Rogue Stars: Kitbashed Grav-mobile Combat Droids

Had a customer ask me how I'd stat up these figs for Rogue Stars, so I thought I'd do a post with suggestions on how to use them.  They're kitbashed together from a Mantic plastic kit I discussed back here:

http://brokenstarsburningships.blogspot.com/2018/03/dance-puppets-deadzone-marionette-kit.html

So, your basic Type XV combat droid with high-mobility grav frame and sniper rifle in Rogue Stars:

TooTooToo Ecks
Gunner Droid
50 XP

Traits:
Artificial
Difficult Target 1
Marksman 2
Martial Arts 2
Nonreactive
Robot Technician 1

Gear:
2 x Bionic Arms (built in)
Flight Pack (built in)
Heavy Blaster Rifle
Night Visor (built in)

Rather obviously, the droid has no Leg hit location and any hits there would transfer to the Torso location instead.  Not especially well armored, but very fast and a flyer to boot.  It carries a real beater of a gun and uses it pretty well.  Also has a surprisingly strong melee game when it needs it (like, say, in the corridors of a starship) but generally prefers to fly around out of reach and keep shooting.  Even has some repair capability thanks to Robot Technician, although you might want to field two of them so they can patch each other if need be.

Primary weaknesses are the Nonreactive trait (typical for droids) and the fact that if that built-in flight pack gets broken you're reduced to crawling speeds even if you survive falling out of the sky like a rock.   Still, at 50XP you do get a lot of bang for your buck here and it's hard to beat that amazing mobility till you're damaged.

 

Rogue Stars Boromite Militia Crew

Continuing with the Rogue Stars posts, today we've got a crew of Boromite militia from the Gates of Antares range.

Like the earlier Boromite miner crew I did back here

http://brokenstarsburningships.blogspot.com/2018/04/i-got-yer-minerals-right-here-rogue.html

these figs all have the Mineral, Tough and Nonreactive traits to represent their alien silicon-based physiology.

The crew is intended to be mostly younger Boromites, the kind of hotheads that are quick to grab a shockrod and fight pirate raiders, hostile native fauna, and the clan over the next hill.  Their gear is pretty impressive but their skills are minimal at their age, although the gang's boss is a little more experienced and good at keeping enthusiasm high.

While not really great at more nuanced missions, they're pretty good in a fight and there are quite  a few of them.  They might easily show up anywhere despite being militia-themed, as their clan elders are likely to send them off on missions to distant worlds as punishment for youthful shenanigans or just to get some peace and quiet.

Their signature weapon is the shockrod, which combines a Zap Rifle and a Force Spear in the same weapon frame.  It's worth noting that the device only works in one mode at a time and takes an action to switch between the two, so if you've been blazing away with your Zap Rifle and now you want to (for example) stop a charge with your Long Force Spear you need to switch modes with an action before the enemy gets to you.  A model could probably bypass this requirement with Fast Draw, which has similar mechanical effects.  The shockrod is also a really good target for Disarm attacks and weapon damage results, so it's not all positives to have a two-in-one weapon here.

Note that the electrical damage from the Zap Rifles is very strong against robots and cyborgs, while simultaneously doing less damage to Boromites.  Friendly fire is less dangerous to this crew.  They also have a reach edge over most opponents and (if they can survive long enough to earn some XP) they can become a real threat in melee pretty quickly.  That's especially true if you go with Brawlers as a tactical discipline.

Drudd's Gang
Theme:  Militia
Tactical Discipline:  Brawlers is probably the most flavorful option, although Hard To Kill is also a good choice

Drudd
Gang Leader
52 XP

Traits:
Leadership 1
Mineral
Nonreactive
Tough 1
Veteran
Weapons Master 1

Gear:
Force Spear
Zap Rifle
Force Shield
Night Visor

Glund, Flund, Rund, and Mak
Stooges
37 XP each

Traits:
Mineral
Nonreactive
Tough 1

Gear:
Force Spear
Zap Rifle
Force Shield
Night Visor

Rogue Stars Algoryn Mercenary Team & VIP

Another Rogue Stars team put together out of Warlord Games' Gates of Antares minis, this time using the Algoryn Special Division Commander Ess Ma Rahq and her bodyguards.  I'll be using the four grunts as a mercenary fireteam and the character as a VIP scenario special. 

These troopers are all Algoryn, an obscure but highly militaristic Outer Rim race noted for providing small forces of well trained and uncommonly reliable soldiers to anyone with the money to pay them.  Most of their earnings are claimed by their world government, where the funds are used to endlessly improve the already-impressive planetary defenses.  Whether they're paranoid or just very well-prepared, the Algoryn home system is one of the most heavily fortified regions in the Rim.  

Theme for the crew is Mercenary, of course.  Probably using the Opportunists doctrine to synergize with their excellent reaction capability.  The goal is to build a team that can effectively punish their enemies for every failed action attempt.

The lass playing with her commo earpiece is the team leader, while the pointing gent has had some scout training.  The other two grunts are just your basic riflemen.

Ensa Do Rem

Team Leader

54 XP

Traits:

Difficult Target 1

Marksman 1

Martial Arts 3

Reactive

Veteran

Gear:

Laser Rifle

Light Combat Dress

Oto Fel Rosk

Point Man

50 XP

Traits:

Difficult Target 1

Marksman 1

Martial Arts 3

Reactive

Veteran

Gear:

Laser Rifle

Light Combat Dress

Fen Den Sen

Rifleman

48 XP

Traits:

Difficult Target 1

Marksman 1

Martial Arts 3

Reactive

Veteran

Fen Den Osco

Other Rifleman

48 XP

Traits:

Difficult Target 1

Marksman 1

Martial Arts 3

Reactive

Veteran

They're fairly lightly equipped but well-trained and especially good at playing a reactive game.  Primary shortcomings are a relative lack of durability and non-combat skills, and they could also benefit from some movement boosts (Fast, or jump packs most likely).  Their shooting game is solid and their excellent martial arts training makes them quite dangerous in melee.

Rogue Stars ExoTech Security Revisited: Meet the New Boss!

Back in January I did a post about a Rogue Stars crew based around a slightly shady corporate "security" team from a firm called ExoTech, which you can read here: 

http://brokenstarsburningships.blogspot.com/2018/01/rogue-stars-science-fiction-skirmish.html

I've finally gotten around to expanding the team with a new model, this one a psionic mission specialist from the company's Executive caste.  He's pretty expensive and effectively replaces "Killer" in the starting team roster.  It would be unusual to have both an Exec and an IO Spec in the same team anyway, although a VERY successful team (with at least 70XP earned) might see both working together.  Functionally he's much less dangerous in a straight fight than she is, but he's also got a very versatile mix of psionic trickery up his sleeve.  His three bodyguards still have plenty of muscle to bring to the table, so not too much to worry about there.

Niels Handruson EX-0201 ("Don't Call Me Boss")
Executive, Special Talents Division
70 XP

Traits:
Difficult Target 2
Leadership 1
Light Worlder
Psionic
Psionic Master 1
Veteran

Powers:
Healing
Precognition
Teleportation

Gear:
Molecular Slugthrower
Neurowhip (the biomech tentacles on his armor - very good at stopping a charge)
Light Combat Dress

The rest of the crew, including the alternate "Killer" option.  Slightly altered from the original post, since Niels takes over the leadership role.

Artema K-777 ("Killer")
IO Spec
70 XP

Traits:
Ambidexterity
Difficult Target 2 (3 with Stealth Suit)
Marksman 1
Stealth 2 (3 with Stealth Suit)

Gear:
2 x Alpha Class Needlers
Stealth Suit
Disentangler
Electromag Shackles

Jaro D-91295 ("The Old Boss")
Security Trooper
45 XP

Traits:
Marksman 1
Perceptive 1
Tech 1
Weapon Master 1

Gear:
Molecular Slugthrower
Powered Gauntlet
Combat Dress


Dev TX-0038 ("Tex")
Security Trooper
42 XP

Traits:
Marksman 1
Weapon Master 2

Gear:
Molecular Slugthrower
Powered Gauntlet
Combat Dress


Ondin MX-723 ("Doc")
Security Trooper
43 XP

Traits:
Marksman 1
Medic 1
Weapon Master 1

Gear:
Molecular Slugthrower
Powered Gauntlet
Combat Dress

I Got Yer Minerals Right Here: Rogue Stars Miner Crew

Haven't shown off a Rogue stars crew in a while, so here's another one.  Once again derived from Warlord Games' Gates of Antares range, specifically the Boromite and (for the little guy) Isorian factions.

Theme here is an alien mining crew, all of whom are silicoid life forms, ie they all have the Mineral trait in Rogue stars.

Tactical Discipline would probably be Hard To Kill, although On The Double might also work.  The crew's almost pure melee to start, so mobility and durability are a priority.

The little guy on the left is Quilk, a psionic alien that the rest of the crew treat more like a pet than a person.  Quilk's a lazy type and doesn't mind, since it rarely has to do any real work to stay comfortable.  Same mentality as your average cat, really.  Mechanically, it has no hit locations besides torso (which takes all limb hits) and head and can't use equipment.  Traits are as follows:

Claws
Diminutive
Mineral
Nonreactive
Psionic (Healing, Levitation)
Tough 1
30 XP

The Boromite miners are a gruff lot with some pretty good equipment, although very lightly armed.  All of them are competent techs, pretty good in melee, and quite tough, but they aren't fast and their shooting game is lousy.

Hund is the gent fiddling with the drone on the left of the images.  Traits and gear:

Mineral

Nonreactive

Tech 2

Tough 2

Weapon Master 2

Exoskeleton (half cost for being a Miner crew)

Force Shield

Monowire Blade (really a scifi Swiss army tool he's got tucked away, but serviceable in a fight)

55 XP

Munt carries the big salvage claw tool, which has a built-in plasma cutter.

Mineral

Nonreactive

Tech 1

Tough 3

Weapon Master 3

Exoskeleton

Force Shield

Flamer Pistol (the built-in plasma torch)

Fixed Vibrobayonet (the salvage claw - stats are close enough)

57 XP

Brod is the smart one, and is either scanning for ore deposits in the area or checking Facebook on his multicomp.

Mineral

Nonreactive

Tech 3

Tough 2

Weapon Master 2

Exoskeleton

Force Shield

Monowire Scourge (really just a weighted length of monowire cable coiled up in one of his pouches - he got the idea from a David Drake novel, no doubt)

58 XP

Pretty big chunky figures, Quilk excepted.

Rogue Stars Science Fiction Skirmish Rules: Alien Psionic Cult & Alien Cyborg Crew

I suspect the Cultist theme in Rogue Stars was meant for something a bit more Grimdark, but I like it for seriously weird alien types.

Built using the old "Large Sadistic Demons" from Asgard, currently in production as "Flesharons" through Alternative Armies.  I love these nostalgic old models, simple as they are.

As far as Rogue Stars stats go, I'd use the following:

Theme: Cultist

Tactical Discipline: Gestalt

3 x Servicer Xenopods (the little guys) each with the Vegetable and Psionic traits and the psionic abilities of Blink, Healing, Levitation, and Telekinetic Push (30XP each)

2 x Enactor Xenopods (the mid-sized ones) each with Vegetable, Psionic, and Psionic Mastery level 1, and the psionic abilities of Blink, Levitation, and either Nightmares or Telekinetic Strangle (30XP each)

1 x Director Xenopod (the big critter) with Vegetable, Psionic, and Psionic Mastery level 3, and the psionic abilities of Blink, Mindscream, Nightmares or Telekinetic Strangle, and Teleportation (50XP)

No equipment at all, relying on their mix of psionic abilities for offense, defense, and mobility.  They get a huge +6 to psi rolls initially due to Gestalt, but if you can inflict casualties on them they fall apart pretty quick.  Early priorities for spending XP would be levels in Psionic Mastery, followed by more psi abilities and eventually defensive and buffing traits.  They really don't want to melee anyone (which is, again, probably not what the designers were thinking of with the theme) and focus instead on using psi abilities to move themselves and their enemies around, heal damage, accomplish goals (or foil the other guy's) and generally be irritating.  The Director's ability to teleport (at +9 to the die roll!) and then pop a Mindscream is the biggest offensive trick, and the Servicers' TK push lets them make juicy clumps of targets for to aim for with it.  Robots are a problem for the crew as a whole, although TK strangle (aka "mentally unplugging your CPU, tin man") gives you something to use besides unarmed combat.

The species aren't really Vegetables, but the trait seems like the best way to represent their extremely alien nature.  Bit of extra durability, immunity to some effects, resistance to others, but (as with all horrific infestations) they don't like being purged with flame.

The other "Flesharons" make a very different crew, this time relying on integrated cybernetics.  Some background fluff, the "Awfuls" (as humanity has nicknamed this largely incomprehensible species) are undergoing a schism.  The Purists in the first post are the Old School faction, using psionics for virtually everything.  These guys are the Melded, a recently arisen group that eschews native psi power for biomechanical cyborg enhancements.

Suggested game stats:

Theme: Cyborgs

Tactical Discipline: Hard to Kill

2 x Sickle Drones (the little guys) each with the Ambidexterity, Claws, Tough level 1, and Vegetable traits and two Bionic Arms (30XP each)

2 x Warmasters (the big guys) each with Ambidexterity, Big, Claws, Tough level 3, and Vegetable traits, with two Bionic Arms, Cyborg Body, and two Torso Weapon Mounts (laser rifle and sonic rifle) (70XP)

Extremely tough for critters with no actual gear, with even the little guys getting a +4 on most damage result rolls against them and the big guys going to at least +7 (more if a hit lands on a bionic arm).  Hard To Kill makes it hard to make early wounds stick on them as well.  They're usually going to be outnumbered, but having Ambidexterity on everyone lets them get more attacks per action than you'd expect.  Not very accurate attacks, but lots of them and with some fairly nasty weapons.  Don't forget all their Claws have Crunch due to the twin Bionic Arms, so you can remove troublesome enemy equipment if need be.

This was originally posted last year over on Lead Adventure Forum, but I'm mirroring it here since my original photo links have died.

Rogue Stars Science Fiction Skirmish Rules: ExoTech Security Team

Latest project for 2018, a crew of 28mm figures for use in Rogue Stars by Osprey Wargames.  Rogue Stars is one of those minis games that also borders on flat-out roleplaying, with the rules, setting, and theme encouraging you to personalize your crews and track their successes and failures on the tabletop.  Taking that to heart, I've cribbed a quartet of models from the Gates of Antares range for use as a slightly shady corporate "security" team.

ExoTech Incorporated is a mid-sized manufacturing company that specializes in xeno-technological synthesis - the science of combining various alien technologies with human tech and each other to produce an end product whose final result is greater than the sum of its parts.  They produce a wide variety of high-end civilian gadgetry that sell well in Core Space, as well as a line of military/paramilitary gear with a distinctive biomechanical look.

ExoTech acquisition agents are common sights in Rim Space where they purchase all manner of new alien technology for use in research and development of new products.  On occasion they encounter dangerous criminals, hostile local rulers, and species who refuse to share their unique scientific advancements no matter what they're offered.  When that happens ExoTech Security is called in, dispatching heavily equipped combat specialists to troubleshoot whatever the problem may be - often by literally shooting things.

The most common Security troops are the armored infantry, wearing their signature heavy combat suits with integral powered gauntlets and generally carrying sophisticated molecular slugthrowers as primary weapons.  Each trooper is generally given some specialist training beyond their basic combat skills, ranging from medical to scientific to leadership skills.

Rarer but even more lavishly equipped are the Independent Operations Specialists, who are most often issued elaborate stealth suits, dual molecular slugthrowers with advanced silenced ammunition, and a variety of other advanced intrusion and restraint gear.  IO Specs often work alone in Core Space, but out on the Rim they're more often seen (when they're seen at all) with standard Security troopers in support.

In Rogue Stars terms, this crew is built using the "Star Cops" theme since ExoTech Security is (at least in theory) wholly legal and aboveboard.  They certainly never participate in ethically questionable activities like corporate espionage, technological thievery, or outright assassination.  Rumors of gray or black ops activity by ExoTech are just that - rumor.  Only rumor.

Their tactical discipline is usually going to be "Heavy Firepower" to exploit the Hail of Fire potential of their weaponry in the early stages of any fight.  They can easily blow through all five counters in a single flurry of shooting, but if that kills enough of the opposition then who needs to play for a long game?

Individual characters from left to right above:

Artema K-777 ("Killer")
IO Spec
70 XP

Traits:
Ambidexterity
Difficult Target 2 (3 with Stealth Suit)
Marksman 1
Stealth 2 (3 with Stealth Suit)

Gear:
2 x Alpha Class Needlers
Stealth Suit
Disentangler
Electromag Shackles


Jaro D-91295 ("Boss")
Security Trooper
45 XP

Traits:
Leadership 1
Marksman 1
Weapon Master 1

Gear:
Molecular Slugthrower
Powered Gauntlet
Combat Dress


Dev TX-0038 ("Tex")
Security Trooper
42 XP

Traits:
Marksman 1
Weapon Master 2

Gear:
Molecular Slugthrower
Powered Gauntlet
Combat Dress


Ondin MX-723 ("Doc")
Security Trooper
43 XP

Traits:
Marksman 1
Medic 1
Weapon Master 1

Gear:
Molecular Slugthrower
Powered Gauntlet
Combat Dress

In game terms, the strength of this crew is largely in their gear.  They've got pretty good armor on the troopers and Killer is extremely sneaky and hard to shoot.  All of them carry automatic weapons with infinite ammo, which means they can really lay down a lot of attacks per action in a pinch.  The troopers are also fairly effective in a melee although that's likely to be more of a defensive option than a primary tactic.  All their armor is sealed, giving them a lot of resistance to many annoying effects.  Finally, Killer's access to the rarest equipment gives them key gear like a Disentangler and Electromagnetic Shackles.

Their weaknesses include very limited mobility, a lack of really hard-hitting weapons (nothing over damage 4), and no veteran characters or other action/reaction boosters.  With only four models they'll also start many games outnumbered, although their damage output may make up for that.  They also don't have any grenades or psionic tricks up their sleeves.

Early priorities for XP spending should probably include getting some mobility gear (maybe jump packs on everyone?), improving existing skills, adding a heavier weapon or two (conversion time!), and the usual increases in experience levels and adding toughness.  As with any Rogue Stars crew you'll probably lose characters in battle pretty often.  Replacement carbon-copy troopers will probably work well enough, but if Killer goes down for good you might want to shuffle around her replacement's gear and skills to better suit whatever kind of crews and scenarios are giving you the most trouble.