Out for a Morning Stroll

 Mecha in a Shanty, just because

I was setting up for the next Ambush Alley game when I got curious...

Space Pies, the Armour Version

 Hammer's Slammers in two different flavors, yum.

When Mark got out of 15mm I was the lucky person who got his Slammers toys.  I was thinking of playing a big Slammers game so dug out all the kit I have.  I noticed that some of the new Slammer kit have been on the Space Pies.

So here are some comparisons: First, an Old Crow Combat Car plus a WWII Hanomag (Old Glory I think)  from my AK-47 set.   Pretty similar in size

Next, Drake was, in part, inspired by his experience in the CAV in Vietnam, so here is the Hanomag, an AVAC (Peter Pig) and the same Combat Car.  Again, the Combat Car isn't so huge, its larger, but would fit right in

Next, more 'Nam stuff.  An ACAV, Combat Car and an LVTP5 (Peter Pig).  The LVTP is huge!  As it should be given how many men it could carry

Next, new vs old.  Ainsty vs Old Crow Combat Cars.  The Ainsty one is a tad longer, but similar enough in size to represent another version of the car

From the front, the Ainsty one has a much narrower profile, this may actually help with the fire arcs as the rear gunners can 'see' more forwards arc than the Old Crow version

From above, the Ainsty car clearly has more of a wedge shape

My only comment on the two would be on casting quality.  The Ainsty car resin is more crudely cast with blurred details.  Looks like a new mould could help.

Next onto the big boys, the Blowers, this is an Old Crow one

It is a big tank, here it is next to a T-64 (Peter Pig) and Centurion (Peter Pig)

This is where it gets squirrely, heres the Old Crow vs Ainsty Blowers.  Guess who's been on those Space Pies

The Ainsty Blowers is HUGE.  At this size it could become a 20mm tank if not for the tiny hatches

From the side, its longer, wider and taller than the Old Crow version

My intention was to use the two sets together to represent different marks of vehicles.  The Combat Cars fit right in, the Blowers less so.  So what to do?  I think I'm going to use the Old Crow Blowers as they are from the rule book and come up with some new stats for the Ainsty ones to represent a super-upgraded version.

The Slammers are going to need it when you see the other Armour I got from Mark...

AA: Lawyers, Guns & Money

 Ambush Alley time again.  Playing the Lawyers, Guns and Money scenarios

I got the PDF version not the boxed set

Scenario 1: AMUSH!

I'm using my Colonial Marines and Crusties instead of Contractors and Insurgents.  The Marines with a bigwig (dependent) start out in top LH corner, their vehicles just got blown up.  They have to leg it to the building in the bottom RH corner

Just one teensy problem

Ooorah Marines, time to earn your pay

 

Crusty reinforcements swarm in

Marines dash forwards engaging the lead Crusties

The remaining Marines are close on their heels

Marines surprise a Crusty group

Not for long

Missed one!

It's a tight squeeze between the buildings.  The team with the bigwig has to haul it to get to the target building, they only have 3 turns to get there otherwise they score no victory points

Lead Marines keep up a constant fire on Crusty units, preventing them accumulating numbers

Marines take a crusty shack as a firebase (its not a very good one...)

Its enough cover to protect Marines from counter-fire, but the Marines 10mm AP tear through the shack taking down crusties

The survivors fall back, shaken

This opens a corridor to get the VIP to the target building

Buts its not enough, three turns expire, no VIP in the building (honestly, without a run move it was almost impossible to do)

Crusties on the Marine flank engage

Fixing a Marine unit in place, 

Marine counterfire is deadly,

Well almost

But the Crusty unit's morale fails and they become Shaken

A reserve Crusty unit enters and tries to pin a group of Marines

Run Marines Run!

More reinforcements appear

The weight of crust fire proves effective, two Marines go down

Finally made it!  The Bigwig is delivered with his briefcase to the target building

Marines consolidate around the target building

Crusties pay for their bold moves

Dakka Dakka!

Crusties down

Spotted!

Splatted!

Game over Man!  

Bigwig doing his bigwig thing.  Marines treating their casualties, one killed, one wounded, this matters as this is all that's available for the next scenario...

The Big Push

Commonwealth Airmobile continue the push into Confederation territory.  This time the Confederation is ready for them... 

The confederation forces are well prepared with minefields laid and bunkers built.

Confederation Support units are dug into the bunkers

Infantry platoons line up behind the line ready to advance

A second platoon advances after being dropped off from their trucks

A command unit with two attached recon vehicles

The Major in charge of this Op

Off in the distance, the sound of VTOLS on the advance

 

Commonwealth VTOLs carry advance units forward

Zoom Zoom!

And again...

VTOLs pull NOE g's to stop behind a hill

The gunship and drones go on overwatch

Drones surge ahead to spot the Confederation forces

Ready, Set...

Go Go Go!

Infantry de-bus ASAP

The forward unit brings one gun drone with them

Lined up on the table edge (off-table) are the remaining Commonwealth units, starting with a light GEV-jeep mounted unit with drones

A GEV mounted command unit with more drones

A light armour unit, and yup, more drones

VTOLs bug as soon as the squaddies de-bus

The gun team move into high-mode with weapons hot

Drones sweep for targets

First blood, the Confederation mortar unit is caught as it is digging in

The light armour moves to screen the advance

Sensors start painting targets on the ridge line

Railguns score first hits

In return ATGMs target the armour

The GEV-unit dashed forwards using the drones as a screen (the small drones are squad level follow-me types so move with the unit, while the large ones are 'vehicles' like the Babouin drones from the HS Crucible rules)

Screening drones star sweeping for targets

Drone fire is fast and accurate, the leading Confederation unit takes a batterieng

The reserve infantry step up to cover the gaps

Forces on the other hill-line start taking hits too

Return fire is withering, the Confed heavies take out the lead drones

More fire destroys the screening drones

The Commonwealth command unit surges forwards, its own heavy drone moves to cover position

From it vantage point it can scour the whole ridge line

It uses the position well, inflicting more casualties on the Confed troops

The armoured cars from the Confed command unit dash to reinforce the flank

ATGMs inbound!

and BOOM!

State of play at the end of the first turn

Commonwealth forces are looking a bit exposed

The coup-de-main forces could be decisive

On the Confed side the hills are still holding, the minefields are preventing the Commonwealth armour from rampaging across the board

The Confed still have a reserve platoon to get into the fray

On with the action, the Confed win initiative and let ATGMs fly

 

The Commonwealth platoon get into rocky cover and open up on the Confed forces

A huge volume of fire plays havoc with the Confed forces

Casualties and suppressions mount

In return the Confed pour fire into the hill

More Confed reserves feed forwards to cover gaps

The Commonwealth platoon is depleted

The reserve platoon pivots and redeploys

The reserves advance to counter the drones

The reserves shoot down al of the air-assets

The armour is forced to pull back to better cover

Even from cover their fire is telling

Confed troops on the hill are taking a pasting

The Confed armoured cars dash forwards to create havoc

Unfortunately their gunnery does not match their bravery, they miss, everything...

The command group dashes again and deploys the heavy weapons teams

Heavy auto-cannons range on the Confed ranks

End of the turn, the outcome is still undecided

 

Commonwealth win the initiative

The armour redeploys to be able to engage the armoured cars

The armoured cars become ex-armoured cars, if only their gunnery was a bit better... 

The advance units are getting seriously depleted

The gap is beginning to be a problem

The gev-unit moves forwards 

Drones out in front ID targets

Tribarrels on the hunt

Ranging, ranging.  And then and epiphany.  Why am I shooting at infantry in bunkers, they are super hard to hit with anti-tank guns.  So lets do something different

BOOM, let's target the bunker instead. All TUs in the bunker KO'd

Well that changed things a bit, and now there are less forces to move that turn went faster too

Confed gain the initiative and pull back the lead elements from the meat grinder of a hill

That gap is a big one to cross

The Commonwealth platoon keeps pouring out fire

Th central Confed unit now starts taking a battering

Morale starts suffering, with more casualties and fewer troops to fill the gaps the Confed starts puling back to consolidate its position

Out of the bunkers!

A Confed unit's morale breaks

They retreat in decent order

Things now swing in favour of the Commonwealth

The lead Confed positions are now empty

The Confed has lost all of its heavy support weapons and much of its Infantry. time to fall back while they still can

Push, Push!

Commonwealth light armour pushes into the minefield gap.  Railgun rounds and ATGMs pour into the bunkers destroying them

The GEv-unit surges across the gap

Teh Confed transports move to begin the retreat

The command unit wastes no time...

End of a quick turn, with the declining morale and degraded force capacity its game over for the Confederation, time to retreat before they have to surrender

Final stragglers are picked up

The Confed defenses are destroyed

Commonwealth armour nears the gap

The lead units begin the next leap-frog

The Commonwealth airmobile continue to push forwards, but their forces are now depleted.   Time to slow down, refit and tend their wounded.  The Commonwealth Maneuver Group forces can now catch up and take on the advance.

Whew, a that was a big game, it was fun to dig out a couple of company-size forces and play a huge game.  What I quickly saw was that the larger infantry units become bogged down easily, as casualties mount and they loose APs they become difficult to redeploy.  The mounted troops then have a significant advantage.

Mmmm, perhaps Hammer and his skimmer mounted infantry are on to something there?