"Really Easy rules for some Robot Battles?" Topic

My son (Who is 7) has been catching me watching the Robotech kickstarter and wants to do something with my 1/200 Macross figures. I am thinking about just using Song of Blades and Heroes with some renamed abilities for us, but we'd only be using like 3 or 4 figures, and we'd want them to have transformation rules which SoBH doesn't have.

Would Mutants and Death Ray Guns be more suitable and worth the expense (yes I know it's cheap, but if it won't add anything to what we are doing, it's not worth it)?

Do you have a better recommendation?

Glenn,

Give these a shot: link

Haven't played yet but the rules seem simple enough.

No transformation rules, but you can try Meka Tac – Giant Stompy Robots:
link

Free, simple build rules, hex based, points based movement (-1mp per hex, etc), difffernet dice per weapon (laser does 1d6 damage, cannon does 2d4 damage, etc), there is an optional card deck (can apply a bonus or penalty each turn).

Or… A gundam version of meka tac…

link

Actually, Meka Tac – GSRE does have transformation rules:

Transformer – Size 1 – Starting hits of mech are -20%. A Transformer has 2 modes.

The other mode has 1 or 2 systems that are different from the first mode. For example: the medium mortar is 'replaced' by a Flight System. Weapon Arcs can also change. A transformation takes 1 turn to complete and may not move or attack while transforming. Systems that cannot "disappear" or change between modes include Armor & Missiles.

Al | link

Why not just use SOBH with a house rule for transforming? You're just playing at home with your 7yo son anyways, and it's a flexible enough system that it's perfect for this kind of thing.

I would come up with three separate profiles for the fighter, guardian, and battloid modes of a veritech, that each have the same point value (or as close as you can get them).

Battloid <> Guardian <> Fighter

Each "step" in the transformation costs 1 action.

Then just add a few points for the home-brewed "transform" ability, to reflect the increased versatility of the model.

Song of Blades and heroes does have the were rule (in Song of Gold and Darkness) that lets you put out the shape shifted version of a figure when the first version is killed.

Another easy robot game is Mech Attack. It also does not have transforming robots.

Mechawars from One Pound Wargames

precinctomega.co.uk/s/catalog/1

Robot rules from Ganesha will be avialble at the end of Summer/September. But they will be slightly more complex than SBH as they will have rules for transforming robots, etc. Maybe too complex for a kid of 7.

To be fair, my kid of 7 does play Super Dungeon Explore, he
s a bit rough, but he does alright. No tactics to speak of, just run and kill stuff, but that's to be expected. Still, he wants to play this week, so waiting until the end of the summer is impractical. But I'll keep my eyes out for them :D

So I am statting my figures out for SoBH, and doing the different forms, the reality is there will be very little stat difference overall, but he'll be happy.

So here is a bunch of stat cards for the 1/200 scale figures, I do not recommend mixing them with the main set as their point costs will not mesh properly.

Transform – Spend one action to replace this model with any other of the same (Name)
Knockdown – Tailslap (Works with Ranged Attacks)

I do want to do some other figures for us, I'll likely do up some Mechwarrior clix as well. I doubt the stats are entirely correct per the Macross universe, I just winged it.

Anyways, to download the cards, click right here.
link

I think the differences in the veritechs are about right, to be honest – battloid is obviously the slowest but is also better at fighting other mecha (higher combat), whereas the other forms get progressively faster but therefore also less accurate unless at greater range, when they'd have more opportunity to line up a shot.

The only thing I would potentially change is for the VF-1A to have Q 4, since they're basic troopers (afaik?), whereas the other models (VF-1J & VF-1S) are piloted by aces/officers. But heck, for a simple game with your son, I don't know that that's necessarily a distinction that you need to make.

I don't know anything about the VF-9,-19,-21, or VA-3m -- what series are they from?

I'm not sure from all of them. I know a couple are from Macross Plus (which is absolutely excellent and english dubbed) and some of the variant spin-offs.

I had initially gave the main veritechs different stats, but didn't think it was worth the distinction as they are super similar.

I figured what I've got gives me good variety without being overly hard. We'll probably ignore all the morale rules and such though as they aren't really needed.

Instead of giving everyone else tough, might be easier to give the Regult (Battle Pods) the Rabble trait (all attacks are Lethal against them, so if you beat them they just die). Less bookkeeping, which is presumably why the Song rules vice something like "Mecha!". And yeah, everyone in Macross seems to be Fearless. The Zentraedi should have some kind of withdrawal condition for each fight, though. Leader would work really well for the scout pods or Cat's Eyes, Hero or Legendary Shot for aces, I'd almost want to use some of the Mighty Monsters rules for a MAC-II or some of the smaller Zentraedi vessels.

The Regults don't have Tough? Unless I forgot to remove it, I copied and pasted the cards a bunch. Lemme see here.

EDIT: Oh, nevermind, I see what you are saying. I just did the Regults for fun, I don't have any. We are going to be playing like 2-3 figures per player. So they need to have some staying power. We are each going to have a couple Veritechs and that is all.

Just like to chime in that the SoBH rules are great to teach kids.My daughter who is 8 and I finally played all the rules,and she is vicious!