Mik posted pictures and a report of our recent 5150 bug hunt game. I go back and forth over Two Hour Wargames rules-- there are some real golden nuggets inside the rules, but they are still annoyingly poorly edited. Still, we had a blast with this game. We didn't lose a man, but we did decide that prudence was the better part of valour...
Nick's 5150 SciFi Skirmish is a nice page devoted to 5150. It has some really nice pictures of games in action, as well as a well-developed variant called Roach Wars. I absolutely love the look of the swarm of roaches coming across the table...I'm going to have to get some of my own!
Two Hour Wargames has a free fanzine, Insight. It looks interesting.
Here are the 5150 rules for Star Wars I wrote up with input from my buddy Mik. It's mostly from ANH and ESB as those are the figures I have. I'd love to have any additions you come up with, as I probably won't stat up anymore than this since this covers most of my figures. After watching Clone Wars, though, I could see myself getting clone trooper and droid forces down the line... Anyway, you can see some pictures here of some playtest games Mik and I played.
IMPERIALS (Star Army QRS):
Stormtroopers:
Leader: 1-4 Rep 4, 5-6 Rep 5
Squad: 1-2 Rep 3, 3-6 Rep 4
Equip: Hard Body Armor, Laser Carbines/RF Laser Rifles, thermal detanators
Skills: All Stormtroopers are Crappy Shots.
Imperial Stars:
Darth Vader
Rep 6
Equip: HBA, Lightsabre
Skills: Terrifying (1d6 melee, charge tests; FM target), Wary (+1d6 In Sight), Resiliant (1st OOF => KD), Nerves of Steel (No Fear), Hard as Nails (1st OD => KD), Knifeman (+1d6 w/ LS), Combat Artist (!< 1d6), Born Leader (all 2" do as he does)
Greedo/Mos Eisley Thug
Rep 4 (1 Rep 2, 2-4 Rep 3, 5-6 Rep 4)
Equip: SBA, Laser Pistol
Skills: Crappy Shot (-1 rep when firing), Coward (treat duck back as hunker down), Wuss (roll only 1d6 for rally, charge/being charged tests)
IG-88
Rep 5
Equip: HBA, Laser Pistol, Laser Rifle, Thermal Detanotor
Skills: Ambidextrous (no penalty for two weapons), Nerves of Steel (No Fear)
Bossk
Rep 5
Equip: SBA, Laser Carbine
Skills: Pyscho (Must fast move and fire towards enemy who has Fear, Hard as Nails [1st OD => KD], Nerves of Steel [No Fear])
Dengar
Rep 5
Equip: SBA, Laser Carbine
Skills: Nerves of Steel (No Fear), Cold as Ice (Never Outgunned)
4-LOM
Rep 5
Equip: HBA, Laser Carbine
Skills: Fast (+2" Movement), Stealthy (cannot be seen >12" if motionless in cover. Multiple dice ranged weapons -1d6 to min 1)
Boba Fett
Rep 5
Equip: HBA, Laser Carbine, Laser Pistol, Flamethrower, Vibro blades, Jet Pack
Skills: Crackshot (+1 1st shot), Brawler (3k2), Combat Artist (!<1d6), Resiliant (1st OOF => KD), Nerves of Steel (No Fear), Hard as Nails (1st OD => KD), Wary (+1d6 In Sight)
REBEL REPUBLIC (PDF QRS):
Rebels:
Leader: 1-2 Rep 3, 3-5 Rep 4, 5 Rep 5
Squad: 1-4 Rep 3, 5-6 Rep 4
Equip: Soft Body Armor, Laser pistolCarbines/RF Laser Rifles
Rebel Stars:
Luke Skywalker
Rep 4
Equip: SBA, Laser Carbine
Skills: Agile (no Fast Move mod), Resiliant (1st OOF => KD)
Princess Leia
Rep 4
Equip: SBA, Laser Pistol
Skills: Born Leader (all 2" do as she does), Runt (-1 Rep in melee), Stealthy (cannot be seen >12" if motionless in cover. Multiple dice ranged weapons -1d6 to min 1)
Han Solo
Rep 5
Equip: SBA, RF Laser Pistol
Skills: Crackshot (+1 1st shot), Wary (+1d6 In Sight)
Chewbacca
Rep 5
Equip: SBA, Laser Carbine
Skills: Brawler (3k2), Combat Artist (!< 1d6)
R2D2
Rep 4
Equip: HBA
Skills: Slow (-2" move), Cold as Ice (never outgunned)
C3P0
Rep 4
Equip: HBA
Skills: Slow (-2" move)
Obi-Wan Kenobi
Rep 6
Equip: SBA, Lightsabre
Skills: Wary (+1d6 In Sight), Resiliant (1st OOF => KD), Nerves of Steel (No Fear), Hard as Nails (1st OD => KD), Knifeman (+1d6 w/ LS), Born Leader (all 2" do as he does)
WEAPONS
Basic Weapon Range Targets SB HB AB REF DIS SHIM EXO BTA
Imp. Blaster 24 2 4 3 Sp Sp Sp 4 2 1
Imp. Rifle 48 3 4 3 Sp Sp Sp 4 2 1
Reb. Blaster 18 2 4 3 Sp Sp Sp 4 2 1
Reb. Rifle 36 3 4 3 Sp Sp Sp 4 2 1
Laser Carbine 24 2 4 3 Sp Sp Sp 4 2 1
Laser Pistol 12 1 4 3 Sp Sp Sp 4 2 1
RF Las. Pistol 12 2 4 3 Sp Sp Sp 4 2 1Melee Weapon Range Targets None SB HB AB REF DIS SHIM EXO BTA
Unarmed X 1 2 1 0 0 1 2 0 NE NE
Lightsabre X 1 6 5 4 5 5 5 5 3 2
Vibroblade X 1 4 3 1 1 3 4 1 NE NE
Jet Pack: Characters with a Jet Pack may, instead of moving normally, make an aerial move of up to 12". The character counts as Fast Moving.
Jedi Defense: Jedi are consider to have Jedi Defense in their ability to block and deflect shots with their lightsabre. Whenever a shot hits a Jedi, roll a d6. On 1-Rep, the shot is blocked and there is no further affect. In addition, Rep 5 Jedi may deflect the shot back at the attacker (out to 12") at -1 Rep, and Rep 6+ Jedi may deflect the shot at anyone (out to 12") at -1 Rep. If Rep 6+ Jedi do not have their lightsabre, they may still block shots but may not deflect shots. Yes, this means you can not shoot a Rep 6+ Jedi. If the Jedi fails to block the shot, roll as normal for whatever type of armor he is wearing (usually, SBA)
Jedi Force Push: May attack any person or object within 12". Roll a 2d6 vs. the Jedi's Rep and consult the Jedi Force Push Table:
Jedi Force Push modifiers:
Rep - 1: Target is object larger than Jedi (machinery, etc...)
Rep - 2: Target is object much larger than Jedi (X-Wing, etc...)Jedi Force Push Table:
Pass 2d6: Target knocked back (see distance table) and knocked down.
Pass 1d6: If Target's Rep is less than Jedi's, target is knocked
back (see distance table) and knocked down; otherwise,
no effect. If target is an object is larger than the
Jedi, no effect; otherwise, object is knocked back d6"
and knocked down, if applicable.
Pass 0d6: No effect.Jedi Force Push Distance Table:
Tiny Object (blaster, lightsabre, etc...): 12"
Small Object (Astromech droid, etc...): 10"
Medium Object (Humans, Wookie, etc...): 6"
Large Object (Speeder, large machinery, etc...): 4"
Very Large Object (X-Wing, etc...): 2"
If the object being pushed is another Jedi, the target Jedi may oppose the push. Both Jedi roll 2d6 vs. their Rep.
Opposed Jedi Push Table:
Wins by 2d6: Other Jedi pushed as normal.
Wins by 1d6: Other Jedi pushed half distance, not knocked down.
Wins by 0d6: No effect.
If the object strikes a model, make a Melee attack at Rep 2 for tiny, Rep 3 for Small, Rep 4 for Medium, Rep 5 for Large and Rep 6 for Very Large. The object passes directly through the target model whichever one wins melee. The object may only attack a single model.
Jedi Save: If a Jedi is forced over an edge, roll on the Jedi save table to see if they can grab the edge at the last minute.
Jedi Save Table:
Pass 2d6: Grabs edge and flips back up. Place standing at edge.
Pass 1d6: Grabs ledge but is hanging by a hand. Counts as prone.
Pass 0d6: Unable to grab the ledge.
Falling damage: Treat as a melee attack with an Impact of the distance fallen -2. For example, a character falling seven inches would roll on the Melee Damage table as though they had been struck by an Impact 5 weapon. Rep 6+ Jedi take no damage from falling any distance.
Jedi Leap: Jedi may leap Rep inches in a straight line in any direction.
Here are some pictures from our 5150 Star Wars games last night. We're working on some rules we'll put out soon.
Game one, with the Rebels with just pistols, which I was assured was correct but which left the Rebels hideously outgunned (12" range vs. 24" for the Stormtroopers meant just about any time the Rebels were shot at, they Ducked Back). The Stars, since they couldn't really get any supporting fire, just got creamed in a two way crossfire.
In the second game, we gave the Rebels a 24" range (although I think we'll just do custom weapons and give them an 18" range). It went much better. We also closed down a couple of very open fire lanes. The Rebels were able to keep the Stormtroopers heads down (making a squad run away in the first turn and flee the table on their Recovery attempt!) The stormtroopes just didn't have much luck this game...one tried to throw a thermal detanator around a corner, fumbled it, and Obviously Deaded his squad leader!
A buddy and I had a quick little pick up game last night. We decided to try out Two Hour Wargames new Sci-Fi rules, 5150.
I'm not a THW rules expert, although I've fooled around with some of their older games like Chain Reaction and Muskets & Mohawks in the past. These rules are faily similar to Chain Reaction in their core mechanisms, but include a campaign system (something other THW rulesets have received a lot of praise for).
I am NOT one for lawyerly rules, and can't make it through three pages of most board (or, perhaps, BORED) games rule sets, but in the past, I have found THW rulesets to be too imprecise and poorly worded for me. I've had a hard time figuring out what the real intentions of the rules were, although I kept fooling around with them because there seemed to be some interesting concepts in the rules. 5150 is the best I have seen from them in this regard. They could still use some improvement, but I would call them of average clarity and after one quick read-through, I felt ready to try the rules. There was one subtle wording I found that I missed out on by reading the incredibly active Yahoo group (only inactive players make an In Sight test, a change from CR2).
We ran just two identical squads, a Rep 5 leader and four Rep 4 squaddies, all with Range 48" Targets 1 Impact 3 weapons. He ran figures from his Ratskins Necromunda gang, and I used my Superfigs G.U.A.R.D. Tac Team.
He immediately got three turns of unanswered movement, sending two squaddies up either flank and his leader up the middle. I finally got active, and shot up his left flank, taking one of his guys Out of the Fight, and leaving each of us with one figure Hunkered Down.
My Hunkered Down guy rallied, and I tried to finish his off but only drove him into the central building, where he Rallied and took up position in a high window. In the mean time, the guys on my right flank show up, shooting one of my squaddies out in the open. The Ratskins leader gets Knocked Down a couple of times, but is still okay.
I sprint for the central building and my leader gets Obviously Dead from the Ratskin in the window, and a lot of fire is exchanged, leaving him Hunkered Down.
One of my squaddies gets into the central building and makes it to the Hunkered Down ratskin. Reports differ on what happened next, but he wasn't heard from again. In the meantime, the Ratskin leader is behind the same building, waiting to make his move.
My squaddies have the front door covered, but the sneaky Ratskin leader Fast Moves through the back door and into combat! Unfortunately for him, he gets the worse of it. One of the last braves makes a move on my other squaddie, and goes down, too. The remaining Ratskins (or Ratskin) fail their morale and Go.
