Finishing Projects, 5/14/13

   Okay, so I have almost finished the prototype of the British 17th Lancers mounted on a mechanickal dragonfly. Once I get the base painted and flocked, I will take a picture and share. Or maybe not - I could save the group for next years Lead Adventures Lead Painter's League competition. Right now, the only way I am ever going to be able to pariticpate is to paint well ahead of time, since I am in school and painting time is somewhat limited.

 

   I have also just about finished the Prussian Naval Battlegroup for Dystopian Wars. All that remains is the two Geier-class bombers, and they are nearly finished. In addition, I have almost completed (about 90%) a Rhine-class fleet carrier. I just need to zig-zag stripe it and paint the Tiny Flyer tokens for a third Squadron (I already have two squadrons painted up from the battlegroup).

 

   So next up on the painting table of concentration to finish as a unit are the last five German riflemen of the KFG. The KFG, if you recall, is the name I gave to the German secret weapons group. These fellows are all armed with Lichtgewehre (light rifles - lasguns). The figures are GW Mordians. These have been about 50% done for over a year. Time to tick that unit off the list.

 

   One of my goals this year is to be prepared to field at least two 28mm forces for Battles by GASLIGHT on Venus, Earth, and Mars. I have enough Automatons on Mars for one force. I have nearly enough British for Mars, as well. I just need to finish up one or two British infantry to have a basic force, although my eventual plans for that require quite a bit more. I am in the same boat on Venus (which is good, what with the swamps and such). I have enough basic British infantry, but I need some support for them. I still need to add to the Germans. I also want to get the lizardmen finished up. I think one more unit of Gaters (Saurus) and a few Elder Ones (Temple Guard) to lead would be enough for a start. For Earth, anything human and set for Venus can work on Earth, though I want to do some redcoated British on Earth as well. Maybe Home Service uniform. We (my sons and I) have also considered using Eureka's frogs and turtles as Deep Amazonian lost tribes. Maybe I need to sit down and re-organize everything, really hash out the current plans...

 

   One last thought before I go for now...

 

 

 

Bust out the bubbly!

Historicon 2011, Day 3

   I know it has been a few days, but I am just now fully recovered from my relaxing stay in lovely Pennsylvania. Not that I saw a whole lot of it, because I spent most of the time indoors. But you don't want to hear about all that - you want to know about the games!

Beautiful terrain from Miniature Building Authority.

  So by now it is Saturday, the last real day of games for Historicon. I have a game at 0900, a WWII game using a rules system new to me called NUTS! It's from Two Hour Wargames. The scenario was pretty simple: D-Day, American Airborne forces approach a village held by the Wehrmacht. Wehrmacht must hold village. Didn't enjoy the game. One of the main opponents was a 'psychic.' Always knew what my troops were doing even if there was no way for the troops to have such information. I didn't like the rules either. One of my troops dropped a hand grenade into a room full of Amis, rolled the best result possible, and the result was that two of the GIs charged up the stairs and killed not one but three Germans at the top. One of the Germans was my second best guy, and a 'Hero', unloaded his SMG at the GIs, while waiting at the top for them to approach, and missed totally. An unbalanced scenario maybe, and a bad opponent for sure, but any result that leaves a group of people in an enclosed area in which a grenade has gone off totally unharmed - not stunned, not anything? I didn't like the game.

Amis appear in the woods and ambush a Wehrmacht patrol.

   NUTS! is my second time to try a game by Two Hour Wargames. I know a lot of people who like their games, but all I can say is, so far, I'm not a fan. I do really want to try the All Things Zombies rules one of these days, however, as I have heard nothing but good about them.

   My next game wasn't to be until 1900, so I thought I'd hit the vendor's area and Wally's Basement (the flea market). the boys, on the other hand, were headed to their game at 1300; a game of Car Wars. I've been playing the game off and on since about 1983. Even been planning on getting a Matchbox scale game set up. So the boys take off; about 1305, I get a call from Greyson and they need another player since there's only the two of them there to play. Had a pretty good time. Killed Greyson's car, got rear-ended by a ramplate but survived (barely!), got revenge on the rammer by virtually eliminating him. Time was just about up so we called it, and I won (only 'kill').

My car. Twin MGs and a bumper trigger.

Dane in red, Greyson in green, myself in the rear.

When I was rammed. Greyson's car is against the wall, on its side.

   My last game was one of the ones I most anticipated since registering: a G.A.S.L.I.G.H.T. fleet battle. Simple scenario was that a new German aircraft carrier was damaged by a storm, and the British are trying to capture it while the Germans seek to prevent that.

Patrol boat HMS Courageous (fore) and cruiser HMS Essex

  I liked the game. It was very similar to Battles by G.A.S.L.I.G.H.T., and so it was familiar, with a few changes which had to be made in order to accomodate the third dimension. It seemed impossible to get to the carrier (the Valkyrie) before she made it off the table, and it proved so. Highlights of the game include the performance of HMS Cossack, one of my patrol boats absorbing fire from two German patrol boats and a German cruiser. After several turns, she was a wreck, and had three commanding officers killed aboard her. Finally, she settled to the surface, with no guns, no engine, and no officers left! Things looked very bad for the British side until the battleship finally got within range. Three German capital ships were crippled or destroyed, and three escorts, to the loss of three escorts on the British side. The Valkyrie did manage to escape, however.

The Valkyrie.

  The Valkyrie is a total scratch-built job, except for the mast and the flight stand. Absolutely beautiful piece of work. I especially like the raised hangar on the flight deck.



Historicon, Day Two...

Reports from the front coming in... pictures to follow...

So, it's early (ish) on Saturday morning. Last night was a bit late, so I put off blogging until now. Sorry about that. The Yuengling may have had something to do with it. That's my excuse, anyway.

Day 2 started early with an 0800 game. The boys tried out a new (to them) set of Western rules called "High Noon." The folks putting it on had a HUGE (200+ square feet!!!) table set up, with towns, ranches, deserts, Indian villages and mesas. Unfortunately, the boys lost (they were on a team together), but they did have a couple of very dramatic moments, including one point in which Dane dove a character through a window, came up with guns blazing, and killed one of the cowboys.

Next up was my game, "After the Unobtainite". Happily, I had all six players show up, so I had a full game. I think everyone had a good time, and I made no major mistakes. HMLS Prince Charles burned down about ten Martians before succumbing to multiple hits from the Martian artillery. Another high point of the game was when one of the Soldaten went rogue and charged into the unsuspecting back of a squad of Maton's Masked Minions! The British force was virtually annihilated in the end, and the automatons were plagued with mechanical difficulties, leading the Martians in good position to destroy the pack animals which were carting off their unobtainite for the wetland devils. Colonel Sir Harlan Sanders, KFC, will have a hard time explaining his losses once he returns to the Crown Colony!

The boys hit the painting table while I was running my game, and Dane even got a class in painting for beginners in. They continued to practice painting at the Paint N Take Event. You will see that mentioned again, as they have spent a lot of time there! Thankfully, I have checked with the ladies in charge (Heather is the best!), and I am proud to say they have gotten glowing reports on model behavior. I suspect bribery...

Next up was a trip through the dealer's area, and the flea market. I picked up a couple of things for a friend of mine back in Houston, and the boys found a new copy of a game called AT-43 (science fiction) for half off, and pooled together to buy it. It's nice because the minis are pre-painted and neat looking, so you can pretty much play as soon as you open the box. Dane also bought a few minis at the flea market, while Grey and I went looking (unsuccessfully, so far) for some Reaper brand paints. Those may just have to wait until we get back home to order some for him.

My 1900 game - the one I was probably most looking forward to, Airfleet Battles by GASLIGHT, was cancelled as Chris was very ill. I did manage to get into another game that I had wanted to try which was run using the rules "Valor, Steel and Flesh." That was fun, and the minis (by Parroom Station - the game was run by the sculptor, Bob Charette, incidentally) were fantastic. I wish I had taken a few more closeup shots of the tanks, especially. I played the Prussians in an Earth Alliance attack on a pass held by Martians. The infantry did well for me, but neither of my tanks could hit anything. I think it must have been Oktober, and the tank crews were celebrating a bit much the night before. Hangovers are not good for accurate gunnery. Honestly, I don't know if it was possible for us to take the pass, but we gave it a good solid try, and the sands of Mars are a bit more red as a result!

Grey and Dane had a game at 2000, in which they each took command of a 25mm scale buccaneer ship. They didn't win their game (we have had some rotten luck this weekend!), but did have fun. Dane blamed a couple of his allies for getting in his way so that he couldn't come to grips with the enemy, as he ended up the game essentially unharmed, but frustrated in most of his attempts to blast the British ships he was raiding.

So, once my game was finished I checked in on the boys (who still had an hour to go) and then I hit the free beer line. Yes, you heard me: Free. Beer. Yuengling Lager, no less, which I am rather fond of but have a hard time getting my hands on in Texas! Got my beer, called up my friend Patrick (Gallowglass of TMP fame), and went to hang out for a bit. He was just starting to run a Moderns game (Ambush Alley, I think), so he was busy, but I chatted with a few other players while there.

Anyway, except for the cancelled game, which I luckily replaced with another game I wanted, Day Two was another good day of fun for us all at Historicon.

I'll post Day Two photos later. Promise!

Preliminary Fliegerjaeger Stats (GASLIGHT)

Die fliegerjaeger need to have statistics and some rules worked up for them. I have some preliminary ideas as to how they will operate, but the rules will need testing.

Advantages:

The flieger gear allows a model so equipped to move at Soar 24 for one action. The model automatically comes back to ground at the end of the action. It requires re-winding as well, which is handled the same as a Reload action. Models can charge directly into combat with the flieger gear. Also, the gear is attached to a breastplate. This armor gives an Extra a Save of 5 from long range smallarms fire and Scuffle attacks.

Disadvantages:

Flieger packs (die fliegertornister) are heavy. Any model wearing one has a 2" reduction in their movement on land, and can not swim at all. Landing in water automatically kills the model. The packs are also rather awkward in close combat. When in melee, any model wearing a fliegertornister has a -2 modifier to their Scuffle attribute. There is no effect on Shooting. Finally, no model wearing a flieger pack can enter a normal building entrance. Barn doors, okay, but a standard door or window? Forget about it. Flieger packs may be removed by using one action. Putting them on again would require another action.

Other Thoughts:

I am considering giving fliegerjaeger a bonus to Scuffle on the turn they charge, if they charge in flight. This is to represent the large whirling blades which could be used as a weapon. On the other hand, you could argue that the difficulty of controlling such awesome weapons of whirling death would offset the massive damage they would do. Perhaps a SRM modifier insted of a Scuffle modifier? Or even a modifier on the charged unit's Morale test (+1 to the roll?) to stand their ground in the face of the charge? It would be pretty scary, I think.

Weapons

Regarding the weapons of the fliegerjaeger, officers are armed with pistols. NCOs and jaegers are armed with reciprocating carbines (Karabineautomatische) designed by the KFG for their use. Use the regular GASLIGHT stats for a submachine gun (Range: 6/12, SRM-10, ROF 2).

Second battle of Ghola coming up Soon!

Yes, friends, it seems that the small Martian village of Ghola shall once again be split asunder by modern warfare.

Martian agents recovered the Sacred Orb from British hands and returned it to the Shrine at Ghola. The British are sending an expeditionary force to recover their trophy and punish the natives, and the French have come to stick their noses into Her Majesty's affairs yet again. These continued incursions into territory which clearly falls into the British Martian Crown Colony's control by the French may provoke a wider conflict.

The native Gholani are again assisted by units of 'volunteers' from the Galforrian Empire. Those devils never learn.

Battle will no doubt be joined this Saturday morning, and should last until early afternoon at the latest. It is hoped that this time there shall be a proper report after the action.

Rules used are GASLIGHT. Figures come from both Stone Mountain (for the French and the British) and Black Hat (for all Martians, including the sepoys). The steam-powered war machines of the French and British started life as MageKnights and D&D Miniatures figures, by WizKids and Wizards of the Coast, respectively.

Friday's Scenario

The Shrine of Ghola

The Story Line:


Native resistance to colonial expansion is on the rise. Much of it is based on two things: the Empire of Galfor's desire for power and the rise of a fundamentalist religious movement amongst the natives.


Galforrian troops are stirring up trouble in the border areas. One unit of the infamous Emerald Legion has arrived in the small Martian village of Ghola. In the center of the town is a stone shrine, which local legend claims landed from the heavens. Inside the shrine is a holy artifact, the Books of G'aree Gy-gaks.


The village of Ghola lies in territory whose dominion is disputed by both the British Empire and the French Second Empire. Both nations send small patrols to investigate reports of Galforrian meddling and to remove the Books which seem to be the focus of all the trouble. The Galforrians, meanwhile, are trying to whip the locals into a frenzy to protect their sacred objects.


The Setup:


There are three sides: British, French, and Martian.


Terrain is minimal - the village of Ghola lies in the midst of a large basin. Water comes from the village well.


In the center of the table is the village. It is protected by a few low stone walls which are in poor repair and have large gaps. The Martian forces deploy in this zone.


British forces enter from the southwest; French from the northeast. Both must deploy no more than 16 inches from the corner they begin in.


Victory Conditions:


British: 5 points for seizing the Books and removing them from the table; 5 points for each Emerald Legion unit destroyed, 10 points for driving off the French.


French: 5 points for seizing the Books and removing them from the table; 5 points for each Emerald Legion unit destroyed, 10 points for driving off the British.


Martians: 5 points for each Earth unit destroyed or routed off the table; must keep the Books from being removed from the table.

The Aftermath:
We are going to play using regular G.A.S.L.I.G.H.T rules (not Battles by...). After the game, I can make available the forces - I want to keep them secret for now. Jim reads this blog, and he's playing in the game.
I will take several photos during the game on Friday night, and shall promptly publish an after action report for the newspapers to ruthlessly plagiarize. The scoundrels!

Caloric Ray Emitter Statistics

The Caloric Ray Emitter has been patented (RP No. 1888-07-034621) by Professor K. Blooie, FRS, of the Smitterdown Technical Institute, North Whinging. It emits a previously unknown ray with the ability to rapidly heat whatever material it is shone upon. The ray itself is invisible to the human eye.

The CRE is still undergoing trial at this time in Her Majesty's forces prior to a decision on issuance to the lads. There is a "rather vexing tendency for the Teslatronic Coil to vaporize, causing a suboptimal [and often fatal, ed.] discharge of stored voltage into the operator and rendering the wepon itself useless," according to the Professor.

In G.A.S.L.I.G.H.T. terms, it is worth 2 points and possesses the following attributes:

Name: Caloric Ray Emitter
Short Range: <12">Shoot # Modifier: 0