MechaStellar JAN 2023 Update – VER 8.7 Released

For this months update we have a major update to the Core Combat Rules along with a balance patch and overall UI improvement to the Mecha Profile Sheets. We’ve also added new units to the roster based on player requests. Below the break is the summary of updates, you can read a more indepth breakdown on a few updates in a follow up posts.

Unit Profile Sheet Readability Improvements

• Large effort in reducing Mecha Unit Profile bloat and improving readability.
• Removed the [Ground / Space Use Only] traits and instead included a [G] or [S] tag in the MS name.  Added information regarding [G] and [S] deployments to the Stellar Warfare section.
• Removed the Heavy Payload trait from the bottom section and instead changed the “Low Cost” header to be “Heavy Payload” if the unit requires additional slots for missiles / rockets.
• Removed the Level 1 / Level 2 from below the Basic / Skilled / Ace Pilot section and instead use that area for the name of the Pilot.  Added a note in the definitions section of the core rules for the equivalent of Skilled / Ace Pilots for Kaiju (Dreadful / Unstoppable).
• Removed the Size traits and instead moved them to the top section where Pilot name formerly was.  Size now applies an under the hood Passive bonus (+1 Slots / HP / Melee) instead of an active bonus which means one less thing to remember when playing with several powerful and trait heavy units.
• Renamed the Rapid Fire Column to “Close Range” to better suit it holding Rapid Fire ranged weapon stats as well as Melee DEF bonuses.  Rapid Fire effects will now show as RF+2 instead of just +2.
• Change Level 1-2 Pilot to Tier 1-2 Pilot
• Various Font and Typo fixes.

You can read the in-depth post here.

CORE RULES UPDATE

• Put a cap on bonuses for Shooting Accuracy, Evade and Melee at +3.  Melee Attack can now go to a 2+.
• Capped Momentum gain for destroying a unit at 1 per turn, since previously this heavily favored units with AOE weapons or units with multiple actions and could easily make a match lopsided against horde units.  This change also allows lets us lower the Momentum cost for AOE weapons.
• Updated to Alternate Deployment to 16″ instead of Sensors range based on some feedback that Guntanks were preventing people from deploying on small game boards
• Updated engagement range to 3″ and 6″
• Added a note under engagement that you can maneuver while in melee as long as you remain within engagement range to better allow units to make use of Knockback rules in Super Robot Scramble.
• Based on player feedback rebalanced and rewrote the Trample rules under Full Throttle / Kaiju Charge.
• Added new Commander Trait: Decimator to allow for players who want to run a very powerful model to deal with horde armies.
• In order to make new changes standout removed blue text from previous version updates.

Melee

• Added in Glory to the Melee Clash as an option for units with very high Melee Dice pools. 
• Glory allows Kaiju / Super Robots (Titans) to regain HP after Melee and allows for agile Mobile Suits to disengage and move after melee.
• Based on feedback from how our experienced players rolled in Melee we reordered the Melee Clash section to make the process more streamlined where you start filling the ATK & DEF pool by using your weapon stats (i.e. ATK+2d10 and DEF+1d10) then add your Melee stat. 
• Removed the reroll ability from Fortune Favors the Bold to avoid making Heat weapons redundant.
• Rewrote rotation during the Melee clash to add some more strategy for horde armies dealing with one or two powerful units.

Armor Saves

• Backport 3 Armor Saves per weapon to core rules and removed from the SRW module. 
• Unified Armor Saves to be 1000 DMG on a failed save which still kills the average grunt in Gundam but allows for more cinematic recreations such as the Gundam losing its arm and head from a failed save against the Zeong.
• With Armor Saves being potentially 3x as dangerous in the base game we reevaluated the Shots and Damage for Beam weapon profiles and reduced several to bring the lethality down.
• Lastly, using Momentum to pass a failed save has been reduced to [M-1] to account for more potential Armor Saves.

Pilot Traits & Skills

• Moved Pilot Traits to Core Combat Rules from Wargame rules doc such that both Pilot & Captain traits are in the same document.
• Changed Fighting Spirit and Unfaltering Courage bonuses to be OR vice AND
• Updated the Immortal / Invincible Traits which were proving to be very unbalanced in Round 1 for Ace Pilots, even more so for Combining Robots like GoLion and Combattler V who may cycle through pilot traits.
• Upgraded the following pilot traits Immortal / Daredevil,  Untouchable, Elusive, Lone Wolf, Hunting for a Rival, Mechanics Expert, Defiant / Hot Blooded, Berserker / Killer Instinct, Genuis Pilot.
• Mecha Traits with a cost modifier which mirror Pilot traits have been truncated to only use a single ability from the main pilot trait they are emulating.  i.e. a Trait that emulates Berserker (Exam, Berserk Eva, SEED, etc.) will only use one bonus from the Berserker pilot trait rather than both.  This has no effect on many units since many Level I Traits were previously single ability until the above upgrade.  Units affected:  Kikaiju, Blue Destiny Units, Strike & Aegis.
• Updated Pilot Traits to remove the “X Skill costs 1 Less” ability and instead provide a similar effect without having to rely on the pilot skills optional module.  Traits affected: Deadeye, Furious Fusillade, Merciless Melee, Close Combat Master, Legendary Pilot / Infamous Ace.
• Updated “All-Out Attack” pilot skill to give bonus actions instead of a separate mechanic for firing multiple weapons on a single action.  This gives more flexibility for Titan units who may use some actions for bonus Power instead of firing more weapons.
• Removed the “Fire pointblank into Melee” effect from the “Take the Shot” skill and instead moved it to an option for the Focus action.  Removed Point Blank from Tactical Advantage since it’s very easy to activate now, instead it gives PEN+1
• Renamed Return Shot to Ranged Counterattack.  Based on player feedback we revised it to be more similar to SRW gameplay so it no longer requires you to completely evade/block all shots in order to work.
• Replace Moment of Clarity with the Bullseye Pilot Skill. 
• Revised the Expert Evasion Ace Skill in the SRW Module to instead be +3 Evade bonus.

Commands and Events

• Based on Player Feedback Strategic Commands no longer require Momentum and instead use a separate pool of points called Influence.  Using a high Momentum command often left a lot of player’s with buyers remorse later that turn when they lacked Momentum to protect their units.  The Influence Pool and Strategic Commands remain an optional module.  Updated several Commands, moved Moment of Clarity to the Events section. 
• Also added the Pyrrhic Victory and Bonds that Transcend Time & Space events.
• Split off Events from Strategic Commands into their own section.  Events have 0 Momentum cost and are usuable once per game and remain as an optional module.  Updated several Events.

You can read the in-depth post here.

Stellar Warfare

• Based on player feedback changed the +5 Move in exchange for a penalty to instead be a flat +5 movement for Skilled and Ace Pilots.
• Revised opposing direction rules for Space Combat to instead be [M-1] instead of an exercise in mental math.  For the perpetually Momentum starved players out there worry not for Skilled and Ace Pilots get to ignore that effect.
• Removed the Reroll 1 Evade die vs Stellar Warships for MS & Titans.
• Added Low Gravity battle option for using some stellar rules on a standard ground battle
• Updated the Captain Skills section to instead be Captain’s Orders.  These three options require no Momentum and can be issued by a Skilled or Battle-Hardened Captain at the start of each round with the Design Goal of making Warships a valuable force multiplier for Stellar Warfare. 
• Fixed Discerning Captain since as written it would not allow the Musai Captain to help out any Mobile Suits in Round 1, which is something we wanted to model with LT Dren and Char.  Backported the change to Tactician as well.
• Improved several Captain’s Traits.
• Updated Minvosky Particle Scattering to be Reroll any Evade dice, Prevent Critical Hits & Battle Damage vice Shooting Accuracy-2.  Updated range from 2x Sensors to instead 10+Sensors which is an improvement for most OYW suits and lines up with the new 16″ range which is important for several iconic weapons.

You can read the in-depth post here.

Wargame Rules Update

• Updated VP for Simple Battle where units that were knocked below 50% HP are worth half their VP.

BALANCE

• Gave Melee & Attacker units Melee+1d10
• Gave Sniper units +4″ Sensors and removed Move-1 penalty. Gave Assault +1 Move.
• Adjusted Tier 2 Performance units (5+) to have an additional +1 Move for MS & +1 Power Titans but also an additional +10 Cost.  This is a wash for more Titan units.  Several units were rebalanced to anchor on their previous cost or move to a new one.
• Size modifiers have moved to the top of the profile and still provide a cost adjustment, instead of an active ability they provide passive benefits to EQ, HP & Melee and a penalty to Evade for very large units.
• Remove -2 Speed = -1 Evade penalty for Titans.  Series affected (Big O, Mazinger, Getter Robo).
• Adjusted Movement for Frame 3+ units to avoid penalizing those with higher Reinforce level.  For many units this means their movement fluctuated by +/- 2.  This also allows the RX78-2 and other heroic units to start with base movement of 10 while preventing low HP grunt units from receiving even larger speed boosts.
• Rewrote AT Fields, Infernal Form, Energy Barrier and Generating Armor to have a Momentum cost to activate allowing opponents of these armies to have an additional way to bring these units down by sapping their Momentum, similar to tactics employed against I-Fields.

Mecha Unit Profiles

• Switched Mobile Armors to MS vice Titan class (Higher Evade, Lower HP). Rebalanced Mobile Armors.
• Updated Escaflowne units from Titan profiles to MS Profiles
• Updated Will of Getter and clarified how many victory points Getter Robo is worth.
• Gave Ye Not Guilty R+4″ to match Hell & Heaven and This Hand of Mine
• Modified EXAM system and Berserk Eva to activate after using the Spirit in the Machine trait to better reflect the units onscreen appearances
• Updated Transform Mode replacing the confusing Melee DEF-3d10 with Melee Blocks (5+ to 7+).  Units affected: Escaflowne, Otachi, Taurus.
• Updated Defense Array where a Warship may use one weapon and one [AA] weapon against targets, to avoid all AA batteries focusing on a single skilled pilot for instance.
• Major revision to Stellar Warships whose mega particle guns have increased shots and rapid fire now.
• Adjusted Pilot Traits on various units
• Fixed role error on GP02 Physalis. Rebalanced Evangelion & Mazinger Units.
• Rebalanced Heavy & Gunner Gundam, Guncannons, Goufs, Gyans, Gelgoog Jaeger, Efreet, Amphibious Units GM Cold Districts & Command Space, Zaku Sniper, GM Sniper / Custom / II.  Adjusted weapons for Gundam Pixy and Progressive Kinfe.  Updated corresponding acquisition costs in the Sandbox Missions.
• Based on player request added Black Tri Stars Zakus, Gyan MP, Gyancannon and Gyan Krieger to the unit roster.  Also added several Aces include Visch Donahue, Roy Greenwood, Ken Bederstadt, Matt Healy, Gerald Sakai and Brennis Ox.

You can read the in-depth post here.

Weapon Updates

• Adjusted all weapon ranges to be R: 8/16/24/32/40/48 etc. inches.  Most weapons received either a range boost of 2-8″
• Adjust power costs and stats for Titan Melee weapons to align with shooting weapons power costs (1/4/7/10 etc.)
• Adjust Slot and Momentum Costs for Death Ray type AOE weapons.  Units affected Big Zam, Val-Varo, Wing Gundam, Sachiel, Zeruel
• Made Push / Pull weapons such as Rocket Anchors or Great Typhoon have Attacks that way an opponent can attempt to dodge the effect.
• Adjusted Sniper Rifles (Physical & Beam) to be 4 Shots, Rapid Fire-2.
• Fixed Eva Pallet Rifle and The O Thunder which weren’t complying with design guidelines for no DMG boosts on high ROF weapons
• Increased Heat Swords by +1 Slot and allow to Reroll 1s on ATK & DEF.  Switched Heat Hawk to reroll 1s on ATK.
• Machine gun switched to Shots 6 RF+4
• Upgraded Super Shield to give +2 Block vs PEN 0
• Reduced Hits on Flamethrower
• Rebalanced missile profiles for Mecha & Warships
• Lowered ARM PEN for bazookas and several melee & thrown weapons.
• Created new thrown profile for high PEN weapons that previously used the high Crit profile (Heat Rods, Z Cutter, etc.) along with a new quality that mirrors the Rerolls 1s of heat weapons, but forces a reroll of 10s on Evade for the target.
• Adjusted thrown / rocket weapons to have a split profile where they can take a longer range in exchange for lower shots and ARM PEN.

You can read the in-depth post here.