Flying lead Light (FLL) Test 1, PAU vs Southpaws. Armour clash!

Oh Great God Ganesha!  I started this blog 'cause we were picked to playtest Harder Than Steel.

Should I call this Harder Than Lead?!

I'm know for taking a set of rules and squeezing hard.  One thing about Ganesha's, they take everything I can fling at 'em.

It's easy to stand at the foot of genius.

I've got to try and not resort to shorthand.  BUT, buy the rules.  Flying Lead.  But there's a lot of influence from Of Armies and Hordes in here as well.  If you haven't do it.  Right?

Q = Quality of unit.  Roll needed on D6 to succeed (So Q4 needs 4,5,6)
Combat = effectiveness in combat.  Used as a modifier to range and anti-infantry, this is a house rule.
Defense = units ability to resist.
Added actions & reactions plus we used the 2 fails initiative swap or take as reaction.

Fighting & shooting methodology heavily influenced by OAAH.

During play we used our experience of Flying Lead plus common sense.

Line Of Sight is of great importance.  Three weapon systems ignore this:
Missiles, Electronic Warfare & Flamers.

SW = anti infantry support weapon.  Gun= anti vehicle weapon.

Drones use my old rules- they mirror actions of the parent.  Vehicle gets 2 actions, they get 2 actions.  They cannot react.

Using vehicles to full crew potential is still not-there.  The idea of a vehicle advancing in a storm of shot & missiles- There's the thorny question of an A.I, a free crew member?  Which vehicles?

Let us Eat Cake!

Cover and rough ground, I may add to infantry.

You'll note that I make no provision for type of motive power.  I'm presuming each uses whatever their technology is used to.  Apply logic, as below, wheeled vehicles simply cannot traverse the same as multi legged walkers but why should one cost more to produce with their respective tech base?

PAU Strike Force 1,408

A B C) Cobra Armoured Car Total 125

Base 19, Q4 C2, @ 30.  Defense 3 =15 , Long move =10

SW Gatling gun  4,(engage 6) =20 , Medium 4

Light Missile 6 @ 20, Long 7.

D) Clop Drone control/EW Car Total 86

Base 19, Q4 C2 @ 30.   Defense 3 =15 , Long move =10

EW system 4 @ 12.  Attack against Q + ½ armour. (Forgot range) 

E) Drone anti Infantry Total 110

Base 19, Q4 C2 @ 30.  Defense 3 =15. Long move =10

2 SW 4 @ 40 (engages 12) Max 2 medium -4 = 36

F) Drone Anti vehicle Total 81

Base 19, Q4 C2 @ 30.  Defense 3 =15.  Long move =10

Gun 3 @9 Max 2 medium -2 = 7

G H ) Kraal APC Total 56

Base 19, Q4 C2 @ 30.  Defense 3 =15 , APC capacity 9=3

Gun 3 @9

J K ) PAU Section Total 252 x 2 = 504

7 Troopers Q4 C2 + assault rifle @ 30.   Armour 0 Move all Medium.  Total 21

SW 3 @ 10, (engages 5, if 2^nd, 6) Range Medium 4 =14

1x Q4 C2 , Buzzbomb 5 @ 15 Max 2 Medium -2 =13. 28 (no gun)

M) Krate Anti Tank Total 90

Base 19, Q4 C2 @ 30.  Defense 3 =15 ,

APC capacity 3 @ 1

Gun 5 @ 15 Long

SW 2 (engage 4) @ 10

N) Specialist Mortar team Total 50

2 x Q3 C2 @ 40, Mortar 4, (6 engaged) long range 7, 3 actions set up -1. Total 50

Southpaw Strike Force Total 1,323

A) Gun walker Anti Vehicle Total 106

Base 19 Q4 C2 @ 30.    Defense 3 @ 15.   Long move 10. 74

Gun 3 @ 9, Long 7 =16

SW 2 x 2 @ 20 (engages 8) Max 2 medium -2 = 16

B) Gun walker Anti Infantry Total 114

Base 19 Q4 C2 @ 30.  Defense 3 @ 15. Long move 10. 74

SW 4 @ 20 Medium 4 (engages 6) =24

SW 2 x 2 @ 20 (engages 8) Max 2 medium -2 = 16

C, F) IFV Total 113

Base 19 Q4 C2 @ 30.  Defense 3 @ 15.  Long move 10.  APC Cap. 9 = 77

Gun 2 x 1 @ 6, long 14 =20

SW 2 x 2 @ 20 (engages 8) Max 2 medium -2 = 16

D G ) Section Total 189

6x Q4 C2 @15, Assault rifle @ 15 Defense 0 Move 1^st Long rest/reaction medium =30

SW @ 2, Long @ 7 =9 (engages 4)

E) Independent Gun team   Total 58

2 x Q4 C2 @ 15, 1 x Assault rifle @ 15  Defense 0 Move Medium =45

RPG 4 @10 Short 3 =13

H) Independent Flamer team Total 63

2 x Q4 C2 @ 15, 1x Assault rifle @ 15  Defense 0 Move Medium =45

SW 3 @ 15 Short 3 (engages 5) = 18

I,) MBT Total 132

Base 19 Q4 C2 @ 30.  Defense 4 @20 = 69

Gun 6 @ 20, Long 7 =27

Plasma Gun 3 @ 15 (engages 5 or vehicle)  Short 3 = 18 (ignore cover & 1 D)

Electronic Warfare System 4 @ 12  Max 2 medium -2 =10 (attacks Q+1/2 D)
SW 2 @10 (engages 4)  Max 2 medium -2 = 8

J K) MBT Total 136

Base 19 Q4 C2 @ 30.    Defense 4 @20 = 69

Gun 6 @ 20, Long @ 7 =27

Missile pod 5 @ 15, Long @ 7 =22 (+ free 1^st Long)

Electronic Warfare System 4 @ 12 Max 2 medium -2 =10 (attacks Q+1/2 D)
SW 2 @10 (engages 4) Max 2 medium -2 = 8

L) MBT Support. Total 110

Base 19 Q4 C2 @ 30. Defense 4 @20 = 69

Plasma Gun 6 @ 20 (engages 8 or vehicle) Short 3 = 23 (ignore cover & 1 D)

Electronic Warfare System 4 @ 12.  Max 2 medium -2 =10 (attacks Q+1/2 D)

SW 2 @10 (engages 4) Max 2 medium -2 = 8

Playsheet

Infantry Method Dice (range)  + Shooting vs Defense.   

Roll all the dice, take best equal to number opponents.

Range Effect  = Combat 

Close – 1 measure, rolls 2 dice per Combat stat

Medium 1-2 measure, roll 1 dice per Combat stat

Long 2+ measure half Combat stat.

2 Actions/ Reactions roll 2 dice (each) , take best. 3 Actions/ Reactions roll 3 dice (each) , take best.

Result per model.

Triple Defense = Killed.

Double Defense OOA needing medical attention and/or removal to rear.

-1 unit Q test while with unit.

Beaten Even retires 1 move, out of unit integrity.

Beaten Odd Suppressed. -1 next group Q roll.

After shooting defending unit takes Q test on 1 D6.

Effective members left + D6 + Q. - Ineffective, OOA, out of unit integrity.

Unit will retire 1 Short per number under Q, picking up stragglers & carrying wounded.

Result on or above Q will carry on.

Result double Q can have free shoot OR close assault.

Close assault. As shooting above. Attacker and defender Q test 1D6 per move distance.

+ 1 every extra soldier, ignore if against better armour.

-1 every extra enemy, ignore if attacker has better armour.

Vehicle v Vehicle combat Method Dice  + Size weapon vs Defence.

Range Effect.  Roll all the dice, use best.

Close – 1 measure, rolls 2 dice per Combat stat

Medium 1-2 measure, roll 1 dice per Combat stat

Long 2+ measure half Combat stat.

2 Actions/ Reactions roll 2 dice (each) , take best. 3 Actions/ Reactions roll 3 dice (each) , take best.

-1 Every combat action after the first.

Results Target Defense is

Tripled. Brew up.

Doubled. Out of Action, if flying crashes one move length in direction of travel.

Beaten by Even number Q test 1D, fail= withdraw 1 move and Q test to advance.

Beaten by Odd number, Crew stunned until spend 1 action (no reactions) to recover.

The Game.  We started slow, as lots of looking at stuff.  Once we get into this, it'll be almost as fast as OAAH.  Tony took his Southpaws and moved up cautiously, which included taking an IFV up the hill-.

Initiative swap (a lot of that) I move up a car and use a missile on the IFV, knocking it out of action.

The infantry debus a bit sharpish.  Presumed that as the vehicle was only disabled the infantry would survive.

Gun walker moves up into cover, presume hull down.

Now his lead MBT picks on me drones.

Shoot n scoot.

My Krate gets a reaction, takes a long (1D) at another MBT  and knocks it out.

We had a discussion, although the IFV's knocked out, pintel mounts should still work.  This one lets loose with its small railguns and knock out my car.

Southpaw infantry pour down the hill.

My infantry debus.

Just in time, the gun walker has a ID shot at my APC & its knocked out.

This car gets 3 actions, moves into close (so dangerous!) and missiles the lead MBT, brewing it up.

My anti vehicle drone is still up, the command car sneaks forward.

Quick overview:

My mortar team had set up in record time and destroys the Southpaw infantry, leaving 1 untouched.

That leaves the flamer team.  Spotting the drone he gets as close as possible and brings it down!

Another long shot takes out the drone command car.

APC tries doing a dash for cover - 3 fails.

I surrender!  This what's lost.

This is what Tony had left.

Game 2.  Yep, you guessed it.

I got to start, sent a gun walker in fast. 

Then I lose initiative.  It's promptly brewed.

On reaction I take out the Krate before it can get off a shot.

Moving on up.

Using my dead walker as cover, the car takes out my other gun walker.  That's 2.

Drones and command move up in a bunch.

First one gets thumped.  Then second.  The car gets in closer than a Wanvian Gleen.

That damn car brews up my IFV.  That's 5, 3 vehicles an infantry section and the independent gun team.

Meanstwhile, on the other flank-.

Another car uses a missile to brew up an MBT.

Battle of mobility.  The car cannot get over the rough.  My walker can negotiate the ruins.  I get 2 actions and need to get closer, the flamer is not a long range weapon.  Tony fails to get it, so I get revenge!

Back on the other flank my remaining MBT is moving up.  It gets stunned by the command cars electronic warfare, but I turn it off then on again and (quick dice) fail to get a lock with the main gun so hit him with the plasma pod.  Excellent weapon for this as it ignores cover.  The -1 armour makes it easier to brew up.

AND my IFV gets 1 action, but thats initiative swap-.

Graveyard--.

At this point we agreed that both sides would retire as neither had the capacity to win.

Quick summary.
I think I got most things right.
Vehicles could do more (I don't think we used them to their full potential) but quick and easy.
Flamers proved very useful at close range.
Missiles are queens of this battlefield.
Most shooting was 1 dice long range sniping resulting in an out of action.

Next we're going to look at normal infantry, power armour and light walkers.  So UNSC vs Crusties!

Please, constructive criticism & suggestions welcome!