Upcoming Salute

Like all other wargamers i'm getting pretty excited about Salute 2018.
With my recent foray into the crucible i am keen to pick up some more forces.

So far my forces have had strong infantry but am really wanting an armoured engagement, with bits and bobs i have lying around i have 2/3 of a force of Podeles Lions.
I am currently working on a Federal Mechanised infantry detachment.

Have plans for building Oltenian mercs to fight on Cecach then build a Molt force.

Also very tempted to do the Kalan war, i have some Hiroseki and Stewart infantry lying around but no vehicles.

So much to do!!!

Loving the new stuff from brigade . . . Hmm maybe fosters mercs . . .

http://www.brigademodels.co.uk/Blog/2018/03/salute-starts-here/

http://www.brigademodels.co.uk/Blog/2018/03/viking-thunderbolt/

The Crucible!

Been a while since my last post, did'nt realise how much time had passed but having a new baby will do that.

Anyway,

Had the Crucible for quite some time but have never really read the rules or played the game. But a few months ago i read the book and liked the look so went about building some forces.
Now being a Slammers fan i have read all of Mr Drakes books and one of my favourites is the Forlorn Hope.

The first force i built was a Cecach Republican Spearhead force.

And as their opposition i had a force of Fasolini's Company (i picked these up last year from brigade models at salute, did have a nice shopping list for this years salute but with brigades new releases this list has suddenly grown bigger)

With the forces set a game was required, so last night at my gaming club Jim volunteered to command Fasolini's Company, leaving me with the Republicans.

We set up the board, the western side was hills with scattered woods while the eastern side was a partially ruined factory complex. Fasolini's Company set up in hiding while i moved on in the first turn.

My Convoy was led by the Eisenfaust MBT follwed by three Kastenwagons, two were APC's while the third was a command vehicle.
The battle opened with a buzzbomb boucing off the Eisenfausts front armour, the Command vehicle had machinegun rounds bounce off its side armour while the lead APC had its fans shot out by a second MG team which immobilised it.

The Eisenfaust fried an MG team with its main laser while the hull autocannon blew the buzzbomb team apart, the command vehicle headed off to to hide behind some trees and the tailing APC moved up, infantry bailed out of the immobilised APC and the combined fire of small arms and vehicle autocannons blew the second MG team apart.

From the western buildings Fasolini's infantry came, they assulted the Eisenfaust and the mobile APC as mortar rounds fell upon the Republican infantry blowing 2 infantry TU's apart.

An Fasolini gun system opened up from the hills destroying the weapon on the command vehicle, and the close assults had little effect on the vehicles.

The infantry that had disembarked from the immobilised APC advanced on the gun system, infantry from the second APC disembarked and swamped the merc infantry attacking their vehicle but their victory was short lived as mortars rained down on them causing heavy casualties.

The infantry assulting the MBT were successful and destroyed the tank.

And with that i had lost over 50% of my forces, game over.

There was little i could do as most of my infantry were destroyed, Eisenfaust destroyed and the APC's were slowly aquiring damage.

We were impressed at the ease and speed of the game, one thing we would like to change is the board size as ranges in the Crucible are huge and the game was played pretty much at short range so next time we will use a bigger board.

The Golg

 The Golg are heavy set aliens, they respect personal strength and have a natural instict for battle. Many see the Golg as dumb but they prefer direct methods to most problems, and they are just as intelligent as mankind as they have manufactured vehicles, weapons and starships.

 UNITY have classed them as ORANGE because the Golg have no respect for local laws, and are loyal only to their current employer which changes alot due to their mercentile nature.
 Even though they are classed as dangerous they are a common sight as there are no end of organisations that need guns for hire.

The Golg have the following alien traits.
-Unusual skin colour
-Resilence
-Brutal

Activities!

 After raiding the bandit camp and riding back Abraham fell off one of the stolen bikes, they managed to get him back to the ship but would need rest to recovour from his injurys.
 A regular trader who visits the starport offers them a deal, so simon trades in his now unreliable autogun for a local map.
 Simon attemps to find another autogun but can't find any for sale, and Rafflesnap finally resolves the problems between Simon and Abraham.

 For the next few days Abraham rests, Zia and Rafflesnap train but gain nothing. Simon goes out recruiting but can find no-one who wants to join.
 'Betty' discovours an oppotunity, he finds information on a group of ORANGE aliens (Golg merc) who have a nice loot pile.

 The scout they rescued had some handy information, Cornelius Columbus was working with UNITY agents and would update them on his activities by handing them a datapad every few weeks containing this information.
 That datapad could tell them where he has gone . . .

Raiding the camp

Out in the wilderness, an area known as the badlands is home to various bands of Raiders and Bandits. Virtually all the bands steal and rob from anyone thet come across and some are involved in kidnapping.
 The main band that is involved heavily in kidnapping are the 'Serrated Claws', Enclave drones have been watching them for a few weeks and they believe the band now holds some scouts captive who know where Cornelius Columbus went.
 The group decided to go in at night, in three groups.

-Rafflesnap: handcannon
-Goon: shotgun

-Simon: Autogun, Frakk grenade
-'Betty': shotgun, frakk grenade
-Goon: shotgun

-Abraham: shotgun
-Zia: Handgun

 The camp had a few bandits sitting around, chatting, eating, etc. A single sentry stood guard while a two man team patrolled the camp.
Simon and Abrahams groups circled round the camp while rafflesnap hung back.

Simons group crept in quite close behind a shack while Abraham and Zia crept up on the other side of the camp behind the tents.

Unluckerly the patrol stumbled upon simons group, 'Betty' and the Goon fire, the Goons target goes down.

Abrahan and Zia take the oppunity to pounce and quickly silence the two bandits by the tents.
The sentry opens fire on Zia but he is taken down by a shot from Rafflesnap who is now moving up.
The bandit leader grabs a hostage as a human sheild.

Simons group fires at the remaing bandits, the Woman ducks for covour, the other is knocked down but they immediatly take fire from behind, the bandit climbing to his feet is gunned down, which is too much for the woman who ups and runs.

The bandit leader starts shouting
"No one frakkin move, or i'll blow the head of mr unfortunate here"
With him being focussed on Rafflesnap in front Simon spots an opening and circles round taking the bandit from behind.
 Amazingly he fights simon off, Simon push's back as a Goon, Zia, Abraham and 'Betty' pile in.
Needless to say the bandit leader is taken down.

 They free their captured Goon, the local scout and another hostage as the last bandit continues running off.

OUTCOME
 Rafflesnaps group took the bandits down quickly, upon searching the camp they find a weapon upgrade kit and some quality food and booze.
The third hostage turns out to be a salesman from Bot-tek who gives them an Enhancement implant.
 As they question the scout Simon fixes the weapon upgrade kit to his autorifle but it mess's the weapon up. (Now unreliable).

The Theed Insurgency

At my gaming group i started a campaign, i really like the Brethren range from Ground Zero Games so came up with a backdrop for the campaign setting.

Prelude Pt1
Prelude Pt2
Prelude Pt3

So far only one game has been played (of which i forgot to take my nice grass boards and had to borrow a board)

Game 1

Currently working on vehicles for the next game.

Moon terrain

Quite some time ago i purchased some moongrunt miniatures from Ground Zero Games and recently have 'aquired the muse' to start building and painting them.
 All my terrain is geared towards on world combat, but would need some nice moon terrain to fight across.
 So out comes the bit-box.

Using a CD as a base i built a mine shaft site, the walls are plastic 'things' i found at work, the lights are built out of Tau battlesuit weapons. The shaft in the middle is from Khurasan miniatures and the stores are from Ground Zero Games and Anetocities workshop.

 This storage area is a simular base to the mine shaft, stores are from Ground Zero Games, Anetocities Workshop and Old Crow.

 The sensor masts were built from Tau battlesuit weapons.