|
Post by mikedski on Jan 15, 2016 1:23:07 GMT
The Walls of Cairo
The Martians begin the long anticipated assault on Cairo. After the General Maxwell's disastrous initial expedition into the desert the British Army of Egypt learned two lessons. Going toe to toe with the invaders in the deep desert was a battle of attrition that could not be won. However, the Martian machines were not invincible and quite vulnerable to the new British weapons. The past six weeks during the general retreat back to Cairo did produce tactical victories such as El Fayid Oasis but strategically the results were preordained. Defending Cairo negated what ever advantage the British Army had in mobility and trading space for time. But it would not fall without a fight.
Martian Forces: 2215 points
Objective - Breach the walls of Cairo and move into the heart of the city by exiting as many machines as possible off the east edge of the board within the city walls .
Deployed Breaching Cell :
Royal Assault Tripod/ Breach Leader ( Armor 11, speed 6, Heavy Heat ray, Reaper Claws x2, Heat Saw power +6 using sweep template range 4 inches , controller) 250 points Reaper tripods x2 300 points drones 6 units 360
Deployed Bombardment Cell
scout with targeter 155 grenadier tripod x2 200 Reserves (Move on table when breach is imminent) Hunting cell Harvesters x2 300
Reinforcements ( Exploit the breach of fight counterattacks) Assault Cell Veteran Tripod 250 Assault Tripod x2 400
Human Forces. 1690 points
Prevent the breach of the walls. Failing that prevent Martian exploitation of the breach.
Cairo Garrison
Native Infantry 3 units 60 points Native HMG 2 units 60 points Native field guns 70 points
British Cmd Squad x2 50 points British Infantry 4 units 140 points British HMG 40 points British field guns 80 points British Heavy Artillery 180 points
City Reinforcements (arrive east edge within city walls)
The United States had dispatched forces to assist in the evacuation of US nationals from Egypt. The US Consulate has committed US Marines to the defense of Cairo.
USMC HQ and infantry unit - 115 points USMC snipers 40 points USMC HMG teams 45 points
Mobile Reserve (Arrives east or south edge of board outside city walls) The British Army has been able to piece together a single tank squadron as a mobile reserve and is now being ferried across the Nile south of Cairo . The first platoon has just arrived and is available.
Imperial tank platoon 270 points Mobile Reinforcements (Arrives east or south edge of board outside city walls)
Remainder of the scratch tank squadron still being ferried.
Imperial tank platoon 270 points Imperial coil tank platoon 270 points
|
|
|
Post by madmorgan on Jan 15, 2016 1:36:20 GMT
Wonderful layout - what is the size of the table(s) and in particulary where did you get those wonderful round fortress towers and walls (yes I recongize the painted styrofoam, I mean the models). Looking forward to the report - will you be using alternative intiative unit or the more free flowing system you first described?? Good stuff and thanks for the background report (OOBs).
|
|
|
Post by Quendil on Jan 15, 2016 8:13:58 GMT
Wow looks great, what type of paint did you use for the gold on the royal scientist?
|
|
|
Post by mikedski on Jan 15, 2016 9:19:31 GMT
Wonderful layout - what is the size of the table(s) and in particulary where did you get those wonderful round fortress towers and walls (yes I recongize the painted styrofoam, I mean the models). Looking forward to the report - will you be using alternative intiative unit or the more free flowing system you first described?? Good stuff and thanks for the background report (OOBs). 1) Awh schucks. You recognize the floral foam. Back to the drawing board.
2) The walls and turrets are from the battle front/ flames of war desert fortress and ruins set.
3) I dunno. Most likely alternating impulses.
|
|
|
Post by mikedski on Jan 15, 2016 9:27:28 GMT
Wow looks great, what type of paint did you use for the gold on the royal scientist? Thanks.
Base of army painter plate metal spray, citadel auric gold, dry griffon gold. I think. I can never remember the recipes I use.
|
|
|
Post by madmorgan on Jan 15, 2016 11:49:17 GMT
LOL - you needs to write em down so we can all give em a try. And besides, you might wish to duplicate them at some point. LOL, I understand how in the 'heat' of painting, you go with the flow -sign of a true artist in ya!
|
|
|
Post by mikedski on Jan 16, 2016 16:05:46 GMT
Martians have initiative - pre game bombardment - southern reaper is hit - on damage point.
Turn 1 - The Martians advance with a double move - the defenders open up and destroy half the drones. Black dust kills two native MG teams. Humans mass arty fire on the wounded southern reaper inflicting 2 more damage points.
Turn1: The Martian scout double times to spot the now revealed British field guns. The grenadier makes short work of them with black dust. The British infantry fired coil gun at scout - no effect.
|
|
|
Post by madmorgan on Jan 16, 2016 17:29:57 GMT
Love it!
|
|
|
Post by mikedski on Jan 16, 2016 20:29:37 GMT
Turn 2 Reinforcements. British can bring on imperial tanks - move and shoot. No USMC arrives. Martians can bring on veteran tripod move and shoot. Martians win initiative. Martians quickly double move damaged reaper and inflicts a damage point on the wall (fortress wall rules page 73). Its companion drones move and assault the field guns on the wall and destroy two guns. Hvy arty damages the reaper again. Then it's a melee between drones and infantry defenders. British squads come out of hiding to counter assault. The Northern reaper assaults the native HMGs on the northern wall instead of smashing the wall and flails them to death. South of the city walls the scout paints the hvy guns and a grenadier uses black dust to destroy two and route the third (what happens to a routed unit that cannot move?}. The near by British infantry assaults and causes a damage point. The second grenadier kills a British HMG team and the other two rout. Two imperial tank platoon arrive and engage the scout - multiple hits cause the scout to collapse. Not pictured: The harvesters are brought on board and approach the city walls, The veteran tripod arrives and takes a shot and misses. Surviving native field gun misses grenadier.
|
|
|
Post by mikedski on Jan 16, 2016 20:46:13 GMT
Turn 3 Reinforcements - no British, no USMC. Martians can move an assault tripod. Martians win initiative. Southern reaper damages wall again and the surviving HMG team is destroyed as collateral damage. The command tripod moves over to smash at the weakened wall and causes another damage point. The northern tripod damages a wall section. Further melee occurs as the drones move off the wall. HQ units reveal themselves to double time infantry to counterattack. Io the south tripods and tanks trade shots - the veteran tripod destroys an imperial tank. A grenadier smokes the British infantry, kills one, the other routs. The imperial tanks fire on a grenadier and can only inflict a measly damage point.
|
|
|
Post by mikedski on Jan 16, 2016 22:29:44 GMT
Turn 4 Reinforcements - No Martian, British coil guns can arrive. USMC HMG unit can move and shoot. Martians win initiative. The Reapers and Command Tripod continue to smash at the wall causing further damage. Remaining drones attack but can only destroy one native infantry team. The arriving USMC machine guns and native infantry destroy the last of the drones. The British infantry use coil guns to shoot Command tripod and inflict a damage point. Arriving harvesters get a lucky shot and destroy the last field gun. A routed native infantry fails morale at the board edge. The imperial tanks double move to shoot the damaged reaper. whiff. The assault tripod doubles and sweeps destroying a tank. The tanks move, fire and damage the tripod in return. The veteran tripod doubles, sweeps the tanks (+4 sweep) and destroys both. Grenadiers using shock bombs destroy the other remaining tanks. The Martians are now in position for the breach at any moment. Only a thin infantry screen awaits them. The coil tanks (highlighted) arrive next to the remaining routed Heavy Gun. The routed HMG and squad continue to move. Human Losses 9 units - Remaining 13 units ( two units on verge of needing morale check at board edge).
|
|
|
Post by mikedski on Jan 17, 2016 3:23:51 GMT
TURN 5 Martians win initiative. No reinforcements for either side. 1st Martian impulse the wounded reaper finally creates a breach and promptly moves away to avoid fire and let other stronger machines exploit the breach. The human commander uses an order token to rally the remaining heavy gun since a vehicle with radio is within three inches. The howitzer fires at the command tripod in a hope to protect the breach but to no effect. The command tripod moves through the breach and fires the heat saw at infantry in the street and misses both teams and the HQ squad. Return fire and assaults inflict another damage point on the command tripod. A slaver double times through the breach and sweeps another infantry squad and destroys a team and ignites the building. The second reaper hammers away at its wall section. Outside the walls the imperial coil tanks trade shots with two tripods and two grenadiers and comes out unscathed. The routed HMG unit passes morale at the board edge. The single infantry element does not and is lost.
|
|
|
Post by mikedski on Jan 17, 2016 10:39:13 GMT
Turn 6 Humans win initiative. Humans receive USMC sniper teams and rallied British HMG teams as reinforcements. The last Martian tripod finally arrives. Inside the walls all human fire is directed at the command tripod. USMC HMGs, British infantry assault and heavy artillery fire inflict two more damage points and a critical weapons hit. The tripod counter assaults but causes no damage. The 1st harvester assaults a lone infantry team, kills it, and moves further to the east edge. More machines move into the breach. The second reaper toils away at the wall. Later in the turn human reinforcements arrive to intercept the harvester. The coils tanks fire at the dinged assault tripod and is awarded with an explosion. The veteran tripod and two grenadiers manage to kill a single tank. The defenders have now lost 11 units with 11 units remaining and are teetering on collapse.
|
|
|
Post by madmorgan on Jan 17, 2016 11:21:58 GMT
Wow what a battle. Great report as usual. Use of order tokens and the later arrival of the USMC are key so far to the battle. The Martians are romping. Heck, next turn the humans will probably break, no matter what else goes on. Good game!
|
|
|
Post by mikedski on Jan 17, 2016 12:20:44 GMT
Turn 7: Martians win initiative. The remaining USMC infantry unit and HQ do not arrive this turn. The command tripod moves, assaults USMC machine guns kills a teams and moves on. British squad double times, launches assault and inflicts another damage point. Harvester moves, assaults native infantry, destroys two teams and moves on. The lone heavy gun takes aim at the command tripod, hits and is awarded with an explosion. Unfortunately the British squad and marines are killed in the blast. The adjacent buildings ignite. The first harvester is taken under fire by the British HMG teams (ROF1) and scores a lucky damage point. The sniper teams reposition hoping to get another lucky kill but can only inflict another damage point. The second harvester moves up in the chaos and destroys a HQ stand hiding in the mosque courtyard. The veteran tripod kills another coil tank - the other routes. A grenadier finishes of the platoon with shock bombs. The second grenadier fires black dust at the heavy gun but unable to score a kill. With that the human defenses collapse with losing 16 out of 22 units. Martians in position to exit two harvesters into the heart of Cairo. The retreat to the Suez has begun.
|
|