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.

2 comments:

  1. For the Training Centre: are the infantry upgrades free (just give them time) or must they be paid for? Can the Crown directly raise trained or Guard infantry, or must they be raised as militia and trained up?

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    Replies
    1. I did think about using time, but was a little worried about the extra book keeping so decided on just the price increase for units, within the Martian Empire rules their are force limitations which I think will work for table top conversion.
      Cheers
      Stu

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