Author Topic: HBS BattleTech adapted for Alpha Strike  (Read 1383 times)

Tai Dai Cultist

  • Lieutenant Colonel
  • *
  • Posts: 7127
HBS BattleTech adapted for Alpha Strike
« on: 11 June 2018, 17:46:07 »
I'm presuming anyone reading this thread is already familiar with the gameplay differences between HBS BattleTech and the conventional Boardgame rules.  (most notably, the tiered initiative system and no simultaneous combat resolution)  I'm presenting these ideas with that presumption of familiarity for simplicty.. going into the technical writing would come later.  Looking to share my adaptation and to solicit ideas/feedback about some of the compromises I decided had to be made in the adaptation

HBS BattleTech for Alpha Strike

Major changes: 5 phases based on mass; Pilot Skills
Phases:
Eliminate Movement and Combat Phases; replace with 5 combined movement/combat phases numbered 1-5 and processed in reverse numerical order.  During each of these combined phases players alternate activating one of their units eligible to act in the current phase, beginning with the initiative loser.  During an activation, the unit moves and then performs combat action(s).  The effects of these actions resolve immediately rather than during the end phase.  The pattern of alternating units is always one player then the next player, even if there are a disproportionate number of units available to each player.  E.G. if player one lost initiative and has 4 units available for the current phase while player two has only 1, player one activates one unit, player 2 one unit, then player 1 the remaining 3 units one at a time.  At any time a player may choose to delay all remaining units to the next phase rather than activating any unit.  If the player does so, all units eligible to act in the current phase are now ineligible for the current phase and become eligible instead for the next phase.  Units may be delayed consecutively in this manner until Phase 1, which is the last eligible phase.  If any units are delayed out of Phase 1, they must wait until their regular phase next round.  A unit’s assigned phase is calculated at 5-SZ.

Additional Combat Action available to all units:
GUARDED: This unit forfeits combat action to instead suffer half damage (round down) from all weapon attacks until its next activation.  Physical attacks ignore this reduction AND remove the condition immediately.

Pilot Skills:
Pilots gain special abilities picked from the list applicable to their skill level.  Also probably not a good idea to use the conventional SPAs on top of the free abilities given out under these proposed rules.

Skill 5 or higher:
No special abilities available.
Skill 4:
Gunner: Gain the effect of the MultiTasker SPA
Pilot: Unit gains one extra TMM if moving at least half of its maximum distance (measured from start to finish points, NOT along the path it actually took)
Defender: Brace: May gain GUARDED by forfeiting movement rather than combat action.
Tactician: May perform a special combat action in place of all other actions: Sensor Lock- target unit loses 1 point of TMM until its next activation

Skill 3:
Pick two Skill 4 abilities

Skill 2 or under:
Lancer: Gunner + Defender + Breaching Shot: as Marksman SPA but may combo with MultiTasker
Scout: Pilot + Tactician + Master Tactician: Unit is considered SZ-1 for calculating activation phase
Skirmisher: Gunner + Pilot + Breaching Shot (as Lancer)
Recon: Pilot + Tactician + Ace Pilot: Unit may perform Combat action(s) prior to movement.
Vanguard: Defender + Tactician + Master Tactician (as Scout)
Brawler: Pilot + Defender + Juggernaut: A successful physical attack forces the target to slip down 1 activation phase (minimum phase 1; does not permit a unit that has already activate to activate again)
Gladiator: Gunner + Defender + Juggernaut (as Brawler)
Outrider: Defender + Pilot + Ace Pilot (as Recon)
Sharpshooter: Tactician + Gunner + Breaching Shot (as Lancer)
Sentinel: Tactician + Defender + Juggernaut (as Brawler)
Flanker: Gunner + Pilot + Ace Pilot (as Recon)
Striker: Gunner + Tactician + Master Tactician (as Scout)

Just because: Units of TP:BM deal double damage on physical attacks (other than charges) to units of TP:CV


I toyed around with changing the way cover works to become damage reduction like it is in HBS BattleTech... in fact been thinking about that long before I ever played  it.. buildings work that way so why not all cover?  In the end though I decided to just not mess with incorporating it because 25% reduction is a tough mechanic to represent with the granularity of damage being thrown at AS's scale.  Also thinking the concept of Stability is something that's not worth the bother either. 

I didn't incorporate Evasion as TMM is that analogue and replacing TMM for a new mechanic is kind of a big deal.  Besides, games of AS are probably going to tend to be larger than lance on lance as you see as the norm in HBS BattleTech.. a high Evasion target can much more easily be stripped of Evasion just because more units being on hand to do so.

Thoughts?  Comments?  Improvements?
« Last Edit: 11 June 2018, 17:57:14 by Tai Dai Cultist »

 

Register