Rail Gun: Rules examples

I, and most gamers I suspect, really like examples of play in a rules set. For my in-development spaceship game Rail Gun, I'm creating some examples of different rules, using the cool 2-d spaceship art done by Andy Nelson.  Here's an example of movement in the game, and how players determine direction, speed, and all that. Yell "Magnify!" at your computer to make it bigger (and click on the picture, but yelling Magnify is an important part of the procedure).

More pics after the bump.

NOTE: I noticed a typo where I round speed 3.94 down to 2...should be down to 3.

Rail Gun playtest: Attack on a merchant convoy

I played out a solid Rail Gun playtest today, with a small force of small ships attacking an enemy merchant convoy.  The game was sort of a blend between a naval convoy scenario and an air-combat bomber game. Some pics and a description of the game below. Thanks for looking!

Rail Gun playtests using Powerpoint

I put together a Rail Gun playtest board using Powerpoint.  Here is a screenshot of the result. The ships move on small dials, that keep the ship's movement direction clear, while the images of the ships themselves can be pivoted freely.  A scale ruler measures distances and the various other shapes seen off to the side help with tracking damage.  Click to make bigger. Thanks for looking!

Another Day on Okinawa scenario pack released

I have released a 5-scenario campaign pack called Another Day on Okinawa, for my WWII rules A Sergeant's War. It is available for sale at the Wargame Vault for $1.99.  It's a tough set of scenarios, with each side facing particular challenges: the Marines have plenty of firepower and excellent leadership, but the Japanese are dug in tight, with good artillery support and high morale.

Free A Sergeant's War scenario: Marine assault on Okinawa, 1945

Here is a free scenario for use with my rules A Sergeant's War, or with any other small-unit WWII rules set.  The scenario features a reinforced platoon of Marines assaulting a heavily fortified Japanese position on Okinawa.  It is the first scenario in the scenario pack, "24 Hours on Okinawa," available soon.  Details after the bump. Enjoy!

Background: In late April and early May of 1945, the US Marines gradually took over the job of clearing out Japanese resistance in Southern Okinawa.  The task had already exhausted several Army divisions and would prove equally devastating to the Marines.  This scenario represents a typical attack from this campaign, as heavily armed and well supported Marines dealt with strongly built and mutually supporting Japanese fortifications.

US Objective: The Marines must take and hold the two areas of high ground indicated on the map (the most darkly colored areas). Taking one of the areas gives the Marines a draw.

Japanese Objective: Avoid US victory conditions.

Game Length: 10 turns (For A Sergeant's War, this is a fairly generous time limit. Keep that in mind for converting to other games.)

Terrain Rules: The board should be 5'x4', and as shown in the illustration above, is an area of rocky, steep-sided hills.  The darker areas represent higher elevations, with the darkest colored areas counting as the highest elevation.  The grey strip is a creekbed which should counted as a gully or ravine, depending on your rules, and forces a bog test for vehicles.  All elevated areas count as difficult terrain.  The crests of hills, indicated by dashed lines, provide cover and cause bog tests for vehicles.  Vehicles may not move onto level 3 elevation. The map should be strewn with various pieces of vegetation and areas of shell craters and debris, which offer cover, force bog tests on vehicles, and count as difficult terrain for infantry.  They should NOT block LOS.  The "top" of the map is north.

Marine Order of Battle
All are Morale 4, Quality 4 (this is "typical" quality in A Sergeant's War.  The Marines' doggedness in combat is reflected in the large number of Leaders they have below. You may want to improve their morale for other games).

10x Leaders

2x Radio men (adjutants)

                

 6x BAR teams (4 men each, 1 BAR, Firepower 2+1)

3x Flamethrower teams (4 men each, firepower 1+1 and a flamethrower)

3x Bazooka teams (4 men each, firepower 1+1, bazooka)

2x LMG teams (3 men each, belt-fed LMG, firepower 3)               

2x M4A2 Sherman tanks

1x Medium artillery support (contact 4+, 4 HE missions) (assume 81mm mortars)

 1x Light artillery support (contact 2+, unlimited HE/smoke missions) (assume 60mm mortars)

                Marines may place three large smoke screens on turn 1 (12" diameter screens).

                Failing a contact roll for two consecutive turns removes that artillery support entirely.
                Medium artillery may not be called within 12" of a friendly unit.
                Light artillery may not be called within 6" of a friendly unit.

Japanese Order of Battle
All are Morale 3, Quality 4 (this is very good morale but average skill in A Segeant's War).

2x Leaders

2x Rifle teams (4 men each, Firepower 1), spider holes, improved AT explosives

1x Mortar squad (6 men, three grenade dischargers, Firepower 4, smoke), trench

2x LMG bunkers (firepower 3, two firing apertures), armor 3 (armor equivalent to the front of a Sherman tank)

2x HMG bunker (firepower 6, two firing apertures), armor 3

1x ATG bunker (47mm gun, two firing apertures), armor 3

1x Medium artillery support (contact 2+, 4 HE missions) (assume 81mm mortars)

2x 6”x2” mixed minefields

2 bunkers are equipped with landlines.  A leader in that bunker may call for artillery support.

All Japanese positions are well concealed.