The Norx

I. Introduction

The Norx are a big, green-skinned, musclebound, dim-witted race who live for violence. They are ruled by the biggest and the strongest, sometimes by the bravest and fiercest, almost never by the smartest or the most competent. This kind of competition used to keep their numbers small. But several hundred years ago, one of the Victors' Trader spaceships landed on the Norx homeworld, seeking new markets for their goods. Instead, the Victors were overwhelmed and slaughtered, and their ship handed over to Norx scientists. Once they stole the secrets of space flight, the Norx gained the ability to vent their aggressions on other races. They are expanding their empire across space as fast as they can, which is a lot faster than most other races would prefer. They make peace with no one; the best their neighbors can hope for is a lull in the hostilities.

The typical Norx foot soldier stands about 2 meters tall and weighs around 180kg, most of which is muscle. They love close combat, and most of their weapons are short-ranged. A Norx attack is a mad rush across the battlefield to a head-on clash, where the green tidal wave engulfs and flows right over their opponents. Their usual goal is to overwhelm the enemy, pushing him back onto his own rear areas and relentlessly pursuing any who try to escape. Those Norx who stay behind the lines to shoot long-ranged weapons are held in contempt by the hand-to-hand warriors, but are tolerated as a necessary evil when fighting non-Norx races. They take no prisoners unless they see a chance to exchange POW's for something they want.

The Norx are clever mechanics, but weak in the sciences. Most of their advanced weapons were stolen from other races and "improved" by Norx technicians. Such "improvement" usually means shorter range and more damage. Norx vehicles are big, noisy, slow, and filled with weapons. Their units tend to be less capable than those of other races, but they cost less, so a Norx army will usually outnumber their opponents.

With typical soldiers' humor, the StarMarines have named the various Norx soldier types after positions in American football, and these names have stuck. Names for their weapons and vehicles are rough translations of what the Norx call them.

The basic specifications of each unit and weapon are listed in tables at the end of this rule book. A general description of the units and weapons, along with specifics about special rules, takes up most of the book.

II. Troop & Vehicle Summary

• Linemen are the basic Norx foot soldier.
• Linebackers are extra-big, extra-strong Norx soldiers.
• Quarterbacks are Norx who stay behind the main attack, shooting ranged weapons.
• Blockers are small Norx who serve as living shields to the rest of their army.
• Blitzers are fast, lightly equipped troops who exploit gaps in their enemies' lines.
• Blimpy-Boys float over the battlefield with rocket-propelled balloons.
• Trainers are combat physicians who heal wounds on the battlefield.
• Coaches can fix damaged vehicles, enabling them to keep fighting.
• Refs are leader units. Every Norx formation of crowd-size or larger must have a leader.
• Big Buckets are clanking combat walkers, heavily armed and reasonably armored.
• Little Buckets are a smaller, cheaper version of the Big Bucket.
• BattleTrikes are armed 2-man motorcycles.
• DeathTracks are heavy weapons on weakly-armored halftracks.
• Little Crunches are a combination tank and personnel carrier.
• Big Crunches are the biggest, baddest weapons systems the Norxs use, and that's bad!

III. Norx Soldiers

Norx draw emotional strength from the mass of Norx around them. They suffer a -1 penalty on their separation checks.

Typical Norx strategy is to ignore enemy wounded until the battle is over, at which point they will finish off anyone still living. They won't hesitate to kill a doctor-type unit.

Because the Norx are lightly-armored and fast-moving, they roll at +1 when dicing for initiative.

III-a. Forming an Army

Crowd must contain 3 bunches of Linemen and a Little Ref. At least one of the three bunches must be linemen, and none of the three can be the same type, except for linemen. It can optionally include up to five vehicles, a Trainer, a Coach, and a Hero. Heavy-weapons soldiers cannot be part of a crowd.

Mob must contain 3 full crowds, including at least one bunch each of Linebackers, Blockers, Blitzers and Blimpy-Boys, plus a bunch of Quarterbacks, a Middle Ref and a Little Ref. It can optionally include unlimited vehicles, Trainers, Coaches, and Heroes.

III-b. Soldier Types

Name:	Lineman
Type:	Basic soldier

Linemen will make up the biggest part of your army. They can carry any hand, light or medium Norx weapon. They wear light armor and attack fearlessly.

Name:	Quarterback
Type:	Heavy-weapon soldier

Quarterbacks are Norx who wield heavy weapons. They got their name because they stay behind the lines and throw long bombs. They are held in some contempt by most Norx, who see the path to glory leading through the thickest part of the enemy line; thus, they are rare, which is why they cost more to buy. They never use anything but heavy weapons, although they can carry an auxiliary weapon. Quarterbacks cannot move and fire in the same turn.

Name:	Blocker
Type:	Cannonfodder soldier

Blockers are those unfortunate Norx who never grew big enough to make it as Linemen. They are formed into bunches, given cheap weapons, and herded in front of the main Norx advance as living shields, taking hits that would otherwise cripple the important Norx soldiers. Their morale is understandably low, but if a Blocker falls or fails his morale check, other types of adjacent Norx don't have to make a morale check as a result; they see the Blockers as expendable. Blockers are small enough to stack two in a hex. A Blocker who survives five battles and can shoot straight can become a Quarterback.

Name:	Linebacker
Type:	Heavy soldier

Linebackers are bigger and stronger than Linemen, and resist damage better. They wear armor, not because they fear getting hurt, but because it lets them wade into the fray and keep fighting longer. A typical Linebacker can rip a human in two with his bare hands, and some of them enjoy fighting bare-handed, but most carry close-combat weapons so they can kill their enemies more quickly. They suffer no penalty on their separation checks.

Name:	Blitzer
Type:	Light soldier

Blitzers are lightly-armored, lightly armed, and fast, even for Norx. They serve as cavalry on the battlefield, running at full speed to plug gaps in the Norx line or to plunge through gaps in the enemy line so they can wreak havoc in their foes' rear. Blitzers who charge do not suffer the usual -1 penalty on their attack rolls.

Name:	Blimpy-Boy
Type:	Airborne soldier

Blimpy-Boys wear light armor similar to Quarterbacks and Blitzers, and carry only hand or light weapons. Their preferred attack is to shoot across the battlefield, hanging beneath hot-air balloons driven by small rockets, then drop into the enemy rear, sandwiching the foe between the Blimpy-Boys and the rest of the Norx horde. They were originally called "blimpers," but in the heat of battle, it was too easy to confuse "blimper" and "blitzer" over a combat radio, so the longer name was adopted.

A team of Blimpy-Boys must start the game in the air. They can light some or all of their rockets each turn, allowing them to choose their speed. At any time, they can cut their ropes and drop to the ground, where they fight like any other Norx. Once they land, they cannot fly for the rest of the battle. They can't use weapons as they fly; steering their flimsy balloons takes too much concentration.

Name:	Trainer
Type:	Doctor

The Trainer is that rarest of Norx, one who lives to do good for other Norx. Each turn, a Trainer can heal one wounded Norx in the same hex (not including himself) or in an adjacent hex, if he rolls a 2-6. Unlike most Doctor units, Trainers can carry a hand weapon.

Name:	Coach
Type:	Fixer

The Coach is a fixer of broken Norx machines. Each turn, a Coach can do a level-1 repair on any adjacent Norx vehicle, or a level-2 repair if he rolls a 3-6 on a die. The vehicle cannot move during turns when it is being repaired, although it can attack normally. A Coach can ride in any of the soldier-carrying Norx vehicles, in addition to any soldiers it may be carrying (Coaches don't take up much room), and can repair the vehicle from inside it.

Name:	Little Ref
Type:	Low Leader

The Little Ref is a low-ranking leader, but an imposing one -- they are all former Linebackers. Troops within 3 hexes of a Little Ref gain his benefit when facing morale checks. Each crowd must have a Little Ref. You can't buy more Little Refs than you need, or they will fight each other for dominance.

Name:	Middle Ref
Type:	Medium Leader

A Middle Ref must be part of every mob. Troops within 5 hexes of a Middle Ref gain his benefit when facing morale checks.

Name:	Reekavok
Type:	Hero

When the Linebackers get together to brag and butt heads, everyone gives Reekavok plenty of elbow room. This Veteran Little-Ref stands almost a head taller than most Norx, and his fighting skills are terrifying. Reekavok gets +1 aim, +1 attack and +1 damage with close-range weapons, which are all he will ever use, and his Toughness is amazing. He can be a Little-Ref to any formation.

Name:	Shiphty
Type:	Hero

Most Norx would consider Shiphty an anti-hero, because he personifies everything that the Norx don't like -- he's small, elusive, and shuns close combat. To no one's surprise, he has become an excellent Quarterback. He is +2 to hit with any heavy weapon, or +1 with a Boom Pistol, which he carries as an auxiliary weapon. Because of his quickness, anyone attacking him from a range greater than 3 must subtract 1 from his attack roll. He is a Veteran-level soldier.

Name:	Akselrodd
Type:	Hero

Norx who excel at repairing vehicles usually have no stomach for combat. But not Akselrodd. He combines the fighting power of a Lineman with unusual skill as a Coach. He adds +1 to his die rolls when making level-2 repairs, and he has the strength to fight his way through an enemy force to get to a stricken Norx vehicle. He is a Veteran.

III-c. Soldier Attributes

III-d. Weapons

• Grenades (can carry 1 of these in addition to any other weapon):
• Bang-Bombs are short-ranged fragmentation bombs. They rain death in the target hex.
• Bang-Stick is a javelin with an explosive charge on the end. It can pierce armor or kill most soldiers outright.

• Hand weapons (can carry two of these):
• Boom Pistol is a lower-powered version of the boom gun.
• Little Chopper is a jagged-edged hand axe with no special attributes except that it's swung by a big, strong, angry Norx.
• Little Blade is just a nasty long knife, used for thrusting or swinging.
• Bare Hands is limited to Linebackers and leaders. This means they grab an adversary, pick him up off the ground, and body-slam him. The attack roll involves the grab; if this succeeds, the throw always works. Only foot soldiers who aren't wearing powered armor can be grabbed and thrown. A Linebacker can fight bare-handed at any time, and return to using his weapons at will. Any other Norx who attacks the victim in the current combat phase, adds +1 to his attack rolls. But the same enemy units can't be successfully bare-hand-attacked twice in the same turn.

• Light weapons:
• Boom Gun: envision an elephant gun firing dum-dum bullets, and you've got a good idea of what the Boom Gun is all about. Some Norx tie a Little Blade under the barrel as a bayonet. If he does this, he can use the weapon either as a Boom Gun, or as a Little Blade that has a +1 attack-roll bonus, but not both in the same turn. This counts as the Norx's auxiliary hand weapon.
• Bang-Bang Gun is smaller than a boom gun but bigger than a pistol, and capable of automatic fire. It fires twice per turn, at the same hex or at two adjacent targets. This is the preferred weapon of Blimpy-Boys and Blitzers.
• Bomb Shooter can fire bang-bombs to a medium distance. You don't have to buy bombs to use this weapon.
• Big Chopper is an axe with an explosive charge on the edge. The explosive goes off the first time the Chopper hits a target, doing extra AP and damage. The axe still works as an axe after that.

• Medium weapons:
• Mikulla Killer is a large chain saw with diamond-hardened teeth, enabling it to cut through armor. Linebackers are very fond of this weapon.
• Fire-Gun is a flame thrower. It will destroy lightly-armored opponents at close range, but does little or nothing to armored targets and has a very short range. It gets +1 range if mounted in a vehicle.
• Triple Gun is three boom guns that fire together at the same target, popular among leader units. Roll for each hit separately.
• Stick-Shooter is a crossbow-type weapon that shoots Bang-Sticks to a fair range. You don't have to buy bang-sticks to use this weapon.

• Heavy weapons:
• Big Banger is the Norx idea of artillery. Its accuracy is nothing to write home about, but it is otherwise an impressive weapon. It is too heavy for Quarterbacks; only vehicles can use it.
• Lava Gun is a StarMarine plasma blaster design, stolen and Norxified. It fires a short-ranged ball of superheated matter/energy that can incinerate foot soldiers or melt the heaviest armor. If used against soldiers, consider it equivalent to a frag weapon. It gets +1 range if mounted in a vehicle.
• Rocket Launcher packs a hard punch over very great range. It's not very accurate, but the Norx usually shoot it into crowded areas where it's bound to hit something, even at the risk of hitting one of their own. When shooting a rocket, choose the target hex, then roll a die; it it comes up 1-3, it landed in the target hex. If not, roll on the Scatter Diagram to find out which hex the rocket hit. If there is only one unit (friend or foe) in that hex, that's the unit that got hit. If there is more than one unit in the hex, assign each a number and roll a die until some unit's number comes up; that's who got hit.
• Mortar lobs powerful shells to great range, if you don't care whether you hit your intended target or something else. It gets aimed exactly like the Rocket Launcher, except that it does not need a clear line-of-sight to its target because it can shoot over obstacles, and it is even less accurate. If a roll comes up 1-2, it hit the desired hex; if not, roll on the Scatter Diagram.

III-e. Vehicles

Name:	Big Bucket of Bolts
Type:	Large ground vehicle (walker)

This is a walking war machine controlled by a Quarterback pilot, who sees his mechanical monstrosity as a way to gain glory in the front lines without risking dismemberment. No two Buckets look the same. Each has as many as three arms with various weapons attached, one of which can be a heavy weapon. The pilot can fire all of them each turn, unless he uses a close-combat weapon, in which case that's the only one he can use that turn. Close-combat weapons will do +1 on AP rolls and +1 damage from the extra power the Bucket delivers. This is one of the few Norx units that carries real armor; it suffers an attack-roll adjustment of -1, rather than the usual -2, when attacked from the rear. They always operate independently.

Name:	Little Bucket of Bolts
Type:	Small ground vehicle (walker)

This is a smaller walker, driven by a Blocker. It carries only two weapons (subject to the same shots-per-turn limits as the Big Bucket) and isn't armored so well. But its lower cost makes it a good support unit for a full-sized Bucket, or to add punch to a foot-soldier battle that's bogging down. Close-combat weapons get +1 on AP rolls. They aren't required to operate together, but usually do so.

Name:	BattleTrike
Type:	Small ground vehicle

This is a fast, unarmored motorcycle with a weapon strapped to the frame. A BattleTrike comes with a driver, and can carry a Lineman shooter who can use his weapon to right or left while riding, at an attack-roll penalty of -1. The Lineman is exempt from separation checks, as long as he stays on or next to the Trike. BattleTrikes come in pairs.

Name:	DeathTrack
Type:	Small ground vehicle

This is a heavy weapon mounted in a half-track vehicle, which can fire into any arc except the rear. It can also carry up to two Linemen, Linebackers, or Little Refs who blaze away with their weapons to left, right or rear as the DeathTrack roars around the battlefield. You can go with a light/medium weapon and gain room for a third Lineman, or skip the DeathTrack weapons and have room for a full Linemen bunch, who can fire in any direction. The Linemen can mount and dismount at any time. The DeathTrack's armor is thin, and it isn't meant for front-line fighting, but try telling the Norx that...

Name:	Little Crunch
Type:	Large ground vehicle

This is a combined tank and personnel carrier. It carries one heavy weapon in a rotating turret, space inside for any bunch except Blimpy-Boys, and five firing ports where members of that bunch can shoot their own weapons (2 left, 2 right, 1 front; no heavy weapons). Its armor is thin for a tank, but thick for anything Norx.

Name:	Big Crunch
Type:	Large ground vehicle (supertank)

This is exactly what it sounds like. Their drivers have been known to withhold weapons fire so they could have the pleasure of running over their enemies. A Big Crunch has up to three turrets with medium or heavy weapons. One turret fires to the front, one to the left/back, and one to the right/back; this tank is meant to be surrounded by targets. In the front is the Crunch commander's weapon. The Big Crunch can carry two bunches of any kind except Blimpy-Boys, and along each side are three firing ports where the bunch members can bang away (no heavy weapons) without risk of return fire. It's slow, but for the Norx, getting there is half the fun. Big Crunches suffer a rear-shot penalty of -1, not the usual -2, to attack rolls when attacked from the rear.

IV. Game Tables

V. Revision History