Kroot SW:A team rules, modified from Ratskins

[Aulenback]

Ahoy, all.

I've been trying to find a good way to bring kroot mercenaries into the SW:A ruleset [since the Tau list essentially ignored them], and thanks to the similarities between SW:A and ORB Necromunda, may have found a way. I would ask those with an interest to have a look at the following, and then give me their thoughts here in this thread:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1GMIRTNynUdc8bsIJZJpq9I3I1I5DvXoz8YZlrqJr3R8/edit?usp=sharing

The list in essence takes the Ratskins from ORB Necromunda, removes some advantages, adds +1 strength, increases credit/point cost slightly as a result, and SEEMS at first theorycraft to be able to carry the idea foreward. My own concerns are less about replacing shamans with krootox, and more with the Ratskin gang form gaining access to longer ranged firearms than Ratskins easily had access to in ORB.

Thoughts?

 

[Space Truckin]

Looks good to me. Been reading about Griehks in the Blackstone novel tonight.
Rule book is packed away at the moment, but would maybe consider bumping up Leadership a bit?
Just a thought to the fluff and a little lower model count than ratskins?

 

[Space Truckin]

http://eastern-empire.com/downloads/kroot_mercs.pdf

Not sure what edition this was originally written by Andy for, surely before 5th ed 40k?

May help?

Sorry trying to post from phone.

 

[Aulenback]

Maybe, though they do already have a higher strength and initiative out of the gate. Starting with a higher-than-base Leadership [yes, I know, 40k has them at 8 rather than 7] would need to up the cost even more. And yes, the "hunting rifle" comes as concept from that "Kroot Mercenaries Chapter Approved list."

Also liking Grekh, though I didn't purchase the novel. Have you read For the Emperor [a Commissar Caine novel]? Gorok, of the Clan Tcha features prominently there. Looking forward to reading more about Grekh, as well.

Curiously, in a BFG note, Grekh's shuttle/escort vessel looks very much to be a Tau design, not a smaller version of a warsphere. Potentially an interesting modeling idea [at a tiny scale] for anyone with a Tau fleet, though, for bomber ordnance, perhaps?

Liking the game from what I am reading thus far [rampaging through the rulebooks, and drooling over the not-yet-off-the-sprues-but-soon miniatures], and reviews generally seem surprisingly positive. Already considering how to bridge this lot and Space Hulk [as I have a raft of 1st Ed. Space Hulk], as an eventual "expansion." And loving the setting of Precipice. Now THERE is a setting for someone's INQ28 games.

Anyhow. Upping the leadership too would suggest needing to up the credit cost for each by yet another 10 credits, to 80 apiece for the basic ganger. Its main use would seem to be in target priority checks, since the Shaper already has Ld 8, and so any gangers within 6" will be using his Ld for break tests. Perhaps just increase their Ld maximum by one to 10 instead of their starting Ld by one to 8?

All theorycrafting thus far, mind. We could playtest them and discover that they are woefully overpowered.

 

[tom9richards]

Liking the game from what I am reading thus far [rampaging through the rulebooks, and drooling over the not-yet-off-the-sprues-but-soon miniatures], and reviews generally seem surprisingly positive. Already considering how to bridge this lot and Space Hulk [as I have a raft of 1st Ed. Space Hulk], as an eventual "expansion." And loving the setting of Precipice. Now THERE is a setting for someone's INQ28 games.

I too haven't got the mine off the sprue, but they are gorgeous, favorites being the kroot and the rogue trader. I was also wondering how to incorporate my space hulk and maybe even lost patrol tiles into 'expansions'.

Kroots as ratskins seems a solid idea with a little playtesting.

 

[Aulenback]

I was also wondering how to incorporate my space hulk and maybe even lost patrol tiles into 'expansions'.

Kroots as ratskins seems a solid idea with a little playtesting.

Reviews thus far of the new game seem good on the whole. The quality of the contents look good. "Fan expansioning" heroes would not be too difficult, going by the rules patterns for the current explorers. "Fan expansioning" the villains and/or room tiles might be more difficult, but not much more.

The main challenge would be custom cards matching both stock weight and cut -- but sleeving the cards could eliminate that problem fairly easily.

As for the Kroot for SW:A [and ORB Necromunda], playtesting - actual playtesting - seems necessary. Not just theorycrafting.

Which then needs terrain, which means it is definitely waiting for the new year at our house. We have room for GorkaMorka/Ash Wastes only for a little while. No spot to store NM/SW:A terrain at present, unless I can track down where in the back basement my old NM card terrain box was stored away during the move [some time ago, but as my neighbours assured me "moved eighteen years ago, and those last boxes will be unpacked any year now"...].

If anyone gets a chance to give them a test drive in the interim, I'd much appreciate the feedback.

EDIT: and speaking of theorycrafting, the following could be useful for both SW:A and NM/GM.

http://variancehammer.com/2017/04/2...war-armageddon-armies-a-statistical-approach/

 

[Aulenback]

Added a *.pdf copy to the vault, for ease of access and hopefully for ease of playtesting. As noted, rules should be suitable for SW:A, but also for ORB Necromunda as Outlanders, and of course even for INQ28 [Inquisimunda specifically].

 

[Aulenback]

A year later, after much theorycrafting, it will be seeing some concrete playtesting time.

Our final (?) result is, in short:

Ratskins Dapakkani Tribal variant.
- minus immunity to Treacherous Conditions
- minus free maul
- minus Tech skill tree access
+ plus one (1) Initiative.

Shaman replaced by the “big guy” Krootox Rider, as it was the Heavy slot.

 

[Aulenback]

A second game with my Kroot gang, once again against the pinning-immune Blood Axe orks, But THIS time The Spear Flies True managed to pull a win, instead of turning tail and running.

Scenario was Scavengers. The monster didn’t appear even once. Only two loot counters on the table. Dense cover kept the hunters from shooting up the orks until the green skins got close to the prize.

One greenquill pair raced in, headed up to the exposed walkways and grabbed the loot that was out in the open, with the carrier being immediately blasted off his feet by the orks’ sustained fire shooting. He spun about and went down, promptly falling from the walkway to the deck below.

When the orks rushed forward, the other greenquill remained just out of reach, walked over and picked up the loot, before turning to shoot ineffectually at the nearest pursuing ork, just before the hunter group took him down with their long rifles.

Meanwhile, across the table, the orks clambered up to the other loot token, in a bastion well sheltered from Kroot shooting. A very inaccurate exchange of Frag between the krootox Rider and the orks left ... everyone still standing. Charging the krootox and the third greenquill into one of the entrenched orks, however, showed the advantage of the weight of numbers, with the ork going down to the second attacker bonus. Consolidating into the other orks, a very messy melee erupted.

But with two orks down, the Blood Axes Lost their morale and abandoned the slim winnings to the Kroot.

Thoughts: lost the first game decisively. Won their second game decisively. In both cases, numbers down were actually few, but with eight-fighter gangs, it doesn’t take much.

The krootox was a beast in melee, but mostly because he was the second fighter against a single opponent, and said opponent rolled a three and two ones for his attacks. A flamer (kombi skorcha) nearly did the krootox, as well, before he even got there. More testing, but he seems about right for his high cost and high starting xp - weaker overall, say, than an ogryn bodyguard by a fair margin.

Anyhow. Gang roster updated here on Yaktribe, a pair of clubs bought for one now-experienced greenquill, and one more greenquill hired on (they are now just under half the gang). Now to save up credits to be able to hire someone decent.

You can track the gang at

The Spear Flies True

Ratskins gang with a rating of 1358 by Aulenback

yaktribe.games