The Red River Run

A Headless Body Production

Location: Lancaster County Convention Center.
Version: Original Rules
Event: Historicon!
Game: All Quiet on the Martian Front
Scenario: Save the Civilians
Players: Phil Gardocki +1 playing Mobile forces of Pod 19, Hive 5 (फली 19, हाइव 5)
+2 playing Texans

The Venue:

Lancaster County Convention Center has lots of room for gaming, is clean, and validates parking. On the other side, in hotel food was lackluster and closed early. Parking was limited.

The Scenario:

The Southern Front has gone to hot war. Despite numerous warnings, some of the civilian population refused to accept the Martian was coming, until it was too late. Other late departures commandeered what vehicles they could, and raced to the relative safety of the Red River, whose single bridge was defended by valiant Texans.

The 36th "Lone Star" division, commanded by General Funston has set up defenses of the only bridge for 50 miles and set it to explode, looked helplessly through his binoculars at the fleeing civilians, being pursued by a pack of the faster, but lighter tripods. After the disaster at Tyler, he had limited heavy weapons. He would have to rely upon surprise with small arms to save what civilians he could.

 

The Forces:
Texas forces: 10 units. Texas Tea Tossers, Rough Riders, 2 Infantry and MG Platoons, 3 Armored Cars and a Command unit.

फली 19, हाइव 5, the mobile forces of Pod 19, Hive 5: A total of 6 tripods, 3 equipped for gathering and drone control. One Harvester, and 2 Scouts. Supported by 6 drones. 

 

The Martian force is light. Most of the hulls were based on the armored value 10 Scouts. In addition, some of the scouts were modified as gatherers. A basket for putting prey in, 2 reaper tentacles to work the field, and no heat ray!

 

Victory:

15 civilians are fleeing from the Martians in a rag-tag fleet of cars and trucks towards the only bridge left standing over the Red River. By turn 6, the Martians win if they either capture more civilians than cross the river, or break the Texan blocking force.

 

The Texans win if they have more civilians over the Red River than the Martians have captured, or destroy 3 of the 6 Tripods.

 

Deployment:

The Martians start on the board. The Texan infantry is all hidden. The fleet of cars and trucks will arrive on Turn Zero.

At the center line of the two tables, is a bluff, represented by putting 4" risers on the table legs. Unknown to the Martian there are alternate routs up and down the bluffs.

The Gatherer is armed with 2 reaper coils. The Harvester has 4 reaper coils and a medium heat ray.

Down the line, about 1 tripod per 2 feet.

 Turn Zero:

The pregame turn is the the arrival of escaping civilians.

With an almost "Wacky Racers" feel about them.

That's a total of 4 Fords on the bluff, racing for 4 fords in the river.*

Turn 1:

The Martians were not asleep at the controls, and successfully roll for the initiative, moving first for turn 1.

The drones disable the engine of the Corbin Vanderbilt Cup Racer with their heat rays. The Harvester rips its top off. Then with a well practiced move, plucks all four screaming humans out of their seats.

A sweep of a heat ray, and two more cars are wrecked, forcing more humans to "dismount" and flee.

The humans all arrived either on the road, or north of it. Leaving two hunting tripods with out prey.

General Funston gives the order to engage. Troops emerge from their hiding holes, some directly assaulting the Harvester. Scoring 7 points of damage. Other troops are directing the escapees down a wash cut in the bluff.

Turn 2:

The Martian wins the initiative. And herds their captured prey to a waiting Gatherer.

Once in the basket, they will count for a score of 7.

Up from the wash, arrives the Rough Riders. Tangling the Harvester in tow cables.

More close assault acting. In the shadow of the tripod, grappling hooks are thrown, and men with explosive satchels begin to climb.

Turn 3:

Heat rays dance across the defense line, digging out emplaced machine guns, and destroying an ammo compartment of a Texas Tea Tosser.

A Gatherer, his basket full of grim produce, retreats from the battle field.

His retreat covered by one of the effective war machines.

The Harvester flails its reaper coils ineffectively.

Turn 4:

The Texans win the initiative roll! This means they will move and shoot first this turn, effectively getting two shots before the Martian can reply

Ascending the wash of the bluff, the final reserves. A unit of armored cars.

No one will ever know which unit scored the disastrous hit. Or maybe it was a poor power connection, or a loose armor plate.

The few survivors report a brief scintillation of sparks, then a flash, a hundred times as bright as the sun. Then utter silence, as all near by were deafened by the blast. A full 12 score dead, their bodies burned clear of their bones such that even vultures wasted their time picking at the carcasses.

South of the road, more armored cars, bringing down another tripod.

Their mission to acquire prey a failure, and two war machines destroyed, the Martian commander ordered a retreat.

With 5 units destroyed or routed, the Texans also retreat.

Guided by the Texas Rangers, the first of the vehicles to reach the river begin crossing at a ford.

The technical victory goes to the Martian for defeating the Texas blocking force. But the Martian only got 3 civilians off the board, 4 were burned in the exploding Harvester, leaving 8 escaped. A strategic win for the humans. 

* Fords? fords? Get it? Tough room...