Optional Rules for Missile Launchers and Heavy Flamers in Space Crusade

[MortiS-the-Lost]

As you might know the original rules for the Heavy Flamer in SpaceCrusade appear in WD134 as part of the Terminator rules. It has been commented on that these rules as given; 1 don't have a particularly 'Flamer-like' effect and 2 make the Heavy Flamer more powerful than the Missile Launcher.
To redress this imbalance and give the Heavy Flamer (and other flame weapons, if you use some of my other house rules) a more interesting and 'flamer-like' effect; my group use the following rules.

Missile Launcher

 
These rules replace the rules given for the Missile Launcher in the Space Crusade rulebook
The Missile Launcher must fire at a square rather than a miniature although the target square may contain a miniature. Each and every miniature in the target square and the surrounding 8 squares is attacked separately by the total rolled on 2 Red Dice. The dice are rolled for each individual miniature in the area of effect.

Example: 

 ^ The Space Marine fires his Missile Launcher at this group of Aliens, targeting the square with the Ork in it. 2 Red Dice are rolled for each model in the area of effect; a 3 is rolled against the AV1 Ork which kills it, a roll of 4 kills the poor AV0 Grot, a roll of 2 fails to beat the Chaos Marine's AV2 and finally a 6 is rolled against the Genestealer which beats it AV3.     

Heavy Flamer

The Heavy Flamer works in the same way as described in WD134 but with the following additional rules

Limited Range: The Heavy Flamer has a limited range of 12 Squares

Flame Markers: Flame Markers are placed in any squares of the Heavy Flamer's Area of Effect which do not contain miniatures. Flame Markers block Line of Sight and remain in place for until the beginning of the player who fired the Heavy Flamer's next turn. Any model that moves into of through a square containing a Flame Marker is attacked with 2 Red dice (as if it had been hit by the Heavy Flamer) if it survives it may continue it's movement  

Example:

 ^ The Space Marine Fires his Heavy Flamer at this group of Aliens, targeting the square in front of the Genestealer. Flame markers are placed in the empty squares of the area of effect and then 2 Red Dice are rolled for the attack and a 3 is scored, killing the 2 Orks (AV1), but Failing to harm the Genestealer (AV3).  Then in the Alien Player's Turn a foolish Grot moves into a square containing a Flame Marker, 2 Red Dice must then be rolled to make an attack on the Grot (which will most likely kill it).   

Design Note: the Flame Marker rules given above gives flamer weapons in SpaceCrusade a similar effect to the way Heavy Flamers work in Space Hulk allowing the same kind of tactics to be used in Space Crusade

[Gold Bearer]

The terminator heavy weapons are supposed to be a step up from the standard heavy weapons. Look at the assault cannon, it's the same with an extra white dice. Improving the missile launcher makes it overpowered compared to the other two standard heavy weapons, unless you think the missile launcher was underpowered to start with, besides the highest dice rule is a nice mechanic.

I like the heavy flamer alteration though. I think a tweak so that a flame marker is also placed if a target is killed would work well. Have you ever played the SC: Voyage Beyond computer game? The flamer in that fires in a cone, 1-3-5-5-7 I think. That would work nicely with your flame rules as well.