Raid on the SDG (AK-47 Republic)

Mr. Tim Miller and I played a little AK-47 Republic this evening. It’s been a while, we had to look up a bit, but it was total chaos and a whole lot of fun.

I played The Federal Army of the Republic of Timbogo (F.A.R.T.), the government forces of a Super-power backed client state. Mr. Miller (or Dr Timothy Millerbutu) brought out his Social Democracy of God (S.D.G.) a rebellious religious movement that has been making trouble in the southern parts of Timbogo.

I ended up attacking (because I had more points devoted to political maneuvering) the S.D.G. rebels compound in an attempt to stamp them out once and for all.

I don’t remember what units the SDG had. I know on the political maneuvering low charts he got one of the militia units upgraded to regulars, on of his regular units was convinced of it’s own invincibility by the use of jeu jeu berries and added +4 to all it’s movement die rolls for the game, upgraded four units to heavy weapons and frightened off a few of my militia units.

I had one unit of professionals, “the Red Guard”, consisting of four stands of infantry armed with small arms and one stand armed with RPGs. I also had two units of regulars, Groupe Mobile No.s One and Two, respectively, each with four small arms equipped infantry plus a couple of heavy weapons, trucks, and one had an armoured car supporting it. My other two units were local militia units, the Southern Timbogo Local Militia Companies No.s One and Two.

Due to pretty high rolls on the cost of political maneuvering (bad) I only managed to get the gifts of heavy weapons (upgrade one small arms infantry stand in each of my units – regulars took HMGs, the rest took RPGs), and two tanks which were added to a unit of opponents choice… so they were assigned to the unit of militia at the bottom of my list (least likely to start the game on board).

Checking to see which units we had to start with the ADG got two (one regular, one militia), I got the Red Guard, Groupe Mobile No. One (the one with the armoured car!), and Southern Timbogo Local Militia Companies No. Two (the one with the tanks!). So things were looking good so far as he could only defend two of the three objectives to start with.

I selected three objectives and secretly wrote down which was worth 10, 20, and 30 victory points. Then the SDG defenders set up their initial units. Then I set up on my initial units on my table edge, as selected by the defender, except for my Red Guard which, being “professional” quality, may be inserted by helicopter!

Here’s what it all looked like when we got set up…

(click on pictures to see a bigger version)


This was taken from the North end of the table. At the northeast corner (bottom left) is my Southern Timbogo Local Militia Company No. Two with its two bonus tanks. Their objective was the supply dump in the tall grass. This one was worth 20 victory points. The SDGs regulars with APCs nominally defended the area, but when they saw the tanks show up, they decided it was time to bug out.

In the middle of the table is the SDG compound proper. It was left undefended so I did a coup de main helicopter assault on the area with my Red Guard. Only three of the five made it there but they secured the area and held it for some time. This one was only worth 10 victory points.

At the far end of the table is another supply dump defended by some SDG militia. Groupe Mobile No. One was tasked with attacking there. This one was worth 30 victory points and was the most bitterly fought over.


There’s the Southern Timbogo Local Militia Company No. Two with its two bonus tanks.


Here is Groupe Mobile No. One. The two trucks are loaded with six stands of infantry; three small arms, two RPG, and a HMG.


The Red Guards make their helicopter assault. Each stand has to dice and on a 5 or 6 they just don’t show up…


…I ended up with two small arms and one RPG stand on the ground.


The militia of Southern Timbogo Local Militia Company No. Two swarmed their objective with little trouble, as the defenders mounted up in their APCs and bugged out. The tanks exchanged fire with them for a couple turns. While pinning them a couple times and forcing some morale checks, I did little else. They on the other hand took out one of my tanks with a pretty lucky shot!


The APCs made for the compound and fought for several turns with my Red Guard. Ultimately the Red Guard was wiped out (fighting to the last man!), but they tied up the Regulars for the game that could have otherwise destroyed my militia. They also ended the game with two morale failures. One more (and they made a couple close ones!) and they would have been gone too.


Groupe Mobile No. One fought a short sharp action with the militia defending their objective, killing a few and setting them to flight. They had little time to consolidate on their objective as SDG reinforcements arrived just as the Militia were leaving.


My second company of militia arrived around the same time. I sent them in to help hold the objective being held my the first company, just in case some SDG reinforcements arrived at that end of the table…


The carnage at the SDG compound. Some of their reinforcements arrived and tried to make it to the compound incase the Regulars with the APCs failed their last morale check and left. At the end of the game the reinforcements hadn’t arrived but the Regulars were still there and holding the objective.


The carnage at the southern objective. Groupe Mobile No. One was shot up pretty badly by the SDG reinforcements and called it a day. The SDG took some losses themselves, however, and failed two morale checks. Groupe Mobile No. Two arrived as reinforcements on their first turn on the board the SDG mortars blew up one of their truck and one of the infantry stands in it. That very truck, however, gave a single extreme long-range burst from its MG, which killed on mortar team and pinned two other stands. This was enough to cause a morale check, which they failed, and caused them to leave the battle. The game ended before I could get to the objective however.

Adding up the victory points

F.A.R.T. (attacker)
3d6 roll= 15, +20 for the objective I held (the supply dump), + 20 for the two units I forced to rout and, +3 for being fair and honest throughout the game for a total of 58…

S.D.G. (defender)
5d6 roll= 19, +5 for the objective held (compound), +40 for the two units destroyed/routed, +3 for being fair and honest throughout the game, +3 for being very lucky several times in the game, (no +1 for being named Rob while defending..?!) for a total of 70…

A difference of 12 indicates “ a clear victory to the world’s press”

It was a fun game and very close. Had it lasted another turn or two Groupe Mobile No. Two could have been on their objective for another 30 victory points. If the SDG regulars with the APC had failed a third morale test (they made a couple just barely) that would have been one less objective held for the SDG and one more unit wiped out for me…

Despite being a victory in the world press, with the losses from the raid and knowing their compound has been compromised the SDG will probably be going into hiding for a bit. Perhaps they’ll even slip across the border and cause trouble elsewhere for.

That doesn’t mean the trouble is over for the F.A.R.T. however. There’s trouble brewing on it’s Eastern border with the Republic of Zutu. There are rumours about that the Western Horse Infantry of Zutu (W.H.I.Z.) has been deploying to the area and may be preparing for an invasion of Timbogo’s oil-rich eastern region…. We shall see (when Mr. Miller finished painting his new force…)

More New Figures

A couple more new figures rolled off the production line in the last couple days....

For those of you not aware these are figures I am modeling, moulding, and casting myself. They are about 30mm.


First a Cossak Cavalryman. I started this guy last fall and had hoped to have him donw in time for the Back of Beyond game I ran at the Hero's Gambit. I didn't and then he got shelved when I started work on my Canadian masters. I thought I'd bring him down and finish him off while I was workin on the Germans. Of course finihsing him has got me all pumped about the Back of Beyond again and that threatens to derail my focus on the Vimy Project. Luckily I have no more horses (the Horse is made by Hinchliffe) so it's not a really big threat.... I will have to get some in the near future and add a Cossack horde to my White Russian army.



Back on track... Here is another late war german. Front and back of marching figure.


...and I finally finished up the Canadian bomb tosser. The only figures I have left to finish up for my Canadian Infantry are the Lewis gunner and the Staff Officer. I will at some point make my own Vickers and gunners and a trench mortar and crew, but for this year I am just going to buy a couple of each.

Rescue in the Desert: Part 2 (SW-Pulp)

Rescue in the Desert: Part 2 Rescuing the Rescuers…

Savage Worlds Double Header Weekend Part Two

Sunday afternoon was my regular Savage Sunday game. Curtis and Darrin showed up.

In our last very exciting episode Montana Black and Oscar Carson teamed up with Captain Ralph Bagnold of the Royal Corps of Signals to rescue Emily Smythe-Wagner, the beautiful daughter of the renowned British aristocrat and Egyptologist, Sir Walter Smythe-Wagner, who had been kidnapped by a ruthless band of nomadic desert ruffians. Miss Smythe-Wagner had been rescued but Black and Carson were captured by a band of angry natives while covering her escape with Major Bagnold.

Bagnold being a proper English gentleman and officer could not leave those brave men to the mercy of the desert ruffians, nor could Sir Walter. The two, along with Mr. Pat Clayton of the Egyptian Government Survey Office (another expert in desert travel), gathered some more soldiers and a Rolls Royce armoured car and set out into the desert once again to rescue the two heroes!

They set out first for the site of the bandit’s camp where the two had been captured. They then tracked their movements back to a village near Wadi Al Derka-derka. Concealing the vehicles in a nearby wadi Bagnold, Clayton and Sir Walter scouted forward. The trio darted from dune to dune, then crawled forward on their hands and knees, then slid forward on their bellies to get a close look at the village.

“It looks like it’s well guarded” whispered Clayton to his partners, noticing the guards on the rooftops of the whitewashed buildings.

“Judging by the number of camels and horses, I’d guess there was at least fifty….” Bagnold grimly declared.

“But we are a mere dozen!” hissed Sir Walter. “Whatever shall we do!?”

A couple dozen men disgorged from one of the buildings, hastily mounted their camels and horses and rode off in the opposite direction apparently on some urgent errand. The three watched as the cloud of dust the mounts kicked up disappeared towards the horizon.

“Well that does it,” stated Bagnold. “We can’t know when they’ll be back so we must take advantage of this situation and attack at once!”

The three slithered, crawled and darted their way back to the wadi and mounted up.

The three vehicles approach the village in line abreast. The two trucks carrying the soldiers were flanking the armoured car. The Vickers gun in the armoured car started to chatter away as they approached the village, hoping to keep everybody’s heads down. Men poured from the buildings and returned fire.



The fire from the village was witheringly accurate. With bullets pinging around his vision slit, the driver of the armoured car kept ducking and began to make evasive maneuvers. Whether it was due to simply not being able to properly see where he was going or the lucky shot through the vision slit that caught the driver in the neck sent the car veering out of control, no one would ever know. The car caught the edge of a steep dune with the front wheel of the car and flipped it over on it’s side, effectively removing it from combat.


The Rolls Royce flips on its side.

The Armoured car wasn’t the only vehicle in trouble, though. Pat Clayton’s truck (the green one) on the right, hit a spot of soft sand as it crossed over a dune and spun completely around throwing a few of it’s passengers into the soft sand nearby.

Both Bagnold and Clayton had had enough and decided to dismount and disperse their troops into what cover they could find.


The trucks passengers debus and take cover behind their vehicles or dunes.

For some time the Britishers remained in cover exchanging fire with the village occupants. Bagnold’s men being rather closer took a few more casualties than did Clayton’s. The British soldiers were giving better than they got but it still wasn’t good enough.

Sir Walter, who had been in Clayton’s truck, noticed Bagnold’s group was in a bad way. He started making his way over to Bagnold’s location ducking and dodging from dune to dune.

Amid the cracking of the rifles Bagnold though he heard and engine turning over. Maneuvering about the truck he was taking cover behind he tried to get a better view of the village to see if he could see what was going on.

Suddenly a truck zoomed out from behind a building to the west of town and headed out into the desert. As it passed nearby Bagnold and his men a white man leaned out of the cab and fired upon them with a Luger. Bagnold, one of his squaddies, and Sir Walter, who had now arrived, returned fire with little effect. The truck carried on out into the desert and disappeared into a cloud of dust.

At about this time the fire from the village slackened a bit. Whether it was due to being suppressed by the Britishers fire, or the truck fleeing into the desert (… or Darrin drawing a joker and rolling a “close call” on the fortune and calamity table… giving an opponents unit -2 to all their trait rolls for one round…) Clayton seized the opportunity and dashed his lads to the cover of another dune closer to the village.


Clayton’s men move up.

As they ran Clayton fired the last round from his Webley. He dropped into cover behind the dune and started searching his pockets and pouches for more ammo and, to his utter horror, discovered he had none! (I also drew a joker around this time and came up with “out of ammo” on the Fortune and Calamity table. I had pity on them and gave it to Clayton – who wasn’t hitting anything at the range he was at with his pistol anyway. It also made sense to me in terms of the story

No sooner than they had arrived, however, there was a tremendous explosion knocking nearly everyone to the ground! When they looked up a building on the west end of the village, the building Clayton had seen the truck drive out from, had disappeared in a cloud of dust and smoke.


KA-BOOM!!!

All firing had ceased from the village. When the dust and smoke settled the building was completely obliterated and the two next to it were severely damaged. Bodies littered the ground about the village, some knocked unconscious by the blast, but most were killed outright. Those who were not were either fleeing into the desert or running out with their hands held high begging for mercy!

With a pair of soldiers detailed to marshal and cover the prisoners the rest stormed into the village. There was little left of the blown building save the rubble that was strewn everywhere. The other buildings were filled with cots and bedrolls and looked more like barracks than village houses.

Montana Black and Oscar Carson were found bound, gagged, and in pretty rough shape, but alive, in one of the buildings along with crates of provisions – including canned sour kraut and sausages. Carson was in much worse shape than Black. He had been struggling towards the door when the building next door exploded. A rather large brick flew in through the open door and bashed Carson soundly in the head.

No clues could be found about the identities of those in the truck that drove off in the middle of the firefight and presumably blew up the building. Neither Black nor Carson had seen any white people during their captivity.

Notes on the scenario:

This was the first time I made use of vehicles in combat. I’m still not sure I’ve got them figured out quite right. The rules seem a little loose, hazy and generalized.

I used the Pick-up truck stats out of the Pulp Adventure Gear Book and made the Rolls Royce using the vehicle “building” system in the same book. Basically it was the same as the truck except with two more points of “light armour”, the maximum it could have, and a machine-gun in a turret. I didn’t want to give it “heavy armour” as that would have made it completely invulnerable to anything on the table. I seem to think those Rolls-Royces weren’t too heavily armoured and could conceivably have been put out of action by a very lucky rifle shot, certainly by some accurate and sustained machine-gun fire.

Unfortunately some accurate firing from rifles caused a control check which was failed and a 12 came up on the out of control table. Though not a tank I figured the armoured car was slow and heavy enough to not be able to flip end over end d4 times as the table indicated it should…

Another shot that hit that round aced again and again and again. It caused 6 wounds to the vehicle – two crew hits and a control hit…. Gah!

The trucks didn’t fare to well either which is why they bailed out of them and sat for over half the game firing into the village at range.

That’s one downside to this system – the make it whatever you want attitude. Well if you have little experience playing the game where do you START?! Now I do have some experience… I’ve been playing the game, nearly weekly, for over a year now.

Another thing I find odd is that various different larger-sized animals are easier to hit due to their size, but there is no such rule for vehicles? So I tried out giving a +2 to hit these vehicles. Maybe that was part of my mistake…? I don’t know. Maybe I’ll ignore the “maximum 3 points of ‘light’ armour” and give it 5 or 6 next time I use it. It won’t stop those crazy multi-acing shots (bullets through the vision slit, bouncing around inside!) but it should make it so there isn’t control check for every bullet that hits it…! I could have also given the driver the ace edge.

Whatever.

I had intended for them to be able to drive right into town shooting up the bad guys with the armoured car. Maybe even chase the bad guys that drove off in the truck and enter the building with the bomb and find some clues as to their identities before noticing “hey, what’s that ticking noise” and having to RUN FOR IT!!!

The blast I said did 10d6 damage to anyone inside it,, 6d6 damage to anyone within 6” of it, 3d6 damage to anyone within 10”… everyone else on the table was to do a spirit check or be shaken… but after I rolled for damage to all the Bedouin still in the village we just stopped rolling dice and sort of role-played out the rest.. They were pretty much all toast...

Wasn't sure how to deal with damage to nearby buildings or the occupants thereof... so I just gave them the normal damage, except gave them added armour/toughness equall to that of a stone wall. Montana was fine, but when I rolled for Oscar Carson I just kept acing and acing... hence the brick flying through the door...

Thanks for stopping by. Feel free to post your own comments. If you do, tell me: Do you use vehicles in Savage Worlds?

The Sword of Solomon (SW – Pulp)

Savage Worlds Double Header Weekend Part One

Friday night I hooked up with Dylan and Jeff C. (at Jeff’s place) to play some Savage Worlds set in deepest darkest Africa.

I played Professor Henry Daventhorpe and Charlie Davis the explorer. Both were last seen in the Lost City of Chin’lin. They had also hired Sefu, a native guide and ten native bearers.

Daventhorpe has spent years researching the final resting place of Solomon’s Sword. Legend says the sword is encrusted with gold and jewels and may have arcane powers to smite the wielders enemies. Comparing ancient writings of the Romans and Hebrews along with more both ancient and modern maps and notes of more modern explorers such as Stanley and Quatermain. Daventhorpe determined the sword must be held in a lost temple deep in the jungles of the Congo Basin.

Davis and Daventhorpe booked passage on a steamer from London to Mombassa in British East Africa. From there they took the Uganda Railway to Kampala where they met up with Davis’ old friend Sefu, their native guide. Sefu had already arranged for bearers for the expedition and they set out immediately so as to attract as little attention as possible.

Unfortunately some of the native hired as bearers had loose lips and the word got out. There was little that went on is Kampala that Lt. Daniel Pratt of the 29th Punjabis, whose company was garrisoning the town, didn’t know about. Fueled by boredom and opportunism he quickly gathered a group of trusted soldiers from his platoon, including Naik Hardeep Bawa, and hired a small band of Baluchi mercenaries, as well as their own porters. They would shadow the expedition and try to learn more of their destination along the way. (These were Jeff’s figures, played by Dylan)

Konrad Richter, the famous German explorer and hunter, also happened to be in Kampala at the time. Two secretive expeditions leaving town heading west in two days piqued his interest. He made some inquiries and when he heard the rumors of the first expeditions destination he hastily organized an expedition of his own. He brought along his trusted Askaris and occasional partner Logan McDuff, a ruthless Scotsman with no love for the English. They too hired some mercenaries, Zanazibaris, and some porters. (These were painted and played by Jeff)

For weeks the three columns trod their way over hills and mountains and through dense, jungle-filled valleys. The three groups eventually became aware of each other’s presence, but kept their distance. Occasionally shots were exchanged with each other’s scouts. Mostly they tried to lose each other, but the slow traveling and having to hack a path through the jungle leaving a pretty clear trail to follow made escape pretty much impossible.

(click on the pictures for a larger version)


Davnthorpe’s column marching through the jungle. Sefu is leading the way, followed by Davis and Daventhorpe.


The rest of the column follows on behind.

Davnthorpe’s expedition was nearing the location they expected to find the temple when Sefu, who was leading the column, suddenly knelt down and hissed back to Davis and Daventhorpe, who were following immediately behind; “Is no good, Bwana, other mens are already here…” The jungle exploded with the sound of gunfire, shouts, screaming, and the cries of dying men.


Lt. Pratt, Hardeep Bawa, and some of the Sikhs from his regiment.


Richter and his trusted Askaris.

Moving forward at a crouch toward the firing Sefu, Davis and Daventhorpe came within view of the temple. Suddenly the group of Indians burst into view, the giant Hardeep Bawa gesticulating and bellowing commands at his men. Daventhorpe fired first. A blast from his shotgun peppered Hardeep with shot causing him and the Baluchi mercenaries to duck for cover (shaken). Davis too fired a blast from his shotgun at the reeling Hardeep, whose gigantic form toppled over and bellowed no more (3 wounds!). Sefu took cover in a bush and watched for the others that may be trying to flank.


Baluchis burst into view in front of Davis.

Just as Sefu had expected Richter’s Askaris emerged from the jungle off to the right. Sefu fired his musket at them hitting one (with a raise!) then melted back into the Jungle to reload. The lucky Askari was saved from certain doom by the large knife on his belt, which deflected the ball harmlessly back into the jungle (snake eyes on the d8’s…doh!).

Davis and Daventhorpe fired on Lt. Pratt who had stumbled into view grazing him and sending him back to cover. Davis then moved forward, following Sefu into cover. Daventhorpe fell back to marshal the Bearers.


Lt. Pratt and his Indians advancing on the ruined temple


Sefu and Davis in cover, with Pratt and the Baluchis in their sights.

The report of a high powered hunting rifle and the exploding chest of a Baluchi that was investigating the temple ruins ahead of Davis and Daventhorpe announced the arrival of Richter on the scene.


Konrad Richter, Explorer and Hunter.

Over the sounds of the intermittent gunfire the clashing of steel could be heard followed by a shout with a thick Scottish accent, muffled by the dense foliage: “Ah’ve go’ et! Ah’ve go’ et!” then more clashing of steel.

Davis turned his attention on the advancing Askaris, as Pratt and the Indians had disappeared around the other side of the ruins and, presumably were engaging the Scotsman and his Zanaibaris in close combat. He dashed out from cove, heading for the ruins, and shot down an Askari at a dead run. There was no time to waste if the Scotsman had indeed found the legendary sword.



McDuff and Pratt fighting over the Sword.


Another shot of the melee and the Askaris climbing over the roof of the ruins.

Sefu, having reloaded, followed along darting from bush to tree moving like a shadow. He sniped another Askari who was climbing up on the roof of the ruined temple above Davis.

Meanwhile, Daventhorpe had marshaled the bearers and gave them a stirring speech. When the “doing their bit for God, King, and Empire” didn’t seem to be getting much response, Daventhorpe promised to double their wage if they helped recover the sword and the Bearers drew their knives and tore off into the jungle without even waiting for him!


Daventhorpe delivering his stirring speech.


Maneuvering carefully through the shadows of the temple Davis found his way to where he could see the melee. The machete wielding Scotsman was now engaged in combat with Pratt thrusting with his sword, a Sikh poking with his bayonet, and a Baluchi slashing with his scimitar.

Aiming for Pratt, Davis missed in confused shifting melee and instead hit the Sikh. His turban exploded in a messy shower of fabric, brains and skull fragments. The combatants were temporarily confused and startled, but when another Sikh charged in they resumed their melee.

The Native Bearers charged ahead of Daventhorpe and charged Richter and one of his Askaris. They cut down the Askari and chopped him to pieces. Richter, however, was made of sterner stuff and held his own ducking and dodging the wild slashes of the natives knives (4 hits, no wounds!). He drew a pistol and shot at one of them grazing his ear. The wounded native reeled out of the frenzied mob only to be replaced by three others.


Native bearers attacking Richter and the Askari.

Daventhorpe called on him to surrender and his natives to stop.

There was a sudden pause as they awaited the Germans reply

“Nein!” shouted Richter and took aim at one of the natives but before he could fire the natives mobbed him. They forced him to the ground and stripped him of his weapons.

The Sikh that had just joined the melee in the temple lunged and stabbed Logan McDuff in the side with his bayonet. Then Lt. Pratt ran him through with his sword. The Scotsman fell to the stone floor of the ruined temple in a heap.

Leaving the German to be dealt with by the porters, Daventhorpe rounded the south side of the ruins just in time to see McDuff fall. He leveled his shotgun at Lt. Pratt and called upon him to surrender. Pratt made some ungentlemanly references to Daventhorpe's mother and Daventhorpe shot him down.

The Balushistani that had been standing beside him seized the sword and tried to dash off into the jungle. The Sikh who had jabbed McDuff followed him.

Sefu had been reloading and working his way around the north side of the ruins. As he finally rounded the last corner bringing him to the side opposite the one they had initially approached he saw the Baluchistani dash out carrying a jeweled sword. Sefu leveled his musket at the mercenary, but before he could fire the Sikh following the Baluchi spotted Sefu and charged with his bayonet. Sefu dodged his first wild lunge and sharp blow to the face with the butt end of his musket and knocked him out cold.

Davis aimed and shot down the fleeing Baluchi. He and Daventhorpe then, looking over the carnage, took a moment to reload. One of the two Askaris that had been cowering on the roof of the ruins seized the opportunity. He leapt down, snatched up the sword and also tried to make off with it into the jungle. Davis was too quick and the Askari pitched forward as a blast of shot tore though him from behind.

Daventhorpe recovered the sword from the dead Askari. It was stunning. It was all the legends had described and more! The hilt and pommel encrusted with gold and jewels like Daventhorpe had never seen before. The Blade was clean and sharp as a razor. Truly there was something magical about it.

They bundled up the treasure and packed it safely among their possessions. They then proceeded to gather up the weapons and patch up the survivors of the battle. Most they would take back with them to Kampala as prisoners and be turned over to the authorities. A few, who seemed unlikely to cause trouble were disarmed and set free.

The return trip was equally long and arduous. The sword would make a fine addition to the collection in the British Museum…. If it make it there….!?

Next up: Savage Worlds Double Header Weekend Part Two – a continuation of last weeks Rescue in the Desert where the rescuers themselves are in need of rescuing…?!

If you’ve made it this far please post a comment below just to let me know you’ve been here. I don’t want to keep writing these if no ones actually reading them. Thanks!

….maybe also let me know:
a) Do you play savage worlds?
b) Comparing this to the previous SW game reports… Do you like this more narrative approach to game reports or do you like the turn-by-turn breakdowns?

Vimy Project Update

Vimy Project Update

5 Feb 2007

This is an update on the status of The Vimy Project. Things are chugging along. Thought I'd put up this post to let you all know where things are at.

Figures

Germans are starting to roll off the production line. I made moulds for the first four Thursday and Friday of last week and cast the first lot later Friday evening. Here is what they look like (click on the pictures below for a bigger version):


The new Germans, front.


The new Germans, back.

There’s another four Germans needing one or two little details then they too will be moving on to having moulds made. I have two more regular Canadian infantrymen in the works a man chucking a bomb (very nearly done) and a lewis-gunner (chugging along...). I’ve also started a bunch of Canadian Highlanders as well as Canadian and German Staff officers. I had hoped to be able to make some HMGs and trench mortars and crews for both sides… we’ll see if I have time or if I really even need them – depending on how some of he play-testing of the scenario goes.

Here’s the state of my worktable:



Terrain

I have finished up the wire I need (see other posts on this blog; 36 miles of barbed wire Part 1 and Part 2). Big thanks to Curtis and Darrin for all their hard work – Darrin especially, who tells me he still has glue on his fingernails…!

Last week I did a lot of sketching and scratching out and destroying brain cells trying to figure out how to make the terrain boards. I was having a hard time deciding how tall the contour intervals should be and how big the steps should be. It’s all, more or less, sorted out now.

I have cut the four boards I need and drawn on them where the various trenches will be as well as the basic contour intervals. Hopefully construction will begin on these in the next week or so.

Scenario

Having painted the better part of one of the brigades involved and having roughly one battalion of older German figures I decided to start play testing last Friday evening. Gary and Mr. Miller came by to help out. I just wanted to see how the first couple of turns would play out, so we set up the figures on the rather bare terrain boards with just pencil lines to show where most of the trenched were. I was mostly interested in seeing how the creeping barrage would work and how well it would destroy the wire… It raised a lot of useful questions. Big thanks to Gary and Tim M. for helping me out with that.

Here are some pictures from our play-test:

New Figures

While working on all the great war figures for the Vimy Project I decided to make a couple of pulp adventure figures of my own just for laughs. Here are the first two. Click on the pictures below for a bigger version.


The first is a Tramp Steamer Captain. Can anyone guess who the one on the left was painted to look like...?


Next up are some Cultists. I always wanted my own cult of followers. Now I have them. I've started on a second cultist figure that will have an open sleeve that a hand carrying either a knife or a revolver or a torch can be pinned and glued on to. perhaps I'll paint up two cults and have a skirmish wargame between two rival cults! These red ones will be The Crimson Death Cult!


Here I was experimenting with some different colour schemes. These will be (from left to right); The Jade Death Cult, The Violet Death Cult, and ... uh.... The Sons of the Hobgoblin....? I don't know what possessed me to paint him like that. When I was finished I looked at him and was suddenly reminded of a supervillain... I think it was from the Spiderman cartoons I watched as a kid, and I think his name was the Hobgoblin... any comic nerds out there that can correct of verify this?


This is what the "green" from the cultist figure looks like.

There'll be more. Stay tuned...

RESCUE IN THE DESERT (SW- Pulp)

RESCUE IN THE DESERT

The following is another episode in my Savage Worlds Pulp Adventure Serial. The game took place (Savage) Sunday, 4 February 2007. We mostly use the Showdown skirmish rules with some elements of the RPG added for flavor or fun.

Starring
Darren Morris as Oscar Carson, Private Investigator (and Cptn. Ralph Bagnold, Royal Corps of Signals, Cairo)
Curtis Tessmer as Montana Black, Two-Fisted Adventurer (and the British soldiers)

… And, of course, directed by and starring myself, Tim Brown, as the rest of the bad guys; Bandit Desert Nomads and their leader who calls himself “the Son of Rasouli”, as well as the Angry Native Villagers.


27 March 1922

The daughter of the renowned British aristocrat and Egyptologist, Sir Walter Smythe-Wagner, has been kidnapped by a ruthless band of ruffian nomads. The beautiful Emily was abducted from a dig site where she had been working with her father near Karnak. Demands have been made for her return in one piece. Gold, of course, but also the expulsion of all British Foreigners… not really possible…

Sir Walter has prevailed upon his friend, Montana Black, who worked with Sir Walter on a dig in Egypt before the Great War. Black has also brought along partner, Oscar Carson, and enlisted the help of a Captain Ralph Bagnold who is something of an expert at desert travel by motor cars and has done much surveying of North Africa for the Royal Geographic Society.

Carson’s excellent investigative skills, Black’s knowledge of the local languages and tracking ability, and Bagnold’s keen desert navigation, have brought them to a small and remote oasis on the edge of the Great Sand Sea by the Libyan border. Their trucks secreted behind a large rocky outcropping the party stole forward to observe the encampment during the day. Having successfully located Emily’s tent and ascertained the size of the hostile force they fell back to their own camp to formulate a plan of attack, leaving one of the soldiers to continue observing the camp.

The plan was simple. Black and the soldiers would cover Carson and Bagnold as they approached the camp from opposite ends. Carson would rescue Emily. Bagnold was to lay in wait at the other end of the oasis and if Carson was discovered he was to scatter the horses to cause a diversion as well as to keep the nomads from riding them down as they made their escape to the waiting trucks.

Midnight. The rescuers take up their positions.

(click on the pictures for a larger version)


In the top left is the Bandits encampment at the oasis. A few sentries can be seen sitting around a campfire (just imagine a campfire there!). Carson can be seen at the bottom of the picture and Bagnold is off to the right. Between the two are Montana Black and the four British soldiers.


Carson, left, Black, right, and the Soldiers between them observe the oasis


Yet another view of the oasis.

On the other side of the Jebel there was also a small, impoverished village quite hostile to foreigners. My plan was to have a daunting enough force, with possible reinforcements coming from the village that the players wouldn’t try to “kill ‘em all” but rather grab the girl and run for it and have to execute a fighting retreat while being chased across the desert to their get-away trucks… well… it nearly worked…

The first couple turns consisted mostly of Bagnold and Carson sneaking up on the oasis and the Nomad sentries trying to “spot” them. Carson was dealt three jokers in a row on turns two, three and four! The first netted him an extra benny, unfortunately with the second joker he rolled a two inciting a freak event… The Pharaohs Revenge! All that water from the water holes along the way finally caught up with Carson. All rolls for the rest of the game were at -2 due to a sudden acute case off Dysentery. (Let the poop jokes begin…!)

On turn four Carson, tried to stealthily cut the back of Emily’s tent open. Difficult to do while having to concentrate on keeping our butt cheeks clamped firmly shut lest a torrent of diarrhea be unleashed… Despite this the guard in the tent was completely oblivious to the tent tearing just behind him. Perhaps he was sleeping, he went bust on the notice check while Carson, with highly pressurized bowels ready to blow, scored a 15. I’d call that “getting the drop” – unfortunately he’d have to wait until next turn as he already preformed an action (cutting the tent)

Turn Five

Nomads go. The four sitting around the campfire were still completely oblivious to what is going on. The one in the tent, however, wised up to Carson’s presence. Perhaps Carson cut the cheese as he raised his knife to strike the guard or something, whatever the case the guards notice check beat Carson’s sneak test and the guard raised the alarm and spun around taking a swing at Oscar with the but of his rifle.

Bagnold, at this point, tried to spook the horses he had been untying. I decided this would be an intimidation check. He failed.

Carson finally took his first swing at the guard and missed. This happened a lot, what with the minus two for the bowel trouble and a further minus two for darkness…

Turn Six.

Everyone was now dealt in; those that were sleeping started this turn shaken. To keep things fast and furious I gave all the nomads one card but treated them as a couple of little units for movement and coherency.
Oscar Carson went first, taking another swing at the guard in Emily’s tent. He missed. Again.

Emily woke up with a start, recovered with a raise, screamed, picked up the stool the guard had been sitting on and bashed him in the head with it. He was shaken. Not bad considering she was -2 for darkness, -2 for unskilled, and -1 for an improvised weapon and had just been fast asleep seconds before!

Seeing all the nomads stumbling out of their tents Montana Black decided to go off hold at this point and charged in toward the oasis. His signature twin bowie knives flashed in the moonlight.

Bagnold tried again to scare the horses off, shooting in the air this time (which I gave him a +2 for…). They wouldn’t budge. Very clam horses, they were. Must have been very accustomed to gunfire and such.

Three Nomads recovered from being shaken, the rest continued to stumble out of their tents and get their bearings. Two of the sentries that had been sitting by the fire leapt up to dash into their prisoner’s tent. They were interrupted by the soldiers, which had been on hold from the first turn. The soldiers fired but missed both. The Nomads continued into the tent, one tried to grab Emily while the other slashed at Oscar with his scimitar.

The “Son of Rasouli” recovered from his slumber but needed a turn to collect his wits.

Turn Seven

Bagnold gave up on the horses and started taking shots at the nomads heading his way… winging…

The soldiers continued firing on he Nomads stumbling out of their tents, taking one down.

Black charged around the side of a tent and gave a pair of stumbling shaken nomads a couple of quick stabs with his bowie knives casing them to spend the rest of the game lying on the ground soaking the sand with their blood!


Montana Black standing over the two fresh corpses of his victims and the nomad shot by the soldiers. Luckily most of those Nomads opposite him were still shaken. “Son of Rasouli” is off to the right of the picture just having emerged from his private tent. Bagnold can be made out lurking by the trees in the top left.

“Son of Rasouli” charged Montana Black wilding slashing in the darkness with his scimitar but failing to find his mark. His followers continued to try and sort themselves out. Two ran for cover at the edge of the oasis returning the soldiers fire, hitting one (-2 for running, -2 for darkness, -4 for hard cover!)! Another entered the prisoner’s tent and helped his accomplice subdue the squirming Emily. The other two in the tent took wings at Carson tearing his hole (in the back of the tent….) wider still. Two others began to round up the horses.

Emily then squirmed her way free of her two captors…

Turn Eight

Bagnold, with a Joker, shot down one of the nomads trying to gather up the horses.

The Soldiers couldn’t hit a thing!

Emily snatched up the stool once again and bashed on of her assailants in the head (again, -2 darkness, -2 unskilled, -1 improvised weapon...). Failed to cause damage on her first roll, figuring she wasn’t likely to hit often, Darrin, who was now controlling her, burned a benny. It paid off as she cracked his skull with a couple of raises! Someone said they thought they heard here say, “this is SOME rescue…” amid the chaos.

Carson, having drawn his pistol by this point, shot point blank at one of the nomads assaulting him. He must have been a very skinny nomad in large billowing garments as Carson was sure he hit him but the target didn’t even flinch.

Black and Rasouli continued taking swings at each other, missing in the darkness. The rest of the nomads did little of effect this turn, other than grappling Emily again and shaking Carson.

Turn Nine

Carson recovered but wasn’t able to act. Emily slipped out of her attackers grasp once again. One of the soldiers shot a nomad through the head spraying brains about the sand of the oasis (four raises!)

Black finally scored two hits on Rasouli with his bowie knives. The first scored four wounds, but Rasouli soaked them. The second caused another wound, which was also soaked with another benny. Rasouli could do nothing this turn other than recover from the being shaken by the solid blows up on him.

The nomads, which couldn’t seen to get a card higher than six, shot at Bagnold and the soldiers missing. One grappled Emily again, this time with a raise, which caused her to be shaken. Carson, too, was returned to his shaken state with another close shave.

Turn Ten

The soldiers started off this turn by painting a tent with the brains of another nomad (again with the four raises on a damage roll!).

Carson was unable to recover from being shaken – too busy concentrating on not spraying liquid feces inside his pants…

Black struck Rasouli with another two wild slashes of his bowie knives. The first on took his head right off (FIVE RAISES! GAH!). The second, we figured, skewered his head as if fell back to earth. He then flung it off in the general direction of the two bandits that were about to charge him. It must have been a good enough distraction as their blows failed to damage Black.

Three of the other nomads mounted up horses and began to lead them out of harms way, while another charged Bagnold. In the ensuing melee the bandit cut Bagnold good causing two wounds – one of which Bagnold soaked with a benny. He recovered later in the turn, but took no further action.

Emily recovered from being shaken, with a RAISE, and once again slipped out of the grasp of the bandit wrestling with her! That’s one slippery girl!

Turn Eleven

Bagnold tried to shoot his attacker point-blank but missed.

The bandit grappling with Emily once again got hold of her! Another continued his assault on Bagnold but could not hit him. The two attacking Montana both managed to land blows, but that tough bugger was merely shaken by the incident, which he burned a benny on so it would cause him no further worry. Carson was also playing tough-man, though he had to burn a benny to soak a wound landed on him.

Emily, for once, was unable to struggle free when her card came up.

The flashing steel of Black’s twin bowie knives took down the two bandits attacking him.


The bodies are piling up around Montana Black.

The soldiers, lacking any targets, went on hold.

Carson again fired wilding into the melee in the tent, missing everyone!


Oscar Carson and the very full tent!

Turn Twelve

The angry natives from the nearby village arrived… with a JOKER! They ran towards the oasis at top speed (12”!).


Native villagers angered about their sleep being disturbed!

Bagnold shoots and missed again but the bandit found his mark, shaking Bagnold.

Emily once again fails to struggle free and was dragged out of the tent.

Oscar finally put a bullet in one of his attackers taking him out of the action. The remaining nomad missed Carson.

Black charged at the nomad dragging Emily out of the tent. The nomad released Emily to try and defend himself but wasn’t quick enough. Black savagely dissected the brute causing him to spurt blood all over Emily’s white silk nightgown!

Turn Thirteen!

Carson shot and killed the remaining bandit then dashed through the tent to see where Emily had been dragged to only to find her in a passionate embrace with Montana Black.

Black broke off and dashed across the oasis to the aid of Bagnold, cutting down his attacker. Emily followed in the footsteps of her hero of the hour.

The Soldiers fired upon the charging villagers who carried on at an unearthly rate. Two were hit, but only one was shaken.

Turn Fourteen

The natives are dealt another Joker…. This was bad news for our heroes. Oscar Carson was overtaken by the mob and hit three times. #1 – shaken, soaked. #2 - wounded, soaked. #3 - no damage. Carson shoots back missing with his wild shots.

Black turned to see his partner being swarmed by the mob of angry villagers. He turned back to Bagnold and shouted, “Take her and get to the trucks!” He then turned about again and charged into the melee to aid his friend. Striking one, the native was shaken.


Black charges in to the aid of his friend.

Emily and Bagnold ran, heading for the rendezvous with the trucks!


Emily and Captain Bagnold on the run.

The soldiers, not being able to see targets again, went on hold.

Turn Fifteen

Black swinging wildly took down two of the natives. Carson still can’t find his mark. The soldiers, inspired by Black’s courage, get up and head for the oasis. Emily and Bagnold continue their dash across the desert.


The soldiers charging in to help the surrounded heroes.


The surrounded heroes.

The frenzied mob surrounded the two heroes and started hacking away. Five hits were scored on Montana Black. A wound, soaked, shaken, soaked, two fail to damage the colossus that is Montana Black and the final one wounds him, truly, as he is unable to soak it…. Oscar Carson is only hit twice, which net only one wound.

Turn Sixteen

In a frenzy of his own, Montana Black recovers from the initial shock of his wound and hacks wildly back at the mob taking one down and shaking another. Carson was tiring and only able to recover slightly and defend himself….

Then the natives went. Four more hits on Montana Black each causing a single wound. Finally he is brought to the ground. Carson was again shaken and then wounded.

The soldiers fired on the crowd as they continued their advance dropping one.

Turn Seventeen

Carson recovered well enough to act… shot, but missed.

Bagnold ran to the soldier that had been shot earlier in the game and began dragging him toward the trucks urging Emily to carry on and bring them back.


Bagnold stopping to check on the wounded soldier and Emily pressing on.

The soldiers charged into the melee, taking down two immediately and shaking another.

The natives retaliated shaking a soldier and Carson, again.

Over the next couple turns the melee continued. Slowly, one by one, the solders were taken down by the native’s superior numbers. Carson’s luck finally ran out too. Emily made her way to the trucks and persuaded the drivers to return with her, while Bagnold continued to drag his fallen soldier towards the trucks.

As the truck made it to Bagnold the natives could be seen pouring out of the village. Bagnold decided their comrades couldn’t be helped, at this point, loaded Emily and the wounded soldier into the trucks and sped off into the night….

When he got a safe distance away he stopped and set up the new long-range wireless and tapped out a message to Cairo requesting reinforcements….

What became of our heroic adventurers? Will Bagnold return with reinforcements in time? Find out next week in the next episode of my Savage Pulp Adventure Serial!