Tell me about Gruntz, please!

[baldlea]

Have a look at the units that people have set up in the Gruntomatic. We find that a game of about 200 points is about right.

http://www.gruntomatic.com/gom/list/all/

[YPU]

TBH while I want to like grunts I found the dice mechanism tedious, you do not only need to roll those paired 2d6 for hitting, but also for damage, exactly like Warmachine. Even with colour paired dice it just took so long to work trough units shooting that way. In addition the point system is less than perfect. Nothing a fair group couldn't work around but something to keep in mind. If you are on the lookout for FAD, fast and dirty, which is free online and very good in my opinion. Shooting with an entire unit is done with a single 2d6 roll with a lot of modifiers, I prefer math of checking a bunch of dice apparently. 

[mellis1644]

I have been wondering if the just released Conflict '47 could be morphed with ease into a more generic Sci-fi rules set for what I want to play... Especially for 15mm. I likely will pick it up for that vs. the weird ww2. Yes you change the background but the core rules set is likely very solid for this.

[nheastvan]

I've played my share of 40k games using Bolt Action + House rules, so I think it'll work just fine.

As for Gruntz and it's figures shooting figures with two rolls per attack, it's definitely better for a reinforced platoon or so size game than a company.  I've been playing Warmachine for a while so I'm used to the mechanic.

[julesav]

Could you use D12s for rolls instead of 2d6? It'd be a little more random but not that much.

[Ragnar]

I think so.  Most of the time you are doing opposed rolls anyway.

[Sangennaru]

I might sound harsh, but i really am disappointed and disturbed by Gruntz:

Although the manual is very well written, i think that amongts the three main pillars of a game for me (such as activation system, combat system and point system) not much has been done:

- The combat system is exactely as in Warmachine. Considering that it is not clearly stated and the manual costs 15$, i felt a little tricked.
- The activation system is IGOUGO. Very well, he then proposed a better system, but this requires to buy specific cards - not included in the manual - and it's not a revolutionary system. It is, in fact, pretty similar to several other games.
- At this point, one would expect that the biggest work was made on the point system. Well, here i can only talk personally, but i had very bad experiences while playing with generated units. To be kind, the system needs to be used wisely to avoid overpowered units. To be honest, it's pretty much broken. Take it more as an indication rather than a solid system.

Could you use D12s for rolls instead of 2d6? It'd be a little more random but not that much.

That would really change the statistics of the game. Mostly, troops will be easier to hit. But at least that'll solve the two-dices issue.


Long story short: It's a standard-vanilla game with more claims than others. There are several better around, cleaner and as simple, as this one. That's my 2 cents.

[YPU]

[Snip]

I was wondering when you would be along with something like that. We have always agreed on this topic, though I end up with sad silent disappointment mostly.

[Sangennaru]

I was wondering when you would be along with something like that. We have always agreed on this topic, though I end up with sad silent disappointment mostly.

Well, I tend to keep my disappointment silent for things i haven't paid for.

[baldlea]

Our group has played a lot of Gruntz but we have a string of house rules to address holes in what has been published and, as has been said, we have to be wary of overpowered forces...even accidental ones.

We have enjoyed the simplicity of system but hoped that Robin would keep taking input from players and refining things. Robin seems to have vanished from the forum and there have been no further updates.

[Hobby Services]

Our group has played a lot of Gruntz but we have a string of house rules to address holes in what has been published and, as has been said, we have to be wary of overpowered forces...even accidental ones.

We have enjoyed the simplicity of system but hoped that Robin would keep taking input from players and refining things. Robin seems to have vanished from the forum and there have been no further updates.

To be fair, I suspect he's a bit distracted by Imperial Skies.  That must be eating up quite a bit of his time and effort now that KS fulfillment is in the works.  I know Brigade (who's doing the casting) is kind of swamped between IS and the Age of Tyrants buildings.

So, maybe he'll get back to Gruntz afterward?

[baldlea]

To be fair, I suspect he's a bit distracted by Imperial Skies

...

So, maybe he'll get back to Gruntz afterward?

That's fair enough but it seems like a shame. I remember when the Gruntz forum was quite lively as people taking the plunge with 15mm sci fi found the game. Well before Imperial Skies, Robin had asked us to send in errata and suggestions for him to collate but he did nothing with it then moved on to IS.

I'm not knocking him as it's completely up to him (and he seems to be looking after his KS backers). Just a shame as many of the rules holes were never plugged and the army builders never refined.

We still pick it up from time to time, though, as it's easy to set up and flexible for narrative games and weird scenarios.