New Squat Units. Tunnelers

From: Albert Farr� Benet <cibernyam_at_...>
Date: Wed, 18 Jul 2001 04:54:58 +0200

Hi people,

I really love ending exam periods...

The long-time-ago promised brand new Squat tunellers are here!

Part I

HellWorm (or what happens when you mix a land train with a mole and add some drop pod flavour)

Just imagine a 1cm diameter worm, as long as you like, though not as long as Arrakis ones. It is made from diferent "cylindric battle cars" steel armoured and loaded of bolters, each one carrying a diferent set of weapons or other things. Use all rules for tunnelers and Hellbore, though the template of impact when surfacing is only 6 cm (half the Hellbore's one). Note that Hellworm starts the game underground and doesn't have any transport, it can go underground again any turn provided fuel Battlecar is still linked to Tractor head. It cannot go underground and surface in the same turn. Tractor head can clean minefields.

Battlecars open with 2+ the turn they surface or automatic other turns. Player may decide to open or close battlecars during movement, and for each battlecar separately. Bolters fire even when closed unless specified. For orders follow the same rules as land train. All battlecars add 1 Void S. but shield Battlecar which adds 3 and repairs them easily.


Hellworm Tractor head

Note this Segment doesn't need to open to use weapons

Move 15 cm on surface / 10 cm without fuel battlecar
Save 1+ all around
CAF +8
Weapons
Acid cannon Distance: Flamethrower Template Attack dice: No To hit: 4+ STM: -1 Ignores cover
Lascannons Distance: 75 cm Attack dice: 4 To hit: 5+ STM: -2
Bolters Distance: 15 cm Attack dice: 6 To hit: 6+ STM: 0
Notes: Tunneler, SuperHeavy, 2 Void Shields, carries 6 stands

Cannon Battlecar

Save 1+ all around closed / 3+ all around when open
CAF +4
Weapons
Battlecannons Distance: 50 cm Attack dice: 4 To hit: 4+ STM: -2
Lascannons Distance: 75 cm Atack dice: 4 To hit: 5+ STM: -2
Bolters Distance: 15 cm Attack dice: 4 closed / 6 open To hit: 6+ STM: 0
Notes: Must be open to use cannons

Barrage Battlecar

Save 1+ all around closed / 4+ all around when open
CAF: +3
Weapons
DDay cannon Dist: 150 cm At: d6+3BP STM: -3
Bolters Dist: 15 cm At.Dice: 4
Notes: Must be open to use DDay cannon

Carrier Batlecar

Save 1+ all around closed / 2+ all around open
CAF +4
Weapons
Hvy Bolters Dist:25 cm At Dice 4/8 To hit: 5+ STM: 0
Notes: Carries 10 stands. Must be open to disembark them

Shield Battlecar

Save 1+ all ar/3+ all ar
CAF +3
Weapons
Bolters Dist: 15 cm At Dice 4
Notes: Same rules as Land Train Shied Battlecar. Adds only 1 shield and doesn't give repair advantge if closed.

Buoy Battlecar

Save 1+ all ar/3+all ar
CAF+3
Weapons
Bolters Dist: 15 cm At dice 4
Notes: All tunnelers may surface within 25 cm of Buoy Battlecar automatically without scattering. May act as Forward observer even when moving. Must be open to use Buoy and to act as forward observer

Fuel/secondary engine Battlecar

This segment never opens

Save 1+ all ar
CAF +3
Weapons
Bolters Dist: 15 cm At Dice 4
If Fuel Battlecar is destroyed Tractor head cannot go underground anymore, though may move on surface. If destroyed it explodes on 4+ striking a -3 TSM hit to near battlecars and everything on d6 cm (but not other battlecars).



Hellworm is a Special Card for tunneller companies only and it costs 300 points, gives 4 VP and is broken when the tractor head is destroyed. Unit is composed of a tractor head plus a Fuel Battlecar attached ALWAYS after it.

Battlecars are support cards of 3 Battlecars (any mix) plus a secondary engine battlecar (total 4 battlecars) with a break point of 3, costs 350 points and gives 5 VP. Obviously you can only purchase them as support cards of a tunneler company with a Hellworm Special Card. You can attach as many battlecars as you want, though there's a limit of only 1 barrage battlecar, 1 shield battlecar and 1 Buoy battlecar in each worm. VP for battlecars are awarded for every 3 battlecars destroyed from the same worm, even if they are from different suppport cards. The Tractor fuel car doesn't count for this.

I haven't used Formula for point cost but bear in mind that Fuel/secondary engine battlecars are more an annoyance than a help to give some limitation to this unit. Be aware also that open battlecars are much vulnerable than closed ones limiting more it's effectiveness.

Please, I want to hear opinions, about this unit, not about how cheesy/useless are Squats. I think this mixture of a Land Train and Hellbore isn't cheesy at all. Even more, I think I overpriced it a little (remeber its limitations, also implicit ones, like breaking the worm in two like the Land Train) but I think playtesting will give a more detailed and clever opinion on this. Any volunteers?

Another ideas: Using templates like Praetorians (I don't feel like it though), new battlecars, other card combinations (i.e. an infantry company transported by a Hellworm plus 3 Carriers, similar to Hellbore company, or other possibilities),

I want some summer feedback (Hey, is anybody alive?)

Albert Farr�
Received on Wed Jul 18 2001 - 02:54:58 UTC

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