Oh, all right then..
Twas a hard fought battle on all sides with some interesting dice rolling going on. I for one have never seen so many mechanical contraptions explode in one game...
The game began as a rescue mission for the French survivors from our last escapade, who had been given lodgings by the local warlord in return for a promise of financial reward from them. However, the Prussian spy Spiegler had approached the local chief in the meantime and upped the offer, hoping that his forces would arrive before any rescue attempt could be made. Obviously he held some sway in the Prussian high command as they seemed to send EVERYTHING, including a rather large Japanese patrol craft.
Meanwhile the British were speeding to the rescue. Unsure as to how the local warlord would greet a large broup of well armed men they approached cautiously on foot from three directions with Naval Brigade, Marines and infantry supported by an armoured car and a small walker. As the game began, the local warlord rolled to see how he would react to their presence as he was hailed by Captain Strange from atop the armoured car to surrender his fort . His reply was a fusilade of rifle fire from his mercenary troops from atop the battlements, killing the British Naval commander instantly! His troops had to take a morale chack and passed, vowing vengeance for their commander.
However, it was the French who had the next word. Rolling for their reaction they decided that their natural dislike for the British was nothing in comparison to the mercenaries in the fort, and laid a well directed fire which decimated two units from atop the fort walls, who fell in dusty heaps at the base of the wall.
The objective for the British was to secure the French either through an aerial rescue from the steam hover ship HMMS Hermes or take them across to the opposite edge of the game table . This had however just become blocked by a unit of Prussian armour in the shape of two armored cars and a tank, who blocked their movement. The mercenary guards in the fort tower, protected from all but the best aimed bullets began to lay down a withering fire on the naval brigade, forcing them back behind the protection of an improvised barricade.
The marines charged on through the shanties and used walls and whatever cover they could, supported by the small walker. However, the small cannon atop the fort wall soon began to weigh down on them. We were playing a randomised rule where any artillery miss was rolled for to see where it landed. Unfortunately for the marines, a round aimed at the walker fell in their midst killing five outright, and another subsequent shell destroyed the walker itself. Down to four men it was only the hero status of their leader that prevented their swift departure, as well as a third shot from the cannon which missed and took out half of the mercenaries assailing them.
Meanwhile as the British and Warlord Russian forces slugged it out (assisted in a roundabout way by the French legion), the Prussian ground forces rolled on across the table, supported by two gargantuan steam spider tanks and the huge form of the Japanese nef 'the Mikasa'.
There was a solid sea of blue and gold uniforms...'undred's of 'em!! Only their slow charge rolls and failed sustain rolls for their tanks were giving the British a bit of breathing space. Yet one unit was charging ahead...their specialist flying troops .....these five hand picked men descended into a unit of mercenaries, decimating them with their machine guns before landing in the fort entrance on the next turn. Unfortunately it was here that they were wiped out by the stronger than expected resistance.
But from the British side came the fearless form (though rather rusty it must be said...terrible what the Martian weather does to metal) of HMMS Hermes, flown by the gallant Captain Lewis. It's first two shots went astray however, taking out two entire buildings.
The next shots however began to tell, as the two enormous electrical cannon and a well placed bomb ripped through the Prussian armour below, opening a gap for the British to escape through. Again the penetrating hits chart rolled up two enormous explosions!
Seeing his forces being destroyed before his eyes (and needing to get home to see the wife) the mercenary commander capitulated to the British, surrendering the fort to them and placing his remaining forces at their disposal. Lining the walls now were British infantry and the cavalry made a dramatic charge into the right flank of the Prussian attack, slowing them down enough for the French and remaining navy to race across to the other side of the board.
But just as things were starting to go the way of the British, the huge, dark shape of thr Mikasa fell across the fort and her huge guns let rip on those below. Surely she could not miss? Well...in all this barrage of death she caused one casualty! In reply the only weapon the British had within range was a single gatling gun whose crew turned their barrel skywards. Unbelievably they rolled a penetrating hit on one of their shots which touched off the internal magazine and the Mikasa literally exploded from the sky, raining death on the left flank of the Prussian advance below.
At this stage the game came to a halt as we ran out of time, and just as things were starting to get interesting. The Prussians still had three small nefs in the air and their two largest tanks were closing with the town, plus most of their units were still unscathed. The British had taken a battering but most of their units were still in good shape, plus they had the remnants of the mercenaries fighting with them and some very capable air support in the shape of their gunship. But I think that the heroic British rearguard would have held out for long enough to have allowed the French to escape.
A big thanks to all our participants for bringing terrain and troops to bolster the game and hope you all had a good time. If rumours are to be believed there is now an Italian Papal VSF army and a grand Ottoman army on the way. Wonder who they'll be fighting?
And thanks to Rabbitz for carting his entire VSF collection in for the demo game. You need a bigger car methinks.
Thanks for looking!
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April 20, 2024, 06:15:08 AM
August 23, 2010, 10:25:28 AM