Building - A Frozen Planet for Infinity

Oh the weather outside is frightful

but the fire is so delightful

and since we've no place to go

let it snow! let it snow! let it snow!

It seemed to me that just about every infinity table out there seems to consist of either shipping containers or full on urban settings. Not that there is anything wrong with that and I too have a full on city set up, which I will post pictures of too.  However I wanted to do something a little different and include more natural elements.  

So after watching 'The Thing' and looking forward to its board game release I opted for a snow covered outpost.  Not Full on arctic conditions but more like how I imagine places like Canada would look.  Apologises to any Canadians as I have never been to your country I just have this image of large trees and white snow in my mind.

I ordered a bunch of terrain from sarissa-precision to build my proposed outpost / research facility. 

I really like the sarissa stuff and have used it as a basic shell for other terrain builds and will continue to do so in the future.  It goes together really well and the delivery time is excellent.

I knocked up a quick test piece to see if I was happy with my snow and ice theme.  Of course I had to add 'Unit 57' somewhere.  

For the snow I used a mixture of PVA and plaster.  

The red stripe was to add a bit of colour and I rather like the contrast between red and green (the green will come from the trees).

Next I marked out a quick 4' x 4' area on my work table to see if I had enough bits to make it look busy enough.   I added some simple snow drifts to add variety.  It become apparent very quickly that I needed more trees.  A lot more.

I was really happy with the height of the trees as it helped break up fire corridors from the highest points on the table.

I continued building up the snow on the different structures.

More trees arrived, some much smaller which filled in gaps left by larger trees.

 I used a simple white cloth to lay out the elements I had finished on.  

And added some really big trees to the mix to even further break up fire corridors from the elevated positions.

Overall I was pretty happy with the layout and love the contrast between the snow and the trees.  Its a fun layout to play on but does has one minor drawback.  The white plaster powder does come off slightly if you rub the terrain so I probably should have put a bit more thought into how I was going to tackle that.  Also I am not sure that I want to base figures up on snow textured bases so it does really limit its use somewhat.  However it was fun to do.

As promised, a quick picture of my more regular city table.

Battletech - Recon Tournament Players Pack

Some time ago I came up with the idea of running Battletech Tournaments.  I wanted to do something a little different to the standard 'Slug Fests' that had been played before.  I liked the idea of having to build a force to complete missions without knowing exactly what missions will be played.  RECON was born.

Please feel free to use and alter my players pack to suit your own events if you wish.  I am not suggesting that my style of event will appeal to everyone but if there are even a few small bits from it that you like then I am more than happy to share what I have.

I have purposely left dates, prices, contact details and locations blank so that if you wish to use my format, you can add your own details to suit.


RECON

 (Enter Date)

Welcome

Thank you for taking the time to download the players pack for the Battletech ‘Recon’ (Year) event.

This event differs in some ways to other events you may have attended in the past and it is highly recommended that you read this entire document and familiarise yourself with the force selection process and the possible scenarios for the day.

If you should have any questions or problems they can be directed to me:

• In Person

• Via Email (Enter Email Address)

• Via Forum (Enter Forum and Username)

Venue

This event will be held at (Enter Venue Details and Directions)

Sponsored by

(Enter any Sponsor Details and Logos)

Event

This is a ticketed event and will take place on (Enter Date). The event will consist of 4 games, each lasting 1 hour and 45 minutes. Each game will be a different scenario. The scenarios will be a random draw from the 6 listed at the end of this players pack. It is strongly advised that you design a force that can comfortably compete in any of the scenarios. It is all well and good having a force of just two Mechs with elite pilots when playing some of the scenarios, however a list like that will find other scenarios very hard to gain Victory points.

Schedule

·         8:30 am - 9:00 am Registration at tournament desk.

·         9:00 am - 10:45 am Scenario One.

·         11:00 am - 12:45 pm Scenario Two.

·         12:45 pm– 1:15 pm Lunch and painting judging.

·         1:15 pm - 3:00pm Scenario Three.

·         3:15 pm - 5:00 pm Scenario Four.

·         5:00 pm – 5:30 pm Presentations and Tidy up.

Please note that if games are finished early this may result in the next game starting earlier. Likewise if players want a shorter lunch break to facilitate an early finish time that will also be considered.

Tickets

Tickets are available in advance for (Enter Price) and can be obtained either from myself, via email, or from the counter at (Enter Game Store)

If you are unable to purchase a ticket in advance then you can pay for your entry on the day of the event. Late entry tickets are (Enter Price)

Basic Rules

·         Standard Total Warfare rules apply.

·         Clan Rules Of Engagement do not apply.

·         Skills are standard: Piloting of 5, Gunnery of 4. Players may adjust these values using the Battle Value v2:  (See Force Composition below)

·         Ammunition can be reduced, or even removed, per slot before play begins. This does not affect the Battle Value cost of the chosen unit.

·         A unit that leaves the battlefield counts as Destroyed/Disabled and may not re-enter.

·         The Forced Withdrawal rules from the Total Warfare rulebook are in effect.

·         Players must have a Ral Partha/Iron Wind Metals miniature of the Battlemech they choose along with a hex base. It is not a requirement to have it painted. There will be no miniature substitutions. The front facing of each Battlemech must be clearly identifiable. Either indicated by the position of the Mech or marked on the hex base.

·         Players have the right to view the record sheet of any other player at anytime.

Force Composition

·         Players must build a force to a value of no more than 5000 BV using BV2 Values. In addition the following rules must be adhered to.

·         Only Battlemechs may be taken (Protomechs, Vehicles, Infantry, Aerospace units etc are prohibited). Special ammunition types from Technical Readout 3025, 3050, 3055, 3058, 3060, 3067, 3075, 3085, Phoenix, Battletech: Upgrades, Inner Sphere/Clan Handbooks & all Field Manuals can be taken. This includes the variants found in the printed record sheets. There will be no artillery units or artillery ammunition types allowed.

·         Players may adjust a pilots Gunnery and piloting Skill as per this graph. However there must be a difference no greater than 2 between each of a pilots rating.

·         No Battlemech can have a final BV of more than 2500

·         A force can consist of Inner Sphere, Clan Mechs or a combination of them both

·         Only Light and Medium Battlemechs may be taken. This is a recon patrol after all.

·         A force may not consist of more than 6 Battlemechs.

·         No force can have more than 2 of the same variant of a Battlemech. For example, you can have as many Locusts as you want as long as no more than 2 are of the same design.

Forced Withdrawal

The rules for Forced Withdrawal are in force and will be used in all scenarios. When a Mech is forced to withdraw it must attempt to leave the table via its deployment edge. The unit must retreat at its fastest possible speed however it does not have to turn its back on the enemy and can still continue to fire any weapons it can bring to bear.

If for some reason a Mechs is unable to move whilst in forced withdrawal the model is immediately removed as if destroyed.

A Forced withdrawal summery sheet will be provided for each table.

Maps and terrain

Maps and terrain will be set by the Tournament Organiser and will remain unchanged for each game. However deployment areas may change dependant on the scenario.

·         All wooded hexes are light woods.

·         All water hexes are depth level 1

Ending the Game

This is the important bit. A game will end, at the end of the turn in which any of the ‘ending the game’ conditions are met or at the end of Turn 8 or at the end of the allotted game time.

·         Players are to keep track of how many turns have past.

·         At the end of the game the players are to complete their score cards and hand them to the tournament organiser.

Awards

(Enter Award Details)

Final Notes

Tickets are non-refundable.

Players are expected to submit their completed force roster to the event organiser by (Enter Time and Date) NO force rosters will be accepted past this date. Only electronic or computer printed versions of force rosters will be accepted. Failure to provide the force roster before the due date will exclude the player from the event so allow plenty of time to prepare. If you are having difficulty printing or emailing your force roster then I urge you to contact me as soon as possible.

Players are encouraged to check that everything is in order and clearly mark items like ammunition types, quantity, or anything else that has a variable option so there is no confusion once the games begin. This is an open list event, which means an opponent may request to view your list or record sheets at any time during the game.

Discrepancies and Rule clarifications

Should the need arise where an answer to a question cannot be resolved between the players, they are encouraged try to find a solution as quickly as possible to allow the game to continue. If no common ground can be found a dice roll can be used to settle the matter. The Tournament organiser can also be asked to make a ruling and his decision is final. We are all here to have fun. It’s a game of toy soldiers at the end of the day and as long as that is kept in mind everyone will have an enjoyable time.

SCORING

In each scenario there is a maximum of 3 Victory Points (VP) to be attained. Victory Points will decide the outcome of the game. Ultimately the player with the highest VP score at the end of the event will be crowned champion.

The BVS is the difference between the amounts of BV you destroy, or force to withdraw and the amount of BV you lose or have in forced withdrawal. This number can be a positive or a negative. For example: you destroy two Mechs with a combined BV of 1400 and force another Mech with a BV of 800 into forced withdrawal. In return you have lost one Mech worth 950 BV and have two Mechs in forced withdrawal worth a total of 1200 BV. Your final BVS for the game would be 50 (1400+800 – 950 – 1200 = 50). The total BVS will be used to determine a players standing in the case of a draw in Victory Points.

As you can see, completing the missions is far more important than getting stuck in a prolonged gunfight, however taking the opportunity to destroy or cripple an enemy Mech should not be overlooked.

Scenarios

As mentioned above the event will consist of 4 different scenarios chosen at random from the 6 below.  Each round all players will participate in the same scenario as each other.

Scenario 1: Face Off

  

Objectives

The players must eliminate the enemy force commander, whilst keeping your own commander on the board and not under forced withdrawal.

Deployment

An Initiative roll is made to determine order of deployment as per the Total War Rules. Each player selects one Battlemech that represents the Commander of their force. The Commanders are deployed first with each one facing each other across the centre of the battlefield with a gap of 3 hexes between them, (Blue Hexes). The remaining Battlemechs are deployed anywhere along the players home edge, (Red Hexes).

Victory Conditions

·         1 VP if the opponent’s Commander is dead, or under forced withdrawal.

·         1 VP if your Commander is alive on the table and not in a state of forced withdrawal.

·         1 VP if, your Commander deals the killing blow to the enemy Commander.

Ending the Game

The game ends after 8 Turns OR after the allotted time runs out OR one force is completely wiped out or in forced withdrawal.

Scenario 2: Escort

Objectives

To safely escort your own supply vehicles off the map through the enemy home edge whilst preventing the enemy force from doing the same.

Deployment

An Initiative roll is made to determine order of deployment as per the Total War Rules. Battlemechs move on from either home edge on their first turn, (Red Hexes).

Special Rules 

·         Each Side has two supply vehicles.

·         Each supply vehicle must be accompanied one Mech of at least 600 BV.

·         This dedicated escort is moved at the same time as the supply vehicle it is protecting. A record sheet and figure will be provided by the tournament organiser for each supply vehicle.

·         Supply vehicles cannot move into water hexes.

·         The escort must end its movement within 2 hexes of its allotted Supply Vehicle.Once a Supply vehicle has been safely escorted across the table the escort Mech is free to rejoin the battle.

Victory Conditions

·         1 VP for the first player to exit one of his Supply Vehicles without his opponent also exiting a supply vehicle in the same turn.

·         1 VP for exiting more supply vehicles than the opponent.

·         1 VP for the player who has the most BV of Escorts remaining alive and not in forced withdrawal at the end of the game.

Ending the Game

The game ends after 8 Turns OR after the allotted time runs out OR both supply vehicles from one side have left the table OR one force is completely wiped out or in forced withdrawal or neither side has any active supply vehicles left.

Scenario 3: Take the Position

Objectives

Players must control the greatest possible number of areas of control.  

Deployment

An Initiative roll is made to determine order of deployment as per the Total War Rules. Battlemechs move on from either home edge on their first turn, (Red Hexes).

Special Rules

·         The battlefield is comprised of 3 Separate areas of control, (Blue and White Hexes). To control an area you must have more BV of Battlemechs in the area then your opponent.

·         Mechs that are destroyed or in forced withdrawal are not counted when calculation control of areas.

Victory Condition

·         1 VP for each area controlled.

Ending the Game

The game ends after 8 Turns OR after the allotted time runs out OR one force is completely wiped out or in forced withdrawal.

Scenario 4: Supply Drops

Objectives

Players must control the greatest possible number of supply drop points.

Deployment

An Initiative roll is made to determine order of deployment as per the Total War Rules. Battlemechs are deployed anywhere along the players home edge, (Red Hexes).

Special Rules

·         To control a supply drop point you must have more Battlemechs within the drop point area than your opponent at the end of the game, (Blue Hexes).

·         Mechs that are destroyed or in forced withdrawal are not counted when calculating control of a drop point.

Victory Conditions

·         1 VP for each drop point controlled.

Ending the Game

The game ends after 8 Turns OR after the allotted time runs out OR one force is completely wiped out or in forced withdrawal.

Scenario 5: Meeting Engagement

Objectives

Destroy the Enemy force.  

Deployment

An Initiative roll is made to determine order of deployment as per the Total War Rules. Battlemechs move on from either home edge on their first turn, (Red Hexes).

Victory Conditions

·         1 VP for each complete 1500 BV worth of Enemy Battlemechs destroyed or in forced Withdrawal.

Ending the Game

The game ends after 8 Turns OR after the allotted time runs out OR one force is completely wiped out or in forced withdrawal.

Scenario 6: Rapid Recon

Objectives

To scan as many of the enemies deployed markers as possible whilst keeping your own safe from enemy prying eyes.

Deployment

An Initiative roll is made to determine order of deployment as per the Total War Rules.

Each player then deploys 3 markers that the enemy needs to scan. These markers must be deployed within the blue hexed area of the map and at least 6 hexes apart. They cannot be deployed in wooded or water hexes.

After the markers are deployed Battlemechs move on from either home edge on their first turn, (Red Hexes).

Special Rules 

·         Scanning is carried out at the end of the turn and cannot be performed by destroyed Mechs or Mechs in forced withdrawal.

·         To scan an enemy marker a Battlemech must attempt to scan it. The base target number is 7 (if the Battlemech is in the same hex as the marker being scanned).

·         Markers are considered to be 1 level high and cannot be destroyed.

Scanning roll modifiers:

·         +1 per hex between the scanning Battlemech and the target marker;

·         -1 if Mech is equipped with TAG;

·         -2 if Mech is equipped with a Beagle Active Probe; +1 For each hex that passes through an enemy ECM; +1 per hex of intervening Light Woods.

Victory Conditions

·         1 VP first player to scan one of the enemy markers.

·         1 VP scanning all the enemy markers.

·         1 VP scanning more markers then your opponent.

Ending the Game

The game ends after 8 Turns OR after the allotted time runs out OR one side has had all its markers scanned by the enemy OR one force is completely wiped out or in forced withdrawal.

Checklist

o   Miniatures and repair equipment.

o   Two copies of your submitted force list.

o   Record Sheets for each Mech in your force.

o   Total Warfare rulebook.

o  Techmanual rulebook. (If you have it, the Tournament Organised will have one on hand)

o   Any reference sheets you have created.

o   Dice, pencils, spare paper, etc.

o   Money for lunch and snacks.

o   Panadol.

o   Deodorant.

o   A positive attitude!