Veni, vidi, vici

Ok, so I didn’t conquer Britain, but my Roman legions were certainly victorious today.

 

But the story doesn’t start there. When I arrived, the guys had already started playing a multiplayer game of Infinity for some Christmas fun. I’m not really sure on what was going on…. but there were lots of zombies. Lots and lots of zombies. And who doesn’t like a game with zombies?

 

The crux of the game seemed to be to stay alive, collect crates then get to the DZ to escape once the location was revealed (after a set number of turns). Each player had 75pts to spend on a force. I went simple and stuck with Caledonians;

 

3x Volunteer w/ rifle (1 was my Lieutenant)

1x Volunteer w/ chain rifle (can’t go without at least 1 chain rifle in a list! :) )

1x Volunteer w/ LGL

1x Cateran w/ T2 sniper rifle.

 

Rob had fielded his Yu Jing (mostly remotes…. not the best idea for a mission requiring PH roles to pick up crates…..), Mark had a Morat link team, Phil with Margot and Duroc and Garth was running his Haqqislam.

 

I took a few photos throughout the game and my game plan consisted mostly of just shooting zombies. Even if that created noise which spawns even more (and tougher depending on the result) zombies :) My Cateran didn’t mind…. just more targets.

 

One of my Volunteers was able to pick up a crate. So once the DZ was identified, she legged it with my Lieutenant to escape (just running past some zombies on the way). Sometimes you just have to make sacrifices…. the other volunteers were left behind as zombie food….

 

Not really sure what the end result was. I think I had 2pts… whatever that meant. Still good fun. I really should play a few more Infinity games. One of the other guys may post a link with the mission details (hint) :)

 

After that, a few others turned up to see what was happening and engage in some general chit chat. As there was quite a few of us, a couple of the guys sat out to continue the general chit chat leaving Phil, Chris, Mark and I to sort out some FoG games since the guys want some practice prior to an upcoming tournament. After a bit of a roll off, I was going to playing Phil’s Spartans. Force size was 600pts again. My force was unchanged from the last game:

 

Phil’s Spartans were something along the lines of this….

2 BG Spartans (8 bases)

2 BG Perioikoi (8 bases)

1 BG Thracians (8 bases)

1 BG Helot mob

2 BG Peltasts (1x 8, 1x6)

1 BG Iphikratean (8 bases) – I think this is what they were

3 Commanders

 

The set-up.,,, the Romans are in the foreground…

 

Spartans and Legionnaires lined up. This would be main area of focus to determine the victor….

 

Now I didn’t realise that Phil had Perioikoi in the force and that they are different from Spartans. He probably told me, but I probably wasn’t listening. Therefore, I naturally assumed that the battlegroups my Legionnaires were facing were all Spartans. But, in actual fact, one of the BG’s in the front line was a group of Perioikoi. I don’t think the POA’s had been worked out correctly when fighting this unit (advantages may have been more even), but it all worked out in the end.

 

After the last game against pike, I was nervous about dealing with all the offensive spear I was now facing. Without disrupting them I was going to be in trouble and my flanks were somewhat exposed again. Therefore, I kept my Cavalry back to delay any forces that may try to flank. Phil marched his troops pretty quickly towards the Roman line, eager to get into combat. Getting to grips quickly would mean the game would be quick and, with Phil having no Cavalry, I could forget about my flanks and focus on chopping up Spartans. Phew!

  

The march moving meant for very little skirmishing, but my Velites and the smaller group of Peltasts threw pointy sticks at each other. The Velites aim was better disrupting the Peltasts. My turn was next, so I did my usual trick of charging my Velites at the Peltasts. I was actually rather surprised that Phil ordered them to hold, but I guess the odds were worth a crack (no net POA’s). Bad news though…. my Velites make short work of them and they break. Luckily a Spartan commander is nearby to rally them in a following turn while the other group of Perioikoi chase my Velites for the rest of the game.

 

In the centre, the skirmishers quickly break-off as the main lines close and then clash.

 

The Illyrian foot also close quickly with the Thracians.

  

 

Back to the centre though…. neither side really seems to do much to the other to start with. I’m getting a little worried having done nothing in the impact phase to disrupt the Spartans. So I’m not looking forward to having to roll lots of 5’s to hold off the Spartans…. but Spartan morale is pretty low today (just like last time I faced them… my Romans had barely touched them and they were off home as fast as they could go!?!). With my Numidian’s threatening a flank, the Perioikoi break after loosing melee. The loss of one of the Spartan commanders doesn’t help….. a few more Spartan groups become disrupted.

 

 

The Numidian’s chase the Perioikoi, but provide a very tempting target for the Spartan BG providing rear support. Much to my surprise they charge…. putting their own flank right in front of an unengaged Legionary battlegroup! The Numidians just need to hold on for 1 turn. Just 1! Oh and see those 2 black dice in the second picture….

 

 

Here’s a close up of them…. the tanks are 6’s….. that means trouble for Sparta. Someone’s going home on their shield.

 

In the same melee phase as the Numidians miraculously draw combat with the Spartans, another Spartan general is killed. The Numidians holding allows the Legionnaires to charge the Spartans in the flank breaking them. Meanwhile, the Illyrian foot had made short work of the Thracians and charged the Helot mob soon breaking them as well.

 

 

And that meant game over with a very decisive win for the Romans. Bit of a lucky win with some good rolling on my part (like rolling double 6’s twice killing his generals) and not so good for Phil. I don’t think he passed any cohesion checks throughout the game. Perhaps playing the delaying game would have worked a little better for him as this would have allowed his overlap to threaten my flank more. That would have definitely got me worried!

 

Mark’s Indians looked like they were having an epic battle against Chris’ Carthaginians. I snapped a few photos of their game as both armies look fantastic (as does the table & terrain). I’m not sure of the end result.  It was still going when I left and it seemed to be hanging in the balance with either player able to win!

 

Rob and Phil rocked out a game of Dreadball. Not sure on the forces or the result sorry. Didn’t take many pics, the game above was more interesting…. :)

 

Anyway, that was the last gaming day before Christmas. Enjoy your break (if you’re getting one) and the holiday period….. I’m well stocked, so I know I will… I have 3 bottles…. :)

 

Hopefully Santa brings lots of toys for gaming with in the New Year. Merry Christmas :)

Return to the Old West

So today was hot and then more hot. Mark’s garage was even hotter. There was a lot of sitting and sweating, but we managed to get a few games out.

 

Mark had set-up another nice table with his Western buildings. This time we decided to play Legends of the Old West rather than Malifaux as originally planned. This would allow Garth to get into the action.

 

The lads in deep thought….

 

I ran my Lawmen force (no change from last time), Mark used his crazy Mexican banditos and Garth borrowed Mark’s gang of Cowboys. To make things a little more interesting, a safe was placed in the towns hotel. That would be the objective with the Cowboys/Mexicans trying to break it open and steal the contents. The Lawmen were trying to get in to protect it.

 

We also adjusted came up with a bit of a house rule on fanning six-shooters as the rules aren’t really clear on the effect of jamming. Normally we just roll all 6 dice in one go and any jams would cancel all hits. This time we would roll 1 die at a time and any hits prior to a jam would still potentially hit. It worked well and seemed to fit the intent of the game better.

 

We set-up. I was on one of the long edges while the other gangs took opposite corners.

 

A couple of Upstanding Citizens were a little bit nervous prior to the battle. Luckily some local facilities were on hand.

 

The Mexicans and Lawmen make a beeline straight for the objective. The Cowboys consider their options and the terrain in front of them…. they head off on a “flanking move” (or as I prefer… cowering around the buildings).

  

 

Both my Deputies make for some high ground to cover the advance of the rest of the Lawmen. Cowboys continue to hide around buildings (except the one with the rifle) and the Mexicans keep heading straight for the building with the safe. The Cowboy rifleman takes out one of my Upstanding Citizens as I just run everyone across the road to the hotel entrance. First blood to Garth.

   

 

A few more shots are traded, but not much happens. Things aren’t looking good though…. I’m a little exposed! Mexicans and Lawmen start piling into the hotel, but the Lawmen have the advantage of numbers (4 to 2). Now its time for a real gunfight! Once the smoke settles one Vigilante and one Mexican is dead. The remaining Mexican is hit twice and fails his pluck test (twice! I failed to wound twice!) legging it upstairs. But this works in Mark’s favour as he’s closer to the safe. Next turn he tries to open the safe, but fails.

 

 

Another Mexican pops his head up to try and blast my Deputy on the balcony. We both miss.

 

I think there was a bit of shooting between the Cowboys and Mexicans on the other side of town around this time as well. Along with some fisty cuffs. A few casualties are caused on both sides.

 

The two Mexicans outside by the stairs to the second level of the hotel come rushing in to try and slow down the Lawmen. One rushes my Sheriff thinking this’ll be easy. End result…. one incapacitated Mexican as my Sheriff just pistol whips him.

 

The Lawmen continue to advance up the stairs to reach the safe. Some of the Cowboys also make it to the building. The Mexicans hear my Lawmen approaching as since they fail again to open the safe…. they jump out the windows to escape…. but this is straight into the line of fire of Deputies rifles.

  

 

More Mexican casualties mean they fail their pluck test and head for the hills. The Cowboys are now around the building. One starts running up the stairs to the second floor, the one on the balcony gets ready as another legs it across the street to try and deal to the Deputy on the roof. I get the drop though…. 3 shots. 3 dead Cowboys. That’s game over. The Lawmen save the day! :)

 

By this time, the sun had been hidden behind a small, but very dark cloud. As it moved closer we were treated to a nice loud thunderstorm. Things had been so hot earlier that the rain just turned to steam when hitting the road (a little hard to see in the photo).

 

It was getting a little late in the afternoon. The other guys had finished their game of Infinity so we decided on a board game next…..

 

I randomly picked Machete (oops sorry… El Cholo) as my character…

 

Basically the mission we randomly picked meant we had to search for certain survival items (food, water etc) and then escape in one of the cars. On opening the first door a rather large and spikey zombie was spawned much to the dismay of my team mates…. but Machete knows better. Machete’s not scared. A fair bit of running round, machete chopping, chain sawing and running over zombies sees them whittled down as we collect the required items.

 

End result. We drive off into the sunset with only one team mate dead. Not a bad result :)

 

To round the afternoon off, a game of King of Tokyo was played where my victory was cruelly snatched from my grasp in the dying moments of the game! :)

 

All good fun though. The rain had stopped, so I used the chance to disappear as it was getting late. I think the guys were rocking out another game of King of Tokyo as I left.