So, for the folks who only come here to read battle reports, I'll get you up to stage in a jiffy.
Getting divorced - moved out to an apartment with a room just big enough for an office and my gaming stuff (pics to follow one day), but not big enough to set up games in it. No worries, because the living room can safely fit one table, perhaps two if I move some furniture.
That all out of the way, the kids had come over for some board gaming in the kitchen, but this past weekend with them, it was time to see how the living room would fare.
Using the Planet 28 1st Edition rules and basing the terrain off of similar set-up from a 2017 Rogue Stars Facebook group post.
It's been awhile since I've used the rules, and even if there's a 2nd Edition Hardcover is on its way, I might as well throw some stats together and get back into the swing of things.
As most of my stuff is part of my Gnomish Space Marine universe, it was as good a time as any to bring out the Hivers Gang.
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| (L to R - Delaque Blackie, Van Saar, Escher, Delaque Blondie and Cawdor driving the Space Tractor) |
In reality they're ideal for the close confines of the undercity or worse, but these new Space Tractors are worth a half million credits, so it's worth the risk to move it in plain sight and make contact with the buyer.
Escher (301 points) Agility 5, Shooting 6, Fighting 7, Blessed (rolls two dice, takes the better result), Bulwark (no benefit for charging at the character), slow (-1d6cm per action), Iron Skin (extra 1d4 armor). Light Armor (1d8 protection), Greatsword (1d12/knockback), Hand Flamer (2d8 damage, 10cm range, figures within 5cm suffer 1d6 explosive damage).
Van Saar (127 points) Agility 6, Shooting 2, Fighting 7, Slow, Iron Skin, Light Armor (1d8), Pickaxe (2d6)
The Delaque Twins (195 points each) Agility 5, Shooting 6, Fighting 6, Slow, Iron Skin, Light Armor (1d8), Pickaxe (2d6), Hand Flamer (2d8 damage, 10cm range, figures within 5cm suffer 1d6 explosive damage).
The Tractor: Is a bare bones medium-size vehicle, with armor plating up front. Fighting 5. And it's a tractor with only 7.5 cm of movement each turn. At best a 50 or 60 point vehicle.
Looking to lighten the gnomes' load was part of the Wretchin' Gretchin' Gang, a group of nefarious Blue Martians.
Broken down into two groups:
Shooters (@140 points each) x3 Agility 7, Shooting 4, Fighting 3, Laser Rifle (2d8 damage, 40cm range) No Armor (1d4-1 base).
Whirling Dervishes (@175 points each) x2 Agility 8, Shooting 5, Fighting 4, Laser Pistol (1d8 damage, 20 cm range), Dagger, No Armor (1d4-1 base)
The Gnomes did hold an advantage, but while randomly generating the scenario, and interesting predicament emerged. The Hivers were to set up within 12cm of the center of the table. The Blue Martians were set up within 12 cm of the near table edge, the actual edge the Hivers needed to leave the board on.
Instead of waiting for the Hivers to reach a nearby intersection and turn left past the power generator, the Blue Martians decided to jump to life early, using the generator to block progress until it gets around. While the laser rifles missed Escher, the crazed Dervishes moved forward, but not too far as to get into range of the hand flamer.
Pretty soon Blackie was on the ground and Blondie was locked in combat.
It wasn't until the slow gnomes got within range that I realized I had given the Blue Martians an unfair advantage. Between low ability scores and memorizing the handful of modifiers, I completely forgotten that Planet 28 uses a d10 resolution system, and I had given the Blue Martians rolls on d6 (Low is better). I'm surprised that Blackie Delaque lasted as long as they did.
Meanwhile, Van Saar, the melee specialist, used the Space Tractor as interference, as it tried to round the corner past the generator.
Once I corrected the dice issue, the Blue Martians hit less frequently, and unlike Blackie's cheap discount armor, light armor was more than enough to absorb many of the shots from the laser pistols and rifles.
With renewed confidence, Escher stood out from cover and worked his way towards the attackers.
Blondie had jumped at the Blue Martian advancing on his flank, knocked him back with his pick axe, but the creature hit the deck when he pulled out the hand flamer (Blonide rolled snake eyes for damage, the Blue Martian rolled a 3 for armor.
In another round, Blondie's opponent was dead and the duo out in the open were chasing the Blue Martians, who were fleeing around the other side of the generator.
One Blue Martian Rifle had left early and was waiting to either fight the tractor for control, or destroy it during the combat. Unfortunately, Van Saar was waiting around the other corner, and despite two abortive attempts to charge the creature, on the third attempt his stubby little legs hustled over equipment and waylayed him as best he could.
Van Saar couldn't finish the job, but so horribly low on hit points, the Blue Martian's morale broke and he dashed off the table edge.
Realizing that attrition on their side would happen before they punch holes in that armor, the Blue Martians changed from seizing the Space Tractor to disabling it. They opened fire on the vehicle, and without armor on the side (it is a Farm Machine after all), the engine was quickly destroyed and the "pilot" gravely injured.
In a regular game, Escher came around the corner and killed one more Blue Martian before they scattered. In a more thematic game, Cawdor would emerge from the cab, climb to the top and brandish his pulse rifle (treated as a heavy rifle). As I had learned from my previous turns, the light armor PLUS the iron skin was no match for light arms fire, so was wearing it while driving, Cawdor should have emerged with only minor injuries and a busted Space Tractor.
While it's been quite a while since I perused my pdf of Planet 28 2nd Edition, I'm hoping the armor rules gets tweaked a bit. There are definitely multiple tiers of play styles based on armor (a more rogue trader element, a more original Laserburn/40k, and the heavy/powered armor dudes where many of the original weapons in the 'zine usually did not penetrate the armor.
I'll continue to experiment with the Hivers. Cawdor is just under 200 points, so the entire gang is 1,000 points. Between combat tiles and cityscapes, we'll see just how tough they are, against a host of opponents.
And then... the actual Gnomish Space Marines will need to hit the table.
Following the base campaign rules on the back page of the 'zine, I definitely need to do better tracking basic hits. Some of these are definitely undercounted.
The Hivers
Escher - 0.9 xp
Blackie - Full recovery. Ready to play the next game 0 xp.
Blondie - 0.8 xp
Van Saar - 1.3 (Survived completely unscathed)
Cawdor - Not applicable.
Blue Martians:
Whirling Dervish #1 - Shaken 0.3 xp
Whirling Dervish #2 - Slow Heal (miss one game) 0.6 xp
Shooter #1 - 0.7 xp
Shooter #2 - 0.9 xp
Shooter #3 - 0.3 xp
Skills improve with 20 xp, hit points cost 20xp for 5. Special traits, abilities, cost can be obtained using their point cost during warband creation.
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