Blast from the past

I was feeling nostalgic this evening, and I broke out my old Battletech minis.  I used to play the game all the time decades ago, but until two years ago at ChimaeraCon, I hadn't played BT in over a decade.

My paint jobs on these miniatures aren't nearly as good as I remembered them to be.  I kept some of them in the box.  Still, in the interest of sharing, I will post a few of them for your enjoyment:

WOLVERINE: I like the camo scheme on this 'mech--very otherworldly.

 

Scenario: Assault on Regulus IV (rules)

With the eight players divided into two teams (see the order of battle here), I gave everyone the following scenario handout:

Assault on Regulus IV

SETUP

Prior to play, the attackers write down which side or sides of the board they will enter from and type of formation (line, column, wedge, etc.) and designate one of the four planetary installations (red, yellow, green or white) as their primary objective.

Also, prior to play, the defenders write down which side or sides of the board and which turn any forces not deployed at the start (if any) will enter from and type of formation (line, column, wedge, etc.) and designate one of the four planetary installations (red, yellow, green or white) as their command center.

The defenders may then set up their remaining forces anywhere on the board. Defenders have initiative the first turn, after that determine normally.

SPECIAL RULES

• The attacker is escorting transports carrying cargo units representing troops, vehicles, and equipment. How many cargo units reach the planet’s surface are relevant to who wins this battle. Because the transports are commandeered civilian vessels, they have no armor or weapons.
• The planet blocks movement and line of sight. Additionally, the planet's gravitational field will affect a ship's drift. The referee will indicate when this happens.
• Each installation on the planet (indicated by the red, yellow, green and white markers) contains one Railgun and four Light Particle Beam Batteries (LPBs).
• Planetside weapons have a Profile of 8 and may be targeted from orbit individually (no need to roll to see which weapon you hit), with a hit destroying the targeted weapon. Planetside weapons always attack first during any combat phase. LPBs may only attack fighters in orbit and in line of sight. Railguns may attack any ship (not fighters) in line of sight within six hexes.
• Any ship or fighter group may enter planetary orbit. To do so, a ship must finish its movement phase with a drift of 4 hexes at a tangent to the planet's circumference (the referee will demonstrate). A transport may land in its current hex or any of the next three hexes after spending at least one turn in orbit.
• A ship in orbit may attempt a planetary bombardment. Due to atmospheric interference, only ships with Heavy Particle Beam Batteries (HBPs) (see rules summary) may attack the planet's surface. Ships may attack any part of the planet's surface which they drifted over in that turn.
• Fighters may enter the atmosphere for a strafing run after spending at least one turn in orbit. Fighters that enter the atmosphere may attempt a strafing run in their current hex or any of the next three hexes. Because of their lack of maneuverability in atmosphere, fighters have an effective Profile of 5.

OBJECTIVES

The attackers must land at least 50 percent of their cargo on their primary objective and at least 25 percent of cargo on its secondary objectives. Destruction of the defending fleet is a tertiary goal.

The defenders must prevent the attackers from taking their installations for at least 5 turns and prevent them from taking the command center. The defenders must ensure the survival of at least half their fleet. Destruction of the attacking fleet is a tertiary goal.

Have fun!

Scenario: Assault on Regulus IV (order of battle)

Here's the order of battle for each side in my Galactic Knights game at Millennium Con 12+1.  I designed this scenario for eight players, and made the forces granular enough to accommodate less players and/or fewer units if necessary (the scenario itself is available in this post).  Fortunately, the game filled up so I didn't need to do this, and each player commanded one task force/squadron.

TERRAN TRANS-SOLAR FEDERATION

Task Force Mercury

• Formidable-class battlecruiser (carrying 2 light fighter groups and 2 heavy fighter groups) 
• Samurai-class destroyer leader

Task Force Mars

• Ranger-class cruiser
• Swiftsure-class destroyer 
• Swiftsure-class destroyer 
• Swiftsure-class destroyer 

Task Force Jupiter

• Ranger-class cruiser
• Swiftsure-class destroyer 
• Swiftsure-class destroyer 
• Swiftsure-class destroyer 

Task Force Saturn

• Invincible-class dreadnought

Transport Fleet

• ISV Scalzi (about the size of a destroyer)
• ISV Steele (about the size of a destroyer)
• ISV Vinge (about the size of a destroyer leader)
• ISV Stross (about the size of a destroyer leader)
• ISV Bradbury (about the size of a cruiser)
• ISV Asimov (about the size of a cruiser)
• ISV Clarke (about the size of a battlecruiser)
• ISV Heinlein (about the size of a battlecruiser)

NOVA LIBERIA (and Kmet allies)

Able Flight (NL)

• Mongoose-class destroyer
• Hornet-class star bomber
• Hornet-class star bomber
• Hornet-class star bomber
• Hornet-class star bomber

Baker Flight (NL)

• Centaur-class destroyer leader
• Aardvark-class armored pursuit ship
• Aardvark-class armored pursuit ship
• Aardvark-class armored pursuit ship
• Aardvark-class armored pursuit ship
• Aardvark-class armored pursuit ship

Naval Reserve (NL)

• Kraken-class battlecruiser (carrying 3 light fighter groups and 3 heavy fighter groups) 

Esquadrille Thebes (Kmet)

• Anubis-class attack cruiser
• Ibis-class frigate
• Asp-class attack frigate
• Asp-class attack frigate

I also provided a handout for the players with the special rules for this scenario.

Convention Report: Assault on Regulus IV

NOTE: I should have posted this game recap weeks ago, but real life and procrastination got in the way.  My apologies for my tardiness--but I can't promise it won't happen again :)

Last Friday,On November 12, I presented my Galactic Knights game at Millennium Con 12+1.  It was my first time to run a convention game, so I was a little nervous.  I was worried I might forget a crucial piece of gaming gear or an essential rule, and (after getting only two playtesters when I first ran this scenario) I was especially concerned that no one would even show up to play.  When I got to the con, however, I was pleasantly surprised to find my game had filled up--all eight spots were taken.

The players gathered around the table and split themselves into two teams.  None of them had played GK before, and I had to walk players through the turn sequence and game mechanics.   But the players quickly picked up the rules, and by the end of the session they were moving and shooting on their own; the game was pretty much running itself.  We only played for two turns, but with eight players new to the game, we got a lot accomplished.

Lots more pictures and a complete report below:

Off to Millennium Con

I'm headed up to Round Rock for MillCon 12+1 to run my first ever convention game, my Galactic Knights planetary assault scenario, this evening.  Tomorrow morning, I'll be playing in the Texas Hordes of the Things championship.  The resto of Saturday I will participate in some other games as well. 

I'm taking my camera, so I will have pictures and writeups of my various activities (but probably not until next week sometime, as I'm going to be very busy Friday, Saturday, and Sunday).  I'm looking forward to gaming this weekend, and I hope I'll see some of you there.

Quick paint jobs

Following my playtesters' advice, I decided to add some escort ships to the defending forces for my Millennium Con game.  Unfortunately, that meant painting them.  As I was running out of time and black spray paint, the ships got just one coat of primer, and just on the upper surface of the minis.  The craft in the center above is an Avarian Hawk-class Destroyer.

Above are three Armored Pursuit Ships (recognition name: Kitten class) for the Carnivorans.  Not sure what they'll be proxying for just yet.



Here we have two Louse-class Armored Pursuit Ships and a Wasp-class Destroyer for the Entomolians.  They'll probably be subbing for a Terran breakaway faction.


P.S.  To all my fellow gamers who served in the military, thank you for your service!

Sizing things up

Dean over at Starship Combat News mentioned in this thread that he has put together a page devoted to the size of starship miniatures.  I noticed he had a few Galactic Knights/Starfleet Wars ships listed, but only from a couple of factions. 

Back in January, someone on the GK Yahoo Group asked about the size of the minis, so I whipped out the ruler and measured all the starships in my collection.  I have a few more measurements that Dean is welcome to use for his page, which spurred me to repost my measurements for anyone who's interested.  So here are measurements for all the Galactic Knights ship types in my collection:

Fighters

• up to 3/4 of an inch (20mm)

Aquarians 

• Destroyer: 1 & 5/8 inches (40mm) by 13/16 of an inch (20mm)
• Cruiser: 2 & 5/16 inches (57mm) by 1 & 1/16 inches (28mm)
• Battlecruiser: 3 & 7/16 inches (88mm) by 1 & 3/8 inches (34mm)
• Carrier: 3 & 5/8 inches (93mm) by 2 inches (50mm)

  

Avarians

• Destroyer: 1 & 3/4 inches (44mm) by 15/16 of an inch (24mm)
• Destroyer Leader: 1 & 7/8 inches (48mm) by 1 & 1/8 inches (27mm)
• Cruiser: 2 & 5/8 inches (60mm) by 1 & 1/8 (28mm)
• Battlecruiser: 2 & 3/4 inches (69mm) by 1 & 15/16 inches (48mm)
• Carrier: 4 & 1/8 inches (104mm) by 2 & 1/16 inches (51mm)
• Dreadnought: 3 & 7/8 inches (98mm) by 1 & 3/4 inches (44mm)
• Super Galactic Dreadnought: 5 & 5/8 inches (142mm) by 2 & 11/16 inches (70mm)

Carnivorans

• Destroyer: 1 & 13/16 inches (46mm) by 1 & 1/2 inches (38mm)
• Cruiser: 2 & 3/16 inches (55mm) by 1 & 5/8 inches (42mm)
• Battlecruiser: 3 & 1/4 inches (82mm) by 2 & 1/16 inches (52mm)
• Carrier: 4 inches (103mm) by 2 & 1/16 inches (52mm)
• Super Galactic Dreadnought: 5 & 3/8 inches (137mm) by 2 & 13/16 inches (70mm)

Entomolians

• Destroyer: 1 & 11/16 inches (45mm) by 1 & 5/8 inches (42mm)
• Cruiser: 2 & 3/16 inches (57mm) by 1 & 7/8 inches (47mm)
• Battlecruiser: 3 & 5/16 inches (85mm) by 1 & 15/16 inches (49mm)
• Carrier: 3 & 7/7 inches (97mm) by 2 & 1/16 inches (51mm)
• Super Galactic Dreadnought: 5 & 9/16 inches (141mm) by 2 & 15/16 inches (73mm)

Terrans

• Destroyer: 2 & 1/16 inches (50mm) by 1 inch (25mm)
• Destroyer Leader: 2 & 3/4 inches (70mm) by by 1 inch (25mm)
• Cruiser: 2 & 9/16 inches (66mm) by 1 & 5/8 inches (40mm)
• Battlecruiser: 3 & 5/8 inches (92mm) by 2 inches (50mm)
• Carrier: 3 & 3/4 inches (98mm) by 2 & 5/16 inches (58mm)
• Dreadnought: 4 & 1/16 inches (102mm) by 2 & 7/16 inches (63mm)
• Galactic Dreadnought: 4 & 1/8 inches (104mm) by 2 & 1/2 inches (64mm)
• Super Galactic Dreadnought: 6 inches (152mm)! by 2 & 1/2 inches (64mm)