Panzer Eight's Sci Fi rules game report

I think science fiction rules should be simple. Really simple. Two reasons for my love of easy rules here: firstly I have the attention span of a goldfish, secondly because we aren't trying to model history here.

So when I found Panzer Eight's (http://panzer8.webs.com/) science fiction rules on the web I was determined to give them a try. At a whole 2 pages, they couldn't be simpler, and yet they are subtle enough to keep you thinking. The important thing for me is to keep looking at the table and the figures, and plotting and planning; instead of pouring over a rule book. Since both Mark Stevens and myself memorized the rules within five minutes, the Panzer Eight rules were perfect.

To get round measuring, and make the game even easier I created a terrain mat marked out in 4 inch squares. This meant we were using one inch as equal to 40mm, but that made no difference to the rules whatsoever.

Here is a game report.

The battle is between the revolting Luddites on one hand, and the repressive Federation on the other. The Luddites are rated green (and are dressed in green too), the Federal troops are elite.

The Luddites have occupied, and are destroying the factory on the right. Federal troops are advancing through the rocky ground on the left. The sandy patches are - sandy patches, and cost double to move through.

Each side has only one commander, here is the Federal Captain Howser.

Federal troop are awaiting to attack.
On the left flank, the Federal troops have an armoured fighting vehicle and a self-propelled missile launcher. In retrospect the terrain was far to constrained for the latter vehicle as it struggled to get a decent line-of-sight.
The luddites are massing in the factory area and are supported by some Light Walkers.

A smaller force of Luddites are mooching around on their right flank.
The Federal troops also have two Light Walkers in the centre.
The fanatic Luddite, Stevens, in his natty leather hood, urges his followers forward.The Luddites infiltrate forwards. The barrels in the foreground are one of four victory locations.
Federal armour tries to get into a good firing position on the road.
The Feds advance...
...to take up firing positions.
With a lot of "hut, hut, hut", no doubt.
A Luddite walker takes up a hull down (or hull up) position in a ruined building.
The Missile Launcher cruises around looking for something to shoot at.
A long range shot cripples the Luddite walker. Its inexperienced crew spend the rest of the skirmish trying to fix it.
Not good for morale.
Hold tight behind that wall! In PZ8 rules infantry who do not fire are hidden beyond 5 squares.
The Federal walkers start to advance.
Luddites dash forwards.
Federal walkers cover the road and stop Luddites infiltrating out of the factory.
Luddites start to charge out of the central factory area

And surge forwards from their extreme left flank.
However the Federal walkers still have the road covered, despite Luddite rushes.
A Luddite walker uses some palm trees as cover while engaging a Federal walker.

A rush by some Luddite fanatics brings them into close combat with a surprised Federal trooper.
"That's not a knife; this is a knife"
Feral troopers fall back from the Luddite assault from the factory.
The knife-fight just gets unfair.
The trooper looses the knife-fight but another trooper keeps the Luddite rush at bay.
The road is still clear too.
Howser creeps forward to take a look.
For the moment, the situation is under control.
A Federal walker moves up to winkle a Luddite heavy weapons team out from behind that wall...

... and pays the price for hubris.
Now the Luddites seem to be everywhere at once.
There aren't enough Federal troops to stop the rush.
Even the missile launcher gets jumped by a walker.
"Waaaaaaaagh!"
A Luddite walker explodes as a missile hits it dead on.
The game ends with the Luddites in control of three-out-of-four victory locations; however the Luddites have taken over 50% casualties.
We will call that one a draw.

Good rules! Good game!