GROUND FORCES CREATION RULES

GROUND FORCES.
A portion of any nations Industry points should be allocated towards ground forces that secure their planets from attack by enemy ground units. Each planet type will provide a certain number of points that can be used for ground forces.

CREATING YOUR GROUND FORCES.

Ground Forces are numerous compared to Starships. Where one nation might spend one IP to build a new Cutter, another might use to raise a regiment of conscripts armed with single-shot rifles! All nations except Pacifists typically maintain some form of defence force. All armies consist of several types of units. Infantry. Mobile Infantry. Armoured Cavalry. Artillery. Special Forces. Air Forces. (The rules for creation and purchase follow the descriptions.)

INFANTRY Infantry are the basic men, women and others that serve as the cheapest options for defence, but are amongst the most useful as they can enter buildings others wouldnt dare and make cover. The level of variation is massive, they can range from a thousand men with semi-automatic long rifles to a trio of men with an anti-tank rocket launcher that fires implosion warheads! MOBILE INFANTRY The Mobile Infantry are infantry who benefit from one, or another, method of rapid movement in order to do their job, this can range from Jump Pack troops, to teleporters or just normal guys transported by APC from battle to battle! ARMOURED CAVALRY Tanks, tanks, tanks and holy shit, tanks! Whether a Battalion of Tanks with a single main gun or a single tank with a hundred main guns the point is that Armoured Cavalry is your heavy-hitting punch to make Infantry scramble for cover and if done right, your enemy react in panic to try and counter your spearhead of metal. ARTILLERY Artillery is the organic support of your armies because under most circumstances orbital bombardment can go from impossible due to planetary shields to simply not being precise or weak enough to justify using. More importantly its useful because YOU wont always have Orbital Superiority and need some way of delivering a serious punch on the ground! SPECIAL FORCES Special Forces are not numerous, they are not usually especially tough, theyre not able to be in many places at once. But what they lack in direct power, toughness and numbers they make up for in stealth, skill and ability to reach and obliterate things nobody else can get anywhere near. These are not forces for the front line. Theyre forces to deploy back where they can do the most damage. AIR FORCES Starfighters are singularly poor at atmospheric flight and combat, being designed to operate in space the limitations of atmospheric flight can be lethally restricting. Most nations, if not all, maintain atmospheric air forces for deployment to provide organic support ranging from scouting, bombing, interceptors, transports, attack Helicopters and so on.

UNIT CREATION.
The creation of a unit type is short and sweet, theoretically. First of all each unit category (Infantry, Mobile Infantry, Armoured Cavalry, Artillery, Spec Ops and Air Force) are limited to a maximum of four unit types. This is done to keep things simple. As such a nation can only have 4 types of infantry, 4 types of Mobile Infantry etc. Each Step has an associated cost. Each Category has its own rules for construction. Note, all Multipliers are totalled before they are applied to the base-cost of the unit. (EG: A unit costs 100 points, has a 4, 2, 4 and 6 multipliers, this becomes a 16x Multiplier on the base cost meaning the end cost is 1600 points for that unit.) ADDITIONALLY After all prices and modifiers have been included, subject to approval the players may include one special quality for each level of equipment level/quality above Obsolete (Eg: Current Gen = 1 Special Trait for Infantry, Next Gen = 2, Bleeding Edge = 3.) These special traits for the unit must be related to your nation type, eg: A Hunter could use 1 of them to give his troops cloaking devices, or a slaver could use one to give them slave-cages and slave-grabbers. Each special trait adds a x1 to the modifier. (Eg: A unit has a X8 Modifier and takes 1 trait making it a x9 modifier. Or 2 for a X10 modifier!)

INFANTRY STEP 1: Select a unit size, this reflects the number of men within the unit. Each man in the unit costs 1 Point. Bear in mind that larger units are more common than small and that their equipment level and skill level act as multipliers. Eg: 1000 Men = 1000 Points, 100 Men = 100 Points. STEP 2: Select the Units purpose. Each purpose has an associated modifier and dictates its basic weapon types. Penal Troops (Cost .1) Equipped with ancient poor quality weapons. (Skip all other steps.) Conscript (Cost .5) Equipped with basic weak weapons with low power and low fire rate. (Skip all other steps.) Infantryman (Cost x1) Basic bog-standard Infantry, these are the backbone of most armies. Anti-Tank (Cost x2) These men are equipped with anti-tank weaponry of the nation in question and specialise in hunting tanks, they do more poorly in other roles than infantry. Anti-Aircraft (Cost x4) These men are equipped with Surface to Air weapons, though some infantry in the squads will possess basic firearms their job is to hunt aircraft. They can act in a limited fashion against other vehicles. Light Infantry (Cost x2) Advance scouts, sneaks, snipers and all round troublesome assholes. These men forsake better armour in exchange for the ability to move quickly and quietly preferring closer ranged weapons or extreme long range weapons. Heavy Infantry (Cost x2) These men favour heavier armour, or even small energy shields, for their protection and operations as well as significantly heavy weaponry. Defence Units (Cost 8x) Heavily armoured these units are all-rounder defence units, they are almost defenceless on the move, but once they entrench no unit can easily dislodge them except Artillery. STEP 3: Select the units equipment level and quality. WAY Obsolete: (Cost .5) These weapons are the sort most people give penal troops, poor quality, poor power and likely to break if you so much as glance at them sideways. Obsolete: (Cost x1) Many nations equip their most basic troops with these weapons, old and outperformed by newer more innovative equipment, but good enough to still be useful on a battlefield. But they do need less maintenance, thats a plus!... right? Current Gen: (Cost x2) Current generation equipment, good, capable, reliable and cheap. It fits all the ticks in the boxes of military tight-fisted expenditure without sacrificing quality. Next Gen: (Cost x4) This is good quality soon-to-come onto the market equipment, the sort that people envy. It needs more maintenance and training than what they might be used to but by the gods the payoff is something worth waiting for! Bleeding Edge: (Cost x6) This is as good as it gets, highly experimental, highly powerful, highly expensive.... These weapons are the absolute best that you can get, but your men wont be performing battlefield repairs anytime soon. And probably not later either. STEP 4: Select the units Experience level. This is the last modifier. This represents the experience of the troops in battle. Or at all, without some experience most of them will die. Rookie (Cost .5) These guys are so new that the enemy can smell the starch on their uniforms. Green (Cost x1) Most troops are green, fresh out of boot but with enough experience not to die of fright. Veteran (Cost x2) These boys are good and well trained with battlefield experience worth knowing. Elite (Cost x4) These boys scare your other men with their badass ways. Dont play well with others. Elite of the Elite (Cost x8) These men scare everyone, even themselves. Dont use these unless you REALLY hate the enemy.

MOBILE INFANTRY STEP 1:

Select a unit size. The unique nature of Mobile Infantry they are not measured by the same stick as Infantry. Ins tead a Mobile Infantry uni t has a few s teps. The first step, this one, determines what TYPE of Mobile Infantry it is! (And has a preset cost for i t.) The cost is on a per-unit basis like infantry however. Jump Infantry (Cost 5 Points per man.) These boys possess some technology that lets them leap across the battlefield making them considerably more agile than normal infantry. Teleport Infantry (Cost 40 Points per man.) These highly adv anced assholes have access to extremely rare teleport technology to let them traverse the field. However they requi re line of sight to a teleport target and the range isnt any more than half a kilometre. Light APC (Cos t 20 Points) This vehicle carries 10 men and other than its armour and wheels/tracks /legs has no weapons. Its carried squad are its mai n weapon. Medium APC (Cost 40 Poi nts) This vehicle also carries a 10 man sq uad, howev er in addi tion to i ts armour and wheels/tracks/legs it carries a weapon suited for the purpose of the squad. Heavy APC (Cost 80 Points) This is a massive man-carrier and carries up to 40 men as well as three guns. Hover APC (Cost 60 Poi nts) It only carries ten men and can only hover 40 feet from the ground, but this gives it an unprecedented mobility. And it possesses the same lev el of firepower as a M edium APC.

STEP 2: Select the Units purpose. Each purpose has an associated modifier and dictates its basic weapon types.
Mobile Infantry (Cost x1) Basic bog-standard Infantry in a can. Anti-Tank (Cost x2) This uni t is equipped with weapons suitabl e for performing in an armour-hunting rol e. This makes them inv aluabl e for hunting enemy tanks. Anti-Aircraft (Cost x4) This unit has anti-ai r weaponry, from fl ak on vehicles to light SAMs or las er cannons. The problem is aiming down doesnt work v ery well. Heavy Mobile Infantry (Cost x2) These men and thei r vehicles favour heavier armour, or ev en small energy shields, for their protection and operations as well as significantly heavy weaponry. Thunder Runners (Cos t x6) These men are equipped for the long haul and strai ght roads. Their job is simply, to forge as far behind enemy lines as possible and cause trouble. After a while nobody invites them to parties anymore.

STEP 3: Select the units equipment level and quality. This serves as a multiplier AFTER unit size and AFTER purpose.
WAY Obsolete: (Cos t .5) Thes e weapons are the sort mos t people give penal troops, poor quality, poor power and likely to break if you so much as gl ance at them sideways. Obsolete: (Cost x1) M any nations equip their most basic troops with these weapons, old and outperformed by newer more i nnovative equipment, but good enough to still be us eful on a battl efield. But they do need less maintenance, thats a plus!... right? Current Gen: (Cost x2) Current generation equipment, good, capable, reliable and cheap. It fits all the ticks in the boxes of military tight-fisted expenditure without s acrificing quality. Next Gen: (Cost x4) This is good quality soon-to-come onto the market equi pment, the sort that people envy. It needs more maintenance and training than what they might be used to but by the gods the payoff is something worth waiting for! Bleeding Edge: (Cost x6) This is as good as it gets, hi ghly experimental, highly powerful, highly expensive.... These weapons are the absolute best that you can get, but your men wont be performing battlefield repairs anytime soon. And probably not later either.

STEP 4: Select the units Experience level. This is the last modifier. This represents the experience of the troops in battle. Or at all, without some experience most of them will die.
Rookie (Cos t .5) Thes e guys are so new that the enemy can smell the s tarch on their uniforms. Green (Cost x1) Most troops are green, fresh out of boot but wi th enough experience not to di e of fright. Veteran (Cost x2) Thes e boys are good and well trained with battlefield experi ence worth knowing. Elite (Cost x4) Thes e boys scare your other men wi th their badass ways. Dont play well with others. Elite of the Elite (Cost x8) These men scare everyone, even thems elves. Dont use these unl ess you REALLY hate the enemy.

ARMOURED CAVALRY STEP 1: Select a unit size. These guys are your hard hitters and are usually expensive, but dont go nuts on them, a decent anti-tank unit WILL take one down and be gone before you can retaliate. The cost is on a per-unit basis like infantry however.
Light Tank (Cost 40 Points) Thes e are numerous units possessed of light weapons and armour but on the flip side a greater speed and manoeuvrability than heavier armoured uni ts. Medium Tank (Cos t 60 Points) These are the middle-ground for mos t militaries, the sacrifice between firepower and armour and greater flexibility. Heavy Tank (Cost 80 Points) These are heavily armed, armoured and typically they will be most nations sledgehammers. Assault Tank (Cost 100 Points) Thes e are dangerous beas ts limited to the Warlord, Destroy er, Despoiler, Cyberneticist nation types. They have the power of heavy tanks and the speed of medium tanks. They are frightening foes. Gigadeath Tank (Costs 10000 Points) Thes e are the hateful destroyers of all most hold dear. Only found in Destroyer arsenals (Can only take if Destroyer) they often possess ship-grade weapons and firepower, and equal defences. Thes e slow deadly behemoths are every mans ni ghtmare.

STEP 2: Select the Units purpose. Each purpose has an associated modifier and dictates its basic weapon types.
Basic Tank (Cos t x1) A basic model. They are all-rounders and arent v ery good at specialised roles. Tank Hunter (Cost x2) Also called a Tank D estroyer these vehicles are devas tating to other armour, possessed typically of a single large central gun and nothi ng else. Mobile AA (Cos t x4) Equipped wi th some anti-ai rcraft weapons few wish to fly over these vehicles, but they require support. Ripper Tanks (Cost x2) Named for the expected result of any engagements with infantry. Hint, dont try and run at one... ever. Thunder Runners (Cos t x6) These men are equipped for the long haul and strai ght roads. Their job is simply, to forge as far behind enemy lines as possible and cause trouble. After a while nobody invites them to parties anymore.

STEP 3: Select the units equipment level and quality. This serves as a multiplier AFTER unit size and AFTER purpose.
Obsolete: (Cost x1) M any nations equip their most basic troops with these weapons, old and outperformed by newer more i nnovative equipment, but good enough to still be us eful on a battl efield. But they do need less maintenance, thats a plus!... right? Current Gen: (Cost x2) Current generation equipment, good, capable, reliable and cheap. It fits all the ticks in the boxes of military tight-fisted expenditure without s acrificing quality. Next Gen: (Cost x4) This is good quality soon-to-come onto the market equi pment, the sort that people envy. It needs more maintenance and training than what they might be used to but by the gods the payoff is something worth waiting for! Bleeding Edge: (Cost x6) This is as good as it gets, hi ghly experimental, highly powerful, highly expensive.... These weapons are the absolute best that you can get, but your men wont be performing battlefield repairs anytime soon. And probably not later either.

STEP 4: Select the units Experience level. This is the last modifier. This represents the experience of the troops in battle. Or at all, without some experience most of them will die.
Rookie (Cos t .5) Thes e guys are so new that the enemy can smell the s tarch on their uniforms. Green (Cost x1) Most troops are green, fresh out of boot but wi th enough experience not to di e of fright. Veteran (Cost x2) Thes e boys are good and well trained with battlefield experi ence worth knowing. Elite (Cost x4) Thes e boys scare your other men wi th their badass ways. Dont play well with others. Elite of the Elite (Cost x8) These men scare everyone, even thems elves. Dont use these unl ess you REALLY hate the enemy.

ARTILLERY STEP 1: Select a unit size. Bring down the skies with these devastating brutes. Just... well just dont get too damned close. And be VERY sure before you radio in that grid co-ordinate. Oh yes, protip; Friendly fire... isnt. The cost is on a per-unit basis like infantry however.
Manpack Mortar Unit (Cos t 20 Points.) Men packing light NLO S artillery. Mobile Artillery Unit (Cost 50 Poi nts.) A single v ehicle wit h a weapon designed for non-line of sight operations. These are the reliable backbones of many artillery uni ts. MRLS Battery (Cost 100 Points) This vehicle is cumbersome to reload and get in position, but the barrage of rockets is dev astating to say the l east. Do NOT be in the general area when one of these decides to unload. Heavy Artillery (Cost 100 Points) Not as ... rough area as the MRLS the HA is a highly accurate unit (with good crew anyway) and able to lay down devas tating fi re. Super Artillery (Cost 1500 Points) This is a real we hate you it packs little things like nuclear, antimatter, biological, nanotech and such warheads. It is dangerous and deadly... and did we mention slightly uns table? (Limited to Destroyers, Warlords, Despoilers)

STEP 2: Select the Units purpose. Each purpose has an associated modifier and dictates its basic weapon types.
Basic Artillery (Cost x1) A basic model. They are all-rounders and arent very good at specialised roles. Group Unit (Cos t x2) Designed to work together in large numbers instead of solo combat. They are valuable and cheap. Bring down the Sky (Cost x4) Masses of unified di rected artillery, they bring down the hurt. (Requi res no less than 150 vehicles in the formation.) Gigadeath Formation (Cost x6) These vehicles are designed not jus t to bring down the sky. But to turn the target area into a parking lot kilometres across. If a Gigadeath formation gets set in you are NOT getting through that barrage. (Requires 1000 vehicles)

STEP 3: Select the units equipment level and quality. This serves as a multiplier AFTER unit size and AFTER purpose.
Obsolete: (Cost x1) M any nations equip their most basic troops with these weapons, old and outperformed by newer more i nnovative equipment, but good enough to still be us eful on a battl efield. But they do need less maintenance, thats a plus!... right? Current Gen: (Cost x2) Current generation equipment, good, capable, reliable and cheap. It fits all the ticks in the boxes of military tight-fisted expenditure without s acrificing quality. Next Gen: (Cost x4) This is good quality soon-to-come onto the market equi pment, the sort that people envy. It needs more maintenance and training than what they might be used to but by the gods the payoff is something worth waiting for! Bleeding Edge: (Cost x6) This is as good as it gets, hi ghly experimental, highly powerful, highly expensive.... These weapons are the absolute best that you can get, but your men wont be performing battlefield repairs anytime soon. And probably not later either.

STEP 4: Select the units Experience level. This is the last modifier. This represents the experience of the troops in battle. Or at all, without some experience most of them will die.
Rookie (Cos t .5) Thes e guys are so new that the enemy can smell the s tarch on their uniforms. Green (Cost x1) Most troops are green, fresh out of boot but wi th enough experience not to di e of fright. Veteran (Cost x2) Thes e boys are good and well trained with battlefield experi ence worth knowing. Elite (Cost x4) Thes e boys scare your other men wi th their badass ways. Dont play well with others. Elite of the Elite (Cost x8) These men scare everyone, even thems elves. Dont use these unl ess you REALLY hate the enemy.

SPECIAL FORCES STEP 1: These are the ultimate badasses, the best of the best of your infantry arent even in the running to join these guys. These guys eat bullets for breakfast, rockets for lunch and nukes for dinner before shitting out tanks before they sleep on their bed of nails... or so the stories tell... I dont believe they sleep. The cost is on a per-unit basis like infantry however. (Unless otherwise specified SF units can only be bought in the size mentioned.) Commando (Cost 250 Points, 1 Man only.) This is the badass that started it all, blowing up buildings, ships, people, anyone. These guys get in with firepower and technology to be envied, blow the fuck out of something and leave. Special Forces Unit (Cost 250 Points, 10-12 Men) These are no commandos, they prefer not to blow things up, they prefer to just sneak in and kill the fuck out of everyone there. Hacker Units (Cost 1000 Points, 1 Vehicle, 6 Men) These are not traditional SF, these guys are DIGITAL special forces, and are surprisingly good at it. They can find out almost anything they wish to on a battlefield. Infiltrators (Cost 500 Points 5 Men) These are sneaky bastards, of that there is little doubt. They infiltrate, set off explosives etc. They are your trouble-makers. STEP 2: Select the units equipment level and quality. This serves as a multiplier AFTER unit size and AFTER purpose. Next Gen: (Cost x4) This is good quality soon-to-come onto the market equipment, the sort that people envy. It needs more maintenance and training than what they might be used to but by the gods the payoff is something worth waiting for! Bleeding Edge: (Cost x6) This is as good as it gets, highly experimental, highly powerful, highly expensive.... These weapons are the absolute best that you can get, but your men wont be performing battlefield repairs anytime soon. And probably not later either. STEP 3: Select the units Experience level. This is the last modifier. This represents the experience of the troops in battle. Or at all, without some experience most of them will die. Veteran (Cost x2) These boys are good and well trained with battlefield experience worth knowing. Elite (Cost x4) These boys scare your other men with their badass ways. Dont play well with others. Elite of the Elite (Cost x8) These men scare everyone, even themselves. Dont use these unless you REALLY hate the enemy.

AIR FORCES STEP 1: These are the flyboys of your people. They take to the air in gunships, planes, drones, and such without any fear... except of course getting killed horribly... which they might. The cost is on a per-unit basis like infantry however.
Squadron: (Cos t: 25 Poi nts) The Squadron Consists of 12 Craft. Wing: (Cost: 75 Points) The Wing consists of 3 Squadrons. Flight: (Cost: 215) The Flight consists of 3 Wings.

STEP 2: Select the Units purpose. Each purpose has an associated modifier and dictates its basic weapon types.
Gunship/Hover (Cos t x1) A helicopter or other hover-type craft. Weak but good agility and battlefield presence. Interceptor (Cost x5) A fast-mover equi pped with good air-to-ai r weaponry designed for bringi ng down other aircraft. Fighters (Cost x5) A general-action craft. Equipped for air-to-ai r and ai r-to-ground ability. Bombers (Cost x10) Heavy, slow and agile as a thrown brick. Thes e bas tards bri ng the pai n in plentiful little bomb-shaped packages. Heavy Bomber (Cost x15) Even bigger and heavier than bombers! Spyplane (Cost x20) Fast enough to rip the shit from your ass with the speed of its passage this sob excels at taking those pretty hi gh-resolution images hi gh command likes!

STEP 3: Select the units equipment level and quality. This serves as a multiplier AFTER unit size and AFTER purpose.
Obsolete: (Cost x1) M any nations equip their most basic troops with these weapons, old and outperformed by newer more i nnovative equipment, but good enough to still be us eful on a battl efield. But they do need less maintenance, thats a plus!... right? Current Gen: (Cost x2) Current generation equipment, good, capable, reliable and cheap. It fits all the ticks in the boxes of military tight-fisted expenditure without s acrificing quality. Next Gen: (Cost x4) This is good quality soon-to-come onto the market equi pment, the sort that people envy. It needs more maintenance and training than what they might be used to but by the gods the payoff is something worth waiting for! Bleeding Edge: (Cost x6) This is as good as it gets, hi ghly experimental, highly powerful, highly expensive.... These weapons are the absolute best that you can get, but your men wont be performing battlefield repai rs anytime soon. And probably not later either.

STEP 4: Select the units Experience level. This is the last modifier. This represents the experience of the troops in battle. Or at all, without some experience most of them will die.
Rookie (Cos t .5) Thes e guys are so new that the enemy can smell the s tarch on their uniforms. Green (Cost x1) Most troops are green, fresh out of boot but wi th enough experience not to di e of fright. Veteran (Cost x2) Thes e boys are good and well trained with battlefield experi ence worth knowing. Elite (Cost x4) Thes e boys scare your other men wi th their badass ways. Dont play well with others. Elite of the Elite (Cost x8) These men scare everyone, even thems elves. Dont use these unl ess you REALLY hate the enemy.