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You want to learn about my system? OK.
First let's go over some assumptions:
- Epic: Armageddon, being a wargame, can be reduced to a numerical system. Once the numbers equal out within the rules it will be declared fair (or balanced.) Beyond the numbers the player?s abilities, the terrain present, the tactics used, and any special circumstances are what will tip the balance to a victory for one side or another, therefore outside of the scope of this exercise.
- The primary factors affecting the performance of a titan weapon is its rate of fire, its probability to hit, and the range to which it can fire. All of these factors are multiplicative; the potential firepower a weapon can inflict is its rate of fire multiplied by its probability to hit multiplied by the range to which it can fire.
Reasoning:
If two weapons have the same probability to hit and can reach the same range, yet one can fire twice as often, does it not have twice the value of the other?
If two weapons have the same rate of fire and the same probability to hit, yet one can fire twice as far, does it not have twice the value of the other?
If two weapons have the same rate of fire and can reach the same range, yet one is twice as likely to hit, does it not have twice the value of the other?
- Average dice rolls will prevail with all weapons performing to their average abilities. To hit numbers and anything else involving the roll of a D6 will be reduced to their average for computation.
- There is a sufficiently target rich environment within range that a titan will be able to fire upon infantry, vehicles, or war engines as desired. Conversely, players may not have the ability to pick whether they will fire their weapons in AT or AP mode but will have to fire at whatever is before them. Because of this it is assumed that there is an equal chance to fire in either mode, allowing for calculations to be done based upon the average to hit probabilities of the AT and AP.
- It is assumed that players will spread their models so that there are no concentrations, drawing area effect fire from the enemy. Each barrage template from a barrage weapon will cover 2 targets, one infantry stand and one vehicle. Any blast markers that are placed as part of a barrage are considered to be hits.
- Typical game length is at least 4 turns, therefore single shot weapons will only contribute a quarter of their potential compared to a weapon that can fire every turn. (ROF x 0.25) Slow firing weapons will only contribute half of their potential compared to a weapon that can fire every turn. (ROF x 0.50)
- Typical game board size is 4 feet (120cm) by 6 feet (180cm). Unlimited range weapons will have a max range of the corner-to-corner distance of approximately 7.38 feet (225cm). For purposes of computing the Firepower Potential of a weapon, making it easier to compare different weapons, ranges will be divided by 15cm, leaving a number representing 15cm increments. (For example, a 60cm weapon has a range number of 4.) Fire Fight and close combat weapons will have a range of 15cm (1).
- The assumed average armor save is 4+ (50% chance) and is not reinforced armor. MW weapons will do double damage since the half of the targets fired upon that would normally save will not get a save against a MW weapon. Remember, this is an assumption, an actual average of all armor saves was not performed.
- Titan close combat weapons that have additional attacks listed are assumed to have their stats, special abilities, etc. apply to their extra attacks only, not to the attacks associated to their damage capacity. For a couple of close combat weapons that did not have attacks added, the value of the weapon is taken by determining the value of the CC attacks of the titan with the weapon?s special rules, then subtracting the titan?s inherent CC capabilities.
- Titan Killer (TK) weapon damage is considered extra damage, added to the number of hits made by the weapon. Since typically armies are only allowed to put one third of their points into war engines and titans, only one third of the TK damage will be added.
WHAT I DO -
I try to compare like items, normally in an effort to make them equal. Considering the Vindicator and the Predators, you have armored vehicles that have the same points cost, the same armor save, the same CC rating, the same FF rating, and no special rules that pertain to the chassis, such as Thick Rear Armor, Reinforced Armor, Walker, etc.
I take all of the weapons, individually, and make some conversions.
- If the weapon can fire more than once per turn then the Rate Of Fire (ROF) is not 1 but whatever the number of attacks it can make.
- I take the AP and AT numbers and convert them into decimal numbers. If a weapon cannot fire in AP or AT mode then its probability to hit is equal to 0.00 since it has no chance to hit. (So if a weapon has an AP3+ then it will, on average, hit 4 out of 6 times. 4 / 6 = 0.66667 If the weapon has an AT4+ then it will, on average, hit 3 out of 6 times. 3 / 6 = 0.5000) Once both the AP and AT have been converted to decimals I will average them together to get an average ability to hit. (The AP3+/AT4+ weapon will have a (0.66667+0.5) / 2 = 0.58333) This will make calculations easier to do.
- I take the range of the weapon and divide it by 15cm to give me the number of 15cm range brackets that the weapon can reach. So if a weapon has a 60cm range then it can fire (60cm / 15cm) = 4 range brackets. Converting the range this way make calculations easier to do.
Once I have the weapon's numbers converted I multiply them together. (ROF) x (Probability to hit) x (# of range brackets) = hits-range
For an example I will use the stats I would like the Imperial Titan Turbo-Laser Destroyer weapon to be:
Turbo-Laser Destructor
Range: 90cm
Firepower: AP4+/AT2+
Number of attacks: 2
ROF = Number of attacks = 2
Probability to hit -> AP4+ = 0.50 and AT2+ = 0.83333
-> (0.50 + 0.83333) / 2 = 0.66667
Number of range brackets = 90cm/15cm per bracket = 6 brackets.
(2) x (0.66667) x (6) = 7.99999 =~ 8.00
<<< --- >>>
So let's take a look at the work I did to compare the Vindicator to the Predator:
The Vindicator has the Demolisher Cannon, which has a 30cm range, a AP3+/AT4+ rating, and the Ignore Cover special ability. Let's say that there will be an equal chance of an infantry or armored vehicle target available to shoot and that the player is not predisposed to shooting at one over the other. That would mean that you average the to-hit probabilities, 66.667% against infantry and 50% for armored vehicles, to a 58.333% chance of hitting something. Since various weapons have different ranges, and range does matter, as a quick way to represent the benefits of range let's multiply the probability to kill something by the number of 15cm increments the range of the weapon has. So for the 30cm ranged weapon we multiply by 2 (30cm/15cm increments = 2) the 58.333% chance of hitting something to get a 116.667%-brackets number. To factor in the Ignore Cover special ability, which ignores the -1 to-hit modifier (16.667% shift in probability) for cover and negates infantry cover saves, we'll multiply the final number by 1.16667 giving a final 136.111%-brackets number.
The Predator Destructor has an autocannon, which has a 45cm range and a AP5+/AT6+ rating, and two Heavy Bolters which have a 30cm range and a AP5+ rating. Let's say that there will be an equal chance of an infantry or armored vehicle target available to shoot and that the player is not predisposed to shooting at one over the other. That would mean that you average the to-hit probabilities of each weapon, multiply by the number of range brackets they can reach, and add them together. The autocannon has a 33.333% against infantry and 16.666% for armored vehicles, averaging to a 25.0% chance of hitting something. Multiply this by the 3 range brackets it can reach and you get the number 75.0%-brackets. The heavy bolters have a 33.333% against infantry and 0.00% for armored vehicles, averaging to a 16.667% chance of hitting something. Multiply this by the 2 range brackets they can reach and you get the number 33.333%-brackets. Add all three numbers together and you get 141.667%-brackets.
Compare the 2 numbers: 136.111%-brackets for the Vindicator and 141.667%-brackets for the Predator Destructor and you see that the Vindicator has 96.61% as much firepower as the Predator Destructor. I'll call that close enough to even to say that the two tanks have equal firepower.
But there is still one difference between the Vindicator and the Predator Destructor: their speed. Assuming that the universally agreed upon change of giving the Predator Destructor a 4+ FF rating holds true the two vehicles are identical in stats except for their weapons (which I have shown to be effectively equal) and their speed. Since the two vehicles have the same points cost it stands to reason that the Vindicator should get a speed increase from 20cm to 30cm. That should be sufficient to make the Vindicator worth its points.
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I shot a Deathstrike Missile and destroyed an enemy titan in my pajamas last night. ?How it got into my pajamas I still don't know...
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