Monday, June 11, 2012

TMOH 2

One of the designs I really like is my Spider Mech faction.  They're built using techniques that Joshua used to make his Fuchikoma Swarmers.  I've expanded on those techniques to make a few different designs.

Here's a group shot.



The "team" consists of the four Basic Spider mechs (bottom center), the two Leader mechs (center), the two Heavy Assault mechs (outside left & right), an Artillery mech (back left), and a Daddy Longlegs (back right).  I know that's a total of ten mechs, so at game time you have to choose exactly what you're going to play.  At the PAX East demo I left one Basic and the Artillery mech in the box and fielded the rest.

Let's look at them individually.

This is the Basic mech.  It gets 2R @ Direct Fire range for the ventral cannon, 1B for its small size, and 1G for multiple legs.  (2Rd/1B/1G/2W)





This is the Leader mech.  It gets 2B for small size and the clear polycarbonate shell, 1Y for the sensor suite, 1G for multiple legs, and the free Gd8 for having no ranged weapons.  (2B/1Y/1G+d8/2W)

I've got and idea on how to change these to a 2Y loadout.  Keep an eye open!



This is the Heavy Assault mech.  It gets 2R+d8 @ Direct Fire range for the twin cannons, 1B for small size, and 1G for multiple legs.  (2Rd+d8/1B/1G/2W)

I just modified these.  I took out an unnecessary 2x2 plate.


This is the Artillery mech.  It gets 2R+d8 @ Artillery range for the long guns, 1B for the armored body, and 1G for multiple legs.  (2Ra+d8/1B/1G/2W)

These have been through the most iterations.  I'm finally happy with this one.

This is the Daddy Longlegs mech.  It gets 2R @ Direct Fire range for the ventral cannon, 1B for its small size, and 2G for multiple long legs. (2Rd/1B/2G/2W)







You may notice that 80% of the designs have an antenna, yet only the Leader mech actually uses it in its stats.  It's there more for looks and a unified design style than anything else.  There's room to add 1Y on the basic mech but not on the others.  You could possibly swap out the "1B for small size" for a "1Y for linked comm suite".  Hmmnn.  This might be worth experimenting with.
I also designed some stations to be used with this team.


I haven't actually had the chance to use them in a game though.

I have had a chance to put the team on the table for a game.  I'll leave you with an action shot.

8 comments:

  1. I took that picture at the end, and fielded this force with great success.

    The sheer amount of dudes you get to use allows you to take on two enemies at once easily; your units may look a little more fragile, but they are so tiny and so fast that you can just cover hop easily from one place to another. The field we used was chock full of cover, and I got to go last (Against two players who were determined to kill each other). I took over for a young man who placed our Daddy Long Legs directly into harms way, so he lost his movement bonus pretty quickly. Despite this minor set-back, the game quickly went into my favor.

    With my first turn I was able to activate every single one of my guys. I threw them -hard- against an artillery crab mech that was chilling on top of a building. Those leader guys can rush forward and throw a spot, and then my basics and Heavies just crushed forward. I utterly destroyed one unit the first turn, and then crippled another crab mech.

    By the second turn, no one had learned their lesson and I was given a full activation again. I wrecked the crippled crab, and then shifted my focus over to the bipeds, and started chipping away. Unfortunately we all agreed to end it in favor of allowing Mantis to set up another game, but this was basically what made me fall in love with the game. I would love to recreate this force, eventually. Great flavor with the green heads. I would've traded the Daddy Long-legs for the Arty, but I didn't know he was even part of the force :) Great time, thanks Mantis!

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  2. I'm drooling over the transit gate-you could probably use it for a scenario. Like so;
    Setting; The Free Colonists in the area are receiving a vital shipment of arms and supplies traded from the Federation. The UMFL has sent a special ops hit team (known as an Acid Shock Squad on Thesis) Dropship to shoulder its way through the transit gates defenses and blow up the shipment as soon as it appeared.
    UMFL;
    5 'Frame hit team. Loadouts determined at battle field.UMFL stations;
    Landed Dropship, Communications post, Explosives.
    Free Colonist defense;
    4 'Frame loading bay guard. As with UMFL, loadouts determined at battle field. Free Colonist stations;
    Transit gate, loading craft(similar to a forklift), loading craft.

    The Doomsday clock ending represents the shipment coming in.

    If a third player wants to play, then a twist can be added to the setting; As the transit gate was prepared to have matter pass through
    it, an Ijad slipped through to be confronted with a battle, and got mixed up in the fray.
    Ijad; 6 'Frames. Ijad stations can be thought up at the moment on what the players feel like.

    Oh my goodness its fun to whip up scenarios for this game!

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    Replies
    1. Except the Free Colonies would probably be attacking the gate too. It's designed for use with the Spider Mechs which really aren't a part of the Solar Century setting for MFZ. You could use it with another faction but then it'd lose some of the flavor.

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    2. Good point. Most settings have the Terran Transit Marines still controlling the Transit Gate-unlike Thesis.

      And the Daddy Longlegs is awesome.

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    3. What kind of story do you have in mind for your 3 factions?

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    4. I'm not sure yet. I have more fun building than I do establishing back stories.

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  3. Pls make instructions for the basic spider mech I can't figure out how it's built

    ReplyDelete