then you could use them as cap ships in Full thrust but that is squadron based rather than fighter combat.

Phil

Full Disclosure:

I am one of the co-creators of War Rocket so I am partial to our creation. I love the quick, but cinematic feel of the game and no paper record keeping. The game can be played on a hex board, but is actually written for no hexes. I like the retro sci-fi vibe, but we have fans who use War Rocket for Star Wars and Battlestar Galactica.

Keep an eye out for our new Space Pirates and upcoming summer sale.

-Matt Beauchamp
Hydra Miniatures
hydraminiatures.com

No reason you couldn't play SD without hexes.

Silent Death is indeed back:

metal-express.net

A hexless variant is something we're getting ready to throw out fairly soon for playtesting…

Hope this helps!

Leland R. Erickson
Metal Express Creative Content Team

5150 Wing Leader is to be released this year. As the name may suggest the game represents actions like those in the PC game Wing Commander and you can play it like in the PC as the game is geared to be played solo.
You can see three BATREPS for testing here: link

I had hours and hours of fun with Silent Death and those plastic EM4 fighters

"Bag the Jedi" from the TooFatLardies, now, mind you it is one of the Specials, so, you'd have to buy that.

link
i know of this one, but have not played it, free as well

yeah 5150:WC look very promising any ETA?:)
Squadron Commander lacks fighter creation rules and it is hexbased so no go.

5150WL is finished and waiting for the big man to read it and approve it or not. If he likes it and nothing gets in the middle it could be out in a couples of months.

Iam playing Full thrust with classic space ships so i would like to skip it.

Don't know who this Iam character is (lol), but tweaking FT to a variety of functions is a cottage industry. Plenty of variants around so stretched you'll hardly know it's the same game.

Actually, as I mostly play 'cinematic', 'vector' would seem like a different game to me.

That said, this a glorious time for finding new rules; I've never seen so many new, and especially new AND free rules coming out. I know I can't keep up.

Heck, I've even resurrected my little bagatelle recently.

Doug

I've always felt this is an area that is not exactly swamped with rules choices (unlike WW2 platoon level, for example!)

I don't always like how 2HW recycles the same mechanics, but I think it would well be suited to small squadron, characterful combat.

Their campaign systems etc are always very good. Putting 5150WL on top of my list if it comes out.

SD is solid (pretty much the ONLY commonly known game in the genre) – I could take or leave the "crunch" in record keeping and removing torpedoes speeds up things a bit, but I'd put my 10c in for this. Now new people have taken it over it should be OK to order from them.

Tacship is also a decent game, and free.

I like Renegade Legion, Interceptor (also free) for everything EXCEPT the damage rules. If the damage rules were different it would be top of my list.

BSG Mass Combat link
Black Skies link
Cruel Void link
Small Spacecraft Combat Rules: link
Space Fury link
Squadron Commander 3600 link
Star Wars adaptation of Silent Death: PDF link
Turn or Burn interformic.com/torb
Vector V5 link
Trouble is I've never managed to try any, but they are free.

I'm holding out for Blue Shift – upcoming from Mongoose

I have a look at what info we have on it already here
link

Mordhiem-with-starfighters it seems like; campaign based, with a mercenary "squadron" where you can recruit pilots and upgrade ships (by physically adding weapon pods etc to models)

…but yes it is by Mongoose…

I also consider War Rocket to be a perfect rules set for Star Wars/BSG fighter games.

Elegant, fast, and best of all, no record keeping.

No record keeping is a lovely blessing as most space game designers seem compelled to use a zillion hitboxes and criticals.

Must be haunted by the ghost of Star Fleet Battles…

Also see my thread on 5150 Wing Leader for another alternative
link

SD is solid (pretty much the ONLY commonly known game in the genre) – I could take or leave the "crunch" in record keeping and removing torpedoes speeds up things a bit, but I'd put my 10c in for this. Now new people have taken it over it should be OK to order from them.

Record keeping in Silent Death: The Next Millennium is a variable matter depending upon how large (and more complex) the ships players choose to deploy in fact are. A single seat light or medium fighter such as a Pit Viper, Thunder Bird, or Hellbender are far less complex than a heavy fighter such as a Seraph or a gunboat. Gun-centric fighter designs such as the Nighthawk and the Shark simplify the game even further; no torps, no missiles, all cannons, so its all about maneuvering for advantage and shooting the stuffing out of one another.

The actual damage track system is quite smooth, as only one die roll is involved normally; the attack die roll also determines the damage delivered. The amount of damage that gets through is modified by the Damage Reduction (armour) of the ship (if any). What gets through may knock out specific ship systems as the damage accumulates. As the ship's critical systems are already listed on the damage track, you deal with the loss as you come to it. No further die rolls are involved, unless a Critical Hit is called for, in which case 2D6 are rolled against the ship's specific critical hit table found on the ship system display sheet.

The system works extremely well, and has withstood the test of time.

Leland R. Erickson
Metal Express
metal-express.net

Is there any option to purchase a PDF version of the WAR ROCKET rules ??

+1 for Silent Death

Added advantage is that the EM4 figures (originally released in Silent Death Wings of War set) are perfect for 12 of the fighters in the Silent Death rulebook as that is what they were designed for!

Cheers

James

@Hayden

Tacship look intresting,propably look into it.
Iam playing Full thrust with classic space ships so i would like to skip it.

Just thought, do you play cinematic or vector? Switching might make it feel different enough to get by.

Likewise sticking to tight forward arcs for most weaponry.

Some folks think it more space fighter, especially my favored cinematic, anyway.

SD: Elegant system which, for reasons I won't attempt to analyze, stymies me WITH the damage track.

That, and some of the weapon names…

Doug

well for now we will stick with BFG mass combat game, really nice and fast system and no book keeping, but i will also order Silent Death box from ebay, i had copy somewhere but can found where…..

Tacship here if anyone wants it
goo.gl/iW5D4r

Alas, 'this goo.gl shortlink has been disabled. It was found to be violating our Terms of Service.'

However, they can bite us, as the original is still on the SFSFW (Society of Fantasy and Science Fiction Wargamers) Ragnarok (club magazine) site that Steve Pugh mentions above: sfsfw.org/a/03/tacship.php ;->=

I just keep repeating myself… *lol*

Doug

You can try Shadows in the Void. I have just released demo version: link

Regards,
Marcin