TubeTanks

TubeTanks
Ian Bates
A war-game with programmed movement
:Players	Players:	2
:Time	Length:	Medium
:Complexity	Complexity:	Complex
Trios per color:		1
Number of colors:		4
Pyramid trios:
Monochr. stashes:
Five-color sets:
- - - - - - Other equipment - - - - - -
3x6 grid
Setup time:		5 min
Playing time:
Strategy depth:		unknown
Random chance:		None
Game mechanics:
Theme:		War
BGG Link:
Status: Initial design (v1.0), Year released: 2008

Under development

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This game is currently under development, in the Initial Design stage. Feedback is strongly encouraged! Feel free to give comments on game design or structure on the talk page.

Overview

So...you've either won air superiority (see DogFight) and are about to start your assult on the tunnels leading to your opponents territories, or...your starting from a hell of a disadvantage.
Either way it's down and dirty from here on in.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2089/2351627761_b9eaf337d3_m.jpg
Photo dramatisation - not actual game play.

Equipment

• One treehouse set.
  • Each Player needs two stacks of 3.
• One 3x6 (long) grid with sqaures approx 2" (50x50mm).
  • Two DogFight grids end to end.
  • E.g. Two Martian Coasters

Setup

A tube is a 3x6 long triangular tunnel. The centre row of 6 represents the floor of the tube and the two rows either side represent the side walls of the tube (it's a narrow space).

• Each player has two stacks of pyramids
  • one stack of three for each player must be all the same colour - 'Tank'.
    • A Tank consists of A Medium sized Pyramid with it's base inserted into the base of a large pyramid.
    • The small pyramid will be used to indicate firing solutions at this stage ( it may later be incorporated as a seperate game piece e.g. a mine or grenade )
  • one stack of three, size is not relevant, for programming.

• Player One places a tank on the grid in the left hand corner nearest them facing forward.
  • This indicates a tank on their left hand wall of the tunnel.
• Player Two places a tank on the grid in the left hand corner nearest them facing forward.
  • This indicates a tank on their left hand wall of the tunnel.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2071/2351625971_dc09662ed3_m.jpg

Programming, Moving, Firing

Programming & Moving

Each player will write out a three move program using their second stack of 3 pyramids. Programs will be written and then revealed simultaneously. Programs are read from left to right. Firing is resolved automatically at the end of the movement phase.

• In the photo above.
  • The yellow Tank will, move forward one sqaure, turn to their right and move one sqaure right.
  • The blue Tank will, move forward two sqaures and then turn to their right.
• The result of these programs is shown below.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2115/2352455282_bf01faa4df_m.jpg

• The next programs and moves can be seen below.
  • Yellow, turn forward, move forward, turn to their left.
  • Blue, forward, forward, turn to their left.
• Note the small pyramids are showing where trajectories for firing solutions end.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2169/2351626523_38587a5ce3_m.jpg

• Tanks may pass each other by occupying the same sqaure (no collisions occur).

Firing Solutions

Tanks are basically modified tunneling laser vehicals once used for mining, which have been adapted for fighting in the tunnels they once helped carve out.

• Each Tank will automatically fire if a firing solution presents itself.
• A firing solutions is an opponents tank occupying the traget trajectory sqaure, facing in any direction.
• Each tank launches a tunneling laser bolt on a fixed three sqaure trajectory if facing along the tunnel (see blue tank above) or a two sqaure trajectory if facing across the tunnl(see yellow tank above)
  • That sqaure and only that sqaure comes under fire, sqaures inbetween the Tank and the Target Trajectory square are safe.
• Head to head trajectories cancel out.
• Side hits count as one, a tank can take three hits only and the third hit will destory the tank.
• Due to poor shielding on the crew access at the rear, one hit on a tank facing away from an opponent is instantly destroyed.

Objective

The objective of this game is to clear your opponents tunnel so as to allow your ground troops through to attack their territory (see CoverFire).

License

http://i.creativecommons.org/l/by-nc-sa/3.0/us/88x31.png
This work is distributed by Ian Bates under the Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 License.