15mm Wargaming for Fun and Sanity: Rogue Stars Venus

Again I'm doing 2 in 1 just out of sheer laziness. Both of these are follow- on/consequence of game to the previous one.

I thought it might be interesting to have both sides armed with "primitive" weapons requiring reloading.

This a simple "meet & greet. I should have put more time into this game- but I didn't.

Locals- more of the superb Battle Valor reptillians. I had thought to do an army in one go, as soon as I'd finished they bring out javelins & characters. Ho hum.

Company troops are Nemo's crew from Rebel Miniatures, back in the day when we could afford American orders.

Local Lizards Militia. Hunting Party 200. Blitzkrieg +2 initiative at start, taking -1. All +1 to shoot, +1 in combat. Ignore 1st pin, Armour 1.

Xenophon Big, Fast, Leader, Reptiloid, Tough, Weaponmaster 3.
“Kevlar” Torso +2 Sword 2 Primitive

Yakob. Alert, Big, Fast, Reptiloid, Tough, Weaponmaster 3 28 Total 38

“Kevlar” Torso +2 6 Sword 2 Primitive 2 38

The archers Frank, Garry, Percy, Harry. Fast 2, Reptiloid, Marksman Total 23
Bow 2. Reload. Primitive. 2 handed. Short Range
Zaphod also has Fire into melee

The names have been changed to protect the guilty.

Corporate Security. Star Cops. Burst discipline. 4 reload

Sgt. Nogbert Leader2, Marksman3, Reactive, Steadfast. 38 Total 43

Knife 1 Primitive 1 Musket 4 Reload, 2 handed 4

Troopers Drew, Grude, Cuthbert, Hubble, Riggs. 20 Total 25
Knife 1 Primitive 1 Musket 4 Reload, 2 handed 4
Mcgraw Marksman 3

The Game. Tony took the security and attacking. I took the lizards and sneaking.

The sharpshooter upon the hill, the company advances in good order.

Contact is made, and as all things must, a shot rings out and a lizard falls, wounded.

An arrow flies to no effect. Token underneath depicts unloaded.

Sneaking in the woods. If you've ever done this, the tension mounts damn fast-.

The centre becomes a stalemate.

Quick reminder, counter under = unloaded. The more advanced weapons start to take their toll.

But bows work too, Grude goes down. Hubble gets his head split by Xenophon.

The leader, challenged!

On reaction he breaks free!

Cuthbert takes an arrow to the chest, goes down wounded.

A shot rings out - Mcgraw, the marksman on the hill has shot Xenophon who goes down wounded & staggered. Sergeant Nogbert takes an arrow, dead! Both sides now leaderless & the pins are piling up.

Percy goes hunting Riggs.

Harry dashes to the attack, makes a complete mess of it, but he can get up instantly and slashes ineffectively--.

That chap on the hill- gave his position away with his noisy weapon and hasn't moved.

Garry is being picked on, bow vs 2 rifles.

He might be a big target at close range- He waves his private parts at their aunties.

Garry having finally dispatched Grude dashes at the now frantically reloading Drew, wounding him.

Sneaking, sneaking - close range-.

A thunk, a gurgle and he's dead.

We stopped it there. Each has so many pins that we reasoned both sides would disengage.

Reloading did slow the game & effect tactical decisions.

Game 2 I struggled a bit with this one as I wanted to do something a bit different.

So- construction site for a new blimp tower. The participants are a small work crew and their security. Heavier stuff like cement delivered by road, most stuff by blimp.

I made this well over a decade ago & it's been sat on various shelves gathering dust ever since. I think I'd originally planned a 6mm mott & bailey. Packing foam with PVA & plaster mix. Wot did we do before Geek Gaming? Do you want chips with that?

Workers Miners Hard To Kill 3 Remove Wound tokens.

Lin Chung The Boss. Leader. Martial arts3. Tough2. Total 28

Khan. Chucker2 Tough2 Weaponmaster3. 31 Total 37

Sword 2 Primitive 2

2 Stun grenade 6" range. 2" radius Target pass Endurance 10+ or pin/stress. 4

Fook Marksman. Stealth. Tough. 17 Total 22

Pistol. 4 Short range. 5

Chang Marksman2. Reactive. Tough. Weaponmaster2 31 Total 37

Musket 4 Reload, 2 handed 4

Fixed bayonet. 2 handed, Primitive. 2

Habudar. Reactive. Tough. Weaponmaster2 19 Total 21

Sword 2 Primitive 2

Troopers Dug, Curt, 20 Total 25
Knife 1 Primitive 1 Musket 4 Reload, 2 handed 4

I sort of cheated on this one, it's a variation of the first Venus game crew, losing both spear & an Alert to pay for the Shamen.

Local Lizards Militia. 200 Blitzkrieg +2 initiative at start, taking -1.

All +1 to shoot, +1 in combat. Ignore 1st pin, Armour 1.

Jubal Big, Fast, Leader, Reptiloid, Tough, Weaponmaster 3.

“Kevlar” Torso +2 Sword 2 Primitive

Dave. Big, Fast, Reptiloid, Tough, Weaponmaster 3.

“Kevlar” Torso +2 6 Sword 2 Primitive 2

Larry. Big, Fast, Reptiloid, Tough, Weaponmaster 3

“Kevlar” Torso +2 Sword 2 Primitive 2

Frank Big, Fast 2, Reptiloid, Marksman

Bow 2. Reload. Primitive. 2 handed. Short Range

Garry Big, Fast 2, Reptiloid, Marksman

Bow 2. Reload. Primitive. 2 handed. Short Range 2

Shamen Big, Fast, Reptiloid, Psi, Psi Master. 18

Mind control TN 18, 10”, LOS. P58

I used this figure for the Shamen. I started (same day-) 2 "as is". The other 3 will be conversions. I may need another pack, as these could easily make a separate small squad. https://cpmodels.co.uk/shop/ca1514-followers-of-istaris/

Finished. Well, there's a bit of touching up. The play surfaces need to be smoother as the added scenery is lifted.

Excellent modern tents - note pegging points around base. Another dream time winter discount purchase.

https://www.alternative-armies.com/products/fms04-large-frame-tent?_pos=8&_sid=6bd9efa1a&_ss=r

This looks like I spent time painting the barricades rather than one runny coat.

Common sense that the greenies were the agressors. Damn natives always think they OWN the place, even when they've done nothing with it!

They sneak in all quiet like. I diced for location of my forces. Chang, in the vehicle park, uses a reaction to spot - there's something out there---. You've seen it, either the jungles too quiet or there's a flurry of birds and a waving of plants.

More sneaking.

Realising that there's only a few bits of wood betwix him and all those teeth Chang gets into the lorry cab. Oh bugger, no glass in these things.

Frantically he shoots and wounds Larry, crippling his arm. A second shot rings out, the guards have realised there's something happening, shoot and wound Garry.

Chang scrambles up the slope like a goat perused by a T Rex.

Hard bastard, doing that with a bust arm.

Frank looks very, very comfy.

The shamen makes a long dash - both guards fail to react, ends up behind the barricade. Meanstwhile - he's BEHIND you!

Not to be undone, others dash up the gap in a full on frontal assault!

Larry makes heavy weather of climbing up. That's going to hurt.

Chang realises that if he can climb up, so can his pursuers. He creeps around the hill like a Welch cheese. Very Caerphilly.

But his adversary is moving faster.

The barriers protecting the guards work both ways. Khan uses his first grenade. It rolled downhill a bit.

Dave dashes in but it don't work.

Frustrated, Dave tries again and cleaves Curt's head.

That gives Frank his opportunity. With his bow slung it's old school tooth & claw. Unfortunately even taken from behind Khan knows his kung fu. And he has a big knife.

Now it's Frank facing 2:1.

He gets Khan down and wounded.

Now he's up against Lin Chung. First he's wounded ans staggered, then double tapped out.

Dug fears getting cut off, retires.

That allows Jubal to do a run up to the upper level but not enough to get into contact.

Habudar gets a reaction. Faced with going and standing in front of Jubal or making a bit of distance-.

Fook actually gets 3 activations! He shoots Jubal dead!

Chang gets a bead on Dave. A 20 vs 1 no need to go through the book for that one.

A 1. He's a gonner. 2 guards killed for 4 invaders including leader.

Led by example of the Shamen, the survivors scarper a bit sharpish!

The new kids on the block have held their ground!

Spending points on the Shamen didn't work. Tony took a huge risk with her to get her in range and the only time she got another 3 was when it was time to split.

Possibility for next week--

I bought these when they came out from Alternative Armies (a good while ago) I've earmarked them for the AA's lizardmen, The howdah need crew. I'm torn betwix starting them or waiting for the entire range to be finished - which is likely to be December 2022. They remain a "get when sale on" project now a small hillock of shame. Which makes AA the shame shop.

"Have you no shame!?" - "Yes, I bought it from the shame shop."

They are also awaiting a Doug McClure figure!