Brief Description |
The rules project modern combined arms combat into the
future, allowing players to field powered armor infantry, tanks, crewed
weapons, tanks, wardroids, helicopters, "mechs," artillery and ground
attack aircraft. Vehicle propulsion systems may be wheeled, tracked, grav,
hover, rocket or walker. The rules include all types of science fiction
weaponry (lasers, cone rifles, phasers, ion cannon, etc.), but do not
include psionic warfare. Fire combat dominates the game, with melee combat
occurring infrequently.
Players alternate moving and/or firing one piece. Movement can
be interrupted by interceptive fire. Enemy action can be hindered by
suppressive fire. In fire combat, players roll to observe an enemy, then to
hit him, and finally to penetrate his armor. A penetration will eliminate
an infantryman. A penetration of an armored vehicle causes one or two
points of damage to its movement, weapon systems, targeting or damage
control system. A lucky shot will cause explosive destruction. Vehicles can
take up to twelve points of damage, but as damage accumulates the chance of
explosive destruction increases.
All die rolls are resolved by rolling one ten-sided die (except for
artillery scatter, which uses four-, six- and eight-sided dice).
Most infantry weapons come in five sizes ranging from light to super-heavy.
Most infantry can carry light and medium weapons, with the heavier versions
serving as crew-served weapons or mounted on vehicles. Infantry in powered
armor can field some heavy weapons. (The designer tells us he added the extra-heavy and
super-heavy classes because figure manufacturers keep adding bigger and
bigger weapons.)
Since the rules were intended for use with any science fiction figures the
players might have, and were not backed by any figure manufacturer, they do
not attempt to spell out the characteristics of specific alien races. The game has a
sober and serious tone, with no "foolish" or "silly" weapons or
character types.
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