What a Mech Suit first game

In an effort to find a good ruleset for hard sci-fi games featuring troops in power armour (battle suits or mech suits) we tried out the Toofatlardies What a Tanker rules. 

Rules were added to include AT infantry, close combat and counter measures. Also dice use was adapted to be more flexible (better suit means changing more dice to the desired number) and we also had one card per unit to interrupt the other players turn once per game.

My opponent fielded two heavies against a pair of light power armoured troopers and an infantry anti-suit team.

My guys managed to scratch the paint on one of the heavies but were no match for them. The infantry ant-mech team was wiped out and the light power armour suits had their command dice reduced to zero.

Although the game went relatively smooth we agreed on changing several things for the next game:

The WaT way of determining initiative will be swapped for the Sharpe Practice (also from Toofatlardies) activation method.

Deployment from other places than only the table edge should be possible (by using the Chain of Command patrol phase). Jump off points could then also be used by hidden Mech-knackers to ambush the heavies.

Infantry teams may also "paint" a target for other troops, allowing them to fire at these targets when they are not within line of sight and/or make Aqcuisition easier.

And of course some finetuning of strike and armour values.

Hold the Line ‐ Verkhniy‐Kumskiy

After failing to get through in the previous game, the Soviets now send their second wave of tanks towards the German lines around Verkhniy-Kumskiy. Our second game of Chain of Command without infantry and this time it's my turn to play the Soviets.

The Soviets must get their tanks beyond the red line. The Germans intend of course to stop them.

I tried to get as close to the red line as possible in the patrol phase. My plan was to use the "fast" characteristic of the T34/76 to just dash towards the line, using accumulated Chain of Command dice to interrupt my opponent and take extra moves, while taking advantage of every double phase I was able to roll.

My first tank got pushed back by the mighty gun of the Panzer IV.

I deployed the Soviet command tank obscured by the scrub.

And advanced with both tanks.

The German command tank was deployed and my opponent took advantage of his senior leader's ability to order other panzers to fire (German tanks being equipped with radios). My Soviet command tank was hit and immobilised.

The courageous Soviet commander stayed in his tank and tried to suppress the panzers to allow the other tanks to break through. Double phases allowed the T34/76 and a T70 to rush forward, although the T34 had its gun knocked out in the process.

 

 And he made it! One T34/76 breaks through and drives off the table!

The T70, using the Soviet command tank as cover, has almost reached the line when the Soviet commanders' luck runs out.

All Soviet tanks (except the one already past the line) are now on the table.

The panzer IV reverses and takes up an ambush position behind the scrub.

But my opponent doesn't wait for the T70 to pass by and just takes it out with a shot through its front armour.

My remaining T34/76 has taken out the main gun of the German command tank and the second T70 is moving flat out when something incredible happens: my opponent uses his chain of command dice to interrupt and apparently one of his panzer 3 commanders is a tank ace. He rolls a double six on his "to hit" roll adding three strike dice to his shot. The subsequent roll is unsavable and the T70 is no more.

  

The panzer IV and both panzer III's open fire on the remaining T34/76. Soviet force morale is almost gone.

Then the T34/76 is immobilised and it's game over for the Soviets.

One Soviet tank got through, but it will not be of much use in the offensive with its main gun knocked out. The Germans did not lose one tank. Again a fast and smooth game. All tank chain of command games are notably shorter than infantry games so far.

First Blood ‐ Verkhniy‐Kumskiy

The Germans have taken the village of Verkhniy‐Kumskiy and send their panzers towards the Soviets approaching from the East.

Game nine of the Winter Storm campaign is a bit different than a standard Chain of Command game. This scenario features only tanks and no infantry. Also the tanks do not arrive at the table edges but may use jump-off points. As usual we let the dice decide who played the Germans and who the Soviets.

This time I played the Germans (three panzer III and one panzer IV). The Soviets had three T34/76 and two T70 tanks (represented by T60 tanks, because I wasn't able to acquire the T70's).

Due to the lack of cover most jump-off points ended up at the table edges anyway.

I deployed my panzer IV which was soon facing two T34's!

In an attempt to be able to fire at the side armour I deployed my senior leader on a flank.

The panzer IV did however manage to knock out one T34 and the woods and smoke obscured the other one from the German senior leader.

My opponent then deployed his third T34 and blazed away at the German senior leader, scoring an incredible six out of six hits! I was only able to save two and lost my senior leader and his tank.

The panzer IV got hit repeatedly, but managed to survive. After rallying the crew and removing all shock the tank commander moved to get a shot at the side armour of the T34 that knocked out the German senior leader.

 Net three hits and the T34 exploded!

My opponent now brought up his smaller tanks and concentrated fire on the panzer IV that had knocked out two T34's already.

I deployed my remaining two panzer III's. One on the flank and one able to fire directly at the Soviets.

The panzer IV destroyed one T70 and drove the other one off the table before being destroyed itself by the last remaining T34.

Then the panzer III punched a hole in the T34 and it was over for the Soviets.

It was a fast game which went quite smooth. Activation options were limited, since only fours and threes could be used to activate units. The next scenario requires the Soviets to move from one short table edge to the other in order to claim victory so it will probably have more movement than this game.

Project Star Wars: First game!

After painting (almost) all my Star Wars stuff last year (see the blog Project Star Wars entries), the miniatures finally made it to the gaming table for our very first game of the year.

Using Fistful of Lead: Galactic Heroes and a scenario borrowed from Baron von J my son took charge of Darth Vader and four Royal guards while I had a Jedi with 4 supporters.

The bad guys

The good guys

The scenario takes place after order 66, which killed most Jedi. In order to lure the Jedi that escaped order 66 out of their hiding places, the Empire has set up a false Jedi beacon in an old Jedi temple on the planet Aniron. Jedi Master Judwan Vhing recognizes the trap (It's a Trap!) and must destroy the beacon. Darth Vader happens to visit Aniron on an inspection tour and must take out Vhing's party leaving the beacon intact to attract more Jedi.

 

The Imperial beacon

Both the Rebels and the Imperials started their turns moving towards the temple.

I included three jokers in the deck, representing Aniron wildlife looking for prey. Two of these appeared immediately in the first turn and turned out to be Maw beasts.

The beasts moved towards the nearest prey. One group headed for the Imperials, another group towards the Rebels.

Ptanak managed to pick one off, but Tashik missed, allowing the beasts to close on him.

Next turn the third joker fell and a Nexu appeared, heading for the Rebels!

The beasts were now also closing in on the Imperials.

On the Rebel side, Blayne aimed his heavy blaster at the oncoming Nexu and killed it before it could come close.

One Royal guard spotted the Rebel scout Sluur and shot him with his laser lance, putting Sluur out of action.

Master Vhing closed the distance to the droid operating as the beacon and tried to destroy it with his light saber. He must've been distracted by something because the droid won the close combat and inflicted a wound on Vhing!

Ptanak dropped another maw beast, emptying his blaster. Two beasts left, heading full speed for Tashik.

Darth Vader decided to neutralize the maw beast threat first before engaging the Rebels.

The beasts took down one Royal guard before they had to give up the hunt.

In the same turn, two maw beasts jumped Tashik, taking him down and causing a wound.

A Royal guard joined the fight between the droid and Master Vhing and was immediately cut down. The droid proved very hard to hit however.  Darth Vader saw the light saber flashes and made his way to Master Vhing. With a mighty blow, Master Vhing put Darth Vader out of action (he did have the high ground).

Finally the droid wasn't able to escape Master Vhing's light saber any more and was cut in half.

After using The Force to heal his wound, Master Vhing rushed over to keep the maw beasts off Tashik.

With Blayne joining in and another Force Heal on Tashik, the Rebel party claimed victory.

Darth Vader was dragged to a gunship evac, and lived to fight another day.

Again a fun Fistful of Lead game, with the early appearance of the local wildlife disrupting the plans of both sides.

Njam, njam.