Squad-Hammer Core: Great Mountain Corporate SWAT vs Bloo's Gang

Nordic Weasel Games recently came out with a trimmed-down and updated version of their Squad-Hammer rules, called Squad-Hammer Core, just in time for my weekend gaming.  It's supposed to be a solid beer & pretzels framework for some fast fun with friends, but with enough structure to build your own house-rules or setting-specific information into.

This isn't a review, exactly, but I'll go ahead and say that I have had some input on the game's development, and some of my graphics were used in the final product.  So, you know.

The game I set up is more cyberpunk, inner-city fighting.  This time, a corporate SWAT team of two units of officers and a unit of drones is sent into a dangerous neighborhood to capture Bloo, a gang leader, protected by two groups of gun toting lowlifes and one group of crazies wielding axes and mauls.

Generally speaking, most units on foot move 6", shoot across the entire table, do 1D6 damage, and can survive 6 damage.  From that, I extrapolated my stats.

GM Corporate SWAT:

Move: 6"
Range: Full
Damage: 1D6
Special: Their light armor counts as a factor against attacks directed at them.

GM Corporate Enforement Drones

Move: 4" (They're slow)
Range: Full
Damage: 1D6
Special: As kind of mindless robots, they're actually easier to hit, but their metal bodies take -1 damage from normal attacks.  They're also really good at shooting, gaining a +1 to hit at range.

Yes, I accidentally forgot this photo. Oops.

Ganger Lowlifes

Move: 6"
Range: 12" (Bad training and poor weapons. They just don't have a hope beyond that.)
Damage: 1D6

Ganger Crazies

Move: 8" (They're not too worried about being careful)
Range: 3" (Close combat only)
Damage: 1D6
Special: Obviously they're especially well prepared for close combat

Bloo (per the "Battle-hardened Hero", from the book)

Move: 8"
Range: Full
Damage: 1D6 (but 1D6-1 when shooting)
Special: Single Character Hero (+1 to close combat vs. squads) and all incoming fire is a Bad Shot (-2 to hit)

The thing is, the GM SWAT team can't just kill Bloo.  They need to capture him.  A unit of officers (not the drones) has to defeat him in close combat, and at a penalty, since they need him alive.  That's pretty difficult, but if they can pull it off, the rest of the gang will scatter.

The Table

I'm just making this stuff up, because I think it will be a fun scenario.  Basically, I'm acting as a game master for myself.  I'm trying to keep things balanced so that the game will be fun from either side.  For example, Great Mountain has better units, but fewer of them, and more restrictions on how they can act.

TURN 1

Since this is an attack on the Gangers, we'll let the GM squads go first.  They roll 2D6 for orders, getting 2 and 1, so they keep the 2.

GM wants to send the drones in to soften up the opposition, so they Move Out toward the Gangers.  Their Move Out roll is 3, which adds to their slow movement of 4 to allow them to move 7 inches.  One of the GM SWAT squads Moves Out, but only gets a 1, also moving 7 inches toward the rear of the building.

The guys in the foreground are busy on the phone with
their car insurance representative.

Now, the Gangers go.  Their roll for orders is 2 and 2, so they also only get 2 orders.  The Crazies have the best speed, so they Move Out (8+1) inches to the other side of the building, trying to stay behind the pile of junk there.

Everyone knows that noodle shop garbage is the best for cover.

The Lowlifes, on the other hand, roll really well and Move Out (6+4) inches to take up a position behind some shipping containers.

Hopefully those shipping containers full of anime and panties
don't contain my order.  They might get damaged!

Time doesn't matter for this session, but if we were keeping track, three "minutes" would have passed. Or "time units", if you prefer. It's just a way of tracking upcoming events.

TURN 2

GM rolls 4 and 3 for orders, and spends the first of its 4 orders to Engage the enemy with the squad facing the Crazies.  The Crazies aren't concealed, so the target number starts at 6+.  However, they're shooting over some junk and around some crates, so I'm calling this a "Bad Shot" for -2 to their roll.  The GM SWAT squad rolls 2D6 together, getting 11-2 which is 9, which more than 6, so it's a hit!

I roll 1D6 for damage and get 4, and place a die showing 4 next to the Crazies.  They are hurting!

Because this firefight happened within 9 inches (but more than 3 inches), the Crazies can shoot back or move away.  They have no guns (well, that one guy does, but couldn't hit the broad side of an arcology with it), so they decide to step back out of sight and reconsider their situation.

That one guy with a pistol considers going back for his G.E.D.

The Drones tromp up fearlessly to assault the Lowlifes behind the shipping container.  The Lowlifes take 1 damage immediately, and then both sides roll 1D6.  The Lowlifes apply -1 for being more injured, and get (2-1).  The Drones get 4.  The difference is three, which is how much damage the Lowlifes take before they flee a full move away.

Exterminate! Exterminate!

The last SWAT squad Moves Out (6+2) inches to join the other squad.  Since all of the GM units have activated, the fourth order is wasted.

Hey, guys!  You going to Dave's party after?

The Gangers roll 5 orders, so everybody definitely gets to go this turn.

The Crazies catch their breath and regroup, "healing" 2 damage.

The Lowlifes would like to do the same, but they feel too exposed.  Instead, they Defend, moving away from the enemy and only recovering 1 damage.

The other Lowlifes aren't hurt, but they Defend anyway for the defense bonus as they move up to the edge of the wall.  The rules say, "move further away from any visible opponents", and they can't see any opponents, so...

Letting the enemy come to you.

Finally, Bloo, knowing that the Drones can't hurt him (it's the law!) Moves Out (8+5) and streaks between the walls to take up an ambush position behind the shanties.  Elapsed time: 4 "minutes".

Wait for it...

TURN 3

The Drones press forward, hiding behind the shanties and firing at the Lowlifes.  They need 8+ to hit concealed targets, and they get +1 for their targeting computers, but -1 for the Lowlifes' defensive posture.  But it doesn't even matter, because they roll a 3!

The Lowlifes gleefully return fire (since it's within 9 inches), but... also roll a 3!

A SWAT squad moves from cover to cover, and fires at the Crazies around the corner, but can barely see them (Concealed and a Bad Shot), and misses with a 7.  The Crazies still can't shoot back, so they drop further out of sight.

Realizing that the Drones are going to need human intervention to capture Bloo, the other SWAT squad Moves Out (6+2) inches to join them.

The Gangers roll and get 6 orders.
The Lowlifes facing the Drones, in an amazingly lucky roll, hit and do 6 damage!  The Drone's armor soaks one, but that's still 5 damage left!  A couple of the Drones fall, sparking, to the polycrete pavement!  The remaining Drones return fire, but between their injuries and cover (and a lousy roll), they miss.

Bzzt!  Error!  Error!

Not wanting to waste the opportunity, the other Lowlifes forgo regrouping and charge out into the open, guns blazing.  And they miss.  A lot!  The Drones, however, do not, cutting the Lowlifes down in the street!

It'd be funny if it weren't so sad.

With an action-hero grimace, Bloo dives around the corner, shotgun blasting into close combat with the Drones!  They take 1 damage immediately, and then they roll a 2.  Bloo rolls a 6 (+1 for being a Hero), decimating the Drones for an additional 4 damage (after the Drone armor is accounted for).

They won't "be back".

The Crazies move Defensively to back up their boss, and that's the end of the turn.  Time: 9 "minutes".

TURN 4

Great Mountain gets 5 Orders.
Unfortunately, Bloo left himself open to an assault by the SWAT squad!  He immediately takes 1 damage, and they fight it out.  Bloo is more injured, but he's also a Hero.  The result is a tie, with both sides taking 1 damage (another 1 damage in Bloo's case) and continuing to fight, unless somebody wants to run, which Bloo does.

Three against one, you guys!  No fair!

Getting a little worried, the other SWAT squad Moves Out (6+5), rushing to get Bloo in their sights.

Target acquired! Kshht!

Bloo bravely runs away, going on Defense and hiding behind his minions.  Said minions actually manage to shoot the SWAT squad for 3 damage, and only take 1 damage in return!

Leading from the rear

The Crazies go crazy, smashing into the other SWAT squad for a total of 2 more damage, and running them off. Time: 11 "minutes"

An' stay out!

TURN 5

The SWAT squad behind the building trades fire with the Lowlifes to no effect, and the other SWAT squad only manages to encourage the Crazies to run back to the boss.

That's right, you'd better run!

Crazies gonna crazy, they charge the already injured SWAT squad, and hack them to pieces!

Pork for dinner!
(Also, they won't be making Dave's party.)

Bloo takes a moment to Regroup, removing his one damage, and the remaining Lowlifes Move Out toward the last of the SWAT, looking for more ultraviolence.  Time: 15 "minutes"

Nope.

The remaining SWAT squad, injured and outnumbered, concedes the game and flees the scene.

Well, that was Squad-Hammer Core!  I obviously needed more guys on the SWAT side.  I didn't really consider the fact that the Gangers were on the defensive and already had a serious advantage and then there were more of them and SWAT couldn't just shoot the leader.  One, or maybe two more SWAT squads might have evened it up.

As of this writing, Squad-Hammer Core is a "Pay What You Want" offering on Wargame Vault, so there's no reason not to check it out.  You can always go back and "buy" it again for more if you want.

Also, if he gets enough sales, he says he's going to give the game some kind of open license.  Cool!

Oops! Can't forget the tea!

Jason "Ludanto" Smith C;E