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Epic 'Microgeddon' (?!) |
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Markconz
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Post subject: Epic 'Microgeddon' (?!)  Posted: Thu Dec 20, 2007 9:52 am |
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| Purestrain |
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Joined: Mon Jul 28, 2003 10:43 pm
Posts: 7925
Location: New Zealand
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Here?s a crazy idea. Playing Epic on a 2x3 foot board (60x90cm). I was originally going to do this halfscale epic using some tokens, to race through some theoretical Tyranid playtest situations quickly without having to move from my seat (more like a boardgame than a tabletop wargame in other words). Then I figured, wait a minute, this might actually work with the figures themselves with a couple of extra mods, and the figures themselves would probably be easily recognisable in a webphoto. Madness? Quite probably 
The Concept: Think Epic at 3mm scale rather than 6mm, but still using the 6mm figures. The main principle is to simply halve all measurements, but with a couple of exceptions:
FORMATIONS AND COHERENCY: All units in a formation must touch another unit in that formation. An exception is that Scout formations may have a 3cm coherency and unbased vehicles may have a 1cm unit coherency. Warmachines have a coherency of 1cm x Damage Capacity. Note these coherency distances are reduced below half of the actual distance. This is because the size of the models should theoretically be halved at this scale (3mm models) but this is not practically possible. Therefore to counteract this factor coherency distances are reduced instead. Zones of control are 2.5 cm (1 inch). Formations are intermingled only if touching. A unit must be within 7.5cm (3 inches) of the centre of an objective to capture/contest it.
BARRAGES: instead of the blast template, use a 3cm diameter template (a normal GW flying base is the right size and has a convenient handle.) This size gives results that feel approximately correct. For ordnance use the larger GW flying base (and I?d use it for the flame as well probably, just placed in contact with the firer).
I ran through a game to see if it works and it seems to... with a couple of pros and cons.
Pros: Can identify units easily in the photos, and can play fast without moving from seat?
Cons: Troops bunching up in very dense formations cannot be simulated easily, and single unit formations take up more space than they should. However, given the latitude in EA base sizes (eg 20mm to 40mm for infantry), these are not necessarily large problems perhaps. Also, games look a bit weird with everything formed up in close formation? Probably other factors I haven't considered yet too.
Anyway here?s a game I just ran through for your consideration. Scions vs Biel Tan.
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Markconz
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Post subject: Epic 'Microgeddon' (?!) Posted: Thu Dec 20, 2007 11:04 am |
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| Purestrain |
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Joined: Mon Jul 28, 2003 10:43 pm
Posts: 7925
Location: New Zealand
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Using EA Handbook 2008, and Scions of Iron 1.3 list.
Biel Tan
-Avatar
-Wraithgate
-Aspects, 2 Fire Dragon, 2 Dire Avenger, 4 Scorpions incl Exarch and Autarch, 4 Wave Serpents
-Revenants
-Cobra
-Guardians, 3 HW platforms, 2 Wraithguard
-Shields, 3 Nightspinners
-Swords, 2 Falcons, 1 Firestorm, 3 Fire Prisms
-Swords, 5 Falcons, 1 Firestorm
-4 Jetbikes, 2 Vypers
-6 Rangers
Scions of Iron
-Tactical A, Preds.
-Tactical B, Preds, Hunter
-Landraider
-Helios, SC
-Preds, Hunter
-Whirlwinds
-Warhound
-T-hawk CAS
-Thunderbolts
(all preds were annihilators)
SETUP: As below, Eldar Rangers garrisoned, jetbikes and guardians offboard. Wraithgate is the central eldar objective (black rectangle shapes). Most units should be fairly obvious, despite everything including the trees being green...
(Edit - ok will finish this tomorrow cos it's late now... apols!)
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CyberShadow
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Post subject: Epic 'Microgeddon' (?!) Posted: Thu Dec 20, 2007 12:17 pm |
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| Swarm Tyrant |
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Joined: Thu Jan 02, 2003 6:22 pm
Posts: 9348
Location: Singapore
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Not a bad idea. Personally, I would represent a single unit of infantry with just one figure. Vehicles are more difficult.
_________________ https://www.cybershadow.ninja - A brief look into my twisted world, including wargames and beyond. https://www.net-armageddon.org - The official NetEA (Epic Armageddon) site and resource.
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Chroma
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Post subject: Epic 'Microgeddon' (?!) Posted: Thu Dec 20, 2007 2:12 pm |
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| Brood Brother |
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Joined: Fri Jun 24, 2005 3:06 pm
Posts: 9684
Location: Montréal, QC, Canada
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Very neat idea! I look forward to seeing the game results!
_________________
"EPIC: Total War" Lead Developer
Now living in Boston... any EPIC players want to meet up?
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Dave
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Post subject: Epic 'Microgeddon' (?!) Posted: Thu Dec 20, 2007 4:23 pm |
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| Hybrid |
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Joined: Sat Feb 17, 2007 11:25 pm
Posts: 9525
Location: Worcester, MA
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Neat idea.
I've played quite a few games on 2x3 and 3x4 boards. This due to lack of figures at the time or by choice. I've found that 1K games for 2x3 boards and 2K games for 3x4 boards are kind of your limits. They make for fun games though, especially when you have objectives like those in the training scenarios or don't have a lot of time.
Those are MicroTac buildings are they not? From GZG?
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zombocom
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Post subject: Epic 'Microgeddon' (?!) Posted: Fri Dec 21, 2007 12:42 am |
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| Brood Brother |
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Joined: Fri Apr 20, 2007 1:49 am
Posts: 5569
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Reminds me a little of E&C's 2006 Golden Daemon entry.
40k in 40cm
Epic models, magnetized on a metal board, magnetic terrain, a very small ruler and even smaller templates.
A fully playable game of 40k, just 5 times smaller. We played it on the bus up to games day.
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Markconz
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Post subject: Epic 'Microgeddon' (?!) Posted: Fri Dec 21, 2007 1:59 am |
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| Purestrain |
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Joined: Mon Jul 28, 2003 10:43 pm
Posts: 7925
Location: New Zealand
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Turn 4
Starting Positions as above.
Avatar summoned as close to Warhound as possible...
Eldar win SR again!
-Revenants sustain fire and wipe out TacB.
-Aspects engage and wipe out Whirlwinds.
-Prisms double and shoot Landraiders placing a BM.
-Warhound keeps holding blitz, turns around and guns down 2 of guardian formation.
-Landraiders move and shoot Jetbikes placing a BM.
-Guardians try to double, fail, SC reroll fail again and break, fleeing to a nearby building.
-T-Hawk ground attacks Aspects destroying 2 Wave Serpents.
-T-bolts ground attack Aspects placing a BM.
-Jetbikes engage Landraiders wiping them out with support fire from Aspects, and then hit and running back to their objective...
Avatar engages the Warhound in a firefight - both take a point of damage, a critical on the Warhound sees it stumble towards the Avatar (roll of 1 = 0.5cm) losing the blitz capture! Small consolation that it wins the firefight...
End of turn... Scions have only their aircraft and a Warhound left.
Eldar win 3-0. Blitzkrieg, Take and Hold, Break their Spirit.
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Markconz
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Post subject: Epic 'Microgeddon' (?!) Posted: Fri Dec 21, 2007 2:33 am |
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| Purestrain |
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Joined: Mon Jul 28, 2003 10:43 pm
Posts: 7925
Location: New Zealand
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Conclusion
Well the Eldar had a good deal of luck (and cheated a little), but still I was surprised at how much the battle swung. The rush of Scions armour looked unstoppable early on, with burning grav tanks everywhere. The Eldar really came back in the last two turns helped in no small part by a winning streak of 3 Strategy rolls in a row(!), and failing very few initiative checks. The Leader on Revenants is very powerful too. Scions list is fun, though naturally is quite vulnerable to Eldar weaponry. So many impassable buildings everywhere is not ideal Scions terrain either. Helios, they are pretty cool, not sure they are 500 points cool, but pretty cool .
Anyway, the point the exercise was just to see whether this Microgeddon system modification would work ok, and it certainly seemed to. Like I said at the start it feels like a proper full sized game of epic in terms of tactics and formation abilities. I think playtesting impressions may be tentatively generalisable to the full scale game. It is certainly easier for people to see what is going on from the webphotos, if they can get their head around the halving of the ground scale and formation scale. It does look a bit weird having vehicles and infantry bunched up (and I hate to say it, but this does make the look of it very reminiscent of your average 40k game!  ).
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Chroma
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Post subject: Epic 'Microgeddon' (?!) Posted: Fri Dec 21, 2007 6:35 am |
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| Brood Brother |
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Joined: Fri Jun 24, 2005 3:06 pm
Posts: 9684
Location: Montréal, QC, Canada
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Thanks a bunch for this "mini" report, Markconz!
Very interesting. Would be cool to see the "Microgeddon" rules used on the normal 4x6 table... Imperial Artillery might even be out of range on occasion! *laugh*
_________________
"EPIC: Total War" Lead Developer
Now living in Boston... any EPIC players want to meet up?
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ortron
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Post subject: Epic 'Microgeddon' (?!) Posted: Thu Jan 10, 2008 8:16 am |
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| Brood Brother |
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Joined: Sun Aug 07, 2005 1:48 pm
Posts: 681
Location: Australia
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Ha.. good stuff Markconz,
That many models so close together.. its almost like a mini apocalypse game..
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[ 14 posts ] |
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