Assault on Greer Gulch, Montana

A Headless Body Production 
Location:  Garth's Basement

Event:         Providence Gamer's Game Knight
Game:          All Quiet on the Martian Front
Scenario:      Defend Sappington, Montana
Players:        Phil Gardocki,81st Brigade, 41st Division
                      Garth Parker, Hive थिलबन्धनात्, Pod जलाद्रक्षेत्तैलाद्रक्षेद्रक्षेच्छि

The Scenario:  Sappington is a minor town, one of many standing as an output to the many gorges serving as choke points in the Rocky Mountains.  It stands astride the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad, and needs to be defended by reason of it's location, rather than any strategic value.

81st Brigade
4 Towers, 2 units Mk III's, 2 units Mk II's, 2 Infantry Companies, Patton Mk IV, Mk IV monitor, Tesla Gun, Tesla Mine Layer,  Mobile Howitzers, Heavy Howitzers,  A MG Company, A Motorcycle unit, HQ, Command Tank.  19 units, breakpoint is 10.

Hive थिलबन्धनात्, Pod जलाद्रक्षेत्तैलाद्रक्षेद्रक्षेच्छि
The Overseer, 5 Assault Tripods, 3 Scouts, 4 Units of Drones, a Slaver, a Scientist.  16 units, breakpoint is 8.

I realize there are missing units in the lists, I'll see if I can find them as I write.

Victory Conditions: 
Keep the Martians from getting to the town, represented by the coaling station on the lower left side of the board.

Our story so far:

In the far west, the Martians have been held back by a series of fortifications at strategic locations in the various passes, ravines and gorges. Concrete has been the greatest ally against the Martian as it was nearly indestructible to heat rays.  And while plentiful, there was never enough.  While losing any state was politically unacceptable to Theodore Roosevelt, the concrete factories of Portland and Benicia were considered of strategic importance.    

The key to the defenses was not just the concrete walls, but the rail lines that allowed rapid reinforcement when the Martians were scouted.  Scouting was aided by miners in the mountains, aircraft, and, ironically, the invention of new tripod war machines, far larger than any seen so far, but also were more easily spotted, even in the heavily forested mountains like the Rockies.

Brigadier General John Pershing looked up at the miner standing before his desk.  The man was emaciated, disheveled, and filthy.  He also noticed a very heavy sack tied to the rope that served as his belt.

"Tell me what you told my adjutant."

"Well sir,  I was told to go deep in to Greer Gulch, to act as a scout, like Captain Halter told me to.  I found good spot where I could see maybe half a mile up the creek.  I have been there for weeks sir, with next to no food but what I could catch, and"

"Get on with it", commanded the General.

"And then I saw it!  It was huge, taller than the tallest tree, one of them Martians!"

"How tall would you say man?"

"A hundred foot if it was an inch.  Them Aspens sir, they only get 60 feet around here, and it was much taller then them."

"Then what did you do?"

"I stayed to see if there was else I could see, then I left everything behind and ran like the dickens."  I was some 15 miles up the Gulch, and it took me most of the day and night to get here.

"What else?"

"I saw smaller Martians, smaller than the big one, but plenty tall.  About 8 of them."

The General stood up, "Thank you, you have been a great service to us. Sergeant, give this man a good meal, and make sure he is on the evacuation train with the sutlers."

After the man left, Major Spokes asked, "Are we sure we can rely on him?  He doesn't seem reputable."

Pershing replied, "He didn't leave that pouch of gold he was panning, but he did leave his whiskey.  I think is priorities were reasonably straight, and his measurements of that new, larger war machine match the reports from Texas.  Besides, we sent 6 men up those gorges, and he is the only one that came back. And, even if this is a false alarm, it will be good practice.

"Gentlemen, this is what we have been preparing for, get your men ready."

Deployment:
The Martians have three entry points on the board.  The standup cardboard markers represent fortifications.  By house rules we charge 2 points per linear inch.  For tanks, the forts only add +1 to hit, +1 to armor.

On the right, we are introducing a new tank, the Tesla Mine layer. 

The Patton tank is behind the hill, standing by to react to the Martian arrival.

On the left side of the board is the Mk IV Monitor tank and "Black Jack"'s Command Unit. 

Holding the left edge of the board, a Platoon of Mk III's and another new unit for our group, a battery of Heavy Howitzers.

The Heavy Howitzers have two advantages.  They get a free "Bombardment" before the first turn.  And their bombardment value is 3 per gun for a total of 9.  This normally means their would have a 9 inch bombardment template, but the limit there is 4 inches.  But there is a special rule.  "Some especially powerful units are capable of ring a barrage with a greater barrage value than 4, but the maximum size template is 4". In this case, we add +1 to the Power of the barrage for every barrage value over 4. So, for example, a barrage value of 6 would use the 4" barrage template, but with an extra +2 Power bonus."

So a battery of 3 has an additional power bonus of +5 added to their natural power of +4.  If this rule survives the rewrite, I am going to get a couple batteries of these!
Turn 1:
Humans win the initiative roll and elect for the Martians to move first.

First on the scene, the Overseer.

The Martian decides to burn 6 or so command points to double move their assault tripods. 

A Reconnaissance Tripod raises his illuminator, and shock canisters soon follow.

Heat rays lash the fortifications, routing another platoon.

The Overseer uses it's secondary weapons, 3 Heavy Heat Rays, knocking out a towers forward facing turret.

The Tesla Minelayer tank lays the first of it's deadly eggs.

With the command tank conveniently positioned, the last Mk II is rallied.

It costs 1 command point, of which the Americans have 14, to rally a unit automatically if it is in range of a command unit.  The range is 6" for a command unit, like above, Line of Sight for Patton's tank, and is unlimited if within a fortification.  Normally I wouldn't waste a command point on a single Mk II, but I wanted another target for the Martian to shoot at, and give the Minelayer a chance to lay more mines.

All the American tanks have targets, and a pair of Assault Tripods damaged.  The Tesla, with a single charge, lets loose with it's lightning, and rolls a 9, just barely missing what it needed to penetrate the damaged war machine.

Another command point is spent to rally 2 MK III's.  Points well spent, as they damaged the illuminating Reconnaissance Tripod.

Turn 2:
The Martians win the initiative and elect to go first.

The first (and last) Tesla mine is triggered by the Overseer.  But rolls a 1 on triggering.  The mine was a dud.

The Martians play a shoot and scoot game.  Taking full advantage of the "Intervening Topography" offered by the woods and hills.  +3 defense means I need 9's to hit them.

With their weapons in range, the Martians are content to shoot it out.

Except for the Overseer.  With it's speed of 10" and another command point spent, it is across the board, and turns, which gives it perfect line up on 7 tanks in the American rear.

I try to avoid these portrait shots, but the Overseer is too tall for the landscape orientation.

Quick reactions by two tank commanders get their tanks out of the path of what was to come.  The Overseer releases it's "Sun Beam" Destroying 5 tanks, and a glass lined, 5 yard wide hole in Sugar Loaf Mountain, some 10 miles distant.

This is what I picture when the Sun Beam shoots.

Calamity follows and the Martians destroy the Tesla Gun.

Down the line, there tower guns are silenced.

Using Industrial might they revive a unit of Mk II's, which returns on a 10, and thus can move and shoot.

The Americans spend more command points, rallying the dregs of their units.  Patton brings one Tripod down, while a lucky hit from a pair of Mk II's detonate another.

A futile last act of defiance by the command tank.

In the high aspens, an Infantry Company emerges from their hiding, and bravely assaults a Tripod with spade and grenade.

Two Martian units are destroyed.  At eight units they will retire.
Three American units are destroyed.  At ten, they will retreat.


Turn 3:
The Americans win the initiative and elect to go first.  Using Industrial might they revive a unit of Mk II's, which returns on a 10, and thus can move and shoot.
Using American Industrial Might, they revive the Tesla gun.

Rough riders and the MG company are revealed.  The Heavy Howitzers take out the Scientist

Intervening terrain proves to be not enough, as 4" guns find their target and bring another tripod down.

And another (center) and another, (upper right)

The Martian attack falters as only Scouts remain in one gorge.

American losses are high as well, but most of the units are still on the board.

Six Martian units are destroyed, four are Assault Tripods. Both Drone controllers are out of action. At eight units they will retire.

Four American units are destroyed.  At ten, they will retreat.

Another illumination, and more shock canisters follow.  The Heavy Howitzers lose a gun.

Knowing the game is up, the Martians hug the gorge lines, and are not visible.  But their drones are immobile and offer the only chance for an American win.

Like a giant force of nature, the Overseer continues on it's inexorable path to the town.  If the Martians can avoid defeat, this one unit can take the town for the win.

With an armor of 12, and requiring 3 critical hits to destroy it, it is all but impossible to stop.

"All but", still means there is a chance.  And Patton fires every weapon at his disposal, including his ivory handled revolvers.

But the victory is not for Patton to take, but the rank and file troops.  Howitzers eliminate one unit of drones, and Rough Riders sweep in and eliminate the other, taking the Martian to their breakpoint of 8.

The Martians had their parting shots, the Patton Mk IV was eviscerated, and two infantry companies gassed, destroying six American units.

The induction of General John, "Black Jack" Pershing into my missives was not intentional, but a serendipitous.  I picked a gorge in Montana, and defended it by the National Guard Division for Montana, the 41st, which included the states Idaho, Oregon, North Dakota and Washington.  Then looked up the General who commanded it in WWI, and the first General listed was Black Jack.

The Battle at Caddo Lake Phase 3

A Headless Body Production
 Location:  Gamer's Heaven, Phoenixville, Pa
Event:         Providence Gamer's Game Knight
Game:         All Quiet on the Martian Front
Scenario:   Riposte
Players:      71st Brigade, 36th (Lone Star) Infantry Division,  and the Army of Saint Louis played by Scott Landis, Bruce Potter, Mark McConnahay.                 
                    Mobile forces of Pod 16, Hive 3 (फली 16, हाइव 3) and Marvin's Martians commanded by Jenny Parker, Garth Parker and Phil Pezickson


The Venue

Gamers Heaven is a wonderful store located in Chester County, Pennsylvania.  About 25 miles Northwest of Philadelphia.  They are huge, with table space for 4 miniature tables, 8 or so board game sized tables, dozens of 1-1 sized tables, and about 2 dozen computer stations.  Food is offered in shop, and is cooked to order.  

The Scenario, Reposte!

The battle near Caddo Lake continues.  The 36ths Division 71st Brigade has been badly battered, with one regiment in rout, the other trapped against the waters edge.  But the division has depth, and a has organized a counterattack with the 143rd Regiment supported by two, as yet uncommitted tank brigades.  Also, advanced forces from the army of Saint Louis are swooping in behind the Martian in a classic pincer move.

फॅम्त्ज्ल्न्प्व्च्-।ैक्थ्ळभ्श्रज्ञस् has decided to unhinge the American line at the lake, then turn south destroying all in his wake.

Game runs 6 turns.

The Americans are divided into 3 forces, and the the Martian wins if they can defeat 2 of 3 of them.

The Human wins by avoiding defeat, or by destroying 13 Martian units.

The Forces:
8 Infantry Companies, 2  Armored Infantry Companies, 3 MG Companies, 4 Howitzer Batteries, 1 Heavy Battery, 3 Cavalry Troops, 1 Command Tank, 7 platoons of Mk II's, 6 platoons of Mk III's, 3 Mk IV's.  3 Area Fortifications, 12 Fox Holes, Land Iron Clad "Spirit of New Orleans"
37 units, 5001 points, 25 command points
 

फॅम्त्ज्ल्न्प्व्च्-।ैक्थ्ळभ्श्रज्ञस् and Marvin's Martians: A total of 26 tripods and drone units, an Overseer, a Dominator, and "The" Red Martian, 10 Assault Tripods, 3 Scouts, 3 Grenadiers, 2  Slavers.  Supported by 15 drones.
They have 26 units, and retreat if 13 are destroyed.  About 4990 points, 24 command points

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

Back to our show:

General McCook looked stared mournfully at his map.  Brigadiers Hutchings and Hulen stood attentive and waiting for the decisions.  The 141st was pinned but still in good order.  The 142nd was in rout, but was retreating to the battle groups formed from the 72nd Brigade.  The Martian actions didn't seem correct, given the victories they achieved.  In the far north, where victory was near total, they hung back and started probing.  In the south, where they took a drubbing, they continued to charge forward, and have lost two more tripods as a result to the waiting guns of the 3rd Tank Brigade.

"Signal the 141st, dig in and hold, send runners by boat to confirm the order."  

"Hulan, have the 144th replace the 143rd in their lines, send the 143rd to reinforce and rally the 142nd."  

"What about the air reconnaissance that there are more tripods coming sir?"

"Yes, there are more coming, but we also have more coming.  I just got this telegram from General Funston.  If we can confound the Martian for 2 days, the army of St. Louis will arrive, and they are bring one of those land ironclads, the "New Orleans."

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वेबसाइट पे जाने के लिये was nearly green with frustration.  The battle was going no where near the way it should.  Where the humans were surrounded, they dug into the earth and waited, and where they fled, tripods were lost in the chase.  He gave the recall to organize the force to crush those trapped by the water, and to allow, as yet to be engaged forces, time to catch up.

The new machines were certainly impressive.  But possibly over kill.  The upgraded heat ray could shoot through a mountain, but humans are unlikely to acquire that much armor.  And resources required to build the huge machine could have built 10 war machines, and it required 3 pilots.  Getting the pilots to act as a team seemed to be a difficulty.  But then, all they have to do is stand and shoot.

An alert appeared on his display from automated projectile shooter supporting the reduction of forces anti-poleward.  It's operating system required a command to deal with an unexpected situation.  His sync with the control panel had an unknown audio input.

He puzzled at what appeared to be amplified human speech.
     "Good morning America how are you?
     Don't you know me I'm your native son!
     I'm the ship they call The Spirit of New Orleans
     I'll be gone a hundred miles when the day is done."*

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24 hours earlier, onboard "The Spirit of New Orleans"
Captain Franks watched as all the smaller steam tanks sped off into the distance, taking the clockwise route around Caddo Lake.  They were out racing their supports and would arrive with only 40% of their coal they would need to fight on the other end.  But there was no helping that.  Besides, getting to the battle was half of the fight.  His ship would take the shorter route across the lake.

"You wanted to see me sir?", a nervous private stood wrangling his cap.
Captain Franks turned, "Private Guthrie?"
"Yes sir!"
"What do you do here?" asked the captain, though the black face and filthy uniform made that answer obvious.
"I'm a coal man, sir."
"Private Guthrie, we are going into combat tomorrow. This ship, and some 30 other tanks will be facing the Martian.  I'll find someone else to handle your shovel.  Tomorrow, your weapon will be your guitar.  You are going to play that song you wrote about this ship from the start of the battle until we win.  You will have the microphone for outside Johnson speakers of this ship for the entire battle.  Regardless of canon fire, regardless of heat rays and the screaming of the dying I want you to play.  Let all that hear you know, that on this day we stood against our fears and prevailed.  Can you do that Charlie?"

A tear made left a muddy trail down his cheek, and Charles Guthrie replied, "Yes, Sir."

"Here is a shower chit Guthrie."  Get cleaned up and report back a dawn.

"Captain, we are approaching the lake."

"Aye, station the sea and anchor detail."

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Deployment:

The overall situation.  The 72nd Brigade is attacking with the 143rd Regiment. The 141st is surrounded and in danger of being destroyed.  The Army of St. Louis is split with it's steam tanks moving around the lake to meet up with the Spirit of New Orleans which will cross the lake.

The Army of St. Louis starts on the east edge of the board.

Securing from the underway detail, the Spirit of New Orleans pulls itself up from Lake Caddo, just in range of it's main guns of the Martian.

A timely arrival, as the Martian is about to overwhelm the 143rd Infantry.

On the west side of the board, the huge Overseer Tripod is observing all.

This battle is in progress, as the Martians are poised to defeat the humans in detail.

This is our first appearance of the actual Red Martian.

The Red Martians siren weapon proved nearly the undoing the whole army on turn 1.  The 143rd Regiment was taken to within one of it's break point.  2 of the routs were by the 1 point modifier of the weapon.

Turn 1:

The Martians win the initiative.

And the catastrophe starts.  The pinned 141st is strategically gutted of all its heavy weapons save the Field Guns.

On the flip side, the 143rd is similarly gutted.  And taken to a demoralization level of 6 of 7.

But a lucky shot brings down a scout tripod.

The view from the north west corner of the map.

Both Garth (the owner of the Overseer) and Scott (the owner of the Land Ironclad) are disgusted by the first turn performance of their toys.

The view from the north east.

The Army of Saint Louis deploys their artillery.  Motorcycles lead the charge forward.  The Spirit of New Orleans fires 6 guns and all miss.

Turn 2:

It's only the second turn and things are looking grim for the Americans.  The 143rd is on the verge of defeat, the 141st has been defanged.  While the Army of Saint Louis hasn't quite got the range yet.

Two pieces of luck.  The Scout Tripod that was destroyed has reduced the effectiveness of it's Grenadier Tripod.  And the Americans win the initiative for the turn and elect to move first.

Priority 1 is the Red Martian.  It's field wide morale minus is just too much.  Early shots by two platoons of Mk III's put a pair of hits on the monster.

Followed by 18 machine gun shots, one of which finds a niche.

And in a moment later, a Grenadier Tripod is pommeled by artillery, and collapses.  From the other side of the table was a whoop!  An infantry assault brought down yet another War Machine!

But 4 Tripods down out of 13 required is not enough to distract the Martians from their plan.  Green Gas and Black dust drape over the 141st like a badly mixed painters palette.  The Dominator's rapid fire rockets reduced in effectiveness by the destroyed scout, continues to rake the lines.

And the Martian has more than enough forces to take the 143rd over it's break point.

The Overseer stands over watch.  It needs not move and is invulnerable to any weapons arrayed against it.  Curious placement on the Grenadier beneath it though.

With the east cleared of the Martian, the Army of Saint Louis is unconcerned about sweeping heat rays.

Great shot from the south west side of the board. 

The unstoppable juggernaut that is the Spirit of New Orleans rumbles on.

The Martians have not yet put the finishing touches on the 141 and the 143, and now are in the vice.

We picked up a straggler in the game, who had this amazingly knit Cthulhu dice bag.

Turn 3.  
The Americans have + 5 on the initiative roll and are preparing to move first.  But the die roll was 10 to 2, and so the Martians win it.

Huey, Dewey and one other tripod virtually clean off the 141st Regiment.  Driving the survivors into the depths of Lake Caddo.

The Martian forces turn and begin to focus their heat rays up the advancing Army of Saint Louis.

The steam tanks reply, throwing 80 pound rounds down range.

A 12" round finds a Tripod at the foot of the Overseer.

A combination of 7" and 5" rounds take out Huey.

By all accounts the Martian had a bad turn 3.  Despite focused firepower, the last Infantry Company needed to rout the 141st refused to die.  To compound this, the Americans finally make their reinforcement roll and the rest of the 71st Brigade units come on the board behind the Martian lines.

The 71st Brigade reserves arrive!  Infantry quickly occupy the entrenchments, while the Tanks swarm the edge.  But a calamity occurs, and a tripod detonates in their midst.  Destroying man and machine in the blast. The reserves were the last of the 141st Regiment, and they could take no more, and flee the board as fast as they arrived.

Technically, the Martians have won the game at this point.  But we had another hour to play, so the Army of Saint Louis stands alone against the combined Martian forces.

The immobile Scout proved easy pickings.

The combined Martian forces isn't what it was.  Tripods were collapsing everywhere, and there was nothing they could do about it.

9 units destroyed so far, 4 away from their demoralization level of 13

The view from the south west. 

The long view from the east.

Turn 4:

The game belongs to the Martians, but Army of Saint Louis has made this a Pyrrhic victory at best.  By consent, we have sent it into over time.  The Americans have +4 on the initiative and this time they win it.

The Spirit of New Orleans targets the Dominator Tripod.  Hits, penetrates and rolls and 11 on the damage chart.  The Dominator explodes!  We have an impressive array of crumbled Martians and exploding clouds, but we have run them out and drafted the Cthulhu bag for a dead Tripod marker.

Scott was afraid his Land Ironclad would fail due to his abysmal dice, and for the turns 1 and 2 this was true.  But the Fire Controlmen have adjusted the mirrors, and are now on the ball, and his LIC has 4 kills to it's name.

The Rough riders have had a day as well.  Entangling 4 Tripods and killing one without taking a single casualty.

They are joined by a revived Mk III unit.  Which completed the collapse of Tripod #13. 

3 different paint styles here.  From the silliness of Marvin's Martians to the horror of the Red Martian.  We have never put 5000 points on the table before. 

The prodigy of फॅम्त्ज्ल्न्प्व्च्-।ैक्थ्ळभ्श्रज्ञस् stared down field in horror.  They Won!  How dare the humans not flee from his awesomeness!  Now his progenitor was gone and the humans were coming.  The recall Ula emanated from the Overseer.  He turned to flee anti-spinward to find his legs would not move.  The noisy humans have tied them together, and even now were racing off to entrap another war machine.  He struggled to free himself only to crash to the earth.

====================================================================

General McCook shouted to a nearby orderly, "Tell Hutchings to retreat.  They may be running, but they are running towards us!"  As he watched, the big one turned on it's tormentors and heat rayed a couple of tanks.  

"Get out of their way and go south.  Get out of their way, but head south!"

====================================================================

Captain Franks handed Private Guthrie a canteen.  "That's enough Private Guthrie.  You've done well."
"Thank you sir."
"This will be a day they will remember long after we are gone.  Write that song* down, and when you get home to Okemah, teach it to your son, What is his name?"

"Woodrow sir, but we call him Woody."
  
* Stolen mostly from "The City of New Orleans", by Arlo Guthrie.

House Rules:

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.

Fortified zones have a cost:  25 points for a zone large enough to hold a company of 3 elements  200x60mm.  It deploys with two hidden movement marker units, only 1 can be real.  8 points for fox holes, 60x60 mm, and can hold 1 element.  (MG, field guns).  There can only be one hidden movement marker per 3 fox holes.  Fortified zones count as difficult ground.

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.

Weak Weapons.

Weapons with a power of +1 or less that hit and penetrate a Tripod, will just cause 1 point of damage.

There will be no roll on the Tripod damage table.

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.