A Progression of Bots - Escalating Deployment by the Machines

3-D printed Bots (sourced from Thingiverse and a friend) stalking the streets for human survivors

When I decided to do post-apocalyptic gaming, I settled on a world inspired by the Terminator movies. To be honest, I wasn't 100% sure I'd persevere with the project. Nor was I positive that I or my players would actually enjoy the games. So, I defaulted to my usual mode of "Let's Source the Miniatures on the Cheap!" I'm sure most would agree there's nothing inherently wrong with being thrifty. Those who are painters first, players second, might choose to go with the cooler and more expensive miniatures. Myself, if I can get acceptable miniatures for my games on the cheap, I will!

    The first level of response from the Machines -- rolling Scout Bots, lightly armed and armored

So, I began by visiting Thingiverse and seeing what they had available. I picked out some 3-D models I liked and sent the links off to my friend Joe, who has a printer. He agreed to print them up for me for at an affordable cost. Joe's printer isn't the newest, fanciest, or the highest quality. So, you get what you pay for, which in his case, is VERY affordable. He asked me for some guidelines on size and then went ahead and printed them off. Thanks, Joe!

    If the Scout Bots confirm human activity, these retro-looking Sentry Bots are dispatched to the scene

My idea is that the Machines artificial intelligence has both visual and audio surveillance going on all the time. Sounds of gunfire or what looks like muzzle flashes on video will lead them to dispatch a Scout Bot. These one-wheeled automatons are lightly armored and armed. Their optics on the scene are instantaneously relayed back to the Machines AI, though, who then will usually order forward the next level of response if necessary. I painted the bodies of the Bots in metallic colors, also giving them a company logo. My rationale is the Scout Bots were designed by human companies before the machines went sentient and took over control of them. In "pre-apocalypse" times, they were meant to be deployed in dangerous sections of human cities, rolling along the asphalt roads on their solid rubber tires.

    The Sentry Bots have been fitted by the Machines AI with light machine guns and prowl the cities

The next level of response sent in by the machines are the Sentry Bots. These vaguely humanoid -- and very retro looking -- mechanical sentries are better armed and armored. I saw these prints on Thingiverse and loved them! I painted them in gleaming metallics, hoping to evoke the essence of the shining, metal-skinned Terminators in the movies. Each carries a light machine gun, and I envision them as being modular sentry robots built by human companies pre-apocalypse to be equipped in various ways. The Machines AI has converted them all to the heaviest armament available on their frame. They are meant to scour the streets, or patrol the perimeters of Machine bases. Sometimes, the mere presence of these gleaming bots arriving on the scene will cause human survivors to scatter. Besides, no one wants to be around if the next level of response is triggered!

    The Military Bots are next to appear on a scene, and have machine guns in each mechanical arm

That third level is the Military Bot. Vaguely "BattleTech looking," these machines are capable of wiping out multiple figures at one time with their burst fire machine guns housed inside their arms. In our first three games, they've appeared only once. Usually, the player gangs have high-tailed it off the table by that time. I envision these as being designed for the military pre-apocalypse. Little modifications were needed by the Machines, as they were already meant to be ambulatory hunter-killers to assist the firepower of conventional forces. 

    Woe betide the character caught still on the tabletop when a Destroyer Bot stomps onto the table!

And finally, the highest level of response is the Destroyer Bot. This is definitely in the "big stompy robot" category of weapons. For my games, these are designed to be able to target and destroy any stubborn characters who are unwilling to sensibly flee the table when the Machines bots begin arriving. So far, I have painted only one of these, as I can't envision a need for more than one in my skirmish, post-apoc games. I imagine that one day one of these will actually show up on the battlefield. However, it has yet to happen. It was probably the cleanest of the 3-D prints and I really like how it painted up. That metallic dark red is a really cool color of craft paint from Hobby Lobby. I wish I'd picked it up earlier when I first began painting up these bots!

    I really like the dark metallic red and pewter/gun metal color scheme on this big stompy robot!

One thing I haven't mentioned in this post is I actually give control of each Bot that appears to a player. It is typically given to the player who has lost the most figures, so far, in the scenario. I trigger the arrival of the Bots based on the losses the players have collectively suffered, so far. At 10%, a Scout Bot appears. At 20%, a Sentry Bot. At 30%, one Military Bot shows up. If we ever get to 40% losses suffered in a game, then a Destroyer Bot will lumber onto the table. Players begin the game controlling four of their own figures from their gang. So, if there are 6 players (24 total), the first Scout Bot rolls onto the table edge at the end of the turn in which three casualties have been suffered. 

    I staged all of my Bots I've painted onto the urban tabletop terrain I used for our third scenario

I like giving control of the Bots to players as that gives them a chance to inflict "payback," or clip the wings of a faction that is flying high in a scenario. To encourage even more bloodthirstiness, they receive victory points for any casualties inflicted by "their" Bot! I make it clear, though, they will target the closest human figure. Of course, taking out Bots themselves are also worth victory points for players. What's more, a downed bot becomes a scavenge point where figures can pry off ammunition, weapons, or even optics. All in all, I think the Bots add a nice flavor to my post-apocalyptic games. The players have fun controlling them, and there's always laughter and good-natured ribbing when a Bot appears behind an opponent's troops, stalking them.