			    TRAVELLER Digest 200

Topics covered in this issue include:

  1) Re: Striker II	by Michael Llaneza <mllaneza@mercury.sfsu.edu>
  2) Re: Non Lethal Weapons	by Jo Grant <Jo_Grant.LOTUSINT@crd.lotus.com>

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Date: Mon, 20 Feb 1995 13:50:43 -0800 (PST)
From: Michael Llaneza <mllaneza@mercury.sfsu.edu>
To: traveller@MPGN.COM, Michael Llaneza <mllaneza@mercury.sfsu.edu>
Cc: Multiple recipients of list <traveller@MPGN.COM>
Subject: Re: Striker II
Message-ID: <Pine.SOL.3.91.950220125507.5255A-100000@mercury>

In reference to Alvin's note below......

I have just purchased Striker II (first paycheck !!) and expect to play 
shortly. I haven't noticed any serious problems from just reading the rules.

I do note that the scenarios are geared towards 25mm scale and are 
consequently infantry heavy. I like 1:300 and armor and will be writing 
some scenarios along that line. Fortunately I have a large (3m x 4m) 
floorspace to contain an armored scenario. More on this as it develops.

On the topic, I thought I'd make some suggestions as to 1:300 scale 
miniatures.

First, Games Workshop's Space Marine figures. The plastic sets are ideal 
for building an infantry force. Each army has two boxes of infantry 
available. One has one model hundreds of time over (used to be 200, I 
think they've cut the boxes in half) and 20-30 vehicles meant as APC's. 
The second box has a variety of infantry models, including command 
models, heavy weapons, and some light vehicles or support weapons.

I have before me the second box for the Space Marines. It contains:

10 Robots	  14mm tall, big guns, humanoid
20 Captains	  6.5 mm tall, no helmet (!), looks like a veteran
20 Heavy Weapons  big shoulder mounted missile launcher
10 Commanders	  flag on backpack, sword held aloft
200 Marines	  6.25 mm tall, infantry in powered armor, 
20 Terminators	  9mm tall, heavy armor, pity there aren't more of them
40 jump troops	  flight pack, sword and pistol.
20 Bikers	  power armored troops on bikes, yeah sure guys. might work
10 Landspeeders	  2-seat open flying vehicle, armed.

This lot _was_ 20 bucks. I believe the quantities have been halved, and 
the prices are probably $15 for half the above quantities. But the above 
box will produce, oh at 4 models per stand (20x20mm) 50 stands of 
infantry, less command stands and support stands.
	A platoon of Imperial Marines (Striker II pp 138) needs 16 stands,
6 of them command stands.  The above box would give you 3 platoons. Going
down to 3 figs per stand will let you field a company for $30 with some
left over. The APC's would come from the Centurion miniatures mentioned
below; 6 APC's to a platoon, 25 to a company. 

Some suggestions for using these figures:
The Imperial Guard work for generic infantry, Space Marines will do for
battledress troops for the Imperium or RC, and the Eldar should work well
for Zhodani infantry. In the Marine sets you will find some very passable
tracked APC's; the Rhinos are perfect and the Land Raiders less so. The
Eldar have a plastic tank that comes with the basic infantry that is
turretless, but makes a passable grav tank or apc. The sets of mixed
infantry for each army provide models that will work for the specialist
infantry; the Eldar have some figures that would work well for Consulate
Commandos. Most of the command figures from GW are either the steel-jawed
hero (if you can tell in 1:300) or a figure with a flag or battle
standard. No, Traveller doesn't have troops running about with swords in
powered armor, or carrying battle-standards, but they make a stand _look_
like a command stand so they have their uses. A little creativity goes a
long way here. When I build a specification listing, I'll put it up so
that others can just go shopping and paint their figs. 

	The second source for cheap, high quality models is the ex-FASA 
Centurion game. There are at least two boxes of plastic armor available. 
Each box has about 3 dozen figures for about $20. The tanks are a bit 
smaller than the scale used by the GW figures above, but are close 
enough. Each box has a couple of varieties of tanks and APC's; enough for 
a battalion as I recall. There are also metal figures available, at a 
higher price of course.

	Thirdly, Soldiers and Swords Games (SSG) is producing models for 
Ogre Miniatures. I hope we've all played Ogre and GEV, even if not 
recently. Anyone who has read this far, and has never played either is 
missing a lot. They have a line of largish models, closer in scale to the 
GW figs than the Centurion models, but are very science-fictioney and 
well designed. The two models of hovertanks (scout models - not MBT's) 
are excellent, and the other tanks look great for TL9+ guntracks and 
battle taxis. They also do a line of buildings that you will absolutely 
want for 1:300 Striker.

	Fourth, go for some modern or WWII microarmor. I'm partial to 
GHQ, but Scotia (who has some SF models I haven't seen) and C-in-C will 
do fine. Look for : trucks! gotta have 'em for the Wilds, and some 
may convert well to grav vehicles. I have seen some of the ex-Soviet 
missile launchers from GHQ, I want some for planetary defence and heavy 
AA launchers.  I expect that there are now Scud's and Patriots as well. 
Helicopters are good too. I note that many of the obscure WWII tanks will 
not look out of place as guntracks since most people won't recognize 
them. Last seen the French and Italian AFV's came in mixed packs. These 
models, especially the cheaper models, will also provide parts for 
conversions. Just swapping turrets will produce a new model.


	Fith, Scotia and Irregular both produce 1:300 SP miniatures. I 
may actually have seen some of the Scotia figures, I don't recall being 
impressed. I have never seen the Irregulars. I don't have addresses for 
either of these companies, nor have I seen a recent catalog.


	Lastly, I'd like to reccomend the old Milton Bradley game
Invasion:America. Not only a fun game in its own right (there was never 
any agreement as to which side would always win, so strategy was the 
key), but it had a lot of plastic figures in it. There were wheeled 
APC's, hovertanks, high-tech attack helos, and a bomber that looks 
perfect for the grav-speeder role. This game is out of production, so 
check your local used game store or a convention. The infantry models are 
about 18-20mm tall, so they won't fit with the armor.

I'll keep this list and develop it for a WWW site to be named later.

Michael Carter Llaneza
Conceptual Design Services             The Worse it gets,
Pi Kappa Phi                           The more I get used to it.
"I am the NRA"			       Duty Now For The Future
Veteran of the Bermuda Triangle Expeditionary Force 1990-1951

On Mon, 20 Feb 1995 Alvin Plummer wrote:

> 		> 
> Date: Mon, 20 Feb 1995 09:35:22 -0500 (EST)
> From: Alvin Plummer <alvin.plummer@sheridanc.on.ca>
> To: traveller@MPGN.COM
> Subject: Striker II fixes?
> Message-ID:
<Pine.OSF.3.91.950220093446.18359A-100000@hubble.sheridanc.on.ca>
> 
> 
> Where would I go to get Striker II fixes?
> 
>
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> Alvin Plummer
> "Preserve what we created, Norris, and remember what we stood for."
>                                - Strephon, 179-1126
> 
> Reply to: alvin.plummer@SHERIDANC.ON.CA
>
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> 
> 
> ------------------------------
> 
> End of TRAVELLER Digest 199
> ***************************
> 

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Date: 20 Feb 95 18:34:46 EDT
From: Jo Grant <Jo_Grant.LOTUSINT@crd.lotus.com>
To: traveller <traveller@MPGN.COM>
Subject: Re: Non Lethal Weapons
Message-ID: <9502211255.AA19108@internet1.lotus.com>

Kevin reports:
>See below for a portion on a Reuter news article on non-lethal weapons.
 Just a quick head's up: as well publicised in a small country
just a little to the north of here, some "non-leathal" weapons 
like you describe can actually occasionally kill. A little more
frequently they can leave people permanently maimed.
 Just be sure to interpret "non-leathal" as "not primarily
designed to be leathal" in your games and work out some sort
of "acceptable casuality" rating :-).

>These are examples from a TL 8 culture.  How about some of you
>free thinkers coming up with some Traveller non-lethal weapons.
 Hmm. People are already talking about lasers that blind
people. Why not lasers that temporarily blind people? If chemistry
progresses why not tear gas that is more effective and with
less side effects. Go back to classic Moorcock ideas and have
hypnotising strobes?
 Some, less enlightened (or more enlightened depending on
your viewpoint) planets might require mandatory implanting of
a disabling post-hypnotic suggestion that can be activated
by the police.
 We already know that strobing a light at 3Hz (?) and playing
a tone at 10Hz (?) cause epileptic fits in 1 in 10 people. Say
this was refined to a much better system.
 How's that?
   Jo

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End of TRAVELLER Digest 200
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