The Nuclear Option - All Quiet on the Martian Front AAR

Gary, Carl, Bob and I decided to end the month with a big All Quiet bash, with the usual Martians-attacking-humans-in-trenches game. 

The Martians were a collection of Assaults, Scouts, Grenadiers, Slavers and Drones. The U.S. Army featured a wide range of steam tanks, infantry and artillery. Debuting for this game were Gary's defense towers, which acted as an immobile tank platoon.

Winning the initiative, the Martians used their command counters to shove as many Assault tripods up the table as possible. Their heat rays managed to destroy a tower and a single tank.

The humans responded with a roaring salvo. Two tripods went down, and the resulting explosions killed four more!

The destroyed Martian units helped the humans win the initiative. Another two tripods fell to the incoming fire.

Fearing the game would end too quickly, the Martians were allowed a reserves roll. So on came too more Assault tripods and a Scout to spot for the Grenadiers.

The remaining tripods advanced, with one out-of-control machine careening towards the human trenches. Heat rays lanced out and melted several more tanks, along with a second tower.

With the main tank battlegroup out in front of the trenches, the humans opened fire again for a devastating results - to both sides! Three more tripods fell, but the resulting explosions wiped most of the tanks and the remaining defensive tower.

After most of the human's firepower wiped out, the Martians continued their advance, melting most of the surviving tanks.

With so many units destroyed, the Martians won the initiative for the turn. Their long strides took them up to the trenches, but the fortifications allowed most of the infantry to survive.

Defensive fire from the remaining artillery units was unable to do much damage.

A lucky roll let the Martians go first again, and then tripods cleared the trenches, wiping out the unarmored artillery and remaining human command units.

Determined to not go down without a fight, the humans managed to take out two more damaged tripods before sounding the retreat. The Martians managed a victory, but at a steep cost. Out of the 23 tripods that took part in the assault, only 6 remained.

All Quiet continues to prove fun, especially when a Tripod goes nuclear and wipes out nearby units, both friend and foe. Gary's still working on putting together materials for future games, so expect to see some pretty impressive scenarios at some point.

Clash of Titans - Wrath of Kings AAR

Gary and I got together for some Wrath of Kings - my Shael Han against his Hadross.

We used the same terrain that Gary brought for the Retro Raygun demo. It's all aquarium decorations, which make for some decent and relatively cheap scenery. I need to look around for anything that may match my Shael Han.

We alternated deploying our forces:

My List (Shael Han, 10 Morale, No Confidence)
Dragon Legion Keeper (Commander)
Black Lotus
Big Sister
Dragon Legionnaire x8
Iron Lotus x4
Wrath x3
Shield of Taeflon
Hammer of Heaven
Fulung Devourer

Gary's List (Hadross, 9 Morale, Unstoppable Force)
Deepman Kaxes (Commander)
Gutter Friar x2
Deepman Guardians x6
Sevridan Gutter x6
Calith Reaver
Shell Cracker
Oresund Cavalier

Our two forces advanced towards each other during the first turn.

The fighting started on my left flank, as the Wrath and Lotus warriors clash with the Sevridans and Hadross specialists.

Combat between the two sides rapidly let to multiple casualties. However, the Hadross morale loss was huge, as Gary lost three points to my chosen motivation. Since I avoided touching his Leaders, he couldn't respond in kind.

While all of the Children and Lotus infantry were lost, along with the Hammer specialist, my two leaders managed to hang on. So the Black Lotus went on the offensive, killing a pair of Deepmen and causing Gary to lose another point of morale.

Gary tried getting rid of my Big Sister, but a set of poor dice rolls left her alive. The Black Lotus finished the game by killing another two Deepmen, removing the last point of Hadross morale. Shael Han won, with 7 morale remaining.

It seems that Shael Han is a challenge for Hadross. While they're easy to hit, none of the melee modifiers that Hadross possess (turning Armor and Blocks into Hits) matter to Shael Han. Hopefully that'll change as CMON come out with more units for the factions.

2017 6x6 Challenge - February

Games Played in February

Baltimork Corviks vs Warpfire Vagabonds, League Game - Blood Bowl AAR

Vavoom City Tarts vs Baltimork Corviks, League Game - Blood Bowl AAR

Town Square Dancing - Fistful of Lead AAR

Gold Rush - Fistful of Lead AAR

Gold Rush - Fistful of Lead AAR

Looking for some more old west gaming, Carl, Gary and I used a modified version of a scenario from the Fistful of Lead rulebook. 

Each player had a gang with nine members. Carl would be defending an army payroll shipment in the nearby saloon. Gary and I needed to get in, kill the soldiers, and escape with the gold - but while also dealing with each other.

The cavalrymen were enjoying themselves in the saloon.

Meanwhile, Stinky Dixon was prepping his band of outlaws for the big score.

And El Guapo and his Mexican fighters had finally tracked down where the stolen Incan gold had been taken.

A cavalryman or two noticed various groups of rough-looking folk moving on the other side of the street, but didn't think much of it.

Of course, it was a couple of men from Dixon's gang that started the whole mess. They walked up to the front door and opened fire on the soldiers on the bottom floor. All the shots missed, however, and one outlaw's gun jammed.

The cavalrymen, spooked, opened fired on the men out front. Others saw the Mexicans trying to sneak around the back and started shooting.

A trio of outlaws from Dixon's group entered into the firefight.

With the soldiers on the bottom floor falling to a hail of lead from both sides, the Mexican moved in to try and assault the saloon's top floor.

More of Dixon's men, who had been circling around behind the Mexicans, came forward.

By now, however, El Guapo's band had been badly mauled, and Dixon wasn't looking forward to forcing his men up the stairs to get at the gold. Both outlaw bands called it quits, retreating from the town and leaving the payroll in the hands of the soldiers.

Vavoom City Tarts vs. Baltimork Corviks, League Game - Blood Bowl AAR

This week's game was against Trevor and his Amazons, badly beaten down from the previous game - they had four players missing with three Journeymen filling in the roster. 

The Tarts decided to receive in the first half.

The ladies hit hard on the first turn, driving back the Orc line.

The Corviks recovered, trying to shore up their defense.

A poor roll from the Tarts saw a player take a dirt nap.

The Corviks saw a chance and managed to knock the ball away from the Tarts, moving up the table.

But the Amazons weren't going to let the Orcs get away with that kind of breakaway play, knocking the ball away and sending down the pitch.

The Corviks weren't able to retrieve the ball, instead re-positioning their players.

The Tarts try to break away, but the Amazon failed her dodge rolls and hit the ground.

Breaking stereotypes, the Orcs play the passing game, getting the ball up to a free Blitzer.

Again, the Amazons went for a risky dodge roll, but failed.

The Corviks ran the ball up to the endzone, taking some time to knock about the Amazons.

The Amazons recover, moving in to threaten the Corviks' ball carrier.

Not wanting to risk the turn, the Corviks ran the ball in for a touchdown.

With only a turn left, the Amazons set up a line, hoping to keep their players safe into the second half. The Corviks didn't manage much before a Black Orc knocked himself down, ending the first half.

After a halftime break, the teams reset with the Tarts kicking off.

The Corviks beat down the Tarts' front line while falling back to grab the ball.

The Amazons respond fist-for-fist, even managing to bring down the Troll.

The Orcs rallied, moving the cage up the pitch.

But the Tarts weren't just going to let that happen. They managed to bust the cage open and threaten the Corviks' ball carrier.

The Orc Thrower managed to bust free, but a failed go-for-it roll tripped the player up. He dropped the ball, passing the turn over to the Amazons.

The Tarts were ready to send the ball towards the endzone, but a failed pickup sent the ball bouncing over the prone Orc Thrower before coming to a rest on the pitch.

The Corviks recovered the ball, defending it behind a wall of green flesh.

The Tarts failed to break through, and the Corviks passed the ball off to another Blitzer.

A lone Amazon moved in, threatening the ball carrier.

With half the Amazons off the pitch, the Orc Blitzer made what should have been an easy block - but managed to roll double skulls, knocking himself over and dropping the ball.

In a flash, the Tarts had the ball and passed it back the length of the pitch. The Journeyman at the other end failed to catch the ball, but it was still in easy range of the endzone.

The Corviks couldn't managed to pick the ball up, but at least had it protected.

And another failed dodge reroll ended the Tarts' turn.

After a pickup, hand-off, and pass, the ball was back on the Tart's half of the pitch, but out of the hands of the Orc Blitzer.

And again, a lone Tarts player charged in, grabbed the ball, and managed to successfully make a long-bomb to another player. The Amazon Blitzer then rushed across the pitch, ending her move just two squares outside the endzone. After one successful go-for-it, the Blitzer tried again... and failed with no rerolls, ending the game 1-0 to the Corviks.