Thread "Ultramarines -A grim review." in forum "Random Nonsense"

Posted at 7:06AM, Jun. 18, 2011

The Ultramarines film was long and boring.

Much like the game of 40k I just played! I nearly cried when my opponent fired 10 Fire Dragons at my tank (rolling seperately for his Exarch of course) Then proceeded to roll 2D6 each for armour penetration - meaning he had to roll them seperately.

Oh and he could re-roll failed penetrations (ooh err missus!). Then he rolled to see what the penetrations did. 50 or so dice rolls later my tank was dead and so was my enthusiasm :(

Yeah I was thinking on the lines of the Secrets Of The Third Reich rules as a good basis too, it had some interesting ideas.

The flesh wound style system can be replaced by putting saving throws back in, with some guns having save modifiers. the AP system of 40k is ok but a bit too swingy. I think face down injured guys would nerf assaulty units and be a bit faffy.

Ive got a basic system of some weapons being anti-tank and some anti-troop (like epic) and all vehicles having a wound score and a saving throw so they are just like a unit of troops. So a melta gun would have say 3 anti tank shots, and a flamer would have 3 anti troop shots (no bloody templates!)

The 40k cover system is quite good actually, if its only some models out of cover you either fire at all the unit in cover, or only fire at the ones out of cover. Its pretty easy. I'd just make cover give them a -1 to hit you. No big elaborate rules.

Oh and I'd put pinning units in as a big thing, where units are less likely to run away and more likely to be pinned making a suppression aspect to the game which should work better with alternating activations.

But enough of this nerdy games rules waffle!

Ultramarines was as bad as the game system it is based off, and whoever made it should carry a stupid flag and then commit suicide. The twat.

Posted at 7:06AM, Jun. 18, 2011

With face down models, I have a few thoughts on how that could work.
Face down models move at the same speed as the rest of the unit (their comrades help them along) but if a unit contains any face downers then its overall speed is reduced. If they move 6inches you could knock off two inches.
This would represent that injured guys are being carried or are walking wounded.
You could then put in a rule for some sides like evil dark eldar where they can choose to abandon their wounded (removing them as casualties) in order to keep their full move allowance.

For the lowest level of injury I was thinking you could put a token next to the unit each time this happens to represent them being suppressed.
The amount of shots the unit can take is reduced by 1 for each counter. Then you can use characters to reduce the affect of coutners (veteran seargent removes one before the unit acts) and bad ass guys like space marines would just completely ignore supression.

I am coming round to a damage rolly system then involves face down wounded guys. I can see it working.
Playtesting is required!

Oh almost forgot- Ultra marines was dreadful! (phew!)

Posted at 8:06AM, Jun. 18, 2011

The Necromunda style injury system can work, and face-down models is a good way to do 'markers'.
The main kink that would need ironing out is that as it stands, only 1/3rd of the people shot die. It might be hard to differentiate between really light troops like gretchin and armoured ones like terminators, battlesuits and wraithguard - if it takes a lot of effort to attack tough guys, and a third of the time they dont die it might lead to ignoring them in preference of other things. This is speaking after a game vs eldar where all he had left was 6 tanks because they are unkillable. I barely targetted them all game and wiped out everything else instead.

You could fiddle around with incorporating it into a saving throw? So if you equal your save then you take a flesh wound, beat it you are ok and get 1 less and you are man down, 2 less and you die:
So a 4+ save would be:
1-2 dead
3 man down
4 - flesh wound
5-6 no damage

After playing for the first time in ages, buckets of dice get thrown about in 40k. Lots of armies have units of 20-30 models as standard, I don't want to get too bogged down as to which of my 200 guardsman have grazed their elbows.
You could just consolidate man down and flesh wound into suppression markers? Equal your save you live and get a suppression marker, beat it you live, fail it you die and get a supression marker?
Epic had a similar system if i recall.

On Topic - The Ultra Marines movie was daring and went against the wind, and we should applaud it for that.

Posted at 2:06PM, Jun. 18, 2011

I like the idea of suppression and man down being one thing, that would make life a lot simpler.
The saving throw idea has potential, I was just trying to see if I could avoid having guys get hit and there be no effect.

Ultramarines deserved an oscar.