Ok, What does anyone remember about how Nuts and Bolts was run?
I mostly remember being set up in lance sized teams. Build a level 1 mech. Get points. Upgrade your mechs. Move on to the next weight class.
I Dont remember how points were awarded, or the cost of upgrades.
Also dont remember missions types/objectives.
Asking because I'm being asked to set up a campaign. Figure the nuts and bolts framework was fun.
There was another tournament involving using points to buy more tonnage and tech. Dont remember what it was called. Do remember preforming fairly well using a 25 ton ER Small laser boat. Mostly looking for the point costs for Ideas.
And now to wait 2 weeks for someone to see this
Remembering Nuts And Bolts
- 1.5K Views
- Last Post 22 May 2024
Meanwhile, coming up with a point value list based on stuff's tech level and availability. Works pretty good. IS DHS, XL engines, and endo steel cost 1 point. Clan cost 2 points. Common level 2 weapons cost 1... clan version cost 2.
I think I'll start everyone with a 20 ton mech. They can pay 1 point per 5 extra tons.
Omni is interesting. Costs 1 point to make a mech an omni. Think I'm going to expand upon that. Any equipment added to the omni in an omni pod will cost +1 point. But Can be transferred to any other future omni unit, or between players.
So, Tonnage + structure + Engine + Gyro, cockpit, Special musculature (TSM for the most part) etc + equipment.
If mech is lost have to buy a new one.
If Tonnage changes, have to buy a new one.
If equipment or structural components changes, have to buy new equipment. If you buy ER Medium lasers and remove them, they're still available to be added back on to that one mech. (And if you paid for omni then those lasers are available for the next omni mech too)
Pilot upgrades. Upgrading a skill level costs double the previous level. Start with 5/5 pilots with 1 free point given for upgrades. (So ideally they'll go 4g/5p.) From 4 to 3 costs 2 points. 3 to 2 costs 4. Then 8, then 16 to get down to zero. Piloting and gunnery are done separately.
If pilot dies they get to start over.
For our next trick.
How much to pay out for winning a scenerio
Proportional support. Aka the player got killed early and I need to keep them entertained. SAR for pilot retrieval, Salvaging truck, covering artillery, Air strikes.
Ok, SARs.
Player loses their mech. Their mechwarrior needs to be picked up.
Tiered system. Player can pay for upgraded evac options. Payment is per scenerio, though costs can be split between players.
0. Motorized infantry squad is sent to get you.
1. Ground APC
2. VTOL APC (limit 1)
3. An unarmed support mech is sent to get you. (Limit 1)
APC's and infantry take up an initiative slot, and automatically move last. They will not willingly end their move in LOS of a hostile mech. Though they will face off against hostile infantry in proximity to the mechwarrior that needs to be retrieved. The player with the downed mech will control these units.
only 1 rescue mech and VTOL per scenerio. If anyone goes down after that a ground APC is sent. If the battle is being won. If its being lost then the rescue units are required to forced withdraw.
If 50% casualties are sustained and the enemy force outnumbers the survivors (aka you're losing.) then protective artillery will be applied. namely Smoke rounds to cover the withdrawal.
Battle field support. Pay before the battle. May only be used for that battle. Wasted points are wasted.
Artillery (Arrow IV).
1 point: 1 tube available 5 rounds of ammo available. Limit 2 tubes per player.
1 point: upgrade to homing. Only have to pay once per tube.
1 point: add 5 more rounds.
Bombing. There is a bond for the aircraft. 1 point per 10 tons of fighter. If the fighter doesn't die you get the bond back at end of mission.
1 point: 2 bombs
2 points: Strike attack. (Pay as you go.)
3 points: Strafing run. (Pay as you go.)
Battlefield Intelligence
1 point: +1 modifier to any initiative roll. Single use. Any player may use this modifier once per turn from the pool bought for this scenario. May be used After the dice are rolled.
Random rule in weird places.
The initial roll for initiative will determine things like "Do they know you're coming." which will have impacts on things like hidden units and mine fields. Probably need to make a MOF and MOS table for this....
for the record. 1 turn travel time for artillery strikes.
Air strikes are declared at the end of the movement phase.
Aircraft thrust values for turn around times before next attack. Go find the rules somewhere. Think you need 10 thrust for 1 turn turn arounds.
SARS changes.
Response changes based on how far from home edge. Cost is taken from mission rewards.
Need to add mech recovery. Add 1 point to air support Cost for fuel. Per fighter. Just in case 2 fighters seems to be the way to go.
Wondering how to pick available fighters. Probably just force them to pick from stock units.
Back to SARS.
Cost increases the farther the unit moves into the battlefield. Players may elect to hold off on sending in the Evac team.
For a normal set of 2x2 maps, 1 point for every 5 hexes from their home edge. We'll call these zones.
Zone 1, motorized infantry squad
Zone 2 and 3. Armored APC's
Zone 4 and 5. VTOL
Zone 6. Mech recovery unit.
1D6-2 Rounds of smoke artillery will be fired between the downed mechwarrior and the nearest enemy the turn after they eject, exact locations chosen by the downed player. Flight time of 1 turn.
Motorized, and vehicles automatically move last for the players initiative. The mech can move whenever it needs to. The player may not do anything offensive with the recovery mech...
In combat Mech Recovery. 1 point to reserve. 5 point deposit in case it is lost. Costs 1 point per zone traveled. Will not come closer then 10 hexes from the enemy. Moves last or second to last if a SARS team is out.
Lets go fight space nazis
Pirate campaign.
Intercept the pirate raiding force.
Attack the pirate base.
Spider trap, Defend the pirate base.
Who is supplying them campaign.
Quick Reaction Force Mission. The main attack went wrong.
Second scouting mission.
Hold the base entrance.
Attack the inside of the base.
Planetary assault Campaign.
Secure a beach head.
Battlefield rescue.
Break a defensive line.
Base assault.
Defend against Orbital counter attack.
Retreat under fire.
Pirate campaign - Intercept the raiders.
Initiative roll. Win = set up ambush, Lose = Stop them from escaping.
Critical win/loss threshold of 3. Win = command detonated mines. Loss = counter ambush.
Note to self... make a chart with more options/bonus and more information given out if they win. LIke at what point do they get hidden units? At what point do they achieve so much surprise the NPC's are shaken?
Enemy forces: 2 Mech. 4 upto Medium Vee's, 2 upto assualt Vee's. 2 Medium Cargo haulers 1 heavy cargo hauler. Like mech recovery vehicles. 3 platoons foot infantry in the cargo haulers.
Gallion Light tank with an active probe. Probe is broken on a higher initiative success.
Hetzer. Always moves first for initiative. Bad comms gear.
Light SRM Carrier
Goblin medium tank
2 Rommel Sealed variants.
Brigand XPR 3
Thunderbolt 5S for the pirate leader. Or an MRM hawkwolf. That'd be interesting I think.
2 Mech Recovery vehicles
1 Heavy Mech recovery vehicle.
Ok... Table....
MOF 10 Its a trap. Add extra enemies, extra hidden units, Infantry is upgraded.
MOF 9 Enemy commander recieves -1/-1 to p/g. +2 victory points.
MOF 8 Infantry upgrade
MOF 7 Hidden units may deploy anywhere.
MOF 6 upgrade enemy commander skill increases to 3/4 +1 victory points upon destruction.
MOF 5 Counter ambush 2 hidden unit on their half of the map.
MOF 4 +1 turn head start
MOF 3 Counter ambush. heavy units may deploy from their home edge.
MOF 2 +1 turn head start
MOF 1 2 turn head start.
Reroll Duh.
MOS 1 Enemy force list revealed
MOS 2 Deployment on from any home map edge, may wait to deploy
MOS 3 Hidden units players may deploy from hidden positions anywhere on their side of the map.
MOS 4 Perk Roll
MOS 5 Perk Roll
MOS 6 Perk Roll
MOS 7 Perk Roll
MOS 8 Perk Roll
MOS 9 Perk Roll
MOS 10 20 point Command detonated mine per player
Per rolls
1: Active probe is broken. Reroll if already awarded
2: Hetzers communications are out. Must declare movement first for their team. Reroll if...
3: 5 point mine field deployed per player
4: Poor maintence. Assign 1 critical hit to the commanders mech. Ammo simply counts as the bin being empty. reroll cockpit 2nd gyro and 3rd engine hits.
5. Poor training. A random combat unit excluding the commander, cargo trucks and infantry has +1/+1 p/g
6. Pre Existing damage. The commander's mech takes 30 points of damage in 5 point clusters. Ignore any critical hits that would cause unit destruction. (They just go away) Reroll head hits.
payouts.
light units 1 point
Medium 2 points
heavy 3
assault 4.
Bonus points.
Aiming for 40 points per scenerio.
5 points Lights: Galleon, 3x infantry, light mech.
6 points Medium combat Vehicles
4 points. MRM hawkwolf. upto 3 bonus points available. (May be added if initiative is won)
7 points. Recovery vehicles (2 medium, 1 heavy). Worth Double if captured when the first initiative roll is lost. (Capture by being in adjacent hex before killing the vehicle.) If initiative is won +7 bonus points.
meh. +2 bonus points per non crippled friendly mech. aka not in forced withdrawal from damage. If they win.
Have a seat.
Getting Introductions out of the way each one of you is the leader of a small team that wants something. Be that the freedom and resources to test your Mech design or a desire to test your tactical theories in the real world; each of you and your teams has agreed to our offer. We give you the support you need, and you do the hard jobs for us. And while we are staffed and funded to the point where you don't need to count C-bills, resources are not unlimited. To that end we use Points. Just Points. No one has come up with a better name yet that has stuck. I am informed that each "Point" is a very scientific conglomeration of the lifetime value and costs of an item or service. And once again, you don't need to worry about it. Each team will start out with 5 points. This will not let you fully test out some of your Ideas, I am aware, but as a newly formed unit you're going to have to prove yourself and pay your way before you're given even more resources. Though Lets be honest, this is still an amazing deal.
Which brings us to our next point, where is all this funding coming from? The answer to this is ancient history from the days of the old Star League. There was a special operations unit under the name "Nuts and Bolts" Though details from this end of history are fuzzy they operated on much the same principle as we're trying to copy here. Talented design teams being given free reign to innovate. Teams with better results were given more resources so the next iteration of mechs produced were even more bleeding edge. And the results of these battles? One story says a lance of light mechs took down an entire reinforced company with zero losses. We're trying to recreate that kind of Effect. Our Backers are counting on us getting those kind of results. And you're the ones chosen to help us do it.
Checklists
Need to pick map.
Print all units.
Print trap units. Pick trap units...
Print SARS units.
Find suitable minis for all units.
Where are the folders I got to organize this....
I Dont remember how points were awarded, or the cost of upgrades.
Also dont remember missions types/objectives.
Asking because I'm being asked to set up a campaign. Figure the nuts and bolts framework was fun.
There was another tournament involving using points to buy more tonnage and tech. Dont remember what it was called. Do remember preforming fairly well using a 25 ton ER Small laser boat. Mostly looking for the point costs for Ideas.
And now to wait 2 weeks for someone to see this
It was point's style, with 1 point being awarded for mech kill or completion of a task. An XL engine was 3 points, I think Endo was 2, CASE was 1, DHS was 2. Lots of 2s I recall. Most mission types were really "destroy" missions or holdout type.
You can also consider the warchest system that catalyst has, I think they have rules/overview in TacOps? Maybe Stratops? Not sure, but it was like a "cash" system of warchest points that could be spent on difficulty level AND 'mechs.
This is pretty relevant to me, because I've never ran a game before but I'm planning one and I'm looking for a good system that isn't just using A Time of War.
Week! 2 Weeks! Not Months!
As such I went ahead and built my own system based on what I could remember from nuts and bolts.
Nuts and Bolts Rules
Nuts and Bolts Costs
Admittedly I need to go read my own rules again. And pick a map. And come up with back extra forces just in case more then 4 people show up. And go read ejection rules just in case. Game is next week.
And of course ask if you have questions or want explanations.
Fluff reads similar to Brigador, which is good
So game day tomorrow, First a summary of the training day game that we got in:
quoting myself from a discord conversation:
2 matches were ran that day.
Opforce was other 5 point designs presumably from other "Teams" within the organization thats hired you. So this was a training exercise.
3 on 3 matches.
Round 1 had
a 10/15(20) 30 ton Booby trap mech. (It turns out that 25 ton mechs can not take 150 damage... each.)
a 1/2 20 ton RISC Hyperlaser platform (Which did nothing.)
And a 9/14(18) 30 tonner with a Large vibro sword. (Head shot with sword)
That match ended quickly...
Round 2. 30 ton 5/8 mechs with C3 network
first 4 er mediums and a c3 master.
second 4 MML-3's with C3 slave
Third 10 Clan LMG's 6 IS LMG's using rapid fire. C3 Slave.
A fairer fight, they got the Machine gun boat.
They were using.
2x Brigand LDT-5
and a 25 tonner with a clan large pulse laser. Apparently. Its been a few weeks so I'm fuzzy on it.
First match was mostly to set the tone of the type of things I can pull out of my hat.
Second was a demonstration of what can be done with 5 point mechs when they are designed to synergize with each other.
And the point of that set of matches was to give the players experience with what is possible.
It should be pointed out that actual missions will be both more and less challenging. I'll be roleplaying the NPC's more then bringing my own skills to the game. But the Opforce will be story driven more then game balance driven, so finding you're overmatched is not an impossibility. As I mentioned in the fluff, you've been hired to do the hard jobs.
2nd. The "its a trap" reinforcements.
4 Strikers with vehicle stealth, Environmental sealing, 2 MML 5's and 4 tons of cargo.
4 BA squads. 3 walk. 10 Advanced armor. MRM-1 with 4 shots a flamer and a machine gun. And an AP weapons mount I won't be using.
Main point being I want vehicles to ambush from the water, because surprise!
In the likely event they're not used in this scenario they will be in the next.
Still need to pick maps. On one hand the new mat with the tall hills and road going though it would be good, but I want lakes or rivers available just in case.
Point Split
Thor-4 (3 mml 3 assassin 7/11) Jon-6 (ER LPL with TCom 25tons) Carter-7 (9 medium laser 7/11 jenner) Cameron-8 (medium laser, mml3, medium vibro sword. 40 tons 7/11) Josh-8 (25 ton mrm10 ferro-lam armor)
CNC mat with a classic battletech map on the non water side. Cbt map raised by 1 level so vehicles could level change onto it.
Pirates were allowed to move across the map for 2 turns before the players deployed.
2 more turns until contact.
Pirates entered from
Jon set up a hill on the btech map nearer the main mat.
Carter and Josh rushed the center. The assassins trailed a bit behind.
Contact began with the Brigand. Jumping on top of a level 4 hill the pirates discovered they were not alone. Both from the erlpl shot and the jenner hitting it with 3 lasers.
The tanks moved up to their nearest ridge. He brigand backed up to be supported by the hetzer and srm carrier the gallion went into reverse and backed up along the edge of the hill.
The jenner was having none of that and pushed onto the gallion. The jenner took a few shots and ripped the engine out of the gallion.
Meanwhile the assassins where coming around their left flank.
In our next turn the combat tanks pushed up onto a ridge freeing up their line of sight. The jenner retreated briefly. The gallion's crew abandoned their useless tank. The goblin started moving towards them to pick them up.
And a battlemech recovery vehicle was vaporized by an ERLPL killing the infantry along with it.
With the tanks for support the brigand went to engage the assassins. Shots traded, on the next turn, The brigand would get behind the second assassin shooting it in the back and getting a mace hit. The assassins responded with a medium vibro sword cleaving through the side torso killing the xl engine.
About this time the hawk wolf was entering range launching flights of 60 mrms. The first Salvo did almost nothing but the second strongly connected on Josh's 25 tonner. Which didn't die.
Suffering from overheating the players converged on the hawk wolf.
The jenner positioned itself in the rear while Cameron's assassin took the more dirrect approach.
But let's back up a bit.
Remember the Goblin that was going to pick up the gallion crew? It got them. Only for that jenner to strip the right side armor and get a critical hit.... infantry bay.
The hetzer meanwhile taken a mobility kill. Either from that erlpl or a stray missile. Don't remember. Occasionally it would get a shot off when someone strayed in its Los, but for the most part it was being taken apart by large laser fire. A rommel had also taken minor mobility damage.
Back to the present.
The jenner did a good job of ripping the back out of the hawk wolf. Cameron and Josh added to the damage a bit.
But in going for the back stab the Jenner made a technical blunder. It was in short range of the 2 rommels with their heavy PPC's and the light SRM carrier. It did not survive the experience.
Meanwhile by this point the heavy recovery vehicle and the normal recovery vehicle had sprinted for their map edge and were gone. The goblin was also working on extricating itself, doing its best to get off the hill that was slowing it down.
The Hawkwolf was firmly in the opinion that it was an assault mech and was going to kick these upstart mechs apart. It continued to follow Josh's 25 ton mech. Cameron took the opportunity to get behind the hawkwolf going for its exposed rear torso.
Thor had diverted his targeting to the man battle tanks for the moment, using his MML's LRM ammo to get some plinks in. The Rommels were not impressed. Jon had begun to move up to engage more closely.
The Hawkwolf fell to an ammo explosion. Josh survived yet again and proceeded to find a nice hill to hide behind. Cameron dirrected his attention to the SRM carrier, killing it also. He was taking substanial damage to do it though. Thor had moved to engage the goblin at long range trying to prevent it's escape. He failed.
Cameron's final act was to attack the rear of one of the Rommels. Between him and other fire he got a turret locked to the rear. and reduced it's mobility to 1/2. The other rommel went from pristine to Almost pristine but immobile. Mobility hits suck. Cameron died to multiple Engine crits, though he did manage to keep both side torso's.
effectively leaving only Jon and Thor to face 2 mobility impared rommels, A final turn of fire ripped off Jon's non gun arm as the last notable bit of damage in the game.
The rommels surrendered when it was pointed out that Jon could just bounce out of range and snipe them to death with his ERLPL and they didnt have the range or mobility to do anything about it.
Game took about 5 hours. I was exhausted from so much batlemath. Also I didnt think to keep records. So the exact timing of things in the story are probably off.
Great stuff! Glad to see you having fun!
Scenario 2:
Attack the Pirate Base.
A: I really want to keep this simpler. Classic Nuts and Bolts. 4 waves lights through assaults. Estimating 5 to 6 players showing up.
B: Pirate base. Most effort will go here I think. Need to list all the features the base should have. Have asked Facebook what should be in a pirate base. Some answers are good. Others make sense as a trope, but not as a "Pirates are here to make money" sort of way. A forgotten crashed dropship in the middle of the wastes does not a good place to get rid of l loot make.
C: Scenerio 3 is the Spider trap. So the base, and anything that happens to it get copied into the next scenario too.
Things I think a base needs:
Landing pad/runway
Warehousing
Garages/hanger
Maintenance area
Housing
Mess hall
Power
Communications
Perimeter towers.
Fence
Bunkers?
Roads. Should be at least 1 going towards the "City" Possibly another leading out into the country/second landing field.
Thinking 3x3 maps. Put main base in the center. Gives the players the opportunity to pick their attack direction. Then drop the far 5 maps leaving a 2x2 map.
Table. Base should get better defenses on the MOF side. Poor defenses and worse reaction times on MOS side.
MOF 10 should probably be a defending dropship. Because why not.
Lights, Walking perimeter at game start.
Initial thoughts is locust locust wasp brigand.
Medium. "Fast reaction force" deploys from buildings closer to the fence.
Still pirates mechs are not that common, Hetzer, light SRM carrier, Vindicator, phoenix hawk.
Heavy's: Deploy for main garage/maintance area.
Rommel Rommel, Axeman, Catapult
Assaults. Could have them deploy from a dropship. Might make that a MOF event.
Hawk Wolf, Hawk Wolf, cyclops, demolisher
Generic "First Initiative roll" template.
-10 Its a trap. Even more enemy units show up.
-7 to -9 Veteran units. Extra points for kills.
-4 to -6 Significant events. Ambush's, faster response times, time critical deadlines for the players.
-1 to -3 Minor events that give flavor or set the scenario. Head starts, better initial positioning, lack of intel.
0 Reroll
1 to 3 Preparing an ambush, intel, enemy out of position.
4 to 6. Delays in reinforcements, Poor maintenance, sabotage, mines
7 to 9. Green units. critical maintenance failures, Extra time for objectives.
10. Total surprise against an unprepared enemy. Should probably look up the morale rules and see who just try's to run.
Landing pad/runway - Map needs at least 20 clear hexes in a row.
Warehousing - need tents. 1 hex radius
Garages/hanger - more tents. lots of single hexes spread about.
Maintenance area - tents. Big tent again.
Housing - many tents. Area of smaller tents
Mess hall - tents? A bigger tent next to smaller tents. Still not enough to fill an entire hex.
Power - Engineering vehicle upgrade with fusion engine. Park near maintance.
Communications - Mobile HQ or something. Park near housing.
Overall, I need a lot of building markers of some form.
Perimeter towers.
Fence
Bunkers?
Open Terrain 2 and City Ruins. Both rotated. Gives a nice 20 hex path through the open terrain that ends at a paved hex on the city ruins map. Now to add details. May as well upgrade to buildings. Not that it changes much of anything.
Heh. Picture got squished.
Lower Left corner. warehouse area.
middle right. mech bays and maintance area.
Upper right corner. Housing.
Random buildings scattered about not on pavement. Ready units. They are depth 1 sinkholes with camo tent over them. They may or may not contain a hostile unit on active standby.
Plan is to have light units out in the open patrolling.
Medium and heavy units prone in their holes
Assault mechs will come from the hangers.
Need to print out:
Warhouses 7 hex and 2 x 4 hex sizes.
Comms tower 1 hex size.
Dropship maintenance 2 hex area
Maintenance bay: 4 hex area
mech Hanger 4 hex area
Housing 6 x 1 hex area
Foxholes 16 x 1 hex area.
Landing strip. "Fuck" sized. (aka will need to be printed in pieces.)
Personal notes:
Buildings 1: 2 fuel tanks. maintenance bay, housing, warehouses. housing admin.
Still need. Mech hangers, Control tower, hospital?, 16 bunkers.
What software are you using to make the map?
Megamek, Map editor.
Its ok for planning a map, but I am endlessly frustrated by how hard it is to determine where the border between hexes is.
Mission 2 battle report.
3 of 6 players were able to make it.
Tinylamaswithhats - a 13 Medium laser hunchback with 18 DHS.
Fwee - a 2 LL 2 ML 4/6 Ostroc
J'NOCH - Assassin with 2 ML and an ecm.
NPC's were:
J Edgar
Scimitar LRM variant
Locust
Commando
Hetzer AC-20
Hetzer SRM
Vindicator
Marshal
Rommel
Rommel
Catapult MRM variant
Axman
Ontos
Partisan
Hawkwolf
Zeus
Because half the expected players were absent A unit from each weight class was eliminated randomly. The J Edgar, Marshal, Rommel, and Hawkwolf were no longer available. I should really throw them in as a wave in the next mission.
Light units were assigned a starting edge randomly.
Medium and Heavy units were assigned a foxhole they would start in randomly, no doubling up, mechs start out prone.
Assault units would emerge from the hanger entrance.
If a unit was discovered in its foxhole it would become active, but still need to start up. I chose to house rule they would have to roll on the consciousness check starting at 11, and working their way down. start rolling at the end of the turn they were discovered. Until then they're shutdown.
Discovered units did not count as part of the active force. Whenever a unit of the active force was destroyed a unit from the next wave would be activated at random.
Foxholes. There were depth 1 hexes covered in camo netting. I gave the netting a CF of 15. The players did not know they were depth 1 holes when they started out. When the first player to try and go through one did so I asked for a PSR. As the case was they failed so I used accidental falls from above to resolve what happened to the player and the shutdown unit they landed on. maybe got it right. Don't know what I would of done if they didn't fall. Probably let them pass through. A shutdown unit really shouldn't block movement.
Due to lack of players mission objective went from secure the base (aka kill all enemy forces) to destroy the communications dish and cause any additional damage you can to enemy forces.
Points where the usual 1,2,3,4 for unit kills, and 5 points was awarded for completing the objective. Players earned 18 points total.
First initiative was not used, because I never filled out the table, and because making the game more complicated seemed a bad idea. To be fair, the use of random placement for the defenders did add the right amount of chaos to the mission so I think it worked out.
Heh... This time I took notes. Also have pictures. Might get around to posting those on facebook and leaving a link.
Or I might post and caption everything on facebook, and then post the link here. BRB.
Mission 3. Spider trap. Tomorrow.
Easier to put together since its the same map as last time, but the players are defending this time.
Opforce waves are:
First: Represents the new toys the pirates have been upgraded with.
4 light infantry transports, 4 squads of battle armor.
Switching the rules up, whenver 4 units are destroyed the next wave shows up. This helps keep the pressure up since there are currently 6 players expected, and they're getting into clan tech weapons now.
Second wave:
Normally mediums, this time I"m throwing the units that didn't get used in the last game when half the players couldn't make it.
J Edgar, Brigand, Rommel, Hawk Wolf.
Third wave: More new toys for the pirates plus a Supplier Escort.
Catapult, Avatar, Avatar, Vulture.
Fourth wave: Supplier Contract Enforcers
Due to the point values of other waves being off the normal rates this one is a bit reduced.
2 assaults, 2 lights. Higher tech then I've been throwing at the players so far.
Main goal is to defeat everything. I'll toss in one time 5 bonus points for downing a supplier unit without killing the pilot. And 1 bonus point for each player mech still standing.
Meanwhile, a lot of the fancy If/then roll off stuff has fallen to the way side. The one thing I might keep this round is a "Did a warning get off" check. Players killed the command center in turn 8 last game. So on an 8 plus the enemy will come in fat and happy initially. with the odds of them noticing something is wrong going up by 2 each turn. By the 4rth turn if the players have let them into the kill basket that deeply they'll know that something is wrong no matter what. Or maybe not. Infantry are going to do better if they have a chance to get out of their transports....
Ok. Wave 2, and half of wave 1 becomes the first wave. Then the other half of wave 1 comes into play to replace losses.
My family and I carried out the huge undertaking that was Nuts and Bolts. If you gots questions, ask away. We loved the game and our sons grew up on the big stompy mech fun. Now...now my GRANDCHILDREN are playing the game.
4 year old Granddaughter: "Papa...I am mad and I am out of ammo. I will make my "Princess Crab run up and kick the Clam mech."
Clan...Clam...its all the same. Ever wonder what a kick from a King Crab Painted Pink and driven by a 4 year old middle sister of two looney brothers will do to a Loki? Well, wonder no more.
Dustinlcat@gmail.com
Hallelujah! Our Lord has returned!
At this point, the question phase is over. System was developed and is being used. Problem I'm finding is power creep. Players stuff is getting better and with out the different rounds created by the original Nuts and Bolts going from one weight class to the next, nothing is resetting the system.
But on the other hand, the potential for strange Ideas is getting there. Just added a ruling to allow protomechs to be constructed using the point system. Though its mostly a bad Idea unless you have a decent chunk of points to put into the project.
Next game is this coming tuesday. Players are assaulting the weapon suppliers base. This campaign is a bit more persistent in that the NPC's only have a limited number of forces to use. Admittedly its a battalion so it will take awhile, but the plan is that once they clear out the surface forces the battle goes underground into the ishiyama maps.
Next game. Players had:
A 13 Medium laser Hunchback with a 2/4 pilot.
A 60 ton 3 cLPL C3master unit.
A Phoenix hawk.
They downed an Osprey, and 2 Blitzkriegs before retiring from the field.
Osprey did ok and put in damage, but just got flashbulbed to death by the hunchback. Blitzkreig's also put in good work, even managing to land a double tap into the back of the 3cLPL unit. Who survived. Admittedly I wasn't focusing fire as strongly as I could of since I dont actually want to just wipe out a player.
Of course once they got too close to the base they're attacking the extra defenders came out to play, helping to prompt them towards withdrawing.
Question is, What should I do differently next time to surprise them.
North
East
West
Still need to figure out south.
Its been awhile. Many games were played.
And I'm ending the current story arc. The suppliers base has been captured.
The most insane mission was going through the tunnels of Ishiyama. Underwater. Harjel was provided to the players. Point rewards were doubled. It was a slaughter. They got like 50 or 60 points out of that mission. It was also boring as hell. Mechs no move fast underwater.
The rules have also adapted. We're now letting them use the current reward pool to make edge rolls. Which is inconvenient because otherwise I"d keep killing the best pilots they have.
Unfortunately the last time he should of died was an AC-20 headshot in the first 5 minutes of the game session.
Since it would suck to have him not be able to play... edge.
I'm also noticing a problem with not trying to kill the players. I'll damage the shit out of a mech then ignore it. I think next campaign I'm swithing to alpha strike. Then they can bring more units and the threat of loss isn't as bad.
Point rewards were doubled. It was a slaughter. They got like 50 or 60 points out of that mission.
Isn't this a bit too much?
Not really. It actually did help get a few guys out of a rut by being able to finally upgrade significantly.
I think we're up to 1 assault, 3 heavies with a 4rth in the works. And 4 to 5 Medium mechs. Had 8 players show up in the last game. Action economy is suffering. There is more waiting then action now. I've instituted a stricter firing order where I just go around the table in order to get shooting out of the way.
Plus I'm about to drop a Pair of 200 ton mechs on them along with other nasty surprises. They might actually need all the firepower they can get.
200 tons? Orcas?
In other news, planning the next game.
Need Maps. Something semi open that looks like a good spot for dropships to land.
Starting defense force. Question is, what do you place on a spot thats clearly a secondary landing area. How much of a force would be deployed. I"m thinking maybe some Pike support vehicles, some Missile carriers, and maybe some hidden infantry squads. Also need a support trailer with a mess section in it or something.
Players will be told Massive Dust clouds approaching fast from my home edge. Once they clear the starting defenders they'll get a chance to redeploy.
Rear attack. Long range Stealth VTOL lance attacks from their rear. Already made.
Flank attack. High Speed light mechs attack from the side. Need to post still.
The goal is to get them turned around and out of position.
Main attack. A pair of Super Heavy Mechs are delivered via super heavy WIGE support vehicles. Can't post support vehicles on mordel yet. Will either use an existing, or make up a new super heavy.
Have about a week.
Need printer Ink.
Look up orbital drop rules.
Coolant Pods are explosive.
I get it.