MARTIAN ROYAL TRIPODS AND MACHINES

The origin of the term “Royal” as applied to Martian tripods is lost to a battle field somewhere. Martians do not actually
have any “Royalty” , but the gold color of the new alloy used on some of the se more advanced and experimental tripods
has imparted to the average dough boy that these machines are special and therefore the term “royal” has stuck.

Royal machines come in many forms and have the common element of the gold, or more accurately copper ti nged alloy
from which they are made. These Martian machines are the first to be made from the new Martian factories being built
on earth. The Martians extract metals from the soil and use very large and advanced furnaces to process it into Martian
metal. This earth-made Martian metal is nearly identical in structure and attributes to metal made and brought from
Mars, but it is suspected that the higher oxygen content of Earth’s atmosphere lends a red or copper tint to the metal
when manufactured .

In addition to these machines strange color, many have new upgrades and improvements to the original Martian
Fighting Machines.

The Royal Scientist

Much taller than a typical scientist tripod, the Royal Scientist has new equipment and attributes. It has two new we apon
features. The first and most visible is the dreaded Heat Saw. This device uses a limited length heat ray of extreme
intensity to cut through buildings and fortifications as well as slicing through the toughest human armor with ease. The
second most deadly new weapon is the Virus bomb. The first of the Martian biological weapons, this insidious device
almost instantly turns its victims into raging lunatics that attack anyone else nearby, friend or foe, and spreads the virus
even further. These victims are known as “Ragers” by human forces. The Royal Scientistalso retains all the other
attributes of a standard scientist tripod.

Royal Scientist Tripod

Unit: 1 element

Points per unit: 120

Type Speed Defense Armor Special

Tripod 5” 6 10 See Below

Weaponry Range Power Special

Heavy Heat Ray 30”/15” +4/+3 Sweep (see page 62)

Virus Bomb 15” +1 Special See Below

Heat Saw Assault +7

Reaper Claw x2 Assault +5 Reaper Claw

Tripod

When a Tripod suffers one or more points of damage from an atta ck, roll on the Tripod Damage Resolution Chart to
determine what happens. See page 48.

Virus Canister

The virus canister, or “infector” as soldiers sometimes call it, is truly an insidious weapon of horror. The Royal Scientist
carries the large version. It plucks the bomb from its lower carapace and can hurl it up to 15”. On impact, it bursts,
spreading a giant purple cloud of fine virus particles. The Royal Scientist Player nominates a target point within the 15”
range and rolls to hit as normal. If the hit is successful, a damage marker is placed at the impact point. Any human units
within 5” of the marker take a damage roll with a Power 2 modifier. Any human elements, including those in tanks,
building or fortifications that are withinits strike radius of 5” are eligible targets. If the damage roll is successful, the
human element is immediately replaced with a stand of Ragers.
Ragers

A human element that is converted into a stand of Ragers is no longer under the human player’s control. Instead, on the
next turn and all subsequent turns until the Rager element is destroyed, the Rager element automatically charges to
Assault the nearest unit, friend or foe, during both the Martian player’s turn and the human player ’s turn.

Ragers

Unit: 1 Element

Points per Unit: None

Type Speed Defense Armor Special

Infantry 4” 4 6” Assault nearest element

Weaponry Range Power Special

Bite kick and claw! Assault +1 Create More Ragers

If a Rager element wins an Assault, any human element it destroys is replaced with a new stand of Ragers.

Ragers will attack Martians andLobototons, but do not convert these elements into more Ragers.

Note : All human casualties caused by Ragers are considered destroyed and all applicable morale and other rules apply
just as if the element was destroyed in a more conventional way.

Heat Saw

The Heat Saw is a powerful tool that makes a very effective close assault weapon. It can cut through concrete and
armor with equal ease with a +7 Power level. It cannot be used with Reaper Claws or Reaper tentacles on the same
turn.

Reaper Claw s

The Royal ScientistTripod has two especially large and powerful tentacle s designed for ripping apart human
constructions such as buildings an d defense works. The Royal Scientist can use its Reaper Claw s OR its Heat Sawwhen it
makes an assault. It cannot use its Reaper Claw s and Heat Saw at the same time.
Experimental Machine

If the Martian force includes one or more Scientist Tripods, a single Assault Tripod can be rated as an expe rimental
model with improved performance. Roll a die at the start of the game to determine which enhancements have been
built into the Tripod.

Score Result
1 –3 Speed increased to 10”
4 –6 Range of Heat Ray increased to 40” with 20” sweep
7 –9 Power of Heat Ray increased to +5 and +4 for sweep
0 Armor increased to 12

Lobototon Convertor

The Scientist Tripod is able to process human casualties and turn them into one unit of Lobototon troops (three
elements). The Scientist can only do this if the force also includes a Harvester Tripod or a Gatherer Tripod, and can only
do it one time in the battle. Once the Harvester or Gatherer has captured at least three elements of human infantry, the
Scientist can process these into a unit of Lobototons, as long as it is within 6” of the Harvester or Gatherer at the start o f
the player’s turn.

The Lobototons are deployed at the start of the second move phase, within 6” of the Scientist Tripod and not within 1”
of any other unit – friend or foe. The Lobototons can move in the phase they are deployed. Note that creating
Lobototons in this way does not reduce the ‘tally’ of human captives where these are an objective for the scenario –
captives rema in captives even if turned into Lobototons that are subsequently destroyed. For rules and stats for
Lobototons, see page 127.

Ragers CAN be converted into Lobot otons by winning against them in an Assault with a Royal or standard Scientist
Tripod.

Royal Viral Shock Drones

Viral Shock Drones are armed with a canister launcher that lobs small virus bombs. These smaller bombs do not have
the large radius of effect like heavy canisters lobbed by Royal Scientists, but are deadly none the less especially in large
numbers of six or more. They fire on single elements and do not use a barrage template like regular shock drones, but
they are more accurate.

Like most Martian missile firing machines,they benefit greatly when their targets are illuminated by targeters such as
those found on Scout Tripods and Sneak Drones .

Royal Viral Shock Drones

Unit: 3 Elements

Points per unit: 80

Type Speed Defense Armor Special

Infantry 6” 6 7 Drones

Weaponry Range Power Special

Medium Launcher

Virus Bomb 20” +1 Virus Bomb

Virus Bomb

If the hit is successful, a damage roll is made with +1 Power modifier. Any human elements, including those in tanks,
building or fortifications are eligible targets. If the damage roll is successful, the human element is immediately replaced
with a stand of Ragers. See Ragers under the Royal Scientist.