"Using d8 for FUBAR?" Topic

I tried FUBAR with a couple of friends several months ago. I noticed that it became almost impossible for anyone to score a hit when there was a lot of hard cover (like buildings). I know a roll of 6 is an automatic success, but nobody was rolling very well that night, and people were getting frustrated. Likewise, activation rolls were a detail my friends didn't like, especially during a firefight.

I know people have suggested using other dice instead, but d10 and d12 may be a bit too much. Maybe d8 would make the system a little more forgiving, without altering things too much.

As for activation rolls, I'll houserule that they would be used in determining whether suppressed troops would be able to activate, especially during combat.

What do you think?

I went for the d10 to add more granularity but depending on the troops you are using, a d8 could work. Give it a try!

Sorry to hear you didn't like how the rule played with lots of cover. I personally like it like that, makes dislodging fortified enemies a real challenge. Most likely I use fewer hard cover than you did.

I like D12s for activations, since that permits the poor units to do something other than failing their rolls each turn.

You can use those for combat too, left as is, or adjusted proportionally, as you see fit. Alternatively, you can keep the D6s for combat, or use D8s, D10s, etc. as well.

We play large games with the rules. We ignore suppression. Frankly, I don't see the point of it in the game. I also like the new proposed rules that squads that fail activation still get a single action. That means you can stay with the D6. No problems.

Thanks,

John

Thanks for all the responses. I may keep the d6 when using it in a Martian scenario, since there's a lot less cover there.

My last game was an urban combat setting, so there were lots of buildings to provide cover. There won't be as much on the Martian sands.

I'd ignore suppression and go straight to determining casualties in the Martian setting. After all, if a bullet punctures your space suit, it's game over no matter where you're hit.

Yep, the future is likely to be far deadlier than our period of warfare, unless you have really, really good battled armored suit.

As for activation rolls, I'll houserule that they would be used in determining whether suppressed troops would be able to activate, especially during combat.

That was my main bug bear with FUBAR.
It made no sense to me that troops coming under heavy fire would be just as likely to attach bayonets and charge across open ground as they would be to fall back or take cover.
Some orders are more appealing by their very nature.

Falling back when being over-run, talking cover when being shot at for example.
In FUBAR the units are just as likely to take try and fist fight the enemy as they are to take cover when under mortar attack.

I too also had issues with suppression.
Having a unit fail multiple saves and still not take a casualty seemed wrong to me.

Don't get me wrong, FUBAR is borderline genius.
It was responsible for me getting back into sci-fi and inspired me to make my own range of 6mm sci-fi.

But as rules for me to use, it fell a bit short after a few games…

Michael.

We dropped the suppression rules, used the ultra-FUBAR rules where you still get one action even if you fail an activation, and switched to a D12.
Have not had any problems.

Suppression doesn't bother me per se. But it makes more sense when there's some type of cover.

I'll look for Ultra FUBAR. I hadn't heard about it until last night.

Hard to hit guys in cover, and hard to get guys under fire to do what you want, sounds like it's supposed to be to me.

But, whatever you gotta do to get it where you have fun, then that's what you should do.

I was thinking of a few house rules to try out. I'll think them over before posting them. Thanks again for the help.