The Hive

.

Manufacturer: Spugs from Spriggan Miniatures; Spug vehicles from Ground Zero Games; Space Bugs from Highlander Studios Inc; Space Bug vehicles from Pendraken; Vespulid Swarm from Khurasan Miniatures.

Races: The Spug; Space Bugs; The Vespulid Swarm; Force Composition; Card Allocation

"The Hive" is the collective entity made up of a variety of different races of insect-like aliens. No-one quite knows how or why the Hive works as it does, but the different races are both allied to each other, often almost symbiotically, yet are also constantly in a state of internal strife that often breaks out into full-blown war. On one side of the galaxy, for example, the Spug and the Vespulids might be working together to conquer a planet, yet on the other side of the galaxy the two factions might be locked in a bitter war for supremacy over another. 

All that the rest of the universe knows is that it is good that the Hive never finally combines as one mind, for if they stopped fighting themselves, nothing could stop them conquering all.

The Spug

Tech Level:  3

Description:  Spriggan’s Spugs are a range of space bugs (hence Spugs) that are variously described as being like locusts, grasshoppers or cockroaches in nature. They are really insect-like humanoids rather than true Bugs, and certainly consider themselves the most sophisticated of the Hive races ("six legs good, two legs better").

Spugs employ shard guns and toxcannons as infantry weapons, supporting them with vehicles using a multiple leg walker system and aircraft using a VTOL lift system. Each squad of drones is led by an Alpha Drone, with Omega Drones providing a higher level of leadership. Although only drone squads, heavy support weapons and scout jetbike squads have been encountered so far, rumours abound of other technologies in use: jumpspugs, exo-skeltons, powered armour and sophisticated scanning systems.

 Infantry

• Spug Scout Bikes count as LLV vehicles, moving double Initiative Dice and ignoring all obstacles up to low tree-top height. 

 4-man DF Both

 2-man DF Bolt Autogun

 4-man IF Boom

 2-man DF Bolt Autogun

 6-man DF Both

 2-man DF Bolt Autogun

 10-man IF Boom

 2-man DF Bolt Autogun

• Walkers may fire only one of their weapons in the same turn.

The Space Bugs

Tech Level:  1

Description:  The Space Bugs from Highlander Studios Inc are proper four-legged bugs, although they have evolved to stand upright. Current belief is that they are fairly unsophisticated in nature: generally employed as expendable "grunt" infantry by the other Hive races.

Space Bug Squads are led by Brain Bugs, and generally have one grenadier, one support weapon operator, and up to eight standard Space Bug troopers (but usually five).

Vehicles come from the Pendraken 10mm sci-fi range, and feature either tripods or 6-legged scout crawlers. Both are living bugs with cybernetic parts melded on.

 Infantry

• Space Bug squads generally have one Brain Bug, one grenadier, one support weapon operator, and up to eight standard Space Bug troopers (but usually five).

The Vespulid Swarm

Tech Level: 3

Description: Vespulids are predatory hive entomalians who evolved from a species nearly identical to the earth wasp, and have reached sentience. Capable now of sophisticated technology, they hunt using enhancements such as permanently installed rocket packs which replace the wings of the warrior for greater flight power, and ion weapons to stun even the toughest foe so he may be carried back to the larva in the hive, as food for these ravenous maggots.

At the center of every swarm is a drone, the only males in the hive. Upon reaching sentience, the Vespulids understood the military value of these huge creatures and they provide greater firepower and an awesome close combat ability. In addition to using two ion shotguns at the same time, each Drone has an ion mortar mounted on his rocket pack which is loaded with one massive ion charge that can short out a tank or incapacitate an entire squad of prey. And a Drone can effortly snip off the head of the toughest enemy with one great slam of its massive mandibles. The Drone's imperious nature permits it to control the Warriors of the swarm using pheromones. IN GYFTOOMF, the Drone counts as both the squad leader and the squad's LSW.

Not suited temperamentally to anything but a fierce onrush, the Vespulids rely on a furious rocket pack assault to get right in amongst their prey and shock them using massive ion blasts. Each warrior retains her stinger and mandibles, making her a redoubtable close combat foe. Vespulids do not use vehicles but two of each swarm carries a tank controller, a sophisticated device which will adhere to any surface and permits the Vespulid to take control of the weapons system, much as non-sentient wasps will take control of a much larger host's body. 

Infantry

• Vespulid squads, known as Swarm, consist of eight troopers and a Drone, this latter considerably larger than the troopers and armed with a light ion mortar mounted on his rocket pack.

• Vespulid Swarm move like HEL, but only triple Initiative Dice rather than a helicopter-like vehicle's unlimited move. Note that you will need some kind of marker to indicate where above the table a swarm is if not affecting it!

• Vespulid Swarm attacks on tanks count as EMP attacks i.e. the target vehicle is only able to count half its armour against the attack.

• If a Vespulid Swarm moves into base-to-base contact with an enemy vehicle that is largely controlled by computers (certainly anything Tech 3 and above, maybe Tech 1 and 2 as well) then until that squad is reduced to zero initiative dice (ID) it may attempt to assume control of that vehicle. Each time the Swarm's card appears, it may roll a d6 to assume control, succeeding on a 5 or a 6. If control is assumed, then any other ID left to the Swarm may be used to activate the vehicle, even if the vehicle has already had its go that turn. Control must be reassumed each turn. e.g. a Pelagic MOW/MBT has come into contact with a Swarm that has planted a controller. The Swarm's card comes up, they have 4ID of actions. They decide to try and assume control, rolling a 4 on their first attempt, a failure; but a 5 on their next, a success. The Swarm may now "give" their remaining two ID to the tank: ramming into another MOW or perhaps even firing its gun on its colleagues!

Force Composition

Spug Leg Infantry Company

 Company HQ

 1 x Omega Drone

 1st Platoon

 1 x Omega Drone

 4 x Spug Drone Squad (each 8 x Spug)

 [1 x Alpha Drone; 1 x Light Support Weapon; 6 x Spug]

 2nd Platoon

 1 x Omega Drone

 4 x Spug Drone Squad (each 8 x Spug)

 [1 x Alpha Drone; 1 x Light Support Weapon; 6 x Spug]

 3rd Platoon

 1 x Omega Drone

 4 x Spug Drone Squad (each 8 x Spug)

 [1 x Alpha Drone; 1 x Light Support Weapon; 6 x Spug]

Spug Battalion Support Units

 Heavy Support Weapon Platoon

 6 x Spug Heavy Support Weapon (3-man DF Autogun) split into three squads of two HSWs each

 3 x Scout Bike Squad (each 8 x Spug on jet bikes)

 2 x 4-Leg Mobile Artillery

 1 x 4-Leg Mobile Rocket Launcher

• Spug battalions consist of three companies of Leg Infantry supported by a Heavy Support Weapon platoon, a Scout Bike Platoon, and a 4-Leg Walker Platoon. 

Other Spug Support Units

 3 x 8-Leg Tank

 2 x 8-Leg Mobile Artillery

 3 x Ground Attack Gunship

• Spug 8-Leg Walkers and Ground Attack Wings are organised into independent squadrons of four platoons plus two HQ vehicles, and operate either en masse or with individual platoons attached to a particular force.

Space Bug Infantry Company

 Company HQ

 1 x Brain Bug

 1st Platoon

 1 x Brain Bug

 3 x Space Bug Squad (each 8+ Space Bug)

 [1 x Leader; 1 x Squad Support Weapon; 1 x Grenade Launcher; 5-8 x Space Bug]

 2nd Platoon

 1 x Brain Bug

 3 x Space Bug Squad (each 8+ Space Bug)

 [1 x Leader; 1 x Squad Support Weapon; 1 x Grenade Launcher; 5-8 x Space Bug]

 3rd Platoon

 1 x Brain Bug

 3 x Space Bug Squad (each 8+ Space Bug)

 [1 x Leader; 1 x Squad Support Weapon; 1 x Grenade Launcher; 5-8 x Space Bug]

• As far as can be ascertained, Space Bug Companies have no higher level of organisation, being numbered I, II, III through to whatever, and grouped in an ad hoc manner as required (various words are used for groups of Space Bug Companies: Clutches, Swarms, Nests...take your pick).

Other Space Bug Support Units

 Tripod Platoon

 3-6 x Tripod (any combination of large and small tripods)

 Scout Walker Platoon

 2-4 x Scout Walker

• Space Bug tripod and walker platoons do not seem to have any higher levels of organisation, but are attached to particular Brain Bugs at the Company HQ level.

Vespulid Infantry Company

Company HQ

1 x Drone

3 x Heavy Ion Mortar (3-man IF Boom)

1st Platoon

1 x Drone

3 x Vespulid Swarm (each 8 x Female and 1 x Drone)

2nd Platoon

1 x Drone

3 x Vespulid Swarm (each 8 x Female and 1 x Drone)

3rd Platoon

1 x Drone

3 x Vespulid Swarm (each 8 x Female and 1 x Drone)

Card Allocation

One card is included in the pack for each platoon present.  One card should also be included for each support platoon present.  

Each Spug platoon and support platoon is commanded by an Omega Drone, with one more for the Company HQ. Spug 4-leg walkers almost always operate in an infantry support role, hence why their platoons consist of a mixture of direct and indirect fire weapons. 

Space Bug units have one Brain Bug present for each platoon and one more in the Company HQ.

Vespulid units have one command Drone present for each platoon and one more in the Company HQ.

Spug Cards

Scout Bike Bonus Move:  always applies when Spug Jet Bikes are deployed.

Air Support: applies when a Spug Ground Attack Wing is available.

Off Table Artillery: applies when Spug Mobile Rocket Launchers are operating off-table.

Rally: always applies to Spug forces.

HSW Bonus Fire:  applies to any Spug HSW firing dug in from a prepared position.

Space Bug Cards

Rally: always applies to Space Bug forces.

Vespulid Cards

Bonus Move: any one Vespulid Swarm receives a bonus movement (move only: no firing)

Rally: always applies to Vespulid forces.

Vehicle Control Bonus:  any one Swarm that has attached a controller to an enemy vehicle may attempt an extra control and then actions.