Each year, I try my hardest to get to London so that I can attend the Salute Games convention. Salute is usually at the Excel Centre in the heart of the Docklands and is large enough for a host of traders to sell their wares, enough gaming-tables to fill a football pitch and a large group of people dressed in various costumes to wander around entertaining the thousands of visitors.
This year, I was helping out at the Hasslefree Miniatures stand and witnessed, first hand, just how busy these sort of shows can be. To say that I was kept very active all day was an understatement!
During the day, my main focus was selling the wares...but I kept a keen ear out for anyone showing interest in the Grymn range and I was surprised at how many people were buying them to start up a gang in Necromunda. There were many other people buying them to build armies and small skirmish forces too but the one thing that really got me thinking was how easy it would be to build up a gang for Necromunda.
A Necromunda gang normally has a range of members from hardened leaders through standard gangers and heavies (with special or heavy weapons) to juves (new recruits and younger members). The Grymn range of miniatures can cater for all of these options and still provide a wide enough range of weapons to make things interesting.
I haven't ever played the game or built a gang but it is all filling for the sandwich!
Maybe have:
Kjaran as the leader (Boltgun?)
Horgan as a heavy (Auto-cannon?)
Some light infantry as standard gangers (Auto-guns?)
Some close combat troops as juves (maybe swap one of the pistols for a knife/sword/axe?)
For a bit of flavour, you could add a few snipers or other specialists and if you were feeling particularly adventurous...maybe even an Ogryn?
To add further variety, there is a range of alternative weaponry and equipment that can be used to further customise your gang.
Well...that is Necromunda dealt with...and you can always use the rules for humans to field them. Maybe have them as House Van-Saar (due to their tech level).
On to other things...
...I heard tell that Kev White has got a bunch of Powered Armour clad Grymn sat on his sculpting bench as we speak. When I got a few minutes to chat with him, he mentioned that he was working on them and that they were progressing...so that could mean that there will be a bit of Powered Armour action turning up soon...lets hope! Add to that the jet-bikes (single and two seater) that are nearing completion and we could have a few really hard hitting units to field on the Grymn battlefields of the future.
So...the Tunnel Fighters are nearing completion. I have finished all the basic troops and am in the process of completing the small medical unit that has sat on my table for ages (just the bases to paint). I have one complete mech, five that are base-coated, one that is built and ready for paint and four that are still on the sprues. Once the mechs are done, I will be taking a step back from the project and will turn my focus onto my urban army.
...Speaking of the urban army, I have (in addition to the two platoons of infantry) now gathered together enough heavy infantry to have a small platoon of troops. It will have:
Command Section: 1xCommander, 1xComms and 2xHeavy Infantry
Support Section: 1xLeader, 1xHeavy Infantry and 2xRail-Gun
Section1: 2 Fireteams with: 1xLeader, 2xHeavy Infantry and 1xHeavy Pulse-Gun
Section2: 2 Fireteams with: 1xLeader, 2xHeavy Infantry and 1xHeavy Pulse-Gun
All of the heavy infantry will be armed with Pulse-Guns and as you can see, there is one section less than the standard infantry platoons due to the elite nature of the heavy infantry. That may change once I get further with the project but I have to bear in mind that there will need to be transport for the troops...and so far it is 5 vehicles for each standard platoon...and vehicle numbers soon mount up!!!
Showing posts with label Rules. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Rules. Show all posts
Sunday, 24 April 2011
Wednesday, 14 July 2010
Grymn Characters - Silvia and Edgar
Silvia and Edgar are two Grymn you wouldn’t expect to see together. Silvia is a picture of Grymn beauty, with stunning looks a perfect physique and eyes you could drown in. Edgar is an aging, war weary, grey-haired veteran of the Grymn armed forces. If you were to ever see them together in their civilian attire, it would not only be exceptionally rare but they would also appear completely at odds with each other. However, when they are in their military fatigues, they are as much a picture of solidarity as they are a highly effective and professional team. The reason for this is that Silvia is a natural and very gifted sniper. It was said that, during her training, Silvia could shoot the tip off a pencil at ranges in excess of 500 metres but since then her expertise has become so great that the Grymn high council decided that she needed to be protected and cosseted so they chose someone to act as her spotter and her protection. Edgar was perfect for the role. He was a veteran of many wars, had high tactical awareness, was a talented leader and also had the patience of a saint. He immediately stepped in as Silvia’s mentor, protector and spotter and since they first met they have been like a father and daughter team.
Silvia and Edgar have become a dedicated assassination unit. They have been highly trained in the use of camouflage, concealment, communications, survival techniques and the use of most weaponry. Edgar will act as Silvia’s link between the high council and the jobs she has to carry out and shadows her every move in the field. As effective a sniper Silvia is, Edgar is a bodyguard beyond compare. Once the team is in position, Edgar will spot for Silvia and keep an eye out for enemy forces while she concentrates on the assassination. When it comes to extraction, Edgar takes the lead and ensures that they escape in the required manner. They are a team beyond compare and as a result, will only be used when a specific target needs to be eliminated and it is of the utmost importance to get the job done correctly, in the right time frame and with the correct precision.
Using Silvia and Edgar in your army
Edgar and Silvia make up a single unit and must remain within two inches of each other at all times.
Silvia will have normal trooper stats and will be equipped with a Grymn pistol and sniper rifle.
Edgar will have a veteran’s stats and will be equipped with a Grymn pistol, SMG, comms and scanners/binoculars.
Both will have the ‘Camouflage and concealment’, ‘Move through cover’ and ‘Specific target’ special rules. Silvia will have the ‘Sniper beyond compare’ special rule and Edgar will have the ‘Bodyguard’ special rule:
Camouflage and concealment
When in their chosen position, Silvia and Edgar become more or less invisible. They cover themselves with camouflage netting, IR reflective material and have all manner of jamming devices that mask scanners. When deployed, you do not need to tell your opponent where they are on the table. You can deploy them anywhere on the table but you must have a map with their position marked clearly on it so that when they are revealed, you have proof of their position. Silvia and Edgar will be revealed whenever they move or fire. Once this happens, they are visible for the rest of the game.
Move Through cover
Silvia and Edgar are adept at moving through cover. They may move through wooded areas and over broken ground without any penalties for movement.
Specific Target
Silvia and Edgar are chosen to carry out specific orders and then to return safely to their designated extraction zone. They are far too valuable to be risked in ‘run of the mill’ actions. At the beginning of the game, the controlling player may choose up to two specific targets. Each of these targets can be any model on the table. If Silvia or Edgar manages to kill the target(s), they will not only receive double the victory points for doing so but must also begin to withdraw to the army deployment zone (or a pre-determined safe/extraction point). They must do this once the targets are eliminated and they must do it in a characterful manner, using cover and speed but still returning fire as they withdraw. Once in the safe zone, they will play no further part in the battle.
Sniper beyond compare (Silvia only)
Silvia is literally, a sniper beyond compare. She is able to blank out the clamour of battle and pick her targets with precision. She is able to target vulnerable spots in armour and can calculate trajectories and wind-age with the skill of a savant.
Silvia can target any model on the table without restriction. If she has a line of sight, she can target any individual model in range whether they are basic troopers or army commanders. She can also double the range of the sniper rifle she carries with no penalty. If she does this then she may NOT use the following ‘additional penetration’ rule.
Additional penetration – if Silvia scores a hit (within normal range), then role a d6. On a roll of a 5 or 6, she will get double the strength of the weapon (to represent hitting a vulnerable point on the target). If the rule set doesn’t give the rifle a strength value then this rule will give you a 5 or 6 chance of wounding in addition to the normal rules (some common sense will be required so as to not make this too powerful a rule).
Bodyguard (Edgar only)
As long as Edgar is within two inches of Silvia, he will leap in front of any shot targeted at her and will fight any opponents in hand to hand that try to attack her. Simply switch Silvia for Edgar and work out the results normally.
Footnote: I have made this unit a little bit more vague than 'Lucky' because it has the possibility of being a game winner if used in the manner it should be.
I would suggest that this unit would only be used in a game where there was a specific commander or specialist that would reasonably be considered a major target. If there isn't a major target, Silvia and Edgar wouldn't even get out of their rooms.
Once the targets are eliminated, the next objective for the team would be to get to their extraction point. It may be necessary to either reward them for getting there or penalise them for not getting there. How about making them lose the 'double victory points' if they don't reach their extraction point...or even removing all of the victory points? It is characterful for these two to act in a professional manner and once they had carried out their duty, they would move to the extraction point straight away...it is their next objective after all.
Again...it is all food for thought and any comments are welcomed.
Silvia and Edgar have become a dedicated assassination unit. They have been highly trained in the use of camouflage, concealment, communications, survival techniques and the use of most weaponry. Edgar will act as Silvia’s link between the high council and the jobs she has to carry out and shadows her every move in the field. As effective a sniper Silvia is, Edgar is a bodyguard beyond compare. Once the team is in position, Edgar will spot for Silvia and keep an eye out for enemy forces while she concentrates on the assassination. When it comes to extraction, Edgar takes the lead and ensures that they escape in the required manner. They are a team beyond compare and as a result, will only be used when a specific target needs to be eliminated and it is of the utmost importance to get the job done correctly, in the right time frame and with the correct precision.
Using Silvia and Edgar in your army
Edgar and Silvia make up a single unit and must remain within two inches of each other at all times.
Silvia will have normal trooper stats and will be equipped with a Grymn pistol and sniper rifle.
Edgar will have a veteran’s stats and will be equipped with a Grymn pistol, SMG, comms and scanners/binoculars.
Both will have the ‘Camouflage and concealment’, ‘Move through cover’ and ‘Specific target’ special rules. Silvia will have the ‘Sniper beyond compare’ special rule and Edgar will have the ‘Bodyguard’ special rule:
Camouflage and concealment
When in their chosen position, Silvia and Edgar become more or less invisible. They cover themselves with camouflage netting, IR reflective material and have all manner of jamming devices that mask scanners. When deployed, you do not need to tell your opponent where they are on the table. You can deploy them anywhere on the table but you must have a map with their position marked clearly on it so that when they are revealed, you have proof of their position. Silvia and Edgar will be revealed whenever they move or fire. Once this happens, they are visible for the rest of the game.
Move Through cover
Silvia and Edgar are adept at moving through cover. They may move through wooded areas and over broken ground without any penalties for movement.
Specific Target
Silvia and Edgar are chosen to carry out specific orders and then to return safely to their designated extraction zone. They are far too valuable to be risked in ‘run of the mill’ actions. At the beginning of the game, the controlling player may choose up to two specific targets. Each of these targets can be any model on the table. If Silvia or Edgar manages to kill the target(s), they will not only receive double the victory points for doing so but must also begin to withdraw to the army deployment zone (or a pre-determined safe/extraction point). They must do this once the targets are eliminated and they must do it in a characterful manner, using cover and speed but still returning fire as they withdraw. Once in the safe zone, they will play no further part in the battle.
Sniper beyond compare (Silvia only)
Silvia is literally, a sniper beyond compare. She is able to blank out the clamour of battle and pick her targets with precision. She is able to target vulnerable spots in armour and can calculate trajectories and wind-age with the skill of a savant.
Silvia can target any model on the table without restriction. If she has a line of sight, she can target any individual model in range whether they are basic troopers or army commanders. She can also double the range of the sniper rifle she carries with no penalty. If she does this then she may NOT use the following ‘additional penetration’ rule.
Additional penetration – if Silvia scores a hit (within normal range), then role a d6. On a roll of a 5 or 6, she will get double the strength of the weapon (to represent hitting a vulnerable point on the target). If the rule set doesn’t give the rifle a strength value then this rule will give you a 5 or 6 chance of wounding in addition to the normal rules (some common sense will be required so as to not make this too powerful a rule).
Bodyguard (Edgar only)
As long as Edgar is within two inches of Silvia, he will leap in front of any shot targeted at her and will fight any opponents in hand to hand that try to attack her. Simply switch Silvia for Edgar and work out the results normally.
Footnote: I have made this unit a little bit more vague than 'Lucky' because it has the possibility of being a game winner if used in the manner it should be.
I would suggest that this unit would only be used in a game where there was a specific commander or specialist that would reasonably be considered a major target. If there isn't a major target, Silvia and Edgar wouldn't even get out of their rooms.
Once the targets are eliminated, the next objective for the team would be to get to their extraction point. It may be necessary to either reward them for getting there or penalise them for not getting there. How about making them lose the 'double victory points' if they don't reach their extraction point...or even removing all of the victory points? It is characterful for these two to act in a professional manner and once they had carried out their duty, they would move to the extraction point straight away...it is their next objective after all.
Again...it is all food for thought and any comments are welcomed.
Sunday, 11 July 2010
Grymn Character - 'Lucky' Lund Thorsen
Trooper Lund, Thorsen was a soldier in the Grymn army. He was a fairly run of the mill soldier who went through training in an un-extraordinary way; only just achieving the results that enabled him to join the infantry when he graduated. In fact, you could almost have said that he was completely average in every way; almost. You see, Lund started out his time in the Grymn army with a shiny metal hand.
When he was a child, he had been playing with his friends when he was involved in a car accident that saw him dragged down the street for a hundred metres...only coming to rest when his hand was ripped from his wrist. It took him many months to get back to his full strength but his hand couldn’t be saved so he had a bionic one grafted on in its place. All who knew him, said that he should have been killed and that it was a miracle he survived; let alone returned to full strength.
Once Lund had finished his military training, he was deployed on operations in the desert regions where he saw lots of action fighting Bohkin infiltrators. Many times he fought and many times he was injured but no matter how bad his injuries, he was patched up and sent back to duty after ‘miraculously’ surviving wounds that would have seen other Grymn dead.
Over time, he gained a number of extra bionics, including an eye, an arm (the opposite one to his metal hand) and a foot but still he survived and returned to his unit. After a while Lund’s unit began to see him as a bit of a mascot and gave themselves the nickname of ‘Lucky-Lund’s Lads’ because every time they managed to rescue Lund, they managed to win victory, achieve their objectives or escape where there should have been no escape.
You may have thought that Lund was destined for greater things but all through his career, he showed absolutely no aptitude for leadership and had no wish for it either. He was happy doing his duty as an ordinary foot-soldier and completed his 20 year service as trooper ‘Lucky’ Lund, Thorsen.
Using ‘Lucky’ Lund, Thorsen in your army
Any single, normal trooper in your army may be replaced as ‘Lucky’. When you do this, he gains the normal stats for that trooper, keeps the same weapons and gets the same equipment that the trooper would normally get. In addition, the following rules apply:
Lucky
While ‘Lucky’ is still alive and able, the unit he has joined will receive a bonus to their leadership. This will add one level to the leadership of the whole unit (depending on the rules system)
Rescue the muppet!
If ‘Lucky’ falls, he is considered wounded and not killed. He has miraculously survived but plays no further part in the battle. Any member of his unit will be responsible for rescuing the poor chap and must move into base contact with him. The rescuer will not be able to shoot for the remainder of the game but will be able to defend himself during hand-to-hand-combat, if he is attacked. The whole of the unit will become immune to leadership tests and will gain an extra level of weapon skill and shooting skill while ‘Lucky’ is being rescued but they will no longer be able to advance towards the enemy. They may remain where they are or retreat but they place keeping ‘Lucky’ safe, above their normal objective. If they return to their deployment area and drop him off then the unit returns to the fight with their basic stats as if ‘Lucky’ was just a normal member of their squad who has fallen. Of course, lucky will end up being healed and will be able to return in future battles to fight as normal.
If by the end of the game, 'Lucky' has not been returned to his deployment area, the unit he is with is counted as destroyed for the sake of victory points or objective reasons. If 'Lucky' is injured, the unit he is with may not claim objectives...unless they have already returned him to the deployment area and dropped him off.
Extra Equipment
‘Lucky’ gains bionics as extra equipment for no extra cost. He has a Bionic eye, hand, arm and foot and this will need to be taken into account depending on which rule-set you are using (with the relevant bonuses applied if applicable).
Footnote: You can see from this example how easy it is to add a lot of flavour to your army by just adding a bit of narrative to a normal soldier.
When 'Lucky' is injured, you have the big decision of standing in place and getting all of the extra bonuses (risking his life in the process) or returning him to the deployment area and ending up with the basic stats again...
...that means risky, power-gaming or fighting with a narrative...
The choice is yours.
When he was a child, he had been playing with his friends when he was involved in a car accident that saw him dragged down the street for a hundred metres...only coming to rest when his hand was ripped from his wrist. It took him many months to get back to his full strength but his hand couldn’t be saved so he had a bionic one grafted on in its place. All who knew him, said that he should have been killed and that it was a miracle he survived; let alone returned to full strength.
Once Lund had finished his military training, he was deployed on operations in the desert regions where he saw lots of action fighting Bohkin infiltrators. Many times he fought and many times he was injured but no matter how bad his injuries, he was patched up and sent back to duty after ‘miraculously’ surviving wounds that would have seen other Grymn dead.
Over time, he gained a number of extra bionics, including an eye, an arm (the opposite one to his metal hand) and a foot but still he survived and returned to his unit. After a while Lund’s unit began to see him as a bit of a mascot and gave themselves the nickname of ‘Lucky-Lund’s Lads’ because every time they managed to rescue Lund, they managed to win victory, achieve their objectives or escape where there should have been no escape.
You may have thought that Lund was destined for greater things but all through his career, he showed absolutely no aptitude for leadership and had no wish for it either. He was happy doing his duty as an ordinary foot-soldier and completed his 20 year service as trooper ‘Lucky’ Lund, Thorsen.
Using ‘Lucky’ Lund, Thorsen in your army
Any single, normal trooper in your army may be replaced as ‘Lucky’. When you do this, he gains the normal stats for that trooper, keeps the same weapons and gets the same equipment that the trooper would normally get. In addition, the following rules apply:
Lucky
While ‘Lucky’ is still alive and able, the unit he has joined will receive a bonus to their leadership. This will add one level to the leadership of the whole unit (depending on the rules system)
Rescue the muppet!
If ‘Lucky’ falls, he is considered wounded and not killed. He has miraculously survived but plays no further part in the battle. Any member of his unit will be responsible for rescuing the poor chap and must move into base contact with him. The rescuer will not be able to shoot for the remainder of the game but will be able to defend himself during hand-to-hand-combat, if he is attacked. The whole of the unit will become immune to leadership tests and will gain an extra level of weapon skill and shooting skill while ‘Lucky’ is being rescued but they will no longer be able to advance towards the enemy. They may remain where they are or retreat but they place keeping ‘Lucky’ safe, above their normal objective. If they return to their deployment area and drop him off then the unit returns to the fight with their basic stats as if ‘Lucky’ was just a normal member of their squad who has fallen. Of course, lucky will end up being healed and will be able to return in future battles to fight as normal.
If by the end of the game, 'Lucky' has not been returned to his deployment area, the unit he is with is counted as destroyed for the sake of victory points or objective reasons. If 'Lucky' is injured, the unit he is with may not claim objectives...unless they have already returned him to the deployment area and dropped him off.
Extra Equipment
‘Lucky’ gains bionics as extra equipment for no extra cost. He has a Bionic eye, hand, arm and foot and this will need to be taken into account depending on which rule-set you are using (with the relevant bonuses applied if applicable).
Footnote: You can see from this example how easy it is to add a lot of flavour to your army by just adding a bit of narrative to a normal soldier.
When 'Lucky' is injured, you have the big decision of standing in place and getting all of the extra bonuses (risking his life in the process) or returning him to the deployment area and ending up with the basic stats again...
...that means risky, power-gaming or fighting with a narrative...
The choice is yours.
Characters.
In all stories and legends, there are great heroes, villains and leaders; those who fight beyond the call of duty and beyond the boundaries of normal endurance. These heroes instil courage and fervour in their followers; leading them to great victories and on to greater glory than they could have possibly achieved through their own endeavours.
These are the characters that add colour and a little bit of bite to any army and the Grymn armies should be no exception.
Where to start
The starting point should always be at the bottom. Why? Because there is always the tendency to have characters and leaders that are super powerful and indestructible. That is completely inappropriate and can also completely unbalance the army that the character has been created to join.
Of course; once you have started building characters, you can build up to the more powerful ones but you will do so after understanding the strengths and weaknesses of those lesser characters and that will help you build a better, higher level character that will not unbalance your army but will enhance it.
When building characters there is a need to set them apart from the normal, run of the mill NCOs and officers of the army. These characters will have unusual characteristics or be able to do unusual things that a normal leader won't be able to. Just think of the British leader, Winston Churchill. He was just a man...but put him in front of a mass of people and he could turn them into an unstoppable army just by talking to them and inspiring them to greater things. Storming Norman Schwartzkopf instilled pride in his men by being in the field and leading from the front. Montgomery, Rommel, Colonel H. Jones and many more, inspired their troops to great deeds...but they were just men. They weren't super heroes and they weren't wearing powered armour or being protected by force fields...
...but the men who followed them would follow them to the sun and fight on its searing surface as a result of the pride they held in their inspirational leaders...
Private Baharry...an inspiration to the country. He was just doing his duty but had such drive that he fought off wounds that would ground a normal man and rescued members of his unit before succumbing to unconsciousness. He was just a man...but in a word, he is a hero and would make an excellent basis for a character in an army.
I have posted this as a forward to some character ideas that will follow on. They will range from the lowly leader to the Grymn who originally escaped from the Sleiti and led his people to freedom in the stars. There will be great generals, powerful orators and strategists beyond compare.
Watch this space...
These are the characters that add colour and a little bit of bite to any army and the Grymn armies should be no exception.
Where to start
The starting point should always be at the bottom. Why? Because there is always the tendency to have characters and leaders that are super powerful and indestructible. That is completely inappropriate and can also completely unbalance the army that the character has been created to join.
Of course; once you have started building characters, you can build up to the more powerful ones but you will do so after understanding the strengths and weaknesses of those lesser characters and that will help you build a better, higher level character that will not unbalance your army but will enhance it.
When building characters there is a need to set them apart from the normal, run of the mill NCOs and officers of the army. These characters will have unusual characteristics or be able to do unusual things that a normal leader won't be able to. Just think of the British leader, Winston Churchill. He was just a man...but put him in front of a mass of people and he could turn them into an unstoppable army just by talking to them and inspiring them to greater things. Storming Norman Schwartzkopf instilled pride in his men by being in the field and leading from the front. Montgomery, Rommel, Colonel H. Jones and many more, inspired their troops to great deeds...but they were just men. They weren't super heroes and they weren't wearing powered armour or being protected by force fields...
...but the men who followed them would follow them to the sun and fight on its searing surface as a result of the pride they held in their inspirational leaders...
Private Baharry...an inspiration to the country. He was just doing his duty but had such drive that he fought off wounds that would ground a normal man and rescued members of his unit before succumbing to unconsciousness. He was just a man...but in a word, he is a hero and would make an excellent basis for a character in an army.
I have posted this as a forward to some character ideas that will follow on. They will range from the lowly leader to the Grymn who originally escaped from the Sleiti and led his people to freedom in the stars. There will be great generals, powerful orators and strategists beyond compare.
Watch this space...
Saturday, 10 April 2010
More uses for Grymn in WH40k
If you look over on the right at the useful links, you'll see that I have added a link to a fan-made 'Codex Demiurg'.
The link takes you to a blog and if you check out the links it will point you to a downloadable Codex which tries to tie in Squats/Demiurg and Grymn into WH40k. Check it out, it is certainly worth a read.
The link takes you to a blog and if you check out the links it will point you to a downloadable Codex which tries to tie in Squats/Demiurg and Grymn into WH40k. Check it out, it is certainly worth a read.
Sunday, 21 March 2010
Void 1.1 rules for an in progress army.
I have started to build up an army of Grymn Tunnel Fighters and have decided to attach them to the Void 1.1 rule system. With that in mind, I have come up with some rules for the basic squads and have included some points values to aid with selection. I must at this point, give some credit to the lads and lasses over at the Celtos Legion site (see the link over on the right) as I have been picking bits from their down loadable Grymn army list.
So without further ado...here is the start of an army:
Grymn Tunnel Fighter Army (Void 1.1)
Special Rules: (all of the troops in the army will be subject to these rules).
Rough terrain specialists: All Grymn ignore any penalties for moving through broken ground due to their expertise at operating in tunnels and mines.
Buddy-Buddy: As long as any Grymn squad is not reduced to half its starting troop total or less, it will benefit from a +1 bonus to its CD value. Once reduced to half size or less, the bonus is lost.
Fire Teams: The normal idea behind building Grymn squads is to add fire-teams. Whenever you add basic troops to a unit, they will be added in pairs and must have the appropriate price paid for them. Leaders and support troops are not affected by this rule.
Basic stats (for all troops unless stated otherwise):
AS: 4
SH: 4
ST: 4
T: 5
W: 1
CD: 5
SZ: 2
MV: 4
Tunnel Fighter Infantry Squad:
Structure: Squad
Size: Leader + 4 to 9 troops
You may select one support model for each pair of standard troops.
1x Leader: Pulsegun, Combat Blade. 22 Points.
4 to 8 Infantry: Pulsegun, Combat Blade. 20 Points.
0 to 3 Support: Heavy Pulsegun, Combat Blade. 30 Points (s)
0 to 3 Support: Grenade Launcher, Combat Blade. 24 Points (s)
Special:
Leader: Tactical awareness, High morale (+1).
Support: Tactical awareness.
Tunnel Fighter Close Support Squad:
Structure: Squad
Size: Leader + 4 to 9 troops
You may select one support model for each pair of standard troops.
1x Leader: Shotgun, Combat Blade. 21 Points.
4 to 8 Infantry: Shotgun, Combat Blade. 19 Points.
0 to 3 Support: Flamethrower, Combat Blade. 30 Points (s)
0 to 3 Support: Grenade Launcher, Combat Blade. 24 Points (s)
0 to 3 Support: Chaingun, Combat Blade. 24 Points (s)
Special:
Leader: Tactical awareness, High morale (+1).
Support: Tactical awareness.
Tunnel Fighter Close Combat Squad:
Structure: Squad
Size: Leader + 4 to 9 troops
You may select one support model for each pair of standard troops.
1x Leader: 2 Auto Pistols. 21 Points.
4 to 8 Infantry: 2 Auto Pistols. 19 Points.
0 to 3 Support: Chaingun, Combat Blade. 24 Points (s)
0 to 3 Support: Grenade Launcher, Combat Blade. 24 Points (s)
0 to 3 Support: Flamethrower, Combat Blade. 30 Points (s)
Special:
Leader: Multiple shot (x2), Tactical awareness, High morale (+1).
Infantry: Multiple shot (x2).
Support: Tactical awareness.
That is it for now. I will be adding further entries as I finish more of the troops. Just to whet your appetites a little, here is the first complete Tunnel Fighter squad; a Close Support squad:
I plan on adding robots, command models and some vehicles to the army so there will be updates as and when I get another step forward.
I am hoping that this little army building session will give a small insight into how easy it is to include Grymn in other games...even if you don't have an existing army to proxy for.
So without further ado...here is the start of an army:
Grymn Tunnel Fighter Army (Void 1.1)
Special Rules: (all of the troops in the army will be subject to these rules).
Rough terrain specialists: All Grymn ignore any penalties for moving through broken ground due to their expertise at operating in tunnels and mines.
Buddy-Buddy: As long as any Grymn squad is not reduced to half its starting troop total or less, it will benefit from a +1 bonus to its CD value. Once reduced to half size or less, the bonus is lost.
Fire Teams: The normal idea behind building Grymn squads is to add fire-teams. Whenever you add basic troops to a unit, they will be added in pairs and must have the appropriate price paid for them. Leaders and support troops are not affected by this rule.
Basic stats (for all troops unless stated otherwise):
AS: 4
SH: 4
ST: 4
T: 5
W: 1
CD: 5
SZ: 2
MV: 4
Tunnel Fighter Infantry Squad:
Structure: Squad
Size: Leader + 4 to 9 troops
You may select one support model for each pair of standard troops.
1x Leader: Pulsegun, Combat Blade. 22 Points.
4 to 8 Infantry: Pulsegun, Combat Blade. 20 Points.
0 to 3 Support: Heavy Pulsegun, Combat Blade. 30 Points (s)
0 to 3 Support: Grenade Launcher, Combat Blade. 24 Points (s)
Special:
Leader: Tactical awareness, High morale (+1).
Support: Tactical awareness.
Tunnel Fighter Close Support Squad:
Structure: Squad
Size: Leader + 4 to 9 troops
You may select one support model for each pair of standard troops.
1x Leader: Shotgun, Combat Blade. 21 Points.
4 to 8 Infantry: Shotgun, Combat Blade. 19 Points.
0 to 3 Support: Flamethrower, Combat Blade. 30 Points (s)
0 to 3 Support: Grenade Launcher, Combat Blade. 24 Points (s)
0 to 3 Support: Chaingun, Combat Blade. 24 Points (s)
Special:
Leader: Tactical awareness, High morale (+1).
Support: Tactical awareness.
Tunnel Fighter Close Combat Squad:
Structure: Squad
Size: Leader + 4 to 9 troops
You may select one support model for each pair of standard troops.
1x Leader: 2 Auto Pistols. 21 Points.
4 to 8 Infantry: 2 Auto Pistols. 19 Points.
0 to 3 Support: Chaingun, Combat Blade. 24 Points (s)
0 to 3 Support: Grenade Launcher, Combat Blade. 24 Points (s)
0 to 3 Support: Flamethrower, Combat Blade. 30 Points (s)
Special:
Leader: Multiple shot (x2), Tactical awareness, High morale (+1).
Infantry: Multiple shot (x2).
Support: Tactical awareness.
That is it for now. I will be adding further entries as I finish more of the troops. Just to whet your appetites a little, here is the first complete Tunnel Fighter squad; a Close Support squad:
I plan on adding robots, command models and some vehicles to the army so there will be updates as and when I get another step forward.
I am hoping that this little army building session will give a small insight into how easy it is to include Grymn in other games...even if you don't have an existing army to proxy for.
Wednesday, 17 March 2010
Using Grymn in Warhammer 40k
The easiest way of using Grymn in any existing game is to simply count them as an existing army. Since I first decided to tie my Grymn into the one game I had any rules for; Warhammer 40k, I have been basing them around the Imperial Guard. I know that some people use other races for them (namely Space Marines or the Inquisition) but I thought the Grymn suited the Imperial Guard but with a few alterations.
Troop availability.
If you are wanting to keep the Grymn to the original ideas, then there are a few things that I feel would need to be sacrificed in order to induct them into the Imperial Guard Codex.
There are some components of an Imperial Guard army that DON'T suit the Grymn. I would strongly suggest against any Psykers or Commissars because Grymn don't have psychic powers and the concept of a Commissar executing his comrades doesn't fit with the idea that Grymn are excellent team players. I also doubt that the Grymn would have Penal Legion squads or Ministers / Preachers / Priests. The Grymn do make use of conscripts but they are more willing volunteers rather than press-ganged troops. I wouldn't use Astropaths or Master of the Fleet as advisors for the Company Command squad either.
So, what can the Grymn have?
Company Command / Command Squads
Infantry Platoons
Veteran Squads
Stormtroopers
Ogryn Squads
Ratling Squads
Rough Rider Squads
All of the vehicles
Counts-As Equipment.
As I have said before, the armour that a Grymn wears looks a lot more like Carapace Armour than Flak armour so I would try to work that into the cost of the troops. In the previous version of Codex Imperial Guard, there was a system which enabled you to add Carapace armour to a squad for 20 points (irrespective of its size). I suggest that you get together with your playing partners and agree that this is fair, otherwaise you can either restrict yourself to units that are allowed to have Carapace Armour (Company Command, Veterans and Stormtroopers) or simply count Grymn armour as Flak Armour and have done with it (whilst kicking your 'so-called' gaming mates under the table for being beards).
Grymn weapons will need to be counted as WH40k weapons and I thought I'd get the ball rolling with the proxies that I have chosen for my armies:
Grymn Weapon / WH40k Weapon
Grymn SMG – Autogun / Lasgun
Twin SMG – Twin Linked Autogun / Lasgun
Pulsegun – Hellgun / Hot-shot Lasgun
Pulse Carbine - Hellgun / Hot-shot Lasgun
Heavy Pulsegun – Plasmagun
HMG – Heavy Stubber
Minigun – Heavy Bolter
Railgun – Missile Launcher
Grenade Launcher – Grenade Launcher
Flame Thrower – Flamer
Sniper Rifle – Sniper Rifle
Grymn Machine Pistol – Laspistol / Autopistol
Grymn Naval Pistol - Laspistol / Autopistol
Knife – Close Combat Weapon
Powered Axe / Sword – Power Weapon
Grenades – Frag / Krak Grenades
Mortar – Mortar
Converted Railrifle - Meltagun
OGrymn Chaingun – Ogryn Rippergun
As you will see, there are a few missing weapons (Plasma-Cannon, Las-Cannon, Auto-Cannon etc...) but that is mostly because there are no Grymn weapons available to proxy for them. That means that if you chose to use any of the missed out weapons, you can either use the WH40k weapons or find some proxies and convert them to fit in with the system (I have done this with a converted Railrifle that I use as a Meltagun)...just remember that you will have to make all of the converted weapons look the same and also tell your gaming buddies what they represent.
And Finally...
If you are a tournament player, these counts-as options will not work for you if you go to official events. So they will only be usable at events that allow proxy forces or for friendly games. What you can see from my work here is that it is very easy to fit a Grymn army into Warhammer 40k just by using a small amount of imagination and hoping that the people you game against will allow you to field them!
Troop availability.
If you are wanting to keep the Grymn to the original ideas, then there are a few things that I feel would need to be sacrificed in order to induct them into the Imperial Guard Codex.
There are some components of an Imperial Guard army that DON'T suit the Grymn. I would strongly suggest against any Psykers or Commissars because Grymn don't have psychic powers and the concept of a Commissar executing his comrades doesn't fit with the idea that Grymn are excellent team players. I also doubt that the Grymn would have Penal Legion squads or Ministers / Preachers / Priests. The Grymn do make use of conscripts but they are more willing volunteers rather than press-ganged troops. I wouldn't use Astropaths or Master of the Fleet as advisors for the Company Command squad either.
So, what can the Grymn have?
Company Command / Command Squads
Infantry Platoons
Veteran Squads
Stormtroopers
Ogryn Squads
Ratling Squads
Rough Rider Squads
All of the vehicles
Counts-As Equipment.
As I have said before, the armour that a Grymn wears looks a lot more like Carapace Armour than Flak armour so I would try to work that into the cost of the troops. In the previous version of Codex Imperial Guard, there was a system which enabled you to add Carapace armour to a squad for 20 points (irrespective of its size). I suggest that you get together with your playing partners and agree that this is fair, otherwaise you can either restrict yourself to units that are allowed to have Carapace Armour (Company Command, Veterans and Stormtroopers) or simply count Grymn armour as Flak Armour and have done with it (whilst kicking your 'so-called' gaming mates under the table for being beards).
Grymn weapons will need to be counted as WH40k weapons and I thought I'd get the ball rolling with the proxies that I have chosen for my armies:
Grymn Weapon / WH40k Weapon
Grymn SMG – Autogun / Lasgun
Twin SMG – Twin Linked Autogun / Lasgun
Pulsegun – Hellgun / Hot-shot Lasgun
Pulse Carbine - Hellgun / Hot-shot Lasgun
Heavy Pulsegun – Plasmagun
HMG – Heavy Stubber
Minigun – Heavy Bolter
Railgun – Missile Launcher
Grenade Launcher – Grenade Launcher
Flame Thrower – Flamer
Sniper Rifle – Sniper Rifle
Grymn Machine Pistol – Laspistol / Autopistol
Grymn Naval Pistol - Laspistol / Autopistol
Knife – Close Combat Weapon
Powered Axe / Sword – Power Weapon
Grenades – Frag / Krak Grenades
Mortar – Mortar
Converted Railrifle - Meltagun
OGrymn Chaingun – Ogryn Rippergun
As you will see, there are a few missing weapons (Plasma-Cannon, Las-Cannon, Auto-Cannon etc...) but that is mostly because there are no Grymn weapons available to proxy for them. That means that if you chose to use any of the missed out weapons, you can either use the WH40k weapons or find some proxies and convert them to fit in with the system (I have done this with a converted Railrifle that I use as a Meltagun)...just remember that you will have to make all of the converted weapons look the same and also tell your gaming buddies what they represent.
And Finally...
If you are a tournament player, these counts-as options will not work for you if you go to official events. So they will only be usable at events that allow proxy forces or for friendly games. What you can see from my work here is that it is very easy to fit a Grymn army into Warhammer 40k just by using a small amount of imagination and hoping that the people you game against will allow you to field them!
Monday, 1 March 2010
What makes a Grymn, a Grymn?
So in the big scheme of things, what is it that a Grymn has that a human doesn't...apart from height?
From what Kev has said, the Grymn were specifically built for mining the dangerous asteroids that float through space. They have excellent metabolisms that mean they heal fairly quickly, they are strong for their size, highly agile and are able to survive in extreme conditions. They are quick witted and able to soak up alcohol with less effect than a human but how does this effect the Grymn's stats in combat when thinking about wargaming with them?
Well the easiest way of looking at a Grymn is to start with a Human's stats and decide which way to adjust them to best match the Grymn's description.
Let's start with Warhammer 40k and the basic stats for a Guardsman.
Move - 6 (standard for infantry)
Weapon Skill - 3
Ballistic Skill - 3
Strength - 3
Toughness - 3
Wounds - 1
Initiative - 3
Attacks - 1
Leadership - 7
For other games that use size as a modifier to hit, the Human stat is a size 2 (Void 1.1).
Movement - I don't think that a Grymn should be penalised where movement is concerned. Yes, Grymn are shorter than a Human would be but that doesn't mean that they can't move as quickly so I wouldn't have them move slower.
Weapon Skill / Ballistic Skill - I would say that these stats would be comparable to a Human army trooper. The Grymn are a martial race and spend a proportion of their lives in the military as a matter of course...and pride. The Imperial Guard are the WH40k equivalent of Human army troopers so it would make sense to have the same stats for the Grymn.
Strength - Yes, the Grymn are a strong race but it would be too easy to bump up the strength stat and make them too powerful so I would be tempted to leave the strength as that of a Human...and say that, for their size, the Grymn are quite strong.
Toughness - The Grymn are bred for extreme conditions. They have an excellent metabolism and a strong constitution. I think that the Grymn should be tougher than a Human so I would give them an average stat of 4.
Wounds - basic troopers would normally get a wound stat of 1 and I see no reason for the Grymn to be any different.
Initiative - I would suggest that the Grymn are about on level terms with a Human...but maybe would get a bonus for being teamed up with other members of the squad. From what Kev has said, the Grymn work in fire-teams so maybe they should get an initiative bonus if their fire-team is complete? An initiative of 4 if the fire-team is complete, 3 if not.
Attacks - I see no reason to give a basic Grymn any more attacks than 1.
Leadership - Here is where things get a bit more in-depth. Grymn operate better when they have company; Kev said so. Referring back to the Initiative stat, it makes sense to link the Leadership stat to whether or not there are complete fire-teams in the unit. I doubt that a lone Grymn would be any worse off than a standard Human so a base stat of 7 for leadership may be a good place to start. If there is more than half the unit left alive, maybe there should be a bonus for the Leadership stat...if the unit is above 50% then a standard Grymn Leadership stat would be 8. If it drops below 50% it drops to 7.
Height/size - The big question...do we say that Grymn are size 1 or just count them as Human sized for the purpose of targeting? I reckon that a Grymn would be as easy to hit as a Human due to their 'developed' stature. Okay, they are short but they are pretty well built so I would be quite happy to think of them as a Human sixze for the sake of targeting...yes?
So...from what I have written, the Grymn stat for a game of WH40k would be like this:
Move - 6 (standard for infantry...including Grymn)
Weapon Skill - 3
Ballistic Skill - 3
Strength - 3
Toughness - 4
Wounds - 1
Initiative - 3/4(if above 50% unit strength)
Attacks - 1
Leadership - 7/8(if above 50% unit strength)
Size (Void 1.1) - 2 (for the reasons I have given above).
As for armour saves, the Grymn generally have a nice coating of plate armour. Whether or not you choose to count this as Flak or Carapace armour is up to you but my first thought would be Carapace...it just looks so much more hardy than Flak armour...don't you agree?
What about a few special rules?
I think we'll save those for another time.
I welcome any comments on what I have posted and will be happy to accept advice where people think that stats are too low/high.
From what Kev has said, the Grymn were specifically built for mining the dangerous asteroids that float through space. They have excellent metabolisms that mean they heal fairly quickly, they are strong for their size, highly agile and are able to survive in extreme conditions. They are quick witted and able to soak up alcohol with less effect than a human but how does this effect the Grymn's stats in combat when thinking about wargaming with them?
Well the easiest way of looking at a Grymn is to start with a Human's stats and decide which way to adjust them to best match the Grymn's description.
Let's start with Warhammer 40k and the basic stats for a Guardsman.
Move - 6 (standard for infantry)
Weapon Skill - 3
Ballistic Skill - 3
Strength - 3
Toughness - 3
Wounds - 1
Initiative - 3
Attacks - 1
Leadership - 7
For other games that use size as a modifier to hit, the Human stat is a size 2 (Void 1.1).
Movement - I don't think that a Grymn should be penalised where movement is concerned. Yes, Grymn are shorter than a Human would be but that doesn't mean that they can't move as quickly so I wouldn't have them move slower.
Weapon Skill / Ballistic Skill - I would say that these stats would be comparable to a Human army trooper. The Grymn are a martial race and spend a proportion of their lives in the military as a matter of course...and pride. The Imperial Guard are the WH40k equivalent of Human army troopers so it would make sense to have the same stats for the Grymn.
Strength - Yes, the Grymn are a strong race but it would be too easy to bump up the strength stat and make them too powerful so I would be tempted to leave the strength as that of a Human...and say that, for their size, the Grymn are quite strong.
Toughness - The Grymn are bred for extreme conditions. They have an excellent metabolism and a strong constitution. I think that the Grymn should be tougher than a Human so I would give them an average stat of 4.
Wounds - basic troopers would normally get a wound stat of 1 and I see no reason for the Grymn to be any different.
Initiative - I would suggest that the Grymn are about on level terms with a Human...but maybe would get a bonus for being teamed up with other members of the squad. From what Kev has said, the Grymn work in fire-teams so maybe they should get an initiative bonus if their fire-team is complete? An initiative of 4 if the fire-team is complete, 3 if not.
Attacks - I see no reason to give a basic Grymn any more attacks than 1.
Leadership - Here is where things get a bit more in-depth. Grymn operate better when they have company; Kev said so. Referring back to the Initiative stat, it makes sense to link the Leadership stat to whether or not there are complete fire-teams in the unit. I doubt that a lone Grymn would be any worse off than a standard Human so a base stat of 7 for leadership may be a good place to start. If there is more than half the unit left alive, maybe there should be a bonus for the Leadership stat...if the unit is above 50% then a standard Grymn Leadership stat would be 8. If it drops below 50% it drops to 7.
Height/size - The big question...do we say that Grymn are size 1 or just count them as Human sized for the purpose of targeting? I reckon that a Grymn would be as easy to hit as a Human due to their 'developed' stature. Okay, they are short but they are pretty well built so I would be quite happy to think of them as a Human sixze for the sake of targeting...yes?
So...from what I have written, the Grymn stat for a game of WH40k would be like this:
Move - 6 (standard for infantry...including Grymn)
Weapon Skill - 3
Ballistic Skill - 3
Strength - 3
Toughness - 4
Wounds - 1
Initiative - 3/4(if above 50% unit strength)
Attacks - 1
Leadership - 7/8(if above 50% unit strength)
Size (Void 1.1) - 2 (for the reasons I have given above).
As for armour saves, the Grymn generally have a nice coating of plate armour. Whether or not you choose to count this as Flak or Carapace armour is up to you but my first thought would be Carapace...it just looks so much more hardy than Flak armour...don't you agree?
What about a few special rules?
I think we'll save those for another time.
I welcome any comments on what I have posted and will be happy to accept advice where people think that stats are too low/high.
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