A few questions about BP and Special Agents

[Uncle Mike]

Getting here late...looks like all questions are answered?

[Anatoli]

Don't be too sure Mike   I think I start to grasp the "thinking" around it all.


15 Points is the backbone, and should be seen as your Treshold Unit. Whatever you add beyond that doesn't matter, as you will scale back to 15points all the time anyway.


What makes me confused is the long run campaign mode which I'm interested in, this would create difficulties for the Treshold Agent backbone to advance while they have outside help from additional agents/civilians and maybe a Special agent? While they need all that extra manpower if you want to play larger games than 15BP?


The rules as such I get, but the Build Point system and campaign mode - either it's a language barrier (doubt it), it being overly complicated or overly simple and I'm overthinking it.

[Uncle Mike]

Lots of guys starting out seem to have issues with Build Points vs. Base Points...not sure why.
Basically Threshold models and skills are Base Points...the base of the models profiles. Everything else: weapons and gear and special agents are Build Points.
Add the Base Points and Build Points together and you have Total BP, which the Lurker player builds his list in accordance to.
When you start you must be 15 Total BP (Base and Build).
Once you have had a death you may re-equip up to 15 Base Points...but may exceed this number through gaining skills and keeping guys alive. And may have as many Build Points as you like. You should be able to generate any list between 15 and 45ish Total BP no problem...just remember tons of gear and no skills won't do you much good...
The point cap on Base Points assures that at some point your Character will be maxed out with all his skills and no one to go with him on those crazy quests...he will then have to rely on Special Agents...or promotion...

Hope that helps...

[Sheerluck Holmes]

I wish I hadn't read this thread, because it has started to confuse even me   

 I think what is confusing people is the use of 'BP' for build points and base points.

So - Base Points = the cost of a character/agent/civilian

       Build Points are used to buy weapons/gear/ special agents.

       Skills can only be purchased by winning a scenario, which adds to BASE POINTS

For the FIRST GAME you can only have a total of 15 BASE and BUILD points.

AFTER the first game, you can spend BUILD points to your hears desire - which could be bad news if the lurker player has a lot of points to spend.

therefore - you can still add models to a Threshold list provided you have not spent 15 or more BASE POINTS.

 If a model dies and the removal of that model's BASE POINTS from the list gives you extra BASE POINTS to spare (i.e. the value of BASE POINTS drops below 15) you can add new models to the list, otherwise you can not add another model.

sorry for typing that out - I just needed to get it (back) into my head after reading this post 

[Anatoli]

Yep it did, thanks for taking the time Mike. I think the similarity between the name Base and Build Points when showed as BP creates the confusion. Maybe changing Base Points to Starting Points or Fixed Points to more clearly set them apart.

It may also be the way of thinking or the intention on how the Base Points should be used or increased. I think I finally know exactly how they are meant to work (or make a complete idiot out of myself) - the blockade in my mind was the lack of description how the campaign was increased in additional Build points in a natural way - thinking that the 15 points you got was the grand total of what you would ever get. It was honestly a completely unfamiliar way of thinking and I would never have had the idea of models being able to upgrade freely beyond the 15 initial points.

This created weird questions like "how can you gain a skill at +1 BP when you are already at 15 BP (maxed out?) etc.

As i said, this was a completely new approach, usually there is some Point increase as the campaign progresses , to make a Legends of the Old West comparison there is a set numer of experience points that increase over time and you are allowed to upgrade with skills every now and then.

Anyway, I think this is very interesting and look forward to starting a proper campaign with my buddies at the end of this month when they all order their rulebooks!


@Sheerluck Holmes, haha sorry but at least it's all clear for me - I see what I finaly understood was exactly what you wrote. I must honestly say that it is not perfectly clear in the rulebook as the example written there never exceeds 15 Base and Build Points.