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Low Tech Infantry Unit |
I have rather enjoyed the Ambush Alley Games series of rules sets for engagements in the modern world. Ambush Alley (for regulars vs. insurgents), then Force on Force (for regular vs. regular encounters) have recently been combined into one Osprey hardbound publication called (surprisingly) Force on Force. The rules within Force on Force cover both the insurgent vs. regular and regular vs. regular battles that we might find in today's world. Ambush Alley Games also has a sci-fi set of rules called Tomorrow's War, which I have not personally seen, but uses the same basic model as Force on Force, but taking the weapons to a science fiction level).
Using the RAFM 15mm sci-fi figures as they were originally intended (packaged for Game Designers' Workshop's Striker), one can easily convert the weapons systems for Traveller/Striker into Force on Force parameters. The platoon sheets that were included in the Striker sets can allow one to come up with some interesting science fiction forces based on the Traveller/Striker model, an example of which can be seen to the right. One could also take the suggested morale and initiative ratings on the sheet to come up with the various quality dice used in Force on Force.
RAFM has nearly every Traveller/Striker figure available again, just not packaged in the organizations that Striker calls for. However, the fine folks at RAFM will allow special orders, so if you tell them you desire 'x' of one figure and 'y' of another, they will take care of your needs (they do want a minimum of a $20.00 order when doing this). I have recently taken advantage of this service, and RAFM provided me with two platoons of low tech infantry and one of high tech infantry as organized on the old Striker sheets.
Bear in mind that if you decide to use Force on Force (or Tomorrow's War) you will need to purchase extra leader and support weapons figures to cover the random events that can occur from Fog of War.
Let's go through an example of how to order some low tech infantry from RAFM:
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Low Tech Infantry Unit Order |
Looking at the low tech infantry sheet (Striker Set #1), one needs twenty figures to field a platoon. Those twenty figures consist of one officer, one mortar gunner, two NCOs (the same pose as the standard rifleman), four automatic riflemen, and twelve riflemen. All these poses are found within RAFM's Infantry Pack #4. So, to order the twenty figures necessary, one would add two packs of Infantry Pack #4 to one's shopping cart, proceed to checkout, then send RAFM an email (
brock@rafm.com) describing the poses desired. When I created my order for two platoons of low tech infantry I emailed RAFM and attached a picture of their Infantry Pack #4 with the quantities of each figure desired notated on the pic shown here along with my order number. Brock from RAFM confirmed that he received my email with picture attached, and in a couple of weeks I received my order with the correct number of figures and poses I needed. On the same order I also ordered twenty of the Infantry Pack #1 to use as the high tech infantry from Striker Set #4, so my order was for a total of sixty figures, which RAFM handled with ease (at least from my point of view).
Converting ratings from Striker to Force on Force was rather easy as found out by my gaming buddy, The G Dog. Taking the most common of weapons from the Traveller universe, here is what he has come up with:
Weapons
Assault Rifle - 1d small arms
Advanced Combat Rifle - 1d small arms
Gauss Rifle - 1d small arms
Snub Pistol - 1d small arms
Accelerator Rifle - 1d small arms
PGMP-12 - 3d medium support weapon
PGMP-13 - 3d medium support weapon
PGMP-14 - 3d medium support weapon
FGMP-14 - 4d heavy support weapon
FGMP-15 - 4d heavy support weapon
Light Assault Gun - 2d light support weapon
LMG - 2d light support weapon
Grenade Launcher - 2d light support weapon
Auto-GL - 3d medium support weapon
RAM GL - 3d medium support weapon
RAM Auto-GL - 4d heavy support weapon
Submachinegun (SMG) - 1d small arms
Shotgun - 1d small arms
Armor
Flak Jacket - one defense die
Combat Armor TL11 - two defense dice
Combat Armor TL12 - three defense dice
Combat Armor TL14 - four defense dice
Battledress - four defense dice
Using one of the most famous units within Traveller (The Duke of Regina's Own Huscarls or 4518th Lift Infantry Regiment), their ratings for Force on Force would be as follows:
Squad, Duke of Regina's Own Huscales
1 Squad Leader (Combat Armor 14, Gauss Rifle)
1 Assistant Squad Leader (Combat Armor 14, Gauss Rifle)
2 Fire teams, each with:
Team Leader (Combat Armor 14, Gauss Rifle)
Trooper # 1 (Combat Armor 14, Gauss Rifle)
Trooper # 2 (Combat Armor 14, FGMP-15)
Trooper # 3 (Combat Armor 14, FGMP-15)
The squad would throw 13 dice in combat, defense dice for the squad would be 10 +4. For a single fire team, defense dice would be 4 +4 (plus cover). Some nasty buggers, for certain.
As you can see, one can still easily use the RAFM Citadel 15mm figures as they were intended (in the Traveller setting), making Force on Force, or its sci-fi partner Tomorrow's War, as rules set of choice.