The Heavy Gear Blitz 3.1 Companion

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The Heavy Gear Blitz 3.1 Companion is a free add-on to the free PDF for Heavy Gear Blitz. I’d argue that this is effectively the ‘core’ of the game with the Companion essentially replacing the string of army books some game companies may try to sell players. It is included in the downloadable PDF bundle for 3.1 along with alternate versions and related material.

Note that I’m name-checked in this document, but have no input on it other than random suggestions and, importantly, I don’t have any input on game rules or related material.

The document is updated as needed, and a major section is that it prints rules for newly added or updated models. it’s the source for the Caprice Mounts updated from the older RPG material such as the Maru and Ba’alim. It’s the source of rules for models that are upgrade to add new options like the northern Tanks. (It also has optional rules of various kinds and things like league rules.)

New Machines for the Fighting

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I’m not here for the new Dark Wolf (a variant of the also new Wolf) or the upgraded Dark Cobra. I want to discuss the Hades/Ares and Zeus. The original concept for the Hades and Ares were new designs intended for space travel and are presented in DP9-107 Raids & Raiders.

The original Ares was described as a major redesign of the Dark Cobra. The art retains some aspects of that design, but uses larger feet and shoulders with details clearly suggesting maneuvering jets in them. The V-Engine “Backpack” is mostly obscured due to the bulk of the torso, but there’s a suggestion of multiple arms containing vernier jets to allow it to operate in space.

The Hades was based on the Dark Warrior with similar modifications. The ‘backpacks’ are presumably a reference to the VOTOMS series in which a similar backpack of thrusters is used for that show’s mecha to maneuver in space much like astronauts with maneuvering packs.

The new Ares and Hades are add-on packs for the Black Talon designs. There’s a page of rules and background I missed on my first couple weeks of digesting this updated document but essentially they replace the engine and shoulder-mounted weapons with a larger pack with twin boosters and mounted weapons. The background is they’re built for use in space, but as presented rules are for use on Terra Nova.

The Hades can be equipped on a range of “Trooper” Gears: I’d like to consider one on a Dark Jaguar (which has limited weapon options) as you can use the new shoulder-mounted weapons to add advanced weapons missing from the base design. The Ares fits the larger ‘Support’ chassis and, predictable, adds larger weapon. I love my Vultures, but I’m honestly not sure if adding another big wapon is worth it.

There’s also the Zeus. The Zeus fits one design, the Karakarak. The Karakara is a Gear-Strider design that is also new. It’s a fun design although it breaks some of the guidelines (the pack is noted as replacing the Kodiak0style ATM launcher, but the renders show it with an ATM launcher) and so on.

For those familiar with Macross there’s some stylistic homages to the Packs: They’re all a big ‘dual engine’ design similar to Macross’ “FAST packs” but, of course, these designs aren’t transforming mecha and are otherwise lacking in aircraft details. The styling is a bit different using the ‘guards’ common to many existing Caprice and Black Talon designs.

Mechanically all three packs are simple: For a specified point cost they remove certain weapons and add a couple replacements. The packs also add the VTOL trait.

VTOL (Vertical Take-Off and Landing)

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The VTOL Trait is a complicated rule, requiring nearly a full column of a page in the main rulebook. Essentially it’s a model that flies like a helicopter able to choose altitude from two levels (Elevated or Nap of the Earth) and gaining different modifiers for both.

Elevated

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Elevated models essentially ignore terrain. They’re exposed and vulnerable, but can also use their altitude to gain advantages on attacks on ground targets.

Nap of the Earth

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A model in NOE or Nap of the Earth movement uses the Hover rules, which allows ignoring some terrain like water. They’re slowed by cluttered, tall area terrain (like wooded areas) but can sue cover and similar.

Models with the VTOL Trait

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Current models with VTOL:

• Scorpion
• Titan
• Black Wind
• Peregrine Gunship
• Commando N-KIDU with the N-LIL Upgrade
• Griffin
• Gargoyle
• Baroness
• Agni Hellion Rider
• Dragonfly
• Varis
• Rock Beetle
• Hades/Ares/Zeus Packs

I feel like Eden is the biggest counter to the point I’m slowly circling, which is that I feel that VTOL may not be the best fit for the new packs. The Griffin and Gargoyle are both large designs and have aerodynamics only slightly improved on the average brick. However, they do have some accommodations of note.

The Griffin and Gargoyle have massive ‘fanjets’ that look like they’re on a an articulated wing-structure. While blocky, the main torso of each design does have some suggestion of at least knowledge of aerodynamics.

Essentially this whole post is because boils down to:

Restating the Problem

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Right now we have the packs essentially taking Gears that may already be highly maneuverable (The Claw series already have the Jetpack rule) and making them moreso. In my experience we’ve rarely seen more than 2-3 models with it in a single force, although no one locally has fielded Eden yet. VTOL fits great for the various helicopters: Titans sweeping in to drop troops on an objective, or Black Wind stealth craft moving in. They’re expensive but the ‘feel’ is mostly right, I think.

I don’t think this fits with the mental image of the huge rockets on the new Ares/Hades/Zeus. The idea of moving a 50 metric ton brick like the Karakara around the same as the Scorpion or Titan just feels wrong. The Baroness is nearly four times the weight of the Karakara but also dedicated to flying with large chunks of the deck and hull dedicated to lift fans and similar. Even for the smaller designs, it feels like using an existing tool when anew or modified tool might fit better.

My counter-proposal is…

Orbital Insertion

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Theme

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The Black Talons strike sometimes not so much with stealth as with speed. Units screaming from shuttles descending from orbit can make lighting-fast raids, assaulting targets from the air as limited fuel supplies are consumed.

While themed as ‘Orbital Insertion’ this could also represent the models launched from a nearby base by some other means. Essentially it’s ‘powered airdrop’

Game Setup

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Models with the Orbital Insertion rule may be held back as desired during unit placement. They are placed after both sides have placed all other units. If both sides have units with this trait, initiative order is used to determine the order in which a playerplaces all units. Units are placed on the game edge or at an agreed-upon table edge and are considered to have the VTOL Elevated status.

Models using this placement may not benefit from any othwr special placement options (Airdrop, Recon, etc.).

Turn 1

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The Models with Orbital Insertion must remain in the Elevated status and must move at Top Speed this turn. They gain a +2 to their movement rate and can act normally with the usual modifiers and hindrances of moving at Top Speed.

Turns 2 & 3

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The Model can act as normal for a model with the VTOL rule, changing their altitude during their movement.

Turns 4+

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The Models no longer have the VTOL trait and move normally for the remainder of the game.

Enhancement

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An option would be to allow units that either do not deploy with this rule or have expended the majority of their fuel to use the Jetpack rule.

Summary

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In brief:

Debrief

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This is not a massive change, I admit. That’s actually a benefit in it’s favor, I think: it’s a rule that uses existing rules whenever possible instead of reinventing the wheel. I feel it improves the game by making these units different and interesting, but doesn’t add a lot of overhead. The only tracking is the game turn (which is presumably already being tracked).

I feel it works conceptually. Heavy Gear is a setting that maintains a veneer of ‘physics’ over action sequences. This fits better than simply hopping around with no limitations and supposes the giant rockets have a limited fuel supply.

I will admit I may be scarred my past experience in video games such as Armored Core in which things the game jarringly changed from ground-based to aerial shenanigans in a few places. On the other hand, I have a half-memory of a sequence from a Front Mission game where mecha are launched from a submarine that totally fits this idea.

Disclaimer

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I’ve done work for Dream Pod 9 but this is my own thoughts and in no way represents the company. I am not being compensated for this article and used images without permission.