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Anybody here played Shockforce/Warengine?

Warengine is an open-ended game engine that can still be found here for free: http://warengine.darktortoise.com/index.php?title=Main_Page
Shockforce is a game from the late 90's and early 00's that used the warengine.

I picked up a print copy of Shockforce at a wargaming convention a few weeks ago and then played a few games with my gaming club. Though there are rules for unit creation, we used stats from the Shockforce book, ( http://warengine.darktortoise.com/index.php?title=Portal:Shock_Force) The response was very positive.

A few observations.
- Shockforce plays fast. Our games lasted less than 90 minutes.
- Is very easy to learn. Compared to other first-time game trials, we did very little book flipping.
-Shockforce streamlines many elements. Examples:
a. There are no to-hit or close combat stats. They are all encompased in the weapons stats. This means that sometimes you have a weapon with the same name, but for a more elite charachter the stats will be better than for a green charachter. This sounds confusing, but it actually makes the process quite quick.
b. Similarly, close combat attacks are noted by an additional weapon in the profile, not as a separate stat.
c. There are no toughness or armor saves, just a defense score that is modified by cover, and a few other things.
-Shockforce has alternating unit activation, and makes much use of an overwatch-like mechanism, so both players stay active during each other's turns.

Sum it up, we really enjoyed Shockforce and will defintely be playing it again. Recently we also tried 5150, and while it's an inovative system, I much preferred the simplicity of the Warengine system.

I played it at conventions way back when it was still a $5 trial 8.5x11" ruleset. Its fun for a beer and pretzels type game system but eventually the "one bad roll kills any model" wore on me. I don't know if they ended up adding wounds later on but initially they didn't have them.

We were playing the online version 2.1 which is (with a few exceptions) nearly identical to the version in the Shockforce 2nd edition rulebook from the early '00's. Yep, it's still a one wound game, however there is a provision for certain models to recharge their hero points every turn, giving your heroes and villans a much greater chance of surviving.

It is significantly more streamlined than 40k, and doesn't lend itself nearly as well to extensive use of vehicles or really large games, but it's inclusion (and 40k's exclusion) of a Reserved-Attack/Overwatch mechanic leaves me feeling that in terms of strategy and tactics, it's no less beer 'n' pretzels than 40k.

Eilif wrote:We were playing the online version 2.1 which is (with a few exceptions) nearly identical to the version in the Shockforce 2nd edition rulebook from the early '00's. Yep, it's still a one wound game, however there is a provision for certain models to recharge their hero points every turn, giving your heroes and villans a much greater chance of surviving.

It is significantly more streamlined than 40k, and doesn't lend itself nearly as well to extensive use of vehicles or really large games, but it's inclusion (and 40k's exclusion) of a Reserved-Attack/Overwatch mechanic leaves me feeling that in terms of strategy and tactics, it's no less beer 'n' pretzels than 40k.

Being significantly more streamlined than 40k is what makes it for me more beer and pretzels than 40k. Not having to do any record keeping for a minis game (the model is either alive or dead and from when I played never had one-use abilities or weapons to track) makes it something very easy to pick up and play with people unfamiliar with minis gaming. Out of curiosity, did you play it at Little Wars? You mentioned a convention and an old friend of mine who runs events there was a huge fan of Shockforce back in the day.

warboss wrote:Being significantly more streamlined than 40k is what makes it for me more beer and pretzels than 40k. Not having to do any record keeping for a minis game (the model is either alive or dead and from when I played never had one-use abilities or weapons to track) makes it something very easy to pick up and play with people unfamiliar with minis gaming. Out of curiosity, did you play it at Little Wars? You mentioned a convention and an old friend of mine who runs events there was a huge fan of Shockforce back in the day.

Special Rules are built in with the "warengine" and included in a charachter's it's profiile when it is created. Regeneration (gains back hero points each turn) costs about 12 points for a model that is probably going to be around 100-130 points. Games are still really quick, but there's a bit more chance for individual customization of figures .

I found the Shockforce rules for sale at Little Wars this year for a few bucks and picked it up (got a copy of HoTT 2nd ed. as well!). I'd read it a few times online, but with the book in hand it all clicked. We played 4 games over 2 different meetings with my wargaming club (see link in my sig). I'm don't know many folks connected with Little wars, but the event coordinator signed up for our yahoo group and helped us out a bit by sending along some stats for civies, cops, gangers and SWAT that he had made up when he was a Stormreaver (Shockforce Demo team). Little Wars was the club's first event where we put on a game. We ran a 6 player Song of Blades and Heroes game.

I used to be on the demo team for Shockforce back in the late 90's. It was a great game that was fast to play.

I love Shockforce. I was starting to think I was the only one who played it anymore...well my wife and I anyways. Im getting my older son into it too. Its my go-to for 28mm mini gaming. I have both the original version and second edition. I played in a demo game at Megacon back in 2000.

The quick play is great. I really love the creation rules. You can use any mini you want, and make it work the way you want. It also allows me to use all my custom Terminators in games...I tend to give them weapons combos not allowed by 40k.

Only change I have made is in games that I want to favor vehicles a bit...then I use a damage chart to allow them to survive a couple hits.

It really is a great system. My gaming group mostly plays generic skirmish games (sci-fi and fantasy) but we have pretty big collections of figures. A few of us are pretty excited about a ruleset that will let us play larger games with the figures we already have.

Do you have copies of the damage chart you use? I'd love to have a copy. We have a fair number of vehicles but it's clear that shockforce isn't a game that favors vehicles.

Its a fairly stiff chart, and usually leaves vehicles on the board a while longer, but reduces their combat capability a good bit. They dont end up destroyed too often, but a tank with 0 movement and no main gun isnt much of a threat anymore.

Its a simple d6 roll:

1) mobility damaged -1/4 movement
2) weapon destroyed*
3) mobility damaged -1/2 movement
4) weapon destroyed*
5) immobilized
6) vehicle destroyed

*weapon with highest Av destroyed.

Another version of the game thats fun...kinda like Necromunda meets a group shooter videogame:

Make a squad of 5-7 Character type troops. Design them as normal with any desired tweaks/flaws. Give them max hero points. Design/assign their weapons/powers/etc as in a normal game.

Here are the only changes/notes to the regular game rules:

Designate a point on the game board for each player/army as its "regeneration point". All players must agree on each others regeneration point. (Ill get back to this bit later)

1) Each model only counts as a individual, they may not be grouped into squads and activated at the same time.

2) Any model which takes a hit that is saved using hero points must immediately take a Mn test. Models within Cr of another model with a higher Mn may use that models Mn for the test. If the test is failed, in its next activation the model must use its full move toward cover OR away from the model that caused the hit. If it passes the test it may act as normal on its next activation.

3) When a model "dies" it returns on the next turn at its regeneration point. It may regenerate 2 times, for a total of 3 lives. A model regenerates with full hero points.

Its time for work, so Ill add some missions/victory condition goodness tomorrow.

sounds interesting. i will check it out later. Lol

Mad4Minis wrote:Another version of the game thats fun...kinda like Necromunda meets a group shooter videogame:

Interesting concept. I ran a similar arena style game for 3 players using Mech Attack! rules. Each player starts with a light mech and enters from one of four randomly generated entry points marked by dropships. They have to inflict a certain amount of damage on other players and then exit at a randomely generated exit point, at which time they come back as a medium with a higher # of damage points to kill, and the process is repeated as a Heavy, with the first person to complete all 3 being the winner. Killed mech's come back from a randomly generated entry point with the same mech that they had were when they were killed.

Ended up being a great game. Took about 2 hours (Long for a Mech Attack game) but it was very close with no player falling much behind the others.

Eilif wrote:

Mad4Minis wrote:Another version of the game thats fun...kinda like Necromunda meets a group shooter videogame:

Interesting concept. I ran a similar arena style game for 3 players using Mech Attack! rules. Each player starts with a light mech and enters from one of four randomly generated entry points marked by dropships. They have to inflict a certain amount of damage on other players and then exit at a randomely generated exit point, at which time they come back as a medium with a higher # of damage points to kill, and the process is repeated as a Heavy, with the first person to complete all 3 being the winner. Killed mech's come back from a randomly generated entry point with the same mech that they had were when they were killed.

Ended up being a great game. Took about 2 hours (Long for a Mech Attack game) but it was very close with no player falling much behind the others.

I like it, that sounds pretty good.