The S.S.U.S.R Universe

The goal of my Super Simple Universal Skirmish Rules was as the title suggests, to create a game that allowed me to grab any models and pit them against each other in a non-taxing sort of way. Of course, as always being the hobby butterfly, even though I already had many figures to utilise I still wanted to build my own factions for the system.

Turning to Irregular Miniatures because I have this bizarre fascination with their miniatures, I set about buying various things, combining different ranges and scales to produce my little warbands. Having no setting in particular in mind, and not really wanting to have one as far as my rules were concerned, things began looking a little odd. It’s only recently I’ve properly considered what this mad setting must be, how do Zombies, Aliens, Fantasy Chinese, Elves, Ogres and Robots all fit in the same universe…

The short answer is that they don’t… so what’s the long answer?

The land of Thal was once prosperous, with the three great races, Humans, Elves and Dwarves living peacefully. The Clockwork City of Lokno at the centre of everything kept the world in perpetual balance and order. The machines of Archinventor Nikola Archimenistein had transformed life for the average citizen from one of drudgery on the farm, to the factory. Industrialisation had set in, and not just in everyday life but also on the battlefield. Bows and spears had been replaced by muskets and cannons, as ranks of humans, elves and dwarves marched outwards into the borderlands to colonise what land had been left to the Orcs and Goblins. But then the Sky-men came in their ships of iron. At first the kingdoms of Thal welcomed the Sky-men, they offered them trade and the great Wizards offered the sky men magic in exchange for greater technologies. But the greed of the Sky-men was unquenchable, and the more they took, the more they wanted, until they burned the great cities to the ground and after the destruction came the great plague, and few survivors remained.

Morthrax Black was the Wizard of Death Magic in the old human kingdom. In response to the plague that wiped out most of the human population he set about reanimating the dead, hoping that some aspect of humanity could survive. His incantations were powerful, and unbeknownst to him uncontrollable, and all the dead from aeons past, raised to new unlife. The hordes of the dead marched unrelentingly against the Sky-men and even forced them back to the sky, the precision of their laser based weaponry being far less effective against the dead than they had been against the living.

The Sky-men had known many worlds before Thal, and they would know many others after it. The Sky-men themselves have no idea of their origins, or how many worlds they have conquered since the stars were born. They only know the endless journey. However, now the dead world of Thal has caught their attention, their pride and stubbornness will not allow them to leave until they have claimed everything of worth.

The Dragon Temple are a large part of what remains of living humanity. Their religious devotion and zealotry had kept them separate from much of Thal, and therefore the plague, as they focused inwards harnessing strange martial arts techniques. Now their focus is on defending their sacred mountain monasteries from the Sky Demons and the dead.

The Windblade Elves are the last of the Elven clans that remain. Their dwindling numbers offered them some respite for a time as greater threats to the Sky Demons were hunted down and exterminated. The Windblade hid in their swamps and forests, avoiding the patrol ships of the Sky Demons and the herds of the dead. Now however with fresh meat in short supply, the dead wander ever closer.

Others still remain, but like the Windblade Elves their numbers are ever shrinking. The chaotic hordes that once threatened the old kingdoms still haunt the borderlands, the Orcs, Ogres, Trolls and Goblins.

Many enslaved races also do the work of the Sky-men, one such race was made entirely of machines. Plumbum Metallicum the Wizard of Metal and Stone was able to take control of them however and turned them against their former masters.

So how do you game with all of this? Well, here are the current rules:

WARBANDS AND FIGHTERS

Each player has a warband. A warband is made up of fighters. Each fighter has a class and one stat: Might.

There are 10 available classes

Basic Classes – Soldier, Warrior, Beast, Drone.

Special Classes – Gunner, Berserker, Assassin, Sniper, Gunslinger, Healer and Totem.

Rare Classes – Monster, Mech.

One of your fighters must be designated as your leader.

The cost of a fighter is equal to their Might value. A standard game is 20 points, and you can have a maximum of 10 fighters and a minimum of 3. Your fighter with the highest Might value cannot have a value that is double (or more than double) your next highest fighter. At least half of your total number of fighters must be made up of basic classes and you can have a maximum of 2 fighters with a rare class.

THE GAME BOARD AND DEPLOYMENT

Games are played on a 24”x24” board. Player’s roll off and the higher roller chooses which starting edge they would like and deploys their fighters within 6” of that edge. Their opponent then takes the opposite edge and deploys their fighters within 6” of it. Any Assassins and Totems can be deployed within 12” of their player’s edge.

ACTIVATIONS

The player that deployed second is the activate player and can pick any of their fighters to activate.

Once that fighter has activated: 

1. If they attacked an enemy but did not kill them, that enemy is activated, and the other player becomes the active player. If the other player’s leader is within 6” of the attacked enemy, they can activate that fighter or any other fighter within 6” of their leader.
2. If they attacked an enemy and did kill them, then the active player can pick a different fighter to activate.
3. If they did not attack an enemy, then the player remains as the active player and can pick any other fighter to activate that they have not yet activated since becoming the active player.

A player can never activate more than 3 fighters consecutively, before the other player becomes the active player.

If the active player cannot activate another fighter (because they do not have enough remaining fighters or they have activated 3 fighters) the active player can pick which enemy fighter activates and then the other player becomes the active player. If the other player’s leader is within 6” of the picked enemy, they can activate that fighter or any other fighter within 6” of their leader.

When a fighter is activated they get 2 actions. A stunned fighter only gets 1 action, but is then no longer stunned. A fighter that is wounded only gets 1 action.

ACTION – MOVE (All fighters except for Totems)

A fighter can move up to 3”. Beasts and Drones can move 4”. Fighters cannot move through other fighters and should use terrain in a way that makes sense.

ACTION – CHARGE (Beasts, Warriors, Assassins, Berserkers, Gunslingers and Monsters Only)

If a fighter makes a normal move as above and ends up in base to base contact with an enemy they can make a melee attack as part of the same action. A fighter that cannot charge must move into contact and then make a melee attack as two separate actions.

ACTION – MELEE ATTACK

A fighter attacks any enemy in base to base contact.

Compare the Might values of the attacker and the defender.

If the attacker’s Might is double or more than double the defender then the attacker will roll 3 dice and the defender 1.

If the attacker’s Might is higher then the attacker will roll 3 dice and the defender 2.

If the attacker’s and defender’s Mights are equal both will roll 2.

If the attacker’s Might is lower then the attacker will roll 2 dice and the defender 3.

If the attacker’s Might is half or less than half the defender then the attacker will roll 1 die and the defender 3.

Berserkers and Monsters roll 1 extra die.

The fighter that rolls the single highest value wins the combat.

Assassins add 1 to their highest die roll.

If the winner scores 1 higher then the target is stunned.

If the winner scores 2 higher the target is wounded.

If the winner scores 3 higher the target is killed.

If a stunned fighter is stunned a second time then they are wounded. If a wounded fighter is wounded a second time then they are killed.

In the case of a tie neither fighter is harmed.

ACTION – RANGED ATTACK (Soldiers, Drones, Gunners, Snipers, Gunslingers, Monsters and Mechs only)

A fighter attacks an enemy at range. A fighter must always target their closest visible enemy.

A fighter rolls 3 dice as standard for the attack. 

Gunners and Mechs roll 4 dice.

Gunslingers roll 4 dice when attacking an enemy within 6”.

To hit their target the fighter must pass an attack check. Compare the attacker’s Might to the target’s Might:

If the attacker’s Might is double or more than double the target’s they hit on a 3+.

If the attacker’s Might is larger but not double they hit on a 4+.

If the attacker’s Might is equal to or less than the target’s then they hit on a 5+.

If the attacker’s Might is half or less than half the target’s then they hit on a 6.

If the target is not entirely visible to the attacker the attacker receives a -1 modifier to all of their rolls.

Snipers always hit on natural 5s and 6s.

Natural 6s always hit.

If the attacker scores 1 hit the target is stunned.

If the attacker scores 2 hits the target is wounded.

If the attacker scores 3 hits the target is killed.

If a stunned fighter is stunned a second time then they are wounded. If a wounded fighter is wounded a second time then they are killed.

ACTION – DEFENDING (Warriors, Assassins, Berserkers, Monsters and Mechs Only) 

A fighter will stay defending until they are next activated.  A fighter can move 1 1/2” and then defends. Enemies attacking a defending fighter receive a -1 modifier to their attack rolls.

ACTION – BOOST

If a fighter boosts and then attacks in the same activation that fighter can roll an additional die for the attack.

ACTION – HEAL (Healers Only)

A healer can heal a wound on an ally within 3”.

TOTEMS

Totems cannot move or attack. However when a friendly fighter attacks or is attacked within 6” of a totem, that fighter can use the might of the totem instead of their own.

MORALE

Whenever an enemy fighter is killed, before continuing the game you must see if that side’s morale breaks. Total up the might values of all casualties that side has taken so far and roll 3D6. If the result rolled is lower than the total might, the side breaks and loses the game. If the roll is equal or higher play continues as normal.