Morning All: Yesterday, I was combing through the used game section of one of
my local game stores when I came across a set of sci-fi miniature rules
called "Space Marines." They were written by one A. Mark Ratner and were
published Fantasy Games Unlimited, Inc. These rules are OLD (copyright
1980!) and they looked pretty campy (at least by today's post-Star Wars
standards). However, they were only asking $3.75 for it, so I picked it
up anyway. At least it will make an interesting gamer conversation piece. "Hey
Mike, Get a load of this. This game uses FORCE FIELDS for
infantry! HA HA! A take a gander at these goofy-looking aliens...."
Has anyone else heard of this game?
Later,
> called "Space Marines." They were written by one A. Mark Ratner and
I bought the first edition rules for this game when it was first issued.
I still have the rulebook gathering dust in a basement storage box.
(Morale? What's morale?)
The rules are better than Star Guard, but have a similar feel to the game. The
rules were a part of FGU's SF RPG called Space Opera, I believe.
> Morning All:
> my local game stores when I came across a set of sci-fi miniature rules
> called "Space Marines." They were written by one A. Mark Ratner and
> 1980!) and they looked pretty campy (at least by today's post-Star Wars
> standards). However, they were only asking $3.75 for it, so I picked
> infantry! HA HA! A take a gander at these goofy-looking aliens...."
Aye, as one of the resident dinosaurs I have a dog-eared copy
(without its cover) of this one. Let me see, canine Rauwoofs, crustacean
Klackons, avian Whistlers, feline Mekpurrs, reptilian Hiss, H-G-Wellsian
Mertuns, Heinleinian Bugs, ursine Blarads, skinny space-dwelling Irsol,
pseudo-Peoples-Republic-of-Chinese aliens, pseudo-USA (Federation?),
pseudo-USSR Galactic Peoples Republic, pseudo-Nazi Azuriach Imperium.
Have
I forgotten anyone? :-)
It was full of crap cartoons, and had sections at the back on fighting
primitives (apparently for those players who want to simulate pulling the
wings off flies!), and on linking with Dungeons and Dragons and
Metamorphosis Alpha. It definitely suffered from the "psycho-detail"
problem, and every tiny crap flitter seemed to be up to its knees in weaponry,
but it did have some thoughtful ideas on target acquisition and a reasonable
set of morale and reaction rules, unusual for its time.
I suppose I should confess that most of the play we got out of it (I was still
at school) was taking a squad of powered armour troops down a D&D module...
Also a couple of games with WW2 plastics pretending they were SF types (which
hardly seemed to exist in those far off days).
I suppose I'm a bit nostalgic for it really!
Cheers,
Morning All: Yesterday, I was combing through the used game section of one of
my local game stores when I came across a set of sci-fi miniature rules
called "Space Marines." They were written by one A. Mark Ratner and were
published Fantasy Games Unlimited, Inc. These rules are OLD (copyright
1980!) and they looked pretty campy (at least by today's post-Star Wars
standards). However, they were only asking $3.75 for it, so I picked it
up anyway. At least it will make an interesting gamer conversation piece. "Hey
Mike, Get a load of this. This game uses FORCE FIELDS for
infantry! HA HA! A take a gander at these goofy-looking aliens...."
Has anyone else heard of this game?
Later, Mark A. Siefert
If this is the Original Printing, chek the back for D and D stats! This set is
very much TRACTICS with blasters. Best played with platoon size elements for
each player ( at one time I had Company size units set for this game, Ral
Partha 25mm SF!)
Later printings give more info on the aliens, etc.
First Edition was not published By FGU and was not part of the Space Opera
system.2nd Ed. had Minitures I think made by T rex minatures out of
Texas (???) They were 1/300 and pretty nice. The Continental Siege Unit
in 1/300 was over 5inches longand 3.5 inches high! I think, believe it
or not, that FGU still has "new" copies of the game.
> Morning All:
> called "Space Marines." They were written by one A. Mark Ratner and
> 1980!) and they looked pretty campy (at least by today's post-Star Wars
> standards). However, they were only asking $3.75 for it, so I picked
> infantry! HA HA! A take a gander at these goofy-looking aliens...."
Yes! In fact, the first edition was published even earlier than 1980
(around 76-77, IIRC), by a small-press company called FanTac - the FGU
version is a revised second edition. Stan Johansen Miniatures even make the
figures for it, at least some of the aliens (Hiss, Klackons etc.) and I THINK
they are still available! You have a classic piece of SF gaming history in
your hands....:)
> Yes! In fact, the first edition was published even earlier than 1980
I'll check my copy at home for the copyright and publisher. In those days the
rules were typed by hand on a typewriter and duplicated. It made for some hard
to read text at times. (like Tractics....)
In reply to Mark Siefert:
> Yesterday, I was combing through the used game section of one
Er, yes. I too have heard of this game. Ah, I even own a copy. From memory it
wasn't too bad. I rather liked the Space Opera RPG that went along with it. We
even ran several campaigns of Space Opera.
A definite trip down memory lane. The last time we played something in that
Sci-Fi frp vein we went for a simpler sytem, I modified Castle
Falkenstein by substituting Psionics for the Magic skill and a few other minor
tweaks (if anyone's interested I can send you the adaptions) and used Full
Thrust
for the ship stats (each damage box was divided up into five - so combat
took longer and small ships weren't just blown out of the sky).
Regards,
> > Yes! In fact, the first edition was published even earlier than 1980
It was published in 1977 by FanTac. It sold for $6.00.
Any weapon has to make a "to-hit" roll with a 20 sided die and any hits
would be checked for "to-kill" rolls against the target's armor.
And they did have morale rules! It was Star Guard that was lacking them.
(Twenty years. Twenty years..... My age is starting to creep up on
me.)
> At 07:53 AM 3/11/97 -0600, Mark S. wrote:
> my local game stores when I came across a set of sci-fi miniature rules
> called "Space Marines."
<<snippage>>
> Has anyone else heard of this game?
I've heard of it but haven't seen it in years. That was part of the old Space
Opera universe, wasn't it?
> Someone wrote:
> > Yesterday, I was combing through the used game section of one of
> >my local game stores when I came across a set of sci-fi miniature
I've actually been looking for this for a number of years. Would whomever
posted that they saw it in a store please send me an email?
I am interested in knowing: 1) how much did they want for it? 2) Is it the FGU
or FanTac edition?; and 3) Would you be willing to pick it up for me?
Thanks!!
Allen, could you give me the name, and phone number of the store where you
saw Space Marines. I am trying to re-complete my collection of Space
Opera (it was lost after a move from California some years back).
Thanks,
Bobby
Bobby,
Regarding space marines/opera, try waterloo games in Mesa
Arizona.They are owned by Scott Bizar AKA FGU, and often have really old FGU
games NEW.I suspect that if they check their warehouse they will find what you
want. In the past year or so I bought space marine minis, and FGU Conan
and Flash Gordan rules there. (602)497-9554
Bob
Bob,
Thanks for the info on FGU's phone number. I really appreciate it.
Bobby