Flags

[LivingRaccoon]

So, I had an idea for flags, you don't have to use my idea, but I think it would be cool. My idea is that units who carry flags have a chance to allow the nearest unit to red-shirt him. Also, every flag on the battle makes every unit move one stud faster, up to 3 or more studs. The flag could also be used as a weapon, which doesn't mean much, but adds to the embarrassment factor of the player that one of your soldiers just got killed by the freakin' flag boy. The "flag boy" could also use a 1 turn ability to call reinforcements into the battle, which cost one turn, but would cost X2 CP for each unit (considering your using CP), because it's mid-battle, but you can have up to 25 units of any kind. That's it, suggestions welcome, thanks!

[IVhorseman]

Not everyone plays on baseplates, so movement in terms of studs is a bit tedious. For reference, 3 studs is about 1 inch.

People got lots of rules for flag-bearers, banner-carriers, and color-guards, but most of them are "anyone within X inches gets +Y to (stat)" which is kinda boring. Having anyone be able to redshirt for the flag carrier seems more in the right vein, but what good is that if I've just got some wimp carrying the flag? I guess he'd be faster, but is he worth redshirting for? Is the idea just to hand the flag off to someone with a better gun?

Actually, this would be an awesome rule for a Capture the Flag type of game!

[LivingRaccoon]

Thanks!

[IVhorseman]

yeep. I like hearing other people's ideas on how they play the game, and twisting them for my own purposes.

I'm still a little unclear if by "flags" you mean like war banners, or like CTF

[Zupponn]

I think he meant war banners.

I only allow special units carry war banners, and I like to give any friendly units within 5" a +1 buff to any combat roll they make. The one flag that I do use now needs to be planted in order for it to take effect. After it's planted, then it can't be moved again for the remainder of the game. Puts a little strategy into how you use it.

[Whiteagle]

I think he meant war banners.

I only allow special units carry war banners, and I like to give any friendly units within 5" a +1 buff to any combat roll they make. The one flag that I do use now needs to be planted in order for it to take effect. After it's planted, then it can't be moved again for the remainder of the game. Puts a little strategy into how you use it.

What about a game where units have to move a central flag closer to their side of the map?

[IVhorseman]

Planting and un-planting the flag each as full-round actions would be pretty cool too.

Different banners could also do different things, I'd imagine. A squad of elite heavy-weapons soldiers could all be regular minifigs, for example, but as soon as they're within range of (or are in the same squad as) a banner, it could give them Compensating as an ability. There could also be banners of +1 combat rolls, beacons of piloting, or even one that works like an officer!

[Zupponn]

I think he meant war banners.

I only allow special units carry war banners, and I like to give any friendly units within 5" a +1 buff to any combat roll they make. The one flag that I do use now needs to be planted in order for it to take effect. After it's planted, then it can't be moved again for the remainder of the game. Puts a little strategy into how you use it.

What about a game where units have to move a central flag closer to their side of the map?

Then that flag works as an item, and not as a flag.

Planting and un-planting the flag each as full-round actions would be pretty cool too.

Yes, I was thinking about that, but then I thought that that would just turn into a variation of position jockeying, which is no fun and against the spirit of Brikwars.

[Whiteagle]

Planting and un-planting the flag each as full-round actions would be pretty cool too.

Yes, I was thinking about that, but then I thought that that would just turn into a variation of position jockeying, which is no fun and against the spirit of Brikwars.

Pointlessly fighting to the death over a flag in the middle of a nowhere box canyon?
How could something like that possibly NOT be Brikwars?

Anyways, I thinking that the flag would give bonuses, but only if they are planted in a base on your side.
So it starts with a mad dash to grab the flag, then another to plant it before the guy holding it gets killed.
If you'd want to prevent turtling, just have cannons on the rear forts that get to blow up a base that's held the flag for so many turns.
You could also have the win condition set to "last team with possession by the time everyone else is dead" instead of "get it to your rear base"...

...Also, what if the flag was a two-handed heavy melee weapon?

[Colette]

...Also, what if the flag was a two-handed heavy melee weapon?

[LivingRaccoon]

I did mean war banners. Is anybody going to use this in game?

[Zupponn]

Planting and un-planting the flag each as full-round actions would be pretty cool too.

Yes, I was thinking about that, but then I thought that that would just turn into a variation of position jockeying, which is no fun and against the spirit of Brikwars.

Pointlessly fighting to the death over a flag in the middle of a nowhere box canyon?
How could something like that possibly NOT be Brikwars?

Anyways, I thinking that the flag would give bonuses, but only if they are planted in a base on your side.
So it starts with a mad dash to grab the flag, then another to plant it before the guy holding it gets killed.
If you'd want to prevent turtling, just have cannons on the rear forts that get to blow up a base that's held the flag for so many turns.
You could also have the win condition set to "last team with possession by the time everyone else is dead" instead of "get it to your rear base"...

...Also, what if the flag was a two-handed heavy melee weapon?

I think I was being unclear. I've been using the terms "flag" and "war banner" interchangeably this whole time. When I say flag in this thread, then I mean War Banner.

[IX_Legion]

There could also be banners of +1 combat rolls, beacons of piloting, or even one that works like an officer!

Don't BW2010 officers up the skill die by one size (d6 to d8)? If so, I can definitely see a flag doing that, especially if you've got Napoleonic-style musketmen fighting in close ranks, or Roman Legionnaires, or something. You could even say a squad is dissolved if it loses its flag, but one minifig that was in the squad can go berserk and try to retake the flag. If they fail, everyone just mills around aimlessly and probably gets killed.

Actually, the rules I just described should probably be used only in specialized circumstances, not for all squads. Oh well, do whatever you want with them.

[IVhorseman]

As would most of these - remember that a flag for a squad technically isn't a usable object at all.

[stubby]

I am planning a twist that may be relevant. I'm introducing a special new class of Benny - I haven't got a name for it yet, working title Situational Benny - but they're Bennies you get in special circumstances that you have to use right away or they disappear at the end of the turn. Their most important function is to punish turtling and slow play (and giving players a Damage boost they can use against Armored enemies), and it goes like this:

At the beginning of the battle, divide the battlefield into "territories" for each player. If it's a flat open field, plant a marker in the middle; his half of the table is his territory, your half of the table is your territory. If it's a fortified position, then everything inside the walls is defender territory, everything outside is besieger territory. Now here's the twist: any time you have forces inside the other player's territory and he doesn't have forces inside yours, you get an automatic Situational Benny to use against him that turn.

War Banners can take advantage of the same mechanic - if you're holding a Banner in enemy territory (your own or anyone else's), you get another Situational Benny (regardless of where the enemy's Banner and forces may be). It's a system for encouraging aggressive play.