The Great Metcalf Gap Turkey Shoot

A Headless Body Production 
Location:  Garth's Basement

Event:         Providence Gamer's Game Knight
Game:          All Quiet on the Martian Front
Scenario:     Intro to the Overseer Tripod
Players:       Phil Gardocki, Scott Landis,  Jenny Parker: Texas 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th Armored Brigades.
                    Garth Parker and Mark McConnahay: Mobile forces of Pod 14, Hive 1 (फली 14, हाइव 1)

The Scenario:
Martian reinforcements from the clan research hive are rushing to save Pod 19, Hive 4.  Their route takes them through the narrow confines of Metcalf Gap.  The humans hope to surprise them as they emerge, but the Martians have a surprise as well.  

The Forces:
Texas forces: 5 platoons of Mk II's, 4 platoons of Mk III's, 3 Mk IV's, a Flame Thrower Tank, 1 company of motorcycles,  5 companies of infantry, 2 companies of heavy infantry, 2 companies of heavy machine guns.  A battery of Mobile Artillery, the Tesla Gun, an Anti-tripod gun, a Battery of field artillery, and a command unit.
They have 28 units, and are demoralized if 14 are destroyed.  About 3,900 points. 

फली 14, हाइव 1, A total of 14  tripods,  An Overseer, 7 Assault Tripods, 3 Scouts, 1 Grenadier, a Slaver, and a Scientist.  Supported by 12 drones.
They have 18 units, and retreat if 9 are destroyed.  About 3,900 points

The House rules are at the end of the battle report.

Deployment:

The Fort Worth defenders are concentrated in a salient bordered by the meandering West Fork of the Trinity River.  They are well dug in with most units camouflaged and not visible on deployment. The zone within 3" of the river is considered trenches, offering +4 defense and +2 armor to infantry. 

The Martians start in the upper west corner of the board.
Using the Scientist's special ability, Marvin's heat ray has been upgraded to an Illudium Q-36 Explosive Space Modulator, with a range of 40 inches.

Victory Conditions:

Nothing subtle here.  The Martians win if they defeat the Fort Worth Defenders.  

Our story so far:

The Southern Front has gone to hot war.  The Martians have lost the battle for Fort Worth, and with that, the plans to take Dallas.  The Martian commander orders his successful forces from the Tyler to retreat and protect the hive.  

General Funston is not going to give the Martian time to regroup.  The Texas 1st and 4th Armored Brigades are in immediate pursuit, while the 2nd Armored, currently defending Dallas, is ordered to pursue as well.  The 3rd Brigade is having it's material losses made good by recent shipments from the east before following up.  General McCook, the hero of Fort Worth, was given the task of the pursuit.

General McCook surveyed the hive walls.  His orders are clear, he was to assault the hive as soon as 2nd Brigade arrives.  The Comanche scouts report that all ways into the hive are beset with boxes that set off heat rays.  But, they have not seen a single Martian.  However, emanating smoke from the hive said that someone is home.  "Either that, or they have elected a new War Leader", he thought.

He had never seen a hive before, but it looked just they way they were reported elsewhere.  Steep and soft.  Climbable by the steam tanks, but just barely.  If the defensive traps are strong enough to penetrate the tank armor, then tomorrow was going to be a bad day.  If he had the artillery, and the time, he would try to level the berm before the assault.  But General Funston wasn't willing to give the Martian time to prepare.

"And I can't say he's wrong there." thought McCook.

He handed his binoculars to Huupi-Pahati, the Comanche put the glasses to his eyes and stared for a long time.  He handed the glasses back to the General.

"Huupi-Pahati, what do you think?"

"A lot of green coats are going to die tomorrow."

"There are no other ways in?"  

"No, I have lost too many men trying to get closer.  We have learned not to touch strange objects on the ground."

The General gave the Comanche a respectful nod.  He turned to his Brigade commanders.  "All right, we are going to do this by the numbers.  First Brigade on the left, followed by second, third with the  fourth on the far right.  The area is full of death traps, so leading with the infantry is out.  Mk II's in front to act as scouts, Mk III's too provide overwatch until they are at range, then follow up.  Infantry will follow up, hopefully the tanks will have run over enough of these heat ray boxes to break up the patterns."

"Any questions?"

"How come the command tanks are painted white?"

"That was an oversight at the factory, and we didn't bring any olive drab to paint them.  But in the Texas sun, we may keep them that way to stay cooler."

"No more questions?  Very well, inform your men, we attack at 0500, Dismissed."

McCook read a message handed to him.  His eyes widened, he looked up, then shouted to the retreating commanders, "Gentlemen, come back, there has been a change in plans.

  

3 days earlier:

"We have a message from the hive 1, आपका भविष्य!"  The technician looked at the foil and then summarized, "We have followed your plight, and due to the strategic nature of your location, we will send forces to repel the human invaders."

Hive 1?  आपका भविष्य! hadn't heard anything from them in cycles.  Their main function is research, and he didn't know they had any mobile forces to deploy.  It would be good to see any help coming, but it was embarrassing, It was Hive 4's mission to protect Hive 1, not the other way around.  आपका भविष्य shuttered.  There will be consequences.

Deployment:

The foot hills of the Palo Pinto Mountains.  In this area there are a few passes,  The transcontinental rail-line used to transit the Metcalf Gap, but the Martians have taken the areas to the west and that rail line now stops somewhere in the mountains.  To the east of Metcalf Gap is Sugarloaf Mountain, where there is a less suitable gab in the mountains.  The Brazos River meanders in the area, with small lakes forming in depressions.  The town of Brad is to the west and must be protected by the scenario rules.  The humans can deploy anywhere in their half of the board.  The Martians come on the board on turn 1.

Using the Scientist's special ability, One tripod has their heat ray upgraded to an Illudium Q-36 Explosive Space Modulator, with a range of 40 inches.

There are 18 hidden movement markers on the board, masking 9 actual units.

Because Martians win an overwhelming number of games, we are costing the humans to 80% the list value.  This is the second battle where we have done this.

The coaling station at Brad, Texas.  Mad Omar is at the switch of the train. 

There are special house rules regarding the train and the towers.  The train moves at random down the track, running into anything that is on the tracks.  Even tripods have to respect 70 tons of screaming metal at 50 mph.

The Towers have rules regarding arc of fire, and which turret gets damaged when hit.

Metcalf gap to the left, Sugarloaf to the right.  The headwaters of the Brazos river meandering.

First Brigade deployed.  The triangle cardboard pieces represent defensive works of berms and trenches.  The humans have had years to prepare this position.

Second Brigade deployed between 2 lakes.  Off in the distance is the First Brigade.  The Gap has numerous towers surveying it.

On the right side, are 3rd and 4th Brigades.  Covering the passes around Sugarloaf mountain.

Heavy Infantry deployed as hidden unit counters.

Facing the 1st and 2nd Brigades, tripods appear.  Some big, some small.

And what do my wondering eyes do appear, an Overseer, and 4 full sized tripods in full gear.

More tripods swarming out of Sugarloaf pass.

Queue sound effects.  The Overseer unleashes it's primary weapon, the Sun Ray.  Range, infinity, Terrain, ignores, Targets, all that are in line. 

For a second time, the sun rose today, once in the east, once in the west.  The sun gun clips a Mk II, but only scored the hull, shoots through the tower, taking out all the guns, and through the flame-thrower tank, which, mercifully, did not explode. 

4th Brigade takes one hit, and routs.  Losing only one tank is pretty lucky for the first strike.

3rd Brigade also takes a single hit, and routs.

Heat rays sweep to and fro around the First Brigade, but with no hits.

First Brigade replies, scoring 6 hits on the first tripod.

A Mk IV's gun brings down a tripod, its power plant explodes!  Due to the terrain, the Martians cannot spread out as they would like and collateral damage results.

 The reader may have noticed the title of this entry and thought, "spoilers", and you are right.

The routing Mk II's rally at the cost of a command point, and retaliate with 2 hits, and another sunrise in the west.  If you are counting, this is the 4th for the day.

Follow on shots by the Mk III's on overwatch chip away on the Assault Tripod.

Mad Omar ties down this switch, and accelerating his train towards the "Big Un", before bailing out.

A barrage from the field guns brings down a third tripod on turn 1, and cleans off a unit of drones.

 Turn 2:
There seems to be something wrong with our bloody tripods today -- आपका भविष्य

With 3 fully armored tripods destroyed on turn 1, and a unit of drones, the Texans have a +7 on the initiative roll.  They roll a 9, just to make sure and elect to go first.

A fusillade of 4" shells score 4 hits, adding 3 to the damage roll, another tripod explodes to the point where it looks like it wasn't even there.

The Tesla Gun fires.  And I am at a loss to supply a different metaphor, but for the 5th time today, the sun has risen in the west.  The lightning arcs through one tripod, into the train, the Overseer (1 mobility hit), and finally grounding in a scout, which collapsed to the ground.

 That's 6 tripods and a drone unit destroyed.

The from tower hill, a bombardment from the mobile artillery knocks out the scorpion drones.

With the number of Martian units destroyed set at 8, technically the Martian force is still not in retreat.  But the Overseer has a mobility hit, and another tripod has a weapons hit.  It's over.  The human losses were 2 units in rout, both of which were rallied and still in play, and one flame thrower tank, which was recovered immediately using American industrial might and rolled successfully to be on the board.

"What the hell just happened?"
"Sir, General Weston is asking permission to pursue."
"Sir, General Young is pursuing, and is asking for support.
"Sir, Message from 4th Armored, enemy retiring."
McCook rubbed his eyes, "I can't see anything", he thought, nothing but black explosions on his retina, with bright tripods in the middle of them.
"George, can you see?"
"Nothing sir, I'm blind."
"CAN ANYONE SEE?"
"I can sir", it was a young voice, one of the messengers.
"And me sir."
"And me too."
"All right boys, you are my eyes now.  Look to the north and what do you see?"
"I see tanks chasing a couple of Martians, and they're gaining on them.  Sir."
"And in the Gap."
"That big one is running away sir, but not too well, he seems to be bumping into the walls of the gap and dropping lots rock. SHIT, that rock just crushed one of the little tripods!"
"And south?"
"I don't' see nothin sir, no tripods and just a couple of our tanks standing still."
"All right, tell First Brigade to pursue.  Tell Second brigade to follow First."
"Tell Third and Fourth to hold their ground. and watch their passes."

General Funston reread the casualty list.  McCook had pulled off another miracle. He was in the midst of organizing an attack, had to pull out, drive 30 miles to intercept the Martian counterattack, and won!  And such a win, he actually took the time to be eloquent.

General Funston, here is the casualty report for the encounter against the Martians near Brad, Texas.

That on the field lie destructed, 6 tripods.
Of Drones and automated tripods,
a full 13 lay destroyed or captured.

Of Tank Commanders Lieutenants Edward and Ketly from York and Suffolk.
Of Non-Com's, Corporal's Richard Neeley and Davy Gam, both artillery loaders.
Of privates, their names to follow, some five and twenty.

=====================================================================
House Rules:

Refined Line of Sight Rules (a work in progress):

We will start to use some refined rules for defining Line of Sight.
Unless in ambush (to be defined by the scenario) all units can see each other if within 6” of each other.

Beyond 6”, Human Infantry, Artillery, Motorcycle, BEF vehicles, and Martian Drones and Lobototons are not visible if deeper than 2” in the woods (dense or light)
Beyond 6”, Human Steam Powered vehicles are not visible if deeper than 4” in the woods (dense or light).

Beyond 6” Martian Tripods are not visible if deeper than 2” in or beyond Towering Ruins and Dense Woods, and any terrain type designated as a “Hill”.

            Note: The above is does not count if the hidden units have fired their weapons this turn or last.

The clamp tank does not count as a unit for the purposes of human demoralization.

The Towering Ruins are passable to human vehicles, at half speed, but remain impassable to Martian Tripods.
Humans in Towering Ruins have their defense against heat rays and shock canisters improved as follows:
              Infantry +5/+3, Artillery +4/+2,  Vehicles +2/+2

Humans in Towering Ruins have their defense against green gas  and black dust improved as follows (wind tunnel effects):
              Infantry +2/+2, Artillery +2/+2,  Vehicles +1/+1

When in assault combat, the defenders do not get a bonus for terrain advantages for the "to hit" roll, but do get the terrain armor advantage, if any.

Macadam roads give a movement bonus to tripods. 

Dirt roads give a movement bonus to humans only.

The cost of a Land Ironclad is increased to 1,500 points.