Space Crusade: Battlefield

[Mezillious]

Hey guys,

I've got an idea for my next Space Crusade game using a battlemat. I want to do a capture the flag/base type of game with Space Marines vs Chaos Marines with aliens thrown in. The idea is for 2 teams of space marines vs 2 teams of chaos marines to go head to head. There will be a constant flow of reinforcements so weapons will be overcharged to keep things interesting. Here's my ideas so far:

- Each player has a commander and 4 marines initially. At the beginning of each turn, each player gets one reinforcement (Advanced Bolter - 1 Red + 1 White firing - 3 White hand to hand) until all units are used (I'm imagining a full team of about 10 marines for each player)
- Original heavy weapons (rocket launcher, plasma and assault cannon) will all roll an extra red die
- All marines will have jump packs. Heavy weapon marines and commanders with heavy bolter can use their jump packs instead of firing to move 8 squares. Bolters and commanders with either hand-to-hand weapon can use their jump pack to move 8 squares if they are jumping into hand-to-hand combat.
- All players have 1 dreadnought available with 2 heavy weapons - commander must spend 3 turns at base to call in dreadnought.
- Raised platforms/areas - +1 or 2 white dice when firing from raised platforms
- Sentry towers (capturable base) - same as raised platform but adds an armour bonus (+2) - takes one turn to climb into or out of sentry towers
- Reinforcement pads (capturable base) - allows reinforcements to be dropped directly into the battlefield instead of to starting base (as in Command & Conquer: Generals)
- Aliens start out in groups scattered around the map and are non active unless fired upon or approached. Opposing team controls aliens when they are attacked or can attack (as in Warcraft III)
- Lots of obstacles/bunkers to block lines of sight

Has anyone run/played a game like this before? If so, how did it go down? I have some possible problems/issues that I can forsee that need to be resolved:

- How does a plasma cannon work on such a large battlefield? Does it have a range? Do other weapons have range?
- If units are reinforced constantly, how does the game end? - I'm thinking that eventually one team will be able to over-run the other team's base and disable it, stopping the reinforcements
- How do you prevent sniping from across the battlefield into base? - Either limiting the range of weapons or a safe zone (some kind of forcefield like in the naboo attack - Phantom Menace) which stops projectiles but you can walk through - meaning you can shoot someone in their base unless you are also in their base
- If both teams are in range of or attacking aliens, who controls the aliens? If both teams are in range they will probably be attacking each other and not the aliens, however i guess the aliens would be confused and not attack.
- How should the dreadnought move to keep up with the squads and should they be reinforced also?
- Are there any base defenses? - Thinking of having 2 missile turrets in each base which can only fire within the range of the forcefield
- What other structures can i use for capturable bases? - Thinking of around 5 or 6 structures which can be manned to give different bonuses
- Do marines and chaos marines get to take order/equipment cards? Should some like suspensors or close assault blades be excluded for fairness?

Let me know what you guys think and any ideas you have. I'm keen to try this in our game this week - ill let yo uknow how it goes.

Mez

[MortiS-the-Lost]

sounds interesting let me know how it all plays out