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Messages - Easy E

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1
Space Naval Games / Hostile Space - Space Mecha Combat Thread
« on: April 23, 2024, 02:55:35 pm »
I figured I would make thread as I will probably have a few games of Hostile Space over the next few months. 



The following is a battle report for my latest game, Hostile Space:

The trading contract for the Freehold of New Arcadia will expire and come up for re-negotiation in the next rotations.  Traditionally, these contracts have been held by corporate interests aligned with the New Olympians, and New Arcadia was considered within the New Olympians sphere of interests.  However, the free hold is located in the Asteroid Belt, which the Earth Alliance views at its territory.   

With the contract set to expire, elements of the Earth Alliance have begun aggressively courting New Arcadia.  They have offered lucrative incentives, and coupled them with veiled threats.  In fact, some smaller trading and prospecting vessels from New Arcadia have gone missing in the region.  The Earth Alliance has cited this as a prime reason to change contracts, as the New Olympians have failed to properly protect and enforce the expiring contract.

The powers that be on NeOlympus have deemed it necessary to reinforce their alliance on New Arcadia.  To this end, they have deployed a patrol ship and a compliment of suits to New Arcadia space.  A Carrier arrived and dropped off just such a ship before continuing on its route.  The New Olympian commander on the scene has pledged to find the cause of the missing prospecting vessels.   

Investigating the last know location of one of these New Arcadian Prospecting ships, the New Olympians had unusual activity on their scopes. The New Olympians engaged the hostiles and drove them off.  Post-battle analysis allowed the New Olympians to identify that the suits engaged were of Earth Alliance design.  However, the Earth Alliance is well known for selling their tech to anyone with the currency to buy it.  Identifying their suits would not be enough to link them to the loss of the Prospecting Ships from New Arcadia. 

Therefore, the Patrol Craft tracked their potential telemetry to a nearby Asteroid that could house a forward operating base.  En route, unknown suits were identified attempting to transit from the area.  Again, a vicious dogfight ensued, but the apparent lead suit escaped while the new Olympians lost one of their heavier suits in the fighting.   

With their leads running dry, the Captain set course for Liberty Pointe.  The Pointe was a well known haven for freebooters, criminals and smugglers, just the type of place where pirates would try to off load their ill-gotten gains.  The New Olympians hoped to pick up the trail there. 

After travelling through open space for several weeks, the Patrol Ship finally was able to contact Liberty Pointe.  Technically, Liberty Pointe was under the protection and aligned with the Outsider Confederation.  However, they graciously allowed a single New Olympian transport escorted by a few suits to enter dock at their Free Hold and pursue the investigation. 

Members of the New Olympian Diplomatic Corp as well as a criminal investigation team boarded the shuttle with their honor guard of marines.  The transport left the dock, and her escort of Ares suits soon joined her on the transit to the Pointe. 

As they approached, the traffic from other ships in Docking Orbit and their transports also increased.  When they were outside of the protection of the Patrol Ships guns, but before they were in close orbit to the Pointe calamity struck.  A Cold-Void Storage Container en route to the Pointe burst open and unknown Suits swarmed out of it and towards the Transport.  Someone didn't want this investigation to continue!  The New Olympian Escorts scrambled to engage the enemy suits.


Forces:

New Olympians

3 Ares Space Combat Suits

- 1 Upgraded with #1 - Heavy beam Cannon

3 Hephaestus Lander

Red Knights

1 Shepherd Suit

- Upgrade- Combat Shield

4 Bulldog Suits

- 1 Upgrade- Rocket Tube   

We will be using Mission 5- Escorts found in the main rule book.  In this scenario, the Attacking Unknowns earn extra VP for destroying the transport.  Meanwhile, the New Olympians will gain extra VP if the Transport escapes the opposite board edge, or avoids getting destroyed.

Set-up

This time, we are playing on a 72 x 48 MU board.  That means 1 MU is 1 inch in today's battle. I have placed large "shadows" on the board that represent other freighters, cargo containers, and other craft.  They all cover a single altitude that was randomly determined.  Each has a dice next to them for Height.  The large frieghters cover all the altitudes for this battle.  If a Suit or transport enters the area of a shadow and is at the same altitude, it is considered destroyed.

The New Olympians deploy on a short board edge with the transport in the middle at Beta and speed 4 about 4 MU in.  The rest of the suits form a triangle around the Transport at various altitudes all at speed 4.



The Unknowns are on the opposite side of the boards.  They are at various altitudes and speed 6 and all deployed 6 MU from their edge.



You can read the full battle report on the Blood and Spectacles blog here:
https://bloodandspectacles.blogspot.com/2024/04/battle-report-hostile-space-escort-to.html

2
Space Naval Games / A Space Mat
« on: March 18, 2024, 04:38:26 pm »
I have been toying with Space Combat games for a while, but never had a great mat for it.  Thanks for Cigar Box Battles, I finally fixed that!  This mat is just over 6x4 and is made of fleece.  Therefore, it is really easy to fold up, store, and carry-around.  It also covers my table with a bit of extra around the edges.     

I took some pictures of my Space Mecha on my new Cigar Box Battles game mat.  More to come soon I think! 



and....



and.....



Hopefully I can get some space games in to fill the forum here!   

3
Space Naval Games / Re: Played in a SW Armada Tournament!
« on: March 18, 2024, 04:30:04 pm »
Thanks for the Pictures. 

4
General Discussion / Re: AI and Naval Wargames
« on: March 04, 2024, 04:56:12 pm »
Might also be pulling a bit from your own cookie history! 

5
News and Rumors / Re: Dread Not!
« on: March 04, 2024, 04:54:46 pm »
Nice title.

6
General Discussion / Re: Merry Christmas
« on: December 28, 2023, 03:00:42 pm »
Nice picture!  Love it!


7
General Discussion / Andy on Warcradle IG
« on: December 01, 2023, 01:42:33 pm »
Greetings!

Just wanted to congratulate Andy Rucker on being featured on Instagram with his painted fleet.  Warcradle posted it up and showed it off. 

Good work Andy!


8
The Shipyard / Re: Armada Conversions
« on: November 30, 2023, 10:07:48 am »
Nice use of clear resin and lights!  Very cool.

I think it probably turned out better than a glow-in-the-dark paint approach. 

9
Misc. Naval Games / Re: Castles in the Sky- Indo-China Campaign
« on: November 29, 2023, 02:19:37 pm »


Welcome to the final battle of the Indo-China campaign between the British and the French.  The French finally took the lead in the campaign at 7 to 5 points and have triggered the "Final Battle".  One thing about the "Final Battle" scenario in the rules is that it encourages the players to determine what that scenario is going to be! 

In an unfortunate stroke of bad luck, the British ambassador to Siam passed away.  This left the Foreign Office in a bit of a dilemma.  The deceased ambassador had a well-established and long running relationship with the King of Siam.  This untimely opening had to be filled, before the French could exploit the opening and insert themselves into a position of power in Siam.  Therefore, the Foreign Office dispatched a new Ambassador immediately via airship. 

Commodore Duckworth received the news and immediately deployed with what was left of the Royal Navy of Siam to rendezvous with the British airship.  However, Commodore Aubre also received word of the arriving diplomat from his own Foreign Service contacts.  He also left with his own fleet to intercept and stop the new British Ambassador from arriving on-station. 


Forces:

L'Aire National

Camot- Commodore Aubre- Command 4
Charles Martel Class Heavy Cruiser (Battleship)   

Cuchinchina - Captain Gourdon- Command 2
Gloire Armored Cruiser

Tourane- Captain de Genouilily- Command 2
Descartes Class Cruiser

Tonkin- Captain de Vence- Command 2
D'Iberville Class Cruiser

Fantassin- Captain Valjean  - Command 4
Chasseur Class Destroyer- Torpedo 

Royal Navy of Siam

HMS Malaya- Commodore Duckworth- Command 2
Queen Elizabeth Class Battleship

HMS Medusa- Captain Butler- Command 2
Active Class Light Cruiser

HMS Corsair- Commander Montgomery- Command 4
Bull Finch Class Destroyer- Torpedo

The British will also have to protect the ambassador's airship:

HMS Wesley Anne - Command 2
Troop Transport Ship

Mission:
This is the Final Battle, so there is no scenario from "the book".  Instead, we are going to use elements of other scenarios to make this custom scenario. 

The British ambassador in the HMS Wesley Anne is placed within 18 MU from the short table edge at any speed and altitude 24 MU in from the British edge.  In addition, a landing point is placed on the opposite short table edge 12 MU in, and 24 MU in from the British edge.  The landing zone is a box 6 MU x 6 MU and the center is represented by a terrain piece.  The British are attempting to land the Ambassador within the landing zone before the game ends.   

Then, both the British and the French can place up to 15 AV of picket ships on opposite sides of the board on the long table edges, but no closer than 12 MU from any short edge.  Non-Picket ships go into reserves.  All ships can be placed at any speed and altitude.  Reserves enter the board in the normal deployment zones and follows the normal rules for reserves. 

In addition, if the British Ambassador's ship is stricken with a Fire! from critical damage, it will also trigger a special rules that the Ambassador was killed in the attack and ensuing fire.  Any successful boarding actions on the Ambassador's ship can "take the Ambassador" prisoner instead of the normal effect. 

The game will last 8 turns.

The outcome of the campaign is thus:
1. The Ambassador lands successfully in the landing zone - British Major win and Siam becomes part of the Empire as a client state

2. The Ambassador's ship survives the battle and is not crippled or sunk and still on the board - British Minor win and Siam stays in the British Orbit

3. The Ambassador's ship is crippled or left the board - Draw, but Siam becomes independent

4. The Ambassador's ship is sunk/explodes or the Ambassador is killed - French Major win and Siam is out of British orbit

5. The Ambassador is captured - The French have broken Siam from British control and swung them to French orbit         
There are three cloud banks on the board at randomly assigned heights as terrain and complications.  They are at 3, 4, and 2 and their height is a die next to them. 



Set-up: 
The Final Battle will take place on a 72 MU by 48 MU board.  1 MU is equal to 1 inch. 

The British Picket ships are the HMS Corsair and the HMS Medusa.  The Medusa is set-up to try and catch up with and escort the Wesley Anne, while the Corsair will try to lead them towards the landing zone. 



The French picket ships are the Fantassin and Tonkin.  They are coming across at an angle towards the HMS Wesley Anne, eager to sink some torpedoes into her. 



For this battle, we are using a standing white board to track the key details of the battle like ship speed, altitude, Command, damage, and special effects.     

In addition, I am not going to be detailing every move and shot like previous game reports. Instead, I am going to give some high level details.  The battle will be broken down by stage.  These will be the Maneuver Phase, Battle Phase, and the End Phase.

You can read all the details on the Blood and Spectacles Blog here if you are so inclined:
https://bloodandspectacles.blogspot.com/2023/11/castles-in-sky-indo-china-campaign.html

10
General Discussion / Re: Perspectives on progress
« on: November 20, 2023, 12:53:52 pm »
A lot of people recommend moving things if it doesn't get used in a year but I recall a time in my life where that maxim would have left me without any wargaming models!  There was a period of time where I didn't get to play much, had no money, and had most of my stuff painted.  This led to me goofing around with papercrafting, sculpting, and rules writing. 

Now, because of those lean times I have found that I still have a taste for DIY wargaming, cheap and easy being a big preference over glamor.  I also never get rid of anything, because I WILL find a use for it. 

Often times that is what motivates me to write new rules.  I have some stuff I want to hit the table with.

11
News and Rumors / Re: 2023 Great Wargaming Survey
« on: November 20, 2023, 12:49:02 pm »
My incompetence at 3D printing is paying off!

12
News and Rumors / Re: Leviathans relaunch in August
« on: November 17, 2023, 04:23:55 pm »
Looking forward to it hitting retail!

13
News and Rumors / Re: 2023 Great Wargaming Survey
« on: November 17, 2023, 04:23:30 pm »
I got to choose 0!  In 2022 I finished off my backlog and have been slow to pick up a new project.



Right now, I have been working on 6mm Egyptians and Hittites for a Battle of Kadesh scenario.  I also have 10 Kill Team models to paint. 

For 2024, I am mulling a buy into a Naval game but have not decided if I want Victory at Sea, Dystopian Wars, or something completely different! However, that won't be until the last of my Hittites get painted up.

14
Glad to see Osprey going back to Naval wargaming. 

They have been very hesitant to lean into that design space and air combat games when I have worked with them. 

Hopefully this will help them stick there neck's out a bit further in these spaces.

15
MBS Media / Re: [MBS YouTube] Getting Started in Naval Gaming
« on: November 13, 2023, 10:56:51 am »
Thanks for this.  Well done!

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