On the back of attempting to write a wargame that would work for kids, and being really happy with the core system, I began wondering if the system worked well with my eclectic collection of Irregular Miniatures.
I had previously been using my Skirmash rules for them, even recording a full hour long game for YouTube:
Skirmash worked well, but it did have a few drawbacks. With everyone ‘balanced’, it meant games could often feel a little lacking in personality. You never had those moments of the underdog overcoming the odds, since everyone was on a roughly equal playing field.
So over the past few days, I set about adapting my kids rules for my Irregular Minis, and rescuing some additional guys to throw into the fray:
I played a simple ‘demolition’ game:
Played on a 4’x4’ battlefield, after deployment, Player B can place 5 markers on the battlefield. Each marker should be 12” from each other marker and cannot be within 6” of Player B’s starting edge.
At the end of an end phase (after any end phase abilities have been resolved), if Player A has any models within 3” of a marker, and none of Player B’s models are within 3” of the same marker, then that marker is destroyed and removed from play. At the end of the 6th round if Player B has 3 or more markers still in play then they win, otherwise Player A wins.
The Vanguardians were in defence with the Darkanites attacking. The game was set at 180 points.
The Darkanites were:
Skinner (50pts)
RNG 0”, RAF 0, MAF 6, DF 5, LV 8
Lethal (Melee) – Each unblocked hit from this model deals 2 damage.
Sweep – If this model hits a target with a melee attack, any models within 3” of the target are also hit (not including this model). Make MAF vs DF rolls for each one.
Worm (28pts)
RNG 12”, RAF 3, MAF 3, DF 3, LV 5
Full Auto – If this model hits a target with a ranged attack, they can make an additional hit roll after the initial hit has been resolved. Keep going until they miss.
The Octopoid (50pts)
RNG 30”, RAF 6, MAF 2, DF 3, LV 3
Boom – If this model hits a target, any models within 3” of the target are also hit. Make RAF vs DF rolls for each one.
Ratorilla (50pts)
RNG 0”, RAF 0, MAF 6, DF 6, LV 6
Fast – Fast – Each time this model moves in their Moves/Melees phase, they can move up to 12” instead of 6”.
Flurry – If this model hits a target with a melee attack, they can make an additional hit roll after the initial hit has been resolved. Keep going until they miss.
And the Vanguardians:
Assault the Future Cop (34pts)
RNG 12”, RAF 3, MAF 5, DF 4, LV 5
Inspiring – Any allied models within 12” of this model (including this model) get a +1 modifier to their hit rolls.
Gunny the Space Orc (50pts)
RNG 30”, RAF 4, MAF 4, DF 3, LV 5
Full Auto – If this model hits a target with a ranged attack, they can make an additional hit roll after the initial hit has been resolved. Keep going until they miss.
Erik the Viking (30pts)
RNG 0”, RAF 0, MAF 6, DF 4, LV 5
Lethal – Each unblocked hit from this model deals 2 damage.
EX-117 (36pts)
RNG 12”, RAF 4, MAF 4, DF 6, LV 6
Zarna the Amazon (29pts)
RNG 0”, RAF 0, MAF 6, DF 6, LV 4
Flurry – If this model hits a target with a melee attack, they can make an additional hit roll after the initial hit has been resolved. Keep going until they miss.
The rules are short and straightforward (as to be expected):
Set Up and Deployment
Players roll off to determine which is A and which is B, this stays the same for the whole game.
Player A picks a battlefield edge, and places all of their models within 6” of that edge, then Player B places all of their models within 6” of the opposite edge.
The Game Round
The game is played in rounds (most games lasting 6). Each round goes through the following phases, always in the following order:
- A Moves/Melees
- B Moves/Melees
- A Shoots/ Runs
- B Shoots/ Runs
- A End Phase
- B End Phase
Movement
Everyone gets a standard 6” move (unless a special rule states otherwise). During the movement phases, any models that move into contact with enemies can make melee attacks. Opponents do not get to automatically hit back, but must wait for their own Moves/ Melees phase.
Instead of shooting during a shooting phase, a model can run. A run move is D6”. A model does not get to make a melee attack if they move into an enemy by making a run move, but must wait until their own Moves/ Melees phase.
Attacking
During the shooting phases models can only shoot. Models in contact with enemy models cannot shoot or be shot at (unless a special rule states otherwise).
To melee attack a model must be in contact with their target.
To shoot/melee attack, check range, if target is within range, a hit is scored on a:
3+ for melee attacks
4+ for ranged targets in the open
5+ for ranged targets in soft cover
6 for ranged targets in hard cover
Natural 1s always miss, natural 6s always hit regardless of any special rules.
If a hit is scored, compare attack and defence factors. Players make an opposed roll, the attacker rolls a die per point of attack factor (RAF for enemies at range, MAF for enemies in melee – base to base contact), the defender then rolls a number of dice equal to their defence factor. Each die rolled by the defender will block all dice rolled by the attacker that are the same number. So a single 3 rolled by the defender will block all 3s rolled by the attacker.
If the attacker has any dice left, the defender suffers 1 damage per unblocked die (unless a special rule states otherwise). Once a model has suffered an amount of damage equal to their lives stat, they are dead and removed from play.
End Phases
Typically during an end phase a faction may have a special rule, or the scenario that you are playing may have special rules that apply.
I still had the same problem that melee felt a little underwhelming, which is a problem I’d forgotten about. So the rules above have been changed from what I’d played. For melee you originally hit on a 4+, now it’s a 3+.
It didn’t come up often, but I took the rule out for figures being locked in combat. Where most fights are one on one duels, it felt right that someone should be able to break off, grab a chandelier and swing about the place. It might generate issues with scenarios further down the line, but I’ll fix that then.
Things started with Gunny opening up on Skinner (which was entirely my fault as he should have really been using either the building on his right or left for cover).
The Ratorilla used his speed to smash up an objective before getting accosted by Zarna and Erik on his was to another.
Worm took out another objective.
And then proceeded to exchange shots with EX-117. I also realised at this point that it definitely would have been a good idea to take a Vanguardian with the fast special rule as they essentially gave up two objectives for free.
Skinner and Octopoid made a break for the objective in front of Assault and Gunny’s building.
So to protect the objective, the Vanguardians dropped down and finished Skinner off.
But then after a catastrophic round of combat, the Ratorilla chewed up both Erik and Zarna leaving another objective exposed to the Darkanites.
EX-117 finally blasted Worm.
With the centre safe, Assault made a mad dash to try and take out Ratorilla and save the game winning/losing objective.
And so the game was decided by the last roll in the last possible round (it’s always good when it plays out like that). Assault unfortunately failed and the Darkanites won the day.
Deathzap 