Here you will find a set of quick play rules for board or miniature play of a wargame based on the movie "Starship Trooper".
Any number of players may play. Divide the human and bug forces between all players.
Choose or create a scenario which decides the number of troopers and bugs and their type and supply status.
Choose if it is to be an attack and defend scenario, a hunt or patrol scenario, or a meeting engagement.
Choose if the Troopers will have any air support, including air delivered reenforcements, supplies or retrieval in emergancy.
Set a number of game turns for the scenario and victory conditions.
The majority of battles take place on Bug occupied planets or their home planet of Klendathu. These planets are arid. Desert terrain prevails. Hilly country, rocky outcrops, ditches, ravines, washes. Water may or may not be present depending on season. Small patches of vegetation may be present. Tunnels and caverns are extensive, either natural or Bug made.
draw a battle map of the game area and place terrain on it. In case of a board game, the battle map is the game surface and terrain can be drawn on in a colour code. In case of miniatures, the terrain features are then translated onto the tabletop using terrain features.
There are several ways to decide on terrain.
A) Use a deck of terrain feature cards. Most of the cards will be open, arid. Some will be hillocks, some maybe rocky outcrops, one may be a ridge, or a valley lined on 2 sides with cliffs, some will be tunnel entrances.
a.1. each player draws a set number of terrain cards then one by one each player takes turns setting that terrain where they wish on the map.
a.2. Toss the cards into the air and see where they land on the map.
B) Let each player randomly choose a terrain feature and place it on the map. alternate until all players have chosen a set number of terrain features.
C) Let one player set up the scenario and terrain.
NOTE: Scenarios may also be set around a hunt or patrol down through tunnels and caverns in search of bugs. On the map this would look like a maze of passageways through a black or brown background, on the board it would be created using walls of dominoes or some other material.
If there is a defender or defending force, let those players place their forces on the board first, either as specified in the scenario, or as chosen by them.
The Arachnids (bugs) always move first. Play sequence is simple.
1. Bug turn.
2. Human turn.
Alternating until the game is over.
During the bug turn, the player(s) controlling the bugs may move and attack, attack and move, just move, just attack, or do nothing any or all of his bugs, as he sees fit.
During the human turn, the player(s) controlling the troopers may move and fire, fire and move, just move, just fire, or do nothing, any or all of his troopers as he sees fit.
For multiple players decide who will move first, or move one figure at a time alternating.
A. Movement.
Troopers can move 1 hex (1 inch) per turn.
They can turn up to 360 degrees without penalty at anytime.
Troopers can not climb any high walls except by stairs or ladders. Troopers can not climb cliffs. Troopers can climb hills and ridges and rocky outcrops.
Troopers can only cross or enter ravines through 'ford' areas. Troopers can cross ditches.
Troopers can enter bunkers, buildings and retrieval ships on the turn they enter that hex (or touch the feature)
Bugs are defined as:
Warrior bugs: Fast, nimble and very aggressive.
Hopper bugs: Fast, nimble, they do not run, but jump and glide with wings.
Big Fire Bugs: Slow, big bugs that shoot bio-chemical flames.
Big Plasma bugs: Really big, slow bugs that shoot bio-chemical blasts of plasma from their rectum.
Big Brain bug: Medium sized bug, with a medium speed.
Warrior bugs can move 5 hexes (5 inches) per turn.
Warrior bugs can turn 360 degrees at anytime without penalty.
Warrior bugs can only climb high walls if 4 or more dead bugs are in the same hex.
Warrior bugs can not climb cliffs. Warrior bugs can climb hills, ridges and rocky outcrops.
Warrior bugs can not cross or enter ravines except through 'ford' areas.Warrior bugs can enter or cross ditches.
Warrior bugs can not enter bunkers, they must destroy them. Warrior bugs can enter buildings and retrieval ships but not on the same turn that they enter the hex or touch the feature. they must wait a turn.
Hopper bugs can jump and glide 8 hexes (8 inches) per turn.
Hopper bugs can turn 360 degrees at anytime without penalty.
Hopper bugs can fly over over any walls and to the top of hills, ridges, rocky outcrops and cliff tops. Hopper bugs can fly/jump over ravines and ditches or into them.
Hopper bugs can not enter any bunker, building, etc.
Big Bugs can move 2 hexes (2 inches) a turn.
Big Bugs can turn only 90 degrees (one hex left or right) in a turn.
Big bugs can not climb anything.
Big bugs can smash through man made walls, buildings, bunkers etc, in one turn upon reaching that hex, or touching that feature.
Big bugs can enter or cross ravines only through 'ford' areas. Big bugs can cross ditches but can not enter them.
Brain bugs usually remain underground, unseen.
Brain bugs can move 2 hexes (2 inches) a turn.
Brain bugs can turn 180 degrees (or 2 hexes left or right) in a turn.
Brain bugs can't climb anything and can't smash anything. Brain bugs can't enter bunkers, buildings, etc.
Troopers have three weapons available to them for combat.
a. Morita Auto-rifle.
b. Hand Grenades.
c. Nuke rockets from a rocket launcher.
Forget Hand to hand combat, the bugs win everytime.
Warrior bugs fight with their jaws, they can tear through trooper armor easily.
Hopper bugs use their mandibles like scythes when flying to decapitate or dismember troopers they pass over.
Big Fire bugs spray bio-chemical flame.
Big plasma bugs shoot bio-chemical plasma from behind.
Troopers:
1. Auto-Rifles.
They may be fired 3 times in a turn.
Choose one to three targets within range and in any direction.Range is 12 hexes.
Hills, walls, buildings, etc block rifle fire unless the target is a hopper bug.
Ammo is considered unlimited unless the scenario chooses a limited supply by the number of turns of firing available.
2. Grenades.
They can throw a grenade instead of firing their autorifles.
They can throw only one grenade per turn.
They can throw a grenade at any target hex (or spot) within 4 hexes (4 inches) Grenades can not be thrown over hills, or high walls.
Once thrown, subtract a grenade from the troopers supply pool.
Once there are no more grenades in the supply pool, no troopers can throw grenades.
3. Nuke launchers.
A number of launchers may be carried depending on the scenario.
Nuke bombs are kept in the supply pool.
A trooper must be carrying the launcher in order to fire it instead of his auto-rifle.
The Launcher must be fired directly at a target hex or spot like an auto-rifle. High walls, hills, cliffs, etc, block fire, but may be used as the target hex.
Nukes are dangerous to the troopers as they are to the enemy.
They can be fired once a turn to a range of 10 hexes (10 inches) Subtract a nuke bomb from the supply pool until there are none left.
Bug Attacks are as follows:
a. Warrior bugs and hopper bugs kill any trooper in any hex that they enter, or upon touching the trooper figure if playing miniatures.
b. Big Fire Bugs spray Chemical fire up to 3 hexes (3 inches). Every trooper or target in all 3 hexes (inches) from the Bug, is burned. Bunkers and buildings are destroyed; however, troopers inside may escape to an adjacent hex (inch) on a 1D6 roll of 4, 5 or 6. Otherwise they burn too.
Fire attacks can only be made every other turn. You can use a marker if neccessary to note when the bug has fired.
Hills, walls, etc, block fire attacks. Rocky outcrops, ditches and ravines can not protect from fire attacks.
c. Big Plasma Bugs must fire from directly behind them. They can fire a Plasma bomb once every other turn.
They can fire at a target or target hex (spot) to an unlimited range.
Hills, walls, buildings, etc will detonate the Plasma bomb if hit. Walls, buildings, bunkers, retrieval or supply ships, etc are destroyed immediately.All troopers in the target hex, even in buildings, bunkers or behind walls, are killed instantly.
d. Big brain bugs have a spearlike projection to defend themselves against any trooper in the next hex to their front only.
a. AutoRifle:
Roll 1D6 for any bug target. 6 kills.
This roll can be modified as follows:
If target is 1 hex (1 inch) away. +3
If target is 2 to 5 hexes/inches away. +1
If target is 12 hexes away -1
If more than One trooper is firing an autorifle at the same target, combine into one Roll of dice with a +1 for each additional autorifle.
If target is a hopper bug -1.
If target is a Big Bug -5.
NOTE: Optional rule: Any bug that is fired on, but not killed, looses its movement on the next turn or can only move half its allowed movement.
b. Grenades.
Grenades effect the target hex and all hexes adjacent to it. (or a 2 inch radius from the target spot)Any troopers in the radius must also be rolled for a kill.Roll 1D6. 4, 5 or 6 kills in the target hex (or first inch of radius) a 5 or 6 kills any troopers in adjacent hexes. A 6 kills any bugs in adjacent hexes.
If target is in a ditch +1 to roll. If target hex contains a bunker or building, -2 to occupants.
If target is a Big Bug -2 to roll. If a wall, or hill is between target and grenade, no effects.
If a trooper is in a rocky outcrop or built up defence, -1 to roll.
NOTE: Optional rule. Any bug that survives a grenade blasts looses 1 turn of movement.
c. Nukes.
Nukes kill everything, no dice roll required.
Nukes will kill bugs and troopers in the target hex (spot) and up to a radius of two hexes from target hex. (3 inch radius from target spot)
High walls, bunkers, buildings, rocky outcrops, ravines, ditches, hills will protect troopers (occupants) only if they are in the last hex or inch of radius of the blast. Anything closer and the manmade objects are destroyed and troopers killed.
Bugs at the last hex or inch of radius of the blast can be protected if they are in a bug hole, ditch or ravine, or behind a hill.
If fired into a bug hole or tunnel, the blast is increased to a six hex or six inch radius following the contours of the tunnel or hole.
Air Support for Troopers.
Air support includes direct flyovers from fleet attack ships, air resupply and reenforcements, or air retrieval in an emergancy.
If the trooper player wishes to call for Air support he declares it at the beginning of his turn. This is only if it is allowed in the scenario.
Roll 1D6. On a 6 air support is available.The trooper player then declares what type of support he wants.
a. Combat support.
b. Air resupply or Reenforcements (only if allowed by the scenario and for the supply or reenforcement amounts allowed by the scenario)
c. Air Retrieval. At any time the trooper player feels he is loosing, he may ask for air retrieval (if allowed in scenario) if his force is successfully retrieved, the game is a draw.
Combat Support.
A fleet ship appears at a hex designated by the trooper player.
The Trooper player Rolls 1D6 -2 for the number of turns that the ship is available for support.
Ships fly over everything and are can not be attacked by any bug except a plasma burst.
Ships must move everyturn their maximum number of hexes.
Ships fly at 12 hexes a turn and can turn 360 degrees in any hex at anytime without penalties.
Ships can attack up to 5 targets with autocannons or 2 target hexs (spots) with plasma bombs.
Targets can be chosen at any point along their 12 hex movement path.
Autocannon targets must be to the front and within 6 hexes.
Plasma bomb targets must be flown over and the bomb will explode once the ships is three hexes inches away.
Ships fire heavy auto canons and kill on a roll of 4, 5 or 6.
Big Bugs recieve a -1 to the roll.
Plasma bombs effect the target hex and up to 1 hex radius (2 inch radius) They kill everything in the target area. Manmade objects are destroyed and anything inside. Bug holes are safe from air attack, but not ravines, ditches, etc. Hills, and high walls also protect from blast unless they are the target hex.
Air supply or Reenforcement.
Ship is placed on a hex chosen by the non-trooper player.
1D6 is rolled for number of turns the ship has to land.
The ship must land on an open spot to offload its cargo.
Cargo, except troopers, must be reached by a trooper in order to be added to the supply pool.
If reached by bugs, the supplies are destroyed.
Trooper reenforcements become active the minute they offload.
Supplies or Trooper reenforcements can not offload untilt he next turn after the ship lands.
Ships fly over everything at 10 hexes a turn.
If the ship can not land then it leaves the game with the supplies or reenforcements still on board.
Air retrieval.
As in Air Resupply, the opposing player chooses the ships entry hex.
There will be enough ships to carry all the troopers in the game off the board.
Their is no time limit on how long the ships are available.
They fly at 10 hexes (inches) a turn.
They must land on an open spot.
Troopers can not load until one turn after the ship has landed. A trooper must move into the ships hex, or touch the figure, before it they can load. Only two troopers at a time can load.
No fire from loaded troopers is allowed.
20 troopers may be carried by one ship.
Only bug plasma burst can destroy air ships; However, ships on the ground may be overrun by warrior bugs and prevent further loading.
Air ships can take off and land any number of times as neccessary to load troopers.
keep track offboard of the number of troopers loaded in each ship.
When a ship is fully loaded it must fly to the edge of the board to be successful.
Air retrieval and Air supply ships are not armed and can not fire on bugs in anyway.