Am I doing this right?

So here is my second try, I am thinking that the units are to expensive, but that is a different question. Are they made correctly, is the question for today.

My suggestion is to play a small game for mechanics. Start with a 500pt game. We have ran many of these over and over at conventions. They work great and keep the squad games small.

I think you have a solid idea on what you are doing and the rest is diving in and having fun.

Just a couple quick concepts to make certain we are on the same page.

Properties and Classes

Properties for items, powers, and natural weapons and defenses are a cap limiting lesser classes from having real powerful weapons etc. In general....... Level 1 classes are allowed 1 property, level 2 classes 2 properties. This of course varies between the domains and you sometimes have the options to raise these limits. Properties does not give you a phenotypic morph on its own. Properties is just what holds down the fort. This also allows for some domains to have higher maximum properties in different areas. Like for example Humanoids getting better opportunities to have better equipment or Insekts having more opportunities for better natural weapons and defenses.

FAQ and other resources.

There is a faq on the site that most likely will have your missing point costs for a trait. Also a good reference.

On faction building. Your first factions most likely will improve drastically once you build additional factions and see the game on the table. In the FAQ section there is a Combat Academy that is a real crash course that the playtesters laid out. Its a good read and may help break the learning curve.

Building 101

There is a great balance between being able to get all your traits in to make the best warriors you can and keeping things less expensive or efficient on the point costs. That balance will be different for everyone. In general higher point costed traits are better to be taken as class traits rather than faction traits.

It is most peoples first intention to pile on the traits with their first faction builds. This thins out with more experience. Use the prebuilt factions as kind of a guide on point values for your classes.

An in-house rule used on game nights here is that once a model is approaching 50pts it had best have a second wound available or be very hard to hit with high target numbers or very tough to survive most hits.

The Combat Academy has more of that kind of information and strategies in it.

So I think I am done with my first faction. It is mostly a test faction using miniatures I have on hand that work for the 1st Age so very limited in classes (Most of what I have will work great for 2nd or 3rd age). I am going to lay it out and if people see mistakes please let me know so I can learn what I did wrong so when I help the others in my group make there lists we do not do the same.

My list is using my Alien figures (drones and Queen) starting with domain Insecta - Sub Insekta. The basic bug is at its max of six traits, and 41 points per basic bug. Its traits are Classification Coeloptera, Classification Insecta Mobility, Exoskeleton 1st tier Insekt Carapace, Motion 1st tier Mobility, specialized natural weapons 1st tier Fierce Inskets, and last specialized natural weapons 2nd tier Deadly Attacker.

Now moving on to my first class a Level 1 (Drones) starting from my base (above), I went with Increased characteristic Movement, and Additional Properties under class options. The one trait I can take I went with Martial Learning. This brings the drone cost up to 60 points Now two things I want to make sure of here, the additional properties lets me add a level to the natural weapons/armor? Also on page 101 it says Squad Size: Increase Squad Size 2, I am guessing that means my squads are twice the size they would be normally?

Next up is my Level 2 class (Young Queen) here again I start from my base, I get to add one to a characteristic for free (I think as no cost is listed), then one trait (or two if go with the class option extra trait, and I did) taking Martial Learning and Large Beetles, for class options I went with the Extra Trait (Large Beetle), and additional Properties. This brings up the question of the ability Advanced Phenotypic Morph, if I do not have a more can I take it to get one, as it says add +1 to X of an existing morph? Total cost for this comes in at 73pts per.

Moving on to my Level 3 class (Queen) once more starting from base, I get to increase three characteristics for free (again unless I am missing something), and can take two traits (with two more able to be taken from class options). I went with Martial Learning, Large Beetle, Rigid Plating, and hard to kill, then for class options I went with Increase Wounds, Increase Attacks, Extra Traits, Advanced Natural Weapons, and Additional Properties. This brings the cost per unit to 220 points. Question I have here is starting with natural armor level 2 and adding two more to it, brings it up to a level 4, in the first age this is the max I can have (with out some outside modifier) correct? So if I had somehow gotten it to a level 5 it would in game play be dropped to level 4?

The last one that I made is a Level 5 class (Elder Queen) still starting from the base bug, increasing five characteristics for free. Going with the two traits (plus two more from class options) they are the same as the level 3 class. Other class options I went with are Increased Attacks, Advanced Natural Weapons, and additional Properties. So kind of a follow up question to the one from level 1 and 3, Advanced Phenotypic Morph adds +1 to the X of two existing Morphs, but if I do not have any does this let me get one? Then add to it? The Apex Predator ability that lets me give an ability +1, from a trait that I take I am assuming that if it is already +1 that makes it a +2? If this (added to what already have) was to bring it to a total bonus of +5 that would still be fine as the Maximum Age Bonus of +1 make +5 the max for this bug? Cost for this Bug is 342 points.

This is a far as I have gotten, my buddy and I are setting up our first test game for two days from now, just to see if we have got army building figured out, and can figure out game play (need to read the rules before then). So if you see where I made a mistake please let me know, thank you.

"Here it tells me that the cost is the base species + class traits, and I can add one trait for this class. So that means that my bug will cost 41pts + what ever trait (adding back the martial learning for 8pts)?"

Correct

Properties are a per item and only allow you to have more powerful items, but do not increase anything on their own.

"It also gives me the options of increasing a characteristic for 6pts, and natural weapons and defense maximum properties by 1 for +5pts."

Natural weapons and defenses is one thing, so +5 pts to do this.

Yep, 6pts to increase a characteristic.

Overall it looks like you have the concepts down.

OK, lets see. Essentially you selected your traits correctly, but a few too many. The bottom of page 90 is where I am at.

"You must take a minimum of three traits, up to a maximum of six traits for your species".

So out of those categories you will be selecting 3-6 traits in total.

0-3 of them out of the Classification and Order Traits

0-2 out of the Genetic Morphology

etc...

1. So yes, start off by picking a Classification, That gives you a starting set of characteristics.

2. Then start selecting your traits.

3. Lastly start working on some classes.

Once done with some classes your ready to play, or create another faction.