Some distant signals have been received from Mark Stevens in Pattaya, and have been reposted here for posterity....
CotGB is “Challengers of the Great Beyond” a sci-fi skirmish ruleset by Victor Jarmusz (publisher Ganesha Games), using the “Battlesworn” engine. The most unusual aspects of which are (1) no measuring move or shooting distances; (2) activation is by competitive bids. Sounds weird. Works well. There is a solo play mechanism which retains the bidding element. Here’s shot of the rule book cover ➤
As the cover art suggests is very much at the space opera / science fantasy end of the spectrum. Think Flash Gordon rather than Starship Troopers. My own figures are mostly WOTC Star Wars plastics.
Anyway, here is the “Research Station X” scenario provided in the rules. If time permits I’ll do the “Rearguard Action” scenario too, in a follow up report.
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The Forces
The two opposing forces for this game will be a Crime Gang and a Smuggler crew, both based on the list of possible sample forces but, per the scenario special conditions, reduced to 9 slots only.
Wat Tambor & his Crime Gang (living count 3)
🟌2 x Starport thug squads (total 6 slots)
🟌1 x Crime Lord character (total 3 slots) (leader)
Worm Loathsom & the Smugglers (living count 3)
🟌1 x Starport thug squad (total 3 slots)
🟌1 x Robber Crew squad (total 3 slots)
🟌1 x Smuggler character (total 3 slots) (leader)
In a nutshell, this is a fight to control (or deny enemy control) of a squad of passive “scientists” in a research station in the centre of the table.
I will be actively playing the Smuggler faction, and the Crime Gang will use the NPC bidding. The Crime Gang are attackers.
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Turn 1: Crime gang bid 3, Smugglers bid 2
So the Smugglers get to make 2 initiative points, and the Gang get 1 non-initiative point. Loathsom (despite his name he is a popular and successful Smuggler) decides to move himself and his Starport Thugs squad up to the edge of the research station. On the other side, Tambor moves up one of his squads too. Here is the end of Turn position The Crime Gang came in from the left, the Smugglers from the right.
Turn 2: Crime gang bid 3; Smugglers bid 3
The “drawn bids” table indicates the Smugglers (as nominal defenders) get to set a trap under a selected enemy unit. Loathsom targets Crime Lord Wat Tambor himself. He is hit by a trap, and goes to “prone” condition
Turn 3: Crime gang bids 6; Smugglers bid 3
Loathsom and his Starport Thugs enter the research station and look for the scientists (under the scenario rules the latter are not in LOS at this point, presumably they’re inside the building). His Robber Crew also move, using their Rocket packs to fly right across the table to a position near the enemy who are still on their own baseline.
In response, the Gang use their non-initiative points to recover Wat Tambor from the effects of the trap, throw a protective cordon between Tambor and the Robber Crew, and enter the research station to search for the scientists.
Here’s the end of turn situation. In the research station, the two gangs of Starport Thugs face off. Elsewhere, Tambor is screened by his other Starport Thugs from the Robber Crew who have dropped in to say hello.
Turn 4: Crime gang bid 1; Smugglers bid 1
Another drawn bid. The alternative initiative resolution prescribed in the drawn bid table translated this to Crime Gang 5; Smugglers 3, plus no flying is allowed because of a violent electrical storm.
Admin note: For the sake of making it harder to capture scientists, I decided that any unit/s in the research station must use 1 miscellaneous action to capture 1 scientist, until they are all caught.
The Smugglers use their initiative points for the Robber Crew to shoot at the Starport Thugs closest to them, but missed as the Thugs somehow dodged 😞. Elsewhere Loathsom ordered his Thugs in the research station to keep looking. He and they used 2 miscellaneous actions to capture 2 scientists.
The Gang used all their non-initiative action to catch 2 scientists of their own. We now have this weird situation with the two squads of Starport Thugs occupying the same terrain space, but unable to charge (they will not charge an enemy unless it is condition Yellow or Red) or shoot (I ruled LOS was not good enough inside the BUA being the effect of abstracting rooms, walls etc).
End of Turn situation. You can see the boffins (on grey sand bases) alongside the squads (& Loathsom) that have caught them. Two more eggheads remain uncaptured as yet. Hiding under their lab benches no doubt.
Turn 5: Crime gang bids 6; Smugglers bid 6
Another drawn bid, that’s 3 out of 6 bids drawn. Both sides get 2 action points for shooting only, resolving shooting from the nominal attacker (Crime Gang) first. Also 2 melee phases. Well, there are no melees under way, but there is an available firefight, which we can stretch to 2 exchanges of fire.
The Crime Gang’s Starport Thugs had shot at the Smugglers’ Robber Crew twice, and received two rounds of return fire, the Robber Crew had been wiped out and the Starport Thugs were in condition Red (reduced to 1 figure only). Here is the scene of carnage:-
Turn 6: Crime gang bids 5; Smugglers bid 2
Worm Loathsom and his Starport Thugs inside the research station use both their initiative points as miscellaneous actions and round up the two remaining scientists. Now they have 4 from 6 and the Crime Gang have only 2 from 6. The Gang use non-contact moves to move their condition Red unit & Wat Tambor up to the outside edge of the research station.
Turn 7: Crime gang bids 5: Smugglers bid 4
Loathsom orders his Starport Thugs to pull back from the research station, and he himself does likewise. The scenario allows the captured scientists to move with the capturing unit. The retreating units stop just outside the station (change of terrain). In the non-initiative phase, Wat Tambor moves into the research station to join his own Thug squad. Here’s the state of play as the end-game gets under way;
Turn 8: Crime gang bids 4; Smugglers bid 4
Another drawn bid, now 4 from 8! Regroup. The defender (Smugglers) get 2 non-initiative points. The attacker gets nothing. The Smugglers (Worm and the Starport Thugs) retreat to the large thorn bush patch and take up defensive positions just inside.
Turn 9: Crime gang bids 1; Smugglers bid 5
The Crime Gang advance through the research station and take up positions just opposite the Smugglers. Tambor and the other (condition Red) unit cannot join them, no actions available.
Turn 10: Crime gang bids 4; Smugglers bid 1
The standoff between the two squads of Starport Thugs continues. They cannot charge as the enemy is not on condition Yellow or Red. But they now can shoot. The shooting bids are Smugglers 1, Crime gang 2. The Gang opt to return fire rather than try to dodge. The Smugglers cause 1 loss to Tambor’s men, who turns out to be one of the captured scientists. The Crime gang shoot back from the research station, with no result.
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That’s the end of the game.
The Crime Gang end with a living count of 2 (after losing 5 thugs who also count as 1 dead). They gain +2 for occupying the research station unopposed and +1 for living captured scientists. Total = 5
The Smugglers started end with a living count of 2 (after losing the 4 Robber Crew). They have +4 for the captured scientists. Total = 6.
So, a narrow win for Worm Loathsom and his Smugglers.
