Lets look at building VSF army in Of Armies And Hoards. This pushes the rules to their limit, but as many Colonial games have well armed European troops up against iron age tribes - what is more fantastic, history or our efforts?
Why is it that whenever a new set of
rules comes out all the grandma wendy players want to play with their
toys, get the same results?
So, I have a disadvantaged as I've
never touched the rules. I remember when they came out, 10 years
out-of-date rubbish based on an American idea of big scale D&D.
Still-. Let's say 2,250 as a starter.
I can spend 50% on the Limited and Personality types. Now here's the nub, you have to consider the norm, which is a chap with a gun.
I'm using/costing the vehicles as chariots. At time of play the differences have not been costed out, but I'm hazarding they would work out equal. Types refer to my February article, not a rules defined type.
Big wave at Alternative Armies/Ion Age for most of vehicles & troops used here. Now if you're familiar with my design concept- steam driven metal framed vehicles with stout wood panelling designed to stop bullets and shrapnel, but not a full on artillery hit.
I'm using/costing the vehicles as chariots. At time of play the differences have not been costed out, but I'm hazarding they would work out equal. Types refer to my February article, not a rules defined type.
Big wave at Alternative Armies/Ion Age for most of vehicles & troops used here. Now if you're familiar with my design concept- steam driven metal framed vehicles with stout wood panelling designed to stop bullets and shrapnel, but not a full on artillery hit.
British Royal Engineers 2,276.
Command Car 148 3 4 6
General Chariot (Type 4) Shoot2, Tough, Exra lives2
Charabang. 4x65 =260. 4 4 6
Chariot (Type 4) Tough.
Mounted Infantry 24x47=1,128
4 3 4 Skirmishers, Shoot2
Gun carriage 104. 4 4 6
Chariot (Type5) Artillery3, Tough
Maxim carriage 2x88=176 4 4 6
Chariot (Type 5) Artillery2, Tough.
Line Infantry 12x38=456. 4 2
4 Shoot2
B......... trained and equipped Martian Mercenaries.
2,250
Cavalry General 33 3 2 6
Fast Shoot2, General, Tough.
Bus 3x88=264. 4 4 6
Chariot (Type 6) Artillery2, Tough, Trample.
Mounted Infantry 24x47=1,128 4
3 4 Skirmishers, Shoot2.
Scouts 4x41=164 4 2 4
Fast, Skirmishers, Scout.
Cavalry 6x52=312 4 3 4
Fast, Shoot2, Devastating charged.
European crewed field guns
2x72=144 3 0 5 Artillery3.
Maxim 33 4 0 4 Artillery2
Heavy Maxim 2x50=100 4 0 4
Artillery3
The Game. Excuse mat not being red. I've put it somewhere-.
The Brits lost the roll, so are defending and gain a camp. The camp gives a + to troops inside. A chatiot takes up 8 of available 16 allotment for an open area. Carried infantry are, well, carried.
Mars Attacks!
Cavalry
Artillery pulled by (Rebel) terror birds as they match the cavalry.
Scouts. Not quite painted-.
Each chariot takes up 8 of the 16 alloted capacity in an open area. Artillery 4, cavalry 2. Carried infantry are, um, carried. Vehicles move at infantry speed (see my post on WW1 vehicles from Bovington). Artillery move at 1/2 speed needing 2 activations to move a square in open.
Command and Charabang
I advance my cavalry. Their job is to protect my artillery.
Scouts um, scout.
A line!
The lighter Brit is outgunned, but gets in first (no reactions given) so stitches the heavier vehicle with its Maxim. Moot point about the carried infantry. This tankette has artillery 2, so rolls 2 dice needing 4+ to hit. It got one hit on the front so destroyed the vehicle. We took the infantry to be in the rear. If it had attacked the rear or scored 2 kills, the infantry would have been lost.
Infantry get out a bit sharpish!
They are then attacked by the tankette, and driven back.
Infantry supported by the command car move in to finish off the job.
Artillery rolls, gets one out of 3- that's an initiative switch.
Not the safest place for a leader to be-.
First artillery gets 2, I fail the reaction (the 1) and tankette goes Bang!
Line infantry from the camp in line, supported by the command car.
On the other flank, infantry prepares to move into the (broken ground) ruins.
The remaining infantry supported by a field gun put up a spirited resistance. A second gun is moving up.
Oh look, a chap on 'is own like-.
Cavalry charge, but are brought low. But they too inflict heavy casualties.
And- no. One reaction then initiative switch.
My flank has gorn orf, and my centre stalled.
Infantry deployed to see off the remnant.
Remnant of the line infantry recover and flank charge the artillery, destroying it!
My other Maxim artillery finally moves up.
The scouts get close, and the charabang charges them. Without armament it's a risky move, but it kills one and disorders the rest.
The Brits take the rough at last.
Artillery in danger, where's that bloody cavalry!
The tankette targets the infantry and pushes them back in disorder.
One artillery destroyed on the flank.
But the field gun is still going- scratch another tankette.
Get those guns going!
Artillery vs command car, the quick and the dead. This time the artillery wins.
The tankette bursts through the wreckage and creats havoc. First artillery.
Then the infantry again, it pushes them back.
The empty charabang moves up in support.
The race is still on.
Crap.
So close!
Hiding in the wreckage.
Hah, my turn-.
Eeek. The artillery rolls 2 fails and 1 success. Tony takes the option of using the 2 as reaction rather than initiative change. He gets one of them, so before my gun can fire the charabang rolls over it! You sill play yougoIgo-?
My general is in the same square, so engages the vehicle destroying it.
Tankette takes on and destroys the chasing bus.
I rally my troops in the British camp, thus taking tiffin!
Once again those pesky infantry.
The remaining infantry debus.
The infantry charge the tankette and destroy it.
British retake the rough after going full circle.
Only to have their charabang charged by the pumped-up remaining infantry. This has more luck than the tankette and destroys them, probably by wheelies.
Love your VSF games!
ReplyDeleteNicely done!
ReplyDelete