Terminator Genisys : Demolition!

I like this game. At low points (250-500) it's pretty simple to set up on a 2'x3' mat and just go for it. It's also quick to play. This entire game took only 50 minutes.

Mission: Demolition.

The Resistance has to defend 3 critical points. Skynet has to destroy those points. A Terminator goes base to base with objective. When it moves away, the objective is considered destroyed. 

I introduced more terrain, including a fortification to take advantage of the d8 cover roll (instead of the normal d6). And it's a good thing I did, too! I rolled a "3" on a d4 for the number of objectives that needed to be destroyed and randomly placed them on a d6 roll. And yikes! Got one so close to the Terminator deployment zone!

With 3 objectives, all the Terminators need to do is to destroy 2 and they've won.

The Terminators had an ominous start. They rolled a "Fate" on the Fate die, meaning NO activations for them this phase. The Resistance had no choice but to push troops up to protect the objective point in the center line, as there was almost no way they could prevent the Terminators from destroying the objective so close to their deployment zone.

The Rocket launcher guy climbed up to the top of the fortification, knowing he'd be an instant target for the machines, but trusted in the strength of the walls to protect him.

Sure enough, the Terminators dedicated most of their fire on him, but the strength of the fortification walls saved the rocket launcher guy! He would've been done for if he didn't have a d8 Save roll!

So, no one was killed or Reeling this turn.

It was turn 2 when the tide turned (so to speak). 

The Terminators started well, even when they lost the initiative roll, as it was the Resistance turn to roll a "Fate" on the Fate die. They cut down two Resistance troops caught out in the open. Then sheer weight of fire from the Resistance started taking its toll.

First up, the ever trusty grenade launcher guy managed to catch 2 Terminators out, sending them reeling. One other Resistance trooper was in a position to 'Hasta la Vista, Baby' (henceforth to be known as HLVB) a reeling Terminator. But the second reeling Terminator escaped certain doom as there were no other troops close enough. One did try, but it was just a normal attack. Both shots missed. At point blank range!!!!

On turn 3, the rocket launcher guy tried to take out a Terminator headed for the center objective and failed, even with the use of a TDD to attempt a re-roll. Skynet countered and lost, but the rocket launcher guy still flubbed the re-roll, so no hit.

Then another trooper on the roof tried a shot at the same Terminator (with a weaker weapon it must be said). And hit! And the machine failed its "I'll Be Back" roll, so it was down for the count, baby!

The machines advanced but the sheer weight of firepower again took its toll. The grenade launcher guy managed ANOTHER miraculous shot, and sent another 2 Terminators reeling. (One was from an earlier attack, so it never had a chance to recover).

Then a lucky shot took down one of the reeling Terminators, turning it into a Crawler. 

Another Resistance trooper moved cautiously around the Crawler (out of Close Combat range, basically) and did a HLVB on the other reeling Terminator!

Then the last standing Terminator went down under a withering blast of pulsar rifle fire from the remaining unactivated Resistance troops that turned it into a Crawler.

At the end of Turn 3, there were 9 Resistance vs 2 Terminator Crawlers. There was a very slight chance one of the Crawlers could still reach the center objective, as most of the Resistance fighters on that side of the field were up on the rooftop.

The other Crawler was probably done for as it was surrounded by so many Resistance troops.

Sure enough on turn 4, the Resistance had initiative with 2 initial activations and rocket launcher guy finally did something right and hit a Crawler. Didn't destroy it. (even as Crawlers, the Terminators retain most of their stats except for movement which is drastically reduced, so they are still as tough to kill) but sent it reeling since it failed the Resolution test with a roll of 3. Ha! The follow up from a Resistance fighter (who survived an earlier attack at point blank range) managed to HLVB the Crawler out of its misery.

So there were no more activations remaining to the machines as the second crawler was still recovering from its Reeling condition from turn 2.

And a second lucky shot from the same trooper on the rooftop sent that Crawler Reeling again! (It failed its Resolution test with a roll of 2). With 2 Resistance troops nearby to administer HLVB, the game was truly well over.

AAR: An enjoyable scenario, but the Terminators came out on the losing end again! And I discovered why.

In this skirmish game, the Resistance will always outnumber the Terminators. (Quantity vs Quality). At 500 points, the difference is 1.7:1. Not good for Skynet. But at 250 points, somehow the way the points system works, the disparity was even greater at 2.2:1!!! Even the 2 TDD counters that Skynet had to play with vs the 1 the Resistance had, is not enough to overcome such a glaring disparity. Of course, the dice played a huge role (heh) too. If the Terminators hadn't flubbed their Resolution rolls, they wouldn't have been reeling so early in the game, and would've had a very good chance to get the 2 objectives they needed. I mean, all they needed were 6+ on d20s.

So I'll play this again, to see if the Terminators can still overcome the numerical disparity (besically by NOT failing their Resolution tests), before I switch sides and have the Terminators be the defenders and the Resistance the ones who have to make their way forward to destroy the objectives while the Terminators sit safely behind walls.

Alos, maybe having the Resistance shelter behind a fortification (with their 2.2:1 superiority) was too OP. So, just ruins for the next game. (I also had to make some on-the-fly house rules as there were no official rules for heights.)