Well back at my old club (Harrogate Wargames Club) after our move north, in some ways it seems like I've never been away these last 18 years. After we finished off a 20mm Bolt Action game a couple of weeks back I offered to run a 15mm sci-fi game for my normal gaming crowd. I'd do the scenario and provide the figures and rules, all they needed to do was turn up. I opted to use the FUBAR rules as:
a) they are very easy to pick up,
b) they work extremely well, and
c) I'd been thinking about some improvements and wanted to try them out.
For those unfamiliar with the (free)
FUBAR rules, it's all about getting a workable set of rules onto one side of A4. I'm not hung up about the one-side of A4 aspect, so I increased the font size, expanded all the points out so they are easier to isolate and read, merged the modern and sci-fi sets, and added (in my opinion) an improved vehicle damage system. I opted to run two linked games over a 3 week period. The first one was an ambush, and the survivors from both sides were then reinforced for the second which was an attack and defend.
Here's a couple of photos:
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My hope was that the guys would enjoy the game sufficiently to feel inspired to go and buy some 15mm Sci-Fi figures themselves (or at least get some more). In this I think I have been successful. Both games went really well, and the rules worked great. Hopefully at the
Vapnartak convention here in York tomorrow, some 15mm sci-fi will be purchased :) Ideas are currently afoot for a small campaign. If anyone wants the current version of the rules we used (word doc), and the some vehicle record cards (excel), leave a message and I'll send them onto you.
For your interest I've repeated below part the rules concerning activating units.
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Table
1 - Unit Training/Experience
Level
|
Activation
|
Expertise
|
Suppress
|
Green
|
5+
|
6+
|
1
|
Regular
|
4+
|
5+
|
2
|
Veteran
|
3+
|
4+
|
3
|
Elite
|
2+
|
4+
|
4
|
4.1 FUBAR is played in ‘Turns’.
4.2 In a turn all players get to attempt to
activate & use every Unit under their command.
5.1 At the beginning of a turn each player rolls
1D6 & adds any scenario modifiers. Reroll any ties.
5.2 The player that scores the highest can
attempt to Activate a Unit first. If
this succeeds then that unit can choose one action and carry it out.
5.3 He can continue to activate units until he
fails an activation, then the initiative passes to his opponent.
5.4 If there are more than two players the
initiative passes to the next highest score.
5.5 The initiative passes to & fro as
players pass and fail Activation rolls, until they have all had a chance to try
and activate each Unit in their command.
6. Activation
6.1 To Activate a Unit a player must roll equal
to, or more than, the activation number given in the Unit Training/Experience
table.
6.2 A unit with a leader attached uses the
Leaders Activation Level instead of its own.
6.3 Add one to the roll if there are no visible
enemy.
6.4 Once activated a Unit can do one of
the following:
Table
2 – Activation
Choice
|
Move
|
Notes
|
Walk
|
6"
|
The
unit can also fire a small arms weapon, or throw a grenade, at one point at
any time during their move.
|
Run
|
12"
|
Cannot
fire weapons or throw grenades.
|
Duck
& Weave
|
8"
|
Cannot
fire weapons or throw grenades.
Figures
count as being in Soft Cover.
|
On
Guard
|
0"
|
Can
react once per turn by: returning fire on an enemy that fires at them,
or firing at enemy movement across their field of fire.
|
Gone
to Ground
|
3"
|
Drop
into nearest cover. Increase the level of that cover by one.
Cannot
fire weapons or throw grenades.
|
Aimed
Fire
|
0"
|
All
figures in Unit get +1 to firing.
|
Assault
|
8”
|
Move
into close combat with enemy.
|
6.5 Units that fail to activate are ‘On Guard’,
unless it is an Infantry unit that has taken have taken more than 50% casualties. In this instance withdraw using a ‘Walk’ action
at a speed of 6” away from the nearest visible enemy, or towards their
deployment point if there are none visible. (Note: a unit of 8 with 4 men remaining has
not fallen below 50%)
6.6 No modifiers can make a Units Activation
roll worse than 6.
6.7 Troops wearing jump packs increase their
basic movement from 6” to 12” and can ignore intervening terrain.
6.8 When a unit is on ‘Guard’, it is its
discretion if it reacts to being fired on, or enemy movement, BUT, it must
decide at the time when the opportunity presents. It can fire at any point during the enemy
movement.
