Robotech RPG Tactics: Our campaign. Update 1

by Nathan Stout (of AccordingToWhim.com)

Robotech RPG Tactics (2014-2015)

An introduction: 

After building the majority of the minis in the Robotech RPG Tactics core box set (along with some of the Kickstarter extras) I began thinking of a campaign where Chris and I could begin playing and learning the game. Neither of us has been a fan/player of table top army v army type games (wahammer, etc). This is all new to us so we are starting small.

I wanted to this to be a more cartoon-based game, that is to say I don't want to just open the box and start playing random games. I want there to be a background to the mission, etc... Below is my effort to do that.

The campaign that begins here is a (in game-time) year-long adventure following the playing character (a newly minted pilot in the RDF) beginning in March of 2008) with his training, moving into missions, on into actual battle with Zentraedi when they arrive in November of 2009.

At this point the game is purely based on the Tactics side of the game with an RPG generated character attached. If the game moves into the RPG side is yet to be seen. Chris has picked the name Rusty Dale Higgins because everything HAS to mean something to him. The (imo dorky) name is based on some King of the Hill references. Never the less, not everyone can be Rick Hunter or Jack Archer...

Campaign begins ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It is March 3^rd, 2008. The location is Macross Isand in the South Pacific ocean. The alien ship known as the SDF-1 is nearing it’s completion with litte more than a year left. The RDF Academy has been in operation for six years now, producing military men and women accustomed to the alien ‘Robotechnology’. 2^nd Lieutenant Rusty Dale Higgins is in his 7^th month of Veritech pilot training. The coursework begins moving into

the area of military encounters.

The Academy has a wealth of Robotechnology and complex, realistic combat simulators are where pilots get their training. On the schedule of training will be up 4 mandatory VR missions, then a live war game with other pilots at the end of the month. 

The VR missions will progressively get more difficult before the pilot will take to the skies. The combat simulators are available 24/7 so Lieutenant Higgins may choose to play additional VR missions of this basic type until the live event.

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Mission 1 (03/7/08)

The first VR combat flight will be against another Veritech VF-1J. The encounter will be restricted o jet mode. This mission is to familiar the pilots with their own weapon system in a combat enounter. The object to the mission is to eliminate the enemy VF-1J.

Report: Lieutenant Higgins succeeded in eliminating the enemy Veritech, taking a few turns to come to grips with the effects of the Afterburner effects of the aircraft and unfamiliarity of the weapon system. Although useful, the GU-11 gunpod and twin head lasers under the pilot’s canopy are not as devestatingly useful as the Veritechs compliment of missiles.

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Mission 2 (03/14/08)

This mission is a repeat of the first but each Veritech is limited to missiles only. The Veritech with the least amount of damage at the end of the last missile payload (of both Veritechs) is the winner.

Mission Override: At the beginning of this mission, combat parameters were over-ridden and all weapon systems were activated due to the power of the missile payload.

Report: Lieutenant Higgins won this mission quickly.

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Mission 3 (03/19/08)

In this mission both units will be limited to Battloid mode only with no weapons. This mission will familiarize the pilot with the hand to hand combat methods of the Veritech in Battloid and Guardian mode.

Report: Spending the meager 1 command point (by both pilots) came in useful in Hand to Hand combat mode. It allowed for multiple attacks, speeding up combat. The VR pilot attempted a Jump Kick a couple of occasions but failed to attack on the first action (thus, denying the attempt of the Jump Kick).

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Mission 4 (03/24/08)

This final VR mission will place a team of 4 Veritechs against 4 Veritechs. The match is over once 3 of the 4 Veritechs of any team are defeated.

Mission Override: Lieutenant Higgins and the VR pilot were both given a Leadership ability of 2 to allow for more command points in this battle.

Report: Once again missiles ruled the day as the VR team defeated Lieutenant Higgins’ Veritech squad. The Lieutenant kept his squad in jet mode while the VR pilot kept his in Guardian mode. The flexibility of movement (along with the missiles) gave the VR pilot the edge in battle. The inflexibility of jet mode (inability to turn more than 90 degrees in either direction led to the VR pilot being able to use Back Strike for +1 to strike.

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VR Missions Summary:

These simple missions (much like the ones in the game manual) were designed to familiarize players with the basics of game play and the pros/cons of different weapon systems and modes.

First dry-run game of Robotech Tactics

by Nathan Stout (of AccordingToWhim.com)

After nearly completing all bazillion miniature builds for the base game with some of the kickstarter extras I was ready to begin learning Robotech RPG Tactics. I pulled out the rulebook (which other gamers have been bashing) and tried to wrap my head around new concepts that blend in with the original Robotech RPG. Of the big rulebook (112 pages) only the first 29 pages are the actual rules. This was fairly simple to figure out but as with anything new with tons of new concepts/rules you need to read a couple of times so the 2nd time I read through it I decided to make a cheat sheet. This would help during game play and (just like in school), making notes helps you remember stuff.

I wanted to do a self dry run before I drug anyone else in on an actual first game. I figured I'd play though a small battle or two to get some of the mechanics down. Chris gives me a call yesterday evening and tells me they scheduled him to work on our appointed night and was it ok for him to come over now. I said yes and decided we'd just try a couple of simple games and work things out as we went.

We started with a single unit versus single unit (much like the starter battle listed in the rulebook). We fumbled, read, re-read, mistook the 6 on the die for a 1 for most of the first 2 games (oops)! By the end of the night we discovered a couple of things...

1.) Zentraedi are underpowered (so you need lots more units than UEDF units).
2.) The font is way too small on the cards (for these old eyes).
3.) We need to re-read and comprehend some of the special abilities).
4.) I need to figure out the squadron cards (which we didn't use).
5.) It's hard to keep track of which of your units are which.
6.) I need to make a custom sheet with stats, MD, missile boxes, and all that jazz to help us.

And that's it. When we get it down I think it will be fun. It will just take many games for it all to become second nature.