Bolt Action; "A Care in the Community Project"

 Yesterday Simon continued his charitable work giving Chris another Bolt Action run-out in readiness for the Bolt Action tournament at Lost Ark on September 18th. This game would see Chris’ “undead” Japanese fighting a US army force commanded by Simon. Why “undead”...look at the unhealthy pallor of the Sons of Nippon skin. Even Chris acknowledged that something had gone wrong.

Unlike the game vs Tony two weeks ago, this time Chris did seem to have a basic grasp of the rules albeit had left his QRS at home plus had omitted some important information from the force data sheets. Not a disaster but very annoying and sloppy. If Chris had paid more attention to what he had to bring rather than the mega-bag of Costco crisps that he brought all would have been well.

Back to the game. Again, unlike the Tony game this one did have a semblance of logic. Five objectives were allocated across the table and then the players diced for which side to take. The US entered the table with infantry squads pushing up both flanks, the C/O and the MMG taking the centre and a third squad and Sherman being held in reserve. The M8 armoured car rumbled forward in support of the Yanks right flank. Chris responded with infantry squads right, left and centre; a tank, A/T rifle team and field gun on his left and his MMG covering the right.

First blood went to the Japanese as the MMG and infantry fire hit the US squad advancing through the tea plantation. The US replied with MMG and rifle/BAR fire in reply. Both sides saw men go down. The M8 was soon in trouble. It wiped out the A/T rifle team but was hit and disabled itself. The crew however could fight on and managed to direct machine gun fire at Chris’ “elite” squad advancing through the centre.

Both tanks then entered the fray to support opposite flanks. Chris’ tank plastered an American squad lurking in a palm grove but stayed close to the table edge, whilst the M4 advanced onto the table destroying Chris’ MMG team and then proceeding to shoot up the mortar/infantry squad hiding in yet another palm grove.

In the centre the US air observer successfully called in an airstrike before dying as Chris veterans conducted a Banzai charge. Eight onto one was never going to end well. Things went less well for another Banzai charge which misjudged its distances and ended up in the open with the M4 able to pour enfilading HE and machine gun fire into it. Exit a Japanese squad. However, Chris was enjoying greater success on his left. The crippled Greyhound armoured car was finally knocked out, and the flanking US infantry squad broke and ran.

By the end of turn 4 Simon had seen enough. Despite holding a strong position and likely to hold 3 out of the 5 objectives if the remaining turns played out, he let Chris claim a morale-boosting victory. After all, its not that often that Chris is ever victorious, and he has to learn graciousness in victory. Cries of “Victory for the Emperor” may not be appreciated on the 18th.

So what did “honest Simon” make of his second foray into Bolt action. It was better than the game vs Tony in that the scenario actually had a purpose. However, maybe it is just blind prejudice, but the game system still leaves one cold. Also, the idea of Japanese fighting 1944 Germans in the desert does make me very depressed. It is almost as bad as gaming with un or half-painted figures. I hope Lost Ark has mandated that all figures have to be nicely painted. Oh no….. That means Chris’ Japs will be excluded!

Simon

"Poland 1939; Mayhem in Myslenice"

Our indefatigable correspondent had hardly any time to rest after last Sunday’s trip to “somewhere in the Middle East, when he was ordered to Poland in the dark days of September 1939. With the Nazi hordes pouring across the frontier and ominous signs of troop movements across the Russian border, General Maczek’s elite 10th Mechanised or “Black Brigade” is attempting to re-group south of Krakow to continue an effective defence. At 09.00 hours on September 5th, the German armour of the 2nd Panzer resumes its attack towards the village of Myslenice. Waiting for them are Vickers “E”s and cannon-armed TKS Tankettes, together with one of the two TKSD tank destroyers assigned to the Brigade.

Knowing that time was not their friend, Dave’s Panzer IIIs and IV advanced quickly taking advantage of the cover provided by the dried upriver bed. Chris’ PzIIs appeared more sluggish. Maybe they were wary of the solitary tankette that appeared to be facing them.

As ever with this period the early exchanges of gunfire proved inconclusive, until one of the Vickers took a round that set it on fire.

That seemed to open up the northern flank for the Germans who resumed the advance. However, Phil’s tiny TKS lurking on the edge of the forest proved almost impossible to spot, being both small and low profile.

The effectiveness of its 20mm automatic cannon however belied the vehicle’s diminutive size, and soon the mighty PzIV was burning. The other German tank commanders began to look nervously around them.

Chris’ Panzer IIs proved slow to act, courtesy of damage caused by the TKS and the second Vickers E. This allowed the Poles to concentrate on Dave. Although he managed to charge his PzII off the table in accordance with his orders both Panzer IIIs took fire and were destroyed.

In both cases the Poles benefitted from fortuitous “double six” hits which gave them additional strike dice. Rob’s roll of three 5s and two fours when his TKS fired into the flank of the lead MkIII was the last straw for the demoralised Germans.

The day belonged to the redoubtable 10th Mechanised.

The scenario was adapted from one covered in “Skirmish Campaigns” book ”Poland ’39, the Black Brigade”. A few more vehicles were added and obviously infantry and artillery ignored for a game of WAT. The 20mm TKS again proved its worth, reminiscent of the historical exploits of Cadet Roman Edmund Orlik. On September 18th he destroyed two Pz35(T)s and a Panzer IVD, and on the 19th a further seven 35(T)s. One of the great “what ifs” of the campaign must be “what if the Poles had rebuilt more than 24 TKS with the 20mm cannon….?

Simon

The Men Who Would Be Kings: Sudan

Two back-to-back games of scenario E, from Dan Mercey’s “The Men Who Would Be Kings” rules and they could not have been much more different.

Scenario E: “Run for the Hills”, had an attacking Beja force of 5 tribal infantry units, vs, a British “Defender”, comprising 3 Elite Line Infantry units. The British deploy against one short table edge and have to reach the other end of the table. The Beja can deploy along either/both of the long table edges, but 50% of their units in each table half, in this case 3 in left half & 2 in right half. The Beja force always activates first each turn.

Game 1: A forward deployment by the Beja forces, saw one Beja unit rush straight into melee with the left-hand British unit, in this case, a Royal Navy landing party, while a second unit trotted into a central palm grove, ready to rush the central British infantry unit.

Sadly for the Beja forces, they lost the melee with the Royal Navy and where thrown back. The poor souls then had to suffer the indignity of alternately rallying, then being shot & pinned again, by the surviving Naval infantry!

In the centre, the Beja unit in the palm grove waited for further support to arrive, before dashing out to engage the British. Sadly for the Beja force, they did not make contact and the Martini-Henry rifles, made short work of this Beja unit and it’s supporting unit. At this point, the other two Beja units slunk off into the haze!

Game 2: This time the Beja forces deployed much further back, so the leading units could trot back over the hill, to join their comrades, already lying ambush.

The British deployed in a 3 sided box/wedge formation, with the Naval party to the left. The British line infantry moved forward, ‘at the double’, down the right flank, while the Naval Landing party worked around the left of the central palm grove / rocks.

The movement by the Naval party, caused the Beja units on that flank to move out from behind the hill, to threaten the Naval unit. Rather than face this directly, the Naval party filtered through palm grove to join onto the left of the other 2 British units.

These British units then entered Close Order, ready to ascend the hill and flush out the Beja forces ahead of them. Sadly, the British had left a gap to their right, wide enough for one Beja unit to flow through and outflank the Close Order British line.

Threatened with being outflanked, the British had no option but to break Close Order formation and rush the Beja unit directly ahead of them, bayonets fixed, in the hope of break through!

Sadly, although courage was not lacking, numbers were! First the right hand British unit went down under a welter of Beja spear thrusts. Then the Naval detachment was swamped by first one, then another Beja charge. Finally Colonel Coredun was left facing down 3 separate Beja charges. The last but one leaving him standing alone! The last that was heard of him, was his revolver clicking and him yelling “Come on you hairy ba**ards, finish it!”.

Kiss Me Hardy: Journey Home

 

The French frigate Hermione is battling back from the Eastern Mediterranean and is finally in sight of the port of Tooloos. The frigate is carrying vital despatches about the war in Egypt. However, the Royal Navy close-in blockade force (the frigate Surprise & Brigs Defender & Growler) has spotted the Hermione and are moving to intercept. The French port patrol, consisting one frigate (Nemesis) & two brigs (Genie & Pandour), is moving out to support Hermione. 

While Hemione sets a brisk pace, on a WNW heading, Nemesis and the Brigs Genie & Pandour, work around the island in the centre of the harbour entrance, to support her.

However, the British Brigs, Defender & Growler, surge Northward, in an attempt to prevent the French forces from combining. Meanwhile, the frigate Surprise, runs to East of the brigs, with the aim of engaging Herminone.

Defender scores first blood, savaging Nemesis’ rigging and slowing her down. Nemesis is also forced to run further South, away from the coming fight, by the brigs Genie & Pandour, elbowing their way through, to get at the British! Dark thoughts on the bridge of Nemesis!

Defender & Growler run down on the French brigs, while Surprise tries to maintain the weather gauge on the fleeing Hemione and she gradually starts to overhaul the French frigate. Soon they are trading blows.

Defender breaks between the French brigs and then bravely heads for the much larger Hermione. Genie is badly mauled by Surprise, so Genie attempts to ram Surprise, to try to prevent Surprise pursuing Hermione, but all she succeeds in doing, is losing her bowspit.

Defender, seeing that Surprise is being delayed by Genie, bravely sets out to grapple and board Hermine. Pandour, caught in the middle of a ship melee, pulls off an amazing tack and then starts to swing around the rear of the grappled Defender/Hermione, to stop Surprise from joining the fight. However, she just receives a savage mauling from Surprise’s larger guns, for her trouble!

Meanwhile, Defender’s boarders have succeeded in taking Herione’s upper deck (8 dice vs 8 dice, due to Defender’s elite crew). The boarding action hangs in the balance briefly (29 points each), before Defender’s crew, cheered on by Surprise laying alongside Hermione’s starboard side, carried Hermione’s gun deck. Game over!

Somewhere in the Middle East; The Present day.

Somewhere in the Middle East a town goes about normal business. However, things are about to change.

 

French diplomacy at its best. A junior diplomat codename “Grenouille” is in negotiation with a local warlord concerning the release of some Western hostages. His less-public mission is to sell said Warlord some ex-French army VAB armoured personnel carriers and out-of-life MILAN missiles. The local Al Qaeda group have got wind of this and decide to intercept the French. After all, they prefer the offer from the British for some clapped-out Saxons as an RPG7 makes a bigger mess of a Saxon than a VAB complete with an RWS!

The French army team under command of Sous-Lieutenant Chevrechaude wait nervously outside the mosque.

Their mission is to escort “Grenouille” back to the safety of the French military compound and a helicopter ride out. Troops take up overwatch positions peering down the road and down the maze of alleyways.

Already they can hear the ill-disciplined Al Qaeda troops moving through the buildings towards them. 

Sergeant Cotedeboeuf lets rip with his Minimi as he spots an opponent.

However, such a fleeting glance means a miss and AK47 rounds come back in his direction, hitting and scoring a critical hit. He will be dead in minutes without medical attention. His fireteam move into action. The squad medic tries in vain to staunch the wound, whilst another trooper guns down a hapless insurgent.

The firefight continues with the insurgents trying to outflank the French plus cross the road to provide enfilading fire.

More Al Qaeda die and their fireteam is suppressed, dramatically reducing their combat effectiveness. They are “hors de combat” as the French would say. Sergeant Cotedeboeuf breathes his last and Chevrechaude, Grenouille and the lifeless Sergeant’s body are bundled into the vehicle to manage the extraction. The second Al Qaeda fireteam armed with an RPG7 and RPD or RPK light machine gun move round the corner to engage the French close to the Mosque, only to remember that an LMG can’t move and fire. Merde! French small arms fire rips down the alleyway and the insurgents dive for cover.

With 50% of the insurgents dead and a French blocking force in place to prevent a counter-attack it is decided to call it a day. Grenouille escapes to complete his morally dubious weapons deal. His next assignment is to sell out-of-life MICA missiles to an island off the South coast of China. They are reportedly feeling under threat and need anything they can get.

This was out 2nd outing with Spectre v2. It played well but we barely scratched the surface of the “chrome” contained in the rulebook. No vehicles, snipers, drones or the rest of the paraphernalia seen on a 21st century battlefield. That is still to come. Can’t wait!

Simon

A very short game

Once again, our intrepid reporter ventured into battle, this time to the North-West of Britannia in AD367. In what has become known as the “Barbarian Conspiracy” the Picts, Saxons and Scotti are all making extensive raids on Britain in what seems a co-ordinated fashion. How these uncivilized brutes are managing this is a mystery. The scene was set near the town of Luguvalium (modern Carlisle), where on officer was returning from an inspection of the Wall defences further East, unaware of a Scotti force waiting in ambush. Our resident bearded, hairy-arsed barbarian aka Tony took the Scotti, with the clean shaven, upstanding Simon leading the forces of civilisation. Scenario was “Raiding a Border Tower” from Two Fat Lardies’ “Dux Britanniarum”.

The essence of the game was for Jovinus, one of the Roman Leaders, plus two of his warrior units to make it down the length of the board to the safety of the fort and the rest of the covering Romano-British under their Lord Fullaufades. The British had a 3D6 head-start down the table, but with rolls totalling only 7” seemed more to be on a pleasant country stroll than a race for safety.

The Scotti got lucky and their Lord’s deployment roll put them almost adjacent to the British. The first token out of the bag saw the Scotti Lord order his warriors to smash into the British. Tony played “Carpe Diem” and “aggressive Charge” cards which meant a successful flank attack with multiple bonuses and a broken British formation. Seventeen dice were rolled as the two raider warrior units, Fergus McDrool the Lord and his Champion Bucan hit the British. Six dead, multiple shocks and a wounded Jovinus was the result.

The British tried to fight back but it was all too little. After the British tried to flee, the Scotti caught them and attacked again. The result was more dead and the British leader captured. Game over. Fullaufades could only look on in despair from the other end of the table. A stunning Scotti victory.

It must be said the randomly determined deployment was bad luck for the British and extremely fortunate for the Scotti. The Scotti cards were also very favourable, and the dice rolls poor for the British and great for the Scotti. However, it was unlikely that even with better dice rolls the British could have escaped for much longer. But to be all over in one turn….

Sunday sees Greg and Simon trying out the draft rules for “Cold War Skirmish” from Ambush Alley, and Chris and Tony honing their Bolt Action skills in readiness for the Lost Ark Competition in September. I wonder who will have a more rewarding gaming experience. Maybe, we shall hear more at 17.00 on Sunday!”

A strange game of “Dux”. I’m pretty sure we played it correctly. Unless I got the deployment wrong, the British seemed doomed from turn 1.

Simon

Bolt Action at Fort Williams

Sunday afternoon saw Tony and Simon play Bolt Action in the luxury of an air-conditioned conservatory. As Chris had inveigled Tony into entering a Bolt Action competition at Lost Ark, both thought they should know the rules before the big day. “Honest” Simon agreed to help Tony out, if only to confirm his prejudices about the Warlord Games/Osprey bestseller.

Chris had put the American and German lists together, which seemed to consist of an infantry platoon plus some support per side, each reinforced by an armoured car and tank. The scenario seemed to be a “fight to the death” for possession of a small village “somewhere in France”.

Simon pushed his armour up the road from his left flank, moving his infantry slowly across the board. 

Tony moved to intercept the M8 Greyhound with his Puma and Panzerfaust team, only to see the Puma reduced to a burning hulk by the Sherman and the anti-tank team fire and miss, and then be gunned down in the open by the Yank 50cal team.

The Panzerfaust was next to try its luck but fired from outside its maximum range. The shot was returned by multiple tank machine gun fire which decimated the German squad.

Tony was enjoying some success in the centre killing a few GIs, but the American squads hit the deck and survived with monotonous regularity.

A successful American air attack rather took the wind out the Nazi sails as more troops died and multiple pins were deployed. The final action of the day saw the Panzer IV line up the Sherman in its sights only to miss.  Not a good day to be a German, but also we were bored rigid...

I think we got most of the rules right but wouldn’t claim to be knowledgeable. It seemed to play very slowly, and the battlefield seemed very crowded, albeit we probably only had the same figure/support numbers as a game of Chain of Command.

Would I play Bolt Action again? I guess if someone was holding my entire gaming collection hostage and threatening to melt them down unless I gave them a game, I would probably agree to play. Otherwise, I can honestly say that this ruleset did absolutely nothing for me. If every copy was burnt on a pyre I would shed not a single tear.

I wish Chris and Tony well in their ill-judged venture but do doubt their sanity.

Simon