Right, this is yet another braindump blog posting where I can enter my thoughts about a mech warrior skirmish game where you play a pilot in his mech.
The core idea is by combining a pilot with his mech you get a combination of skills and equipment and by combining those you get a unique unit on the battlefield.
Each player plays one pilot controlling one mech, so the game can be played with multiple players.
Each player needs one model of a mech. Any scale will do, as long as all players use the same scale for their mechs (or are content with using different scales). Also, each player will need up to 10 six sided dice during gameplay.
A Mech consists of 6 bodyparts:
1.) Head
2.) Torso
3.) Left Arm
4.) Right Arm
5.) Left Leg
6.) Right Leg
For each bodypart, points have to be bought. You have to buy 1 point per part at least and you can buy 6 points per part at most. You start by buying the first point for 1 bolt. Then you buy each further point consecutively paying its costs in bolts. (So the 1st point costs 1 bolt, the 2nd costs 2 bolts and so on ..) A regular mech can be constructed for 40-60 bolts, but mechs that have been constructed for more or even fewer bolts are not unheared of either. For an introducory game, 40 bolts per player are recommended.
Each bodypart provides a different effect for the mech:
Head: For an attack roll this number or lower on each die to score a hit (see arms)
Torso: Can use this many heat before overheating. Also, excess hits to other parts go here.
Left Arm: Roll this many dice in an attack for weapon mounted here.
Right Arm: Roll this many dice in an attack for weapon mounted here.
Left + Right Leg: Move sum of both legs in inches per movement action.
Also each point bought for a part gives that part a higher sustainability: Whenever a part takes a hit, that part's points gets reduced by the amount of hits taken (see combar for details).
A mech has a front side and a back side. Draw a line from one shoulder to the other to "divide" the mech into front and back.
Upgrades
Each body part of a mech may receive up to 1 upgrade for its costs in bolts, which is stated in parantheses next to the upgrade's name. For the arms these upgrades usually will be some kind of weapon. For the other body parts there are pieces of equipment usually upgrading the mech in one way or another.
Head
Rocket Launcher (1). Active. A Rocket Launcher comes with 6 rockets and is usually mounted on the mech's shoulders. For one action that does not generate any Heat a pilot performs an Attack action, firing off any number of remaining rockets, rolling 1 die per rocket launched to check for hits. A rocket fired off is gone for the remainder of the game and thus cannot be reused. Rockets can be fired off like a far-range weapon and they ignore the -1 modifier on the Base Target Number if the target is within cover.
Reaction protocol (2). Active. Perform the Overwatch action. Generate 1 Heat and receive +1 on each dieroll checking whether this mech may react for the remainder of this turn.
Targeting System (3). Active. Perform an Attack action. Generate 1 Heat to reroll all dice not resulting in a hit once and take the new result.
Torso
Evasion Protocol (1). Passive. Whenever this mech would receive a critical hit, reroll the crit die once and take the new result instead. Using the Evasion Protocol does not generate any Heat.
Heat Exchanger (2). Passive. Once per game the pilot may use the heat exchanger to reset the mech's current Heat immediately to 0. Using the Heat Exchanger does not generate any Heat.
Additional Armour (3). Passive. Reduce all hits this mech receives by 1, no matter the body part hit. Using Additional Armour does not generate any Heat.
Arms
Melee Weapon (1). Active. Required for attacks in base to base contact. Attacking in melee gives a pilot a +1 on the Base Target Number in combat. Attacking in Melee generates 1 Heat.
Energy Shield (X). Active. As an Energy Shield can have different levels of protective strength, it comes with flexible costs. You have to start by buying the 1st level. Then you buy each further level consecutively. Each level bought costs its level+1 in bolts. Whenever your mech receives hits, the hits is first reduced from the protective levels of the Energy Shield. As long as there is at least 1 level of the Energy Shield remaining, once during his turn a pilot may use 1 action to generate 1 Heat to restore 1 level of the Energy Shield up to the number of levels you have bought.
Ranged Weapon (1-3). Active. The costs for a Ranged Weapon depend on whether it is a Short Range Weapon (1), a Long Range Weapon (2) or a Far Range Weapon (3). The Weapon type determines by name the maximum range a weapon can fire. Ranges for weapons are up to 8" (short), 8"-16" (long) and 16"-32" (far). Firing in short range gives a +1 to the Base Target Number, at long range does not give any modifier at all, at far range gives a -1 on the Base Target Number. Firing a Weapon generates 1 Heat.
A Short Range Weapon may be fired twice per action generating 1 Heat for both shots altogether.
When hitting your target with a Long Range Weapon, the target is pushed back in a straight line from your mech a number of inches equal to the amount of hits it received (or as far as possible). After firing a long range weapon, you have to generate 1 Heat to reload it.
While you may direct your attacks at different targets, when both arms bear the same kind of weapon, you may fire them off synchronized, generating 1 heat per weapon fired. Synchronized fire gives you a +1 to your Base Target Number.
Legs
(Upgrades for legs are installed in both legs. The costs in parantheses are the costs for the installation in both legs altogether. As soon as any leg receives a critical hit, the entire Upgrade is destroyed.)
Boosters (1). Active. Generate 1 Heat to move 2X" during each Run action this turn. When using Boosters, to move X inches through difficult terrain, only X Heat need to be generated.
Jump Jets (2). Active. Jump Jets are installed in both legs, so upon selecting Jump Jets for one leg you automatically install Jump Jets in the other leg, too. Both installations cost 2 bolts altogether. During a Move action, Jump Jets allow a pilot to have his mech ignore any one piece of terrain by jumping over it. Treat the piece of terrain as if it was not there at all. The mech's move has to end in a valid position, though, where the model can stand without toppling over. After the use of jump jets the mechs move ends for this action. Each use of the Jump Jets generates 1 Heat.
Grappling Feet (3). Active. Generate 1 Heat to use this mech to climb perpendicular surfaces during the Move action. The Move action must end in a position allowing the mech's model to stand without toppling over, though, or be immediately followed up by Run actions until the model can be placed in a position where it can stand without toppling over.
Creation of a pilot
Within a mech's Torso there is the control centre, operated by a human pilot. Each pilot brings one skill you can select from the list below. A pilot's skill description tells you when and how you may use that skill.
Blind Fire
This pilot does not need to be able to draw a line of sight to a target. When no line of sight can be drawn, reduce the dice rolled by one die.
Cover Expert
This pilot knows how to make the best use of cover. While in cover, a mech attacking this mech has to reroll each hit once and take the second result.
Dodge
Upon being selected as a target for a ranged attack, this pilot may move his mech up to 1" into any direction. If he becomes an invalid target this way, the other pilot can select a new target if possible. If for the attacker selecting a new target is not possible, his mech does not generate Heat either.
Fighter
This pilot receives a +1 per die in melee.
Eagle Eye
For this pilot, short range goes up to 10", long range goes up to 18", far range goes up to 26".
Multitasker
This pilot may intterupt the own Move action to perform one Attack action, generating Heat as usual. After the Attack action is finished, the pilot may continue with the Move action and move the mech any part or all of the remaining Move action.
Naturalist
This pilot can move the mech through soft cover without reducing it to difficult terrain.
Observant
After his final activation this turn, this Pilot goes into Overwatch without generating Heat.
Range Master
Before a match this pilot swaps the modifier for short range EITHER with long range OR with far range.
Sniper
Whenever you roll for an attack, you may reroll 1 die using the second result.
Techie
This pilot knows, how to navigate even the most damaged mech. With this pilot during a Move action you may move your mech up to 2" into any direction, even if there are no points left in the mech's legs.
Uplink
Once a turn this pilot can use 1 action to have any other allied mech Perform a Run or an Attack action. The other mech generates Heat as usual.
Terrain
There are five kinds of terrain: Solid terrain, Soft cover, Difficult terrain, Impairing terrain and Open terrain. In the descriptions below some examples are stated to give you a rough idea of what is what. Agree with the other players which piece of terrain counts as what.
Solid terrain is anything a mech can neither see nor walk through. Concrete buildings or greater rock formations for example.
Soft cover (trees or wooden buildings for example) is terrain providing cover when shot into or through. Soft cover counts as difficult terrain when walking through it. As soon as a mech walks more than halfway through soft cover, the cover is destroyed and only difficult terrain remains. (You may want to mark or replace the according piece of terrain.)
Difficult terrain is all kind of terrain hindering a mech on his advance but won't hinder the mech shooting across.
Impairing terrain won't let a mech move through, but it may still fire across umhindered, such as a lake or a rift.
Open terrain is just placed on the table to make it look more beautiful. It does not hinder the mech in any way.
Turn
Each turn players go through 3 phases in this order: Upkeep Phase, Initiative Phase, Action Phase. Perform the steps of those phases as described below.
Upkeep phase
Reduce your mech's current Heat level by 1.
Initiative Phase
Roll 1D6, add the point value of your mech's Head. From highest to lowest result select at which position on this turn you want to go. A position taken cannot be selected by anyone else. On equal results, the mech with higher Head may select first. If still equal, roll again, vying for position - higher roll gets to select first.
Action phase
During the action phase players get to activate their pilot/mech unit in order determined during initiative. In that order, all players go through their first action. After each mech has acted once, all players go through their second action and so on. A player may forfeit any further actions for this turn at any time. In that case only any remaing players get to perform actions. (Exception: the player goes on overwatch - see below.)
Once per turn each pilot can perform one Move Or Take Aim action with his mech not generating any Heat at all. On top of that a pilot may have his mech perform more actions, with each action generating Heat according to the number in parantheses behind the action's name. A pilot can have his mech generate Heat equal to the points bought for his torso without consequences. If the pilot has his mech generate more Heat, the mech can receive damage or even damage its own internal systems.
So for each action perform these steps in order:
- Generate Heat
- Check for overheating
- If overheated, roll a die. If the die's result is equal to or below the amount of Heat this mech has overheated, receive the number rolled in hits (see combat). Also, this mech cannot perform any action any more until his Heat level has sunken to a level equal to or below his current Torso points.
Example: A mech has 3 Torso points. In this turn, the pilot already has generated 3 Heat without consequences. He generates another Heat (being at 4/overheated by 1), rolls a 5 and continues. He generates yet another heat (being at 5/overheated by 2), rolls a 4 and continues. As he is daring today, he generates yet another Heat (being at 6/overheated by 3), rolls a 2 and finishes his turn, receiving 2 hits on his mech. To make things worse: This mech will spend the next 3 turns cooling down.
- Else perform the desired action.
Move OR Take Aim (0)
Move the sum of the points in each leg in inches, turning as many times as you want. Walking through difficult terrain (bushes, piles of trash, vehicle wrecks) requires 2 points per full inch walked through.
A mech may move through soft cover but destroys it that way, reducing it to difficult terrain.
At the end of a Move action you may turn the mech to have it face into any direction.
Moving out of melee: As melee between mechs is more about brute-forcing your way through your opponent than the elegant dance of thrusting and parrying, no mech ever gets to retaliate or something. So if you want to move your mech out of melee, just do so.
Instead of performing a Move action a pilot can use his systems to Take Aim on another mech, giving him a +1 modifier on the Base Target Number. Directly after a Take Aim action an Attack action must follow.
As described above, this action can only be selected once per activation!
Run (X)
Move X inches, turning as many times as you want. To move X inches through difficult terrain, 2X Heat need to be generated.
A mech may run through soft cover but destroys it that way, reducing it to difficult terrain.
At the end of a Run action you may turn the mech to have it face into any direction.
Attack (1/2)
If you want to attack an opposing mech, at first you have to check, whether it is in range of your weapon. If it is not, just assume you have opted for a different action here. If it is, continue: Roll a number of dice equal to the arm you are using. Additionally roll one more die, the "crit die", you can tell apart from the others (e.g. by colour or by size).
Note: Some mechs are designed with big hand-like grasping mechanisms holding weapons. Those mechs can discard these weapons to fight in melee. Technically all mechs with a fist or at least one arm without a weapon can fight in melee. However, only a mech with a dedicated melee weapon on one arm receives a +1 modifier on his base target number when attacking with that arm.
The Base Target Number is your current value of Head points. This Base Target Number can be modified by different factors. Some of them already have been stated before and are listed here again only to have all of them in one place:
+1 Target is within short range
+1 Attacker attacks in melee using a dedicated melee weapon
+1 If there is an option to attack the target's back side
+1 Attacker is in a position higher than defender's head
+1 Synchronized fire
-1 Target is within long range
-1 Target is behind cover
-1 Target has performed a Run action this turn
All boni and mali are cumulative! So, synchronized fire (+1) on a target within short range (+1) behind cover (-1) results in a bonus of +1 to the Base Target Number. The modified Base Target Number is your Final Target Number.
Each die rolled which is not the "crit die" with a result equal to or less than your Final Target Number scores 1 hit. If you scored at least 1 hit, roll another die and compare that die's result against the table of body parts to check which body part you have hit. Reduce the current points of that body part by the amount of hits you scored. If you scored more hits than the determined body part has remaining points, any excess damage goes into the torso. Once the torso has reached 0 remaining points, the mech is destroyed. (Don't worry. The mech's pilot is ejected and lands somewhere far, far away to fight another day... Just remember to TRACK THAT POD!)
Also, if you scored at least 1 hit and the "crit die" rolled a 1, the damage caused is critical. In that case check, whether the according body part contains an upgrade. If it does, the upgrade is destroyed and cannot be used anymore. If it does not, the torso receives 1 damage.
Attacking with 1 weapon generates 1 Heat. Attacking with 2 synchronized weapons generates 2 Heat.
Overwatch (1)
The player's turn ends immediately. However, at any time during another player's action you may try to interrupt that player's action in order to react. Roll a die. If the result of the die rolled is higher than your mech's current Heat, your pilot may react by performing a Run or an Attack action. You have to generate Heat as usual for that action which might result in overheating.
Use Upgrade (X)
Use any one Upgrade labled Active. Using an Upgrade usually allows you to perform or to enhance an action by generating additional Heat. Hence the X in this actions's cost: Refer to an Upgrade's description to find out what it allows you to do and how many Heat is generated.
Scenarios
Scenarios either are an everyone against everyone (EAE) scenario or a TEAM scenario. Each scenario requires a setup zone: Players set up their mechs in opposing corners, placing their mech as close to a corner as possible.
Last Mech Standing (EAE)
The classic: Mechs are duking it out until only one mech / one pilot remains
