Alpha Strike: A Quick-Playing Tactical Miniatures Game

[nckestrel]

SO errata.

[StCptMara]

No, I think real, not fictional beverages will be in order then.  :)

So..Ten Fitty all around?

[Alexander Knight]

2,703 out of 4,513 completed.

2,813 out of 4,519 completed

[Nerroth]

Are any of the units from the various TRO:3145 files a part of that list, or are they all on hold until after the grand update is completed?

(And will any of the unit types which had not been given Unit Cards to this point, such as WarShips, be accommodated this time around, or would they have to wait for a future decision to be made about them?)

[Alexander Knight]

Are any of the units from the various TRO:3145 files a part of that list, or are they all on hold until after the grand update is completed?

They're on the list, yes.

[theothersarah]

They're on the list, yes.

Awww, yeah. I think the Sarath variants are going to turn out nicely in Alpha Strike, especially with the turret.

[Nerroth]

They're on the list, yes.

Good to note.

Does that include some of the unorthodox units, like the Colossi and the QuadVees; or would they need to wait until rules governing their operation were added to BF/AS?

(I gather that the various LAMs have no Unit Cards, due to the lack of rules governing their use in BF/AS at this point. If that was true, I was wondering if any of the 3145 units would run into a similar dilemma.)

[Alexander Knight]

Good to note.

Does that include some of the unorthodox units, like the Colossi and the QuadVees; or would they need to wait until rules governing their operation were added to BF/AS?

(I gather that the various LAMs have no Unit Cards, due to the lack of rules governing their use in BF/AS at this point. If that was true, I was wondering if any of the 3145 units would run into a similar dilemma.)

That is being dealt with.

[Nerroth]

That is being dealt with.

In that case, I look forward to seeing what CGL has in store for these unit types.

Thank you.

[RebelRunner]

I haven't heard anything about this, but will Alpha Strike include rules for WarShips and DropShips? (Basically fast-play Aerotech)
I'm seriously considering picking the book up...

[Atlas3060]

There's always a possibility, but I don't remember anything concrete being said.

Though if you have StratOps and some time, you can convert squadrons of fighters, individual Dropships, and Warships to Battleforce and play that way.
My group calls it Battletech Space Battleforce.....BattleFace. The games really do fly quickly, especially if you use the ranges from Alpha Strike on hexes (or inches)

[Itinerant Hobbyist]

There are a few pages on abstract aerospace play.  In that section there are quotes like this:

While on the ground, DropShip-type aerospace units may provide partial cover for Battlemechs as if they were a building (see Partial Cover, p. 34)

Also, in the firing arc rules they show a drop ship and discuss their arcs.

There are also rules for capital and sub capital weapons like those found on warships. And they have an abstract aerospace system.  Understand I've not read that far yet to give any details.

[Weirdo]

Nothing for space combat(yet), but if it's atmosphere-capable(more than once), the Alpha Strike core rulebook has rules for it. It's a lot like Total War+TacOps, minus anything that happens above the space/atmosphere interface.

[Klat]

Played a company on company match against Clansittingducks today. The only reason it took more than two hours was because we had to look up everything as we wanted to tryout as many things as we could. A few lessons learned; don't DFA an Assassin, don't get into melee with an Archer with a Spider, don't jump a Wolverine into close range with an Atlas and a Thunderbolt and always, always watch your back arc  O:-)

The game was fast and brutal with a small canyon that became a scrap yard for half a company being the peak of the violent clash.

Much fun was had  O0

[glitterboy2098]

Nothing for space combat(yet), but if it's atmosphere-capable(more than once), the Alpha Strike core rulebook has rules for it. It's a lot like Total War+TacOps, minus anything that happens above the space/atmosphere interface.

it would have been nice to have full rules for Aerospace units on the map, as in "flying fighters around on the 3D terrain".. the abstract system works, but being able to just fly the planes around on the terrain itself would be nice.

[OpacusVenatori]

it would have been nice to have full rules for Aerospace units on the map, as in "flying fighters around on the 3D terrain".. the abstract system works, but being able to just fly the planes around on the terrain itself would be nice.

I believe that the size of the table should be enormous to handle the speed of the fighters

[Atlas3060]

Played a company on company match against Clansittingducks today. The only reason it took more than two hours was because we had to look up everything as we wanted to tryout as many things as we could. A few lessons learned; don't DFA an Assassin, don't get into melee with an Archer with a Spider, don't jump a Wolverine into close range with an Atlas and a Thunderbolt and always, always watch your back arc  O:-)

The game was fast and brutal with a small canyon that became a scrap yard for half a company being the peak of the violent clash.

Much fun was had  O0

You discovered a lot of things my group did.
For YEARS I wondered why the Shadowhawk and other less than stellar Mechs were mass produced.
Then I look at the Alpha Strike and Battleforce stats.
 :o Holy dice these things are decent troopers now.
In a game where long range really can make or break certain missions, even a 1 point plink for a couple of turns will cripple the most scariest short range brawler.
Plus light Mechs are evil, even standing still!  >:D

This game scale is great for those who loved the Star League.

[Itinerant Hobbyist]

Thank you Klat for the first AS AAR I've seen.

[Klat]

Thank you Klat for the first AS AAR I've seen.

If I get a chance to sit down for a bit I'll give more detail. I must say that after playing AS I may build a force of Tau Ceti Lancers; light and medium 'Mechs really come into their own under these rules.

[George_Labour]

I believe that the size of the table should be enormous to handle the speed of the fighters

You could make the same argument about artillery and yet that gets 'scaled down' a bit to make it useable.

And if this is really the miniature rules designed to compete with other 'popular' sci-fi games such as Warmahordes and Warhammer 40k then adopting some of their laxity in scales just to permit more and varied unit types on the table top isn't a bad idea.

Still it's easy enough to house rule using the stuff from SO which is what I've been doing for a while now. However something official would be nice as well so as to make teaching players slightly easier.

[nckestrel]

Artillery's range is handled by abstractly moving it off board, the same as aerospace.
If you want fast on board, there are hovers, and WiGE and VTOL or even airships available.
If you want something that literally flies across the board in one turn, it's portrayed abstractly, its flight path only placed on the table when its on the table and that's not for long.

[ColBosch]

Artillery's range is handled by abstractly moving it off board, the same as aerospace.
If you want fast on board, there are hovers, and WiGE and VTOL or even airships available.
If you want something that literally flies across the board in one turn, it's portrayed abstractly, its flight path only placed on the table when its on the table and that's not for long.

I was actually supporting George_Labour's question until you posted this. You're quite correct; it wouldn't be "simplifying" and "scaling down" aerospace units, it would have to drastically change how they function, destroying compatibility with other BattleTech products.

[Von Ether]

For YEARS I wondered why the Shadowhawk and other less than stellar Mechs were mass produced.
Then I look at the Alpha Strike and Battleforce stats.

Well, if someone wants to really mirror the unit's effectiveness in both games, then I guess you could assign a "classic design" tax on the AS unit. If you add three points or so to PV, then the design isn't worth the cost compared to other units.

[Charlie Tango]

There's also a sheet of blank cards in the back of the PDF for Alpha Strike...

And yes, some mechs aren't near what they are in TW rules while some you might have never taken are solid designs.

And then there are some designs that become absolute beasts.  (Naginata with a C3 spotter, Mr. Coyote?  ;) )

Still remember the time I played the Thunderbolt NAIS against Weirdo/Atlas et al when I was still in TX and the QS rules had first come out.  The look on his face was priceless...  something like this:  :o

[Fear Factory]

Quick Strike makes a lot of "bad" designs good.  It's awesome.

[Alexander Knight]

Quick Strike makes a lot of "bad" designs good.  It's awesome.

Friend, when it lets a Nova Prime *melt* an Avatar in a single round of fire, that goes beyond awesome.  >:D

[Savage Coyote]

I also enjoy taking out the Linebacker D  O:-)

[Atlas3060]

Friend, when it lets a Nova Prime *melt* an Avatar in a single round of fire, that goes beyond awesome.  >:D

The Atlas II is so much fun!  >:D

[Weirdo]

Viva la Thorn! O0

Seriously. We were halfway through our first large QS game when people saw how my forces were performing, looked that the THE-N card, and warned me that Thorn usage was a privilege, not a right. And doing things like building all-Thorn forces would likely get that privilege revoked.

Another unit that has surprised me with its Alpha Strike stats is the Fire Scorpion. It's not as flashy as most other Clan heavies, but it's tough as nails, dirt cheap for a Clanner, and has a surprisingly solid punch, doing 3 damage at all ranges. It won't win fights by itself, but it'll definitely contribute more than its fair share of damage dealt. Makes me want to build a dedicated force centered around a Goliath Scorpion Seeker and her entourage.

(I play hexed games, but in minis play, the Fire Scorpion would probably have even more of an advantage, because of the incredibly low-slung profile, allowing it to hide behind a lot more cover than most other 'mechs.

[Fear Factory]

Other than the Thorn and Stalking Spider, what other 'Mechs are surprisingly good?