Upon the Red Planet, sword fights are the preferred method of settling individual and unit combat; melee combat is resolved according to the ancient or traditional code of arms:
“Scarcely had his hideous laugh rang out but once, when I was upon him. The brute was twelve feet in height and armed to the teeth, but I believe that I could have accounted for the whole roomful in the terrific intensity of my rage. Springing upward, I struck him full in the face as he turned at my warning cry and then as he drew his short-sword I drew mine and sprang up again upon his breast, hooking one leg over the butt of his pistol and grasping one of his huge tusks with my left hand while I delivered blow after blow upon his enormous chest.
“He could not use his short-sword to advantage because I was too close to him, nor could he draw his pistol, which he attempted to do in direct opposition to Martian custom which says that you may not fight a fellow warrior in private combat with any other than the weapon with which you are attacked. In fact he could do nothing but make a wild and futile attempt to dislodge me. With all his immense bulk he was little if any stronger than I, and it was but the matter of a moment or two before he sank, bleeding and lifeless, to the floor.” (PM X)
R = red, G = green, T = thern, B = black, Y = yellow, and
W = warrior, T = trooper or cavalry and P = pirate.
……………….….Defending…Unit
ATTR…..RW….RT….GT….TW….BP….YM....MOVE
RW…....….4.…..5…...6…....4…....6…...5.........6"
RT….....….3.…..4…...5…....3…....5…...4........12"
GT….....….2.…..3…...4…....2…....4…...3........15"
TW…....….3.…..4…...5…....3…....5…...4.........5"
BP….....….3.…..4…...5…....3…....5…...4.........6"
YW…....….4.…..5…...6…....4…....6…...5.........6"
Players may assign modifiers to the die roll based upon the circumstances; i.e.,
Charging, surprise, terrain advantage, troop quality, etc. . .
Retreat does not appear to be a common option for the determined warriors of Barsoom; therefore, unlike terrestrial based war games, morale rules are not a necessity. Each unit within base contact rolls d6 in melee and if the attacker’s die roll is equal or greater than number assigned to defending, a casualty (remove miniature or model from play). This continues until either player is eliminated or chooses to withdraw his forces from battle.
“These Kaolians are most noble fighters, nor are the green men of the equator one bit less warlike than their cold, cruel cousins of the temperate zone. There were many times when either side might have withdrawn without dishonor and thus ended hostilities, but from the mad abandon with which each invariably renewed hostilities I soon came to believe that what need not have been more than a trifling skirmish would end only with the complete extermination of one force or the other.”
(WM VI)
art work by Thomas YEATES
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The table is neat, but it would be easier to list each type by combat level, as they share similar to-hit formulas. That is Red Troopers, Thern Warriors, and Black Pirates are equal to each other, as well as Red and Yellow Warriors.
ReplyDeleteI would list Green Troopers as class A (good); Red Troopers, Thern Warriors, and Black Pirates as class B (typical); and Red Warriors and Yellow Warriors as class C (poor).
(Attackers on side, Defender on top, equal or better on d6 to hit)
+ A B C
A 4 3 2
B 5 4 3
C 6 5 4
Having units listed by class would allow for additional units without cluttering the chart. Each type of unit could be listed like:
Red Troops - B 12"
Use this system if you wish.
That is a good way to approach the problem, Malcadon, but I tried also to build in race vs. race in the required number to hit, as well as give a big bonus for cavalry (see entry on thoats under ‘monster’ section). Princess of Mars states one green Martian Trooper equates to ten red warriors in combat.
ReplyDelete“Upon Barsoom, quarter is neither asked nor given, and each dead man means so much more of the waning resources of this dying planet to be divided amongst those who survive.” (GM VII)
The way, I deal with troop quality is by rerolling the natural die number (#) on the d6 roll
Reroll 6s if POOR; slaves, impressed, etc.
Reroll 5s if GREEN; militia, conscripts, etc.
NO rerolls if AVERAGE; regulars, panthans, etc.
Reroll 1s if ELITE units; highly trained and battle hardened.
More on ranged combat next week.
"The therns know that they live at all only by the sufferance of the black men. They were near to extermination that once and they will not venture risking it again." (GM VI)
ReplyDelete"In an instant I was engaged with both, and though I loathe the very name of thern, I must in all fairness admit that they are mighty swordsmen; and these two were no exception, unless it were that they were even more skilled and fearless than the average among their race." (WM III)
“Since the destruction of the fabric of their false religion by John Carter, the majority of the therns had gladly accepted the new order of things, so that it was now no longer uncommon to see them mingling with the multitudes of red men in any of the great cities of the outer world, so Vas Kor neither felt nor expressed any great astonishment.” (TMM XIII)