Ogre Construction Set
by Tom Warner
Cybertank/CSA body list
| Type | Min/Max Treads | Cost (VP) | Defense Limit | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mark I | 5/15 | 3 | 8 | |
| Mark II | 10/30 | 4 | 16 | |
| Mark III | 25/45 | 23 | 40 | |
| CSA-10 | 30/48 | 23 | 37 | (a) |
| Fencer | 30/45 | 31 | 46 | |
| Ninja | 20/40 | 15 | 30 | (b, c) |
| Mark IV | 25/60 | 19 | 38 | (c) |
| Mark V | 30/60 | 34 | 56 | |
| CSA-15 | 35/60 | 34 | 65 | (a) |
| Mark VI | 45/75 | 39 | 64 |
Equipment list
| Component | Cost (VP) | Defense | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tread units | 1 | – | |
| GEO propulsion units | 1 | – | (d) |
| CSA propulsion units | 1 | – | (e) |
| Cruise missiles | 12 | 3 | (f) |
| External missiles | 1 | 3 | |
| Internal missiles | 1 | ½ | (g) |
| Air to air missiles | 1 | 3 | (e) |
| Bombloads | 1 | 3 | (e) |
| Missile racks | 6 | 4 | |
| Main batteries/guns | 8 | 4 | |
| Secondary batteries/guns | 4 | 3 | |
| D2 secondary batteries (tertiary batteries) | 3 | 2 | |
| Antipersonnel | 1 | 1 | |
| AP bombloads | 1 | 1 | (e) |
| Towing equipment | 9 | – | (h) |
| "Stealth" modifications | special | (i) | |
Notes:
- a) CSAs: aircraft/Ogre Magi/Flying Fortresses, a completely imaginary variant from The Ogre Book.
- b) Ninja Ogre bodies are not automatically stealth-equipped. They are Mark III size equivalent for ramming and towing.
- c) Ninja and Mark IV are not automatically MA4.
- d) Only available for ground effect Ogres (GEOs). One cannot mix different types of "tread" units. GEO propulsion units are targeted automatically at a 2-1. The total cost is multiplied by 4, in addition to any other modifiers if the Ogre is a GEO.
- e) For aircraft only.
- f) Cruise missiles can be mounted externally only. Stats are: cruise missile (special/infinite; d3)
- g) Internal missiles take up ½ defense factor each, despite the fact that they are stored inside.
- h) Towing equipment has a defense of 8; this doesn't count, since it represents difficulty to hit rather than size.
- i) Stealth modifications consist of ECM, ECCM, and strengthening and addition of defensive weaponry. All attacks against stealth-equipped Ogres (except infantry overruns) are at a -1 to their die roll. The total cost of a stealth-equipped Ogre is multipled by 1.5 in addition to any other modifiers.
Step-by-step Ogre Construction
- Choose a body from the list. As an example, we'll choose a Mark VI body. It can mount up to 64 defense factors and costs 39 VP.
- Choose tread units or propulsion units between the minimum and maximum limits listed. The tread units must be divisible by the desired first phase movement (4 max) × 5. For GEOs, the movement can be 4/3, 3/2, 2/1, or 1/0. Our example Ogre will have 60 propulsion units with an MA of 4/3 (it's a GEO.)
- Load up on equipment, up to the listed defense limit. Our example Ogre will have 2 cruise missiles (24VP, d6), 2 missile racks (12VP, d8), 20 internal missiles (20VP, d10), 3 main batteries (24VP, d12), 8 tertiary batteries (24VP, d16), and 12 AP (12VP, d12), which adds up to d64, therefore, we're done . . . but we'll add stealth capability also (see below).
Add up the VP costs:
- 2 cruise missiles: 24
- 2 missile racks: 12
- 20 internal missiles: 20
- 3 main batteries: 24
- 8 tertiary batteries: 24
- 12 antipersonnel: 12
- 60 propulsion units: 60
- Mark VI body: 39
- Total: 215 VP
Multiply by 4 if the Ogre is a GEO (this one is), then multiply by 1.1 if the Ogre has a 1st phase movement of 4 (this one does), then multiply by 1.5 if the Ogre is stealth-equipped (this one is). Then divide by 6 to get to the armor unit cost of the Ogre (round to the nearest .5). Ours comes out to be 1,419 VP and 236.5 armor units.
- Distribute the tread units evenly among the movement allowance. For our Ogre, it would be thus:
60 propulsion units starting at MA 4/3 ooooo ooooo ooooo (M3/2) ooooo ooooo ooooo (M2/1) ooooo ooooo ooooo (M1/0) ooooo ooooo ooooo (M0/0)
For CSAs, this is done somewhat differently. The CSA movement must be determined by the number of propulsion units in relation to the maximum:
- ¼ of maximum propulsion units = MA1
- ½ of maximum propulsion units = MA2
- ¾ of maximum propulsion units = MA3
- maximum propulsion units = MA4
- Finally, draw up a record sheet.
Combine "Coelacanth" Ogre
2 cruise missiles (special/infinite; D3) OO 2 missile racks (D4) OO 20 internal missiles (6/5) OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO 3 main batteries (4/3; D4) OOO 8 tertiary batteries (3/2; D2) OOOOOOOO 12 antipersonnel (1/1; D1) OOOOOOOOOOOO 60 propulsion units starting at 4/3 MA ooooo ooooo ooooo (m3/2) ooooo ooooo ooooo (m2/1) ooooo ooooo ooooo (m1/0) ooooo ooooo ooooo (m0/0)
And there you have it, another device to terrorize the mindless infantry of Ogre/G.E.V.! (Note: No matter what, the Mark I cannot have MA 4. This is perfectly normal and nothing to be ashamed of.)
Tom Warner, March 1988
