Sunday 3 February 2019

Robotech Rules

Progress has been made on both the Zentraedi and the UNDF forces. Slow progress to be sure, but progress. Not knowing anybody else who plays locally has meant there wasn't that pressure to get a force fully painted, and it's been easy to let it slide.

Slightly blurry photo of the overall state of things

The Zentraedi, fully assembled with with main colour

UNDF. Destroids well on the way, fighter and guardian modes in progress, battleoid modes not started yet


None the less both armies are taking shape, and I'm also working on some 6mm scale scenery. I previously had a decent set of Epic terrain, but most of this had to be given away when I moved. So the hills and woods I'll have to make new ones Hopefully I should still have the buildings for Sixmillopolis, which will be perfect - giant robots always need a city to stomp.

Another area I've been working on is rules. As mentioned in the previous post my intent is to use these models with the Epic: Armageddon rules, which means working out some stats and army lists. Here is what I have at a first pass at some Zentraedi unit stats.

Unit Type Speed Armour CC FF Weapon Range Firepower Notes
Tactical Battlepod WE 25cm 4+ 5+ 3+ 2 x Particle Cannons 45cm AT3+ DC2, Jump Packs, Fearless, Reinforced Armour
Dual Light Autocannon 30cm AP5+ / AT6+
Light Artillery Battlepod WE 25cm 4+ 5+ 3+ 2 x Particle Cannons 45cm AT3+ DC2, Jump Packs, Fearless, Reinforced Armour
Dual Light Autocannon 30cm AP5+ / AT6+
Light Missile Launcher 45cm 1 BP
Heavy Artillery Battlepod WE 25cm 4+ 5+ 3+ 2 x Particle Cannons 45cm AT3+ DC2, Jump Packs, Fearless, Reinforced Armour
Dual Light Autocannon 30cm AP5+ / AT6+
Heavy Missile Launcher 60cm 1 BP Disrupt, Slow Firing
Assault Cannon Battlepod WE 25cm 4+ 5+ 3+ 2 x Particle Cannons 45cm AT3+ DC2, Jump Packs, Fearless, Reinforced Armour
Dual Light Autocannon 30cm AP5+ / AT6+
2 x Heavy Particle Cannons 60cm MW4+
Officers Battlepod WE 25cm 4+ 4+ 3+ Heavy Particle Cannon 60cm MW4+ DC3, Jump Packs, Fearless, Reinforced Armour
2 x Medium Railguns 45cm AP4+ / AT4+
2 x Particle Cannon 45cm AT2+
Dual Light Autocannon 30cm AP5+ / AT6+
Scout Battlepod WE 25cm 4+ 6+ - DC2, Jump Packs, Fearless, Reinforced Armour, Sensor Suite, ECM Suite
Recovery Drone WE 30cm 4+ 4+ - DC4, Skimmer, Fearless, Reinforced Armour, Salvage

In terms of points cost, my initial thought is that the basic Tactical Battlepod is in many ways similar to 2 Leman Russ tanks. It's got a 4+ reinforced armour save and can take 2 hits (same as two Russ), but is also Fearless and still has two shots when it's taken a hit. Mobility wise it's slightly faster and and avoid terrain, so again modest advantage to the battlepod. Weapons fit is similar but slightly inferior - shorter range, slightly better AT, worse AP. Leman Russ tanks are 650 for a company of 10 in the Imperial Guard list (i.e. at Initiative 2+ with no special rules), so that's 65 points a tank, or 130 for a pair.

On the basis of that comparison, I'm going to start playesting with the following first pass values;
  • Formation of 3 Tactical Battlepods for 450 points.
  • Formation of 2 Tactical Battlepods for 350 points.
  • Formation of a single Tactical Battlepod for 200 points.
(The reason for the increasing cost in smaller formations is that having more formations is an advantage in Epic.)

My inclination at the moment is to distinguish core formations and support formations, with up to 2 support formations allowed per core formation chosen. The 3 battlepod formation would be core, the individual battlepod formation support, and I'm undecided about the 2 battlepod formation. 

The heavy weapons battlepods and officers battlepod and I haven't really thought through in detail yet. The unit profiles I'm comfortable with, but still open to changing if somebody has a good argument. In particular I really couldn't decide whether to give the missile artillery pods the Indirect rule or not. Points cost will be higher than standard battlepods, it's just a matter of by how much. 

The scout pod and recovery drone are even less defined than the heavy weapons and officer. I've listed a couple of special rules under each, but these aren't defined yet. Since these units literally don't carry any weapons, they are going to need some kind of reasonably useful special rules to make them worth fielding, so I've slapped a couple of appropriate sounding rule-names in as placeholders.

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