Author: Buck

Yesterday, I had a bunch of HAWKs to my war room to play three games.  I set up the gaming day because a West Point buddy, Ma’k Morin was coming for the weekend to visit Dave Wood.  One of the games I ran was an initial test of the cyber phase of the Look, Sarge, No Charts: Science Fiction rules that we are beginning to pull together.  The idea is that between turns, the two sides’ cyber forces fight for control of each others networks by allocating their cyber teams to attack or defend.  Based on the outcome of the cyber phase, the sides draw cards that provide cyber effects that can be applied during the turn.  Examples are the ability to “pin” an enemy unit, get an extra activation for a friendly unit, interrupt an enemy artillery mission, etc.

I have many of my science fiction figures painted and based; however, I haven’t put much thought into the unit attributes, so those forces aren’t ready to game yet.  Instead, I put a bunch of France 1940 figures on the table but added the cyber phase.  Again, the purpose was for this to be an initial test of the cyber phase.

So, how did it go?  Actually very well for a first attempt, I think.  The cyber effects were meaningful and interesting, but they did not overwhelm the game.  In this first play test, Kurt’s company of panzer grenadiers got to the bridge (pictured above), which was their objective.  Then Chris drew some really good and timely cyber effects that first pinned the armored battalion (to which the panzer grenadiers belonged) and then in the next turn, took an activation away from the panzer grenadier company.  This delayed the German advance for two, critical turns.

The cyber fight went okay.  While there is the potential for wild swings in the status of the penetration of enemy networks, in this first play test, the outcomes were very evenly matched, so there was little progress along the “cyber penetration” track.  Only in the last turn did Chris get a strong result that propelled him to a portion of the track where he could get two cyber cards per turn.  I am going to make one or two small adjustments, but nothing major until I get a couple more tests of the current ideas.

Yesterday we tested Greg’s scenario and rules modifications to use Combat Patrol(TM) for Star Wars.  It’s probably not surprising that the rules worked well for Star Wars, as the film franchise is light on science and heavy on action.

Greg built the cards for the various units.  For the Rebel speeder sleds, we just used the record cards for SdKfz 251 halftracks.  For the “chicken walkers,” or AT-ST, we just used the stats for the US M-5 Stuart light tank.  Greg, who is much more in tune with the Star Wars lore than I am, said that these are lightly armored and easily knocked out.

The Rebels started in one corner of the board.  Their objective was to get the droid (shown in the APC in the picture, above) to the opposite corner of the table and off the board.  The Imperial objective was to stop that from happening.

The terrain consisted of a desert town that occupied about a third of the board.  Since the towns on the desert worlds of Star Wars look Middle Eastern, I used my Crescent Root Middle Eastern buildings.  Before he runs this scenario at a convention, Greg is going to build up some bits to give it a little more of a science fiction look, but in general, I think the Star Wars figures looked pretty good next the Middle Eastern terrain.

While the Rebels had to get from one corner to the opposite corner, the Imperial forces started equally divided between the other two corners.  From each corner the Imperial forces had an AT-ST.  These were placed in the scenario to give the Stormtroopers a chance to cut off the Rebel escape.

You can see Geoff’s reaction tot he loss of his AT-ST in this video:  IMG_0091.MOV

Kurt’s APC is knocked out by small arms fire from Eric’s Stormtroopers.

Eric launches some HE at Bill’s rebels.

I had a team of Rebel infantry that was moving into the town to distract the Stormtroopers and keep them from interdicting the path of the APC with the droid.  I got pretty aggressive, and Eric hit me with two teams and a bag full of grenades.   It didn’t go well for my Rebels, but it did stop these two Imperial teams from repositioning to fire on my APC.

In the end, despite a lot of fire from Geoff’s infantry, I managed get close to the opposite corner with the droid.  Eric or Geoff hit the driver with small arms fire, which caused the vehicle to lose an activation of movement.  I dismounted the infantry and fired on Geoff’s Stormtroopers while continuing to flee with the APC.  I was eventually able to drive off the table, so we Rebels won the game.

In my previous post about a recent Poland 1939 Combat Patrol (TM) game, I showed some pictures of the Sarissa armored train MDF and paper kit.  In a couple of the pictures you can see an empty area that was obviously meant for some sort of weapon.  I thought that it would be a good place for an artillery observer or machine-gun crew.  Duncan found this picture on the Warlord Web site:

While the train is obviously meant to be German, based on the shape of the turret provided for one of the other cars, I wanted it for a Polish armored train.  I did some looking for Polish WWII anti-aircraft guns and found these pictures.

I figured it shouldn’t be too hard to find a 40mm Bofors anti-tank gun in scale for 28mm figures.  Voila!  Warlord had one in their Bolt Action line.

I figure that I could file the edges of the helmets down and make this a passable Polish crew.  I have not seen the kit in person, but for every kit like this I have ever seen the carriage and the gun mount are separate.  I can use this as a ground-mounted gun in some scenarios and then put the gun in the train for other scenarios.  Unfortunately I just put in an order for Polish tankettes and the Wz-34 armored cars, so I won’t be ordering from Warlord any time soon, but it will go on my “next time I order” list.

At Historicon this Summer I had a chance to pick up the Sarissa armored train for 28mm figures.  Though it is meant to be a German train, I think, it works pretty well as a Polish train.  In these pictures you can see that I have sprayed it in field yellow and have not air brushed the brown and green camouflage pattern.  (I got out the airbrush and found out is was broken.)   Last Friday I put the scenario I plan to run at Fall In (in November) on the table at club night.

In the scenario, a Polish train has parked on a road that the Germans need.  The leading German forces have been tasked to capture the train so that it can be moved.  The Polish platoon is trying to defeat as many Germans as possible.  The idea is that a major German offensive is coming down this road, and it is imperative to get the train out of the way.  The rear car of the train has a gun that has run out of ammunition, so the train’s only armament is a 37mm gun in the forward turret.  The Germans entered the table along the top edge of the photo.  They had two half tracks and a truck full of infantry.  They had three more infantry squads and two Pz 38(t) light tanks.  The Poles had a light anti-tank gun and an anti-tank rifle.

Note that the Germans did not have to destroy all the Poles.  They merely needed to capture the train.  Most gamers will stop and fight, regardless of the mission, but this group had seasoned HAWKs who focused on the objective of capturing the train.  I defined capturing the train as having three infantrymen in the cab.

The Poles deployed no infantry in or around the train, deciding to defend well forward.  The Germans wisely avoided the obvious killing ground in the center of the table and attacked along both flanks.  The Germans did not know that only one of the two train turrets was operational, so they moved cautiously to stay out of its lines of sight.  The shack in the center of the table was unoccupied, and the Poles didn’t really have an opportunity to occupy it.  The shack did serve to limit the Poles’ lines of sight and enable the German infantry to move forward from the corn field.

The Poles had a strong infantry defensive position in the center, but the Germans avoided the area.  On the Polish left, the green German squads in the halftracks and truck moved up through the woods.  The Poles had place a small force on the small hill just off to the right of the picture above.  Their purpose was to slow down the German advance.  They did so, but at extreme cost.  They even tried to toss a satchel charge into the midst of the advancing Germans but it didn’t land were intended and did no damage.  As we called the game the Germans were swarming over the hill and advancing toward the front of the train.

Unfortunately I didn’t get any shots of the German armor advancing on the Polish right flank.  They kept well out of line of sight of the anti-tank gun.  The ATR got off a shot, but missed.  The right flank Polish squad had been all but wiped out by the combined fire of several German squads and tank fire.  At the end we called the game a German victory, because it was obvious that they were going to get to the train.

See Ma’k Morin’s blog post about Roomans here.

Yesterday I painted 13 that Ma’k converted to “space Roomans” by combining parts of a Ral Partha Rooman with the body of a Reaper science fiction figure.  I think the conversion was quite effective.

I cut some of the arms and re-glued them to give a little more variety to the posing.  It was a primitive conversion job, but from wargaming distance, they look okay.

Beware space farers when you hear the fear-inspiring battle cry of the Romman marines:  “Roop! Roop! Adoop!”

My buddy Ma’k made some molds of these long out-of-production figures.  They are ducks from the RuneQuest line.  He gave them to me a few months back, and this weekend I was able to get them painted.

I painted half with the “sun” design on their shields and the other half with the “moon” design.  This unit should see action in the near future, I hope.  The the feathers fly!

A few months back, I ordered some giant space aliens to go with my growing science fiction figure collection for Combat Patrol(TM).  This weekend I finally finished painting them.   I decided that the giant, fierce-looking aliens would look good in ice-cream colored uniforms.

I think for a science fiction game it is neat to have some oversized creatures.  Not everyone on every planet might be the same size.

I like the leader with the whip and pistol.  He’s ready to keep his rough and ready squad in line — or conduct his lion taming show in the circus.

I hope they don’t have trouble fitting through the hatches when they board and attack the space ship I intend to build.

War-games Illustrated Magazine posted a video of Combat Patrol(TM) on their Website today.  See link here:  http://wargamesillustrated.net/combat-patrol-playthrough/  Thanks to Chris Abbey at Sally 4th for taking the time to travel to War-games Illustrated to show them the game.

See the Combat Patrol(TM) Web page for more information on the game, information on how to get the game, free downloads, and how-to videos.

For my birthday my kids bought me this kit from Powered Play Gaming.  It took me a little while to assemble the kit, paint it, and decorate it.  It was designed as a billboard.  I decided to convert it into a drive-in theater screen for my town of Granville I use for my Pulp games.

You can see a little more in this video:  IMG_2942

I used the technique shown on this Web page to create the rust effect.

The HAWKs are well-known for running many children’s games at various HMGS conventions.  We also run the Armies for Kids Giveaway games that have been blogged about on our club blog and on TMP.  In the Armies for Kids Giveaway, we present the kids who participate in the game with two armies, rules, dice, and terrain bits so that they can go home and show their buddies wargaming.

The Harford Area Weekly Kreigspeilers (HAWKs) are running Barrage on 30 September and 1 October.  We want you to bring your children and your children’s buddies to Barrage.  On the Barrage Web page you will see a number of games that are listed as “kid friendly” (those in purple).  More are being added daily.  We want to see a lot of kids at Barrage along with host of adults.

For 2o years Barrage has been an outstanding gaming day.  This year Barrage will be two days, Friday, 30 September, and Saturday, 1 October.  The HAWKs want to see your children at Barrage.

Come to Barrage.  Bring children.  Have a great time!

The HAWKs want your children at Barrage!