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Post by Gentleman Ranker on Apr 14, 2021 7:10:20 GMT -9
A while ago I printed up and bound a copy of the Flying Lead rules from Ganesha games for my Aged and Venerable Opponent.
Today, (and gently in case the sound of gunfire scared me) we took our first steps into modern skirmish gaming.
A full report may follow later.
For now, suffice to say there was blood in the muddy puddles of Shanty Town.
GR
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Post by Gentleman Ranker on Apr 14, 2021 12:50:06 GMT -9
The game was designed as a preliminary test for whether the AVO and I could get our heads round the Song of Flying Lead rules and whether we wanted to continue. Accordingly I turned up at the gates of the Aged and Venerable Opponent's Villa unexpectedly one April morning. As the Gondoliers brought me slowly across the reflecting pool and up to the grand portico I quickly thought of a rough scenario.
Once within the palatial recieving room I quickly explained to the AVO and we set up the table. I laid down a battle mat or rather the extract of one. The Industrial Sector Battle Mat 1, from Dave Graffam is currently on sale for less than a dollar on Wargames Vault. All of Dave's paper stuff is on extreme sale and has been for a while now. I can't keep from buying more stuff each time I visit and I'm deeply worried that at some point it's all going to disappear.
I had printed out about 12 pages of the battle mat pdf and glued and taped it very carefully. I'd been storing it rolled up and we had to weight the corners with the petty coin the AVO keeps around the Villa for throwing at the peasants. This gave us a playing area of about 3' square. The mat would have provided more if we'd had a bigger table. It provided an excellent backdrop with enough variety to add interest and enough ambiguity to be interpreted as required.
As per the rules for Flying Lead, we laid out the board. I scattered some of Finger & Toe's Shanty Town around. It provides about 8 of these small shacks and we used about 6 today, with one propped on top of one of Dave Graffam's Space Containers. Some of Dave's cross sectional Ruined Walls occupied a couple of the corners.
Setting up took moments despite doing it about three times each time something occurred to us about distances, line-of-sight and cover etc. Finally I chucked down some scatter terrain and move it into a reasonably authentic looking pattern. This included an experimental 3d rock made from one of Antohammer's 2d terrain bits in his Phantasya Starter set, several moss covered small Jungle Monoliths from Hoard 181 here at Cardboard Warriors which look extremely versatile and two different types of crates from Crooked Staff.
We threw a dice. I won and opted to be the defender. The AVO, as the attacker, indicated which board edge he'd be coming from and so I set up first. I'd forgotten the set-up rules when I took the picture above and I had to hastily re-set my starting positions within one medium move of my starting edge.
My troops are three of the Modern Gang from El Cheapo Minis. They are standard Quality 4, Combat 2 characters armed with Pistols C+1, Short Range.
One day in Sud Afrique, Michel and Eloise Rich-B'Stard [from Antohammer's Crime Novel Characters] suffered a minor car breakdown as they were passing through the Shanty Town. They are out of their depth in any environment without air conditioning and chilled Chablis and my armed locals have decided to "help". The Rich-B'Stards may not be quite hostages yet as no demands have been made but they certainly aren't free to leave until my people find out how they can profit from the situation.
In the meantime, three of Budget Security Solutions' finest have been despatched at the request of Michel's employer, Faceless Conglomerate Petro, to recover the couple. The BSS "operatives" are poorly paid and not particularly motivated but secure in the knowledge that nobody will be prosecuted if locals die in a Shanty.
Two of Permes Urban Gunslingers ...and one more of the El Cheapo Gang make up the AVO's forces. They too, are Q4,C2,Pistol(+1,Short)
More to follow,
GR
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Post by Gentleman Ranker on Apr 15, 2021 3:13:54 GMT -9
We rolled a die to see who was going to go first. A bumble bee drifted lazily across the room and the slaves wafted their flabella desultorily. My AVO lifted one languid hand and complained that given the scenario it made sense that as the aggressor he should act first.
"Shut up! It's the rules for a bog-standard battle." was my elegantly argued reply. In defiance of logic and the AVO, I rolled higher and activated my troops. All achieved at least one activation and all moved forward to take advantage of the cover from the corrugated shacks ahead of them.
Several rounds were spent with my "troops" arguing over whether one of my troops should dash across the gap between the small monolith and the shack to join the lady in it's shelter. This being the in-game narrative for me blowing several successive activation rolls and failing to get the guy on my left to move! The AVO dubbed him "the coward" and when I objected to this cruel depiction gave him the ironic sobriquet "Captain Courageous".
Meanwhile "Karen" moved forward to occupy the side wall of the shack and peer forward to see what was going on whilst their nominal leader cowered with the two captives behind the shack. We had determined, possibly with too little thought that the captives must be led to move but if no-one was in base to base contact with them they would scatter and run about like headless chickens. In retrospect, this effectively gave me one less character to use. It would have been better if I had taken the actions to lock them in a shack or something.
Eventually Captain Courageous was convinced to move forward and occupy a similar position to Karen at the corner of his own shack.
The AVO's suited gentlemen of the BSS had in the meantime darted forward to hide behind the shack opposite my forces whilst his vested chap from the El Cheapo gang waited behind a Monolith for sufficient activations to make the dash across.
The AVO sent one man to the far side o the shack and one to the near.
From the far side of the shack Karen could just make out the blue suited foe. Line of sight is determined in Flyimg Lead from any part of the base to any part of the base. Therefore she could make him out even though he had cover. She took a shot and despite the modifiers for range and cover, was successful. An odd roll on the die was a goes to ground result. The rules stated the character should instantly move for the nearest cover or if in cover already should go prone. However my AVO argued that it made more sense for the character to step back in this instance and we agreed on that outcome.
Battle has been joined!
More to follow.
GR
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Post by Gentleman Ranker on Apr 15, 2021 4:33:02 GMT -9
The glare of the sunlight off the Tyrhennian sea lay a stripe across the marble. The sonorous drone of the insects and the clipping of the gardeners outside in the magnificent grounds, was ignored. Inside the Villa, the battle raged!
For a certain value of "raged" of course. With a Q of 4 each figure only activates on a roll of four or over. Three dice increases the chances of a turnover, where a failure on two activation dice means your turn is ended immediately. We were both primarily using two dice for safety, thus getting on average, one activation with each figure and things moved slowly.
It quickly became apparent that we were both playing very cautiously. No-one wanted to expose their figures. The AVO brought Blue Suit back to the corner of the shack he was using for cover and took another shot.
"Bang!" with one good die roll, tripling my low roll Karen was KIA; shot in the head. I toppled the figure.
The AVO was a little taken aback. "Oh."..."Oh, I killed somebody..." It's a sobering thing to kill a man. Or in this case an imaginary paper woman. Perhaps it's that I depicted the combatants in this scenario as ordinary idiots caught up in something a little bigger than them. Or perhaps Modern scenarios are just a little more relatable. It's something we'll have to think about.
The AVO called out "How's that Coward's morale?". "Captain Courageous is fine" I said, checking the rules. Yes. The AVO's roll wasn't a 6, so although it was a straight KIA it wasn't a Gory Death and didn't warrant a Morale check on it's own. We hadn't lost a leader, we weren't down to less than half our number. We were good to go.
Captain Courageous and Code Grey at the corner opposite him were taking turns blowing their activation rolls and taking ineffectual potshots. At one point Code Grey rolled a 1 and was out of ammo but the check die wasn't also a 1 so it wasn't a jam or a break and no further action was required.
Code Blue at the Northmost corner of the shack left cover to dash across the gap towards the big yellow container and Captain Courageous took the shot but missed.
And then, as these things sometimes do, it all went pear-shaped.
Code Grey rolled two activations and took an aimed shot. Given the range he still had a minus -1 to his roll but now so did I. He rolled poorly but he won and my minus meant he doubled my score. "Bang!" and the Captain was Out of Action .
Now I did have more down than up. I checked the morale rules and Last Man Standing gave an automatic -3. With my Quality of 4, it was impossible for me to succeed. Three failures equated to three moves towards the nearest board edge and my last guy dropped his gun and was off the board sharpish for a dreadlock holiday.
And that was that. The Rich B'Stards came out of hiding extremely cautiously.
We packed up. We said good game and shook hands.
The AVO declared himself fatigued. He lay down on a nearby cloth of gold chaise longue and beckoned a slave to feed him grapes.
We learned a lot about the game, the value of cover and the effectiveness of firearms, particularly. We discussed auto-weapons and the more complicated rules bits, with the AVO threatening to read the rules this time! On reflection I might prefer to try out longarms next time round before auto fire or maybe a small game with each before we get around to throwing everything into the mix.
The terrain worked really well. I was pleased with the size and number of the pieces we used and the battle mat was excellent. The figures we used suited the purpose really well. Future scenarios will have to take account of the types of figures we have available. Thanks for reading!
GR
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Post by Antohammer on Apr 27, 2021 6:52:31 GMT -9
ahahahah love it sir!!! .... let me know what you need for next episodes
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Post by Gentleman Ranker on May 10, 2021 23:53:44 GMT -9
Looks like the next episode is US Rangers vs German Infantry among the bocage, Antohammer. It'll be cool to use my new hedges and the Paper Realms road tiles. I'm still learning how the placement of terrain effects the battle. I'm also hoping to use a few more figures for the next game but cutting out the Reivaj US troops is getting trickier as I get more demanding of the results . I may use a Dave Graffam multi level ruin for one of Lvmenes prone german riflemen but don't tell the AVO if you see him!
Going forward I'm tempted to pick up the campaign pack for Flying Lead, Hearts & Minds, set in Afghanistan. I've got Finger & Toe's Adobeville for buildings and it might be cool to try the modern stuff. Did you ever finish the Taliban figures you were working on?
GR
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Post by okumarts on May 12, 2021 3:34:23 GMT -9
This is a great battle report! Thanks for sharing it. I can't wait to get back into face to face gaming again.
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Post by Gentleman Ranker on May 28, 2021 13:10:46 GMT -9
Today the Tiberian Villa of the A.V.O. played host to a clash of titans as we had our first encounter with the mighty, Bolt-Action Rifle and Auto-Fire! Not quite an AAR. I've been running around on family tasks since the game and my recollections are hazy. A report will follow, hopefully tomorrow when I've gathered my thoughts.
The eagle-eyed Action Men among you may notice some articles not quite in keeping with Normandy 1940 weighing down the corners of the battle mat. Ignore them! The actual incidence of giant wasp attacks during the game was zero. They were not pressed into action as anything other than weights.
The battle mat is Ebbles grassland. 25 pages of 6"x6" tiles glued and taped to give a 30"x30" playing surface.
The road tiles are mproteau (Paper Realms) Paper Realms Kings Road preview set, which continues to be massively useful.
The hedges are homemade in 6" sections from kris Crooked Staff print & paste wilderness textures. I'm absurdly pleased with myself about these.
The British infantry are from Junior General and this group are "double front" The Germans are lvmenes and are a nice clean figure which were a pleasure to make up.
We diced for highest to decide sides. I won and chose the germans. The British East Surreys had 6 chaps with Lee Enfields, a Bren gunner and a Lance Corporal with a Thompson smg. Since we didnt have a standard Britsh Infantry Bren Gunner standing figure, the Bren gunner was represented by a Highland regiment figure and swapped out when he became "prone". The Germans don't come with a MG34 or 42 gunner (there's a HMG guy on the bonus sheet {along with a German Shepherd dog! }) so I subbed in an additional MP40 guy to give us both two auto-fire options. Eight figures each.
I was indolent in the heat. The ceiling fans ticked round like an early scene from Apocalypse Now. I miss the Odalisques but the AVO has become enamoured of modernity.
The scenario was one of the two basic scenarios which hang around on pages 23 and 24 of the free Starter version of the "A Sergeant's War" rules. We had to translate measurements and one or two instructions but it worked quite easily without too much hassle.
As we placed our figures in the oppressive heat, we bickered mildly over the translation of the victory conditions. The scenario would be won by the group that controlled the crossroads. We finally decided that a figure needed to be on the crossroads tile for three activations with no enemy figure within one long move for it's side to win... but we didn't "finally decide" that until near the end of the game!
The AVO clicked his fingers and servants brought another round of sherbet. I took a long drag from my hookah. The game began.
GR
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Post by mproteau (Paper Realms) on May 28, 2021 14:28:35 GMT -9
So great to see the road tiles getting use! Thank you for sharing.
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Post by Gentleman Ranker on May 29, 2021 0:20:28 GMT -9
So great to see the road tiles getting use! Thank you for sharing.
They were one of the first things I made and one of the most useful. Thank you for sharing them!
On with the Battle Report.
Two squads’, British and German in Normandy, 1940. Or 1944 if you prefer. Two squads with the same task; approach and control the crossroads. An engagement that could have happened a thousand times. That happened, once, today.
The AVO won the toss and sent the Surrey’s in to bat. He set up near the patch of trees on the northern edge, just beside the road.
The trees by the way are from Nico Pogarskiy. He has three pages of trees at various sizes in his free dungeon terrain/accessories set. I just made these up in paper, back to back. Trim, edge and slot. Do it again and you have one tree in the cross build method. The bases they’re on represent the size of the patch of woods which is considered broken terrain for movement and blocks Line of Sight.
The AVO rolled for activations and immediately rolled a turnover.
Seeing the AVO setting up off the road, I seized the opportunity and set up with the majority of my troops on the base of the road on the southern edge. (You might call it cheating, if you like! ) A lone rifleman was in the stand of trees to the east, My final MP40 figure was in the larger patch of trees in the south-west.
I rolled well for activations for my first figure and grabbed the initiative. With bad voice acting in a horrible german accent ; “Klaus”, the running figure was ordered forward. He arrived at the crossroads and reported it clear. I rolled well for activations, bringing forward my lead Schmeisser figure on the right. At the end of my first round of activations, I had figures at both the nearer corners of the crossroads, with support in force from the rest of the squad coming up the road.
More misfortune for the AVO left his British squad still stranded near the baseline. Angrily, he hurled the dice at the French torch singer serenading us from the stage in the corner.
As Piaf’s ghost ducked, I brought up my squad to the crossroads and dashed across the road to put a foothold on the far side.
Finally the disgruntled AVO rolled well for activations and rolling his Brando-esque shoulders, he set to work.
The British darted forward, from the cover of the trees to the cover of the hedge. The Bren Gunner is lying behind the hedge on the right which projects away from the road, with his support rifleman behind him, against the road hedge.
I’m stranded by failed activations or by the need to stay fixed at the crossroads waiting. Line of Sight means that I won’t know the AVO is even there until contact.
Other British riflemen dash forward around the hedge and across the field. Their varied levels of activation leave them strung out like raindrops on glass. The furthest forward is Skinny John with the Thompson, almost invisible side on against the hedge on the northern side of the east-west road.
Things are about to get shooty!
GR
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Post by Gentleman Ranker on May 29, 2021 3:11:21 GMT -9
Lets get the this party started!
The game became frantic at this point. Apologies to the AVO if I get the order of some events incorrect. There were times when even my usual grab the mobile and snap a quick unfocussed shot, technique failed me and I missed some things altogether. Hopefully you’ll be able to follow the action! Observant Antohammer fans will have spotted, the signpost at the crossroads is one of his. There is a scarecrow (also from the Wars of Phantasya starter) out in the field to the right, though it only appears in the periphery of one or two shots. I do think that this kind of scatter terrain really helps bring the battlefield to life.
The AVO has brought up his troops and is now close enough that I cannot claim victory by default. Given our stated Victory Conditions, if I’d been rolling promptly for activations for my “Klaus” running figure and the Schmeisser NCO on the near side whilst they were doing nothing, I could perhaps have spent the three activations in “control” of the crossroads before the AVO moved up. Now that blasted Englander Rifleman is behind the hedge on the opposite diagonal of the crossroads tile, he’s within one long movement stick of the figure that is establishing “control” and that’s enough to prevent or dispute the control.
We are both a little confused about visibility. We have agreed that the high banked bocage hedges block line of sight completely and this implies that we don’t even know of the presence of the enemy. Though I suspect that it’s supposed to be implicit in the rules that both sides know there’s a battle going on!
The AVO has his Bren gunner dig through the base of the hedge where he is lying. The rules do actually cover moving through obstacle like this, even giving the specific example of bocage. It takes two actions and the figure’s movement is reduced by one category. However the Bren Gunner does not want to move through, he wants to hack out a firing hole. We agree this should still take two actions. For two successive rounds he fails to gain the activations to do so. I successfully argue that my forces should hear this hacking. We make our Qualty to roll to hear and a lone runner is sent up to investigate. He stands in front of the developing hole on the other side of the road peering quizzically.
And now, unfortunately, a lot happens with no photos.
The Bren Gunner succeeds in digging his firing hole and opens fire on my German in the northern lane. He misses and my return rifle fire leaves him Shaken. My guy takes this small victory and scurries back down the lane to his mates at the crossroads.
The British mass up on the other side of the hedge from the Germans and begin to push through. One British rifleman opens a route but chooses not to do the short move. We agree that this is allowed but that it leaves a gap through which we can see one another.
In the eastern lane the tommy gun wielding Lance Corporal has bulled his way through.
In a flurry of activity the AVO shoots through the hedge at a german rifleman and hits with a “Goes to Ground” result. My guy retreats behind the signpost to the cover of the hedge. He must have sat down abruptly and there must have been some dog muck there. At least this is how he later attempts to explain to his squad mates.
I return fire and with some lucky dice shoot the Rifleman behind the hedge. “Out of Action”. The first solid result of the game.
I follow up my advantage. My Schmeisser guy at the crossroads sprays speculative fire at the other figures behind the hedge. Hitting nobody but keeping up the fire.
At the side of the northern lane the AVO has finally managed the two activations for the Bren Gunner to recover from his Shaken status. His rifle buddy is firing past him down the lane towards the crossroads but as I return fire I target the Bren Gunner again and with a lucky shot just beat his roll, forcing him to go to ground. He rolls to the side of the firing gap and without the threat of auto fire from the northern lane I can concentrate my attentions on the crossroads.
The Lance Corporal with the tommy gun is ready though. I’m not looking forward to that auto-fire! In a flurry of jousting activation dice I narrowly come out on top. A rifleman fires across the front of Schmeisser guy and hits the Lance Corporal. Ouch! Right in the lane! He goes to ground and I quickly take the opportunity to shoot him again with the bonuses for that and he is “Out of Action”
It’s starting to turn in my direction and I press my advantage. I’m activating everybody I can. We are rolling back and forth in a brief firefight through the gap in the hedge. I have some minuses due to cover but I’m beating the AVO on activations and on combat rolls. The pointing British rifleman goes down.
The AVO is mumbling like Kurtz in the darkness, frustrated at his inability to progress. I check the numbers, including the shaken etc. It’s not quite enough to force a morale check. I take the bull by the horns. Rolling three dice for activation. My flanking Rifleman from the eastern stand of trees, unused since the beginning of the game, charges forward. He smashes through the hedge into the eastern lane. More dice for activation. He charges up the bank and through the hedge on the far side emerging into the field behind the group of huddled British. “Bang”. My combat dice is a six, for a total of 9 and triples the Englanders score. It’s a Gory death and triggers the morale rolls we need to end this bloody mess.
One of the British near the hedge makes his rolls. So does the Bren gunner. But two figures reach the edge of the board and disappear triggering a further cascade morale roll requirement for the remaining figures. The British are defeated on this occasion and the Wehrmacht take the crossroads.
As the Odalisques paddle me back across the ornamental reflecting pool, I trail my hand in the water languidly and reflect on my victory.
Visibility, Line of sight and cover seem hugely important in this game. There is a lot of luck in activations. However it seems that with objective based scenarios on such a small field of battle it’s worthwhile to be more adventurous with rolling for activations. Particularly with slightly larger forces such as we had here and particularly near the beginning of the scenario when not in direct contact. The AVO remained cautious throughout and I think this contributed to his defeat.
Sorry for the gap in photos during the frenetic firefight at the crossroads.
Hope you enjoyed it. We certainly did.
GR
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