Ogre Ninja
Points: 150+
Of the many experimental cybertanks designed by the empires of the 21st century, certainly the best known was the Combine's Ninja. It was by far the most successful attempt at a "stealth" cybertank. How do you hide something the size of a small building? With lots of electronics. The Ninja traded offensive armament for speed, intelligence (almost all were self-aware), and defensive electronics and weaponry. Probably fewer than a hundred were built; they were expensive, and not cost-effective in a stand-up combat role. But as sneaky raiders or tactical recon units, they were unmatched. Legends built up around the Ninja.
The Ninja carries a main battery and 2 secondary batteries. It had a single missile rack and 4 internal missiles; 2 more missiles were mounted externally. It had 8 AP batteries. A Ninja starts with a move of 4 and 40 tread units.
A Ninja has state-of-the-art detection equipment, giving it advanced awareness of mines and other hidden units. Whenever a Ninja is about to enter a hex with a mine or a hidden unit, the opposing player needs to acknowledge the presence of a mine (or hidden unit) within the hex. The Ninja may then choose to stay still, move elsewhere, or continue into the hex. If a Ninja voluntarily enters a mined hex, the mine goes off only on a roll of a 6, instead of the usual 5 or 6.
Because of a Ninja's elaborate ECM, ECCM, extra point-defense armament, etc., it's very hard to hit. Subtract 1 from the die roll of any attack made against a Ninja except, in overruns only, by Ogres or infantry.
Units cannot combine fire against the Ninja unless they are attacking from an adjacent hex. Units farther away must take their shots individually. Infantry may still combine into platoons. An enemy Ogre may still combine the fire of any of its own weapons.
Ninjas have been accompanied on missions by a variety of drones: recon, security, and simple distraction. None of these are very large, but some might be dangerous. Players and referees are encouraged to be creative.
:)
This is a solid foundation.
The mine detection ability is Good. Glad to see it was kept onboard.
The -1 to-hit the NINJA is Good. Glad to see it was kept on-board.
"except, in overruns only, by Ogres or infantry." The addition of OGRE attacks is Good too. It compliments the OGRE can Combine Fire against a NINJA only if adjacent to it rule nicely.
I assume the -1 to-hit "any attack made against a NINJA" includes a Cruise Missile.
It may prove useful to allow the NINJA to instead of having the -1 to-hit it be converted to it being considered to be 1 additional hex farther from the Cruise Missile explosion when using the EFFECTS OF MISSILE EXPLOSION Table. Imho, The NINJA should have some advantage over CMs. In effect, this is simply allowing it a free modifier as if it were in a terrain hex when the CM detonates.
The no Combine Fire against a NINJA unless adjacent, Infantry can still combine into platoons and OGREs can still Combine Fire their own weapons exclusively is Good. Attacking OGREs are disadvantaged until they are adjacent.
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My thoughts on the NINJA and FanMade musings...
*The NINJA, while few actually saw it for what it was during The Last War other than a over-budget, over complicated technologically advanced OGRE experiment, was in fact simply the next generation of OGREs being developed and fielded. Like the Messerschmitt Me 262 of WW2
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Messerschmitt_Me_262 The Mark4 illustrates this. It had no Stealth capability, yet was essentially a NINJA Template scaled up in size. It was the first generation Stealth OGRE larger than a NINJA. Had development been allowed to continue the Mark4 SHINOBI would have been fielded with full Stealth capabilities. A deep strike NINJA.
*The new munitions and weapon systems for the NINJA from the previous draft were easily and simply explainable as being NINJA exclusive because they were cutting edge, thus, they were exclusively made for the cutting edge NINJA. Such advanced munitions and weapon systems would not be marginalized on inferior weapon platforms, which were the non-Stealth OGREs and units. Their inferior AI and operating systems were not able to.
That's not to say, it couldn't happen, like the surprising number of Mark1s retrofitted with Descartes Packages. If there was a viable need it would have been done. So, here, you could have the hard rule, only NINJAs had this stuff(.) -OR- other OGREs and units could be retrofitted, if the points are paid and players agree this would be something they want to use in their OGRE Timeline.
The NINJA remains at "
Points: 150+" unless this is a typo, it must follow that higher point costing NINJAs are still possible...
...Such were explored in the previous draft both officially and FanMade.
*If NINJA capabilities beyond those of this draft are used, players could agree before a game using a NINJA to either allow the player not playing the NINJA to have full knowledge of the NINJAs capabilities for that game, or not know any at all. Thus, nobody is ever unfairly disadvantaged unless they want to have the optional fun of being so. For example, a more experienced player chooses to be surprised when playing against a less experienced player running a NINJA.
I would still like to allow the NINJA "Tricks" and different munitions and weapon systems for reasons stated above. The NINJA was the next generation OGRE and those things would have been exclusive to the NINJA since their superior AI over non-Stealth OGREs made the operation of these systems only possible because only they had the capability to do so.
I give this draft two thumbs up with a big grin. :)
Well done! THIS is a NINJA.
I just bought OGRE 6th Edition and looking forward to running this draft NINJA!
...to be continued... ;)
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Parting question...on Page 21 of the OGRE DE Rules on the EFFECTS OF CRUISE MISSILE EXPLOSION table,
Results Odds listed left to right are: X 4-1 2-1 1-1 1-2 NE
...is 3-1 intentionally left out???
OGRE MINIATURES Rules includes 3-1, but OGRE DE does not.