15mm Wargaming for Fun and Sanity: Fl Rewenge of Princess Pnumonium, daughter of Minge the Munificent

I get it, if I put Mars in the title, you're all hungry for it. There's more and more VSF in popular media, but this isn't being addressed in wargaming.

A BIG “thank you” for all those following my recent posts. I've had some great comments. These helps, we are out here playing away in the hope that we are inspiring you to get out there and play.

So last week I tried using Flying Lead as it isn't. So now lets use it as it is- an excellent small unit modern combat game.

I know I presume that you are familiar with the basic workings of the rules. Just in case- all Ganesha's work on the same mechanism, but that is evolving. At its heart is the 3 dice activation. The Q – quality of the troops determine the score required to activate those troops. Flying Lead has individual activation for each soldier, but a leader can use 1 activation to cause the group activation of 4. The leader can also call for volley fire against a single target. (I use that to good effect below).

If you fail with 2 dice the initiative passes to your opponent. That simple mechanism destroys yougoIgo. We add the later mechanism of reaction (evolved since the rules were written) a failed activation can be taken as a reaction by the other side. You choose a figure, roll as per activation and any successful reaction comes before any action. Flashing Steel (a variant) limits what you can do on a reaction. We don't, we take the 2 failures as reactions before the turnover proper.

Plus, we include the leader in that who can then group-move or volley fire. There is another new variant whereby the 2 fails can be taken as reactions or initiative switch (turnover) used in Rogue Stars.

So, if you have higher quality troops you are less likely to lose the initiative and gain more reactions.

There's 3 builders online, you see the results copied in these posts. The weapons available in the rules range from bolt action rifles, crossbows and compound bows up to basic SF designs. But you can design your own.

http://www.ganeshagames.net/extra_info_pages.php?pages_id=17

I'm using a strong repeating crossbow as the equivalent to a bolt action rifle. If you look up the efficiency of a Chinese repeating crossbow (higher rate of fire, quiet, indirect shooting) that more than held its own against Victorian rifles.

So I'm “taking it down”.

Green Martian shooter Points 104 Quality 3+Combat 3

Drum Fed Light Machine Gun, Body Armor, Fearless, Poor Shot, Strong

Green Martian Warrior Points 88 Quality 3+Combat 3

Bolt Action Rifle, Body Armor, CQB Specialist, Fearless, Poor Shot, Strong

Green Martian Cavalry Leader Points 206 Quality 3+ Combat 5

Large Calibre Pistol, Body Armor, Combat Fiend, Dashing, Fanatic, Leader, Long Move, Mounted, Poor Shot, Strong

Green Martian Cavalry

Points 176 Quality 3+ Combat 5

Large Calibre Pistol, Body Armor, Combat Fiend, Dashing, Fanatic, Long Move, Mounted, Poor Shot, Strong

Attacking force

Leader 206

2 cavalry 352

3 shooters 312

6 warriors 528

Total 1,398

Bodyguard of Princess Pnumonium, daughter of Minge the Munificent

Pilot & Pnumonium

Vehicle 10, Long move 10, 1 fighter 3, difficult target 10, C&C 15, Q3 35 C 2 70

Gun Sled Vehicle 10, Thin armour+1 10, up to 8 fighters 24, Q2 40, Cbt 5 25, 109

Light Martian Cannon Points:15
Armor Piercing, Combat +3, Max Range 3 Medium, Very Slow Reload

8 Elite Martian Warriors 464 Total 588

Elite Martian Warrior Points 58 Quality 3+Combat 2,

Pistol, CQB Specialist, Dashing, Elite, Poor Shot, Steady Under Fire

Crossbow Points 39 Quality 4+ Combat 2

Modern Crossbow, Body Armor, Short Move, Steady Under Fire, Strong

Crossbow Skirmishers/bodyguards Points 59 Quality 4+ Combat 3

Pistol, Body Armor, CQB Specialist, Light/Bushwacker, Steady Under Fire

Sled with Pnumonium 70

Gunsled & fighters 712

6 Bodyguards 354

7 Crossbow 273

Total 1,409

The Game

Tony took the Greenies again (he likes cavalry) and won the initiative.

Using individual activation means you get a scattered force, as you'd expect with an irregular force. Using your leader to push groups helps. Reactions can encourage stragglers. Turnover.