ScrapYard Armory

This game was played at Historicon 2010 using the RPG combat rules from A Time of War.  Two infantry forces face off in a race to gather intelligence on the area when no ‘Mech forces are available to assist.

There are eight objective on the board worth between one and four victory points.  Each enemy kill is also worth a victory point.

Lyran Alliance

• Field Commander, Pulse Laser Rifle
• Heavy Weapons Team, Support Pulse Laser
• Soldiers, Pulse Laser Rifle x 2
• Soldiers, Intek Laser Rifle x 3

Draconis Combine

• Heavy Weapons Team, Portable Machine Gun
• Heavy Weapons Team, Light Recoiless Rifle
• Soldiers, Auto Rifle x 2
• Soldiers, Imperator AX Rifle x 2

Record Sheets and Cheat Sheets

After playing quite a few games with the Time of War rules set, I made a few adjustments to suit my own particular taste.  I also created my own record sheet that helps to ease the learning curve.  All skill numbers are listed as the raw to-hit number.  The fatigue and injury modifiers are also listed for easy reference.  I also boiled down some key points into a simple two page rules summary for the players to use during the game.

I’ve included my record sheets and the rules reference here for you to take a look.  I expect to do a future post on the Time of War combat rules with further insight into the game and maybe even some new and improved record sheets.

• Lyran Record Sheets, (PDF, 328KB)
• Kurita Record Sheets, (PDF, 250KB)
• Quick Reference Sheets, (PDF, 49KB)

Turn 1 – Lyrans Win Initiative

Both teams sprint towards the central area of the map.  The Kurita side makes a dash to the north corner of the map with their Recoiless Rifle team while the bulk of their forces fan out along a wide line.  The Lyran side sets up their Support Pulse Laser early while the remaining team spreads into a diamond pattern with the Lyran Field Commander bringing up the rear.

Both teams tag up on their 1 VP objective.

No shots are available just yet as the bombed out building and the gentle rise of the terrain prevent line of sight.

Turn 2 – Kurita Win Initiative

Alarmingly each team elects to sprint one member to claim the 2 VP objective which lies in front of available cover.  The Lyrans send another soldier to the corner of the center building neglecting to take cover.

The Kurita Recoiless Rifle team takes more time getting into position in the sniper nest in the north-western corner of the battle.

The Lyran heavy weapons teams begins the break down their equipment in hopes of moving to a better location.

The Kurita Recoiless Rifle support member manages to take an extreme range pot-shot at the advancing Lyrans with his side-arm but fails to hit.  Two Kurita soldiers with Auto Rifles land three shots total against targets in the open.  The Lyran soldiers to the North and South take hits.  The Northern Lyran fails his knock-down check.

Three of the Lyran squad are lined up in the center of the battle behind the main buildings and cannot draw line of sight to any targets and can do nothing but watch as two of their teammates take damage.

Turn 3 – Kurita Win Initiative

The Kurita soldiers in the North take cover behind a low wall and send bullets down range at incoming Lyrans.  The Lyran take cover at the corner of the center building.  One additional Lyran takes cover in woods.

The Lyran heavy weapons team sprints forward in hopes of finding a better spot to plant their support pulse laser.

The Lyran soldier to the south suffers bleeding wounds from numerous shots from the line of Kurita soldiers across the battle.  Amazingly he keeps his balance through the barrage.    The Kurita Recoiless Rifle team is now in position and fires their first ordinance towards the Northern corner of the center building.  The round deviates marvelously and detonates a High Explosive round in range of two Lyrans.  Both are wounded and knocked down.

The Lyran soldier in the woods inches forward and fires two single shots at the Kurita soldiers behind the wall.  The first shot misses but the second hits hard, knocking the soldier down and causing a bleeding wound.

Turn 4 – Kurita Win Initiative

The Kurita machine gun team wastes no time and fires a burst at the Lyran soldier against the wall to the South killing him.

The Lyrans sneak a soldier into the center building and tags the 4 VP objective.  The Recoiless Rifle team takes aim and misses by a wide margin.  The shot deviates far enough to land at the feet of another Lyran soldier who was already injured.  The resulting explosion kills the soldier.

The Lyran previously in the woods sprints to claim the 3 VP objective in the pit to the North.

To the South the Lyran player sprints a soldier to the other pit and is quickly followed by two Kurita soldier.  Both Kurita soldiers happen to be armed with Vibro-Katanas for a melee weapon.

Turn 5 – Lyrans Win Initiative

The Lyrans win initiative and make good use of it.  The Lyran in the Southern pit scrabbles out and drops a grenade in behind him.  Both Kurita soldiers are knocked down and bleeding.  One of them is knocked out as well.  The Kurita Machine Gun team is in perfect position and shoots up the Lyran who dropped the grenade.  The soldier is knocked down and bleeding.

In the North, the Kurita soldier behind the low wall stops his own bleeding while his partner trades fire with the Lyran in the pit.  The Lyran luck is not holding out.  Despite good cover the soldier in the pit is hit while missing his own shots.

The Recoiless Rifle team continues to rain explosives onto the Lyrans.  This time the dice roll is perfect and the Lyran who claimed the objective in the center building is killed outright.

Turn 6 – Kurita Win Initiative

Things go from bad to worse for the Lyrans.  Once again good cover doesn’t save the Lyran soldier holding the pit in the North.  The Kurita player rolls boxcars on a burst attack for the kill.

The Machine Gun team finishes off the Lyran on the ground to the South.

The body count is now vastly in favor of the Kurita player and the game is called.

Fighting the Good Fight

Unfortunately there is not much to say about this game.  The Lyrans were picked apart by a more spread out adversary.  There was a missmatch of equipment that I am to blame for.  I overvalued the long range of the Lyran weaponry.  The Recoiless Rifle team was probably overkill.  That weapon proved very powerful by itself and devastating when combined with good dice rolls.

The gentle rise of the terrain crippled line of sight and prevented the Lyrans from using the full effect of their longer range.

What both players didn’t do is make use of suppression fire.  Maybe the rules were too complicated or I just didn’t explain it well enough.  Suppression fire is an excellent way of denying your opponents movement and I would love to see a game where it really came into play.

I learned a lot during this game and hope that the players who gave it a shot had a good time despite the uneven battlefield.  Just more reason I should start cooking up a Time of War Battle Value.