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OGRE Construction Set

by Tom Warner

Cybertank/CSA body list

min/max  cost defense
type              treads   (vp) limit
Mark I              5/15     3    8
Mark II            10/30     4   16
Mark III           25/45    23   40
CSA-10             30/48    23   37 (a)
Fencer             30/45    31   46
Ninja              20/40    15   30 (b,c)
Mark IV            25/60    19   38 (c)
Mark V             30/60    34   56
CSA-15             35/60    34   65 (a)
Mark VI            45/75    39   64

Equipment list:

cost defense
(vp) 
tread units                  1   -
geo propulsion units         1   - (d)
csa propulsion units         1   - (e)
cruise missiles             12   3 (f)
external missiles            1   3
internal missiles            1  1/2 (g)
air to air missiles          1   3 (e)
bombloads                    1   3 (e)
missile racks                6   4
main batteries/guns          8   4
secondary batteries/guns     4   3
d2 secondary batteries
(tertiary batteries)         3   2
antipersonnel                1   1
ap bombloads                 1   1 (e)
towing equipment             9   - (h)
"stealth" modifications    special (i)

Notes:

  • a) CSAs: aircraft/Ogre Magi/Flying Fortresses, a completely imaginary variant from The Ogre Book.
  • b) Ninja Ogre bodies are not automatically stealth-equipped. They are Mark III size equivalent for ramming and towing.
  • c) Ninja and Mark IV are not automatically ma4.
  • d) Only available for ground effect Ogres (geo's). One cannot mix different types of "tread" units. GEO propulsion units are targeted automatically at a 2-1. The total cost is multiplied by 4, in addition to any other modifiers if the Ogre is a geo.
  • e) For aircraft only.
  • f) Cruise missiles can be mounted externally only. Stats are: cruise missile (special/infinite;d3)
  • g) Internal missiles take up 1/2 defense factor each, despite the fact that they are stored inside.
  • h) Towing equipment has a defense of 8; this doesn't count, since it represents difficulty to hit rather than size.
  • i) Stealth modifications consist of ecm, eccm, and strengthening and addition of defensive weaponry. all attacks against stealth- equipped Ogres (except infantry overruns) are at a -1 to their die roll. The total cost of a stealth-equipped Ogre is multipled by 1.5 in addition to any other modifiers.

Step-by-step Ogre Construction

  1. Choose a body from the list. As an example, we'll choose a Mark VI body. It can mount up to 64 defense factors and costs 39 vp.
  2. Choose tread units or propulsion units between the minimum and maximum limits listed. The tread units must be divisible by the desired first phase movement (4 max) x 5. For geo's, the movement can be 4/3, 3/2, 2/1, or 1/0. Our example Ogre will have 60 propulsion units with an ma of 4/3 (it's a geo.)
  3. Load up on equipment, up to the listed defense limit. Our example Ogre will have 2 cruise missiles (24vp,d6), 2 missile racks (12vp,d8), 20 internal missiles (20vp,d10), 3 main batteries (24vp,d12), 8 tertiary batteries (24vp,d16), and 12 ap (12vp,d12), which adds up to d64, therefore, we're done...but we'll add stealth capability also. (see below)
  4. Add up the vp costs:
    • 2 cruise missiles 24
    • 2 missile racks 12
    • 20 internal missiles 20
    • 3 main batteries 24
    • 8 tertiary batteries 24
    • 12 antipersonnel 12
    • 60 propulsion units 60
    • mark vi body 39
    • – 215 vp
    Multiply by 4 if the Ogre is a GEO (this one is), then multiply by 1.1 if the Ogre has a 1st phase movement of 4 (this one does), then multiply by 1.5 if the Ogre is stealth equipped (this one is). Then divide by 6 to get to the armor unit cost of the ogre (round to the nearest .5). Ours comes out to be 1,419 vp and 236.5 armor units.
  5. Distribute the tread units evenly among the movement allowance. For our Ogre, it would be thus: 
    60 propulsion units starting at ma4/3 
ooooo ooooo ooooo (m3/2) 
ooooo ooooo ooooo (m2/1) 
ooooo ooooo ooooo (m1/0) 
ooooo ooooo ooooo (m0/0)
    For CSAs, this is done somewhat differently. The CSA movement must be determined by the number of propulsion units in relation to the maximum:
    • 1/4 of maximum propulsion units=ma1
    • 1/2 of maximum propulsion units=ma2
    • 3/4 of maximum propulsion units=ma3
    • maximum propulsion units=ma4
  6. Finally, draw up a record sheet.

Combine "Coelacanth" Ogre 

2 cruise missiles (special/infinite; D3)        OO
2 missile racks (D4)                            OO
20 internal missiles (6/5)     OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
3 main batteries (4/3;D4)                      OOO
8 tertiary batteries (3/2;D2)             OOOOOOOO
12 antipersonnel (1/1;D1)              OOOOOOOOOOOO
60 propulsion units starting at 4/3 MA

ooooo ooooo ooooo (m3/2) 
ooooo ooooo ooooo (m2/1) 
ooooo ooooo ooooo (m1/0) 
ooooo ooooo ooooo (m0/0)

And there you have it, another device to terrorize the mindless infantry of Ogre/G.E.V.! (Note: no matter what, the Mark I cannot have ma4. This is perfectly normal and nothing to be ashamed of.)

Tom Warner, March 1988

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