What a Tanker! AAR (Oct 21 or 22)

So, Shawn came over for a game of something but we really had not decided on what we would actually play. We settled on What a  tanker! as Shawn plans to run it at Cangames in 2027. He will be using 28mm Meng type vehicles and cartoony figures which we both agree should be in keeping with the game. What a Tanker is not a simulation, what it is, is a fun romp with sometimes frustrating randomness. Shawn  only brought over his copy of the rules, so we dug out some of my 20mm WWII stuff. It sort of felt like old times, being a youth  again and just playing an unplanned game with what was at hand.

The British had 2 Shermans, 1 Firefly and 1 Cromwell, while the Germans had a Tiger, 2 Panthers and a Stug. We did a poor job of balancing the forces.

Two Panthers advance on a lone Sherman

In the village, the remainder of the British force encounters the Tiger, with the Stug up the road, just out of sight.

The Stug draws a bead on the Cromwell

Meanwhile on the British right flank, the Panthers and the lone Sherman exchange shots

The situation after a couple of turns

Another test run of some VSF rules

Canadian defenders

 Shawn and I played a very truncated version of the previous scenario, focusing only on the assault on the town. I reduced the forces and the size to the town, and we used rules inspired by the Rampant series of rules.

Minions deployed on three sides of the town

I found our new version of VSF rules worked better, it was more integrated. We assigned 'armour' ratings to all the troops, & this value represented the number of hits required to knock out a figure. We eliminated saves and beat by X value on the melee dice (used in V&F&S) It made for a smoother game.

Recent (Oct 11th) Ottawa Miniature Gamers (OMG) Library game Pulp Alley

 

Two minor plot points the old shack and the crypt.

So being as it is October I figured I would have a monster themed game. In this case it was a Universal tour de force featuring Wolf man, Frankenstein's monster, Dracula and Van Helsing all trying to find and 'rescue' Dr Frankenstein. I decided to use my Dracula's castle from Old Glory, and quickly spruced it up with some touch up painting. (it came with only a base coat on it) 

Two of the minor plot points, the Gypsy camp and the chapel.

The leagues came in from the sides each vying for a plot point with only limited interaction with other leagues.  There were constables patrolling near each of the plot points but the leagues arrived disguised and in stealth mode!

The crypt minor plot point with nearby constable.

All but the shack plot point had access to a secret entrance into the castle while the shack held a double agent that would escort a league past any guards and through the gate.

By turn 4, there was intense activity within the courtyard. Wolfman, with the aid of the Gypsy King had got into the castle through the dungeon (lower left)  Meanwhile Van Helsing & Quincy took up position on the parapet which gave them an excellent field of fire. In the courtyard, Dracula, Renfield, Igor and their new found friend Rudolph (minor plot point from the shack) having found Dr frankenstein were trying to convince him to go with them. 

Gwen and the woodsman moved out of the main structure towards The monster and The Bride who were on the parapet trapped between Van Helsing and the wolfman. 

Sadly, there are no other pictures, the action just got too intense. As can bee seen, the gypsy King was down after fighting a constable, but he was not out. Wolfman sprinted up the stone stairs leading out of the dungeon and threw himself off the parapet to engage Dracula and his allies. He landed unscathed. Inspired by Wolf Mas action the Gypsy King tried to do the same thing only to knock himself out in the fall.

In the end Dracula managed to convince the good doctor to come with him and off they flew well out of reach of any possible pursuit.

The game was a fun one. We had two young players and two old players, only one of whom had ever played the game before. While it was a challenge to keep one of the youngsters focused on the game (she rather liked the magnets and other stuff that we use in the game) everyone seemed to have fun, and she played Dracula and won the day.

Tis the season...Them! & Eight legged freaks

 

Recreate Them! and Eight legged freaks with these cheap critters. Under $2.00 each, for 12 ants, or 6 spiders, a good deal for frugal gamers!

Valor & Steel & Flesh game 2 AAR

 

The battlefield

So, our second go at the Valor & Steel & Flesh rules, with some changes from last time. As an example I revamped the vehicle rules adding some hit location rules. 

This time around the British had gotten hold of a defecting scientist and stashed him somewhere in the town. The Irish patriots aided by Rouge Noirs minions want the scientist for their own, of course the minions do not want to share. So the minions had a secret objective, if they got the scientist they could break off their alliance. Each of the heroes had their own unique aspect, one was a coward (but had to hide that fact) another British officer felt he had to prove himself  The junior minion leader believed in promotion by eliminating his superior, while one of the Irish leaders had a martyr syndrome.  

The town, held by the British forces

British reinforcements arrive from the left, the Irish & Minions come in from the small bridge

The Canadians aided by a Scottish unit defend the town & guard the prisoner. They also have a damaged armoured Land Ship,  a machine gun trike & an outdated Nordenfelt MG tractor.

The game started with an automaton assault against defending automatons. It was an even match and since they could no no fear, neither side retreated.

The minions are deployed in force, supported by their own Land Ship & a pair of Irish light armoured vehicles.

The Irish/minion forces were allowed to place barriers, either as road blocks or as cover for their units. They split up barriers fairly evenly. 

British Unilancers (actually Prussians subbing in) get bogged down in the grassy fields

As stated above the Unilancers got bogged down on the field. I have already updated the terrain charts, and reclassified what this terrain is so that it should not be that bad next time. (also rolling 3 dice for movement would have helped, I counted them as cavalry)

Main thrust of the British, 2 light MG Tractors, a land Ship , Hardlove suited troops & a guard unit.