Tales of the Legion #1: Assault of Sulu Station

This is the first in a series of scenarios involving The Timashek Legion.

Sulu Station, Marrisef – Duran Sector, 237-1128

SITUATION

Marrisef was colonized by MORG Corporation generations ago to exploit the planets resources. MORG is still the largest employer on the planet and technically still “owns” the planet and governs it – even though a whole society and separate economy has developed around the settlements that were originally just for workers brought in from off-world to run the mining, refining and manufacturing plants.

A downturn in the interstellar economy in recent decades has meant massive lay-offs in the MORG plants on Marrisef – but the corporation refuses to return workers to their “planet of origin” as most were born on Marrisef, as were most of their parents and grandparents… At the same time the corporation refuses to recognize or allow local governance…!?

This situation has left thousands of families without jobs on a planet with no self-government and no social support structure. Dissent has grown rapidly. First there were terrorist attacks against MORG corporate offices and installations. This was followed by outright rebellion.

The rebels seem to be supplied by VORPCO Industries, MORG’s corporate main rival in the Duran sector – given that captured rebels have been armed with equipment from Zuarmco (a subsidiary of VORPCO Industries).

It their boldest operation to date, a company-sized force of rebels, along with a half-dozen obsolete wheeled AFVs, have seized the Sulu station, just north of the Gaardavaar mountains. The Sulu Station is a smelting and refining plant for Kirkidium.

The Timashek Legion has been hired to “remove the squatters”.


SCENARIO

This is a standard All Round Defence scenario right out of the Future War Commander book. The Rebels start on the table using static deployment around the Sulu Station. The Attackers (the Timashek Legion) start on any tableside using mobile deployment. A minor objective for both sides is to cause 25% casualties, the major objective is to break the opposing force.

The attacker (the Timashek Legion) is NOT to call in orbital strikes, air strikes or artillery anywhere within 20cm of any of the Sulu Station (“This installation has a certain dollar value attached to it…”)

FORCES

The forces are rather small as this was our first game and I didn’t have a lot ready and it’s always nice to just play a quick game then read the rules and figure out everything I had wrong, lied about or just simply made up on the spot….


Timashek Legion

CO – Colonel Andrak Worbn.

Kra Recce section

Timashek Armoured Cavalry Squadron, with:
HQ - Captain Pladna Amninit
2x F’gen heavy Grav Tank
3x Kra IFV
4x Legion Infantry
1x Support Section (Smart Missile)
1x Support Section (Mortar)


Rebels

CO Jarad Mershkah

HQ
6x Rebel Infantry
1x Infantry Upgrade (Smart Missiles)

2x Wheeled AFV

3x 10cm sections of trench

THE GAME

Mr. Miller cut out of work early and made his way by bus halfway across the city on this cold and snowy evening to join me playing my first game of Future War Commander. Such determination in the face of adversity is the sort of stuff the Legion is made of, so I let him play the The Timashek Legion tonight.

(Remember: click on the pictures for a bigger version)


I started off by deploying the rebels in trenches around the station.

TURN ONE

Legion

Mr. Miller split the Legionnaires into two formations; the two heavy grav tanks in one under direct command of the CO, and the infantry and their IFVs in another under the HQ. The recce unit deployed. The Infantry failed to arrive.


Not so the tankers! They charged onto the table with two moves setting themselves up on a dune out of range of anything the rebels could have, ready to open fire on any available targets.

Rebels

I considered whether I should try to get my wheeled AFVs to turn around and face the tanks…. Or head over to where the IFVs would be entering – as they were coming on pretty much from opposite ends of the table. It didn’t take much thinking… I decided on the IFVs, of course, as it would take me away from the heavy grav-tanks, which meant certain death and took me towards things I might actually be able to take out… with soft juicy infantry inside to go with them… All of this plotting was for naught as I couldn’t pass a successful order on to them and they sat where they were, asses facing the heavy grav tanks….

TURN TWO

Legion

The recce unit passed on vital information on the enemy’s dispositions (+1 CV).

The Infantry STILL failed to arrive!? Mr. Miller was starting to wonder if they might have been accidentally been paid in full before the operation….!? The tankers got tired of waiting and tried to assault the infantry.


The two grav tank troops lit up one of the rebel AFV units. Then one moved while the other lit up the second unit… 25% casualties, minor objective achieved.

Rebels

Having on one in range and LOS of my infantry weapons I had little I could do.

TURN THREE

Legion

The Recce unit redeployed thinking the infantry HQ might need some help…. Didn’t quite get close enough.


Glide on to the table they did! For one move. Then they stopped behind a dune and had tea or something…

The Grav tanks sat and waited. They didn’t fail issuing orders or anything; they just thought they’d wait for the infantry….

Rebels

The rebel infantry sat in their trenches, watching the grav tanks, that were watching them… it was a pretty tense situation… what WERE they up to…!?

TURN FOUR

Legion

The recce unit redeployed again.

The infantry continued having tea or sorting out their ammo or whatever it was that caused them to fail to act this turn… again!?

The Grav Tanks got tired of waiting and decided to assault the rebel infantry in the trenches.


FWC Lesson #1 – FWC infantry are deadly don’t go within 30cm of them with an expensive tank. The first tank went in, saved all hits from the infantry response fire (Ah, oh yeah… there’s no “*” by that 3/30… they cause hits to hard targets – no matter they were all saved….) fought three rounds against the infantry in trenches. Each of the first two rounds could not hit them, took one hit, and saved it. Round three, same thing, except didn’t save the single hit so had to retreat and be suppressed…. The other tank took one hit on the way in, failed to cause any hits in close assault, took one themselves and were destroyed!?!?! GAH!!??

We realized after that we messed up on the first tank as technically after the first round it should have fought as if the infantry was in the open… but this brought up some questions – does a grav tank fighting on a second turn then lose it’s harder to hit ability in close assault? The hit as if in open on the second round of close assault is suppose to simulate the fact that the assaulters are right there “in it” with the defenders… how can a grav tank floating above be right “in it”…?

Rebels

The two teams that survived the close assault by the tanks fired on the remaining tank unit with initiative fire and knocked it out!? KA-BOOM!!! A glorious victory for the revolution!

TURN FIVE

Legion

Recce sends tactical information to the mechanized infantry HQ… that’s what they were waiting for…


The infantry deployed!


Then they fired on the Rebel infantry in the town as the IFV moved around to the flank to support an advance on the station. I tagged one of the infantry stands with some op fire (one hit, no suppression) but suppressed an IFV! A second order had the infantry, the unsuppressed IFVs and the mortar team all firing into the station. The net result: 1 rebel infantry section knocked out, one suppressed.

Rebels

The rebel leadership managed to issue one successful order this turn. it might have been the first one in the game… it might have been the ONLY one in the game… one team moved, two others turned around in their trenches, and a fourth fired on the Legion infantry.

TURN SIX

Legion


The legion surged forward with four successful orders taking the trench at the south end of the station – having knocked out the remaining infantry there through weight of fire alone.

Rebels

Initiative fire caused two hits on an IFV suppressing it. NO orders were issued.

TURN SEVEN

Legion


The legionnaires charged into three separate assaults on the first order! The first one went terribly wrong. The Infantry section directly engaged was wiped out, the support unit supporting retreated into a suppressed IFV knocking both out, and the supporting IFV retreated away fro the station quite suppressed themselves. The other two assaults knocked out two more units of rebels.


On their second order the Legion carried on with another assault – rolling up the trench on the west end of the station – knocking out another unit of rebel infantry and the CO which had been attached to it by an overrun.


Two more successful orders were issued which saw the legion shoot up and surround the remaining unit of rebel infantry at the station….

Rebels.

The remaining rebels surrendered…

CONCLUSIONS

Fun.

FWC is much deadlier. This will probably make for some quicker games. Of course we haven’t tried any shields or anything. That might make a few things a bit more survivable…

Alright, now that I’ve got that out of my system I’m going to try and get back on track with finishing up some of my forces for Cold War Commander. I’ll slip in another grav tank here and there, but I want to finish up the Canadians and some more of the Soviet equipment I have. Then there’s The Americans… Africans… Norwegians… I have no shortage of East Germans to paint… I’d also like get modeling and casting again; finish off the modern French and get going on my generic commie figures (at which time I’ll probably work on some power armoured troops for FWC….).

The Military-Industrial Complex

A couple more Grav vehicles rolled off the line at Duran Armaments Industries, candidates from Tim’s Enemy Forces Sniper School graduate and the Federal Army of the Republic of Timbogo (F.A.R.T.) received some new machine-guns….

(Remember: click on the pictures for a bigger version)


F’gen Heavy Grav Tanks for the Timashek Legion.


Kra Gav Infantry Fighting Vehicles.


Here is the legion at the moment. I just have to finish up some more Legion Infantry for Monday’s inaugural Future War Commander game! I plan to make three more Grav tanks, five or six more AFVs, four more HQ vehicles (some will be FAOs/FACs)... there's a few more infantry and infantry support to do.... I might do some self-propelled artillery and some space fighters (to swoop in and do ground attacks...).


Two sections of machineguns for the F.A.R.T.


I painted up a pile of generic commie snipers. From left to right; F.A.R.T., North Vietnamese, East German, mercenary, Timashek Legion, Soviet Air Assault Forces.

The Timashek Legion

The Timashek Legion is an elite mercenary unit originating from the Timashek system. They have a formidable reputation throught the Duran Sector as being unstoppable. Their mere presence in a combat zone will often cause an enemy to come to some sort of terms. Those that don’t often face total annihilation.

The peoples of Timashek have always had a fearsome reputation as warriors. For as long as there is recorded history before their first interstellar contact they warred upon one another. Shortly after first contact, however, they settled most of their differences and unified to deal with the new perceived external threat.

The Timasheks continued their warrior tradition by, first, making war with their interstellar neighbors. Then, later, as the neighbors were subjugated or otherwise brought to terms, Timashek provided forces for the defence of the sub-sector and many, many prized recruits for the armed forces of the Imperium.

Timashek has also maintained a large standing armed force for defence of the homeworld and occasional interstellar expeditionary forces.

For thousands of years the Timashek home world and surrounding system operated as a system wide democratic republic. Regional governments, based on the original tribal homelands, elected representatives to a world council which then elected a president for 10 year terms.

About fifty years ago there were a series of terrorist worldwide attacks against citizens of Timashek. The worst saw an entire city vapourized in a nuclear explosion. The President used a long forgotten law to extend his term of office indefinitely in a “Time of Emergency” and the system has lived in a state of marshal law under a despotic dictator who has dismissed most regional governments and had many, many political opponents assassinated or executed on trumped-up charges of plotting terrorist activites.

This is when the Timashek Legion came into being. After a few years of this new order a few of the military commanders didn’t like this new system and tried to oust the president in a coup, planning to bring back free and democratic elections. The main military force involved in the coup was the 32nd Timashek Hussar Regiment. The coup was crushed, many of the leaders were captured and executed as would the entirety of the 32nd Hussars if it had not been for some members of the System’s navy being involved in the plot, which lifted a large portion of the survivors and transported them out of the system.

This group of outcasts became the Timashek Legion. For a while the Legion was able to recruit more members from Timashek political refugees and exiles, but their numbers have dwindled in recent years from a full regiment to just a few mixed companies.

The leadership of the Legion is entirely elected and the eventual hope is to return to Timashek and lead a worldwide revolution against the tyrant, but with the current political climate, and the ever diminishing strength of the unit, that hope seems further than it ever has…

Organization

The Timashek Legion is an Armoured Cavalry force with organic armour, mechanized infantry, and assorted support elements. There are no permanent company/squadron groupings, rather company/squadron formations are deployed on an as needed basis. The most common formation is a Squadron HQ element with two tank troops, two infantry troops and a direct support troop

Current Order of Battle:

CO – Headquarters and Signals Squadron with Mobile Tactical Operations Command Centre (G)
4x Squadron HQ Elements
1x FAO Element from Artillery
1x FAC Element from Space Fighter Squadron

9x Tanks Troops (Heavy Grav Tanks)
8x Infantry Troops (IFV+2 Infantry sections)
3x Infantry Support Troops (IFV + mortar and smart missile sections)
2-3x Recce Troops
4x S-P Artillery Troops

Space Fighter Squadron – 4 flights capable of atmospheric operations
8x Drop Ships
4x Interstellar Troopships

Symbols and Insignia

The Timashek Legion uses very little insignia or symbols. The original symbol on the colours of the 32nd Timashek Hussars is the Utnamarnopushtim – an all but extinct fercocious beast native to Timashek. Some crews still paint the symbol on their vehicles. Utnamarnopushtim, like most names in Timashek, is descriptive and roughly translates to “one-eyed, one-horned flying purple people eater”.


Utnamarnopushtim Device

Uniforms

(click on the plate for a more detailed view)


From Armies of the Duran Sub-Sector 2356 to now (Kestrel Military Publishing’s Men of War Series #23587)

Coming soon on Tim’s Miniature Wargaming Blog:

Weapons and Equipment of the Timashek Legion and BATTLE REPORTS!!!

Timashek Legion Heavy Grav Tank

Here it is:

(Remember: click on the pictures for a bigger version)


I’m going to have to sit down and read the rules at some point and come up with some stats for these bad boys. I imagined them being pretty heavily armoured. That’s supposed to be a big ass MDC on top of the turret there (Mass Driver Cannon – Gauss cannon, Rail Gun, you get the idea, right?)

Any suggestions from those of you familiar with Future War Commander?

Just a Quick Teaser Update

....before I'm off to bed!

Here’s a couple quick pics of the first prototypes of my homemade 20mm Future War AFVs:

(Remember: click on the pictures for a bigger version)


A shot of the workbench with assorted AFVs in varying states of production.


Timashek Legion HQ stand.


Timashek Legion Grav IFV


Timashek Legion IFV and infantry

I’ll have a force finished by next Monday for Game Night. Expect a Future War Commander After Action Report shortly thereafter.

I need to come up with some names for my AFVs....

Timashek Legion

I had started digging out all my old Battletech and Adeptus Titanicus/Space Marine “epic” stuff (even picking up a few extras off ebay…) to form some units to play Future War Commander! I spent a lot of time (before even getting the book) planning and trying to figure out how I would organize my legions. I even started painting them. Then I remembered; I HATE micro-scale stuff!? To tell you the truth, I’m not particularly fond of anything smaller than 20mm?!

Then it occurred to me that, this being sci-fi, there aren’t any particular rules about what anything MUST look like! In a modern game a BMP really ought to look something like a BMP… Sure there are a number of ready-made back grounds there are certain defined looks, but I don't have to use any of those. This is Science FICTION; I can make up any damn thing I want! I can make up new armies equipment and design whole new galaxies for them to fight it!

So then I thought I can make my own 20mm modern figures for Cold War Commander… why couldn’t I make 20mm sci-fi stuff for Future War Commander!?

So here are the first stands of Timashek Legion Infantry:

(Remember: click on the pictures for a bigger version)


I didn't make these ones... These figures are old Firefight 20 East Germans (Hmmmmmm… Does this mean I’m going to have to get some MORE East Germans from Mongrel Miniatures to do Timashek Legionaires in 28mm for skirmishing…?!) I got a LOAD of them in a trade. I got a LOT of them. Oh I've still got an entire regiment of them based and ready for painting as gen-u-ine historical East Germans.... these, and the figures for the rest of the legions two companies were surplus to my needs.

At some point I'm going to start modeling and casting again and I'll make myself some 20mm troops in power armour and some more lightly armed futureistic-looking troops. But for now these will get me rolling!

Coming soon on Tim’s Miniature Wargaming Blog:

History of the Timashek Legion and pictures of their Tanks and IFVs!