Subject: Rivets variant

Here's a variant for Rivets designed to be played on the Helltank map. It adds
a new BOPPER type (the Salvage BOPPER), and rules for scavenging ruins for
salvage and for recycling destroyed BOPPERS. Comments & questions welcome.


RiViTs: II - The Salvage Wars

New Terrain

Hills - Ground units must pay 2 MP to enter a hill hex.

Slopes - Ground units must pay one extra MP when crossing a slope hexside
to a higher elevation.

Ruins - Ground units must pay 2 MP to enter a ruins (town/city) hex.
The combat strength of all ground units in ruins hexes is doubled.

Roads - A ground unit may move an extra hex if its entire move is along a
road. The extra hex must also be along the road.

Canal - All ground units except LBs must stop upon entering a canal hex.
It costs an LB 2 MP to enter a canal hex from a non-canal hex.
It costs an LB 1 MP to enter a canal hex from another canal hex.
It costs an LB 1 additional MP when moving to a non-canal hex from
a canal hex.
The combat strength of all ground units except LBs in canal hexes
is halved.

Cliffs - Impassable to ground units.

All units may move 1 hex per turn, regardless of MP cost, as long as they do
not enter impassable terrain.


Resource Points

Instead of assuming that BCPCs have unlimited resources with which to construct
BOPPERs, each begins the game with a number of Resource Points (RPs). Building
a BOPPER uses up a number of RPs equal to its combat strength. A BCPC's Build
Point rating represents the number of RPs it can assemble into BOPPERs each
turn.


Optional Missile Rule

Missiles must be built. 1 RP can make 6 missiles of any type or combination of
types.


Salvage Chits

Salvage chits represent the ruins of used car lots, home appliance stores,
hardware stores, junkyards, electronics stores and other sites rich in
materials capable of being recycled into BOPPERs. Each has a letter signifying
the quality of the salvage to be found there, 'A' being the best, 'D' the
worst. Salvage chits can be picked up by Salvage BOPPERs (SBs) and brought into
a BCPC to be processed into RPs.

When a SB picks up a salvage chit, determine whether the site's quality has
declined by rolling a die and cross-indexing the result with the chit's letter
on the following table. This represents the gradual depletion of resources as
they are salvaged.

A B C D
1-3 A B C D
4,5 B C D -
6 C D - -

A letter indicates the site's new quality; place a new salvage chit with the
appropriate letter in the hex. A '-' means the site is played out; no more
salvage may be obtained there.


Wrecks

When a BOPPER is destroyed, flip its counter over. It is now a wreck, and can
be towed to a BCPC to be processed into RPs.


Salvage BOPPER(SB)

Salvage BOPPERs are large, slow-moving units capable of carrying heavy loads.
They are equipped with a towing rig for towing the wrecks of destroyed BOPPERs.
The rig doubles as a crane, which they use to fill their cargo bins with
salvage. They also have manipulator arms equipped with cutters, buzzsaws,
jackhammers, etc., which they use to scrounge through ruins in search of useful
items and to cut them into manageable pieces. These accessories make them
formidable in close combat, compensating somewhat for their lack of armament.
SBs may not be programmed to attack.

Combat Strength: 2
Movement Allowance: 2

SBs cost 4 RPs to build, as they are rather large.

A SB may pick up a salvage chit if it spends an entire friendly movement
phase in the chit's hex.

A SB may tow wrecked BOPPERs during its move. Whenever it is in the same
hex as a wreck, it may carry the wreck with it at no extra cost. Only one
wreck may be towed at a time.

A SB may unload salvage and drop off wrecks anytime during its move.

A SB may carry up to 6 RPs; if it is carrying RPs, it may not pick up
salvage chits. It may still tow wrecks. It may be loaded with RPs
whenever it is inside a BCPC, if it didn't also unload salvage or RPs the
same turn.


Processing salvage chits and wrecks

BCPCs may process salvage chits and wrecks into RPs during the build phase. A
BCPC must spend 6 Build Points to process a salvage chit. It costs a number of
BPs equal to the unit's combat strength to process a wreck. No RPs are used
when processing salvage or wrecks. Once the BCPC is finished processing a chit
or wreck, roll a die and cross index the result with the type of chit on the
following table to determine how many RPs are gained:

type of chit*

A B C D
1 5 4 3 2
2 4 3 2 1
3 4 3 2 1
4 3 2 1 1
5 3 2 1 0
6+ 2 1 0 0

*A BB wreck is treated as an 'A' chit. A wrecked SB is treated as a 'B'
chit. A JB wreck is treated as a 'C' chit. A RB wreck is treated as a 'D'
chit. Wrecked LBs and TBs are treated as 'D' chits, but with 1 added to
the roll. A DB is treated as an 'A' chit, but 1 is added to the number of
RPs received.


Scenarios

Learning Scenario: Each player begins the game with 40 RPs, up to 30 of
which can be used to build their starting forces. Otherwise, the scenario is
the same as in the standard rules.

Basic Scenario: Each player begins the game with 48 RPs, up to 36 of which
can be used to build their starting forces. Otherwise, the scenario is the
same as in the standard rules.

Intermediate Scenario: Each player begins the game with 64 RPs, up to 48 of
which can be used to build their starting forces. Otherwise, the scenario is
the same as in the standard rules.

Advanced Scenario: Each player begins the game with 80 RPs, up to 60 of which
can be used to build their starting forces. Otherwise, the scenario is the
same as in the standard rules.

Map Set-up

Use the map from Helltank.

20 salvage chits are needed: 5 'A', 5 'B', 5 'C', and 5 'D'

Mix all the salvage chits together face down.

Taking turns, each player selects a chit randomly and places it face up in
a ruins hex. Each of the first four chits must be placed in one of the
following hexes:

the Plant
the Ag. Station
the Soya Hut
the Manor

The players are free to place the remaining chits in any ruins hex on the
map that doesn't already contain one. If possible, each must be placed at
least two hexes away from any chits already on the map.

BCPC placement

Use standard Rivets set up: high roller chooses north or south map edge,
sets up and moves first, etc. BCPCs are placed as usual (within 5 hexes
of player's map edge, in clear a hex surrounded by clear hexes).