Pretty custom ruleset for larger, squad based combat. You control frame squads instead of single frames.
Squads
A squad consists of 1 to 5 frames. The frames are equipped identically, with up to 4 systems (and up to 2 of the same kind, jus like in RA).
When a squad takes damage, it loses frames, not systems.
Actions
The big change in relation to RA: no rolling dice up front.
Instead you choose two actions when a squad activates. They must be different kind.
- Defense: +1 Defense Value. (Otherwise DV is fixed, 3 + # of defense systems.)
- Move: A die roll, or default 7 - # of frames in the squad. (Movement systems give extra dice and movement options.)
- Attack: Roll # of frames + # of weapon systems. Every die that hits enemy DV or over destroys a frame. (Range options much like RA. Second similar weapon system gives d8 instead of d6.)
- Spot: Roll # of frames + # of spot systems. Target number = # of frames in target enemy squad. Every die that hits TN or under increses spot. (Spot gives +d8 to attack rolls, and spotted targets lose their cover bonus. Spot decreases when the squad is attacked, or takes a move action, so spots linger.)
Terrain
- Rough or dense terrain costs 1 movement to move within.
- A squad gets a cover bonus to defense if there's intervening terrain. When you get cover bonus, attacks must hit over your Defense Value.
- Covering pieces are destroyed on attack rolls of 3+ (that don't hit the target squad).
- Big, solid pieces (like buildings) need to be climbed and block Line of Sight for direct fire (and spotting without a spot system). Oh but hey artillery can only target spotted squads.
- Elevation bonus, much like in RA, gets you the benefit of cover while ignoring cover bonuses on lower elevations.
Deployment and initiative
... I imagine you might play this with the standard RA deployment, using # of squads and # of frames+systems to calculate PPA.
But since I imagine moving loads of tiny frames around can get tedious with several players, here's another initiative scheme for 1 vs 1 game.
- 1 neutral station in the middle of the table, both players deploy 2 stations on their side of the table, 12-16 units away from the middle station (and each other). Each station is worth 1 point.
- Players deploy 2 squads next to a station, 1 squad anywhere next to middle line (but out of range or LoS from enemy squads), rest anywhere near their table edge.
- A squads initiative is its frames+systems. Lowest initative gets to go first or pass. If there's a tie, the player with the fewer squads gets to go first or pass (or the player with lower starting total frames+systems).
- Attacks activate target squads into combat order, like in RA.
...phew. So this is the idea in a nutshell. There are a few more details I omitted here for brevity. Let's see about them after I get to try this thing out... I guess I just needed to get this out of my system.
Heavy Assault
