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Made in gb
Longtime Dakkanaut





Hey all,

So I thought this might be a good idea to put a thread out where we can discuss rules, crew builds and lists, and tactics people are using to play the game etc.
So if there is any questions, or if people want to post up crews for c&c or what not, let’s do it here!





On that, my question, what Captains and XO’s are you going with, and how many/which specialists are you leaning towards?
   
Made in gb
Stubborn Dark Angels Veteran Sergeant





Teesside

I've played my 1st game, with stepkids. My takeaways are:

1) You want to cover the board with terrain; an Infinity style amount is good. Otherwise it's basically just a shooting match. It should be easy to get cover, or to duck entirely out of LoS, and most engagements should happen at shotgun range (not quite *all* engagements, but most).

2) Unlocking loot is a pain! Do try to send two people with the relevant tools to each bit of loot you want.

3) My fave powers are Target Lock, loot manipulation powers (Bait & Switch, or the data-related ones, mostly), and out-of-game powers. That makes me think you probably want one Cyborg with a grenade launcher, and have your other officer be either a Rogue or a Tekker.

4) I'd seriously consider 2 codebreakers and 2 casecrackers as your specialists, to begin with. That's 300 creds up front but all four of those are going to be decent in combat too. I'd probably give all four of them shotguns, and back them up with a couple of Sentries with carbines. Your choice of Runners or Recruits for the last two.

5) But, a Grenadier is also worth considering...

6) Robots look good BUT they mean you have to bring two types of healing. :( I'm inclined to stick with organics.

My painting & modelling blog: https://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/699224.page

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Made in us
Osprey Reader





Northern California

 Ian Sturrock wrote:

2) Unlocking loot is a pain! Do try to send two people with the relevant tools to each bit of loot you want.


This exactly. TN12 doesn't seem that hard to do but in the middle of combat it will get you killed.
   
Made in us
Grisly Ghost Ark Driver






 guinness707 wrote:
This exactly. TN12 doesn't seem that hard to do but in the middle of combat it will get you killed.
Correction. It's TN 14, not TN12 [pages 64, 175]. Not so easy. The +6 for picks and decks is necessary.

Random Encounters (animals: pg 140 ) and Unwanted Attention (pirates: pg 141) are optional rules. However, most of the scenarios will use one or the other.

Kings of War: Abyssal Dwarves, Dwarves, Elves, Undead, Northern Alliance [WiP], Nightstalkers [WiP]
Dropzone Commander: PHR
Kill Team: Deathwatch AdMech Necron

 
   
Made in gb
Longtime Dakkanaut





Well with the hacker type already, and one planned to be built, two of my crews have that (or the specialist version) ready.

The picks etc can be done easy enough with the little boxes perhaps (or I guess not shown on the model as they’re small? But I like the idea of having it on show).


As to point 6, yeah it adds a whole new necessary thing to look after/take care of.



Quick question regarding guns. Are shotguns different in rules to carbines on the profile? No rulebook yet so only have crew builder to look at.
   
Made in gb
Leader of the Sept







Shotguns have 12” range versus 24 for carbines, but increased damage.

Please excuse any spelling errors. I use a tablet frequently and software keyboards are a pain!

Terranwing - w3;d1;l1
51st Dunedinw2;d0;l0
Cadre Coronal Afterglow w1;d0;l0 
   
Made in us
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Danny76 wrote:
Well with the hacker type already, and one planned to be built, two of my crews have that (or the specialist version) ready.

The picks etc can be done easy enough with the little boxes perhaps (or I guess not shown on the model as they’re small? But I like the idea of having it on show).

As to point 6, yeah it adds a whole new necessary thing to look after/take care of.

Quick question regarding guns. Are shotguns different in rules to carbines on the profile? No rulebook yet so only have crew builder to look at.

I was just going to use the wrenches for my Chiselers. There might be a crowbar or tire iron in my bits box. There are a couple arms with data tablets for the Hackers.

I'll have to try the robots at some point. Maybe for the first game. We'll probably do a one off before starting a campaign. That's what we did for Frostgrave, and what is suggested in the SG book.

A Shotgun is 12" and +1 DAM. So that's the choice between Carbines and Shotguns; range versus damage.

Kings of War: Abyssal Dwarves, Dwarves, Elves, Undead, Northern Alliance [WiP], Nightstalkers [WiP]
Dropzone Commander: PHR
Kill Team: Deathwatch AdMech Necron

 
   
Made in gb
Stubborn Dark Angels Veteran Sergeant





Teesside

OK, having thought some more, it's probably...

Captain: Rogue. Powers -- Bait & Switch, Bribe, Data Jump, Haggle, Target Lock. Heavy Armour, Grenade Launcher, Medkit.

First Mate: Biomorph. Powers -- Camouflage, Regenerate, Toxic Secretions, Mystic Trance. Heavy Armour, Hand Weapon, Medkit, Deck, Picks.
Crew: Casecracker x2, Codebreaker x2, Sentry x2, Runner x2.

The idea here is that the captain stays behind LoS-blocking cover much of the game, offering artillery support by putting one or other type of grenade wherever they're needed (Target Lock). Occasionally she pops out to use Bait & Switch or Data Jump as needed.

First Mate leads the charge, protecting more delicate crew and trying to get as much loot off as possible. Mystic Trance gives her Camouflage but she should be protected by smoke grenades if possible too.

I feel like overall this gives a great balance -- there should be always something for everyone to do, and you should be able to get at least some use out of out-of-game powers.

My painting & modelling blog: https://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/699224.page

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Made in gb
Leader of the Sept







A question I have about Target lock... does the model need to have a grenade launcher to use it? Ian - I see you have equipped your dude with one anyway... I was just intrigued.

for my captain I was thinking of trying robot expert with drone to allow the LOS powers to be popped off from safety

Please excuse any spelling errors. I use a tablet frequently and software keyboards are a pain!

Terranwing - w3;d1;l1
51st Dunedinw2;d0;l0
Cadre Coronal Afterglow w1;d0;l0 
   
Made in gb
Stubborn Dark Angels Veteran Sergeant





Teesside

Flinty, from memory, you need to either be equipped with a grenade launcher OR be adjacent to one of your crew who is. Launching the grenade is then a bonus action which auto-hits, which is the awesome part. Potentially if you have an actual Grenadier on your team, you can use their GL with your captain or first mate's Target Lock, then have the Grenadier shoot it again as their own action!

This message was edited 2 times. Last update was at 2021/05/06 15:23:32


My painting & modelling blog: https://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/699224.page

Serpent King Games: Dragon Warriors Reborn!
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Made in gb
Leader of the Sept







It auto-hits, but you need to pass the activation check first, which isn't trivial

On reflection, I think the wording implies that grenades or a GL is required for the power to work.

Please excuse any spelling errors. I use a tablet frequently and software keyboards are a pain!

Terranwing - w3;d1;l1
51st Dunedinw2;d0;l0
Cadre Coronal Afterglow w1;d0;l0 
   
Made in us
Grisly Ghost Ark Driver






Crew Theory-crafting.
Crew of the David Brin {The Starship of Dr. Moreau}
Captain: Mystic. Powers: Heal, Suggestion, Mystic Trance, Void Blade, Armory (Non-Core)
1st Mate: Biomorph. Powers: Fling, Regenerate, Restructure Body, Mystic Trance (Non-Core)
Grenadier, Codebreaker, Casecracker, Medic, Hacker, Chisler, Recruit, Runner
In theory, the Captain makes both the Armory and Mystic Trance rolls. The combat armor goes to the 1st Mate who will be in the thick of things like Ian Sturrock's Biomorph 1st Mate. If the captain's Mystic Trance roll succeeds, he starts with the Void Blade active, which will let him move more boldly than otherwise. Still, he's a support figure, not a frontline fighter.
If 1st Mate makes his Mystic Trance roll, he uses Restructure Body (Stuck between Immune to Critical and Immune to Toxins, probably the first). I choose Fling instead of Camouflage as hopefully he'll have combat armor, and Fling can be used to move friendly crew or offensively.
This crew is more about getting Loot than fighting, so both the Captain and Grenadier will be dropping smoke to block LoS. I may be playing it too safe with the Medic, but we'll see how it goes.

Robot Crew
Captain: Robot Expert. Powers: Control Robot, EMP, Repair Robot, Remote Firing, Regenerate (Non-Core)
1st Mate: Rogue. Powers: Bait & Switch, Cancel Power, Quick Step, Regenerate (Non-Core)
Burner, Grenadier, Gunner, Codebreaker, Chiseler, 2 Recruits, Runner.
This crew is aggressive, and is looking to clear the board, and get Loot by default. Both ship's officers have Regenerate so there's no need for the Medic. The mate will dodge around and snag Loot, while the Captain directs the "extermination".

Crew of the "Eternity" {Firefly rip-off}
Captain (Mal): Veteran. Powers: Armory, Fortune, Target Designation, Target Lock (Non-Core), Mystic Trance (Non-Core)
1st Mate (River): Psionic. Powers: Lift, Psychic Shield, Wall of Force, Mystic Trance (Non-Core)
Casecracker (Kaylee), Grenadier (Zoe), Gunner (Jayne), Medic (Simon), Chisler (Shepherd Book?), 2 Recruits, 1 Runner
Mal uses Mystic Trance to start with Fortune active, and ideally he has Combat Armor due to Armory. River uses Mystic Trance for Psychic Shield. River's role is mainly defense with the Wall and positioning with Lift. An ideal first turn for her would be having Psychic Shield already active so she can take some risks, and get into a good place to do a Lift on the Casecracker
If Mal has Combat Armor, he can lead from the front. If in heavy armor, he'll move more cautiously, using Target Lock to fire Zoe early. Target Designation is for marking the most dangerous OPFOR on the other team (or in scenarios with a 3rd party, most dangerous OPFOR in play).
This team is not entirely optimized as it is a Firefly homage. I'd actually prefer to change the Medic and Gunner to Codebreakers, which would let me hire an 2nd Chisler. That would give River 5 crew to use Lift on.

Question: Filter Masks do not appear to take a Gear slot. Is that correct?

EDIT: In general, crew that have the option to carry Shotguns will do so.

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2021/05/07 21:04:54


Kings of War: Abyssal Dwarves, Dwarves, Elves, Undead, Northern Alliance [WiP], Nightstalkers [WiP]
Dropzone Commander: PHR
Kill Team: Deathwatch AdMech Necron

 
   
Made in gb
Longtime Dakkanaut





Where’s Wash though?
   
Made in gb
Leader of the Sept







Following on from AncestralHamsters lead I smooshed together a few ideas for famous film /TV based crews while being a dad taxi for the boy. On my phone so apologies for limited editing and format

For Avengers, biggest problem is that all of the lead cast could be captains or first mates... however there are enough that you can pick your favourite 2 and then pull any number of the others into soldier types, with any slots filled by Shield agents.

I think you could do BSG easily enough as well, but they would all be veterans or cyborgs (or both). Star Trek is kind of too varied for me to pick

ROTJ
Han Rogue
Luke mystic
Chewie grenadier (bow caster)
Leia Runner
C3po robot recruit
R2D2 robot codebreaker
Various soldier types as Rebel commandos

Terminator 2
Sarah veteran
T800 cyborg
John codebreaker
Reece pathfinder

Stargate
O’Neill Rogue
Carter veteran
Jackson codebreaker
Tealc grenadier (Jaffar staff)
Doran commando
Bratac grenadier
Various soldier types


Avengers
Stark Robotics expert combat armour rapidfire
Rogers Biomorph shotgun (shield throw)
Clint rogue grenade launcher
Hulk biomorph
Romanov cyborg (not really but core powers fit)
Thor veteran
War machine veteran combat armour
Scarlet Witch mystic
Falcon cyborg
Bucky veteran/cyborg
Spider-Man biomorph
Ant man rogue
Strange psionicist
Fury rogue/veteran
Hill veteran
Vision psionicist/cyborg
Loki rogue/psionicist
Tchalla biomorph

Guardians
Quill rogue
Gamora biomorph
Rocket gunner 100
Drax guard dog 10
Nebula pathfinder 100
Groot burner (close ranged tree based death smashing) 100
Mantis runner
Yondu case cracker 75
2x recruit ravagers/nova prime




Please excuse any spelling errors. I use a tablet frequently and software keyboards are a pain!

Terranwing - w3;d1;l1
51st Dunedinw2;d0;l0
Cadre Coronal Afterglow w1;d0;l0 
   
Made in us
Grisly Ghost Ark Driver






Danny76 wrote:
Where’s Wash though?
On the "Eternity", ready for a quick dust-off. Don't have a good Wash substitute figure yet, and did not have the credits (that is a legal starting crew). I do have four not-Firefly minis, and I have a female gadgeteer that can sub in for Kaylee (though it does not look like her). As for Shepherd Book, with so many bits from the Nickstarter, I might be able to make a close match.

Oh, and the reason the Biomorph ship is named David Brin is due to the real David Brin being the author of the Upllft series of books, where the only known way to achieve sapience is by having an existing sapient species confer it on you by "uplifting" over generations.
DAVID BRIN's worlds of UPLIFT

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Kill Team: Deathwatch AdMech Necron

 
   
Made in gb
Longtime Dakkanaut





I suppose the Runner could be Wash.
   
Made in gb
Stubborn Dark Angels Veteran Sergeant





Teesside

Having talked to my two opponents after our first game, I reckon there will be not much shooting in our 2nd game, other than smoke grenades. This is based on there being very little shooting in the second half of the first game, despite there being only one source of grenades on the table: the three smoke clouds were all still there at the end of the game. Having all seen the power of grenades, we will all be bringing at least one unit with grenade launcher or grenades next time. We'll have to see whether this means smoke grenades are overpowered -- it's certainly a possibility.

My painting & modelling blog: https://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/699224.page

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Made in gb
Longtime Dakkanaut





Snapped up a great deal on the rulebook, so that’s incoming.
Gonna look at crew building properly then and do some solo scenarios.
   
Made in us
Grisly Ghost Ark Driver






Can a figure move through a friendly figure? I've checked, and it does not say ether way. I also checked the 2nd ed. Frostgrave rule book, and the wording is almost identical, so it did not clarify matters. Now one can house rule it before a game starts, but something official in the rule book would be better.

For myself, I'd house-rule it as a "No", making people think more tactically in conjunction with the phased movement. OTOH, being permissive may make for a more enjoyable game experience.

Kings of War: Abyssal Dwarves, Dwarves, Elves, Undead, Northern Alliance [WiP], Nightstalkers [WiP]
Dropzone Commander: PHR
Kill Team: Deathwatch AdMech Necron

 
   
Made in gb
Longtime Dakkanaut



London

Grenade launchers firing smoke seem essential from the first glance through the rules.
   
Made in gb
Stubborn Dark Angels Veteran Sergeant





Teesside

@Chris, in our first game, with 3 players and only one source of grenades... we had almost no shooting in the latter half of the game, due to three smoke clouds that despite our rolling every turn for dissipation, never went away.

My feeling so far is that 2-4 sources of grenades in your team, plus melee, is the power build. And of course two of the specialists (Pathfinder and Commando) bring both grenades and melee to the table.

My painting & modelling blog: https://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/699224.page

Serpent King Games: Dragon Warriors Reborn!
http://serpentking.com/

 
   
Made in gb
Leader of the Sept







 Ancestral Hamster wrote:
Can a figure move through a friendly figure? I've checked, and it does not say ether way. I also checked the 2nd ed. Frostgrave rule book, and the wording is almost identical, so it did not clarify matters. Now one can house rule it before a game starts, but something official in the rule book would be better.

For myself, I'd house-rule it as a "No", making people think more tactically in conjunction with the phased movement. OTOH, being permissive may make for a more enjoyable game experience.


The wording under Group Activations states
“The most common is to allow multiple figures to gang up on a specific enemy in hand to hand combat, although there are also occasions where it is useful to rearrange the positions of various figures to achieve line of sight, or to allow figures to move past one another through tight confines.”

This would suggest that models are not intended to be able to pass through friendly models, but it’s hardly conclusive.

Please excuse any spelling errors. I use a tablet frequently and software keyboards are a pain!

Terranwing - w3;d1;l1
51st Dunedinw2;d0;l0
Cadre Coronal Afterglow w1;d0;l0 
   
Made in gb
Longtime Dakkanaut





Tactics wise.
Is anyone even thinking of flamers now?
Obviously mid Nickstarter there was a lot of chat about lack of flame throwers etc.
But not really seeing them in a lot of lists now.
   
Made in gb
Stubborn Dark Angels Veteran Sergeant





Teesside

Personally I don't see them as anything like as useful or versatile as grenade launchers. But there are doubtless builds and scenarios where they'd shine -- often in this style of game, interior maps / spaceship corridors are where the flamethrower really comes into its own.

My painting & modelling blog: https://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/699224.page

Serpent King Games: Dragon Warriors Reborn!
http://serpentking.com/

 
   
Made in gb
Longtime Dakkanaut





What is everyone’s thoughts on Shotguns vs Carbines then?
A mix of both? Leaning one way?
I can see both having uses and I’m thinking maybe make enough to have full crew of either, but doing that for each crew I’ve planned might get a bit much.
Don’t want to go too far over 10 per crew.

I’m thinking 10 crew each, not including captain and first mate, then they can be pulled from metals or other places to bulk up/give options.
   
Made in us
Grisly Ghost Ark Driver






Danny76 wrote:
What is everyone’s thoughts on Shotguns vs Carbines then?
A mix of both? Leaning one way? <snip>
Have not played yet, not even the Dead or Alive Solo rules. At the moment, favoring Shotguns, with the expensive Specialists & Captain providing the longer ranged fire.

Kings of War: Abyssal Dwarves, Dwarves, Elves, Undead, Northern Alliance [WiP], Nightstalkers [WiP]
Dropzone Commander: PHR
Kill Team: Deathwatch AdMech Necron

 
   
Made in gb
Martial Arts SAS




United Kingdom

So with one DoA game under my belt, I am pretty happy with my Flamer-toting captain and Grenade Launcher-sporting first mate. I was torn between a shotgun build and a flamer build because I wanted an aggressive, close range captain but as much as I loved the idea of an OP shotgun, two things turned me off it:

1) You can stack a lot of extra damage sources on a shotgun (Armoury, Power Spike and later, a +1 damage advanced shotgun and Power Selector) for a hilarious +8 damage weapon.. but you can also do exactly the same with a carbine and you will only be 1 damage behind. Trading 12" of range for no other 'realistic' shotgun bonuses (easier to hit / possibility of hitting multiple targets) just meant that it wasn't worth it.

2) The prevalence of abilities that specifically make it harder for the conventional ranged weapons to hit (Void Blade, Camouflage, Holographic Wall.. er.. Smoke Grenades). This is is a game where if you want to play it like Frostgrave, with plenty of melee combat and minimal influence from your opponents ranged weapons, you absolutely can. Flamers ignore all of those penalties and only Wall of Force (or, you know, regular walls) are effective against them. The ruling about no toxic flamers made me sad, but honestly, with the +2 damage and no light or heavy armour saves, I think they still win over shotguns.

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2021/05/26 20:30:45


   
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MN (Currently in WY)

Silly question, but has anyone tried using Frostgrave's Ulterior Motives cards with Stargrave yet?

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