Using Starline 2500 minis with non SF:ACTA games

Jiraiya1969 · Post by **Jiraiya1969** » Thu Dec 08, 2011 12:39 pm

Pardon me if this question has been answered already, but will there be larger maps designed for those who want to use the minis to play SFB/FC/KA?

Thanks,

J69

Scoutdad · Post by **Scoutdad** » Thu Dec 08, 2011 2:10 pm

ADB will not be releasing larger maps (that I'm aware of), but there are several aftermarket battle map producers that do.

Take Hotzmaps for example. You can order space battlemats from them with hexes of your choice in size. I have one with 2 inch hexes that was purchased to facilitate the use of 2400 minis... it works just as well (with a little crowding) for the 2500s.

mj12games · Post by **mj12games** » Thu Dec 08, 2011 3:21 pm

The full-size Hotz Mat with 3" hexes has the right dimensions for Starmada/Klingon Armada, and should fit the Starline 2500 minis.

Jiraiya1969 · Post by **Jiraiya1969** » Thu Dec 08, 2011 3:39 pm

mj12games wrote:The full-size Hotz Mat with 3" hexes has the right dimensions for Starmada/Klingon Armada, and should fit the Starline 2500 minis.

Sounds like you would need a large room to accommodate such a large map! Thanks for the information.

J69

Scoutdad · Post by **Scoutdad** » Thu Dec 08, 2011 4:20 pm

Not so much.
I've got a 26 x 15 foot gaming room. It fits just fine in there.

djdood · Post by **djdood** » Thu Dec 08, 2011 5:10 pm

Another solution that SVC has noted is that you can use the black plastic ADB stands on the resin SL2500 minis, with just a small amount of conversion work. It would pretty much just involve snapping off the little "pin" from the top of the stand's riser (which seem to always want to break off anyway) and then gluing them in, as-normal.

The resin minis, despite being larger, actually weigh considerably less than their metal counterparts and should be stable on the ADB stands. They won't be as stable as on the larger Mongoose stands, but they should work.

My personal plan?
I'll be having some decals made with a hex-outline and some of the facing/arc data, which I will apply to the clear Mongoose bases. This will allow me to use the minis on either existing ADB maps or hexless open-table. For cases where they get too close and the stands interfere with each other, I will just use the same procedures I use now when large minis that hang over several hexes get too close.

Scoutdad · Post by **Scoutdad** » Thu Dec 08, 2011 5:48 pm

I'll be using rare earth magnets with mine to enable me to swap out stands and ships.

A couple dozen Mongoose stands and a couple dozen ADB stands and I should be good to go.
Although for a while it'll look funny having some ST2500 minis and some ST2400 minis on the same table.

I'll just have to rememberto use ST2500 Klingons and ST2400 Hydrans. That'll make those low-down, dirty-rotten, methane-breathing, trashcan-looking Hydrans about the right size.

ericphillips · Post by **ericphillips** » Tue Dec 13, 2011 8:32 pm

Its probably a good time to move to hexless SFB/FC. Most modern games (Wahammer, Warmachine, Starmada, etc.) are.

The_Rock · Post by **The_Rock** » Tue Dec 13, 2011 8:41 pm

Hexless SFB is a much less tactically interesting game. Not sure, but I suspect Fed Com would be as well.

Pull out your SFB turn mode plates and put a good TM ship behind a poor TM ship. Now try and get the good TM ship off your tail without an HET.

The artifact of the hex grid (combined with the offset of the shield arcs) is a lot of what makes SFB such a good game.

Dal Downing · Post by **Dal Downing** » Wed Dec 14, 2011 12:16 am

ericphillips - the rules for hexless SFB have been in the book for almost 30 years now all you have to do is play it

I am prety sure the rules for hexless FedCom are in the book as well or at least the Templates were.

phdillman · Post by **phdillman** » Wed Dec 14, 2011 5:39 am

I actually like to use mini's for SFB on a hexless map.

Monty · Post by **Monty** » Wed Dec 14, 2011 5:58 am

As much rule lawyering that there can be in the game, introducing the hexless element can be troublesome between serious opponents.

aramis · Post by **aramis** » Wed Dec 14, 2011 9:17 am

Monty wrote:As much rule lawyering that there can be in the game, introducing the hexless element can be troublesome between serious opponents.

I've found it generally reduced arguments when we played it, but then we didn't have klink nor fed players. We used megahex counters and standard turn gauges.

Post by **Steve Cole** » Wed Dec 14, 2011 7:06 pm

Yes, Fedcom has had hexless rules from day one.

About the only thing you have to do is to have a rule that says "If you are more or less on that firing arc boundary I say that you're on that firing arc boundary, then you ARE on that firing arc boundary" so that you don't have to futz with getting a mini lined up exactly.