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TITLE: Pilgrim Cell (2007): Basic generic skirmish rules
AUTHOR:
http://redknightentertainment.com/ PUBLICATION DATE: 2007 WEB SITE/SUPPORT FORUM:
PRICE (as of March, 2008):
REVIEWED BY: Steve Rysemus – I am the co-author of this rules set. PERIOD COVERED: Pilgrim Cell is a multi-genre generic skirmish rules set that can be used for any genre of miniature war gaming. As such Red Knight Entertainment will be producing a series of games that can be used along with the Pilgrim Cell rule set. All Red Knight Entertainment games are free and include additional rules that are specific to that game genre and can include things such as vehicle rules, and rules for things such as weather and buildings. Red Knight Entertainment’s first game is called Blood Hounds and is a modern/near future vampire hunting game. Rules and unit lists are available for free from the Red Knight Entertainment website. Also in development are World War II rules and unit lists. THE BOOK: Pilgrim Cell Rule book is a full bleed 8.5” x 11” rule book that can be purchased as a download, perfect bound or coil bound book. It runs 76 pages. It has a color cover with a color interior. SCOPE: Pilgrim Cell rules are meant for tactical combat. ARMY SIZE: The game is meant to be a skirmish game for 15mm to 28mm miniatures. Squads are comprised of 4 to 12 figures each. Games have been played from as little as 10 miniatures per side up a total of 50 to 60 figures. BASE UNIT: Each unit can be comprised of multiple figures to a lone special character; vehicles would represent a single unit. Figures within a unit are required to keep within a specified control radius of the unit leader. Command radius is handled via two methods; via a chain of specified inches between each figure or through a specified visual distance to the unit leader. The rules have roots in Role playing and as such each figure maintains several statistics as follows:
GAME SCALES: Ground scale: None given, most figures can move between 4 to 6 inches per action unless running Time scale: None given Figure/Base Ratio: One miniature equals one figure, one vehicle equals one vehicle Recommended Figure size: Unit sheets are for 15mm/20mm, licensed figures will be produced in 20mm in the future. Table Size: Depending on the number of miniatures in the game a table size of 4’ x 4’ and up should be sufficient. Game Length: Once again this would depend on how many figures are fielded; I have played games in as little as two hours with about 30 miniatures. BASING SIZES: The rules do not discuss this, but seeing as this is a skirmish based game all figures should be individually based. TURN SEQUENCE: Pilgrim Cell uses an IGO UGO activation system where each player will take in turn and activate a unit, once completed the opponent then activate one of his units. There is one exception to this rule however in that certain unit leaders may have an ability that allows them to activate two units simultaneously providing that neither has activated in that turn. Once all units have activated a turn, or Force Cycle as the rules call it is completed. The order of activation is controlled by the specific scenario or via a dice roll off. When a unit is activated each figure in that unit may perform all actions available to that figure such as moving, shooting or entering into hand to hand combat. Switching weapons does require an action, and figures may double or triple their movement if desired which does require extra actions. Movement action is handled slightly different in that a base movement can be broken up into segments as long as it is still within the movement allowance (MOV = 5, the figure may move 2 inches, and then use a 2nd action to fire a weapon, and then complete its final 3 inches and has only used 2 actions, one for movement and one for shooting). GAME MECHANICS: Pilgrim Cell utilizes a ten sided dice where rolling low is considered better than rolling high. Combat utilizes a class and number system where as a figure’s armor or body rating has both a letter and a number which represents the damage capacity and the lower the letter the better the class. Class A is the best and class E is the worst. Weapons also receive this same type of classification where the number represents the amount of damage the weapon causes. When attacking you first compare the class, if the weapon is the same class or higher than the armor or body, then the weapon will do the maximum amount of damage. IF the class of weapon is one class lower than the armor or body, then the weapon will do its listed reduced damage amount. If the weapon class is more than one class lower than the armor or body, then no damage is inflicted. The rules do supply rules for suppression, routing, and area effects. The website contains free downloads of tokens and a template that can be used with games. Unit cohesion checks are made where as a figure fails, then it must make a panic attack, and this is performed at the beginning of activation if needed. Panic attacks are made by rolling against a figure’s Fortitude statistic. If failed the figure may be frozen if fear or be forced to retreat. Figures may also go prone. Panic attacks are also made when a unit suffers 50% casualties. Other rules are included for charging, jumping, and breaking out of close combat. There is some bookkeeping involved in these games in that the body and the armor statistic needs to be tracked. Of course how much would be needed is based on the genre that is being played. But figures excluding vehicles will never have to track more than 10 points of damage for each stat. However most figures will rarely have all 10 points to track. Free tracking sheets are provided on the web site. ARMY LISTS/SCENARIOS: Currently there is only one game available for free on the Red Knight website, and that is a modern/future vampire hunting game. There are 24 different unit sheets available for this game. Each unit sheet is a free download from the website and each sheet actually has stats for two unit types. Each unit sheet has all stats and weapons and abilities for each unit listed on the sheet. More units are promised. World War II unit lists are promised in the coming months (April – June 2008). REVIEWER’S COMMENTS: Of course my views are slightly biased as I was the co-author of the rules. While I did not help in the creation of the first game (Blood Hounds) I obviously did have a great deal of input on the game. As for the rules themselves, I do like them of course, my view of rules should be something that is easy with little or no need for referencing tables and charts as I simply hate that sort of thing. I also like rules that place a great deal of emphasis on terrain which these rules do of course. The bookkeeping part of the game was the part that I struggled with the most as I do like simple. But I admit the amount of bookkeeping is minimal depending on how many figures you are responsible for. I do love the Blood Hounds game though as it does represent vampires very differently than they have been portrayed in other games and movies. As for the book, it has a great deal of super graphics, and read very well with no editing errors that I have found. PLAYER’S COMMENTS: Obviously I have played the Blood Hounds game a great deal as I am one of the primary play testers. It is great fun and the rules cover just about anything you can come up with from destroying terrain to opening doors. And I have not only played the vampire hunting game I have also played the World War II version of the rules as well. In WW II the amount of bookkeeping is even less and the figures do not include and armor stat so once a figure is shot it will most likely be dead, which makes for a very fast moving game. To read comments by others or leave one yourself, please click here. |
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