Party On The Prairie(con)

Battle is set - Colonials enter at the top and right, Rebels at the bottom and left

Prairiecon 2013 took place in the lovely city of Brandon, Manitoba last weekend.  Once again the Conscripts made a solid show of force, running and participating in games in other events over the weekend.  Dallas ran a Star Wars: Fleet Battles game Saturday morning, and I ran a game of Tomorrow's War Saturday night.  Here is a report on the Tomorrow's War game.

VIPs do some TV interviews while awaiting rescue

The scenario was set on some un-named dusty colonial world of the distant future.  Once again, the minions of everyone's favourite future company - Binary Petroleum - had been trapped in a dangerous place, shot down in an area of abandoned industrial facilities.  Colonial troops are dispatched to recover the survey team, and a group of Sludge Truther Rebels has the same idea.  Cue the firefight!

Sludge Truther Rebels under the guidance of the mysterious "Known One"

The table was 4' x 4', filled with Dallas' awesome Stalingrad ruins, with a few added modern touches, including some new sponsor logos (more about that later).  The Colonial troops were composed of the amazing Frank Hammond science fiction troopers.  The Colonials had four five-man fire teams, two with LMGs, two with rocket launchers, and a small command element featuring a medical bot and a sniper rifle.

Things heat up in the center of the table

One of Mike's fire teams sets up in cover

The Sludge Truther Rebels were represented by the excellent Pig Iron Kolony Rebels, and a couple of Pig Iron Kolony Ferals. They were organized into five-"man" "slurms", and a small command element (boasting the guidance of "The Known One"). As we frequently do in the Ambush Alley games, the two sides started very close, and in Tomorrow's War weapon ranges are not relevant, so the battle would come fast.

"Hey - they don't look like Colonial troops..."

On of my fire teams decimated by terrible reaction rolls

The victory conditions were based on the recovery (or, in the case of the Sludge Truthers, I should say "recovery") of the VIPs.  There were four of them, and they started the game right in the middle of the table.  Each fire team could only recover one VIP at a time.  If you evacuated or held a VIP at the end of the game, you got a victory point.  And, of course, accidents happen, so these, er, "incidents" would shape the number of victory points available.

Hmmm...what happened to this captive?

Mike F and I played the Colonial troops.  Dallas and Cam played the Rebels.  Early on, the Rebels made excellent progress - I blew a reaction role and lost most of one fire team in the first turn!  Meanwhile the shifty opposing slurms grabbed a couple of VIPs.

Colonial fire team

A rebel "Slurm"

But we started to turn the tide! Mike won a number of initiative rolls, and our fire started to really hurt the Rebels.  Mike got one of his fire teams into a position that could cover the Rebel exit points very well, and the rebels bogged town.  Two more of our fire teams closed in on the remaining VIPS.  Toss in an - er - "incident" depriving the Rebels of a VIP, and it was looking very, very good for the Colonial side...

This is Mike's second fire team moving in for a rescue

The Colonial troops rescue a VIP...but there was...an incident soon after...photos went missing...

And then...and then...in the space of three die rolls, it was over.  One of our VIPs was, um, "lost to a kinetic incident" in a fashion that may, or may not, have involved some of our own weapons.  Dallas then got the drop on my last fire team, meaning the Rebels broke free of their pinned position and buggered off the table with a VIP.  Since the other three VIPs had encountered "issues", that meant a win for the Sludge Truthers!

Rebel command element under fire.  The captive (at the top of the photo, with his back turned) would get hit in the crossfire

In all we played about six turns, but with the Ambush Alley system, there is a lot of interaction and the exchange of fire was very involved.  In one turn Cam's cover "Slurm" fired so much he actually ran out of dice.  Gun barrels were melting on both sides.

Colonial troops advancing near the friendly Binary Petroleum billboard

A big thank you to Dallas for lending out his excellent Stalingrad terrain for the game, and to Dallas, Mike F and Cam for joining in during the game.  It was a lot of fun, and we drew a healthy crowd of onlookers for the battle.

A fine sponsor of the future

Can't build colonies without financing...

I also want to thank Conscript Kevin H. for the ace work he did putting together the corporate logos for our game.  It is good to know that Binary Petroleum and Stellarbank will have a nice brand to add to our science fiction game settings!  Stay tuned for a report from Dallas on the Battle of Endor... 

40K Beer League: Finals and Windup

The Winnipeg Warhammer 40K Beer League started way back last September. On Friday, May 31st, the season drew to a close as the 4 semi-finalists and several other folks gathered at Maxx Collectibles for an evening of fellowship and gaming.

The new Codex: Eldar was due to drop at midnight of June 1, so this was the last time I would be playing with the 2006-era Eldar rules. I decided to go with the tried and true mechanized Eldar Swordwind list I have been using over the last several months:

Asurmen`s Academy: The Return of Ancient Days
HQ: Autarch (1#, 75 pts)
1 Autarch (Death Spinner)

Troops: Dire Avengers (6#, 175 pts)
5 Dire Avengers, riding in a Wave Serpent (TL Scatter Lasers)

Troops: Dire Avengers (6#, 160 pts)
5 Dire Avengers, riding in a Wave Serpent

Troops: Dire Avengers (6#, 160 pts)
5 Dire Avengers, riding in a Wave Serpent

Elite: Fire Dragons (6#, 190 pts)
5 Fire Dragons, riding in a Wave Serpent (under slung Shuriken Cannon)

Heavy Support: Night Spinner (1#, 115 pts)

Heavy Support: Warp Hunter (IA) (1#, 125 pts)

Total Roster Cost: 1000 points

With the advent of the new codex, I won't go into a lot of tactical detail, but shall rather outline the highlights of each game below.

*****


Sean's Craftworld Eldar

(IIRC)

• Farseer, Spirit Stones, Doom, Fortune
• 6 x Pathfinders
• 10 x Dire Avengers (incl. exarch with Dual Shuricats and Bladestorm)
• 8 x Harlequins w/ Harlequin's Kiss, 2 x Fusion Pistol (incl. Seer with Veil of Tears)
• Nightwing Interceptor plane
• 3 x War Walkers, ea. w/ Scatter Laser and Shuriken Cannon

While some pickup games and the other semi-final game went on around us, we played our own semi-final game. Eldar on Eldar action! I figured this was some sort of training exercise, with rubber shuriken weapons and rattan swords.

We played the Big Guns Never Tire scenario (rolling for four objectives), with Dawn of War deployment.

The four objectives ended up roughly in the four corners. I won the roll to see who would go first, so I decided to go second. Sean deployed his Pathfinder scouts in the northwest corner behind the ruins there. The Farseer and Harlequins set up behind the sandbag defenses to the north. Sean's Dire Avengers, War Walkers and Nightwing fighter were placed into reserve. I deployed a squads of Avengers and a squad of Dragons, in their tanks (with the Autarch in the westernmost skimmer), and the Night Spinner, as seen below.



First turn, nothing much happened other than the Harlequins being ensnared in the Night Spinner's web, but taking no casualties.



Second turn, Sean really needed for his War Walkers to come on, and for his Avengers to stay in reserves. The opposite occurred. The Nightwing Interceptor showed up, bouncing some shots off the Night Spinner's hull and causing some damage.



Subsequently, everything else came on from my Swordwind's reserves. I castled five skimmers in the southeast corner, preventing rear-armour shots from Outflanking War Walkers. The artillery tanks laid into the Avengers, killing many and sending the rest fleeing off the table.



Third turn, the War Walkers came on to the east and the Nightwing moved south. Neither scored a decisive blow with their fire. Massed return fire killed all the War Walkers, and a very (very!) lucky shot from disembarked Fire Dragons nailed the Nightwing plane, its 2+ jink save notwithstanding.



At this point, the game was functionally over, as Sean's forces (with only one scoring unit left alive)had no way to prevent a Swordwind victory. The Swordwind moved around the table, in position to take control of 3 of the 4 objectives.



The Harlequins scored a moral victory, destroying the Warp Hunter artillery tank in close combat. At that point, Sean threw in the towel.



Result: Swordwind Win
VP's for Craftworld Eldar: 4
VP's for Swordwind: 7

*****

Rob won his game against Greg's Marines, so Rob and I would throw down for the finals.


Rob's Orks

• Ghazghkull Thraka
• 3 x MegaNobz, riding in a Trukk  
• 5 x Lootas (incl. one mekboy with megablasta and 4 loota boyz with Deff Guns)
• 20 x Ork boyz 40 (incl. Nob w/ power klaw, boss pole)
• 20 x Ork boyz 40 (incl. Nob w/ power klaw, boss pole)
• 3 x Deff Koptas (twin linked rokkit launchas)
• Dakka Jet (extra supa shoota, fighta ace)

Over 50 models, including Deff Koptas and an aircraft! Tough list.

We played the Big Guns Never Tire scenario (rolling for six objectives), with Dawn of War deployment. The 6 objectives just fit on the board, in two rough parallel lines of 3 from the northwest to southeast corners. I had two Heavy Support choices (the artillery tanks). They were scoring units in this scenario, but they also gave up VPs if destroyed.

Below, looking north, I deployed the Eldar in a castle formation in the southeast corner.



Rob deployed the Orks (except the plane and the Deff koptas) in a broad formation across the northern deployment zone.



The Orks had first turn, and started by moving the Trukk (with Ghazghkull and the Nobz on board) flat out south. The Eldar maneuvered in response, dismounting the Dragons in the building in the centre. Eldar fire destroyed the Trukk, wiped out the Nobz, and left Ghazghkull with only one wound.



The big eastern Boyz mob moved south to a ruin with an objective inside. The Deff Koptas and the Dakka Jet showed up from reserve, deploying along the eastern edge. The Lootas managed a lucky shot that killed a Wave Serpent. Ghazghkull charged the Dragons, who lost a couple, but their morale held. I moved the Warp Hunter to Aether Rift the Deff Koptas, who all went down in a turn of shooting.



Below, the Dragons can be seen grimly buying time for their brethren.



The Night Spinner kept lobbing barrages into the other Boyz mob, who were holding another objective.



The Dragons finally went down, in the Ork half of the turn. This left Ghazghkull open to Eldar tank fire; he went down yelling curses.



The Eldar tanks maneuvered west and north, to bring fire on the Lootas and Boyz to the northwest.





Reduced to just a couple of Boyz, the survivors of the northwest mob tried a Hail Mary move in the 7th(!) turn...



...knocking out the Warp Hunter and tying the game! (8 VPs each: Eldar had 2 objectives, plus First Blood and Warlord; Orks also had 2 objectives, plus Warlord and a VP for the Warp Hunter)

The organizers required a clear winner, so we played an 8th and final turn. The Orks consolidated their positions, whereupon the Eldar concentrated their tanks and wiped out the last two Boyz holding the northwest objective.



Result: Swordwind Win
VP's for Orks: 5
VP's for Swordwind: 8

I got to take home a very cool metal and stone trophy. Thanks again to all my opponents over the last 9 months, for tons of fun gaming.



That trophy weighs over seven pounds! My wife's first words when I got home were, "Congratulations! Where are you going to put that thing?"

All in all, I very much enjoyed playing in the Beer League. It provided the participants with the opportunity to play folks we don't usually get to play, and introduced us to some great new beers.

I look forward to what J.P. and Greg have planned for next year!

Recent Activity

 

This is a selection of a larger force of about 25 models I painted. They're from Mantic. For the most part they're good, but I found the heavy weapon gunner to be very poorly designed. So bad in fact I would not recommend them. It's nothing that can't be fixed with green stuff and other fixes, but I don't think the pose of this model is so revolutionary that they just couldn't capture it during the manufacturing process.

 

 This is Battlefront's M113 from their Tour of Duty line. It's a fantastic model that goes together really well. It's my hope that Battlefront is building up for a Cold War line and Vietnam is just something to get their feet wet. Luckily, the M113 can be used outside of Vietnam as there isn't anything about it that pigeon holes it as 'nam. The above model is a test model for my 1980's Canadians in 15mm. It lacks decals and weathering, but I think the colors are close enough. I also added the road wheel to the front since every picture of a Canadian M113 I've seen has one for some reason. The decals should be arriving soon (after paying an eye-watering amount for them) as should the rest of my Canadian stuff.

Austrian 3rd Cuirassiers - 28mm Napoleonic Heavy Cavalry

Thunder on the Danube! Austrian 3rd Cuirassiers ready for the charge.

I finished my latest 28mm Napoleonic unit during the hockey game last night - a regiment of Austrian Cuirassiers in 28mm.  These lads will represent Cuirassier Regiment #3, Herzog Albert zu Sachen-Teschen (got that?), from Moravia.  The regiment is 24 models strong.  The figures are from Wargames Foundry, and are based in pairs on 40mm x 60mm bases. The flag is from Conscript Brian H's Vaubanner Graphics.

Figures painted and ready for basing

A snug fit on the 40mm x 60mm metal bases

This will the be first unit I have added to my 28mm Austrian collection in about a year! Typical Austrian neglect. They had to wait forever, but at least the Austrian generals are getting some stylish reinforcements in the form of heavy cavalry.  This will be particularly welcome given that the French received some Cuirassiers of their own recently.

Austrian troopers in reserve pose - figures are 28mm from Wargames Foundry

These lads will ride to glory (or crushing defeat - whatever) in games of Black Powder, of Curt's unique Napoleonic rules known as Food For Powder, and perhaps even games of Maurice!  A head-on clash with the French heavies would be wonderful fun, and they can always pray to find a touch of the glory my Austrian Hussars found in action in Regina last year!

The monopose is not ideal, but looks a little ominous - suitable for heavy cavalry

Actually if the Austrians are true to form they will break this intimidating regiment down into smaller groups that will spend time providing cover and suitable escorts to various to-ing and fro-ing of indecisive column commanders on the battlefield ("Kindly advise the Feldmarschall I've forgotten my harpsichord solo in Vienna and require a suitable escort to return to the capital and retrieve it. Sigh.").  But I hope to avoid doing that for the first game, at least...

No backplate armour for the Austrian Cuirassiers

I dislike painting horses, but I love having cavalry units on the table (makes sense, right?)  I had hoped to finish both these fellows and the French Cuirassiers in May.  I didn't make it, but I came close...in all, it was 48 mounted figures primed, painted and based in about 45 days...pretty good rate of production.  It's one reason I love the NHL playoffs.  That, and watching the Princess Pittsburgh Penguins getting HAMMERED.  If only I could have painted at this rate during Curt's painting challenge.

Ready to charge home against Napoleon's lackies!

Up next for this summer I have a few options, and I haven't made up my mind.  I need to do some French for these fellows to charge/shoot at.  I also need to reinforce them.  And I have a couple of other new projects nipping at my interest, including an interesting potential one from Mike F....stay tuned for details!  

Dystopian Wars - British Fleet

As mentioned previously, I have been working on Dystopian Wars fleets.  Basically, on a whim, since I liked the models, and then more so because after playing a few games, love the rules.

I started with the French back in March, but also had a British fleet to get painted.  If for no other reason than what better factions to face of against each other than ones with such a long standing antagonistic history.

Better yet, the colour contrast would work well between the French and British as I could play around with the British "Dazzle" camo scheme from WW1. This is the typical Dystopian Wars British paint scheme and one that can look amazing when done well (see Curt's British Fleet for a great example).

Again, the quality of the castings and resin that Spartan Games puts out is amazing.  Almost no cleaning was required, almost no mold lines on any of the ships, and clear details on all. Just like the French fleet, every ship was almost perfect, with no bubbles or defects.

 

The Dystopian Wars universe is very similar to our own in many ways, and the British have a great real world feel to them with several rules that remind me of the British and several appearance elements that work as well.

 

One of the great items I love about the British fleet is their aircraft carrier.  It is very British to be lacking something so just bodging it together from what is at hand.  This is shown by how the carrier is constructed. They didn't have a hull big enough at the time to support a aircraft runway, so they took two battleship hulls, and essentially bolted them together and put a runway across both of them! 

Another great British element is the number of torpedoes that they can put in the water.  Many of the ships have banks of torpedoes to the fore, port, and starboard!  Some ships even have torpedo turrets that can launch them out in the direction required rather than in a fixed channel.

To back up the British fleet there is the huge dreadnought that has 6 turrets, broadsides, torpedoes, shield generators, and more.

They also have battleships and heavy support destroyers that put out massive firepower, especially compared to the French.

The ships painted up extremely quickly, and look really good at the tabletop level.  Up close some details fall apart, but I find it's always a trade off at these small scales.  Do to little and they don't show anything, do too much and they look messier rather than better.  I still need to decide on and paint emblems or flags or something, but not sure what to do so that is still waiting.  They are perfectly playable as is.

Now that these are done, it's time to book a game here in the next little while.  It's also time to go back and finish some more French, as my secondary fleet is now bigger than my primary fleet...