Tuesday, November 5, 2024

Wagon Train, the Second Part

 We rejoin the action ...

 With lizard archers and javelin-throwing Geckos continuing to hamper the wagon train's progress, Captain Butler ordered his Highlanders up from their position as the rear guard.


A raptor, earlier driven into the jungle, burst forth to attack the AVEF's advanced guard. Its powerful hooked claws and razor teeth, in the end, were no match for hot lead.


With the raptor's defeat, the trail to the left opened up, and on the right, the lizards fell back under fire from the second unit of Legionnaires.

The wagons could finally advance!

Sgt Major Chalmers accompanied the second wagon, armed with his specially tuned "Tartan Thumper" bagpipe (modifications provided by the Blackwood Manufacturing Firm, Hull, name suggested by Msr. Chat Gepete, Paris). 


Jubilation was short lived as the lancers struggled against the archers and a new, more disturbing, threat arrived on leathery wings!

And yet, Providence smiled upon the Earthlings, when, from their lofty perch atop the fort's tower, the stalwart crew of the fort's lone gun performed a stunning feat of marksmanship not seen since Locksley split the Prince's arrow.

At this point I should just admit that I have usurped ownership of my son's building blocks. To be fair, he's 13 and has no interest in them and I kept them around for just this reason. Indeed, it's quite probable that I purchased these for him, fully planning on this day would come.

A resounding "Huzzah!" went up from men both in the fort and guarding the wagons.

Celebrations were cut short when the Marine Iguanas rallied and charged the steadfast Highlanders. The men in kilts gave better than they got.

Yet, the cunning lizard leader saw this as his moment and sprinted towards the second wagon, a blood curdling roar exploding from his toothy maw.

Captain Butler, personally commanding his few remaining Legionnaires, engaged the lizard archers at close range, and even charged into hand to hand in support of the lancers, who had ridden up to provide assistance. 

With their combined efforts, the red menace was driven from the field.


The way ahead opened and the wagon's handler spurred the plodding stegosaur forward. 

Butler and his Legionnaires turned to aid the second wagon, and the lancers led the way for the first wagon.


Brave and duty-bound, Captain Butler, his aristocratic sensibilities enraged by the audacity of the cold-blooded creatures to attack the caravan that he was charged to protect, rushed headlong into the fray with the lizard leader.


The warrior, fierce and formidable despite his small stature, killed the wagon handler and knocked the stegosaur itself to the ground.  Yet, the man atop the strange looking four-legged beast did not yield so easily, and the two exchanged and parried blow after blow.


With the din of battle behind far behind them, the first wagon arrived at the fort! Within moments it was safely inside behind the thick wood and iron gate.


No good deed goes unpunished, and Butler was knocked from his saddle by the lizard. 

Sgt. Major Chalmers, himself a short distance from the duel, moved quickly. It was only by his self-less action was the dear Captain spared and ignominious death on the Venusian ground.


No man, let alone lizard, could dare hope to trade blows with the proud Scot from Coylton, and as the sun went out of the sky, Chalmers stood victorious over his prisoner.


****
Rules used were FUBAR Victorian Sci-Fi.

I should note that any figure on its side is Suppressed, not KIA, so Butler and the stegosaurus are still alive, as well as the lizard leader. In fact, technically the fight wasn't over, but it was the last scheduled turn for the game before the sun went down and I decided that meant it was a knockout blow dealt by Chalmers.

I like the FUBAR rules but bit off a more than I could chew with this one. 

The game lasted over 3 hours largely due to 1) being a solo game and 2) having too many units to activate on each side. A lot of people like longer games; I do not. Sixty to ninety minutes is enough for me, and then I start thinking about going to do something else. 

As a result, at some point, I decided that if a unit failed a morale check and would move off table if moving straight away from the threat, I decided they would rout at that point. In this way most of the lizard units left the table - none were completely decimated, unlike the AVEF units who often rallied, and then fought to the last (the fort really needed the supplies).

The AVEF had three units in the fort (infantry, gun, lancers), two wagons (each wagon was handled largely by the vehicle rules, and the "crew' represented by a figure that could shoot with 1 die), three infantry units guarding the wagons, and two heroes.

The lizards had four units of foot, one unit of flyers, and two heroes (leader and the raptor).

The scenario is more-or-less Charles Grant's Tabletop Teaser No. 2: "The Wagon Train" In a a rare occurrence for me, I used the entirety of my kitchen table for the game - all 3' x 5' of it. Still this is smaller than what Grant had in mind, I am sure.

As it is night now in the game and as per the scenario, any wagon that doesn't make it back is sure to be raided (Stegosaurs don't travel at night. At least Venusian stegosauruses don't), the next game suggests itself - a defense of the "wagon" from night attacks. 

I may have a handful of the fort's garrison to make their way to our two heroes (with the captured lizard hero) but maybe not. 

9 comments:

  1. Great finale to the report John!

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  2. I'm a fan of the FUBAR rules, but I haven't tried the 'Victorian Sci-Fi' edition. I think the number of units on both sides slowed your game sown. I'm not a great fan of too long games either, but have played FUBAR with 2-5 units each side.

    I'm looking forward to the follow-up game in this 'campaign'. Thanks for sharing link to the scenarioes.

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    1. The FUBAR VSF rules are essentially the core rules with Heroes, Vehicles, and some VSF weapons added (I think some of the other FUBAR sets also use Heroes). The vehicle rules appear to borrow heavily from Buck Surdu's and Christopher Palmer's G.A.S.L.I.G.H.T. (one of my favorite rule sets of all time, although slated as VSF, they are fairly generic and flexible) When I mentioned this on Lead Adventure Forum, someone said that at the time FUBAR VSF was written, the author(s) had been playing G.A.S.L.I.G.H.T. quite a bit.

      I think 2-5 units per side is the sweet spot. I've used FUBAR for WWII platoon vs platoon games before and had very favorable experiences.

      One big plus for FUBAR that this recent game drove home is that even with only 6 figure units, the Suppress rules allow them to stick around on the table a lot longer than you might otherwise expect.

      Not sure which rules I'll use for the follow up - probably One Hour Skirmish or maybe Fistful of Lead.

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    2. I wasn't aware of the resemblance to Heroes and GASLIGHT as I haven't played any of them.I really like the vehicles rules, which seems somewhat even easier in the 4th edition.

      I usually play FUBAR 4th Edition, but there are several similarities between the different FUBAR rules, with just some few differences between them.This enables you to 'cherry pick' when playing FUBAR.

      Do you have any AARs from your WWII FUBAR games?

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  3. This lot has come a long way from their 1st appearance. It all looks great. Size and time and rules and fun, always a delicate balance.

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    1. Thank you, Ross! Yes the conundrum of matching scenario to rules to what I want out of it is always a challenge.

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  4. Another excellent battle John!Your Victorian Sci-Fi is right up there with the best! And of course, I give a big "HUZZAH!!" for the AVEF's first victory!

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    1. Thank you, Brad! I'm still working on an idea for a steam powered mechanical contraption for the AVEF to use - I'm collecting trash, I mean supplies, to build something (I haven't decided what) :D

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