Lead Adventure Forum

Miniatures Adventure => Future Wars => Topic started by: abhorsen950 on February 04, 2010, 07:41:15 PM

Title: Mecha Wargames
Post by: abhorsen950 on February 04, 2010, 07:41:15 PM
Any rules out there to play some good mecha on mecha wargames?

Thinking of using the AT 43 models for it.

Steve
Title: Re: Mecha Wargames
Post by: YPU on February 04, 2010, 08:35:50 PM
You could look at Mekton zeta, available from RPGnow/drivetroughRPG its mostly a RPG tough it has expansions that put it well into war-game territory.
It also has what I consider the best point build system that I know of in any system.
Title: Re: Mecha Wargames
Post by: Froggy the Great on February 04, 2010, 08:41:04 PM
Reaper's CAV is also a decent ruleset.
Title: Re: Mecha Wargames
Post by: DFlynSqrl on February 04, 2010, 08:51:56 PM
I second CAV.  Pretty fast play too.
Title: Re: Mecha Wargames
Post by: Glitzer on February 05, 2010, 06:58:16 AM
Mekton Zeta offers great variety, especially when you get it together with Mekton Zeta plus, where you'll get even more options
Title: Re: Mecha Wargames
Post by: YPU on February 05, 2010, 08:33:31 AM
Oh yea you do need zeta+
If you get the hang of the system you can make anything from hand laser pistols to orbital deathrays using the same table.
And then ofcourse there are normal projectile weapons, missiles and rockets and melee weapons of both normal and power variety (tough I don’t know how you would mount those on a space station)

Anyhow, I know quite a few mecha settings and all of them can be stated up perfectly in zeta.
Title: Re: Mecha Wargames
Post by: steders on February 05, 2010, 11:44:19 AM
I still haven't found a set I'm 100% happy with, for just mech on mech you could try Battletech, the light rules are free to download (I have found with the bigger mechs, its like playing bingo, all you do is colour in little boxes). Heavy Gear is an interesting looking set of rules and someone has already mentioned CAV.
I want to do Battletech in 1/72 with lots of tanks, mechs and infantry. I am considering using Future war commander.

Title: Re: Mecha Wargames
Post by: dijit on February 05, 2010, 11:45:51 AM
I still haven't found a set I'm 100% happy with, for just mech on mech you could try Battletech, the light rules are free to download (I have found with the bigger mechs, its like playing bingo, all you do is colour in little boxes). Heavy Gear is an interesting looking set of rules and someone has already mentioned CAV.
I want to do Battletech in 1/72 with lots of tanks, mechs and infantry. I am considering using Future war commander.


What mecha are there in that scale?
Title: Re: Mecha Wargames
Post by: steders on February 05, 2010, 12:01:12 PM
Not many, I've got quite a few proxys and I've used the 1/100 Destroid stuff rather than the 1/72 ones just because they don't take up so much room and they are cheaper. I've done some conversions as well to get 3 of my favourite battletech mechs. The tanks are just plastic kits, as are the infantry.
Ive got piccies somewhere
Title: Re: Mecha Wargames
Post by: steders on February 05, 2010, 12:13:11 PM
(http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i27/steders/various007.jpg)

(http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i27/steders/various015-1.jpg)

3 conversions waiting to be painted
(http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i27/steders/various152.jpg)
Title: Re: Mecha Wargames
Post by: dijit on February 05, 2010, 12:56:28 PM
 :o  :o amazing, do you have any links to the destroid stuff?
Title: Re: Mecha Wargames
Post by: Earther on February 05, 2010, 01:22:09 PM
Wow! ;D
Title: Re: Mecha Wargames
Post by: steders on February 05, 2010, 01:37:30 PM
:o  :o amazing, do you have any links to the destroid stuff?
The destroid stuff was from various ebay shops. There was one in particular who stopped dealing on ebay and has now set up a 'proper' shop. I'll find the link. He was based in Hong Kong and superb to deal with. Reasonable prices and fair shipping rates, very quick delivery.
Title: Re: Mecha Wargames
Post by: fourcolorfigs on February 05, 2010, 03:01:13 PM
Any chance I might get you to post a better pic of the Longbow/Spartan? It's the one with the missile pods for arms, and has always been my favorite Mech.

Are these all still in production and gettable from the Hong Kong shop?

Thanks!
Title: Re: Mecha Wargames
Post by: cheetor on February 05, 2010, 03:13:55 PM

 :-*

Those big mechs look great.  Do you have any photos of Battletech tables with terrain in that scale?

Cool stuff.
Title: Re: Mecha Wargames
Post by: abhorsen950 on February 05, 2010, 04:09:48 PM
Cheers guys ill look into some of your reccomendations
Title: Re: Mecha Wargames
Post by: Cosmotiger on February 05, 2010, 04:31:43 PM
Any chance I might get you to post a better pic of the Longbow/Spartan? It's the one with the missile pods for arms, and has always been my favorite Mech.

It's available at Hobbylink Japan:
http://www.hlj.com/product/BAN953436 (http://www.hlj.com/product/BAN953436)
Title: Re: Mecha Wargames
Post by: fourcolorfigs on February 05, 2010, 08:22:30 PM
I'm glad the one I like is available, but I cannot seem to find any of the others. I did find the Marauder and Warhammer kits, but they're listed out of stock. Too bad.
Title: Re: Mecha Wargames
Post by: Cosmotiger on February 05, 2010, 09:47:49 PM
Patience, grasshopper.  All Japanese mecha kits come back into production someday.
Title: Re: Mecha Wargames
Post by: Smith on February 06, 2010, 03:30:09 PM
There's also Wardogs from Majestic 12 Games: http://www.mj12games.com/wardogs/mjg1301.html

Not played it, but it's meant to be pretty versatile, and has a mech creation system that can handle pretty much anything.
Title: Re: Mecha Wargames
Post by: fourcolorfigs on February 06, 2010, 07:26:04 PM
Patience, grasshopper.  All Japanese mecha kits come back into production someday.

Got it! I'll keep a watch!  :)
Title: Re: Mecha Wargames
Post by: Cosmotiger on February 06, 2010, 07:48:06 PM
I would suggest scanning HLJ periodically.  Many of the old kits do come back into production.  Often it has to do with a 10 year anniversary of the TV series they were based on, or a new movie realease, etc.  No guarantees, but I've collected some old Gundam and Yamato kits that way.  Easier than eBay.
Title: Re: Mecha Wargames
Post by: steders on February 12, 2010, 12:52:29 PM
http://www.hobbyxstyle.com/EN/ItemListing.asp?MCid=21&SCid=0&StoreID=1 (http://www.hobbyxstyle.com/EN/ItemListing.asp?MCid=21&SCid=0&StoreID=1)

This was the bunch I used to deal with on ebay, I haven't bought anything from them since they stopped dealing through ebay. The chap I used to swop emails with was spot on and gave me some great 'frequent buyer' postage rates!
Title: Re: Mecha Wargames
Post by: Viper on February 12, 2010, 04:23:41 PM
I've always been a huge mech fan, but I've always tended towards the more military/"realistic" styles of the likes of battletech/mechwarrior, some heavygear and possibly armoured core.

The only models I've ever really liked were the 28mm scale armourcast ones, which were huge and are sadly no longer avaliable.

The Battletech miniatures for the wargame are too small a scale really for me to like, I would love it if there were BT models of a size similar to the HeavyGear stuff so there was more detail.

I think the best example of the style I like has been the Critical Mass Games 15mm walker, as shown off brilliantly by Vulture, I just wish they had some more styles so I could play an entire game using only them, perhaps I'll just go for conversions to make 2 forces look different.

They are big enough to be incredibly detailed, but also small enough to still be at a great price, and they fit my liking for military style rather than over the top anime style.
 :)
Title: Re: Mecha Wargames
Post by: steders on February 12, 2010, 04:39:01 PM

The only models I've ever really liked were the 28mm scale armourcast ones, which were huge and are sadly no longer avaliable.

I got some of those before they went out of production, really lovely. It was whilst building all the various kits I had a moment of realisation/clarity, which was 'We're going to need a bigger table'. The next option was reducing the scale of the mechs and so I moved down to 1/72
Title: Re: Mecha Wargames
Post by: Viper on February 12, 2010, 07:05:17 PM
Hahaha, yeah I think it was on another forum I was talking with someone about Battletech and how I'd love it if the models were slightly bigger and more detailed.
 
The person was like...yeah it would be cool model wise, but to use the BTech rules you would need to scale up the size of the battlefield by the same level as you scaled up the model.
 :?

Considering even a lance vs lance fight, 4 mechs each, usually gets played on a 4x4 board atleast, the battlefield size starts getting a bit silly.
 :)
Title: Re: Mecha Wargames
Post by: steders on February 14, 2010, 02:53:00 PM
:-*

Those big mechs look great.  Do you have any photos of Battletech tables with terrain in that scale?

Cool stuff.
Played a game today with my son
(http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i27/steders/Picture195.jpg)

(http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i27/steders/Picture197.jpg)
Title: Re: Mecha Wargames
Post by: Vinlander on February 14, 2010, 04:29:25 PM
This is looking awesome!  :-* I've wanted to do something like this for a while but its really hard to find mecha kits here.

How big a space did you play on?
Title: Re: Mecha Wargames
Post by: steders on February 16, 2010, 12:25:43 PM
How big a space did you play on?
Just 1.5m by 1.5m, but I'm lucky in that I have the space to extend the table to 2m by 2.8m. I just need to build the frame work!
Title: Re: Mecha Wargames
Post by: cheetor on February 16, 2010, 02:51:51 PM
Played a game today with my son

That looks cool, thanks for putting up the photos.

What did you use for the buildings?

Title: Re: Mecha Wargames
Post by: steders on February 17, 2010, 08:46:08 AM
What did you use for the buildings?
I needed something really quick so I used the display boxes that the likes of Dragon Armour come in. I took the base and stuck it on the roof. Primed them grey, put masking tape on and sprayed black all over. Then just peeled the masking tape off.
Title: Re: Mecha Wargames
Post by: abhorsen950 on February 17, 2010, 09:57:56 AM
Steders thanks for sharing the figures and game looked ace!! Glad this thread has become a growing interest in the mecha genre.


Steve
Title: Re: Mecha Wargames
Post by: cheetor on February 17, 2010, 12:12:54 PM
I needed something really quick

They look fine.  I mean obviously they could do with some more work but if time is short the important thing is to have enough stuff to get the game played.

I think that most peoples terrain collections are in a constant state of upgrade and renewal.  Mine certainly is.

Thanks for the info.
Title: Re: Mecha Wargames
Post by: The Rock on February 17, 2010, 12:24:55 PM
Nice mecha
Title: Re: Mecha Wargames
Post by: steders on February 17, 2010, 12:31:42 PM
They look fine.  I mean obviously they could do with some more work but if time is short the important thing is to have enough stuff to get the game played.
Thanks, I know they need more work, I'm just not sure where to go next with them! Maybe highlight the 'windows' and some fire exit signs.
I might make a plaza to put them on, just a base board with foot paths and some basic street furniture.

Title: Re: Mecha Wargames
Post by: grubman on March 22, 2010, 01:24:43 AM
Reaper's CAV is also a decent ruleset.

I second CAV.  Pretty fast play too.

Any chance for a more in-depth opinions on why its fun?  I've been debating giving this game a shot, but the initial investment is going to be fairly large, so I'd like to hear some good (and bad) points if you have the time.

Thanks.