Get the Camera!

A Headless Body Production
Location:  Phil's Basement
Version:        Late Beta Test
Event:         Providence Gamer's Game Knight
Game:         All Quiet on the Martian Front
Scenario:   T.R.A.P
Players:      Phil Gardocki playing Marvin's Martians
                       Garth Parker playing a German Tank Battalion

Garth and I put together a quick, 100 point game, using both the new terrain rule placement, and a randomly rolled mission.  

The mission, T.R.A.P, reads as follows: "Since the advent of airpower military leaders have understood the value of aircraft and their highly trained pilots.  One of the first uses of aircraft in war was in the gathering of battlefield intelligence.  This intelligence was of vital importance to planning military operations and should the aircraft crash or be shot down there was still the possibility the information it carried could be recovered.  While it was not always acknowledged as such, the Tactical Recovery of Aircraft and Personnel has always been of significant importance to the war effort.     "

The board has 3 objective markers along the centerline, one of which has the camera/pilot/map that is important to the game.  Each side has to examine the objectives, and roll a dice for success, then get the camera/pilot/map successfully off of the board.

100 points allows for 3 assault tripods for the Martians.  The Germans will have a tank platoon, a field artillery unit, and 2 infantry platoons.  

The mission requires "Reserves", where at least one platoon/tripod is off board, arriving on turn 2.  

The Board:

This is the first time we used the terrain rules as in the book.  It turns out, a lot of terrain can be placed.  The board is divided in sixths.  The attacker can place up to 3 pieces in each sixth.  The defender can then move or add a piece in each sixth after the attacker. 

The Martian placed a lot of hills and woods.  The human played roads.

The view from the Martian left.

The view from the Martian right.

The German deploys their infantry and artillery.  leaving their panzers in reserve.

Louie and Dewey are on the board, leaving Huey in reserve.

We were only playing 100 points, which is just 3 tripods.  With one in reserve, the Martian Trinet is broken, and will have to be established only after Huey comes on the board, if at all.

A blurry shot, sorry.  The German Infantry advances towards the middle objective.

The field guns fire a volley of 7.7cm HE.

For target designated "Louie" is already in range and sighted.

Dewey races for Objective #3

Turn 2:

Louie reaches the center objective.

The German Panzers in reserve arrive!  The orders are double time, and on a road, and reach the objective in one bound.

Their lead tank however have acquired the attention of multiple heat rays, two of which penetrated.

The German panzers are truly tough buggers, each can take 3 hits before being destroyed.

Turn 3:

Per the mission rules, units must remain in contact  with the objective for a full turn, before rolling for a successful find.  They can shoot, but not move.  

Louie receives multiple hits, one in the leg, and he stumbles away 9" from the objective.

The 7.7cm field guns blanket the objective in smoke, preventing any shots on their investigating panzer.

With exploding smoke rounds circling Panzer #1, there is a metallic rapping from its floor hatch.

"Lass mich rein! Lass mich rein!"

The crew quickly undoged the hatch, a camera is thrown in, followed by a dust and smoke damaged uniformed pilot from the Luft Korps.

"Driver, get us out of here!" orders the tank sergeant.

The German player made his find roll, a 30% chance, on the first try.  It happens....

Turn 4:

The German player then successfully rolls for initiative and moves first.  Another double time order on the road, and 21 measured inches later, the lead panzer, with pilot, camera and for to rub their astonishing victory in, the Fokker too.  Are off the board for a German win!

Notes:

The third tripod did arrive on turn 2 as well, and spent its time taking long range shots.  He just never got close enough to be designated a target.  His actions decimated an infantry platoon, forcing a failed morale check.

Garth played the mission well from beginning to end.  While the Martian was placing all kinds of terrain for cover, the Human ran roads.  

We did not realize how much the road bonus was until after the game started.  Well played!

Upon Review:

After the writeup, we went back to the rules and identified a number of problems.  One was a mixing of version 1.3 Beta against version 1.4.  I won't go into the details, but they certainly would have extended the length of the game.  

 

So if you are better versed in the current state of the rules and think, "That's not right".  Your probably are correct.