Moongrunts: Dark Side of the Moon and StarGrunt

 

With the table laid out for 15mm Moon combat I decided to try a couple more rule sets. First up was the Dark Side of the Moon set used at Salute in 2019 (I think) and later published in MW&BG (#440).

I had to invent a few things as the QRS gave no idea of distances or ranges, and the colour code/icon style whilst great if someone has briefed you on it took a bit of decoding - but I think I got the game right in the end. The only real recognition of being somewhere else was the "dust" marker with movement. Activation is by unit, each side "bidding" with a playing card for their hand for first move of the pair. Works OK. Combat is a Risk! style dice matching, with extra dice as DMs. Simple but not my favourite model. Game is too long ago to go into details but it gave a reasonable participation/fun game but lacked the detail I'd want for a regular set (not its aim) but also gave no real sense of being in space.

Next up was Star Grunts - a classic of the SF genre. In contrast to Dark Side these were way more complex (or at least look it) than I'd like, and I think the rules layout doesn't help. Activation was alternate unit and there's an involved system of unit confidence and leadership which provides friction. Movement was determined at the walk, but random at the run which is nice. Combat though was dice roll after dice roll, I think I counted 12+ as there is an opposed roll to hit, DIVIDING one score by a range factor, then another opposed roll for damage. Just way too much for me - particularly throwing a divide into the middle of it! Again nothing really to suggest that this is in space, but I guess Stargrunt assumes that everyone is in powered battle armour and so slips, trips and rips aren't an issue.

Nice to get these sets on the table, but not ones I'll revisit.