Army creation
To create an army, you have two different parts: the first that defines the army in general (technology, supply level...etc) and has a global effect, and each individual unit, which are the forces that will be used on the battlefield. Those units can be leaders, infantry and vehicles.
Note: While it's possible to make each unit completely different from the rest, it's recommended to make them similar to each other. This makes your list easier to understand, easier to play, and much more lore-friendly (for whatever universe you are playing).
A fielded army can spend the points however it wants in Army section and fielded Units, but a minimum of a third must be spent on the Support section. If you don't want to spend points on anything on the Support section, you may field more units, but they will be Support units and will be fielded as reinforcements.
Example: A 1000pt army spends 150 points on army characteristics, 500 on troops, 350 on support section, of which 100 are support salvos and 250 are more troops.
Army chacteristics
You have to choose one level in each, all are obligatory.
Technology level
Determines the military technology of this army. Armies of high technology level can use lower tech, but not the other way around.
| Tech level | Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | Old technology, usually found in "third world" armies. They probably depend on other factions for weapons, and they aren't hot stuff. Aliens without proper technology also use this. |
| 2 | 50 | Standard futuristic technology. They have simple gravitic vehicles, although they will use mostly land. Some elite groups may be connected to the Grid, but it's not as integrated. Power armor may exist in the form of exoskeletons. |
| 3 | 100 | The technology of tomorrow, today! Humans greatly enhanced, cyborgs, full Artificial Intelligence, in vehicles or even in robot form. All kind of physic-defying flying vehicles, and of course, everything connected in the Grid (TL3 without grid should be rare). |
Initiative
Representing the capability of decision making in a combat scenario, this value determines who starts each turn. The value represents what kind of die they throw when determining the initiative.
| Initiative level | Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Low (D6) | 0 | Militias, barely trained groups |
| Normal (D8) | 25 | Standard army troops, well trained |
| High (D10) | 50 | Elite forces, special troops |
| Elite (D12) | 100 | Enhanced elite humans, advanced robots with full control of the battlefield |
NOTE: This value should be, in general, equal to the most common Troop Quality of the units in the army.
Supply level
This represents ammunition, medic supplies, engineer stuff, replacement parts... etc. A force needs to be well supplied to be effective!
The supply level doesn't have just a fixed cost, but also each unit will have to pay a tax (or have it's cost reduced) depending on this option. It can be Poor, Normal or Abundant.
| Supply level | Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Poor | -50 | Should be rare. |
| Normal | 0 | Should be the option in most cases. |
| Abundant | 50 | Should be rare. |
Support section
Grid
Having the Grid enabled costs 100 points, and applies for all the army.
Air control
Determines the capability of both air vehicles off-the-board (like fighters) and antiair deployed around the scenario. It also affects the scenario itself.
| Quality | Cost |
|---|---|
| Low | 0 |
| Medium | 25 |
| High | 50 |
The final Air Defense in a match is calculated using the difference. If both have the same level, both sides will have Medium Air defense, but if one has Low Air control, and the other High, one player will have Overwhelming Air defense against the other, and the other No (meaningful) Air defense at all.
Artillery Support
Artillery salvo strikes available off-board. Each salvo costs the following points, which determine radius and damage.
| Salvo Type | TL1 | TL2 | TL3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Light mortar | 27 | 45 | 62 |
| Medium mortar | 56 | 88 | 120 |
| Heavy mortar | 132 | 204 | 276 |
| Light artillery | 168 | 264 | 360 |
| Heavy artillery | 288 | 448 | 608 |
| Heavy artillery (AT) | 312 | 472 | 632 |
| Missile salvo | 480 | 720 | 960 |
Operational CRAM
C-RAMs are active defense systems that try to defend the area from incoming missiles.
| Level | Cost |
|---|---|
| TL1 | 60 |
| TL2 | 120 |
| TL3 | 180 |
Counter battery
Offboard artillery that actively targets enemy artillery (on board or not).
| Level | Cost |
|---|---|
| TL1 | 300 |
| TL2 | 600 |
| TL3 | 900 |
Air power available
Each represents a strike from one or more aircraft to the ground.
| Type | Cost | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Interface strike | 150 | May be called only once. Requires grid. Up to 3 TACs can call targets before calling the airstrike. When the Interface fighter is actually called, if the called targets are still seen, they suffer (and all units, buildings, etc within 6") a 12D firepower attack. Use Danger Close rules. Affected units are pinned and have a negative die shift to morale, and allied units gain a positive die shift to morale, this turn. Considered a heavy gun against vehicles |
| Strafing run | 150 | May be called only once. Select one point on one edge as entry and another as exit when calling. Every unit within 6" of the line will be affected. The aircraft avoids Danger close, so it won't shoot if there's an allied unit within 4" from the target. Each unit sufferes a 8D firepower attack. Affected units have a negative die shift to morale, and allied a positive die shift, during this turn. Considered a medium gun against vehicles. |
| Pylon Gun runs | 100 | May be called once, but persists on board. Designate the target when calling. When the aircraft comes, every unit within 8" of that point sufferes a 8D firepower per turn at the start of each round, including the one when the aircraft appears. Units engaged by this have a negative morale die shift during that turn. The aircraft doesn't lose dice each time it fires, it's always a 8D attack. Considered a medium gun against vehicles. |
| Light PGM Strike | 150 | May be called any number of times. All units within 4" of the target point suffer a 8D attack. All affected units are pinned and gain a negative die shift to morale this turn. They are medium guns. |
| Medium PGM Strike | 250 | Like the Light PGM Strike, but 8" radius and 10D10 firepower. They are heavy guns. |
Strategic Dropship
A dropship is at your dispossal to deploy your reinforcements. When you have one of your reinforcements, you instead have only one unit to deploy, a large dropship. In that turn, place the dropship anywhere on the board. The dropship is landing that turn, and can be shot as a normal unit. It has 4D10 on all sides. It's considered in the air like any flying unit for vision. If it's destroyed, so does all the units inside.
The next turn, the dropship has landed and all reinforcements can be deployed from it like they were passengers in any vehicle. If it's destroyed, they evac from the dropship as normal. Note that you can carry units inside to evac them. The dropship is considered on the ground.
After that turn, the dropship evacs and is considered on the air again. At the end of that turn, the dropship disppears from the table. It costs 100 points, and has unlimited transport capacity (for normal games, for larger games, use a transport capacity within reason).
Unit creation
After spending a bunch of points in the army, we should have the majority of points left. We have to spend it on the actual forces which will be deployed in the battlefield. Units can be of different types: Leader, Infantry Units, and Vehicles. An army must follow this structure:
- 1 or more Leaders
- 1 or more Infantry Units
- 0 or more Vehicles