Hell again.....

I have just got my grubby little paws on yet another "old skool" set of rules. This time i have managed to pick up Hell by Starlight, first written in 1993.
From my cursory glance it is yet another set of finely written rules for 15/25mm sci-fi skirmish games.It uses a very similar reaction system to Hellfire and the two interchangeable.

I will report more once I have fully read the rules.....

Home coming welcome – My first Hellfire scenario

I have put this scenario together mainly to get use to the rules and add a loose frame work for a campaign at a future date. It pits the Independent Colonies against a mega Corporation, who are part of the Galactic Core Union. As things develop I can add other factions and even different aliens. Think of it like 2000AD type of future setting.

It will also give me some focus on buying and getting things ready for the table top, instead of my usual magpie approach to gaming ;-)

Introduction

The small terra like planet of Regina VI has come to the attention of ‘Widdows Interstellar Mining Corp’ due to an orbital scan that identified large mineral rich deposits in the Northern hemisphere, in the region that is known locally as the ‘Ariel Plateau’.

Normally WIM Corp would file for mining rights, bribe a few officials and then begin to extract whatever they have found, refine the raw product and then make a huge margin selling it on, however, Regina VI isn’t in the Galactic Core Union it is part of the Independent Colonies. Tensions between these two rival factions have increased over the past few decades, with open hostilities only being shown on the boarders between the two. Striking at Regina VI, might provoke the IC into a full blown conflict situation which the GCU can ill afford at the moment, however WIM Corp want these resources.

Objectives

 Widdows Interstellar Mining Corporation has hired a small mercenary taskforce to accompany their “survey team” while they extract some mineral samples from an IC mining outpost.
The mercenaries need to protect the survey team for 4 turns while they take samples and then proceed to the extraction point, due South of Outpost Griffon.

The IC forces will protect themselves and also try and raise the alarm to call for reinforcements which will arrive on turn 5 from Crosby Junction.

Survey Team

Projectile weapons
One Group of Two bases
Reactions:		2	2	1	2	2	1	1	1	12

Mercenaries - Hired Help

Well trained, comlinks, energy weapons, flak armour
Three groups of Three bases
Reactions:		4	3	3	2	3	2	1	1	19

 

Mining station ‘Griffon’

Mining station Griffon is located to the North West on the Ariel Plateau and is regularly supplied from the nearest local frontier outpost 12 km away at Crosby Junction.

Miners

Projectile weapons
Three Group of Four bases
Reactions:		2	2	1	2	2	2	1	1	13

 

Local Militia

Projectile weapons, Flak armour
Two Group of Four bases
Reactions:		3	3	2	1	2	2	1	1	15

Hellfire by Jim Webster - rules review

I managed to find a copy of Hellfire on ebay and I must say for a set of rules that is nearly 20 years old they are very well written for generic sci-fi conflicts.
The rules focus on element basing of models and use a very nice method of showing unit morale over the course of the battle.

It is a very generic set of rules which at first glance my seem limited, however on closer inspection this means it is very easy to tailor to your game style and background.  Weapon ranges are 20” for small arms and up to 400” for main guns on tanks and the like. The rules cover everything from infantry, cavalry, artillery, bobby traps, snipers, to electronic warfare, psionic and aliens. Plus everything in between!
The main mechanics of the game are opposed rolls against fixed criteria on the “to hit” chart, using D12 and D10 depending on the type of weapons and armour you have.  The other important mechanic and I guess the core part of the rules is the reaction tables. There are several tables which are used depending on where you units reactions code begins. Once you come to a situation with unit, for example suffering a casualty, you roll on the table accordingly using a D6 and read off the result, which can be from taking cover, firing wildly back, laying down covering fire to attempting to engage the enemy more closely or fleeing.
These reaction tables make the game unique in my humble opinion, and are what allow aliens to act in a very alien manner.
Unit reaction codes are made up of eight digits, and  look something like this: 3,2,2,2,3,2,2,1 the total of which you can use to determine troop classifications. Clone warriors have 25 reaction points, conscripts 10 reaction points, as you can tell clone warriors will stick around longer in a fight than conscripts.
The rules contain several scenarios which are great to learn how to construct units with varying reaction codes as well as different scenario objectives.

All in all it is such a shame these rules are no longer in print, it is a shame Wessex Games haven’t released an electronic version along with the other supplements they made.
 I am looking forward to getting some use out of my old epic stuff which is based up as elements and having a go a doing different period rule mods for WWII and Zulu wars. I also think with a little tweaking these rules will play solo very easily.

If you find a second hand copy I recommend picking this long out of print set of rules up, I am sure you will find them really playable or at least full of ideas for your current games.

Hellfire!

Well continuing with my obsession for retro wargames rules, i managed to find a copy of Hellfire by Wessex games on (fl)ebay.
I am looking forward to this arriving as i remember playing it a couple of time way back when.



Front cover

I will write a small review once they arrive and i might even get an AAR done.