Rex - Relative Combat System

[elThyge]

Through the play test phase I will try to set the basics for a mission system. The first is the end phase of a classic extraction mission. The attacker force starts 3/4 in on the table and need to reach and cross the defenders end of the table for safety. This is also the basis for a Breakout mission, but the Extraction includes a model who has to be protected.

The mission is played on a 120x120cm table. 3/4 of the table is ligthly wooded, (U&D will be established while playing).

The defender and attacker set up their models at the corresponding entry point. An entry zone is a 10cm radius from the entry point. Defender always has the first move.

Reinforcements:
As the game developes the defender has the option to bring in reinforcements at the defender reinforcement points. At first the attacker can only use the reinforcement point furthest from his own entry point. As soon as the last attacker model has left his own half of the table the two secondary reinforcement points come into play.

I have not set any given number to the reinforcements. As a rule I think they will pop up at the rate the original defender models are OOC or Killed. Besides there will be some extra models in the reinforcements. The number and type of reinforcement will be discussed between the players - how many or few models will in any given situation make the game more dramatic and more fun.

Background: The extraction of Paul von Furtzheim, 1936 Louisiana.



A small force of chilean sailors has been sent to Louisiana to retrieve the scientist Paul von Furtzheim. A german immigrant who has been spying on the progress in a military laboratory. After a short firefight at the laboratory the force is now aiming to reach the coast and board a submarine waiting for them.

Chilean Sailor: BE 0, UAD Riffle.

Chilean officer: BE +1, UAD Pistol/Hero/Wound(1)

Paul von Furtzheim: BE 0, UAD Pistol/Wound(1)



Alarmed by the firefight the National Guard has been called up to hinder their escape.

National Guard soldier: BE 0, UAD Riffle/Reservist.

National Guard officer: BE +1, UAD Pistol/Hero/Wound(1)



Many civilians have followed the National Guard trying to help them comb the woods.

Civilians: BE -1, UAD Civilian/Pistol, riffle or no weapons.

The civilians are not effective in combat, but by grouping them with National Guard models, you increase the number of command dice gaining more control.

And now on to the play test. See if theory holds up to reality.

[Spicker]

Looking good!

It will be fun to get to try out the game tonight.

[elThyge]

Well, the short version. The first playtest went surprisingly good. There was only one instance of a situation I had not counted for. In the move between second and third action a model was hit by reaction fire and took a shaken marker. If we applied the result here and now, the model would not get his third action. We chose to let the model finish his move. Had it been an OOC or Kill the model would have stopped where it was.



And now it is time for pictures. The first turn with the National Guard opening the game.



The chilean force preparing to recieve any threats to their back.



I did not plan to make a full account of the battle, so I did not take any notes. As I remember it, this is the beginning of turn 2 with the first casualty on the National Guard side.



From the beginning Paul von Furtzheim had his own personal bodyguard.



From the end of the encounter. Von Furtzheim and the chilean officer trying to get to safety behind a small screen of sailors.



The end result on the scoreboard. The total advance of the scientist was 70cm. He did not escape and a lot of chilean sailors ended up in captivity. Though costly the victory must go to the National Guard: 3 Killed and a long stay at the hospital for a further 5 soldiers including the officer. The scoreboard does not present the complete end result, as we did not have time to present the shaken and ok status of the two forces.

We quickly found out that it was a mistake to put reinforcements in as early as turn 1. With not enough cover the chilean rear guard was doomed, (especially when they started to fail all their saves).

From first die roll to the end the game lasted something like 90 minutes.

All in all the test went very well, and I now believe I can have ReX ready for an official representation at this years Horisont in Esbjerg, Denmark.

[elThyge]

Well, it has been a busy week. I wanted to see how long it would take me to paint up a 10 man squad for some WWII-gaming. My focus will in the following period be on establishing the rules based on WWII instead of my alternate history setting. From here I plan to paint a russion squad and will try to put in time to paint the other major powers. It is more than thirty years ago that I played with my first toy soldiers, collecting and painting as well as I could over the next couple of years. Now all those years later it seems that I will finally be able to have a small collection of painted miniatures based on nations and units from WWII.



Now, I am the type of person who has difficulty keeping my focus, and I could not keep to painting alone. I had another testgame and found the rules are beginning to have the right feel to them. Though I guess there will be further changes.

I have compiled the rules in a readable and playable form. Download is available here:

http://uploading.com/files/get/e26m46d2/ReX%2Brules%2BMS10.doc



I am also working on a way to mark the entry points on the board. I plan to make small vignettes with some story in them. I have an amercian marker almost done, while this german one still need some work.

[elThyge]

And the first entry point markers are ready.



To show how the miniatures would look like if I stopped after step three with two simple steps for the skin.



And I forgot to show you that I have painted the miniatures for some Monster gaming including a upgrade/repaint of the police soldiers.

[elThyge]

And with the Russians done I am of to Horisont in Esbjerg. The official presentation of REX - relative combat system.



PDF preview.

[elThyge]

I got to test REX skirmish WWII at this years Horisont in Esbjerg. It was only three games, but if you see some of pictures, you will realise the "competition" REX was up against. Only af small sample, but enough to give me a feeling of REX. I had set the game up as a small skirmish between two forces of each five models. This was enough to give an impression of the game, but within a time limit of one hour.

All in all it was a positive experience. I had bought d3's for the test, and it seemed to have an imediate impact in making it more clear to the players, how many action points they had to allocate. I had also made some simple "pointers": a 30 mm bamboo grillspear marked in 10 cm intervals. They made the movement and measuring easier.

I had one remark, that the game was very simple, (a simplicity that other players found relaxing). But as I understand, that changed when his forces came under stress with shaken markers building up forcing him to prioritise with who to attack and who to move to safety and give some rest.

Learning the game appeared very easy. I had Spicker, who knows the rules, to help me in one game. Another I helped during the first turns up till the first shooting had happened. For the rest of the game I kept very quit assisting now and then. I even went for a coffee and had a chat with someone, loosing track of time and hurrying back to assist. In the last testgame one of the former players came back with a friend, and they played without any help. From this my experience tells me, that the game can be learned in a one hour game and then be passed on to a new player. Very promising.

There might be a some silence about REX in the time to come, but I will return as I put some finish on the game. I also want to explore an idea to a steampunk teamgame based on REX, (lets be honest - a steampunk Blood Bowl, but without all the Fantasy creatures).

In the short words of a great philospoher: I'll be back!

[Dr. The Viking]

Brilliant painting you're putting up here!