In the Optional rules page I suggest Initiative ordered games. Since then I've come across a really nice set of wargaming rules called “Songs of Blades and Heroes”. These rules are very reasonably priced, and I thoroughly recommend that you consider getting a copy. One of the ideas used in SBH is that each figure needs to be activated before it is used, and how well this activation goes determines how many actions the figure can then make. With a little tinkering, this system can be adapted to the Gemini Rules. I call this version of the Gemini Rules Gemini-ARAP and this is now my preferred system for using the rules. I don't have time to rewrite all the Gemini Rules to reflect how ARAP changes things, so for the moment the “traditional” IGO-UGO Gemini rules will remain up, with these pages to give some idea on how they change under ARAP. Gemini-ARAP is still a work in progress, so my apologies if there are a few special situations not covered in the rules below. The ARAP system (Activation Roll, Action Point) makes games more fluid and dynamic and removes the need to keep track of things like which unit moved in the previous turn. The main thing to keep track of is which units are -1 to hit due to their speed or other activities in the previous round. Make a few counters you can place by a unit when they achieve this property. A couple of markers for units that are hidden or in overwatch may also prove useful. Who has first turn is determined by scenario, flipping a coin, dice roll + strategy rating or any other means agreeable to all players or decided by the GM. If it is your turn you may attempt to activate each of your units once. Once you have made your actions and have no more units you have not attempted to activate it becomes the next player's turn. SBH makes activation rolls for individual figures. Gemini-ARAP rolls for units. Each vehicle is treated as a distinct unit, although players may treat squadrons of vehicles as units if they wish, providing all members make the same actions. An independent character without a retinue is treated as a unit of one, so gets their own activation roll.
For each success your unit gets one Action Point. Most actions that a unit can make cost one Action Point, but a few actions need two or more Action Points. The GM may rule that some actions need more points under certain situations. If a hill is particularly slippery it may need two Action Points to move up rather than one. If a creature is a poor swimmer it may still move D3+1” per move, but each move costs two points, and so on. Once you have generated the Action Points the activated unit uses them to move, shoot or charge. Perform all actions with the activated unit before moving to activate another unit. Different types of Actions can be made in any logical order, provided this is allowed for by the rules. Usually all the members of a unit will make the same type of action. If a unit has two actions and decides to Move and then Shoot members that cannot shoot do not get to move twice, for example. If you roll two failures during an activation roll your unit is not activated, your turn ends and it becomes the next player's turn. In Gemini-ARAP this is called a “Bust”. Obviously you will never go Bust if you only ever roll one dice for activation but your units won't get much done and it will become the next player's turn when you have attempted to activate all your units. In games where each side has a large number of units each player may be allowed more than one Bust before the turn switches. Only one attempt to activate each unit is allowed, however, and a unit that rolls a Bust cannot activate that turn. Gone to Ground, Routing and Pursuing units do not make activation roles. Certain situations will automatically activate units. A unit that intercepts a charge activates automatically, but must use its activation to enter Close Combat with the charging unit. Any unit that is in Close Combat will be automatically activated, but must use its turn to fight or disengage. Units that are Routing activate automatically in each of their turns, but must use their turn to either Rout or to Rally and Consolidate. Pursuing units also activate automatically, although they actually activate in the Routing player's turn instead of their own. The “Old-style” Gemini Rules will no longer be supported, although I will leave the pages up. If you think there is an error in these rules please cross-refer to the equivalent ARAP rules page. Version 2.3 adopts the idea of suppression points and melee radius. Version 2.4 is designed to easier and quicker to learn, with nearly everything you need to know for a battle in one chapter. The latest version of 2.4 has dropped suppression points in favour of a simpler system. To make the rules easier to print out, I have written them as PDFs. To make them easier to read on-line, they are in landscape format. The end of chapter links seem to work OK in Firefox but not in IE. (They are now working in IE on my machine!) They should (hopefully) work if the pages are downloaded into the same folder. More pages will be added as I write and convert them. 2.3 Rules Pages (also for use with 2.4): Movement Rules Shooting Close Combat Reactions Psychology General Ranged Weapons Close Combat Weapons Grenades and Bombs. Vehicle Rules Bikes, Horses, Jump Packs and Flight Packs Buildings Rules Weather, Terrain and Environment Rules Flier Rules Robot Rules Dreadnought Rules Rules for Small Scale Games Advanced and Optional Rules Psionics
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By the Author of the Scrapboard : | |
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 | Attack, Avoid, Survive: Essential Principles of Self Defence Available in Handy A5 and US Trade Formats. |
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 | Crash Combat Second Edition with additional content. Epub edition Second Edition with additional content. Crash Combat Third Edition Epub edition Third Edition. |
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To activate a unit you roll one, two or three D6 dice. How many to use is up to you, and you can roll a different number for each unit. Rolls are made against the unit's Activation value, which is determined by the unit's Initiative.