Saturday 12 May 2012

Combat Cyborgs


Combat cyborgs are a smaller and less extreme form of militarised cyborg.  While an Assault Cyborg towers over a normal human and is considerably more bulky, a Combat Cyborg is little different in terms of build and height to a human wearing full body armour.  Although these smaller cyborgs do not carry as much armour as their larger companions, they are still far tougher than a normal human, and with built in medical systems they are capable of surviving injuries that would incapacitate anyone else.


 Although physically smaller and less overpowering than the big Assault Cyborgs, Combat Cyborgs have the potential to be just as problematic politically.  Though their general deployment is not as difficult, their smaller size lends them to a covert role that can have major political ramifications.  Rumours of Cyborg "kill squads" being released behind enemy lines have the potential to bring any military force using them into disrepute.  Lightweight Cyborg support units operating in a warzone with their unaugmented counterparts are generally considered acceptable; undercover assassination units operating in civilian areas with the potential for huge collateral damage is another matter altogether.


My Combat Cyborgs will be analogous to a human in light powered armour.
They will generally be of high quality and high morale.  Although it doesn't always follow that more money equals better quality, cybernetic troops are so specialised that in this case it is true.  Cyborgs naturally tend to feel superior to normal troops and are aware that they can take significantly more punishment.  They will also tend to be confident in their own abilities and weapon systems.


Tomorrow's War stats:

Confidence: High
Supply Quality Level: Normal to High (varies depending upon mission)
Overall Tech Level: 2
On Grid? Yes
Body Armour: Tech Level 2 integral hard body shell (1D) (2D with skeletal augmentation - see below)
Troop Quality/Morale: D10/D10

Weapons:
Medium advanced ballistic support weapon: TL2 ABW, Med, AP:3 (stats already include +1D firepower for advanced ballistic weapon.  Will also add +1 to die roll when rolling on vehicle damage table)

Unit Attributes:
Advanced Sensors (+1 Die shift when trying to spot enemy units, double optimum range for spotting (becomes 20"), night vision system)
Hard to Kill (Roll D6 when unit takes casualty; 5+ they are uninjured, do not count as a casualty for morale. 1-4 treated as a normal casualty.  Survival roll cannot be made against any weapon with unmodified firepower of 3D+)
Old School (Will not become pinned or lose confidence if the grid goes down)
Physical Augmentation: Active Trauma Treatment Nanites (allows advanced first aid check even if no-one present to administer aid)
Physical Augmentation: Skeletal Augmentation (+1D armour)

Optional extras:
Some Cyborgs have retractable blades or other weapons built in to their bodies, these will count as Natural Weapons, giving a bonus die in close combat.

Marine directing Cyborg troops
I've painted the cyborgs in my usual brown with black wash, grey & green drybrush camo so that they match my NAC Marines & their associated vehicles.  They've all been mounted on washers to match my other figures.

Red Cyborg
 Having opted for 2 squads of 4, I have a couple of cyborgs left over.  One is red, a tribute to the old Palladium Rifts Red Borgs.  This could end up as the main protagonist in a game, an elite enforcer leading a group of lesser troops in some nefarious purpose.

Blue Cyborg
On the other hand, my blue cyborg is likely to end up supporting some security forces, perhaps on an isolated backwater world where law enforcement will need some extra muscle.

2 comments:

  1. Very nice. Like the camo it works well

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  2. Liking these so I am. Though in that picture with the marine, I think whether the cyborgs would ask "why are we taking orders from this guy"

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