It’s been a while. Work has been quite intense this year. There’s a lot to catch up on. Let’s start with a post on the expansion booklet I wrote for Tomorrow’s War.
I’m enjoying painting 15mm more than 28mm, and I’m actually making quite good progress with my miniatures! In fact, it’s caused me to look around for 15mm rules, especially sci-fi (I’ve been examining fantasy too, which will be its own separate post).
One rulebook I keep coming back to is Tomorrow’s War, which I have posted about before. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed it in the past and now I’m getting into the official ‘Tomorrowverse’ setting.
I’ve written up a booklet that contains new armies and quick reference lists for existing armies (high power armies like the Darghaur aliens have a LOT of modifiers). Every army is based on existing miniatures (The Scene UK, Ground Zero Games, Critical Mass Games, Slap Miniatures, and Vanguard Miniatures).
Below is some information and pictures from my 2012 Tomorrow’s War
campaign. I might have shared some of these before. Most of my
collection is quite blurry and so only a few are suitable for public
consumption.
The Pictures
Solar Empire forces arrive to defend a city.Note the non-combatant ambulance at the back providing Medevac for wounded troops – an important part of Tomorrow’s War. Republican medium tank watching for Imperial movement. Due to the civilians nearby, it needs to be very careful. Solar Empire soldiers advance up a road against a Republican position. Republican soldiers begin deployment next to a group of elite Shadow operators. Republican forces foil an ambush against an armoured convoy, capturing an entire squad after a deadly close quarters battle. A special character for the Solar Empire, Empress Eos. Republican vehicle crew bail from their vehicle after a lucky hit from an Imperial vehicle. A small Solar Empire army, just prior to a successful ambush against a sizeable Republican armoured group.
The Campaign – Phase 1 The campaign was set during a civil war in a distant, far-future world called Hypolossia. The majority of the (strongly Greco-Roman) planet is controlled by an aristocratic caste of psychic mutants. Most of these ‘aristos’ are fairly unremarkable, but the two most powerful are the twin sisters Eos and Selene who together rule the theocratic Solar Empire.
When a lunar prison colony rebels, the twins disagree and Selene sides with the (nominally) democratic Lunar Republic, becoming a sort of constitutional monarch. Lunar forces land and quickly secure major port cities, but the heartlands of the Solar Empire stay loyal to the God-Empress Eos.
At the start of the campaign the two opposing armies were functionally identical. The Solar Empire had a more robust supply chain, and so benefited from an extra shooting dice (due to their Abundant Supplies) but the Lunar Republic was more enthusiastic with higher morale (rolling a d10 instead of a d8). The two were evenly matched, with an equal tally of wins and losses, and very similar amounts of killed, wounded and captured.
As
the campaign progress, the two forces started to diverge. The Solar
Empire began to develop new walker technologies, and fielded fanatical
two-man groups of flame-thrower infantry (nicknamed “Warcrimes Division”
and always targeted first by Republic soldiers due to how devastating
they were).
Meanwhile the Lunar Republic began to field units of jump pack equipped special forces (Selene’s Shadows), and a special group of psychics known as the Menae. The Menae were able to phase through terrain and had a terror aura. Despite having no weapons, they were absolutely brutal to face in close combat. Their models looked like the girl from The Ring.
In addition to this, heroes began to emerge. The Solar Empire had a special officer and the Lunar Republic had a particularly deadly Shadow operator as ‘hero’ characters. Both Goddesses were also statted but not put into play.
At the conclusion of Phase 1, the two armies had an equal number of wins and losses. The Solar Empire’s special officer was captured, but managed to escape. The battle had become a near stalemate. Something was needed to tip the balance of power…
We had to conclude the campaign after Phase 1
because I needed to move away for education/work reasons. The plan for
Phase 2 was to introduce some new armies but sadly, we never got a
chance to play with them.
An army list I wrote for use in Tomorrow’s War. If you’ve bought a box of Maelstrom’s Edge, this’ll let you use the Epirian models (hopefully converted!) as Doom marines.
I nearly wrote accompanying rules for demons, but I started work on FRAG and have concentrated on that. Please note that these rules haven’t actually been tested on a table yet
United States Space Marine Corps (Doom Marines) Platoon Troop Quality: d10-d12 Morale: d12 Confidence: High Tech Level 2+ Armour: Light (1d) Supply Level: Abundant
Special Qualities: Close Combat Monsters, Hard-to-Kill (d6),
Old School, Pain Resistant
1-3 Marine Squad (10 marines) Squad Leader Support weapon user x2 Fireteam Fireteam leader Support weapon user x2 Marine
Marines are armed with battle rifles and pistols. Squad
leaders may use pistols or shotguns. Support weapon users may equip
chainguns, rocket launchers, plasma rifles, or the fearsome BFG 9000.
The command squad may split and join other squads.
One marine per fireteam may add an underslung grenade launcher
to their battle rifle, giving +1FP dice per attack.
Options Mega-Armour: May upgrade the command squad to defence 2d. Heroic: By default the Lt and and ‘Sarge’ are TQ d12. Up to 3
non-command staff may also be upgraded to TQ d12; these units may equip
non-standard equipment such as shotguns, super shotguns and/or chainsaws.
Wargear Pistol (TL2 TST pistol, AP1) Battle Rifle (TL2 TST rifle, AP1) Shotgun (TL2 TST shotgun, AP1) Super Shotgun (TL2, TST shotgun, AP2, cannot attack outside of
Optimum Range) Chaingun (TL2, medium support weapon, AP3 / AT 1 (L),
Intimidating) Rocket Launcher (TL2, medium support weapon, AP3 / AT 2 (M),
Intimidating) Plasma Rifle (TL3, ESW, light support weapon, AP2 / AT 2 (L),
Intimidating) BFG 9000 (TL3 ESW, heavy support weapon, AP4 / AT 3 (M),
Intimidating) Chainsaw (TL2 close combat weapon +1d)
Support Drones (non-canon) All drones are controlled by marine engineers who operate them remotely via their command uplinks.
If left without a controller marine drones will enter sentry
mode. Nearby marines can ‘claim’ uncontrolled drones by entering base contact
with them. The drone will then join the marine fireteam as an escort, adding to
team firepower.
Marine engineers with command uplinks can activate them
remotely from anywhere on the board. The engineer and his bots benefit from the
grid.
Heavy Warmechs count as Power Armour in addition to being a smart bot. This adds the following rules to the usual smart bot rules:
Intimidating to non-power armoured troopers. Enhanced strength (count all weapons as one class lower than usual for movement) Possesses close combat weapon Close Assault Monster Contributes a full initiative dice as if an armoured vehicle
Drone Wargear Drone support gun (TL2, TST, AP2) Light Mech Rail Rifle (TL2, ABW, light support weapon, AP2, AT2 [L]) Light Mech Flamethrower (TL2, flame-thrower) Heavy Mech MMG (TL2, TST, medium support weapon, AP2) Heavy Mech Autocannon (TL2, TST, medium support weapon, AP2 AT2 [L]) Heavy Mech Energy Cannon (TL3, ESW, medium support weapon, AP3, AP2[M]) Heavy Mech Shoulder rockets (TL2, medium support weapon, AP3, AT3[M]) Heavy Mech Shoulder multi-missiles (TL2, light support weapon, AP3, AT2[L])
Energy Support Weapon Rules: Team Firing: Ignore 1d of infantry target’s armour or cover. Split Fire / Weapon Team Effects: +1FP, -1 to reaction tests (all), ignore 1d of target armour/cover (TL2+), ignore a additional die of target cover / armour (TL3)
Personality – The Doom Slayer (Doom
4) d12/d12, high
confidence, armour 3d (TL3), abundant supply
Special Qualities:
Advanced Life Support, Close Combat Monster, Dreadful, Hard-to-Kill (d8),
Intimidating, Jump Infantry, Pain Resistant, Old School
TL3 Power Armour: Intimidating to non-power armoured troopers, enhanced strength (count all weapons as one class lower than usual for movement), close combat weapons, contributes a full initiative dice as if an armoured vehicle.
Counts as a two model
team in close combat (for the purposes of determining outnumbering and close
combat attacks). Since the Doom Slayer counts as a two model team armed with
close combat weapons and possessing the Close Combat Monster quality, he rolls
5d12 in close combat.
A sample army list for Tomorrow’s War using the miniatures shown in my previous post.
The Gempire The Gempire is a race of imperialistic gem-themed aliens with a strictly defined social structure. This harsh feudal structure dictates the life of every gem from the lowliest ruby to the highest diamond.
Gempire Platoon TQ: d8-d10 Morale: d10 Confidence: High Tech Level 3 Armour: Typically 2d Supply Level: Medium Special Qualities: Caveman CASEVAC
Light Infantry – Ruby Team (units of 4-6) TQ: d8 Morale: d8 Confidence: High Armour: Hard (2d)
Veteran Leader – Amethyst (solo officer, or units of 2-4) TQ: d10 Morale: d10 Confidence: High Armour: Hard (2d) Special Rules: Augmented CC Weapons (+1d in assault), Hard-to-Kill (d6)
Drone Technician – Peridot (0-1 Peridot, 0-6 drones) TQ: d8 Morale: d8 Confidence: High Armour: Hard (2d) Special Rules: Drone Operator / Drone Mechanic, Hard-to-Kill (d6)
Peridot Robonoids TL3 dumb bots with TL3 pistols.
Very Heavy Infantry – Jasper (solo) TQ: d10 Morale: d12 Confidence: High Armour: Powered Armour (3d) Special Rules: Counts as Power Armour*, Augmented CC Weapons (+1d in assault), Hard-to-Kill (d8)
* Intimidating to
non-power armoured troopers ; Enhanced strength (count
all weapons as one class lower than usual for movement) ; Possesses
close combat weapons ; Close Assault Monster ; Contributes a full
initiative dice as if an armoured vehicle.
Jasper Weapons: Heavy Cannons (TL3 ESW*, heavy support weapon AP4 / AT2 [M], Intimidating) Medium Cannon (TL3 ESW*, medium support weapon AP3 / AT1 [L], Intimidating)
Close Assault Monster is a trait from the By Dagger Or Talon expansion book for Tomorrow’s War.
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