Martian Empires

The original softback printed copy of Martian Empires, first published in 2007.

Martian Empires is a set of fast-play wargames rules for Victorian Science Fiction Games using 15mm to 18mm figures. It accompanies the Martian Empires range of 18mm figures sold by Fighting 15s.

The rules are in full colour throughout and run to 52 pages plus the cover. They include the full rules, army lists and five scenarios. A separate supplement that contains errata and Lizardmen stats for the Venus Expedition is available free of charge.

The ISBN for Martian Empires is: 978-0-9555686-0-2

Martian Empires uses the Huzzah! orders system, whereby leaders (characters) give units orders to advance, retire, manoeuvre or deploy. Success is based on the character’s Command Factor. Units may receive multiple orders each turn, up to the point where a character fails an order or moves onto another unit. Armies with good leaders quite simply get more done.

Fire and close combat work on the basis of Huzzah!’s unit-based, not stand-based, factors. In Martian Empires, however, the size of units adjusts the Fire Factor or Combat Factor. Combat uses contested 2d6 rolls, with the winning unit being the one that rolls the biggest successful difference between its modified Combat Factor and the result on the dice. Hits depend on the difference between modified Fire or Combat Factors and the result on the dice. There are no saving throws. Bases take different numbers of hits depending on unit type, and casualties are measured in terms of whole bases.

Mechanics use two six-sided dice throughout, with a 2 always being a success and an 11 or 12 being a failure.

Most bases in the game are 4cm by 4cm, with the only exception apart from vehicles being regular Earth infantry on 4cm by 2cm bases.