Valour & Steel & Flesh game AAR

 

The table set up & initial deployment

So, the first game of V&S&F in quite some time, part of my quest for the perfect VSF game. We played on a 50" x 100" table with plenty of scenery(unlike some of my Mars games) The big terrain item was the manor house, an item I bought many years ago and had yet to use. Like the farm buildings, it came to me pre-painted and assembled (molded) I do not know the origin of either set of buildings, they were both bought at two seperate conventions. The windmill is from Sarissa, that building I painted.

Now back to the game. This game saw an Anglo/Franco force go up against a Prussian force that had some American steam walkers for support. The forces came in from opposite corners. The poker chips were deployment zones and objectives. The red near the British troops were deployment points those near the Prussians were the objectives. 

The Anglo/Franco left flank & Centre

Anglo/Franco right flank

Prussian main force in the centre

Prussian left flank & centre

General advance in the centre. French steam jump troops (Soldats Vapeur Saute)
 lept into melee on the hill in the centre

The dramatic start of the game saw the Prussians advance to the top of the central hill only to have the Soldats Vapeur Saute (Steam Jump troops) leapfrog  over everyone to engage them in melee. The battle did not go well as they were slaughtered by the hill defenders. However, somehow their morale did not break and they continued to melee there for the rest of the game, even sucking another enemy unit into the fray!

The Prussian mechanical troops got off to a slow start with some mechanical issues...

Prussian Jaegers advance through the dense forest to attack the manor

Canadian, Scottish & guards advance with support from a light mg vehicle & some French Militant Infanteriste Mécanique Expérimental (M.I.M.E)

Showdown in town, What a Cowboy! game six finale

Tuco's men take position at one end of town

 

While the Earp gang advances from the other end of town

Local pugilists conduct a donnybrook.

A lucky escape for Poole of the Earp gang!

Wyatt in action!

The Drifter observes Tom, a new found ally gun downed by Wyatt

Doc and Ike decide to move along their right flank

Ears still ringing, Poole decides it is better to remain in cover.

The local Undertaker senses an upswing in business!

By the last game the Earp gang was pretty much an unstoppable force. All of them had progressed to Gunslinger status with Doc just on the cusp of becoming a legend. Doc was the most successful character in the campaign.

As for the Tuco gang, well they had their challenges in the campaign. There were moments of brilliance but all too many instances of bad luck. More of their gang members were killed outright than in the Earp gang, This delayed their progress such that only a couple of them made it to the shootist level.

The drifter who was there to add some balance to the gangs appeared in the last two games but did not really factor into results. He was badly wounded in game five and ineffective in game six.

I enjoyed the campaign and I think the players had fun too. There is a lot of randomness in the game, that is for certain, but the randomness in its own way does add a certain charm to the game. This game is not for those who like certainty in how their figures act. Each turn brings a challenge for the player, they may have plans for their figures, but the dice are the ultimate determinator of how those plans will play out.

The penultimate What a Cowboy! game

Game 5 saw the two opposing forces conducting a vendetta against each other. The background was an old mining camp turned small town. Each side selected an opponent to be the target of their rage, and with no other objective they advance upon each other.

Both side took advantage of the terrain

Heavy fire from the Earps drove back their opposition

A Drifter (the man in black) was 'recruited' to fight the Earps and their allies

Tuco and his ally gang up on one of the Earps underlings

May 30th second Midgard Heroic battle game

 

Empire initial deployment

So this was a repeat of the Bloody Beck scenario but with both armies having only 350 points and two players. I had reduced the point total from the earlier game as we only had two players and the games was starting around 5:30-6 pm and we did not want to go too long. That would not be a problem!

Once again Orcs took advantage of the uncontested areas and sent their cavalry charging across the shallow river

Fortunately Empire cavalry had arrived on the table in reserve

In an unexpected move, the Empire sent their hand gunners across the river!

The hand gunners eliminated one skirmish unit, but failed to wound the Orc Army Commander, then the Giant attacked!

May 30th Game day Midgard Heroic battles first of two games

 

Defenders deployment 

So, our recent gameday saw us play two games of Midgard and one game of What a Cowboy! Both Midgard games were the same scenario, The Bloody Beck but with different players and different army values. Game one saw two 450 point armies and four players battle it out while the second game saw two players using two reduced armies of 350 points each.

Orc disposition 

Mad dash across the river!

Midgard AAR May 2nd Game 2

 

The battlelines are drawn

Orc right flank

Orc defenders

Hilltop defenders

Dwarf attackers

Opening moves

Assault on the hill, while Dwarf scouts harass the advancing Orcs

Midgard AAR May 2nd Game 1

 

So, we had a game day this past Saturday, two groups of players two games, same scenario. In game 1 the Dwarfs were the defenders vs a horde of Orcs. The scenario was too eager and both sides were built on 499 points. This time around I created my own army list, I built the Dwarf army inspired by a Roman army, for the Orcs I upgraded their armour and made the odd other tweek. The two army lists can be found here Midgard army lists The battlefield was largely devoid of terrain save for the large hill at on the Dwarf left flank. The scenario called for the deployment of an advance unit of Dwarfs on the hill with the remainder of the Dwarfs deploying to the right of the hill. Starting at the end of turn 2, the top of the hill grants one reputation at the end of each turn to whichever army controlled it.

The Dwarf commander deployed two elite units supported by a formed crossbow unit 

Orcs deployed in force, focused on the hill

Midgard Heroic Battles Solo game AAR

 

Orcs and Dwarves form their battle lines. The Dwarf defenders were in a defensive stance primarily on three hills., while the Orc invaders stacked their centre but also deployed troops on both flanks in an attempt to flank the defenders.

Turn 1

The Orcs had deploy on some hills on their own side of the battlefield. Turn one saw them advance into the grasslands between the two ridges. 

Mounted bows advanced into range to harass the Dwarf left flank 

The Orc centre advanced towards their Dwarf counterparts

On the Orc left flank, two units of Orcs with a Mage try to outflank the Dwarf line

For the most part the dwarf army stayed in place, playing the waiting game. On the dwarf right flank one unit was move off the hill to defend against the Orc flanking march.