Tabletop Wargames Builder. A universal rules system

[Denis Nazarets]

Tabletop Wargames Builder is expanding steadily and by now it includes rules, or "datacards", for almost 400 pieces of equipment such as weapons, enhancements and special issue gear. Today's spotlight is modern combat and sci-fi, detailing among else a wide array of customizable vehicle chassis so that you can build a profile for virtually any model you might have and include it into the game.

This is a two-part update, the first entry comprising rules on weapons, armour and equipment, and the second – on artillery and vehicles. Be sure to check out both.

For those who follow, the previous update got some minor changes and all the firearms and futuristic weapons now come as a single section.

Stay tuned for more news, and please support the TWB project.

[Denis Nazarets]

TWB is updated with the final portion of equipment: natural and bio weapons and armour. These cover virtually all the needs of an unstoppable alien/mutant horde and are capable of unleashing horrors you wouldn't want to see up close. Eviscerating the foe, bathing them in corrosive acid, turning into a mindless shell or, even better, into a walking time bomb of spores and pus. Not to mention bio adaptations that grant superhuman abilities to the host organism. Snapping pincers and a maw that can swallow armoured men whole are not enough? Turn your beast into a walking hive of ravenous pests, make it flying and invisible. As always, TWB allows for unprecedented level of customisation for all your models.

Still not enough?

Coming up starting with the next update is a multitude of skills and spells that will really spice things up with even more diverse tactics and tricks. Follow us on Patreon and support the project with your attention and donation so that the best quality gameplay and graphic content can keep coming. And most of all - enjoy Tabletop Wargames Builder. 

 
P.S. This month I'd also like to introduce a different project with gameplay lying somewhere between a strategy card game and a classic wargame. Check it out on my Patreon page as well. I'll be launching an IndieGoGo campaign to make this one so stay tuned for updates. Cheers!

[Denis Nazarets]

Chapter 14: Skills - the next cornerstone update for the TWB game system.

With the long-promised skills added to the list of options, no two regiments will be the same.  Unique combat training multiplies tactical diversity provided by gear. You can give everyone similar muskets but teach every regiment its own tricks, such as firing a volley that makes all but the stoutest rout in fear, specializing in storming hills and strongpoints, or redoubling their effort after suffering losses.

Below you will find some examples of how virtually the same class of troops can change their tactics and battlefield role based on skill selection:

Willem's Bolt Casters (Line infantry, move and fire 360°, destroys morale)
"- Once the duke's right flank is broken, send in the cavalry to pincer strike the middle...
- What if it doesn't break?
- It will. We've got Willem on the right."
Musket, Bayonet
Box Formation, Thunderous Volley

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Striped Jacks of Merrywinter (Shock troops, quick shots)
"Stay put for now. We wait for when the highborn pussies are fed up playing soldiers. Then the Stripes step in and show how things are done."
Musket, Broadsword
Snap Shot, Assault, Dynamic Entry

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11th Coastguard Veterans (Mobile, strike first, extra attacks)
"Did you know captain Whitemane just retired from privateering? Some malady or whatever. Sly old bastard caught the wind that His Majesty has dispatched the 11th."
Musket, Cutlass
Skirmish Formation, Reckless, Scarred Veterans

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His Reverence's Vigilant (Support/armoured melee)
"For our guardian angels to wield the devil's own weapon! Oh Lord, what other trials must we endure to prove our conviction!"
Musket, Longsword, Heavy Mail
Overwatch, Covering Fire

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Zephyr Dragoons (Versatile storm/hold ground, superior mobility)
"I heard the Emir was pompous and arrogant beyond measure, but to claim that he rules over the skies!"
Musket, Bardiche
Volley Fire, Relentless Charge, Drop Insertion (yep, they arrive on flying carpets)

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Doug's Barking Dogs (Devastating long range)
"If yar looking fer som reliable boys ta take a bite at the Lion's side, try seeking out Doug of North Barrows. Just watch yarself. Folks say, not olla 'is dogs are barking."
Musket, Broadsword
Concentrate, Snipe, Volley Fire

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Headtakers, the Hobgoblin Cadre (Fearless, versatile, cheap in points but limited control)
"Remember, you form up in ranks, hold the muskets with both hands, the hole pointing at the enemy. Then we pounce at them and bash some brains out."
Musket, Cleaver
Battle Rage, Heavy Handed

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Les Trois Mousquetaires (Fencing heroes)
"One for all and all for one!"
Musket, Foil, Duelling Dagger
Heroes, Seize Initiative, Teamwork, Blademasters

The same way as you grant the models their distinctive colours when painting your collection, you can fine-tune their tactics and playstyle to fit the background and your image of the regiment. Most peculiar variants are possible. A witch-hunting division within a knightly order, fighting in a very "unknightly" way of backstabbing and ambush to counter raw destructive power of magic? If you can imagine it – you can build it with TWB tools.

When it comes to gameplay diversity, TWB broadens your horizons more than any other wargaming system out there, and it’s just the top of the iceberg, getting bigger with every add-on.

Magic skills and a vast spell repertoire are coming with the next update, so stay tuned, and remember that your support is crucial to the project staying independent and getting more exciting goodies such as top of the line graphical content. Please join us on Patreon and tell your friends about this project.

Enjoy!

[Denis Nazarets]

After a longer-than-usual hiatus, I am back with a new update - Chapter 15: Magic and Spells!

With Magic unleashed, entire battalions of spellcasters arrive on the field to wreak destruction and mischief, raise protective bastions around allies and disintegrate formations in spectacular blasts. While arcane pyrotechnics may not be such big news (I mean, we already have tactical warheads and singularity cannons), the versatility of magic brings tactics to a whole new level.

TWB system encourages combining spells and skills to gain advantage where the enemy might not expect it. Specialize your spellcasters or increase their repertoire, add new effects to familiar spells.

Rust + Pyromancer = Smelt armour (on the wearer)
Force Arrow + Ice Mage + Replicate Spell = Torrent of ice shards
Force Bolt + Storm Caster + Replicate Spell = Chain lightning

A new set of magic skills allows to turn virtually any model into a spellcaster or build exactly the character you want to represent you in roleplay. Show the enemies a true nightmare on Elm Street by combining Sleep and Nightmare spells with Pyromancer skill and watching them die trapped in horrible visions, while burns and blisters cover their bodies.

A few more example builds:

Battle Mage + Fear + Beam of Light + Command = Gandalf style wizard
Battle Mage + Storm Caster + Force Ray (Sustained Lightning) + Hold = Sith Lord
Telekinesis + Barrier + Gravity = Mass Effect style psionic
Blood Mage + Weakness + Corpse Bomb + Raise Dead = Diablo 2 style necromancer
Spellslinger + Force Arrow + Paralyze = Hogwarts wizard

TWB is on par with any roleplaying game when it comes to the list of options available to your characters, but don't forget that all of it works nice and smooth when entire armies clash in a wargaming apocalypse. Attach spellcasters to mixed formations or field them in regiments of their own, create powerful warriors with a magic trick or two up their sleeves, experiment, and enjoy the freedom of TWB.

Support the project if you like it. Remember, you can help promote TWB on social media for it to achieve the ultimate goal - bring together all miniature collectors and give them common ground for unbound wargaming experience.

The project will also benefit a lot from your donations to remain top of the line among even pro game releases both in terms of gameplay and visual content. The game is currently developing at a steady pace, but community support will allow to bring in more of the highest quality book illustrations as well as miniature kit designs, counters, cards, templates and all kinds of extra goodies. Also, with enough supporters I'll be able to devote all of my time to making games and publish more content with shorter intervals.

[Denis Nazarets]

Hi, fellow wargamers. This update took a bit longer to prepare, but I dare say it was totally worth it. It is not about writing more but rather going through lots and lots of tests to balance out points and builds. And it's just grazing the surface.

The update is a complex one as I've looked through previous chapters and rebalanced a lot of weapons and gear after weighing them thoroughly against one another. We are not just moving towards realism and variety, but player-friendly rules and gameplay design.

First, you've got the new chapter: Models and Points. Part 1, covering periods from stone age to the great colonial empires. It provides you with a lot of options and examples to design and build a troop, a character or a faction to your liking.

Second, you get rebalanced weapons and equipment for the said periods - the tables in pdf format with all item profiles grouped together and easy to compare. Perfect for reference as well.

Third, I made a small change to the magic system which nevertheless massively overhauls the spellcasting mechanics in TWB, making it much more balanced and comfortable for the players. This change was a last moment decision, so I decided to exclude spellcasters from this update, but they'll appear in the next one along with an updated Magic chapter.

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What is there to look forward to in the coming months?

 1. Remaining builds and points for all tech levels up to the spacefaring age, including natural and bio weapons and mutations.
 2. Introduction of fantastic creatures, special racial abilities added to the lists and unique profiles for some of the most distinguished inhabitants of the fantasy and sci-fi worlds.
 3. Strategic orders, special missions, terrain, etc.
 4. A lot more of the stunning graphical content and page designs you've been complimenting so far, from me and our great artist. This last part really depends on your support of our work though - as I have to outsource the illustrations and perhaps attract more people to speed things up. It is with your donations that this independent freeware project can really shine.

Since I'm updating the book real time as I write it, I don't have much opportunity to go back to edit things or reorganize old-new content. Once I'm done with the bulk of it, I'll go through the entire thing again, implement minor updates, correct the wording, and group relevant sections together to improve navigation and integrity.
 
From this point on I'm also expecting a lot more feedback from you, on what content you'd like to see, what your experience with the open testing was like and more. Feel free to comment and contact me with your feedback and suggestions. Also don't forget to share the link with your friends. I look forward to hearing from you again soon. Cheers!