Undersea Terrain/Hellscape - Sand Tables and Expanding Foam 2.0

Just a few shots of a table that builds on a few other posts I've done in the past. It was extremely fast to build.

The new sand table is so transportable I took it outside for a game. 

"Submarine fighters" are from EM4 and cost about 30c each.

Indoor Sand Table
I like sand tables but the chance of sand escaping onto the floor stop them from being used indoors (an issue in the cold weather). You occasionally can also find sand annoyingly adhering to crevices in minis.

So I knocked up one of my 20-minute tables, and painted the bottom with a 50/50 PVA/water mix (a spraybottle would have worked better but I didn't have one to hand). 

I "liberated" the wife's flour sieve and some sand from my 1-year-olds sandpit and sprinkled it lightly over it.   After it dried I turned it over and banged off any loose sand (using the wife's dustpan to brush away any remaining crumbs - she doesn't know how much she unwittingly contributes to my projects).  Now there was no chance any sand "falling off".   I duel-wielded two spraycans over it (which also helped "seal in" the sand) and "voila" - indoor-friendly table.

The table is only 4x4.  

Random thought: The spraypainted fine sand would make decent bitumen/asphalt roads for 28mm games.

Expanding Foam - yes, you can spraypaint it
I had some leftover expanding foam cliffs from my desert table.  Someone pointed out to me that expanding foam DOES NOT melt when spraypainted like polystyrene, and they were right - it took me under 5 minutes to make the cliffs (cut, glue sand on the top and spray). I love spraypaint.

Overall it took me 20 minutes to make the table itself from MDF, 30 minutes to PVA glue sand to it and spray it black, and 2hrs for the spray-can-lid buildings and various terrain pieces. Total cost ~$40 and about ~3hours. 

What is it meant to be?
Well, the table is serving a dual role as a "hellscape" - for my Conquistadors-invade-hell skirmish game (basically, I'm borrowing the concept of Helldorado, without their expensive minis or convoluted rules). The second use is as pictured - a "undersea" board where 300-knot sub-fighters duel amongst giant kelp forests and spray-can-lid undersea bases.  

The expanding foam spraypaints fine. However it "bulges" underneath and does not sit flat.

The "kelp forests" are aquarium plants from the $2 shop and would make good alien jungles for a land game.

Undersea sub game?
I've adapted damage mechanics similar to Check Your Six but it should have more of a "WW2 PT-boats/MTBs" feel where subs sneak around slowly undetected at under 20-kts then "go loud" when attacking, engaging supercavitating rocket engines in 300-kt WW2-style dogfights. 

I hate writing down orders, so each pilot chooses 3+ action cards (turn left, shoot, climb etc) and rolls above a target number with 2D6 to see how many actions he can actually perform.  Better pilots naturally have a better chance of performing more actions but whilst 2D6 gives a predictable "bell curve"  there is no "absolute certainty" pilots will act at all - a failed roll means the sub continues to move straight ahead, simply showing the pilot did not react within the "snapshot" of time that the turn represents. 

Cheap & Nasty Scratchbuilt Terrain - 30 minute Plaster Undersea Volcanoes/Thermal Vents

This technically was longer than 30 minutes due to the plaster drying but since the wife, not me, did this it counts as under 30 minutes. In fact this took me 0 minutes to make. Nice!

The wife made a base of foamboard (MDF would have been better in hindsight) and "built it up" with chunks of foamboard.  The plaster of paris step is simply like playing with mudpies. After a wait for it to dry, a very quick splash of paint later, and voila, undersea volcano!

In my submarine fighter game the heated water from the thermal vents will interfere with targeting and missile locks, providing "cover" of sorts

Apart from replacing the foamboard base with MDF, the main other change would be to touch up the paint job a bit. Since it took me 0 minutes to build, I don't care, though!

Supersonic Subs, Airships and more Terrain Building

Here's two tables where I am using my 30-minute scratchbuilt terrain.

Here's a more "traditional" aeronef dock. 

The aeronef aerial dock was my latest 30 minute project - to go with the "submarine pen" style aeronef base made of packaging.

I made it of balsa wood - I got a pack of pre-cut balsa for $7 from my local hardware store.\

With all this terrain spouting from my 30-minute projects, I needed some more tables. I'm a fan of pre-cut 3ft x 4ft MDF.  It's very light and easy to move around.

I glue a strip of pine down the sides to stop the MDF bending out of shape.  As you can see from the top picture, the strip also allows it to be turned into a sand table with the addition of a single bucket of sand.

This has the advantage of making a single skirmish table, or if you flip them over and shove two together, a single "standard" large 6ft x 4ft table.

I used some 1:300 Brigade Models sci fi buildings as a stopgap VSF desert town.

I'm experimenting with using the General Quarters 3 rules mixed with my own homebrew add-ons as I dislike the million hitboxes and dice-chugging random blandness of the "official" Aeronef rules.

The other table is my own homebrew rules - "SuperCav" - near future sub warfare beneath alien oceans.  The normal cat-and-mouse of the current modern era of sub warfare can be varied by dogfights between "supercavitating" sub-fighters  which use rocket engines to travel at 500kph+ "flying" inside their own gas bubble.

Some rocket fighters patrol past an undersea refinery

A transport sub undocks from a undersea habitat, escorted by two fighters

Yes, it's just spraycan caps and plastic aqarium plants, but the table, simple as it is, is "unified" by a common theme - and it took only a hour to make....

I also know my next 30-minute terrain challenge - building undersea volcanoes and thermal vents, as well as "contoured" undersea mountains...

Cheap & Nasty Scratchbuilt Terrain: Spraycan Lids = Undersea Base

I need some undersea terrain for the home-brew sub rules I am tinkering with.

I decided on some undersea bases and a kelp forest, with undersea mountains to come later once I decide how I want them to work in-game.

Spray can lids and plastic aquarium plants - we're set!

I wanted some cylinders or domes as they seem undersea-y shapes, and I noticed the top of my spray cans fit the bill.  A quick hunt round the shed revealed some silver-painted film canisters which were already doing duty as sci fi steel drums, as well as some other silver-painted cylindrical containers from the craft shop I stole liberated from my wife to turn into nuclear waste tanks.

A visit to the kitchen yielded some straws - I mean, transit tubes, to connect the undersea habitats.  A note on straws - not only are the bendy ones good for bending, as the name suggests, but if you are a bit casual with measuring, they can be extended or contracted to fit.  See how the red straw has been extended to be longer than the green straw.

I already had some aquarium plants - but my wife had taken them to use in the actual AQUARIUM - how ridiculous.  So I had to go buy some more and at $3 for 3 they were my most expensive purchase.

Again, it's probably obvious from the photos what I did, but here's the breakdown:

1. Superglue spraycan lids to pre-cut MDF boards ($1.50 large, 70c small)
2. Attach film cannisters and connect drinking straws with a dab of superglue
3. Cut cheap cardboard jewel box (50c) and attach film cannister

To fit things snugly to curved surfaces, trace the curved shape onto the object before cutting...

4. Brush PVA glue onto the bases and then sprinkle with sand
5. Remove excess sand off thoroughly!  I.e. bang the whole MDF board down hard, blow off loose sand, etc. Or you could regret it....
6. Undercoat everything with black spraypaint
7. Spraypaint the base itself with grey primer
8. Unfortunately we need to use a brush here. ..mutter mutter...  Generously dab on some el cheapo black craft glue to cover the grey overspray that went on the base

Disaster
After about #7, I banged the model down hard. This loosened some excess sand I hadn't cleaned off thoroughly before at #5, which promptly flew in the air and stuck to the wet paint on the outside of the buildings. My initial attempts to fix this simply made it worse, turning the base into a paint-and-sand sludge which went everywhere. I had to scrape back lots of sand and repaint the base black again. This took 30 minutes and put me waaay over my time limit.

The aquarium plants are simply rebased onto pre-cut MDF, with a black-painted sand base

Aren't they EM4 spacefighters, you ask? Actually, no, they are supercavitating fighter submarines that "fly" underwater at 200kts+ using rocket engines...

You can see the sand that flicked up all over the buildings from the "disaster" moment....

If it wasn't for the "disaster" moment this would all have been completed in under 45 minutes like I was aiming for. I went for black bases as I presume it will be rather dark at the bottom of the ocean. 

 The buildings could do with more detail - perhaps add portholes and make the connecting tubes a different colour.

I'm reasonably satisfied with the end result although I could add lots more detail.  Portholes on the buildings and rocks on the base would be simple and quick additions.  Total cost was $6 - $3 for the plastic plants, and $3 for all the pre-cut MDF bases. Due to the issues with the loose sand on base, I blew out my time limit by 30 minutes, almost double the 45 minutes I allowed myself.  

Next visit to the hardware store, I'll get some small polyurethane piping (the sort they use for pop-up sprinkler systems) and make myself an undersea oil pipeline for the subs to attack or defend. 

Sci Fi Sub War meets Silent Death - Part 4

This post is partly to show the mega-cheap EM4 Silent Death spacefighter models I plan on using as my "fighter subs":-

 Total cost - $14 - or 30c each

Coming with bases included $3.50 for 12 is not bad.  They are quite crisp sculpts with no flash and only faint mold lines.  I have given them rather bland grey paint schemes as modern naval vessels AND aircraft seem to be grey as their uniform colour regardless of nationality.

Some sculpts are more sub-like than others - the smaller models on the left are quite plausible.

The second reason was to "put out there" the damage system I could use for this (I could also see it suiting a space fighter game) - ergo:

FIRING

Both sides add a d10 to their piloting roll, and add any modifiers. If the defender wins, the shot has missed. If the attacker wins, the shot has hit. Make sure you note the "margin of success" if the attacker wins as this influences the damage.

Attacker Modifiers	Defender Modifiers
+ if fighter more agile + accuracy/tracking of weapon Firing into target rear +1 (also parallelling target) Firing at head-on target  +0 Firing into target side -1	+ if fighter more agile + range modifiers

DAMAGE

Fighters have a "Defence" attribute which is armour and structural ability to absorb damage.

Roll d10 for each hit plus weapon damage; and compare to Defence level plus d10

If the Defence score is exceeded - the target is "shocked"

If the Defence score is exceeded by 3+, the fighter is "damaged"

If the Defence score is exceeded by 8+, the target is "destroyed"

Firer	Defender
+ margin of success + weapon damage

I simply drybrushed 2 shades of grey over black undercoat to pick out detail. Yeah, it probably needs squadron markings and detailing like weapons but I only had an hour before tea to do all 50...  

DAMAGE TYPES

Shocked = no major damage - glancing or superficial hits; for next turn -2 to all rolls. Shocked results are not cumulative (i.e. you can be "shocked" only once per turn) but they do stack with modifiers caused by damage

Damaged = this takes several forms. See if the damage roll was odd or even.

Destroyed = "Kaboom"

Odds Hull = this is damage to the fighting capacity of the fighter or ship; and may include damage to cockpit, weapons and sensors	Evens Thrust = this is engines or ship thrusters and impacts the mobility of the ship
1st hit = -2 to all rolls; halve weaponry, sensors, ECM	1st hit = -2 to all rolls; halve thrust
2nd hit = ship breaks up; pass pilot skill check to eject	2nd hit = ship drifts; pass pilot check or reactor explodes

For simplicity's sake a fighter will have 2 profiles; a normal and a damaged one.

Why I like it:You only need 2 markers (one for hull, one for engines) - simples!

Why I might change it: People might like more descriptive "criticals"

This combat system would work well with a d10+addons mechanic; for example opposed rolls could use a similar mechanism where d10+pilot skill is contrasted to d10+pilot skill.  Having a similar mechanic for all rules actions makes a ruleset more coherent and "fluent" - as opposed to new random rules and mechanics for every area *cough* Two Fat Lardies *cough*

I also like the fact the margin of success when you hit also impacts the damage roll - a "good" or well-aimed shot will do more damage than a glancing shot.

Sci Fi Sub Combat - Part III

A sleek subfighter "flies" through the water, encased in its vapor "bubble"

 

Activation

Activation has moved beyond IGOUGO and written orders, in most games, to alternate activation, sometimes with reaction systems. However I think activation is treated like an afterthought in most rules. In only some games (like Infinity and to a lesser degree Ambush Alley) is activation an important part of the game.

Activation Mechanic
Each player chooses a sub.  They make an "Opposed roll".  The winner can decide
(a) to activate his own sub
(b) to force an opponent to activate one of his subs (unconfirmed contacts cannot be moved)
If option (b) is chosen he can continue to force opponents to move for each contested roll he wins if his opponent has equal or greater number of subs; but in any case he must activate the sub he is using to roll with before activating any other of his subs.

Undetected Contacts
Undetected subs (in "stealth" mode) have an advantage and can re-roll their initiative dice against "detected" foes.  They also cannot be "forced" to activate except by another stealth submarine. 


Tailing
If a subfighter is at the same depth and within 4" of an opponent's rear arc, he may make an opposed piloting roll to "Get on his tail". If he succeeds, he is regarded as "Tailing". This may be done at the end of his move, after attacking. This gives a few benefits:
(a) he may force the opponent he is "tailing" to activate then instantly follow himself
(b) he gets a free burst of fire if his opponent moves out of his forward arc

"Getting on Tail" test 
Make an opposed roll.
+1 if faster than opponent
+1 if more agile than opponent
+1 has a lock on opponent

If the attacker wins he is "on his tail"

"Staying on Tail" test
Make an opposed roll. Same modifiers as before. 
If the attacker loses he "breaks off" the attack - he must activate and move first AND he cannot attack the sub he is tailing.  If the attacker wins he stays on his foes tail and may choose
(a) to remain stationary and let his opponent move away (getting a free snap shot as he does)
(b) follow his opponent's moves and remain on his tail

Evasive Action
If his opponent successfully performs a "drag turn" there is a further implication: if the tailing ship fails to pass his piloting test he suffers the effects of a failed drag turn as usual

You can see performing a drag turn is a good way to shake a pursuing opponent; but it is fraught with risk if it fails, leaving the subfighter a sitting duck.

Command Points
Each commander has "command points" equal to his "command" rating. He can spend them to add +1 to activation opposed rolls.

 Reactions

Sub-fighters may "react" to enemies who are
(a) passing within cannon range and within the zone of fire
(b) attacking them
Make an opposed roll. If the "reacting" subfighter wins, he can either
(1)"snap shot" - fire a brief burst at the enemy (missiles cannot snap shoot due to locking time)
OR
(2) "evade" - have a +3 bonus against enemy fire
The active player gets to complete his attack or move after either of these actions.
 If the reactor loses, he cannot shoot nor receive a defensive bonus; the active player continues unhindered.

Formations

I also might allow  subfighter pilots and wing-man to move simultaneously, and perform any piloting rolls with the skill of the best pilot. The wing leader will get +1 to his attacks as he can concentrate on them knowing his tail is covered by his wingman; the wingman gets -1 to attacks as he is covering the tail more than attacking; both get +1 to any activation rolls due to teamwork and+1 to  avoid incoming fire.

 When I typed the words "WW2 meets subs" I thought of the movie "Sky Captain" and the sleek Manta underwater prop-fighters

 Thoughts: We have an element of resource management (command points); opposed rolls to make activation a contest, and made "tailing" a beneficial position to add to the "dogfight" feel.  I think the vibe of this game will be part WW2 dogfights, part modern helicopter (due to ability to "hover", and importance of stealth and missiles); and part cat-and-mouse submarine game.

The "tailing" rules will need some tweaking and I need to see how the activation system is used or abused before altering it.

Sci Fi Sub War Part II - Rules (Movement)

 MOVEMENT 

Subfighters' rocket engines give stunning acceleration and the ability to deform the vapor bubble the super-cavitating craft "fly" inside bestows surprising agility.  "Normal" or stealth speed is from 0-4" (40kts); supercav speeds are 5-20" (50 to 200+ knots)

Water Levels
Thermoclines (especially in the 100-20mm range) impact sonar detection making depth level important.

There are 6 water levels which can be tracked by a 5mm micro dice blu-tacked to the base of the mini. 1-Very Shallow  2-Shallow 3-Medium  4-Deep 5-Very Deep  6-Crush
Shallow is on or about the surface, whilst shallow is around 100m and each level adds about another 100m - i.e. crush depth is around 900m  

Supercav Movement
Supercav subs have 3 speed levels; they can change 1 level per move. Pilots declare the thrust they allocate before moving the sub.
*Normal (0-4")
*Half Boost (5"-half maximum speed)
*Full Boost (half to full maximum speed)

 Fighter Subs... always cool

Turning
Turns are executed at the midpoint and end of a turn.  

Changing Depth
Normal subs change depth by 1 level per turn for free.
Sub-fighters at supercav speeds can use their rocket engines to change multiple levels. Every 4" of movement allows a free level change.  A subfighter moving 16" could make a level change every 4" travelled.

"Drag Turn"
Sub-fighters can make more extreme maneuvers by dragging a small part of their hull outside the vapor bubble.  This is fraught with danger as a loss of control could see the ship tumble and fully "de-cav" - effectively similar to an aircraft hitting the water at 200 knots.  Drag turns allow an extra turn at the start of the move or a double turn at the middle or end portions.  Drag turns are declared after thrust has been allocated; and the subfighters' pilot must make a piloting test to succeed.


Failed Piloting Test
Minor Fail = "Whoa!" - pilot almost loses it and spends the rest of the turn trying to get the fighter under control. Cannot engage or evade targets; moves allocated thrust in a straight line.
Major Fail = "Splat!"  - subfighter tumbles out of control, hitting a "solid" wall of water at high speed

Zooms/Vertical Turns
Agile craft can steepen the angle to zoom or dive vertically; handy for making attacks or evading pursuers.  Here is the process:
(1) Pilot tests to perform a "drag turn" at the start of the move
(2) Pilot moves half his allocated thrust
(3) He may make a turn at the half-way mark like usual
(4) He may now be considered to be climbing/diving "vertically"
 He has 2 choices:
 (a) "Zoom" he continues to climb or dive the way he is facing and can spend the remainder of his movement or remain stationary. He must change as many levels as he has movement remaining. He can move any portion of his remaining movement forwards or even remain stationary.He may then make a turn at the end of the move like usual.
(b) "Immelmann/Vertical Turn" reverse direction by flipping the fighter upside down. He must change as many levels as he has movement remaining. The subfighter is then "flipped" 180d. He may then make a turn at the end of the move like usual.

Example A "Zoom": A subfighter uses 16" thrust to dive vertically on a target below.  He passes the "piloting" test and moves forward 8" (and can change 2 levels for free if he wants like usual). He turns 45d starboard to align better with the target. The subfighter is now vertical.  As the pilot has 8" of movement remaining he can make a further 2 level changes; but he can choose whether or not to actually move the sub on the table or simply declare it is vertical movement.  He may turn at the end of the move as usual

Example B "Immelmann/Vertical Turn": A subfighter uses 16" thrust and decides to climb and reverse its direction.  He passes the "Piloting" test and moves forward 8". Again, he could climb 2 levels for free during this stage.  The now the subfighter is vertical, but the pilot decides to flip it over. He must climb the remaining 2 levels vertically due to the 8" thrust. The fighter is then "flipped" 180d to face to the rear. He may turn at the end of the move as usual.*

(*This may be removed if overused.)


Thoughts: I'm thinking "agile" fighters will get a 45d turn and standard fighters a 30d turn; allowing course changes of 90d and 60d respectively over the course of a turn and preventing too much "fail chasing" where subs will simply move around on each others' tail when it is time to activate.

There are 3 "special moves" which allow radical changes in direction but they are dangerous - a failed "piloting test" would see them unable to fire, vulnerable and fighting to regain control or dead.

You don't need very big wings to fly in ground effect...

Ground Effect:  I intended this to be sub-surface only but I was thinking about zoom climbs - what would happen if a 200kt+ sub breached the surface at speed? 

If it had stubby wings a 100-knot+ subfighter would be capable of limited flight at low altitudes where it could be supported by "ground effect"

How it would re-enter the water is another question, but hey, this is sci fi!  The idea of rocket-powered subs bursting out of the water and chasing each other in dogfights 50m or so above the waves is certainly appealing....

Sci Fi Sub Combat - Concept

I have always been fascinated by the concept of "supercavitation" - the creation of  a vapor bubble around a underwater object, massively reducing drag and allowing an object to essentially "fly" underwater.  The Russian Shkval 200 knot (370kph+) rocket torpedo is a current example; the US navy has successfully tested supercavitaitng "underwater bullets" in .50cal, 20mm and 30mm for heliborne mineclearing and is working on a 100+ knot undersea delivery mini-sub for special forces teams.

I thought this would make an awesome sci fi wargame. Imagine small super-cavitating fighter-subs blasting through the water at 300+ kph, engaging each other with cannons in undersea dogfights!

It would allow a range of tactics: subs could move stealthily in games of hide-and seek at normal speeds (under 30-40 knots) or "go loud" engaging slid fuel rockets and blasting through the deeps so fast they are unable to be engaged by conventional weapons. 

Underwater dogfights? Yes please!

The World

Undersea resources are sought greedily; underwater living habitats service deepsea drilling operations.  Merchant subs ply underneath the oceans; military subs serve as motherships for swarms of supercav subfighters.  Basically transpose your favourite space setting and insert the word "undersea mining rig" for "asteroid mining belt" and "undersea habitat" for "space station."

The Ships

Sub-fighters
These are deployed from stealthy "mothership" subs. They are small (20-80 tons) and usually have 2-4 crew.  Propelled by a lithium solidfuel rocket, they can travel at 30-40 knots (normal/stealth mode) or 200-300 knots (supercav).  They have a "crush depth" of 500-700m.  They carry supercav cannons and rockets as well as a few conventional torpedoes. They have no living facilities and are intended for maximum mission times of 12-18 hours.

Conventional Submarines
These range from tiny one-man mining subs to enormous underwater supercarriers.  A "normal" sub might displace anywhere between 500-10,000 tons and have one or two docking stations for smaller subs. Super sub-carriers of 50,000 tons can carry up to 20 sub-fighters.  They cannot exceed 40 knots but can dive much deeper than sub-fighters - most have a crush depth of up to 1000m.


Weapons
Conventional torpedoes are still used due to their precision, stealth and powerful warhead. Supercav gun turrets provide point-defence and they can be decoyed; but a single hit is likely to be fatal for even the largest subs.They are totally ineffective against supercavitating targets.

Supercavitation torpedoes are unguided but carry a micro-nuke warhead; the shockwaves can crush nearby targets and disrupt sensors; a good way to break an engagement and escape when caught at a disadvantage.

Supercav cannon (12.7mm to 30mm) are used to attack fast targets such as sub-fighters and incoming torpedoes.  They are also used for mine-clearing purposes.

Supercav unguided rockets (53mm to 125mm) are used to engage larger or armoured targets whose hull might resist cannon shells.

Mines are very effective and come in many varieties; some are armed with passive sensors and torpedoes and can engage targets at long ranges.

An interesting thought:
Supercavitating subs that "lose" their bubble would go from flying in vapor to hitting "solid water" in a heartbeat - basically like hitting a brick wall at 200 knots. They'd crumple like a coke can.

I ordered some more EM4 Minis to serve as "undersea subfighters". At $6 for 12, you can't go wrong.

Tactics
Military submarines would tend to use a "CAP" of a few sub-fighters running on silent mode; thus extending its engagement range.  If detected, the sub-fighters can "go loud" - accelerating to supercavitation speeds and activating active sonar; thus making themselves detectable but rendering them immune to conventional weapons.

Conventional subs tend to rely on stealth attacks; but can in emergencies, they can defend incoming attacks with decoys and point-defence cannon, and attempt to break engagements by dumb-firing supercav torpedoes with nuclear torpedoes. 

Coming Soon: Part II - Game Design Ideas