OAAH Martian Sabre rattling

Although these are Martian games, thus falling into VSF, the basic Of Armies and Hordes rules are perfectly suited to the conflict.

Do you remember, oh my gossips, I promised that the smaller games would lead to larger?

Well here's the first part in that process.  I've had the Euxinans for about 18 months, thanks to an RPE (Dark Elves) generous seasonal sale.  At the same time, alternative Armies brought out their hats n helmets sprues for their Sengoku range.  One spurred the other.  With the bits from the weapons pack I set about a lot of headswaps and add-ons. I'd sort of organised them,  based, a bit of paint.  But just before this they (there's more!)  were mostly glaring white gesso.  Apologies for not finishing, but what the hell, they're on the table and moving to the drum of the dice.

Plot! The Princess having been saved, some sabre rattling is called for.  This can also be called diplomacy, although none are deployed here.

Looking at the map Euxinas Lacus is in the middle of nowhere.  The nearest city up is Herculis.  So I'm taking that as the (more) logical perpetrators of the Princess purloining plot.  The map is open plain heading into the northern mountains.  I can see each side having a string of trading/staging posts along the path of the old canal.  The locals on both side probably resemble the border reiver that feature in my own family history:

I think you can see the likeness and I've used these as a pattern for the locals below.  Plus, this opens up some nice small raid scenarios.

Set up procedure.  This is the way we do it, and it works well.  In fact it worked too well!  The pic above is the basic layout, we added road next.  Tony took the locals and placed the fort and buildings.  The rest was diced for.  The grid was then adapted.

This left me with a very narrow area suitable for deployment and Tony with overlapping fields of artillery fire.  now if I was developing this area, that's what I'd do.  An attack from any direction will face artillery.

Euxinan Invaders 1,790

With an army trained and equipped for defensive battles, the last thing  should be doing is going on a punitive attack.  The mountainous ground (a high pass is how I envision this) is unsuitable for cavalry so it's down to the Poor Bloody Infantry.

16 Guild Pike @ 29 =426p. 5 2 5 Pike, Slow,

Steadfast, +1 morale rolls.

Drilled. Reroll 1 failed activation per turn.

20 Heavy Infantry @ 37 =740p. 4 2 6 

Shieldwall +1D if pass a Q roll on 1D

16 Guild Crossbow @26 = 416p. 5 1 5 Shoot2

General Priest @ 94p. 3 1 4 General 2extra lives.

Bolster 1,2,3 actions Steadfast for 1 turn per action.

Bless 2 actions. Gives target 1 activation reroll next turn. Once per game, no range.

Chaos 2 actions Target unit disordered. 1 area range.

Flyer Mounted Sorcerer @76p. 3 1 5 Airship. Fast

Lightning bolt 1,2,3 actions Max 1 remove per unit. Figs extra lives, may reroll.

1 area range

Rain of arrows 2,3 actions, +1, may reroll

Eagles Eyes 3 actions, target gets +1 on next missile attack.

Once per game, no range.

This is from Space 1899, Martian city troops.  You can see why I latched onto the excellent Splintered Light Dark Elves for the forces below.  although I've had to add a couple of Martian Empire and Peter Pig figures in there.  I'd just-in-timed the artillery using bits from my Blotz scraps box and tail end of my The Scene heavy weapons - these are all mortars.  I'd kept back & partially painted some infantry to use on sleds, so I nicked some of those.




Herculis Borderers 1,802  The Fort Units in fortifications can spend 1 action to gain +1D

General. 100p. 3 3 5 , 2extra lives, Mounted Hero Reroll each turn 1 failed Activation OR Morale.

16 Heavy Infantry @ 40p= 640. 4 2 6 Slow.

Elan +1 on activation rolls, first turn only.

20 Locals @43p = 860. 4 2 5 Shoot1 Devastating charge.

Heavy artillery 88p. 4 1 4 artillery 4.

3 Light artillery @ 38 =114p. Artillery 2.

(I didn't include any crossbow.  So there's about another 450 that can be added.)

The Game.  You'll note that I've reverted for this game back to Warbases movement trays.  I need to make more regular or line infantry style bases for these forces.  I like the look though, the heavy infantry identified by colour but no real uniformity of kit.  The locals are a zealous mob without regard for organisation.

I do well, the regulars trounce - but now I'm in the killing zone for the artillery, 2 light and one heavy!

My flyer dashes in and peppers the heavy artillery - to no effect!

The artillery shoots back.  There's a Phut! and the ball drops out of the end, rolls down and disappears down the hatch.

My heavies are dashed-.  We hadn't realised that each hit causes disorder, and that each subsequent hit & disorder removes another figure.  Owww- my heavies melt.

There's another mutual meeting.  Tony rolls to move up his heavies move up through the locals.  These are in warband order, a less disciplined formation that would allow such historically.

My heavies move up in reaction or countercharge if you like.

Equal hits- Tony's had the initiative so mine go back.

Mine fail their morale and the survivors scoot.

On reaction Tony's reivers swarm the flyer and shoot it down.  Then, initiative switch and they pounce on my crossbow.

Very close, but I lose by one and go back.

Another charge into my other crossbow.  They kill 1 by shooting and suffer 2 in return.  In the combat I do miserably, killing one to their  2. So again each has lost 3, but my crossbow go back as Tony had the initiative.

My first crossbow have remarkably survived the morale roll, got ordered and can charge the flank of their tormentors.  They disappear but the enemy is down to 2. 

You'll note I dare not get my pike anywhere near those artillery.  They get 1 extra dice for being high and +1 against a square formation.

At this stage I don't have enough left for aggressive action and will withdraw.

And Tony dare not advance beyond the protection of the forts cannon.

Game 2.  Unusually we decided to reform the terrain.  This had a significant difference.

Seeing the flyer vulnerable, it's targeted and shot down (again)  The temptation to upgrade with more lives is there, but this is the nature of such light vehicles.  They get you into trouble fast and out of trouble if you're lucky.  I had considered one or more grenade dropping small flyers, 2 for the cost of a crossbow unit.  Hmmmm.  a larger flyer armed with a cannon and dropping troops into the fort would have been ideal, but what general has exactly the troops he needs?

The pike charge!  But their flank is vulnerable. Dah Dah Daaaaah!

Ouch.  Big ouch.  That's bad-.  Half my pike gone!

A section of Heavy infantry charge to protect the pikes flank and blunt the threat.

Crossbow advance in a large group to hold down my other flank.

Clash of the heavies.  Tony's should have walked over me.  But I win 6v4!

Pikes brush my locals aside.  I do very badly, killing 1.

I reinforce my heavies from the fort, and they push Tony's back again.  The pike wheel into them.

But that leaves my remnant pike and heavy infantry in range of the guns.

On the other flank the crossbows are faced with going uphill in the face of artillery and heavy infantry on their flank.

Size 2 artillery on the hill roll 3 dice.  Against a big target they get +1, so 3+ to hit.  Ouch, disordered.

Heavies menace flank.

Now the locals come down off the hill.  Crossbow outclassed, outnumbered and outgunned.

More artillery.

There is nothing like an effective general.  In both games this one was less than effective.

2 very fast (under 2 hours) excellent games.  Had the right feel.  Now we move on -.