AT-43 "Therian" Conversion rules for Starship Troo

[kyryian]

Hello,

a few weeks ago I wanted to surprise my regular group of SST players with something new. Since we mostly play scenerio based games anyway I created a game on a remote planet where they where dropped into an unkown situation. After a few random Bug encounters, the came across a full platoon of Therian Units. Needles to say all Hell broke loose. Starting from a nearly fatal retreat they managed to survive and report back.

As much as I like the three existing factions within SST, I could not help but create some conversion rules for AT-43, specifically the Therians.

So far i have played a few games with the models and am still in the process of balancing, but I am making good progress. You may download the rules if you want, which include complete stats for 4 different Unit types so far.

here is the download link to the PDF file

http://www.kyryia.com/therians.pdf

Your feedback is appreciated

 

[Goldwyrm]

Thanks for sharing your list. I've seen the models but I'm not too familiar with the AT-43 fluff. so I'm looking at the army list from purely a mechanics viewpoint. I'd also preface my comments with the point that I feel mechanics from one game do not need to be ported over to another game exactly to maintain the flavor of an army.

Golgoth- (400 points)
Move of 8" is quite fast. Do you see these moving faster than Ape Marauders, Tiger Warriors, FireFries? I'd say 6" max or give it a special movement mode of x" that requires a ready action.
Close combat is 2d10+2 damage. I'm assuming you meant 2xD10+2?
Particle Beam cannons 32" LZ (Stream). I think these should require ready. Especially since this model is akin to a Tanker bug in stats but moves 8" which is very fast in SST. Given my ready comment to fire these in their normal mode, I would drop the concentrated fire mode which is upsizing the two weapons for a ready.
Sonic Field Projector- always on? 6" LZ on a model that can move 8" in an action. Too powerful. I'd recommend modelling it off the Y -Rack that an Ape Marauder uses and pick a damage more in the midrange of your increasing damage scale.

As it's written it is cheaper than a Tanker bug, about as strong as a tanker, but far faster with very powerful ranged and close range weapons. Overall I'd adjust the points upward or take some of my suggestions to bring it in line with comparable support models from the Arachnids or MI.

Nanocaster Merge- too powerful. 5 Golems firing in a firezone with 5xd6+4? That is a minimum roll of 5 against a target number with a good chance of a kill number for many models in the game(3+ roll for MI with 5 dice will wipe out a squad) . These are the basic troops and a squad of these is costing 220 points or only 25 points more than a minimum size MI squad with no weapon upgrades. What are the odds of the Therian squad wiping out 5 grunts in AT-43 (which to me look like LAMI equivalents) in one shooting action? Is it only 5 dice with a 3+? Adjust weapon stats and then point values from there.

Tiamat Teleportation not allowing a reaction within 6" I would drop. I'm reading this as a teleport without error for 24" and with a size 3 I would assume a rule similar to placing models at a tunnel entrance that automatically attack enemy in point blank range. Any surviving enemy within any normal alert status distance should get a reaction. Not allowing a reaction within 6" of something that is size 3 and can teleport 24" with 4 dice of d10+d6 pierc/2, parry/2 is a bit over the top.

Tiamat regeneration by sacrificing any friendly model in 60". That seems a bit too far. Using ID Sending, Ego War or other Talents and I would say 36" is a better, command range even better.. Even so I see this making the model nearly unstoppable. I'd recommend a talent like Shield as a template, allowing it once (maybe twice) in the game but with the use of the sacrifices to power it.

Tiamat overall- does more damage than a King Tanker, less hits but can regenerate infinitely, can teleport 24". See my comment on the Golgoth.

 

[kyryian]

Thanks for your feedback.

Yes there is still a lot of work ahead in terms of balance. I find the best way to do so is actually play and see how the rules pan out.

I will tone down the Sonic Field projector by half and reduce movement to 5" for the golgoth and also up the points to 500 to reflect the power for now and playtest first.

The nanocasters are difficult as they become more effective when more members of the team are using them. Can you give any suggestions on how best to scale them without making them to expensive and killing of whole squads.

I will modify Tiamat to 36" command range and remove the reaction feature. Perhaps allowing her to only sacrifice once per turn? I will also cap her abilities a bit by 50 pts.

Please keep your input coming, thank you

 

[Andrew]

I have playeds AT-43 and Like it. You just seem to make the AT-43 guys way too powerful compared to the SST stuff.

 

[Goldwyrm]

Options for the Nanocaster to increase their effectiveness without upping the damage bonus:

1)Accurate trait to make them more effective as the target's size increases.
2)Instead of increasing the damage dice bonus, increase a piercing/x from 1-2 models no piercing, 3-4 models piercing/1, 5+ models piercing/2.

Revisiting teleport again you already seem to have it as a special movement mode which is fine with the allowed reaction from Alert Status as normal. In essence it is like Hover/24" except that there is no movement path to obstruct potential movement, i.e.- it can enter buildings .

Having the sacrifice 36", once per turn, and 1 ready action per hit being transferred is reasonable. A 1 hit model would be sacrificed immediately. Energy is sapped from multi-hit models slowly rather than getting multiple hit points right away. I think that may satisfy both perceived game balance and fluff?

 

[shotgun-toting chipmunk]

Ooh! Four more legs and that Wraith Golgoth looks a bit more like I'd picture the bugs from the original novel!

*mumbles to self as he ponders purchase for conversion...*

 

[JoseDominguez]

Are going by AT-43 fluff? Or just using them as generic aliens?
As Tiamat can't teleport, that's Atis Astartes.

We are enjoying At-43, the pre-paints work well if money is less important to you than time And the sculpts are still pretty good.

 

[kyryian]

I am using some abilities from the original At-43 (not all). In terms of History they will be generic aliens. I just really like the models, they seem to fit well into the SST universe. And until Evo comes along this is a nice pasttime

 

[JoseDominguez]

gotta say, I think tiamat should teleport, seems odd something so powerful legging it around the battlefield.

 

[Galatea]

I think you should remove the independent trait from the Wraith Golgoth as this would make it able to join other units and act as Leader like an LT or NCO.
I assume it's more of a one model unit like Tanker Bugs.

 

[JoseDominguez]

in AT-43 it can be an officer (personalities are downloaded into combat chassis), so it would be similar to the brain bug. Odd thing is that even as a command model it wouldn't be able to join a unit in AT-43.
So it could have command abilities like a brain (as Therian routines can influence other friendly models), but would otherwise be a one model unit.
In AT-43 it could even be the armies commander

 

[retaf33c]

Anyone done any updates to these rules? I would think that these would be ideal to include in an SST game maybe as a special scenario.