Post-Apoc 1st Playtest!

Kitrok and I got in our first two playtests with my Post-Apoc miniatures from EM-4 last night. We used the MEST basic rules. Both games were smaller games with 500pts per side and 5 models each. Kitrok was having a rough night and I won both games.

MEST Basic Game Beta 1.1 is Out!

Updated
I've taken the effort after receiving some feedback from vindigo and greatly expanded the MEST Basic Rules document with more examples, greater clarity, and many additional pictures, charts, and diagrams.  As a result, the new document version is 1.1.

Here's what I remember that is different from the initial release:

• CRITICAL FIX: Detect is affected by OR multiples.
• CRITICAL FIX: Detect is an Opposed INT vs. REF Test.
• Expanded sections on building assemblies of characters.
• Added more examples.
• Added a back-cover.
• Added Fear trait to the Traits list.
• Added Fear 2 trait to the Monster archetype.
• Removed the "Fear Test" definition under Morale and Wounds section.
• Re-balanced Weapons list by +/- 1 BP.  Improvised is now 0 BP instead of 1 BP.
• Re-phrased Victory Conditions to be clearer and more concise.
• Added play-aides; record sheet, scatter diagram, markers, reference cards.
• Re-factored the Tests section and revised the associated examples.
• Specify that measuring from a model begins within it's base-diameter.
• Added Turn Sequence flow-chart.
• Removed Throw action; folded into Range Attack action verbiage.
• Introduced term "Melee Range" and re-phrased the concept of Engaged.
• Re-phrased Move and Close Combat actions, and identified Charge Bonus.
• Clarified Higher Ground, Cornered, and Outnumbering bonus.
• Added numerous sample assemblies by genre to facilitate quick-play.
• Added some additional mission types to allow for session variety.

So, head over to the download page and get the latest version.

"Warriors... Come Out and Playayayay!"

I started a thread over at LAF. Kitrok and I are looking for feedback for a Warriors / Post Apoc Project.

http://www.lead-adventure.de/index.php?topic=38508.0

We would love to get any and all input.

MEST goes Post-Apoc!

I've been working on some Fallout-ish / Post Apocalyptic miniatures and terrain.

I can't wait to get an playtest in.
So far I've painted 27 EM-4 miniatures and 8 Marx Cars.
I've got some cacti and Plasticville buildings to paint still.

An Early Play-test

This is an earlier play-test by Aggro84 from about a 1.5 years ago; the game rules were still being solidified.  The genre presented here is the H.P. Lovecraft Mythos that we've been working on.  The genre document when completed will dove-tail into the Advanced Rules and will be named "Of Cultists and Unspeakable Horrors".

The size of the game is roughly about 750 BP with seven characters per player. There are a few game elements that are available in the genre rules that increase the price-point a bit, in context of the available beta rules.  The first is that the Dimensional Shambler (represented by a RAFM "ghast") has the Tesseract trait which allows it to teleport directly into combat but no closer than 3" to an opposing model.  In terms of the Basic Game rules, treat it otherwise as a Monster archetype.  The Tcho-tchos themselves can be considered the equivalent of the Basic Game's Scout archetype, and the Tcho-tcho leader is essentially a Scout with the Leader and the Tactics traits.  For the Agents ('Feds') the Leader is also an Elite archetype but with the Leader traits.

Quoting Aggro84:

I played a game with the miniature rule set that I have been working on (heavily influenced by Robert). I’m going for a simple and fast set of skirmish rules.  Each side had seven models and consisted of Tcho-Tcho’s Vs. Federal Agents. I tested the game without the use of Hiding Rules to see how the game played.

Game-size:

750 BP.  6-turn limit. 36"x36" battle-field.

Agency:
6 Elite, 1 Leader
[ 2 x shotgun, 2 x tommy gun, 3 x medium pistol ]

Cultists:
1 Shambler (Monster), 3 Cultists (Average), 3 Tcho-tchos (Scouts + Leader)
[ sword, daggers, spear, shotgun, tommy gun, medium pistol ]

Turn 1.
The forces took up their positions.
A cultist with a shotgun took an unlikely shot at an Agent from the second group shown (a shot he would not have been able to make if the Hidden Rules were in place.) The Cultist got lucky and shot and killed the Agent.

With the Agent dead, another Agent is left alone in the dark. Exploiting the situation, the Shambler appeared next to the unfortunate Agent.

Turn 2
The Shambler easily killed the lone agent.  A cultist with a Tommy gun made a lucky shot against an Agent held up in a structure which killed the Agent. This death forced the Agent Leader to flee from the building. The forces continued to take up their positions.

The Tcho-tcho High Priest took up a position inside a building

Turn 3
A Tcho-tcho engaged another lone Agent. The cultist with the shotgun ran up to assist. Agents, from the upper floor of a building, rained fire down upon a lone Tcho-tcho, but failed to even wound him.
 
Turn 4
Another agent fell to the Tcho-Tcho. The Leader recovered and engaged the seemingly bullet proof Tcho-Tcho that had just entered a building held by the Agents. The remainder of the battle took place inside this building.

Turn 5
Now that they far outnumbered the Agents, the Tcho-tcho’s started surrounding the remaining Agent held up in the building. The Shambler moved in, and was wounded by an Agent’s Tommy gun fire.

The unlucky Agent leader was shot accidentally by one of his own Agents. The Agent Leader took two wounds from the blast that would have killed a lesser man. A Tcho-tcho was then killed from a counter strike from the Agent Leader.

Turn 6
The Agent who accidentally shot his boss was killed by the Tcho-tcho forces. Finally, the Agent Leader was also killed.  This left a lone wounded Agent in the top floor of the building making this an almost total victory for the Tcho-tcho.



Summary
The forces should have been pretty evenly matched up: however, the Agents were very unlucky and the Tcho-tcho’s rolls were unstoppable. The game played fast, dirty and brutal, just like I wanted.

The board from the Tcho-Tcho side…

As well as the fed side.

Here is a close up of starting positions
for the Tcho-Tcho. This was a High Priest,
an Elder and two non- Tcho-Tcho robed cultists.

A smaller flanking group consisted
of an Elder and one more cultist.
The Tcho-Tcho’s also had a Shambler on
their side that did not set up initially.

Here are the starting postitions
for the Agents. This was the Agent
Leader along with three other Agents…

As well as a secondary group of three Agents.

The Cultist got lucky and shot and killed an Agent.

The luck shot from another angle.

Exploiting the situation,
the Shambler appeared next to
an unfortunate Agent.

The Shambler easily killed the lone agent.

A cultist with a Tommy gun made a
lucky shot against an Agent held up in a
structure which killed the Agent.
This death forced the Agent Leader
to flee from the building.

The Tcho-Tcho High Priest took up a
position inside a building

A Tcho-Tcho engaged another lone Agent.
The cultist with the shotgun ran up to assist.

Agents, from the upper floor of a
building, rained fire down upon a lone
Tcho-Tcho, but failed to even wound him.

Another agent fell to the Tcho-Tcho

The Leader recovered and engaged the seemingly
bullet proof Tcho-Tcho that had just entered
a building held by the Agents

The remainder of the battle took place
inside this building.

The Shambler moved in, and was wounded
by an Agent’s Tommy gun fire.

A Tcho Tcho was then killed from a
counter-strike from the Agent Leader.

An Agent who accidently shot his boss
was killed by the Tcho-Tcho forces.
Finally, the Agent Leader was also killed.

Agents Raid Suspected Cultists Shanty Town!

Cross-posted (somewhat) at:
http://www.lead-adventure.de/index.php?topic=37127.15

Game-size:

500 BP.  4-turn limit. 36"x36" battle-field.

Agency: 

3 Elite, 1 Leader, 1 Dog 

[ shotgun, shotgun, tommy gun, medium pistol ]
 

Cultists: 

1 Monster (Construct) + 2 Hero (Deep Ones) + 2 Brawlers (Asylum) + 3 average (Asylum) 

[ Axe, Improvised x 7 ]

Turn 1
This was mostly maneuvering into position.  A Deep one maneuvered to the right of the battlefield and took a wound from SMG fire while sprinting between the rock and the hard place.

Turn 2 
On the Initiative Test, the Agency acquire 9 Initiative Points [ IP ].  That's a 1:1000 event.
Essentially Agency got to move all of their forces into position, pushing the AP maximum, and Refreshing at the end of their actions.  Only afterwards did Cultists get a chance to respond. 2 KO'd Deep Ones. 1 Eliminated Dog.

Turn 3 
The Cultists got into close position filing down the quad and the area next to the bottom left. The Construct KO'd sprinted down the death alley and got a swing at one of the Elites; missed! One of the asylum members follows up near by.  The brawlers, axe maniac, and crazy lady with the teddy bear totem all made base-contact.  Cultist player scored three consecutive snake-eyes for Hit Tests.  Lost two models to counter-strikes. Lost the third to SMG fire.

Turn 4 
The Agent with a shotgun next to the Construct mowed down Tor Johnson but the Construct managed to Eliminate it. 

Game ends on the die roll at the conclusion of Turn 4. Agency wins on VP as follows:
+1 VP outnumbered 3:2
+1 VP fewer BP KO'd or Eliminated

Agency still had its leader and one Agent with Shotgun. Cultists had just the Construct and the straight-jacketed asylum member remaining. Post-battle analysis reveals that Cultists would have lost eventually even if the game continued into Turn 5; Construct and asylum member were already wounded.

The Shanty Town

Looks like a Deep One got our dog!

Let the bodies hit the floor.  Really nothing can
be done once the fight begins and you fail to hit;
snake-eyes on Hit Test.

Agent leader was able to react fast enough and
blast a couple cultist as they closed in.

Mentally deranged individual with magical totem.
The totem offered Armored Gear as a bonus

Ending of Turn 4.  Very close battle in terms
of proportional material loss.