6x6 Challenge Round 1: 3mm Sci Fi in the Slammer's Universe Intro

Stay tuned for the first game (already played), but here is a brief intro to the rules I am using and the background for the 6 games of this sprint of my 6 x 6 Challenge.

This is a modification/ extension of Squad Hammer by Ivan Sorenson of Nordic Weasel Games.  To use this, you will need one or more of the following rules from Wargames Vault:

•          Original Squad hammer
•          Squad Hammer options Pack
•          New Squad Hammer Core

These are affordable and provide a great toolbox for any miniature game.  BUY THESE RULES!!!!

These mods are for Company – Battalion sized engagements in a Hammer’s Slammer’s-like Sci-Fi universe.  So…  “hard” Sci-Fi, 11^th Armored Cavalry Regiment in space.  No infringement of anyone’s copyright is intended, I just love David Drake!  For background, you should immediately go out and buy these reference materials:

•          The Complete Hammer’s Slammer’s, Volume 1
•          The Complete Hammer’s Slammer’s, Volume 2
•          The Complete Hammer’s Slammer’s, Volume 3

My quick assumptions are:

•          Played on a hex grid big enough to hold ~ 4 units
•          Each unit = 1 platoon-sized element
•          There may be serious tech disparities, but a lot of non-penetrating or partially penetrating hits can render even a Blower platoon combat ineffective
•          Fast and simple is better than slow and complex
•          Push maybe up to a battalion a side comfortably
•          Makes me happy when I solo game

Use them as you will, feel free to deconstruct them as much as you like.  In the spirit of Squad Hammer, use your judgment on things like spotting, the difficulty of shots, etc.  I have included stats for some mercenary units (mostly ones I have made up.)

I have chosen to use O8 3mm Sci Fi vehicles from Pico Armor (augmented by vehicles from their modern range) mounted 2-3 per 40mm wide base, but feel free to use whatever you like, even [gasp] paper counters on a map sheet would work.  You just need a way to track hits on units, I use plastic explosion markers.

The Rules are posted HERE

It took me 2 weeks to paint and base 4 forces for the game, 2 high tech and two mid-tech units.  I have a batch of Low Tech / Local Forces to do as well but will get back to painting them later.

Here is a brief intro to the forces involved, except for the Slammer's and the Lightning Division, I just made up my own mercenary units.

Competent, mid-range Mercenary Regiment equipped with tracked vehicles.  Small arms are primarily electro-magnetic, anti-tank weapons are liquid propellent, wire fired, squeeze bores.  The regiment also has a company of self-propelled heavy rail guns firing hypervelocity penetrators capable of penetrating even the best iridium hulls.  The regiment traces it’s lineage back to the 125th Panzer Grenadier Regiment of World War 2 but is a tank heavy force.

Francophone, mid-range Mercenary Regiment equipped with a mix of wheeled and tracked vehicles.  Small arms are primarily electro-magnetic, anti-tank weapons are liquid propellant, wire fired, squeeze bores. Artillery consists of SP Rocket Launchers and the battalion is well equipped with air defense weapons.  The unit has shown versatility in counter-insurgency as well as decisive action.

The Black Lions trace their lineage back to the 28th Infantry Regiment of the American Army back on Earth.  It is a small, specialized, mercenary unit only company sized. They are equipped with powerful but slow-moving battle suits.  Tri-barrel power gun equipped GEV’s carry them any time they route marching any significant distance.  They are frequently even subcontracted by other mercenary units for assaulting urban areas.

Possibly the best of the mercenary units for hire, the Slammers are an armored regiment with extremely high mobility and a demonstrated ability to adapt to circumstances to get the job done.  All vehicles are ground effect vehicles and all weapons, apart from the rocket howitzers, are power guns.  Infantry use one make skimmers and jeeps for transport, making for a smaller signature while being able to keep pace with the combat vehicles.  Air defense is by centralized direction of secondary tr-barrel power guns on vehicles.  For more details, see Osprey’s Men at Arms # 34,733 Vehicles of the Friesland Defense Forces.

In the same class as the Slammers, the Lightning Division prefers electromagnetic guns for its tanks, although they do mount power guns as secondary weapons and for centralized air defense.  Infantry ride in more traditional APC’s.

This represents a wide variety of local militaries or low-tech mercenaries that are common throughout the galaxy.  Using slug throwing weapons, they have limited penetration against more modern armor.  Occasionally they do field inexpensive high velocity missile systems.  Towed Power Guns are also used when available, as they have high penetration, are deadly in ambush, and vastly cheaper than the same weapon mounted on a GEV with sophisticated AI and the latest armor.   The motivation of these forces will be highly variable.

These fporces may not exactly fit canon, but frankly I am not interested.  They fit the vehicles I have and will let me pretend I am Major Danny Pritchard and go "pew-pew-pew."

I hope you enjoy, next time, battle #1.