RE: [Epic] Net Epic Gudelines

From: Andy Skinner <andy.skinner_at_...>
Date: Wed, 29 Jan 97 08:32:00 EST

A certain Liu named Michael said:
>I really haven't explained it very clearly, but with some effort it
should
>be understandable. I recall someone else on the list had a similar
system
>to this. I've found it really does make for a much more realistic game
(for
>those who like realism :) )

I posted some rules once. They've even been tried once.

Let's see if I can find 'em.

...

Ah, here. I can't remember whether I made any changes after
playtesting. I think I needed something so that you couldn't
put off a unit's action until the end, and I needed something
that made it easier for several things to be activated at
once. For example, a dragsta and everything it covers, or
a commander and the unit's that need to be within some range.

andy
andy.skinner_at_...


Activations for Games Workshop's Space Marine/Titan Legions

Introduction
The top two things I don't like about the Epic system are
the initiative rules and how long it takes to play a game.
The current system for initiative can give a huge advantage
to the side winning a single die roll, by allowing them to
choose the order of movement and to fire first in the two
Fire segments. Although there may be occasions when moving
first is important, I've usually seen and heard of the
player winning initiative choose move second. This allows
him to make decisions based on his opponents move, and to
potentially gain more control of close combat, arranging
any models not yet involved in the action. I originally
wanted to alternate moving, the way firing is done in
a shooting segment of the current game. But switching
back and forth between sides might make increase my second
problem with the game, the length of play. I find that
I spend a lot of time making decisions, and those decisions
are spread through the orders, movement, and shooting
phases.

These activation rules are inspired by Dirtside II, by
Ground Zero Games. I am borrowing the idea for Epic
rather than switching games for various reasons, but
there is much attractive in that system. I hope to
answer both of the problems mentioned above. By
activating a unit at a time and switching back and
forth between sides, I hope to allow both sides to
make their decisions with knowledge of what the opponent
has done so far. Also, since the movement and firing of
a unit is all done at once, I hope to reduce the amount
of time making decisions and speed overall play.


Sequence of Play
The turn is divided into two phases, the Main Phase (Activation Phase?)
and the End Phase. The End Phase is as the Epic End Phase.
The Main Phase incorporates Epic's Orders, Movement, Psychic,
and Combat Phases.

Items needed:
* A number of chips, enough for one of each unit. These should
  be identical to touch, but a different color for each side.
* Charge and First Fire counters from Epic.

Each side puts one chip of the color representing that side for each
unit (detachment, squadron, Titan, etc) in a bowl or some other item
allowing easy picking of a random chip. Begin drawing chips--the
color of each chip signifies which side activates a unit.

Activating a unit means making one of the following actions:
* Unit moves up to the normal movement range and fires weapons.
  A unit that fires weapons may not move into close combat.
* Unit fires weapons, but does not move. This is the action
  used for units that may only fire in First Fire.
* Unit does not fire weapons, but may move twice the normal move
  rate, and may charge into close combat with enemy models.
* Player places a Charge counter near the unit, signifying that
  the unit may charge (possibly into close combat, but not
  firing weapons) at double move during the activation of a
  later unit on the same side.
* Player places a First Fire counter near the unit, signifying
  that the unit may interrupt an enemy unit's activation to fire
  weapons, but may not move. The interruption may occur either
  during the move of a unit that moves or charges, or after any
  activation has been completed. When an activation is beginning
  for a unit that will fire but not move, the interruption may
  not occur before the activating unit has fired (unless the
  interrupting unit is using Snap-Fire weapons).

After a unit has been activated, the chip is placed near the unit
to show that the unit has used its activation for the turn.


Interruptions:
An interruption is the firing of a weapon out of the normal sequence.
It may be done by a unit previously placed on First Fire when it was
activated or by a snap-fire weapon (which does not need to be on
First Fire). An interruption may be declared after the opposing side
announces which unit will be activated, or after the activation of a
unit on the same side. Although all the interruptions must be declared,
the targets need not be declared until the interrupting unit is firing.
Any number of qualified units may perform an interruption at once, but
all must be declared at the same time. If interrupting a unit that fires
but does not move, the interruption must wait on the interrupted unit's
fire,
unless a snap-fire weapon is interrupting a non-snap-fire weapon.
An interrupting unit is allowed to fire at any valid targets, and is not
required to fire all or any of its weapons at the interrupted unit.
If a First Fire unit makes an interruption, remove its First Fire
marker--
it may not fire again this turn. If a snap-fire unit makes an
interruption,
remove chip of its color from the cup--the unit has used its activation.

Snap Fire weapons:
Snap-fire weapons may interrupt any weapon except for another snap-fire
weapon (including units that fire without moving). They do not need
to be activated and given a First Fire order to interrupt an enemy's
activation. However, a unit with mixed snap-fire and non-snap-fire
weapons becomes a little complicated. A unit with a snap-fire weapon
that interrupts another unit without being previously activated and
put on First Fire may not fire its non-snap-fire weapons. Any
advantages of snap-fire, like interrupting a non-moving non-snap-fire
weapon, may not be applied to the non-snap-fire weapons of the same
unit. If the unit has been put on First-Fire, it may fire its
non-snap-fire weapons when normal First Fire units fire.


Questions:
When can a unit fire? Before move, during move, after move?
Simplest would just say "after move". But if it doesn't break
anything, then I'd like to add "before move" as well. What
about during? I'd limit it to the halfway mark--models may not
move more than half of their current move before or after their
shot. That gives a rule that isn't hard, but it might be more
time-consuming. All models in a unit must fire at the same time.

When can an interrupting unit interrupt? Before the move, during,
after? If a unit moves from one cover to another, but is exposed
in between, can a unit waiting to fire not shoot at it? I'd
suggest before, half, and after, too. Before or after the unit
moves seems important to me. Halfway seems to be when it makes
sense to shoot at a charging unit. It begins to get complicated,
though. Seems easy to say that a unit interrupting at half move
is before the activating unit firing at the end.


Close combat: a unit that has not been activated, but which has
been charged, may counter-charge, bringing models from the same
unit into the fray; or, if it is not pinned, may use its activation
to move out of the combat. The unit will not get a separate activation;
take a chip of its color out of the cup. The activating charge
and any counter-charges are all moved, and close combat is resolved
before finishing the activation.

Leaders:
Command units may make double moves, and may either charge or shoot.
Otherwise they are subject to the same rules as other units.

Special units:
* Some units always fire in First Fire. What to do with them?
* Some units shoot twice in the same segment. Just give them two shots.
* Some units shoot in both First Fire and Advance. They get two
  activations--put two counters into the pot for them. But they
  may not move in the second activation.
Received on Wed Jan 29 1997 - 13:32:00 UTC