Post by madmorgan on Jul 1, 2018 10:42:20 GMT
I just watched Zulu yet again and I've been moved to try an AQ version of this battle. What follows is a bit convoluted explanation of the events leading up to this strange battle featuring hordes of Slicers and a few Blasters against a small company of Welsh and their support. Enjoy.
{I'll be back with this after the cat stops 'helping type...} - took longer that I thought sigh...
Cylinder 13 was was in trouble. Soon after launch, it was pummeled by a meteor shower, driving it off coarse and triggering the protective gel that normally filled it just prior to landing. The gel disappeared as normal, but Cylinder 13 now had no protection for the rough landing. In 1914, the cylinder finally fell to earth, receiving brief and broken signals from other cylinder sites. The damage was extensive from the impact, resulting in a maor glitch to the construction engines on board - as well as killing most of the Martians on board. The landing site was off, being far from any desert, in an area called Zululand. The CE's glitch was crippling, allowing only for the construction of Slaver tripods and the plans for both types of Lobototons, on a 10 to 1 ratio of Slicers to Blasters. The few surviving Martians set forth with their Slavers to gather as many prey as possible from the location and soon were turning out thousands of Slicers and a few hundreds of Blasters. Their food needs met, the Martians set coarse for the only remaining signs of the enemy - the station of Rourke's Drift. Technically, the Martians have 4,000 Lobos to use. In game terms, this means they may up to 10 Slicer units and 1 Blaster unit per Turn. The rest are in the Reserve and can be used as sees fit by the Martian player.
Lt. Char looked worriedly through his binoculars at the distance landscape. The memory of the sonic boom and the chilling sight of a Martian cylinder tearing through the sky was still with him. His small command consisted only of his command squad of himself (CO) Lt. Bromhead (XO), a Color Sergeant, a Sergeant, and a Corporal, as well as A Company of the 24th Welsh Regiment, reinforced. This was a total of 5 Squads of Infantry and a small unit of Commissary/Hospital troopers, headed by a surgeon and quartermaster. In all less than 100 effective figures, as well as some soldiers laid up in hospital. Just a few moments ago, a troop of Boers rode by, alerting him to the approach of the Martians and fleeing despite his pleas for them to stay and help. There were a few Dutch among the contingent he commanded and he'd find them invaluable during the upcoming days.
At this point, I want to mention the use of Scott Washburns excellent Rourke's Drift Paper Terrain Model. Even if you haven't purchased it (why not!), you can go to his site and use the layout he presents for using your own 3-D model buildings and terrain for setup. I must note there are no wagons in his model - there were in the movie version, providing major barricades to the compound. He uses proper barricades so there is no tactical disadvantage to the lack of wagons. Hmmm, Scott, a line of ACW/other period wagons and buggies for Paper Terrain? Those doing 3-D setups will have no problem finding wagon among the various ACW and other Old Glory lines.
Table : Standard 4' x 6' with Rourke's Drift in the center. Weather: Hot Objective: Martian, destroy all the forces at the Drift, there is No BP ; Human, survive two days (at which time a reinforced column of BEF armor shows up and puts an end to the Martians - this could make for an interesting second game as well...) There is No BP. Setup: Welsh in the Drift; Martians enter anywhere on any table edge - see special rules.
The surviving Martians are very aware of their numbers and will stay behind the advancing line of Lobos. A further glitch prevents them from targeting anything but the buildings with their heat ray and they can't do any Sweeps. The best they can due is burn the buildings. The building count as Bunkers (Def 0 Arm +1, 6 Hit points) until reduced by heat ray (Def 0 Arm 0).
Martians only have Reserves, using the standard rules.
Special Rules: For every 10 units of Lobos on the table, you may have 1 unit of Blasters. On Turn One, only 1 unit of Slicers may attack the compound - this represents the 'counting of guns' in the first part of the battle in the movie. From Turn Two onward, the Zulu, errrr, Martians may attack with as many units as they wish. Turns: After six turns, roll for a 7th as usual. Then it is Night for six turns, roll for a 7th as usual. Finally, there are 6 turns of Day, with the usual roll for a 7th turn. At this point, the Martians will retire.
To Repeat the Victory Conditions: Martians must destroy all the forces in Rourke's Drift; otherwise, the Welsh win by just surviving.
I foresee this a weekend battle, whereas a club could actually rotate several players in and out on both sides. Running the film in the background could only help intensify the experience. You can simulate the Dutch/Commissary/Hospital unit by any Australian WW1 figures - see my vendor lists for those ( Eureka has some nice WW1 Aussies). Hopefully this summer will see the rest of the WW1 figures Old Glory has been promising us all for years! Enjoy!
{I'll be back with this after the cat stops 'helping type...} - took longer that I thought sigh...
Cylinder 13 was was in trouble. Soon after launch, it was pummeled by a meteor shower, driving it off coarse and triggering the protective gel that normally filled it just prior to landing. The gel disappeared as normal, but Cylinder 13 now had no protection for the rough landing. In 1914, the cylinder finally fell to earth, receiving brief and broken signals from other cylinder sites. The damage was extensive from the impact, resulting in a maor glitch to the construction engines on board - as well as killing most of the Martians on board. The landing site was off, being far from any desert, in an area called Zululand. The CE's glitch was crippling, allowing only for the construction of Slaver tripods and the plans for both types of Lobototons, on a 10 to 1 ratio of Slicers to Blasters. The few surviving Martians set forth with their Slavers to gather as many prey as possible from the location and soon were turning out thousands of Slicers and a few hundreds of Blasters. Their food needs met, the Martians set coarse for the only remaining signs of the enemy - the station of Rourke's Drift. Technically, the Martians have 4,000 Lobos to use. In game terms, this means they may up to 10 Slicer units and 1 Blaster unit per Turn. The rest are in the Reserve and can be used as sees fit by the Martian player.
Lt. Char looked worriedly through his binoculars at the distance landscape. The memory of the sonic boom and the chilling sight of a Martian cylinder tearing through the sky was still with him. His small command consisted only of his command squad of himself (CO) Lt. Bromhead (XO), a Color Sergeant, a Sergeant, and a Corporal, as well as A Company of the 24th Welsh Regiment, reinforced. This was a total of 5 Squads of Infantry and a small unit of Commissary/Hospital troopers, headed by a surgeon and quartermaster. In all less than 100 effective figures, as well as some soldiers laid up in hospital. Just a few moments ago, a troop of Boers rode by, alerting him to the approach of the Martians and fleeing despite his pleas for them to stay and help. There were a few Dutch among the contingent he commanded and he'd find them invaluable during the upcoming days.
At this point, I want to mention the use of Scott Washburns excellent Rourke's Drift Paper Terrain Model. Even if you haven't purchased it (why not!), you can go to his site and use the layout he presents for using your own 3-D model buildings and terrain for setup. I must note there are no wagons in his model - there were in the movie version, providing major barricades to the compound. He uses proper barricades so there is no tactical disadvantage to the lack of wagons. Hmmm, Scott, a line of ACW/other period wagons and buggies for Paper Terrain? Those doing 3-D setups will have no problem finding wagon among the various ACW and other Old Glory lines.
Table : Standard 4' x 6' with Rourke's Drift in the center. Weather: Hot Objective: Martian, destroy all the forces at the Drift, there is No BP ; Human, survive two days (at which time a reinforced column of BEF armor shows up and puts an end to the Martians - this could make for an interesting second game as well...) There is No BP. Setup: Welsh in the Drift; Martians enter anywhere on any table edge - see special rules.
The surviving Martians are very aware of their numbers and will stay behind the advancing line of Lobos. A further glitch prevents them from targeting anything but the buildings with their heat ray and they can't do any Sweeps. The best they can due is burn the buildings. The building count as Bunkers (Def 0 Arm +1, 6 Hit points) until reduced by heat ray (Def 0 Arm 0).
Martians only have Reserves, using the standard rules.
Special Rules: For every 10 units of Lobos on the table, you may have 1 unit of Blasters. On Turn One, only 1 unit of Slicers may attack the compound - this represents the 'counting of guns' in the first part of the battle in the movie. From Turn Two onward, the Zulu, errrr, Martians may attack with as many units as they wish. Turns: After six turns, roll for a 7th as usual. Then it is Night for six turns, roll for a 7th as usual. Finally, there are 6 turns of Day, with the usual roll for a 7th turn. At this point, the Martians will retire.
To Repeat the Victory Conditions: Martians must destroy all the forces in Rourke's Drift; otherwise, the Welsh win by just surviving.
I foresee this a weekend battle, whereas a club could actually rotate several players in and out on both sides. Running the film in the background could only help intensify the experience. You can simulate the Dutch/Commissary/Hospital unit by any Australian WW1 figures - see my vendor lists for those ( Eureka has some nice WW1 Aussies). Hopefully this summer will see the rest of the WW1 figures Old Glory has been promising us all for years! Enjoy!
Would like to have a go at this maybe one year - not sure I want to paint up all the Lobotons though!
