Fireteam Andromeda - Errata & FAQ

Today the very first Errata and FAQ sheet has just been released for Fireteam Andromeda.

It is available to download from here.

Update - The Road Ahead

Here we are then, a brand new year and lots of interesting ideas down the road for Two Knights Publishing as well as the Terminus Nebula blog. I know that it has been lying dormant for quite some time, but it has been the result of not only an overly busy and confusing real-life for me, but also because I have been experimenting on how to succesfully balance and manage my personal Social Media presence... which leads to this blog post.

Over the past few years, my own personal life (which I'm not going to bore you with details about) has been quite tumultus to say the least. But this year it seems that things have finally converged to a place where I can finally rest easy, keep up a steady pace of writing as well as not having to worry about paying bills and all the usual Real-Life-Hassles (TM). As a result thereof, this blog will be reactivated and new stuff is bound to find its way here, because I have a plan!

The glorious cover made by my good friend Nanna Sofie

The details of said plan is to go back to writing more tid-bits about the Terminus Nebula setting and further provide updates on the rulebooks that I write and publish for said setting. The first of which, Fireteam Andromeda, has just been re-released in a Revised Edition, but down the road I should also have the time for at least three other systems set to the same setting. So rest assured, it's going to be a busy - but also exciting year for the whole Terminus Nebula setting, with some finalized product finally seeing the day of light.

The first thing I needed to get going was Fireteam Andromeda and following this post I'll update the files associated with it that is available through this blog as well. The second thing is that I'm working on a rulebook that, as of now, has the working title Terminus Nebula. It will be a more skirmish-orientated affair, complete with rules for using both 28mm and 15mm miniatures as well as a lot of detail about the Terminus Nebula setting as well as the Employment War, including a campaign book as well. This will be the primary focus of 2015 for me, but it's not all that I'm going to work on.

The third thing is Mecha Legion (formerly known as Mecha Doom) which will be a grand-scale, battalion level wargame for 6mm miniatures. It will, as the name might imply, include rules for using a lot of Mechs but will also allow for using various tanks, infantry, flyers and artillery to fight out some of the larger engagements of both the Imperial Civil War as well as the Great Galactic War. I hope that I can, at the least, get it started and off the ground during the year - but as I'm also working on some rules for spacefleet battle that I'd like to join together with the Mecha Legion rules I'm doubting that it'll be ready this year. And of course, there's going to be some supplements for Fireteam Andromeda as well as a couple of - gasp - fantasy wargames as well!

I painted this back in 2012 - it should really be time for them to get to the field of battle!

As I also alluded to, then I've been trying to find out how to manage my social media outlets and what not. The thing was that when I had the time for updates, I'd much rather do some actual writing on Fireteam Andromeda or paint some miniatures, and that left me with either very little energy to write a lengthy blogpost about it. So, effective immediately I've decided to cut down on my social media stuff and only use a couple of outlets rather than the myriad that I've been using so far.

This means that I will, in the future, use the Terminus Nebula blog for all things that are in anyway related to the Terminus Nebula setting; whether it will be updates on rules, new rules (for any of the upcoming systems), detailed accounts of painted miniatures and so on. This will, effectively, link the Terminus Nebula blog to Two Knights Publishing who's own blog (see, too many blogs, not enough time) will then fade away into oblivion at some point. The goal is to have at least one post a month, but hopefully more.

Those who wish to keep up with all of my own personal gaming activities that are not related, directly, to either Two Knights Publishing or Terminus Nebula can do so by stopping by my personal blog - Scatterbrained Wargamer. This will include WIP's, various personal musings, rants, holiday photos and all else that can be expected from a wargaming blog.

And thus, with this very lengthy update, I'll wish you a happy new year and will look forward to keep you updated about all things Terminus Nebula!

First Review of Fireteam Andromeda is in!

So, I just noticed that I haven't posted anything on this blog since Fireteam Andromeda launched back in Feburary. I am sorry for having neglecting you all (and I'm sorry for the confusion this sudden post will make in your various feed readers!) but real life took its toll and then I started up my final blog; Scatterbrained Wargamer which took some time getting off the ground, but now, it's online and looking good.

And this blog will get some updates, eventually - stay tuned for further developments!

Now, I'm mainly posting here to refer to the following blogpost on my company webpage for a nice in-depth review of Fireteam Andromeda.

Cheers for reading and have a good indian summer!

Fireteam Andromeda is now available!

As the title reads, Fireteam Andromeda has finally seen the light of day and can now be purchased over on Wargame Vault by following this link:

Wargame Vault - Fireteam Andromeda

And from the shop page:

Fireteam Andromeda is a dedicated set of rules for 15mm science fiction
games, aimed at roughly a reinforced platoon per side. It has been
designed as a quick game, light on the granularity, but heavy on the tactical
side.

To promote this tactical gameplay, the game incorporates a very special
Command & Control system. The system represents the overall motivation
of the troops as well as the commanders overall ability to formulate tactical
plans on the go. As troops are fired upon and take casualties, the
commander will find that it becomes harder and harder to keep track of
everything and needs to prioritize his actions.

Fireteam Andromeda was also designed as a very light wargame. From
the ground up, it was designed around a couple of easy to remember core
mechanics, which gives a quick and satisfying gameplay experience; almost
no charts and very few modifiers to remember in the heat of battle.

Fireteam Andromeda is intended to be a generic science fiction wargame,
which allows for players to design their own troops, using some very
broadly defined unit entries that can be customized to represent almost any
miniatures out there on the market today. Customizing your own units is a
breeze - and the rules includes point values to allow for pick-up-and-play
games.

Fireteam Andromeda is the first in a long series of rulebooks, campaign
books and scenario books from Two Knights Publishing aimed at giving
you, the player, all you will ever need to play science fiction wargames, in
any scale, using any setting and any miniatures that you already have or
want to have.

A Short Overview:

• Use only die-type (d6) and rolling high is always good!
• Utilizes a special Alternating Activations turn sequence.
• Number of figures that can be, comfortably used, is around 40-50 miniatures a side, depending on unit type and size.
• Includes point values for pick up & play scenarios, but these can easily be ignored if players so wish.
• Variant rules are included for larger games (up to 150 miniatures a side) as well as for using smaller or larger scales (6mm and 28mm respectively).
• Finally – the army lists should allow you to build anything you'd like to use for your army, albeit with some jury-rigging if you've got something reallyexotic in mind…

AAR: The Fall of Mendaro

The war for Mendaro is about to reach a conclusion. All Imperial forces stationed there have recieved the call for evacuation immediately; any who miss out on the troop barges will be left to their own fate as the Alliance Patrol is slowly encroaching on the Imperial Palace there.

A platoon of Patrol Soldiers have been tasked with patrolling an Imperial outpost in the vicinity; their objective is to take out as many Imperial troopers as they can, before they reach the evacuation area - the war might have been won, but the Alliance Patrol wants to make damn sure that the Imperial are never to return here...

This is a quick playtest for the Rosetta Skirmish System as well as a Solo & Coop appendix that I've been working on lately. Progress has been slow, with real life being what it is, followed by a general miniature-burnout. However, now it's back to the Terminus Nebula as we follow the progress of the Alliance Patrol attempting to Search & Destroy any and all Imperial troopers!

The Imperial Outpost in all its glory. 

The Alliance Patrol (Power Armor miniatures from Brigade Models UK)

Early Intel suggested that most of the Imperial forces were either disorganized or scattered; as Patrol HQ reported: "A walk in the park". The Patrol Commander however, was doubting the worth of said  intel when the enemy forces seemed to have massed for a counter attack.

I rolled randomly as to where the Alliance Patrol would deploy, ending up with a Missile Launcher Support Fireteam on the far right flank, completely cut off by their squad mates. This gave me cause to worry as the Solo rules will randomly determine the number of enemy models, if any; meaning that these four brave souls could potentially be staring down a platoon of 36 men all by their lonesome!

This meant that I tried to move the left flank up, post-haste, which only resulted in one squad being Fatigued (They failed their additional action roll, meaning that they were spent up already and leaving the enemy free to roam). 

The fatigued squad manages to climb the hill and are in a perfect position to ambush the enemy... if not for the fact that they were, well, fatigued and needed rest.

The first contact of the game was a large squad of Imperial Lancers (Elite soldiers) who were just spotted by a squad on the far left at the end of their activation. As I then gave the turn to the "opponent" I drew a card to see how the spotted unit would act. They promptly continued moving away (Withdrawing) meaning that they left the table edge without so much as firing a shot!

Two of the other encounters were duds, spooks in the scanners but the final marker was a small group of Lancers, but they were toting two LMG's! I rolled for their attacks and unbelievably none of the Patrol Soldiers took so much as a scratch from the attack, nor were they fazed from the attack either. 

However, they fumbled their activation during - what would become - the final turn, meaning they only had one action for my activation phase, firing a small barrage of shots at the Lancers, killing one and... that was it. The Lancers had done what their Commander had ordered (I drew the "Withdraw" strategy for the Imperials before the game began.) and promptly withdrew.

"... Well, at least we got one of 'em!"

And there it is, my first foray into Rosetta Skirmish and Solo play both! Seeing as this is still a playtest-stage of development then I was mightily pleased to see that the rules themselves worked just fine and intuitively  Of course, the rules for Solo play needs some more sanding on the edges, but the basic system seems to work soundly.

Hopefully I'll be able to present a more detailed Rosetta Skirmish AAR soonish, if the stars align properly and what not. Hope you enjoyed this small battle-report as well as the pictures.

Terminus Nebula - Cyborgs

A Techmagos Reclaimer with a retinue of Magos Guardians

With a new year on the rise, and after having finished Fireteam Andromeda I've thought to kick up this blogging a notch and start to include posts that will detail all the other myriad scales, bits and pieces for the setting that I'm working on.

Thus this is the first of many blogposts that will attempt to detail more of the Terminus Nebula setting. As such it will encompass the Mecha Doom, Fireteam Andromeda and Rosetta game systems but is focused on the actual setting material rather than rules. To kick things off, I've recently painted up four different cyborgs for 28mm skirmish games and figured it would be a good idea to give a general idea of the view on cybernetics within the Terminus Nebula setting.

Cyborgs & Cybernetics in the Known Universe

Enhancing, upgrading or repairing the body with mechanical parts is a concept that has been around in the Known Universe since the epoch of the Forefathers and the birth of the Imperium. As such, there are also numerous taboos, traditions and philosophies attached to the concept of cyborgs - almost as many as there are planets in the universe. To some civilizations and societies, the very notion of having artificial implants to either repair or enhance their biological body is considered sacrilegious at best whilst others not only welcome it, but take it to such excess that there's little of the biological body left at all.

The following article will therefore detail a sampling of the general view of cybernetics and cyborgs within the three primary coalitions in the universe; the Imperium, the Republic and the Alliance. These are used as very broad guidelines as to how a planet or society might feel about cybernetics and cyborgs within said coalition; but cannot be counted on for any hard and fast reactions from within these spheres, as explained in the following.

Imperial Savants

As the Imperium were among the first institutions to ever have access to cybernetics, the popular opinion about such enhancements has waxed and waned throughout the epochs. The view range from that of reverence to simple accept, depending on the individuals standing within Imperial society. Nobles, on some worlds, are actively encouraged by their peers or traditions to have cybernetic enhancements as a rite of passage whilst the workforce on many worlds become so heavily modified that they resemble robots more than humanoids. This has led, however, to a general consensus that most of the lower-born citizens within the Imperium are the most proponent subjects for enhancement; seeing as they have neither the power nor the resources to manage without such upgrades. Thus, among the nobility any cybernetic enhancement is seen as a mark of respect, whilst among the lower classes it is seen as a desperate attempt to regain some manner of standing. Shown on the left, we have a typical example of cybernetic enhancement within Imperial Space. The individual pictured here is a Savant; desperate or criminal individuals who have been forced by circumstance to give their body and soul to a Merchant House, Guild or a Noble family to do with as they please. Indeed, one of the worst sentences that any Imperial court may sentence a criminal to is that of Savantiude; the prisoner is then completely mindwiped; his higher brainfunctions destroyed and then placed into custody of the highest bidder - to serve the good of the Imperium until the end of his, now unnatural, lifespan.

Republican Operative

Within the Republican sphere, cybernetic enhancements are, at best, frowned upon. The general populace feels that the cybernetical enhancement of individuals are a throwback to the times of Imperial rule; a time that many feel is best forgotten completely. This has led to a Republican Decree of Sentience stating that any person who has had 50% or more of their body enhanced with cybernetics have lost their rights and privileges as citizens within the Republic and are referred to, by the populace, as "Tinmen". It is therefore common, and expensive, practice to hide any enhancements as much as possible to avoid any prejudice from the populace; leaving only the wealthiest of individuals within Republican space with any considerable amount of enhancements. Those who cannot afford to hide their enhancements often end up on the fringes of Republican society - either as gangers, pirates, or as the case of the individual pictured here, as a Republican Operative; special individuals who are in the employ of the Republican Cabinet in order to take care of any and all special missions that the Cabinet needs taken care of. They are often referred to as Ghosts as they have effectively ceased to exist within Republican society, making them the perfect assassins and spies.

Sanctioned Tagman

Within the small sphere of Alliance space, the populace have taken a more pragmatic approach to the question of enhancements. As it is expensive and difficult to acquire within the Terminus Nebula, then any person with any such upgrades is seen as a force to be reckoned with. As the Alliance itself consists of many former Republican or Imperial planets who have become disaffected by their former rulers, this has also meant that the populace have a keen interest in throwing any ties with their former cultures and try to find their own way. As a rule, then cybernetics is not considered taboo or are the subject of any official prejudice within Alliance space; instead - as mentioned - any reaction from the populace as a whole would likely be that of awe or respect; the person has either earned his right to the implants or have the resources to acquire it. Of course, this has also meant that there's a rise in cyber-jacking crimes throughout the Alliance, a problem that the Alliance Patrol has yet to take care of. Pictured on the left is a typical cyborg within Alliance space; a Sanctioned Tagman - the Alliance Patrol's answer to many of the crimes that they neither have the political power or resources to take care of. The Tagmen scours across the Terminus Nebula, attempting to take down and bring back various criminals that the Alliance Patrol has put a bounty on. As they are not directly affiliated with the Alliance Patrol, they have free reign to extradite criminals - but are also solely answerable to any crimes that they commit during these bounty hunts; the sanctioning only means that the individual gets paid for their efforts.

Magos Guardians

The Techmagos of Jorbaal on the eastern fringes of Imperial space see themselves as the true inheritors of any and all ancient technology and data-repositories throughout the Known Universe. In their eyes, the Forefathers were mechanical beings and cite this as the reason as to why they never took to enhance their bodies as they were already of a mechanical nature. To the Techmagos, the only way to become more as the Forefathers is therefore to enhance their bodies so that they can become one with that of the Ancients. While such philosophies are not exactly uncommon they are still regarded as somewhat of an anomaly, even within such a fractured and diverse place as the Imperial sphere. The Techmagos have gathered the greatest knowledge base in regards to the Forefathers of the Imperium; including many priceless technological marvels from that epoch - but they are also notoriously secretive as to what exactly they have found. On the left is shown a typical Magos Guardian; holy warriors who have been cybernetically enhanced to such extend that they can barely be recognized as humanoids anymore. However, as can be seen from the crudeness of the implants, he has yet to climb the ranks of the Techmagos cult as any and all implants must be exactly alike as that of a Forefather. It is rumored that the High Techmagos himself  has been encased within a Forefather tomb-body, deep within the Temple of the Forefathers on Jorbaal.

Paintstation - Repurposed 'Clix (Part II)

Just another quick update from the paintstation; another repurposed Mech-Warrior 'Clix miniature.

SeverDyne Inc. HT-30 Tank Hunter
SeverDyne Inc. have long specialized in creating light and fast vehicles - primarily producing various sport-hovers and race-cars but recently they entered the military market with the HT-30. 
It is a light two man vehicle, with separate booths for gunner and driver; with a fixed mount supercharged Heavy Laser; easily capable in itself to take out most heavy armored vehicles, but the maneuverability of the HT-30 means that it is easier for a well trained crew to flank the opposing forces and score a critical hit, should the standard penetrative power of the Heavy Laser prove insufficient.

A Gernash Leader shown for scale.

Gernash Kinsmen - The elite shocktroops of the Gernash Tribeships and heir apparent to the tribal council.