Post-Apocalyptic Campaign 1

 Colin and I have finally managed to start our campaign using the wonderful Mutants and Death Ray Guns rules by Ganesha Games. 

The first game was a simple scenario, crossing from one edge to the opposite side of the board.

Here is the table layout, Colin will be entering from the centre of the nearest edge.

Unfortunately the area was full of irradiated zombies, eager to chow down on Colin's gang. I placed these using a random deployment to reflect their lack of planning. Additionally there were pools of toxic waste scattered around than might periodically emit clouds of poisonous gas. Plus, the tall rock (to the right of the large pool in the photo) was actually a nest of  radioactive bugs!

The zombies after their first move. Yup, no-one activated!

As Colin's gang advanced one of then got too close to the nest, fortunately only 3 bugs reacted and emerged.

Whilst Colin got distracted shooting at the bugs, some of the zombies closed into melee. The zombies proved harder to kill with gunfire, as they required a head shot for a kill (ie could only be killed with an aimed shot).

Whilst Colin got distracted by the classic wargamers mistake of "Kill everything in sight", other zombies started moving closer. Don't lose sight of the objective, in this case escape!

One of the pools suddenly produced a cloud of poisonous gas (zombies and bugs were immune).

To trigger the gas we rolled a d6 for each pool at the end of a turn, on a roll of 1 gas appeared, effecting anyone within Short range of the pool. In each following turn we rolled again, this time the gas dispersed on 6 in the first turn, 5 or 6 in the second etc. However another roll of 1 would cause the gas cloud to expand to Medium range. A third roll of 1 would expand it to Long range!

Colin's sharpshooter hung back, so that when a zombie was pushed back out of contact, he could take the shot and blew what was left of the creatures brains out!

Remembering his actual objective, Colin broke off from melee, using the tall rock as a screen to slow the zombies down, as they went one way around the rock, he dodged around the other side.

Some lucky activations meant that he was able to get his entire band off-table without loss. Once there, they found some edible plants to replenish their rations. They also picked up a ragged old knapsack which turned out to have a still functioning frag grenade in it.

On to Scenario Two. Expect the radioactive bug to make a reappearance sometime soon!

VSF 1899 Balkans War 2

 We managed to get together for a second game set in the 1899 Great Steam War in the Balkans, using a VSF variation of The Men Who Would Be Kings. On this occaision neither side had any infantry support, except for a field gun and a couple of machingun units.  Otherwise both the Greek and Ottoman forces were entirely foreign supplied (and manned?) high tech equipment.

I had just bought two new steam tank models from Black Pyramid (and they are big! compared with the Ironclad tanks) which i had only had time to paint with a basecoat before the game. I shall weather them up before the next one.

A Turkish steam tank advances supported by a unit of German-made steam robots. An electric cannon gives fire support whilst Turkish machineguns set up in the scrub.

Another view of the Krupps steam robots and the electric gun.

Three light one-man walkers move forward. On the left is an Ottomen design armed with a deadly electric gun. the two other walkers are a Austrian design, mounting a machinegun and flamethrower each!

A heavy steam tank, armed with an electric gun and two machineguns advances, whilst a Turkish field gun unlimbers on the hill.

On the Greek side a heavy tank, medium tank and light walker (all British-made) use the ridge in the centre of the battlefield to screen their advance.

A French-designed armoured car boldly drives down the road to scout beyond the ridgeline. This would prove costly as it became the only visible target for the field gun and three electric guns, Opps! It was swiftly reduced to a battered metal box with no gun and the speed of a child's pedal car!!!

On the far flank a Greek field gun and machinegun set up "supported" by a second armoured car. This armoured car would remain in support for much of the battle as it's was constantly bogged down in the rough terrain (wheeled vehicles are fast, but risk getting stuck when moving off-road).

Three Enfield one-man steam walkers shelter behind a hill prior to their advance. Once again these small walkers would suffer heavy damage attempting to close with the \Turkish forces and all would be knocked out. (Perhaps the Greek commanders will realise that even armoured "cavalry" suffer charging across open ground in the face of modern weapons).

After much maneuvering, the Austrian walkers got into range with their flamethrowers. The Greek tank caught fire and was swiftly abandoned by it's crew.

 

Almost the end. The Turkish tanks advanced to get a clearfield of fire at the last Greek tank.

Endgame with only one tank and an armoured car left operation on the Greek side their commanders quit the field whilst they still had something to withdrawl! An outstanding Turkish victory this time.

We had a lot of laughs, and fine tuned some of the rule ammendments, particularly on fire weapons.