"Best Rules for Grav Tanks?" Topic

Which sci-fi ruleset does the best job of handling combat involving grav tanks?

Striker or Dirtside

Hammers Slammers.

Epic Armageddon

I'm a bit partial to the ones I wrote for FUBAR, that can be found on the Forge of War Yahoo Group, and are available for free.

[URL=http://s43.photobucket.com/user/Top_Gun_Ace/media/15mm%20Grav%20Tanks%20and%20Armor/edit2_zpsd25b5e66.jpg.html]

They're meant for platoon and company level actions, and to go with my range of 15mm Topgun range of ultra-advanced Grav Armor. See link below for a pic of them, and the link to the Yahoo Group:

TMP link

Also, in the Forge of War Yahoo Group files are some suggested vehicle stats for the Topgun Grav Armor, and those of some other manufacturers too. The stats are easily customizable to permit you to modify them as desired, if you disagree with my ratings. They also serve as good examples to permit you to create your own ratings as well.

Note – some people dislike FUBAR's unit activation system, since they feel that lower quality troops and vehicles are inactive too frequently, including myself, on some occasions.

That is easy to correct, by using 1D8, 1D10, or 1D12 for unit activations instead (personally, I recommend using 1D10, or 1D12 for the activations – still considering them instead for combat, etc. too, instead of the 1D6). The better quality units will still be differentiated a bit, and the lower quality ones may freeze up at some critical moment during a battle.

Clarification for the spotting rules:

Superior vehicles/troops get four detection attempts, per turn (each against a unique target – not four vs. the same one)

Advanced – three detection attempts

High-Tech – two detection attempts

Standard – one detection attempt

Final note – you can't beat them, since the rules are free, and they fit in a single, double-sided sheet protector, for ease of use, and quick reference.

Here's a more direct link to them, on the FUBAR rules site, in case you don't want to visit Yahoo Groups (scroll down a bit for the Grav Armor Rules and Stats page links):

link

What scale?

6mm I would go with Dirtside II or Renegade Legion.

15mm either Stargrunt II, Tomorrow's War, or THW's 5150 Star Army do a good job.

It depends on what you think makes grav tanks different. In common with other tanks they have firepower, armor and mobility. In LaserGrenadiers, I interpreted grav tanks as having the ability to "float" over most terrain. As a result they are not slowed by soft ground, water features, rough ground, etc., but I only allow them to rise up to four inches above the surface. They can clear low walls and hedges, but are still slowed down by wooded areas. As far as firepower and armor are concerned, they have the same options as any other armored vehicles.

This LaserGrenadiers?

Is it all in there?

link

I will definitely have a peek; I prefer ground-hugging to be a life saver rather, avoiding line-of-sight, than a mechanical limitation, but it probably works out the same.

Doug

Strike Legion Tactical allows grav tanks to operate similarly to those found in, say, Star Wars (ground-hugging movement) or as in Renegade Legion (movement at altitude) depending on the choices made when creating units.

TheBeast,

Yes, the complete rules are there. I posted the rules first, then the tables. You can work your way back, or click on August 2014 on the right to get back closer to the first postings.
I agree about staying low and using cover!

Staying low is a good, viable tactic in many cases, but sometimes you just need pure speed.

In my rules, various tech levels can fly at different altitudes, e.g. early ones can only fly at NOE level (Nap of the Earth – able to fly over rocks, downed trees, etc.); and later ones are a bit more powerful, and can fly at, and pop up to Treetop Level (TT), and/or fly above buildings to sight enemy forces/fire on them at long range.

Finally, the highest tech are treated just like VTOLs, only faster, and they can drop in from orbit, fly at any height desired, and move more quickly than earlier, archaic grav tech vehicles that can't.

Of course, even those frequently fly at NOE and TT level, to avoid enemy fire by hugging the planet's horizon.

I agree about staying low and using cover!

Understood, but it went further; the OGRE meme was that anything above treetop had line of sight to anything, but was in line of sight of EVERYTHING.

Not a point of view shared with most pilots, even of drones, I know. ;->=

Doug

Hammers Slammers.

We'll I'm biased but I think McWong might have a point…

Ahem…

John T

FASA's old Renegade Legion: Centurion game.

Agree regarding Renegade Legion: Centurion--definitely shows the advantages of being able to essentially ignore gravity.

Striker (the old Traveller miniatures game) handled it also, but I can't remember the mechanics well enough to say how it compares with other rules.

That said, Tomorrow's War does a nice job of distinguishing between various propulsion/suspension types.

Rpb

I'm using Strike Legion for 6mm Hammers Slammers and Traveller, so that's where my vote is right now. For 15mm I'm using Gruntz, but only expect a couple grav tanks per game at that scale.

Renegade Legions gets my vote, but not sure how transferrable it would be. So far its the only rules I have seen that get across the total superiority of Grav vehicles vs ground vehicles, the ability to just bypass the enemy at will

Renegade Legions Centurion was all kinds of fun. But it's pretty heavy by today's standards.