Thursday's Game

Inspired by the recent weather in Winnipeg, we go to the North African Desert in May, 1942. The Desert Fox has unleashed “Operation Venezia” against the 8th Army’s Gazala line. Rommel’s Afrika Korps has out-flanked General Auchinleck’s defences, and is pushing north-east. The game will feature troops from the British 7th Armoured Division defending a small village in an effort to stall the advance of the 21st Panzer Division. Will the new Grant lend-lease tanks make a difference against the Germans?

Come fill the desert with burning tanks as we play Flames of War, 15mm World War II.

Progress on Recent Projects - Commies, BAOR, 8th Army

Shamed by Dallas's recent postings of rapid progress on different projects, here are some new additions from my work bench.

This is a 1/56 scale BRDM AT-5 "Spandrel" ATGW vehicle used by the Soviet-era forces for anti-tank duties. The model is from Sloppy Jalopy, a company with which I have a 60/40 love-hate view. The figure beside it is one of the "Chemical Commies" from Eureka's 25mm Soviets in NBC gear line, and it gives you an idea of the size of the model.



Another big project has been to complete some British Army Of the Rhine (BAOR) figures. I can't even recall why I ordered them at all - probably to get the brits into the modern gaming, but then Mike F came into it in a big way, so I lost momentum. I had finished about 10 of the guys last year, and then found another 24 or so in my "pending" box. I don't really need them, but hey - why stop now?

They are from Mongrel Miniatures, and are appropriate for the 80's era. The lineup is great - they have everything from GPMGs and mortars to recoil-less rifles and MILAN teams. Compared to Eureka's half-job on the Bundeswehr line (lots of MGs, no ATGW, mortars etc) it's awesome. Only problem is that a key supplier of vehicles for this scale and army - Chieftain models - appears to have gone completely off-line recently. In particular, Chieftain provided things like Chieftain tanks (appropriately enough) as well as Scimitar recon vehicles. Sloppy Jalopy can provide FV-432 APCs, so I will probably get some of those at one point, but without armour, they will have to rely on the MILANs.





Here is a work-in-progress of the "Swingfire" ATGW I ordered from Chieftain a year ago. It is the only vehicle I have to support these guys. Keeping with the finest British vehicle tradition, it is pretty awful - sardine can small, like a modern version of a Bren carrier with MILANs. Still, it should help against the Russian tanks.



It would be fun to use these guys for a "Berlin 85" or something like that. Still, Mike F has a much cooler modern Brit layout in terms of infantry with tanks and APCs, so maybe I will try to get these guys involved in a Falklands game. After all, I think the MoFo guys do a range of Argentine Marines, and you would not need vehicles for the Falklands.

Last but not least, I have been working on 15mm WW2 stuff for the desert. I started three years ago with the Afrika Korps guys, and have a substantial chunk of them done, and have recently moved on to the 8th army. The Brits will now have some Vickers MGs to back them up!



I find that the more I paint infantry models by Battlefront, the less I like them. I utterly despise the foot-thick wad of pewter at the base of every casting (makes basing much harder than it needs to be), and the features are bizarre. On the other hand, their range is pretty complete, it's easy to get, relatively cheap in some cases, and until I can sculpt my own figures, maybe I should just shut up?

Anyway, I hope to have these sorts of things coming to a table near you all very soon! Since it's so frigging cold, I look forward to some battles in the North African desert in particular.

Pig Iron Project

A while back I posted some "in progress" shots of my Pig Iron Kolony Militia project. Now that they are done (and have been for a week or so) I thought I'd post a final "portrait" of the crew with their converted SU-300 self-propelled assault gun. Since the last update I had finished the groundwork, painted the eyepieces using a simple "gem" technique and a gloss varnish and did some general touch up and matt varnishing. The standard bearer has yet to be given his "red rag" but Brian assures me it's coming and I know it will be top-class work - he is the man behind Vaubanner Graphics (http://www.mts.net/~homenic1/vaubanner/vaubandex.html), purveyors of top-quality historical wargames flags.

This was a pretty fun project and I think I will be adding to the "army" with another booster pack of ten models to fill out the platoon to a full strength of 32.

Spice Mines of Kessel, here we come

Sollaest, Corellia System, Imperial News Service -

Notorious smuggler, rebel and terrorist Han Solo was captured by Imperial authorities yesterday after an intense gun battle.

Solo and his terror gang had stolen valuable datacards from the Imperial archive at the Sollaestian University in Sollaest City. The heist coincided with a general insurgency by fringe elements on the planet, which was swiftly put down by a fresh surge of Imperial troops dispatched to assist the Sollaestian armed forces in maintaining order.

Captured along with Solo were his Wookiee associate, Chewbacca, along with several other notorious mercenaries and guns-for-hire collaborating with the insurgents. Solo's ship, the Millennium Falcon, was also taken by Imperial forces and will be held as evidence in the civil trials expected to be brought by Solo's many victims.

Solo, a one-time fighter pilot and deserter from the Imperial Navy, was tried summarily by court-martial aboard the Star Destroyer Contemptor and sentenced to 99 standard years' hard labour in the Spice Mines of Kessel.

-------------------

Excellent turnout last night for the Star Wars game. Bill, Frederick, Mike F., and Perry took the part of the Imperial forces and Sollaestian authorities (for which I used Rebel Fleet Troopers as models) while Cam, Wes, Mike B. and Brian controlled Solo and his "terror gang" (mostly low-level Fringe characters with some hard men included in the form of bounty hunters).

the table

The terrain layout represented a portion of a University campus with many Star-Warsy-looking buildings with some green space and trees here and there, on a 6'x4' table. The Millennium Falcon was set on one corner of the table in a small park, with half of the "rebel" forces. Solo and Chewie, along with the rest of the rebels, started in the opposite corner with their objective being for both of them to reach the Falcon (major victory) or for Han to get there by himself (minor victory). The Imperials started off deploying from the long table edges between Solo and the Falcon, their goal being to prevent the victory conditions.

"our founder" on the quad

Imperials: "where's Solo?" 3PO: "Over heeere!"

Chewie walks right into it

Here they come...

The game quickly developed into two battles: Solo and Chewie vs. one half of the Imperials, and the bounty hunters vs. the other half. I balanced the points pretty much exactly in the hopes this would create a close game, and luckily this is what happened. After shooting down a few Stormtroopers, Han decided to beat feet in earnest across the table toward the Falcon. With his full complement of hit points, he was within three moves of the ship and was surely thinking "what could go wrong?"

Han gets it from behind from a "Biker" - practice for the Spice Mines?

What went wrong for Han were two Biker Scouts. With Han running flat out toward the ship, TX-436 and XK-120 both took careful aim with their blaster pistols. The chances of them hitting Han were not great, and even if they did, the 10 points of damage they cause would hardly put a scratch on Han's 80 hit points. Unless they rolled natural 20's for double damage... which Frederick proceeded to do... for BOTH of them. Best. Troopers. Ever!! Where were these guys on the Death Star??

Anyway, the 40 points of damage they collectively caused Han probably won the game for the Imperials. There were no heavy weapons left on the table so the most damage anyone could do to him was 10 points, but getting halfway home in two shots enabled the four or so other Imperials left in play to take him out within one move of the Falcon's ramp.

(As an aside, after nailing Han, both TX-436 and XK-120 were put out of action. They made full recoveries, only to be wounded again in the battle of Endor. TK-436 was clotheslined by a tree whilst chasing Leia on his Speeder Bike, and XK-120 was punched in the junk by an Ewok).

Planetary security troops fresh from obliterating a daycare centre

Dead-eye TIE Pilot and the "19" he rolled. Probot helped...

In any event, the game ended with Han being put out of action by a well-aimed shot from Perry's TIE Fighter Pilot (!) assisted by the Probot (!!). A very close game and a ton of fun. I think the table looked good, too. Many of the buildings were actually made from Sterilite baskets purchased from Wal-Mart, thanks to an idea from TMP member Inari7.

TRUCK STOP

Overview

Corporal Parnell shifted the truck into third and reformed to cross the open space ahead of them. The Planetary Defense Force trucks quickly sorted themselves out into a double column and picked up speed across the open ground. Lance, his mechanic, tracked the heavy stubber back and forth. Suddenly he let go a long burst toward the tree line and Parnell was horrified to see attackers leap from hiding on both sides of his convoy.

“Convoy! Break! Break! It’s every truck for himself – save yourselves as best you can!” he roared into his microbead as he jammed the truck into 4th gear and stomped the accelerator all the way to the floor…

***
Last night, on 40K night at the local Games Workshop store, MikeM and I play tested the 5th Edition version of “Truck Stop” – an Astronomi-con tournament scenario. Each of the six trucks was transporting a cargo canister. The players’ job was to disable the trucks and secure the cargo canisters while preventing their opponent from doing the same. All the trucks started in a double column in the middle of the table. Each turn, in between each player’s cycle, the trucks would move 3D6” in a random direction. The cargo canisters could be seized by anything with hands, not just Troops, so Dreadnoughts with DCCWs and Wraithlords could potentially capture the cargo canisters.

Mike fielded a balanced Imperial Guard force: two platoons of infantry (60 guys!), plus attached anti-tank and mortar squads, a squad of Rough Rider (horse) cavalry, a Hellhound flamethrower tank, and a Leman Russ main battle tank. There were lots of laser cannons, plasma rifles and grenade launchers.

My Fire Prism wasn’t quite finished yet, so I stuck with my usual Swordwind semi-mechanized list: 4 Wave Serpents filled with Aspect Warriors (2 x Dire Avengers, Howling Banshees, and Fire Dragons), a two-gun Wraithlord, all led by a Farseer.

I won choice, so I chose to go second. Mike chose the table side with slightly more cover. He set up all his infantry in a gun line in craters and woods, keeping the vehicles and cavalry in reserve. Looking at all the anti-tank firepower, I used the reserves denial ploy and declined to set up. (Note: this cost the Eldar later in the game, since the Farseer and the Dragons didn’t show up until 4th turn.)

As it turns out, Corporal Parnell’s shouted order was his last. The Guard opened up with all their heavy weapons against the soft-skinned trucks. As a result, four of them were destroyed in fiery explosions, taking their cargoes, and Corporal Parnell, with them. One truck was immobilized in the middle of the table, leaving the tail end Charlie truck free to move. Carrying its precious cargo of Unobtanium ™, it turned around and drove slowly toward Guards’ right flank corner. The driver was obviously in shock from witnessing all the carnage in front of him.

The scenario allows for first turn Reserves, and the Eldar were rolling hot. Everything but the Farseer and Dragons showed up. The three Wave Serpent skimmers moved toward the centre of the table, relying on the immobilized truck and moving flat out to provide cover saves. The Wraithlord came on just left of the centre of the table edge, mixing it up with infantry directly across the table.

The Guard tanks and cavalry showed up. The Hellhound came near the Guard’s right table corner, the Leman Russ showed up right of centre. The Rough Riders came on the table on Mike’s left. The cav and an infantry squad pushed on, in a left hook. Concentrated lascannon and plasma fire blew up the Banshees Serpent, leaving 6 of them on the ground. The mortars dropped several blasts on them, leaving two of the girls alive.

The mobile truck kept going for the far corner.

The two Avenger Serpents skimmed at combat speed over the immobilized truck. They moved within mutual supporting distance, setting up for disembarking next turn. Their fire killed some Guardsmen, including two members of the Imperial Guard commander’s bodyguard. The surviving Banshees reached the immobilized truck. Ignoring the crew cowering beneath the truck bed, the Aspect Warriors grabbed the cargo canister – it took two normal infantry to carry each prize, but only one monstrous creature or walker.

The Guard’s mortars landed dead on the Banshees. Supported by heavy bolter fire from the flanking squad, both Banshees went down in a hail of shrapnel and bullets. The right hand Avenger Serpent was immobilized by the anti-tank squad’s rocket launcher and it had its turret shot off; the other Serpent was shaken. The Hellhound’s heavy bolter failed to stop the last truck.

Perhaps seeing that the Guardsmen were the only ones shooting at him, the truck driver turned around and headed back towards the Eldar side of the field.



Going against the usual Eldar grain, the Aspect Warriors had to trade lives for time and distance. The right hand Avengers disembarked from their immobilized skimmer. A Bladestorm would wipe out the squad in front of them, but the return fire would be brutal. Their Exarch ordered a charge. If they could contact two squads, it would tie up a few Guard heavy and special weapons, and with luck they would survive, locked in combat, for a couple of turns. They must have stumbled getting out of their Serpent, since they rolled a “1” for their run move. They contacted, defeated and broke the squad right in front of them, then consolidated within 6” to keep them broken. The other Serpent moved left, setting up some left flank action next turn. Meanwhile, the Wraithlord immobilized the Russ.

The broken Guard squad ran off the table. The Hellhound fired both its flame gun and its heavy bolter at the escaping truck, doing nothing. Concentrated fire from multiple Guard infantry squads wiped out the disembarked Avengers. Guardsmen on both flanks started to run, to try and capture the remaining prizes.

The surviving truck kept on towards the Eldar, who had yet to fire at it.

At the top of their fourth turn, the Farseer and the Dragons finally showed up. The Serpent landed a plasma shell on the Rough Riders, who passed their pin and morale checks only through the presence of the Guard commander’s banner nearby. The other Avenger Serpent backed up towards the mobile truck; the disembarking Avenger squad Bladestormed the truck, blowing out all the tires and wrecking the suspension, but keeping the cargo intact. The Wraithlord moved behind the truck, wrecking the Hellhound’s flame gun with a Brightlance shot.

The Guard flanks kept advancing. In the middle, the Guard commander and the surviving Rough Riders made for the center truck. The mortars and the Russ were firing like Daniel Boone, landing small and large blasts on the Avengers, reducing them below half. Somehow, their morale held.

The Wraithlord reached into the other truck and grabbed the cargo canister. The Farseer also decided it was time to lead from the front. The Dragon Serpent moved to interpose itself between the Rough Riders and the central truck. The Dragons and the Farseer dismounted, with a clear LOS to the Guard command squad - killing the enemy commander counted for a secondary objective. They didn’t even need the Doom the Farseer cast, as the commander and his bodyguards disappeared in a hail of actinic fire.

After the Wraithlord seized the canister it could not fire any weaponry. If the game went another turn, the Fire Dragons could be vapourized by the Russ.

The death of their commander must have disrupted the Imperial Guard’s commo net. Rolling for random game length the game ended, leaving the Eldar in possession of both a single canister and the win.

***

The game was a real nail-biter and a lot of fun.

The tweaking done by MikeM and Christian to the scenario for 5th edition all seem to work. There were no ambiguities in all the various special scenario rules.

The MVP award surely had to go to the Guard mortar section, who served their weapons with great skill throughout the game.

(As an aside, if some of the protective vehicle upgrades on the Serpents are removed, that frees up enough points for me to again field a cheap, Dire Avenger-style Autarch, whose Master Strategist ability allows a bonus to Reserves rolls…)

Thursday Game - Han Solo and the Rebels of Sollaest

"The things I do for money..." muttered Han Solo to no-one in particular. His Wookiee sidekick, Chewbacca, growled in agreement. The two, accompanied by a few surviving rag-tag rebels, crouched behind a low wall as blaster bolts ricocheted crazily around them.

"We gotta get to the Falcon - now's as good a time as any. On my mark, cover me, Chewie. Three, two, one... now!"

---------------------------

Solo and Chewbacca had been attracted to the Core World of Sollaest by their usual motivation: the lure of cold, hard credits. Solo's underworld contact had set him up with a job: smuggle a few datacards off the Core planet of Sollaest, no questions asked, for a fat reward. Little did Solo suspect that, halfway through the job, a rebellion would break out! Throwing in their lot with the Rebels, Solo and Chewbacca fought and sneaked their way through the planet's main city, avoiding Imperial entanglements along the way. Finally they have reached the University sector, where they had left their ship, the Millennium Falcon. Only a few hundred metres from the ship, Solo, Chewbacca and the few Rebels left accompanying them encounter a force of Imperial Stormtroopers and Sollaestian Army troops. Can Solo and Chewie make it to the Falcon and escape to their off-world payday, or will they end up imprisoned in the Spice Mines of Kessel?

We'll use the tried-and-tested WotC Star wars rules and miniatures, along with some new terrain inspired by a post on TMP.

See you at my place, 7:30pm start.

Imperial Test Model

I wrote this morning about testing out a colour scheme for my Epic Imperial Thunderbolts, based on the Korean War USAF F-86 Sabre. Here's my attempt:

I'm pretty happy with it, except that there doesn't seem to be anyplace to put the Imperial eagle... I was hoping to put it either on the wing surfaces or on the rear fin. Oh well.