Beyond the Gates of Antares: Beta rules for download

Here it is, free to download BETA rules for upcoming table-top hit: Beyond the Gates of Antares.

click to download

Beyond the Gates of Antares: Alpha rules

After a long silence Beyond the Gates of Antares, a new sci-fi game by Rick Priestly has returned. Alpha rules are released for the purpose of playtest and available in low and high color variant.(links are below). File is 52 page and cover most of the know development of this game, including history of the Spill, technology, major races and factions.

I'm posting these files based on Rick Priestley opinion:

If you want to share copies with your playtesting partners just share them - that's what the pdf is there for.  

The rules are based on Bolt Action, a great game by Master Priestly. But ruleset itself does not have a rules for vehicles and most definitely will expand in near future. Files are represented on basis that you will not use them for commercial purposes. All copyrights and trademarks belong to Warlord Games Ltd. no challenge of intellectual property is intended.

Beyond the Gates of Antares: Alpha rules (printer friendly low-color version)

Beyond the Gates of Antares: Alpha rules (full color version)

Tactica Imperialis

My dear reader, thank you for finding time to look at result of my work. This document is test of concept for Warhammer 40000 universe. Its main idea, is to give every major faction ability to use Orders, similar to Imperial Guard (Astra Militarium if prefer a new name). Though during development of this concept I was considering development of skirmish game with same name and order based mechanics for various reasons this idea have been left out. Tactica Imperialis was play tested using early 6^th edition of W40K, and achieved its goal, its showed that concept is successful, but was not developed any further. For me, as game designer it was an important stepping stone to understand how game systems work, and how they could be created. On other pages you will find tables describing particular orders and ways of commanding specific to most races of W40k. Hope it will provide an interesting read and games. As always this document does not seek to challenge any copyrights or trade marks and made for non-profit purposes.

Yours,

Mark-Paul Severn

mp7vrn.blogspot.co.uk

Download: Tactica Imperialis 

Beyond the Gates of Antares: after kickstarter

I just had to return to this old news to make a conclusion on this project's fate. 
Current status: Kickstarter canceled, development continues.

After much consideration we have decided to withdraw our project from Kickstarter.
We’d like to thank you all for believing in us and backing us, GoA will still become a reality but through different means.

We will take the next month to reassess our plans, during this time you will still see us on the forums and we will continue to post updates to our website. Once we have a plan set we will let you all know what it is so that we can continue to build GoA together.

Well, the reasoning for this decision was obvious. The requested sum was quite substantial, time was short and amount of completed stuff by the start of campaign was tiny.  Withdrawing the project was a good step, better leave undefeated and carry on next time.    

The good news is there is an Outline version of the rulebook!

Good afternoon everyone and a very warm welcome to our newer backers! Today we finally have the outline rulebook for you to play with - Hurrah! you can get it here : http://www.darkspacecorp.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/Beyond-the-Gates-of-Antares-Outline-Rulebook.pdf

A MASSIVE THANK YOU to Krazus for helping us put this together! This is still a work in progress document so do try not to be overly critical at this stage, we're very much wanting you guys to be involved in the progress and this is a very early stage to be releasing anything. We're getting some great feedback on how it plays so we'd like as many of you as possible to start playing games with your friends as that will both help to get more backers on board and of course we want your feedback!

Thanks
Rik

So if things will go as Rik Priestly have announced, the Beta version of the game will come in Autumn 2013. Fingers crossed. :-D 

P.S. just i case if upper link will disappear: the outline book is here.
 

Talons of the Emperor: Elysian Drop Troops codex

Here it is, the book what was a pleasure to write and research for almost a year. Feel free to download Elysian Drop Troop codex from the link below. Any feedback would most welcome.  

Download: Talons of the Emperor: Elysian Drop Troops Codex

thank you

Elysian Drop Troops codex: what to expect?

Elysian Drop Troops Regiments are air mobile infantry of Imperial Guard. They do the dirty jobs Space Marines are not bothered to. They epitomize the best qualities of human warriors, but remain humble and numerous, provide ingenuity when everything else fails. Drop Troops require bold and skillful commander. If you, my friend decide to download and try my codex and make a play test of it that is what you may expect:

Combat Drop: unlike Space Marines, Drop Troops do not use drop pods, they jump from the back ramp of Valkyrie and land on the enemy gun blazing. This rule will allow you to deploy half or all of your army using Deep Strike method.

D-mode: different battle zone dictate different methods of landing.Your soldiers will be able to Deep Strike, land with heavy weapons and Sentinels, land on tight spot and disembark from hovering aircraft without scattering.    

Talon's Tactics: tired of failing orders? tired of incompetent commanders and rigid gunlines? Try new tactics! Troops will perform suppressive fire, deadly volleys, resupply damaged units and even fire Overwatch on full BS.

Doctrines: the doctrines are back! Using reworked doctrines from 3rd and 4th editions of IG codex as well as completely original ones you may customize tactics, equipment and skills of your entire regiment or veteran unit. Doctrines are divided into 3 groups: Sweat saves blood, Special Equipment and Battle Scars.

Redefined Army list: units have more blood to spare, Elites units offer choice of Commando units, Medics and Combat Engineers. HQ will allow you to field Adeptus Arbites Judge, Ordo Hospitaller Sister as well as various non-comissioned officer to bolster strength of your airborne regiment. Some units are unique and will significantly improve your firepower and accuracy as well as unique special characters with background in Drop Troops regiments.

Different types of platoons: drop troops operate without tanks or heavy support, but they compensate for it using different platoons. You may choose between  
Assault infantry platoon, for all those Normandy landings,  
Fire Support platoon in case if bridge too far, or 
Mechanized platoon for daring raids and outflanking as well as landing troops in armored vehicles behind stunned opponent.  
       
 

   

Elysian Drop troops codex

Current Imperial Guard codex by Robin Cruddace is an example of really good work in my opinion. It allows player to customize layout of his forces and with certain success imitates the chaos of battle, and dependance of individual soldier on successful organization and command structure. The last one is both strong and weak point of Imperial Guard.  If opponent wipes out Company and Platoon commanders then remaining troops seriously lose their efficiency in firefight. Guardsmen are useful as close combat force only in large numbers with surplus of Commissars and Priests. 

However overall idea, fluff, structure of codex and feel of the army leaves a feel of errr... huge mamoth wasting human lives and resources for a minimal gains with no real understanding of enemy, but huge guns. Which is very true not only for Imperial Guard of Warhammer 40000 but for most armies of humanity.
 

     
But if i want to have something more heroic, more personal and effective without going vanilla smurf Space Marines? To be more specific, what if I want 82nd Airborne Division landing somewhere behind Orks lines and creating havoc amongst them?

The current legal way is simple: Veterans mounted on Valkyries and disembarking under enemy fire. Apocalypse formation: Storm Trooper Strike Force even allows you to have Special rules like Storm the Objective, Strike Force and Strategic Assets. See here for yourself.
The other way is maxing out Storm Troopers squad at the expense of other branches and pray to Emperor that they will not get chopped to pieces too quickly.

If that is not enough, Forge World has an outstanding (but expensive as always) line of Elysian Drop Troops, something which really stands out in sea of marines. What more they even get their own share in Imperial Armor books. However so far in every book Elysian's are being wasted by either incompetent command (Project Aphelion), or by combination of poor planning and enemy superiority (Operation Comet). Not a great advert for an elite force.        

However there is enough information about real life paratroopers and their successes and mishaps which may indicate couple of simple things: 
1. Airborne troops have a different, more aggressive and independent tactics and approach towards combat.
2. Due to the lack of heavy equipment airborne troops must rely on either captured equipment or lighter equivalents of army weapons. 
3. Airborne units have a higher morale and image of elite shock troops.
4. Training and structure of different airborne units may vary from task to task, and available equipment.

But real life is boring, we all know that. In addition, GW is not going to release a separate codex for IG branch which potentially may compete with their bread and butter - space marines. Freelancers and fans did not undertook any projects which involved rethinking of how this particular Imperial Guard branch would play different. (correct me if am wrong, please). So, after careful consideration and after finishing my first great project Iron Hearts Space Marine codex I've decided to try and write a codex or fandex if you like for purely drop troop regiments. It took me approximately 6 months or pure working time from idea to complete book, i started in March- April 2012 and finished in the end of September 2012. The result will be posted a bit later on my blog.