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Wider Wargaming => Non-Pendraken Stuff => Topic started by: Raider4 on 16 January 2021, 08:14:48 PM

Title: Which rules for 50s B Alien invasion movie?
Post by: Raider4 on 16 January 2021, 08:14:48 PM
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.
Title: Re: Which rules for 50s B Alien invasion movie?
Post by: GrumpyOldMan on 16 January 2021, 09:19:05 PM
The Fistful of Tripods http://fft3.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Tripods.pdf (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.
Title: Re: Which rules for 50s B Alien invasion movie?
Post by: Big Insect on 16 January 2021, 09:28:35 PM
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
Title: Re: Which rules for 50s B Alien invasion movie?
Post by: FierceKitty on 17 January 2021, 01:33:49 AM
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?
Title: Re: Which rules for 50s B Alien invasion movie?
Post by: Last Hussar on 17 January 2021, 12:51:37 PM
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!
Title: Re: Which rules for 50s B Alien invasion movie?
Post by: flamingpig0 on 18 January 2021, 11:42:42 PM
I would suggest Alien Squad Leader or possibly the new FWC when it emerges
Title: Re: Which rules for 50s B Alien invasion movie?
Post by: Big Insect on 19 January 2021, 07:51:47 AM
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
Title: Re: Which rules for 50s B Alien invasion movie?
Post by: Raider4 on 19 January 2021, 08:46:24 AM
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.
Title: Re: Which rules for 50s B Alien invasion movie?
Post by: Big Insect on 19 January 2021, 12:25:21 PM
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)
Title: Re: Which rules for 50s B Alien invasion movie?
Post by: flamingpig0 on 19 January 2021, 12:32:06 PM
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
Title: Re: Which rules for 50s B Alien invasion movie?
Post by: Big Insect on 19 January 2021, 01:03:38 PM
Quote from: flamingpig0 on 19 January 2021, 12:32:06 PM
I am  sure your game will be much better than the film

;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
Title: Re: Which rules for 50s B Alien invasion movie?
Post by: Lord Kermit of Birkenhead on 19 January 2021, 02:25:25 PM
Distopian wars might do it as well
Title: Re: Which rules for 50s B Alien invasion movie?
Post by: Last Hussar on 19 January 2021, 06:37:10 PM
I've pretty much finished the rules.

Just need a playtest.