Which rules for 50s B Alien invasion movie?

Started by Raider4, 16 January 2021, 08:14:48 PM

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Raider4

There's a thread on TMP started by Last Hussar:

"Was watching 'Super 8' the other day (2011 film set in 1979)

About 2/3rds of the way through there was a homage to a proper full on SF "US army fails to stop the aliens" – tanks being tossed in the air, all the jeeps armed with .50 cals, firing wildly, powerlines going over in showers of sparks, the full monty.

And I thought "I want to do that" – Giant robots stomping houses, tank rounds bouncing off, infantry running about. But what rules?

I'm thinking 2-3 tripods v post Korea stuff. Any ideas that will handle lots v few?"

I'm not a member of TMP, so thought I'd answer here.

We did this years ago, in 6mm, using the Epic Armageddon rules. These used to be available as a free download from GW. Probably still on the 'net somewhere.

Imperial Guard list was used for the New Mexico National Guard. M4A3E8 Sherman - Leman Russ, M3 Half-track = Chimera APC, M40 GMC = Basilisk, etc., etc.

The Warengine/Warhound Titan rules were used for tripods. If we'd have carried on the Tyranid rules would have been used for giant ants, I suspect.

GrumpyOldMan

The Fistful of Tripods http://fft3.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Tripods.pdf for Martian Invasion covers 40s and 90s. Maybe you could modify them for the 50s as an alternative.

Big Insect

FWC works for this sort of mis-matched forces very well
It would be fun in 6mm/10mm but even more so in 20/28mm
'He could have lived a risk-free, moneyed life, but he preferred to whittle away his fortune on warfare.' Xenophon, The Anabasis

This communication has been written by a dyslexic person. If you have any trouble with the meaning of any of the sentences or words, please do not be afraid to ask for clarification. Remember that dyslexics are often high-level conceptualisers who provide "out of the box" thinking.

FierceKitty

Quote from: Raider4 on 16 January 2021, 08:14:48 PM


I'm not a member of TMP, so thought I'd answer here.



You don't like endless shouting matches about whether the US should nuke Eurasia until it glows, and informative posts revealing a professor at the West Ohio Baptist Bible Studies College says cats' teeth prove that they're carnivores?
I don't drink coffee to wake up. I wake up to drink coffee.

Last Hussar

I've been told of for that...  :-X :d ;D

To keep on topic...
I'm seeing if I can do something simple
Firing rules at the moment are
Did you hit the target? (not sure whether to make a Tripod 4+ or 5+)
If it's a tripod where did you hit it? (d6-d6 table)
Did you penetrate the armour? Roll d6 = Strength. 4+ is a hit. Defender rolls d6=Armour, save on a 4+. Whoever has the most 4+ wins!

Activation is on cards - 2-10 activate the US army, J,Q,K,A activates a tripod (A, activates ALL of them). Tripod action decided by drawing chits, 1 cup for 'Action' (move/turn/attack), one cup for direction of turn (nearest enemy tank/vehicle/unit, left, right, towards objective), one cup for target of the attack. Some chits also have 'them', meaning the Tripod gets another go!
I have neither the time or the crayons to explain why you are wrong.

GNU PTerry

flamingpig0

I would suggest Alien Squad Leader or possibly the new FWC when it emerges
"I like coffee exceedingly..."
 H.P. Lovecraft

"We don't want your stupid tanks!" 
Salah Askar,

My six degrees of separation includes Osama Bin Laden, Hitler, and Wendy James

Big Insect

19 January 2021, 07:51:47 AM #6 Last Edit: 19 January 2021, 07:57:37 AM by Big Insect
Quote from: Last Hussar on 17 January 2021, 12:51:37 PM
... I'm seeing if I can do something simple
Firing rules at the moment are
Did you hit the target? (not sure whether to make a Tripod 4+ or 5+)
If it's a tripod where did you hit it? (d6-d6 table)
Did you penetrate the armour? Roll d6 = Strength. 4+ is a hit. Defender rolls d6=Armour, save on a 4+. Whoever has the most 4+ wins!

You might need to build in some random cards for "citizens save the day" - if there are smaller (pre-teenage) children there is a much higher positive effect - but teenage children or young adult cards might generate some form of friendly fire or even abductions!

Off-topic - I had looked at running an FWC scenario based on the 2 recent 'Monsters' films - with the modern military fighting giant tentacled jelly-fish types.
I suspect that the 'monsters' might come off worse for the experience. But I can see a 'Pacific Rim' type game as having more appeal - or maybe a 1985 'Baltic Rim' game even  :D
'He could have lived a risk-free, moneyed life, but he preferred to whittle away his fortune on warfare.' Xenophon, The Anabasis

This communication has been written by a dyslexic person. If you have any trouble with the meaning of any of the sentences or words, please do not be afraid to ask for clarification. Remember that dyslexics are often high-level conceptualisers who provide "out of the box" thinking.

Raider4

Quote from: Big Insect on 19 January 2021, 07:51:47 AM
. .  But I can see a 'Pacific Rim' type game as having more appeal . . .

Ahh, Pacific Rim. One of my very guilty pleasures. I know that it's just Power Rangers with 200 million dollars thrown at the screen, and it's as corny and cliched as hell, but I love it. Idris Elba is absolutely brilliant. I even bought a Tau battlesuit from GW to see if I could make a convincing Jaeger from it, but still haven't got around to building it.

Big Insect

19 January 2021, 12:25:21 PM #8 Last Edit: 19 January 2021, 12:26:55 PM by Big Insect
I also bought some of the early GW Genestealer type Tyranids (cheaply) to start to convert into monsters, as I thought I'd end up having to cut some of them at the knee/waist/neck to represent them wading ashore  :D

I also looked at buying some of the actual models of the Kaiju from the film - but they were just all so hideously expensive (at that time).
I might check again on eBay to see if they have come down in price on the 2nd hand market.

Yes, yet another project ... like I had thought about doing a Battle Los Angeles FWC game (at least I have the trashed urban landscape from my Woken Furies project)
'He could have lived a risk-free, moneyed life, but he preferred to whittle away his fortune on warfare.' Xenophon, The Anabasis

This communication has been written by a dyslexic person. If you have any trouble with the meaning of any of the sentences or words, please do not be afraid to ask for clarification. Remember that dyslexics are often high-level conceptualisers who provide "out of the box" thinking.

flamingpig0

Quote from: Big Insect on 19 January 2021, 12:25:21 PM

Yes, yet another project ... like I had thought about doing a Battle Los Angeles FWC game (at least I have the trashed urban landscape from my Woken Furies project)

I am  sure your game will be much better than the film
"I like coffee exceedingly..."
 H.P. Lovecraft

"We don't want your stupid tanks!" 
Salah Askar,

My six degrees of separation includes Osama Bin Laden, Hitler, and Wendy James

Big Insect

'He could have lived a risk-free, moneyed life, but he preferred to whittle away his fortune on warfare.' Xenophon, The Anabasis

This communication has been written by a dyslexic person. If you have any trouble with the meaning of any of the sentences or words, please do not be afraid to ask for clarification. Remember that dyslexics are often high-level conceptualisers who provide "out of the box" thinking.

Lord Kermit of Birkenhead

FOG IN CHANNEL - EUROPE CUT OFF
Lord Kermit of Birkenhead
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Last Hussar

I've pretty much finished the rules.

Just need a playtest.
I have neither the time or the crayons to explain why you are wrong.

GNU PTerry