Tuesday 31 December 2019

Skirmish1 - Let's Have Bacon for Breakfast!


The Prize!  Farmer John & his Pigs...

The battlefield, our trusty 3' x 3' board!
The Rebs come in from the right & the Yankees from the left.

Donald Featherstone's Skirmish Wargaming 


Happy New Year & all that malarkey...!!  ACW Skirmish action using the terrific 'Skirmish Wargaming' by Donald Featherstone.   Another GEM of a book, re-released  & worth every penny.

Each side has a number of figures, each figure can perform 'actions' in the games basic round, called a 'phase'.  A 'phase' covers 5 seconds of REAL Time.  Actions cover Running/Walking/Shooting etc.   One side goes first,  performs Movement, then Shooting, then Melee.  Then the other side goes.

The Skirmish rules use percentile dice for both Missile & Melee.   Each figure has a base total then adds/subtracts modifiers.  You then consult a chart to see if you have hit,  basically the LOWER the score, the better the HIT...  A '01' is the best result.   Depending on the score, a 'wound' is taken, from DEAD right down to minor injury & possibly rounds knocked out.

Do you want to know more.?  Then buy the book...lol

Early in the American Civil War, two forces eye each other up ready for the coming battle.  On the morning of the battle, two rival patrols set out looking for some breakfast & both see a small farm.....  
'MA', doing what farmers wives do....

Two Rebs head off on the left flank,
the bulk of the troops run down the lane.

The Reb 'Sarge' takes the 'Average' troops on the other flank.
Troops are rated 'Veteran', 'Average' & 'Novice'.

Some Yankees head off in the woods.

Nice view of the table

The Reb Officer races forward with his lads. 

The Yankees take up position behind a fence.

The Yankee Officer draws his pistol & takes cover.
While some of the lads run on.

The Rebs take cover on the other flank.

The Rebs Turn & a shot rings out, it's a straight kill.

The Yankees respond!
Two wounds for the Reb soldiers...

MA looks on while the Yank Officer waits for the Rebs to emerge.

"At 'em Boys!"

Farmer John yells curses at everyone..
It's a hive of activity in the centre.

One Reb is out of action for 4 turns, the other one is ready to go.

'Whoop.. Whoop!'

'CCCCHHHAAARRGGGEEEEE!!!'

Another shot rings out.
Poor Cletus as Zeb looks on....

Another Reb is shot!

One Reb soldier engages the Yank Officer.

The Two Reb soldiers turn & fire off their weapons...

'GOOD SHOOTING BOYS!'

The remaining Yankees charges the Reb Sarge...

The Yankee troops take a bead on the Reb Officer...

'PEEEEWWOOOWWWWW'

Looking good on this flank for the Rebs.

The Yankees have it on this side.

It's a fierce hand to hand battle on this side.
If both opponents 'HIT' each other then the round is tied.

The Reb charges the wounded Yankee Sarge.

Two against One!

The Yankee officer knacks the Reb.

Two more dead YANKEES!!!

The Yankee Officer takes a pot shot at the Reb but misses.

The Yankee troops load their weapons.

This Yankee FAILS to hit the wounded REB time & again!!!

In revenge, the Reb charges the Yankee officer...

The 2nd Reb attacks now...

Take AIM....

.....FIRE!!!
...a leg wound & the Reb is out for 2 rounds.

The Reb Sarge shoots the Yank back & kills him. 

Hollywood moment!
AAAAAArrggghh.... YOU GOT ME REB....

...... & again!

The remaining Yankees run for it!!!

Farmer John has some 'negotiating' to do.....
Wonderful game, took surprising longer than I thought, a few hours.   The only pain is having to write down the orders for each soldier (& numbering the model) phase by phase.  Though you could get away with a 'order marker' for each model..  I would say no more than 10-15 models each side will be 'manageable'.

We played this game a few times & the result was close every time.  We will play more games with these rules as they are generic & cover ALL time periods. 
I see Victorian Period games ahead.!!!!

Heretical Gamer Blog==
WW2 Skirmish games using the same rules by 'The DONALD'

https://hereticalgaming.blogspot.com/search/label/Donald%20Featherstone%20Skirmish%20Wargaming

Sunday 15 December 2019

Team Yankee 3 - Save the Cat!

ADVANCE! T-55's from the Mighty Czechoslovak People's Army!!!
Team Yankee, but to encourage smaller games, we went for a 33 point setup as opposed to the standard 100 point.   This meant a real scrutiny of the US forces.   I went with the Yanks, I couldn't afford two M1 Abrams, so went with three M-60's.   The rest of the force was built up around them.   The Leopard was included, but could only pivot on the spot, having a busted track.  

SPAV had no problems, wait till you see what 33 points get you......

A West German Leopard 2 is the damaged survivor from a earlier encounter.  A US  force is sent to rescue it.   Facing this, is a much larger Czechoslovak People's Army force! 

The Battlefield for our Team Yankee 33 point scrap...

33 Points of Yanks (+a busted West German Leopard 2)

A Mech Infantry Platoon
...and another!



Two VADS, Three M-60's, the Leopard 2, some Humvees and a HQ.
 


Right, 33 points of the Czechoslovak People's Army (CSLA)..
5 -T-55's & 3 T-72's

Some BRDM's & Spandrel's

A rather large Mech Company...

..with Heavy Support

And two LOVELY Hinds...!!
All for 33 Points.  

The busted Leopard 2, smack in the middle of the board.

GAME ON!
The Yanks went first, the M-60's race across the field

One Mech Platoon, takes position in crops. 

The Humvees behind a Hedge.

The other Mech Platoon on the other side of the table.

The CSLA Advance!
The T-72's would square off against the M-60's, the Heavy weapons in support.

On the other flank, the Scout platoon & T-55's.

The CSLA got to fire first!
One M-60 crew is forced out of their Tank.
(snazzy Team Yankee  markers!!!)

The Yanks 2nd turn.
The Leopard 2 opens up on the Spandrels
(those AT Missiles could do serious damage to the Leopard!)

KaBOOM!
A T-72 is blown away & another has to Bail out!

CSLA Turn two
The table is looking a little crowded with the Hordes of Communists...

Bring on the Hinds!!!

The CSLA Mech Coy races through the woods, one fails their Cross check & breaks down.

The T-55's advance on the Yanks

The Yank AA opens up before the Hinds can shoot...
14 dice of firepower...!
(3+ To HIT them, a 4+ Saving throw,
then any fails require a Firepower of 5+ to be thrown to destroy it)


The Hinds pass all saves & take out a M-60 with a Anti-Tank missile.

The T-55's machine gun the Infantry

Some losses are taken by the other Mech Platoon from the CSLA Support Weapons.
The CSLA Grenade Launchers are very effective...
Yanks turn
A Spandrel is destroyed by the Leopard .

The Dragon Teams take out 2 T-55's.

CSLA turn.
A Hind finally goes down from the VADS.

The remaining T-72, fails a morale check & bottles it... 

However the CSLA Mech Coy deploy....

The Hind attacks the VADS.

Some T-55's move up on the Leopard.
However their firepower is poor.

But again the CSLA Support weapons inflict heavy losses. 

The Yank Infantry are going down...

Revenge!
The Hind takes out one of the VADS.

The Yanks are running out of troops

View across the battlefield from the CSLA side.
The Leopard is stuck in the field behind the farmhouse.

Yanks Turn.
The Mech Infantry pass their Morale Test, HARDCORE!

KaBOOM!
Two T-55's are destroyed.

Yank SAW Teams take out some Infantry.

CSLA turn.
The CSLA force surround the field.

GGGrrrr.. Those pesky Grenade Launchers...

Now the Humvees are under direct rifle fire.

Some BRDM's advance on the M113's

HA!
The remaining Hind is blown out of the sky.
(This must have been about the 20th hit on it...)

NOOOO!!!
The Leopard 2 is struck by a missile, I roll poorly..
GAME OVER.

Final Positions...
The CSLA swarm...
In the end, I was surprised the US Forces held their own.  The Point system worked out well.   In hindsight, I should of driven the US forces further up the field in support of the Leopard.  The VADS vs Hinds battle was crazy.  Those Hinds are very tough, SPAV made save after save.  Though he became obsessed with destroying the VADS!!!

Next up, we get the BRITS out!!!!  Come on....