Blasters and Bulkheads

[dijit]

http://wargamedownloads.com/item.php?item=983&pics=2
Seen that Four Color figs has released a sci fi variation of it's goal system - Blasters & Bulkheads. Had a quick read through it and it seems solid enough and typical of much of Scot's Goal System stuff, though maybe could do with a larger armoury and quartermasters store and henchmen groups that didn't have to be in so large groups as a minimum of 5.
We're thinking of using it for our games of 28mm sci-fi space opera, with a few home mods. Anyone else out there looking at it?
Duncan

[fourcolorfigs]

Thanks for bringing this up!

You can certainly tinker with the Henchmen rules to your taste. For example, buy a group of 6 Henchmen, but use only 3 models and have each of them count as 2 Vitality pts. worth of guys.  Just keep track of odd hits with a die or some other marker.

Hope this helps!

Scott

[dijit]

Thanks for bringing this up!

You can certainly tinker with the Henchmen rules to your taste. For example, buy a group of 6 Henchmen, but use only 3 models and have each of them count as 2 Vitality pts. worth of guys.  Just keep track of odd hits with a die or some other marker.

Hope this helps!

Scott

That's pretty much what we were thinking. It's seems one of the great things with your system it's so very easy to modify.

[Torben]

Yes, it is definately the best yet in my opinion! It had me so jazzed up that I've actually gotten som miniatures painted this year!

I'm sort of wondering how to cost the henchmen groups tho'. If we assume they're humans, then a group of five - as far as I understood - cost 1 pt; the same as a human character would cost. So, how do you go about the odd numbered guys?

[dijit]

Yes, it is definately the best yet in my opinion! It had me so jazzed up that I've actually gotten som miniatures painted this year!

I'm sort of wondering how to cost the henchmen groups tho'. If we assume they're humans, then a group of five - as far as I understood - cost 1 pt; the same as a human character would cost. So, how do you go about the odd numbered guys?

Been wondering the same thing here.

[Chief Lackey Rich]

You pay for race cost independent of how whether the "character" is an individual or henchman group (which you actually decide later, when choosing a stat array) and the cost has nothing to do with how many henchies there are - it's the same with 5 guys as it is with 20.  Each extra 5 warm bodies in a henchgroup costs 3 points, but that cost doesn't vary regardless of species.  It's pretty much the same mechanic as buying equipment for them - you only have to pay for one blaster no matter how many henchies there are in the group - same applies to background traits, skills, traits, etc.  The whole group is like one model during character creation.

The advantages of having an expensive race (or gear, trait, whatever) for your big 20-man mob is offset by their severe limitations against heroes (max 2 vitality loss per hit is pretty horrid), generally weaker basic stats (since they can't customize and their resolve stinks), and increased vulnerability to radius weapons.

Now, if you're wondering about mixed-race henchgroups, that weirdly never came up during playtest AFAIK.  My advice would be to to just give them Extra Fate for 1 point.  That makes them all effectively funny-looking humans, which is very appropriate for space opera - in some cases, you can probably even see the zippers on the costumes.