Club Night 25th September

On Friday Steve K and I set up a Modern Naval using the Shipwreck rules. Steve took command of the Americans, with USS Cochrane, Farragut and Pharris escorting USS Detroit, a Sacramento class AOE to rendezvous with a carrier group. Satellite Intel had tipped off the soviets and they dispatched a Sovremenny class and a Charlie II to intercept. Both fleets started out as counters steaming toward each other until detection was achieved. As the Soviets where expecting the Americans they started with a helo up with its search radar on. Unfortunately this was detected by the American group and they turned south to avoid it. Meanwhile the Charlie was carefully closing the range, and despite one brief contact achieved by sonar staying undetected.

Having closed to medium range the Charlie came to stop and started searching out precise contacts to find its target. It detected the fleet and let loose with 6 of its 8 missiles, saving 2 for anything that came after it. The sudden appearance of these missiles caused panic among the Americans as they swung to unmask their AA weapons and released Chaff. The missiles swept over USS Farragut and onto USS Detroit. Only two of the salvo beat the AA fire and the chaff, and one of these hit. Unfortunately for the Soviet sub commander it hit right at the back of the supply vessel and only succeeded in heavy damaging it and destroying its helo pad.

Having been forced to switch on their radars the Americans now had a firm contact on the Soviet helo they knew had been buzzing around just outside detection range. As they knew it probably had a passive bearing on them they released a missile and blew it out of the sky. In response the Sovremenny turned South and illuminated its own radar. Almost simultaneously Cochrane and the Soviet vessel detected each other. The Americans quickly shared the data over their advanced systems and let fly salvos of S1MER and Harpoon missiles. The Sovremenny had hoped to hold off firing until it had detected the primary target, but now decided to fire at its attackers to ensure if it was lost it would not be without retaliation. The heavy Soviet missiles beat the US AA screen and homed on on Cochrane hitting her square amidships and sinking her. The fire from the Americans is shown below.

Six Missile in-bound with only CIWS and chaff to defeat them...

...which they fail to do...

While this had been going on the Charlie had been attempting to penetrate the screen and attack Detroit again with torpedoes. Despite intermittent contacts the US could not pin down the contact, until they finally got a bit of luck and located her with the helo from Pharris, which promptly dropped a pair of Mk46's on her. Despite her captains best efforts she could not escape the guided torpedoes and they impacted and broke the sub, the in rushing water dragging her to the bottom

Despite the loss of Cochrane the US had destroyed a Soviet destroyer, and successfully prosecuted and eliminated an enemy sub, and USS Detroit had managed to get most of her systems back on line and could move at three-quarters speed, so it was a clear US victory.

This was a great fun game, and after a few false starts I really like the way suns work in shipwreck, abstracted but it has a nice feel, without the need to do complex map movement, which is a real boon for an easy club night game. Maybe next time I'll have a Los Angeles class try and take out Moskova, Kirov or Kiev. Tat could be a challenge...

Space Hulk 22 September

As Luke managed to get off work earlier than he expected we decided I would pop round to his, meet the new puppy, and play some Space Hulk. As I have said earlier, I was never a great fan of this game, and had only played it a couple of times, but bought the new edition solely on the strength of the Blood Angels to add to my Sons of Sanguinius. and how glad am I that I got this game!

Luke and I played the first two missions from both sides and it was fantastic. The rules are so simple, but the timer for the Marines mean you really have to think quickly and act fast. Once we start to manage two squads it will be a real challenge.

Mission 1 was a good learning mission, not too complex, but enough of a challenge. Luke played the Marines first and really looked like he was going to succeed until he jammed at an inopportune moment and the Marine was dragged down by a 'stealer. This opened up his forces and I killed another marine and the flamer carrier, ending with victory. All I needed to win Mission 1 was to have 3 marines alive when I lost the flamer and I was doing better than Luke. I adopted a less deliberate and quicker approach and it looked like it was working until, much like for Luke, a bolter jammed and a marine went down and all your careful fields of fire count for nought! But by using the flamer to cover one approach by burning zones, and the Sergeant fighting through the other I managed to get the show into the objective room and win the mission.

Mission 2 starts with the forces much more scatted and involves the marines closing off the entrances, or just killing all the genestealers. Again Luke took the marines first, and I proceeded to through 'stealers at the assault cannon. They may have died in droves, but they made him chew through his limited ammo. As he quickly closed the other entrances, I added more and more stealers to the mix until he ran out of ammo and started falling back, his comrades dragged down by weight of numbers. But then I can across the sergeant with his Thunder hammer and Storm shield and he held a door way and heroically killed all my remaining 'stealers. Victory for the marines. Roles then reversed, and I tried for a similar approach to Luke in closing off one entrance quickly and killing the stelaers at the other. But Luke was wise to this, and took down the Sergeant. Although on guard, he was cleverly attacked from alternating sides, forcing him to turn when he won rather than kill, and he was eventually dragged down as my luck ran out. At the other entrance I was holding on ok, until, yet again, a jammed bolter let a 'stealer in and that was it. As the hordes attacked it was just a matter of time, and when the assault cannon blew up on its last shot taking its user with it, you knew my marines were not going to get out!

So a mission each, bring on mission 3, and 10 marines to control!

Club Night 18th September

Another multiple post coming. At least I have an excuse this time. I have been busy finishing off the assembly and basing of the figures for next years show game and starting work on the army list.
Last week, Steve K and I fought for King and Country against the Parliamentarians under Steve H, Bob and Scott. For some of the game we were joined by Finn and his friends. These are some young lads who been up a couple of time with their parents and although they can't stay all evening it is great to see some new young blood and I find their enthusiasm quite invigorating.
Which is more than can be said for the game! Using Steve K's rules based on Fire and Fury with a clever name I can't remember we defended basing house. I took the right and immediately attacked with my Cavalry and enjoyed early success.

However it did not last, some dodgy dice rolling and astute maneouvering on Bob's part turne the table on me and I quickly found most of my Cavalry almost on my own table edge. Fortunately Duncan had arrived and taken over the infantry and was putting up a sterling fight in the centre. Unable to hot anything with missile fire, his pikemen where performing brilliantly.

It is only as Duncan managed to stall Scott's infantry in the centre we realised what had happened on our right flank, as until now we had been too busy worrying about our own fights. Steve K appeared to have put Steve H to flight and a unit of finest Royalist cavalry swept into the disordered infantry in the centre, winning a fine Royalist victory!

Colours 2009 - 12th September

Last Saturday the club headed off to Newbury for Colours in the grandstand at the Racecourse. I really like this venue, although moving stuff in to the multiple floors can be a bit of a pain, the glass side makes it a really nice airy location compared to some.

We ran three games during the day and everyone seemed to really enjoy them, coming back for more games if they could. I think I let the photos speak for themselves.

My favourite moment is below, as an Israeli and Arab ran across the main road to cover completely ignoring each other as they tried to avoid the incoming fire. You can also see the working lights in this picture!

As far as trade went I didn't see anything particularly exciting, and certainly nothing that tempted me to part with my money, but then I am in the midst of doing the Teutons and Poles so I have enough for now!

Club Night 4th September

I have been a bit slack in keeping up to date. I will have to try to be better! Last club meeting Mike, Luke and I tried out Impetus again, this time using my 6mm Samurai. Inevitable both armies where fairly similar, but Mike and Luke went for a Charismatic commander, while I bought some defences to deploy my missile troops behind. However I ended up as the attacker, but Luke and Mike where decent enough to advance on me so my defences where not wasted!

After a general advance by my opponents I moved my Cavalry forward to break up their attack and try to maintain some of the initiative. Despite getting my Cavalry in a complete mess as their cavalry moved round the words and arrived behind them I had a very fortunate stroke of luck. One exposed unit of mounted Samurai where charged by the enemies foot Samurai, as this gave them the edge. Although lost the combat and retreated Mike rolled a 6 for his cohesion test, and the Samurai unit contained the Charismatic C-in-C, who I promptly captured as I withdrew causing chaos in the enemy ranks as the news of the loss shook every unit in the opposing army.

Despite this Luke's infantry had advanced rapidly and where moving round my flank while I was stationary behind my defences. I launched a small counter-attack, but it was eventually snuffed out, but not before I had shaken the enemies right. My Cavalry was broken, so I hurried my centre command towards Mike, where with the loss of the commander, they were not advancing quickly and I needed to take advantage of this. I inflicted some losses and pushed the command towards breaking, before they returned the earlier favour, and captured my C-in-C. But as they did this I pushed their army past break point, but the loses I took to do this broke my army too. A very bloody, close, and highly enjoyable draw. More Impetus beckons!