England Invaded 1880 - Campaign Rules.

Back in 1998 Rage software brought out a real-time strategy game for the War of the Worlds, I must have spent many a late night hunched over the PC screen cursing those bloody tripods...

It came with a very nice campaign system similar in style to the Total War series of games, it reminded me of the Sport of Kings campaign element of - Warfare in the Age of Reason - Seven Years War Rules - The challenge was to tweak the campaign rules with the Rage software for table top gaming and a number of linked encounters.

Campaign Rules

A player wins the game by having the largest number of counties. Each county generates a number of points, Manpower for the Crown Forces, Blood Resources for the Martian Forces.

Each territory when first captured by each side generates a set number of points between 2D100 these equate to points available within the Martian Empire rule book.

The game is played in turns, each turn represents 1 week commencing May 1898, each turn is divided into the following phases.

Special Events Phase

Martian Revenue Phase

Martian Construction Phase

Martian Movement Phase

Martian Combat Phase

Crown Revenue Phase

Crown Construction Phase

Crown Movement Phase

Crown Combat Phase

Initial Deployment

Prior to turn one, the Crown players places 10 Garrison forces of 500 points apiece, the Martian Player they randomly places 10 cylinders each with a value of 500 points.

Both sides do not have to support these units with resources in the first round. Martians may choose any force types, the Crown player may only select militia quality infantry.

Should the Martians land a cylinder in a county occupied by British forces they are immediately engaged by Crown Forces and are unable to place Fighting Machines.

Special Events

This phase represents the Social, Political & Economic Events over which the players have no control. Roll 1d6 and the result is the number of counties affected. If the county is unclaimed the result is ignored.

Roll 2D6 and apply the following results.

2.         No Effect.

3.         No Effect.

4.         Forced Labour. All points doubled this turn.

5.         Forced Labour. All points doubled this turn.

6.         Unrest. All Scores halved this turn.

7.         Unrest. All Scores halved this turn.

8.         Refugees. No Crown movement through county.

9.         Refugees. No Crown movement through county.

10.       Red Weed incursion. No points in Crown County this turn.

11.       Red Weed incursion. No points in Crown County this turn.

12.       Uprising. Revolutionaries equal to Economic Points Generated.

Revenue Phase

Total up the number of points generated each turn across the counties you control; these points represent your income for the week to be spent on new forces and new structures.On entry into an unoccupied territory 2d100 is rolled for the points available, these regional stats will remain in place for the duration of ownership by the current occupier, all points are re-rolled after loss and recaptured representing the new efforts to generate resources and the loss of existing structures.

The Construction Phase

During this phase, players may spend their points as set out in the list below.
In order to build specialist units Mankind or Martians must be able to trace a line of supply back to construction elements. Should the Crown Forces deploy entrenchments, these will be lost if units move on from that county.

HM Land Forces	Points
Crown Army Leader	170
Crown Commander	120
Militia Infantry	100
Regular Infantry	130
Guard Infantry	150
Regular Cavalry	150
Guard Cavalry	170
Gatling Gun Battery	150
Artillery Battery	130
Rocket Battery	130
Farthing Heavy Tank	150
Automated HE Layer	160
Gun Emplacements	100
Entanglements	100
Barracks	200
Training Centre	150
Munitions Factory	100
Stables	100
Vehicle Plant	150
Martian Invaders	Points
Cephalod Army Leader	160
Cephalod Commander	90
Cephalod Infantry	90
Heat Ray	140
Smoke Projectors	120
Aerial Cephalods	150
Tripod War Machine	250
Handling Machine	200
Scout Machine	100
Mobile Artillery	120
Mobile Smoke Projector	120
Construction Centre	250
Blood Farm	150
Birthing Plant	100
Weapons Plant	150
Suspension Field Site	100

Specialist Units

Martian Forces

Martian Cylinder Pit

Each Martian Cylinder has the ability to generate Cephalod Infantry units, Fighting Machines, Scout Machines and Handling Machines from their landing sites, these sites are deployed at the beginning of the campaign. 

Martian Construction Centre

Separate to the Cylinder Pit, Martian Construction Centres form the building blocks of the colonisation of Earth, A Construction Centre is required before any further Martian constructions are allowed.

Construction Centres allow the player to construction of Cephalod Infantry, Command Units and ground support units.

Martian Blood Farm

A Human Blood Farm to be precise. It is believed that the Martian invaders are feeding off their Human Prey.

A Construction Centre is required before a Blood Farm can be constructed, the presence of a Blood Farm will double the output of any point resource in a county region.

Birthing Plant

A birthing plant is used to construct Cephalod Infantry, Command Units and ground support units.

 

Martian Energy Weapons Plant

Construction of a Martian Energy Weapons Plant allows for the allows for the construction of Scout Machines, Handling Machines and Fighting Machines.

Martian Suspension Field Site

A Martian Suspension Field allows for the creation of Martian flying Cephalods.

Red Weed

Red Weed will begin to form after one turn of Martian occupation, for the purpuses of gaming it will be treated as wooded areas.

Crown Forces

Barracks

The construction of an infantry barracks allows the Crown player to generate Infantry units.

Training Centre

A training centre allows Crown forces to upgrade to Regular and Guard Units. To train up a unit it must remain stationary and unengaged for a whole turn to improve one quality level, i.e. Militia to Regular one turn, Militia to Guard two turns. 

Munitions Factory

The construction of a Munitions Factory allows for the construction of Artillery units and Rocket units.

Vehicle Factory

The construction of a vehicle Factory allows for the construction of Farthing Land Ships. 

Stables

The construction of a stables allows for the raising of Cavalry units. If this construction is combined with the construction of a Munitions Factory this allows the Crown Player to recruit Horse Artillery.

Laboratory

The construction of a government laboratory allows for the creation of marvellous devices to aid in the war with the Martian invader such as the Carey Suit, Automated HE layers or Entanglements.

The Movement Phase & Combat.

During the movement phase all units may move one county. When entering an enemy held territory three battlefields are rolled and the defender may pick the most advantageous. If the attacker approaches from more than one direction then the attacker may pick the battlefield.

Loss after the Combat Phase

Should the battle deem to be lost units must retreat to a friendly county, if unable to do so the unit is destroyed and any constructions lost. 
Any damaged units which escape are repaired.