Ok, so there hasn't been anything posted for a while - primarily because life has gotten in the way a little - My other half has started a new job, and my mental health has taken a turn- probably not connected though :) so, I've been more dealing with ADHD burnout than much else.
Past few days however I've been tinkering with AI - initially out of curiosity, but It's... ok... for helping write things - I say helping as I don't see the point of just feeding it a prompt and copy/pasting that down.~~I have fed it the Second Age Sci-Fi Rules I've been writing though, and had it spit out a blog post about it - something I've been thinking about, but not been able to even decide where to begin on it..
So, without much more ado - Here we are (Thought the title is a bit.... much......)
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5 Surprising Rules That Make This Sci-Fi Wargame a Masterclass in Battlefield Chaos
For
many tabletop wargamers, the rhythm of a battle is familiar. We follow a
predictable turn order, we roll to hit, we roll to wound, and we remove
models. Victory often comes down to simple attrition—a mathematical
exercise in efficiency and target priority. While there's a certain
satisfaction in that clarity, some rulesets reach for something deeper,
aiming to simulate the chaotic, unpredictable, and psychologically
grueling nature of real combat.
The
"Second Age" ruleset is a fascinating case study in exactly this kind
of design philosophy. It's a game that trades straightforward simplicity
for a more granular and often brutal simulation. This article explores
five of its most impactful and surprising mechanics that transform the
game from a simple dice-rolling contest into a masterclass in
battlefield chaos.
1. It’s Not About Killing, It’s About Breaking Their Will
One
of the first things you notice in Second Age is that a unit doesn't
have to be destroyed to be neutralized. The "Suppression" mechanic is
identified as a "core concept," and it completely redefines the
objective of an attack. It represents the crushing psychological
pressure of being in a firefight, and it's far more important than raw
casualties.
Units
gain suppression markers from a variety of sources: if an enemy unit
hits them with at least one shot (even if no damage is dealt), from
taking any actual damage, or from seeing a nearby friendly unit break
and flee. As these markers pile up, a unit's performance degrades
significantly, making it more likely to become "Pinned" (forced to seek
cover) or "Broken" (fleeing the battle line entirely). This mechanic
shifts the tactical focus from simply annihilating enemy squads to
applying sustained pressure, maneuvering to threaten flanks, and
deliberately eroding the enemy's will to fight.
This
has been included to remove the whole Shoot and destroy the whole unit
to remove it as a threat - Pour enough fire into a unit, and whether it
takes actual casualties or not, it is increasingly likely to break.
2. Command is Chaos: The Initiative Deck
Forget
the rigid "I go, you go" turn structure. Second Age uses a standard
deck of playing cards to represent the "random and back & forth
nature of movement and action in warfare." This "Initiative Deck" system
ensures that no player can ever be certain of when, or even if, their
units will get to act.
The
core mechanics are elegant in their simplicity. Each player is assigned
a color, Red or Black. A card is drawn from the deck; its color
determines which player gets to activate units. An ODD numbered card
allows one unit to activate, while an EVEN card allows for up to two. If
the JOKER is drawn, the turn ends immediately, regardless of how many
units have acted.
The
most counter-intuitive and brilliant feature, however, is the "Steal
the Initiative" rule. If the same color card is drawn twice in a row,
the opposing player can use an element with the "Command" ability to
initiate a contested dice roll. If they succeed, they steal the
activation and get to use the card themselves. This system creates a
tense, dynamic battlefield where momentum can shift in an instant, plans
can be shattered by a bad card draw, and a bold commander can seize an
opportunity when their opponent least expects it.
3. Overwatch Isn't a Sure Thing: The Perils of a Trigger Finger
In
most wargames, "Overwatch" or "Reaction Fire" is a reliable tactic—an
automatic shot at an enemy moving in the open. In Second Age, it's a
tense gamble that perfectly simulates the fog of war and the risk of
misidentification in a chaotic firefight.
A
unit on Overwatch doesn't just shoot automatically. When a target moves
into its line of sight, the overwatching unit must first perform an
"Identity test"—a D10 roll against its "Fortitude" stat. The potential
outcomes are what make this rule so compelling:
• Friendly Target: If a friendly unit moves into the arc of fire and the test is failed, the overwatching unit misidentifies them and opens fire on its own side.
• Enemy Target: If an enemy unit moves into the arc and the test is failed, the unit misidentifies the threat and takes no action, letting the opportunity slip by.
This
simple check transforms a standard wargaming tactic into a nail-biting
decision. It introduces the real possibility of catastrophic error,
forcing players to weigh the potential reward of covering a fire lane
against the disastrous risk of friendly fire or hesitation.
4. The Ultimate Sci-Fi Sandbox: A Points System for Everything
While
many games offer players army lists with predefined units, Second Age
takes a radically different approach. The rules include a highly
detailed "Unit Building" section that provides a comprehensive suite of
formulas, allowing players to calculate the point cost for almost any
custom-built unit, vehicle, or weapon imaginable.
The
depth of this system is staggering. Instead of just picking a "Heavy
Trooper" from a list, you build them from the ground up. The point cost
is derived from a granular breakdown of stats like "Element Strength,"
"Morale," "Defence Dice," and "Melee Speed." Weapons are costed out
based on characteristics like "Range Band," "Number of Shots," and
"Number of Wounds." Even powerful special abilities are quantified with a
specific point cost; for example, making a unit "Unbreakable" costs 25
points, while adding a "Distortion Field" costs 10.
This
approach transforms the game from a fixed ruleset into a versatile
engine or toolkit. It's a deliberate design choice that empowers players
to design their own unique fighting forces and create stats for any
miniature in their collection. However, for those who prefer to jump
straight in, the game also
provides pre-generated army lists, offering balanced starting points
and examples of what the system can produce. It's a comprehensive
approach that caters to both the meticulous army builder and the
ready-to-play general.
5. Psychic Power Comes with a Price: The Risk of Exhaustion
The
"Psychic Wars" expansion adds psychic powers to the game, but it does
so with a nuanced system that makes their use a deeply tactical choice
fraught with peril. It's not just about picking a power and rolling to
cast; it's about managing a finite mental resource that can easily
backfire.
The
core mechanic involves a Psyker rolling a number of dice to achieve a
required number of successes to cast a power. The critical risk factor
is "Exhaustion." If a Psyker, when rolling to cast a power, rolls all 1s
on their dice (or all 1s and 2s on their second power use in a turn),
they become exhausted. The consequence is severe. An exhausted Psyker
must spend their entire next activation in a "trance-like meditative
state" to recover. They can perform no other actions, not even react to
being charged.
This
introduces a potent risk/reward element, but the potential reward is
immense. A player will only risk their psyker being incapacitated if the
payoff is game-altering. With abilities like
Accelerate Time, which lets a target unit move and attack twice, or Hurricane,
which halves all movement and grounds all flyers across the entire
battlefield, the temptation to push your luck is always present. It
prevents players from simply spamming their best abilities and forces
them to consider if the immediate benefit of a power is worth the risk
of being left completely vulnerable.Conclusion: The Beauty of Brutal Complexity
Through
its interlocking systems of morale, chaotic command, battlefield
confusion, and deep customization, Second Age offers a different kind of
wargaming experience. It’s a ruleset that prioritizes the narrative of a
chaotic, psychologically taxing battlefield over streamlined,
predictable play. This is a system where the design choices are
interconnected; a player can use the deep sandbox of the unit builder to
create a force optimized for the game's psychological warfare, perhaps
by stacking cheap units to generate overwhelming Suppression, or by investing heavily in high-morale Command elements to dominate the chaotic Initiative Deck.
Each of these five rules contributes to a game where victory is not
just about killing the enemy, but about outlasting them, outthinking
them, and holding your nerve when everything descends into chaos.
In
an age of streamlined, simple rules, what do we gain when we dare to
embrace this level of beautiful, narrative-driven complexity?
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