Combat Engineering Feedback Forum

[wolf90]

More fun to peruse!

The Combat Engineering rules are posted for scrutiny, play, and comment. See http://www.sjgames.com/ogre/new-units/. This includes both Combat Engineers and Vulcans. There will be a few tweaks from feedback already received, but please feel free to comment here.

Enjoy!

D.

[Phasma Felis]

So many options! I...I kinda want to play Vulcan Engineering now. Just a merry mechanical monolith trundling about with his human and robot buddies, fixing things, pulling friends out of swamps and collapsed cellars, and preparing minefields and fortifications for his pals to hide behind later. Like Bob the Builder, only with a 5000-ton cybertank.

Is it actually possible to make that fun? Maybe as a solitaire game before a regular game? The last garrison just barely held off the enemy, but was nearly demolished in the process; you have X turns to prepare before the reinforcements show up, just ahead of the next attack wave. Sounds like a job for Vinnie the Vulcan and Friends!

Alternately, I kind of want to try Ogre Verdun now. A superior Combine force going over the top against a line of revetments and entrenchments straight across the map, packed with tanks and infantry and backed by howitzers. That probably wouldn't be nearly as much fun as I'm imagining.

A couple of things I didn't see (though I may have missed them):

• Command-detonated mines/demo charges. Retreating across a bridge and blowing it as the enemy pursues could be fun. So could blowing up a GEV ramp in the face of a speeding GEV.
• Mining various passages. There's already rules for mining roads, rails, and major bridges; how about stream bridges, GEV ramps, graded ridges? Combine with command detonation for extra fun.
• Smart mines, with IFF capability? Might be beyond the scope of this ruleset.

I read "A Vulcan may not attempt to free itself should it become stuck, and Heavy Drones that are stuck may not assist in freeing other units until they themselves are unstuck" and thought of this.

[Misplaced Buckeye]

While the Vulcan and Drone are readily available, are there any official or fan based images of the HW, CE or LAD 2d counters?

[GranitePenguin]

Originally Posted by Misplaced Buckeye

While the Vulcan and Drone are readily available, are there any official or fan based images of the HW, CE or LAD 2d counters?

The HWT is available in the standard counter mix in the Retail edition of ODE, and the CE's are available in the kickstarter edition (with the Vulcans).

No official LAD counter exists, but there is a preliminary image that showed up on an early store sales notification

[Misplaced Buckeye]

Thanks, guess I 've never played with them yet

[Phasma Felis]

There's also a pic of the mini here.

[GranitePenguin]

Originally Posted by Misplaced Buckeye

Thanks, guess I 've never played with them yet

That's not to say there are a lot of them, just that they exist. ;-)

[wolf90]

Originally Posted by Phasma Felis

There's also a pic of the mini here.

Note the rules presented on the webpage in that pic are NOT representative of the current draft. For the most up-to-date rules, please go to: http://www.sjgames.com/ogre/new-units/lad.html

Thanks!

D.

[Tim Kauffman]

"The Vulcan was built on a Mk. III-B chassis, with huge three-fingered manipulator arms replacing the main batteries. For purposes of size and ramming, treat it as a Mark III. Lighter than a Mark III, it was significantly faster: It starts with a move of 4 hexes. It has 48 tread units. Vulcans are worth 150 points or more, as determined by the scenario".

The Vulcan has two Main Batteries (replaced by two big Robo-Hands) and two Secondary Batteries removed and two more External Missiles than the Mark 3 and some rear chassis bulk removed.

So the Move of 4 applies when the Vulcan has no cargo and when it is maxed out on what it can carry.

I mention this because it brings to mind about Towing. The Vulcan can carry vehicles on it's rear chassis, which I think is similar to Towing it. Towing vehicles effects an OGREs Move. Can a Vulcan both carry a vehicle on it's rear chassis and tow another? If so, will there be Towing Rules included with this unit? They were published in Shockwave I think, but this would be a great time to have them available again, as the Vulcan is all about vehicle recovery.

[wolf90]

Originally Posted by Tim Kauffman

Can a Vulcan both carry a vehicle on it's rear chassis and tow another? If so, will there be Towing Rules included with this unit?

Interesting.

I will take a look at this. If there is a simple way of incorporating them, I will do so, as the concept does make sense. Note that the old rules are not exactly simple.

And it was the Reinforcement Pack that had them for those of you keeping score at home.

D.