Sunday 28 February 2021

Flying Lead The Clacking Contraptions of Baron Von Steele.

The Clacking Contraptions of Baron Von Steele. (known to the Tommy as clacker jacks) Tussle on't Trestle! 16.55 on a Friday afternoon the fiendish forces of the fractious forryner are advancing on the village of Stacked On Trestle. Here the advanced forces of the Royal Engineers* will attempt to stall their atrocious advance. There is a mill by the stream. 

I'm having trouble with the formatting not "holding".  Please ignore.  Flying Lead is a "large" skirmish game that we have games-used for SF until its distant cousin Rogue Stars popped up.  The rules were designed to work for VSF to the far flunge future because of the online squad, vehicle & weapon builders.  You can design individual 007 heroes to the green troops being shoved into the mincer.  This is a gentle reminder/starter game.  I had intended 2 series, first this one based on a recurring theme, followed by a (re)introduction to Flying Lead.  This one hits both, as its VSF Flying Lead and the Mill.  Sorted.  Interestingly the rules suggest 150-200 points on a 2x2 board.  I'm planning on a cluttered 3x3 board and consider this a small force.

Baron Von Steele - 
Points 136Quality 3+Combat 3

-Pistol, Body Armor, Combat Fiend, Fanatic, Leader

Pistol  C+2 Short.
Body armour  Ties any combat he loses by 1 point.
Combat fiend  Can make 1 combat action per available activation
Fanatic  Q+1 for morale check, +1C in hand to hand.  No morale when friend killed.
Leader Any within 1 Long has +1Q.  Group order up to 5.  Death causes morale.

Clacker Jack  Quality 4+ Combat 4 Armored, Off-Road, Vehicle   Points 77
Off-Road  Moves Medium on and off road.
Armoured Can only be damaged by armour piercing or anti vehicle ammo.
Flamethrower C+4 against infantry, C+10 vs vehicles.   Max range 2 Long.
Hits 1 Short wide along whole path.
If vehicle dies a gory death (6 on attack die) Explodes.  Any Short radius C3 attack.  If knocked down also on fire then gets a C4 attack at end of turn.  Any attacks on burning target +2 .
If no activation, vehicle gets "free" Medium move forward unless stopped.

Sourerkrauten Officer - 
Points 86Quality 3+Combat 2

-Pistol, Body Armor, Fanatic, Leader


Sourerkrauten Infantry
Points 59Quality 4+Combat 2

-Bolt Action Rifle, Body Armor, Fanatic

Rifle C+2 Long range.  Not move and fire, reload automatic.

Sourerkrauten Squad Light Machinengunner
Points 86Quality 4+Combat 2

-Belt Fed Light Machine Gun pre 1945, Body Armor, Fanatic

C+3 Long range  2 actions setup OR -2.  Can be combined with a no.2 for faster set up.


Sourerkrauten Platoon Flamethrower
Points 116Quality 3+Combat 2

-Flamethrower Pack, Body Armor, Fanatic, Slow

C+4 against infantry, C+10 vs vehicles.   Max range 2 medium.  Hits 1 Short wide along whole path.
If user dies a gory death (6 on attack die) Explodes.  Any Short radius C3 attack.  If knocked down also on fire, then gets a C4 attack at end of turn.  Any attacks on burning target +2 
I'm not using this one, but include it for reference - there is always the possibility of a follow-on game.

The Barons attacking force.  I'm giving the attackers 50% more.  I was aiming for 1,500 but got 1,655.  I could lose 2 Clackerjacks or 3 infantry.  

Baron 136
Clackerjacks 6 @ 77 = 462
Squad 2 x 5 infantry + Machinegunner = 676
Squad 5 infantry + Officer = 381

Royal Engineers Defenders about 800.
5 SAS troopers & Sergeant  692
1 Tankette with MG 67
This would be 759, but it wouldn't work.

More mundane!  Total 867.  Yes, I could lose the tankette, but this is a good well rounded force.

Captain 54
Charabang + 6 MI = 384 
1 Tankette with MG = 67
Special Air Section Sergeant & 2 troopers = 362
 
Special Ariel Section Sergeant -
Points 142Quality 3+Combat 2

-Carbine, -Fragmentation Grenades, -Pistol, Chucker, Crack Shot/Marksman, Elite, Long Move, NCO/Second In Command

Long move.  Flying apparatus works as a series of powered jumps or hops.
Carbine.  C+2 Medium, Move & Shoot.
Pistol  C+2 Short.
Crack Shot.  Extra +1 on aimed shot.
Fragmentation Grenades/Chucker. +1 on Q roll deviation.
Range 1 Long/2 Medium.  
Within Short knocked down C3 attack. Medium C1 attack. Long 0 attack.
Against Clackers.  As above, Target rolls C2 not 4, attack - 1 for armour.
Elite no morale mod not having friend in M
NCO troops under command +1Q within 1 Short, group order.  Can take over if CO dies.


Special Ariel Section Trooper 
Points 110Quality 3+Combat 2

-Carbine, -Fragmentation Grenades, Chucker, Crack Shot/Marksman, Elite, Long Move



Truck Contraption
Points 25Quality 4+Combat 1
Special RulesOff-Road, Personnel Carrier 6 passengers, Slow, Vehicle


Open, unarmoured  vehicle.  Carried infantry count as in light cover.
Slow Can make 1 Medium movement per turn on or off road.
Infantry take 1 action to mount or dismount.
Troops shooting from back get no penalty for moving.
For convenience roll one activation per mounted & vehicle.  Rolling for infantry turn after dismounted.

If no activation, vehicle gets "free" Medium move forward unless stopped.


Mounted Infantry
Points 59Quality 4+Combat 2
Special Rules-Carbine, -Pistol, Specialist*


Mounted Infantry Officer
Points 54Quality 4+Combat 2
Special Rules-Pistol, Leader, Specialist*

Leader Any within 1 Long has +1Q.  Group order up to 5.  Death causes morale.


Tankette
Points 44Quality 4+Combat 2
Special RulesArmored +1 (Thin), Off-Road, Slow, Vehicle, Wide Tracks


Armoured +1 Can only be damaged by armour piercing or anti vehicle ammo.
Offroad/Slow  vehicle makes 1 Medium move per turn.  To effectively shoot, must stop.

If no activation, vehicle gets "free" Medium move forward unless stopped.


Machine Gun Points:23++
Auto Fire, Combat +3, Max Range 3 Medium, Spread

Auto Fire  Single or burst shots.  Aimed shots only affects 1st shot.
Burst allows targets within 1 short of target to be hit at -1 per target.
Combat+3.   
Shooting from moving vehicle -2.
Spread  hits any target within 2 base widths of original at no penalty, as if same target but no aim modifier.

++ This weapon is designed, all others listed are "by the  book"  http://www.ganeshagames.net/extra_info_pages.php?pages_id=17&osCsid=okjvtvjakaao057pf8qkalt0q4

Shooting at vehicles.
Flamethrowers.  Horrifying against any vehicle-.  This an anti- tank weapon in turn of the rules.
Firer rolls 1D6, + C of user + 10(!) (Modifiers)  Target 1D6+2
More than likely this will be a triple result--
Firer now rolls again.  D6 + amended AT.  Tatget D6+ Armour.  -2 if side or rear.
Use chart.

Machine Gun on the Tankette use same formulae, but on the second roll get a -4.
Light machine gun can engage the trucks which are unarmoured, choosing between the vehicle or the carried infantry.

Are the Clackers superior robots or early power armour?  Doesn't really matter- I've treated them as vehicles so you can make up your own mind.


Zoom through me blog to http://unitrecon.blogspot.com/2017/02/royal-corps-of-engineers-1899-yorkshire.html  2017!  Crom-.  This will explain the raisin d currents of the force.  The special Aerial  Service was a later edition:  http://unitrecon.blogspot.com/2019/05/fs-sas-take-on-worm-cultists.html

*   “The ordinary sapper is a great deal better educated than the common soldier, and they discussed the peculiar conditions of the possible fight with some acuteness. I described the Heat-Ray to them, and they began to argue among themselves. "Crawl up under cover and rush 'em, say I," said one. "Get aht!" said another. "What's cover against this 'ere 'eat? Sticks to cook yer! What we got to do is to go as near as the ground'll let us, and then drive a trench." "Blow yer trenches! You always want trenches; you ought to ha' been born a rabbit Snippy." "Ain't they got any necks, then?" said a third, abruptly--a little, contemplative, dark man, smoking a pipe. I repeated my description. "Octopuses," said he, "that's what I calls 'em. Talk about fishers of men--fighters of fish it is this time!" "It ain't no murder killing beasts like that," said the first speaker. "Why not shell the darned things strite off and finish 'em?" said the little dark man. "You carn tell what they might do." "Where's your shells?" said the first speaker. "There ain't no time. Do it in a rush, that's my tip, and do it at once." So they discussed it.”
― H.G. Wells, The War of the Worlds

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