Flatpack - VSF - Antwerp arms fair - second battle 10/5/25 pg3

[flatpack]

Great looking game - and a set of rules that seems to encourage playing with whatever contraptions you care to knock up. Now who do I know that can produce interesting things out of stuff most folks throw away?

You have just “pinged up” on has.been’s radar 

[has.been]

And may I point out said 'RADAR' was made from three squeezy bottles,
some sticky backed plastic and pair of Val's old knickers!.
 

I am planning to build up a Barsoom set:-
Figures, Hichcliffe's are available again. 
Scenery & vehicles I hope to build.

[flatpack]

Are Val’s old knickers still available on eBay then ? 

[has.been]

If you know where to look.

[flatpack]

Yesterday we played our second game using FOL Glorious battles in the Age of Steam rules.
Great fun was had ….. as is the norm with these rules 

The annual Antwerp arms fair was always popular, as steam powered weapons of mass destruction were demonstrated, along with other minor contraptions.
The stokers were always out early, to get the steam up.
Because as we all know, no steam = no show.

Prof Snapoffsky and his steam laser was the star of the show.
His demonstrations were always well attended and many of the European superpowers had taken note of his latest technology.
Unfortunately after a minor issue at the end of his demonstration, the Steam laser had failed and he was now waiting for his support team to arrive, to transport the laser back to Serbia.

The yellow marker just shows it as an objective for the game.

So with a potential weapon of mass destruction stuck in a field in Belgium, forces from Britain, France, and Prussia were dispatched to see if they could persuade the prof to come home with them (with his kit of course  )

This game set forces against each other.
The game lasted for 8 moves.
There were 2 objectives on the table.
The Steam laser gun and its power unit.
Laser gun in the field and power unit in the nearby town.
At the end of each of the 8 moves, whoever’s forces were closed to the objections gained a point.
The side with the most points at the end of the game was the winner.


Second objective, the Steam lasers power unit, in these crates.

I played the role of the British commander - Lt Simon Cloudshovel.

Dastardly forces from France (has.been) and Prussia (James) will I’m sure add their own reports here soon.

I headed my guard unit into the town to find the power supply.


I supported the guards unit, with my regular Warwickshire regiment.


My naval boys easily got to the prof and started to persuade him to become a British citizen .


My Walker and armour also supported the naval party.


The prof and his kit were secure.

The naval party is here to help 

Turning my attention to the town, I was aware of some French cavalry entering the town from the south.




Prussian forces were also entering the town, but from the east.


My boys were still trying to get into the town from the western side.


French naval chaps now encountered the Prussians and started having a right go at each other.


French forces took a pounding from the Prussians and had to fall back, away from the town.


Now my regulars were in the town, and nearing the objective of capturing he player unit, only for pesky Prussians to appear in the town square.

Luckily I cut them down with my volley fire.

The battle on the eastern side between the Prussians and French ensued.


They even ended up in hand to hand combat. I say how very common what  !


So…in conclusion, a resounding victory for my fine British forces.
We had complete control of the Prof and his steam laser, and were able to secure his power supply too.

A great game, played in the right spirt.
Many thanks to Pete for umpiring, and James for being a willing target .

[has.been]

The gallant Chasseur D'Afrique trot down the road to the targeted town. Birds are singing, it is a lovely day.
Life is good, what could go wrong?



To the cavalry's right the sailors offer support.



To their left are the line infantry & the intimidating outline of the...Scarab.



The British Guards meanwhile march in perfect unison towards the town.



The Warwickshire regiment ... less so. 




Their Sailors sneakily prepare to put the Professor, 'In the bag'

7


My manifique troopers come in sight of the Professor's power units.




Prussian treachery!!!!    My peaceful scout (the 'Poacher' Monowheel) is attacked & blown up. 




Here we see the guilty heavy booted Germanic horde!   





Lurking in the woods too.




The Cavalry are almost there!   




Meanwhile the line Infantry 'discourage' the British Guards from entering the town.



In retaliation to Prussian brutality (Shooting down the Chasseur D'Afrique) not to mention animal cruelty(all those poor horses  )
We butcher the butchers.




As it turned out it was an out & out British win, but that in no way diminished a very enjoyable game.
The food ( Sausage & Bacon Butties with hash Browns ) brought to mind our recently lost buddy John, who always funded such tuck.

Thanks to Bob (aka Flatpack) for the nice terrain, lovely British & Prussian figures & cooking the food.
Also to the nefarious Prussian, James (aka Vodkafan) always a jovial opponent.
Nice day, fun, pretty game & good buddies. A game played in the right spirit & food too. Can't ask for more.   

[fred]

Looks like a fun game!

I did think the French had a big advantage from this photo - but clearly not as deadly as it looks!



Glad you were able to pay a little tribute to your passed friend.

[has.been]

That's the French, style first, effectiveness second.
Having said that the Scarab did wipe out the entire British Automaton Unit...
all six of them.

[vodkafan]

Hello there from 1870 Prussia!  Expeditionfuhrer Hermann Von Alvensleben (deceased) here to impart the Prussian view of events. It is really very interesting to see the action photos from the other two sides of the table.  You have already seen the layout of the land and the two objectives so I will waste no time explaining those!






The Prussian forces at the edge of the table : two well drilled infantry units,  a truppe of elite Jagers (accompanied by myself in the white feldbluse), an armoured car, mechanical walker and across the stream a unit of Luftjager men in rocket packs.
I had high hopes for these last. I intended to send them ahead at great speed to secure the objective away from the town, the Professor and his Doom Ray. They were the first unit on the table to activate but suddenly half the unit exploded on take off!

The survivors flew on leaving the charred bodies of the comrades behind.

All other units advanced, slowly at first.


On my far left flank, one infantry truppe were attacked by a fast moving French contrivance. They knocked it out with a volley of rifle fire, but then considered it prudent to hide in the woods, halting the advance here.


 As the turn ended,with dismay we saw a company of French Chasseurs on the way into the town as if on a parade.


At the start of the second turn disaster struck the Luftjager once again as another trooper's rocket pack exploded . The two survivors landed in sight of the objective


but were wiped out by machine gun fire from a British steam tank.


They lived long enough to see a section of British Sailors take the objective;  from now on allowing the British to collect Victory points every turn.
To dislodge them I sent the Prussian Walker Henning, (the Luftjagers intended support force, armed with two Bismark Lances) but it would take two more turns to get there.


In the centre I pushed my units hard at the double to reach the town.


In the meantime my armoured car Gerta, experienced stoking problems and failed to move, allowing the French cavalry an unmolested ride into the town.


 

[Westbury]

Nice to see some of my old Franco Prussian collection in action.

[vodkafan]

 Turn 3 one  schutzen unit and the jagers reached the outskirts of town but that's all they could do.


Gerta the armoured car got it's steam up again, advanced forward and gave the French Chasseurs a deserved hosing of good Prussian Maxim bullets. When the smoke from the MG cleared only half the Chasseurs were left, their jollity ended for the day.


The 9th schutzen battalion, ashamed of their earlier timidness, elected to rush out of the woods at the double into open ground.


Prussian Walker Henning reached half way to the Northern objective, stepping over bridges and walls with ease. The operator decided to use one of it's two deadly Bismark Lances, basically an unguided rocket. The British sailors a mile away watched with amusement as the missile sailed harmlessly way over their heads.


Then the sailors made tea and sat down to watch as two British heavy machines hove into view. The British steam engineering proved reliable but their shooting initially was not, they both missed this turn. The sailors tugged their beards- this would be a battle of metal behemoths right in front of them!

Turn 4 The distance between the mighty war machines reduced- three quarters of a mile, now half a mile... my walker had one Bismark Lance left.

 With no choice but to now ignore the sailors and combat the new threat, he aimed squarely at the large British steam tank, released the rocket in a flash of sparks. His missile bounced off the armour plate. A burst of twin machine guns from the British walker riddled the Prussian driver who slumped lifeless. For a minute the walker carried on walking but the cannon of Her Majesty's steam tank scored a direct hit with terrible noise of tortured metal and the  Prussian Walker finally halted, wreathed in flames and black smoke.
   
 Despite this complete loss of Prussian hopes for that objective, things looked good in the town. My command figures (including myself) had caught up and attached to the infantry units and were poised to enter the town. my armoured car fired again and swept away the remainder of the French cavalry. But then things started to go wrong.
the 9th Schutzen battalion  was out in the open. it started to receive fire from a deadly French sniper who never missed! a short rang out and a man fell.

Then suddenly to their front a unit of vengeful French matelots appeared and the 9th Schutzen were caught in a murderous crossfire.
 
Casualties and shock started to mount.

turn 5 I had intended to use the 18th Schutzen battalion to rush into the town and take the objective in the square but now instead I had to move to the aid of the hapless 9th. The unit moved to the stone wall and shot off a devastating volley which drove off the French sailors with a huge amount of shock and a couple of casualties.

 Meanwhile units of British troops were starting to enter the town from the West. Grenadier Guards were coming through the archway!

With myself, Von Alvensleben at their head, my Elite Jagers rushed into the town square and gunned down  the Grenadiers, forcing the rest to retreat.

Our victory was to be shortlived. The disciplined Guards rallied and regrouped the same turn.  A second British unit of the Warwickshire Regiment appeared and caught us reloading, I was the first to fall, killed instantly by a bullet through my Picklehaube.
The next turn the Guards also returned and between the two British units they wiped out all the Jagers.

The last turn.
The  French sailors reappeared having gone around into the  woods and were firing accurately from cover.
The 9th, still out in the open,  desperately ran to the break in the stone walls, and was pinned there still taking casualties and shock which prevented the armoured car from firing it's Maxim gun (with it's own troops blocking the field of fire.)

 A new  French threat appeared on the road, a strong unit of Zouaves.

The 18th schutzen fired and drove them back. They regrouped and kept coming. The Prussians meleed and won and drove them back.

But the Prussian infantry was also receiving fire from the British arriving into town from behind.
It was the end.

 
Many thanks to flatpack and has,been for letting me play in the shed, the beers and bacon butties and not least the high excitement and laughs.

[flatpack]

Nice to see some of my old Franco Prussian collection in action.

Yes Ian, they made it to the table and we had an enjoyable game.
Looks like the Prussians I paint, just fall from the sky unfortunately 

[BaronVonJ]

Looks like a great fun.

[has.been]

Looks like a great fun.

Well, you have got to take some of the blame for that.

[Donkeymilkman]

Nice AAR, looks like a fun one.