Revenge in Yunnan

Deep in the hinterlands of Yunnan Province

Major Von Kraken marched with his reinforcements. His last force had taken heavy casualties and he had reorganized the survivors into a unified infantry command. He sent a messenger to the General that reported that McFly and his French were still at large and headed deeper into China. The General's response had been quick and a fresh platoon of his elite Dare To Die assault troops and two prototype Czech LT38 tanks from his mysterious employers. Soon after they arrived another scout brought word of McFlys location. Von Kraken issued orders and his troops moved out.
Kraken marched with the Dare to Die troops into the edge of a war ravaged colonial complex. McFly had been spotted on the other side and Kraken hoped to use the ruined buildings for cover.

Following Kraken's orders, the Chinese field gun and heavy machine gun set up on a wooded hill.

While the rest of the Chinese Infantry spread out and begin to infiltrate into the buildings.

Unknown to Von Kraken. McFly had marshaled his forces on the other side of the colonial buildings. He had also received reinforcements, including another French Infantry Platoon and a Renault R39 tank.

On the other flank McFly had positioned a second Renault R39 and a Schneider P16 armored car.

Taking cover behind some woods, McFly directs the French gunners were to position their heavy machine guns and field piece.

The Chinese LT38 acquires the second R39! They shoot and miss.

The Chinese Infantry Charge into the complex! They run into a murderous cross fire from the hidden French troops.

After taking fire from the French tanks the LT38 fires again and brews up the R39.

Von Kraken recognizes more of the stones with strange hieroglyphics. They are why McFly came here! The giant stones and their inscriptions could be another clue that would put them another step closer to finding one of Hippocrates' Golden Tablets. Von Kraken ordered the Dare to Die commander to capture the stones. The Dare to Die troops move up cautiously using the LT38 tanks as cover.

French troops move up using the surviving R39 tank as cover. They move into the building and fire at the advancing Chinese.

More french troops move past the burning R39, headed into the complex.

The Dare to Die troops move up to the French occupied building and assault! After a bloody fight the Chinese defeat the French.

The Chinese Infantry attack falters, as the survivors take cover in the center building and the woods behind the tall building. The closest LT38 trades shots with the Schneider P16 while the second LT38 maneuvers to get a shot at the surviving French R39.

The LT38 loses the gunnery duel as the R35 hits it and brews it up.

The remaining Dare to Die Squads swarm the captured building, while another squad races up through the shell holes in the center of the complex.

French troops pinned down behind the R39 make a run for it.

The Chinese in the captured building fire on the French who lose their cool and flee for the hills.

The Dare to Die troops in the shell holes take heavy fire and decide to Charge! They head toward the R39 but opportunity fire downs the last man.

The Dare to Die troops move up. Some secure the building while one squads moves up to try and assault the surviving R39.

McFly looked across the battlefield. The Chinese had secured the building and reinforced it. His troops were willing the try and cross the road but he knew it would be a suicide charge. The Chinese had a few light machine guns and a pile of submachineguns in that building and were digging in like Alabama ticks. His orders were to copy the hieroglyphs but it wasn't going to happen. He looked over at the French troops. Most of them were veterans of the war, had already fixed bayonets and waited for the order to charge into the Chinese guns. He turned to the French commander and ordered him to Withdraw the troops.

Major Von Kraken watched as the French withdrew in good order. The Chinese Infantry had paid the price in blood. The Dare to Die troops had carried the day but the loss of the LT38 was a hard hit. His employers would not be happy about the tank but that is what happens in war. Von Kraken looked at the Chinese bodies splayed across the battlefield and decided that if he had more victories like this he would end up losing everything. He stared at the giant stones and wondered if they were worth the lives spent to control them.

This was a game of Disposable Heroes Played by Chuckaroo, Steve J. Jerry W and Myself. Chuckaroo and Steve J fielded the French using the Futile Gallantry Supplement While Jerry W and myself field the Chinese from Red Sun, Red Death Supplement.

I had a lot of fun and it was refreshing for a tank with a 37mm gun to be the meanest thing on a battlefield.

Check back for the Next Instalment of the Prospector Bob Saga.

My Little World 3rd Anniversary

Once again 26 September has come and My Little World of Dementia celebrates its third anniversary.

I invited some friends over for a test game of eighth edition Warhammer Fantasy Battle. I fielded three thousand points of Dark elves against an equal amount of Empire played by my buddies Jerry and Tony. It was a learning game and I learned I should have read the rules more. We spent a lot of time just looking up basic stuff I should have gained a better understanding of before I tried playing a game.

First some Highlights,

My first roll for Power dice in my first game of eighth edition Warhammer, Snake Eyes! I tried a spell and it was dispelled with a dice roll, end magic phase. I had a sacrificial dagger on my High Sorceress and failed to use it once during the game. I have since went back to my army list and written "Remember to use Dagger for Every Spell" beside the High Sorceress entry.

A combat from the right flank. A hydra and a unit of Executioners lead by a Sorcerer charge some knights. The knights had already been hit by the metal lore spell that subtracts one point of armor. I figured I would try again and Jerry played the Hex Scroll which turned the Sorcerer into a frog. Luckily the hydra breathed on the knights killing three and dropped the last two with its normal attacks. The Sorcerer was still a frog but at least a knight didn't stomp him.

We were playing the Watchtower scenario and Tony was defending it with a twenty man unit of Huntsmen. My unit of twenty Corsairs with the Sea Serpent standard and an assassin charged the tower on turn one. I ended up losing several going in but because of the +1 attack buff from the Cauldron of blood, frenzy from the banner and the assassin they threw over forty attacks. The Assassin issued a challenge and the marksman accepted it which gave me a good over kill bonus. The Huntsmen killed a few Corsairs and the Corsairs killed over half of the Huntsmen. The Huntsman broke and ran and the Corsairs caught them. This pursuit left them beyond the tower and right in front of the Fifty man Spearman unit lead by the Empire general. Bad day.

The left flank, a unit of dark riders and Harpies rounding the bend. My plan was to charge some mortars that are stage right of the Wizard but we called the game before they go their chance.

The spearmen didn't charge in their turn so in my turn the Corsairs did. The Assassin issued a challenge and Jerry accepted with his General, who received a killing blow and failed his ward save. The Corsairs had the Cauldron +1 attack buff , were still frenzied and had the fire lore spell cast on them to give a +1 to wound rolls. They killed eleven spearmen and then the Spearmen killed the rest of the Corsairs. We figured combat resolution and I was about to roll the break test when I remembered Eternal Hatred and did the re rolls for the Corsairs. They ended up killing a couple more spearmen which put me winning the combat by one. The Spearmen made their break test even without the general and I pondered if it would have been better for the Assassin to have run back to the tower.

We ended up calling the game soon after the Spearman combat. It wasn't a full game but we learned a lot about what we still need to know about the new edition. Some of the changes like true line of sight and premeasuring will take getting use to but I like it. I also like the variable in the Magic phase. It makes every magic phase count.

A couple other highlights that I didn't get pictures of were the first turn shooting from a six man unit of shades that killed a cannon and the second Hydra using it breath weapon to kill fifteen models out of a twenty five model Halbardier unit to the right of the big spearman unit.

Mare Nostrum

I finally broke down and bought the Disposeable Heros PDF supplement for the Italians. It is called Mare Nostrum. I have already bought a pile of Bolt Action WWII Italian paratroopers. Iron Ivan had a rough list on their Yahoo group to field the paratroopers but took it down when they released their Italian supplement.
Thanks to Chuckaroo (who sent me a link to the new Italian Paratrooper models being released by Warlord Games) I have been bitten by the Italian bug again. I will eventually be getting one of the sniper teams, a few of the mortar teams, and probably some of the flamethrower troops. I already have a bunch of the basic paratroopers with rifles, smgs and lmgs, a bunch of paras with german weapons, a couple heavy machine gun teams and a Semovente 75/18 self propelled gun.
My plan is to set down with the new list and organize my models and see exactly what I can field and figure the points of the models I have on hand. Once I do this I will figure what models I need to get to field at least one thousand points and maybe a little more.

More later

Destination Yunan

Near the Border of Yunnan province and Tonkin, French Indo-China.

Major Von Kraken looked at the precisely folded telegram that brought him here. It was from an agent in Hanoi he had following some of Prospector Bob's associates. It said " Mcfly acquired French Foreign Legion escort. Stop Leaving two days. Stop Destination Yunnan Stop."
Kraken folded the paper back up and surveyed the camp of warlord troops he had recruited. He would have preferred to have a platoon of his old stormtroopers but all he could bring was eight specialists to reinforce the regular Chinese infantry with their light machine guns. He had managed to get two infantry platoons, a battery of three field guns, a lone heavy machine gun and a sniper who came highly recommended by the Warlord.

First platoon and their two supporting field guns.

Second platoon with its supporting field gun, heavy machine gun and lone sniper.

Sly Mcfly his command half track and over strength platoon of French Foreign Legion.

The Legion approach the abandoned mission compound.

Major Kraken didn't know Mcfly's final destination but scouts from the local warlord had found his column and had been shadowing them for days. Finally I became clear that Mcfly was headed toward an abandoned mission. Kraken issued marching orders but he knew that the Legion would make the compound first. Kraken respected the Legion, well lead, hard fighters, dangerous to face on the field. He contemplated whether the Chinese would stand against the Legion, then he pulled his Luger from it holster and checked its action to make sure a round was in the chamber. He resolved that his troops would brave the Legions bullets or His, it would be their choice.

The Chinese skirmish toward the abandoned mission compound.

The Legion emplace their field gun on the heights above the compound.

Major Kraken overlooked the compound and wondered what Mcfly wanted here? It had been abandoned for more than forty years. Kraken raised his field glasses and quickly noticed the three statues down the center of the compound. He refocused his glasses and it revealed the curious symbols on the statues. He didn't understand the symbols but he had seen them before and knew that was what Mcfly was after. He quickly issued orders to capture the statues and watched as the Legion moved slowly into the valley. He tapped the machine gunner beside him on the shoulder and said "Target the infantry at the base of the hill". The gunner complied and Kraken watched through his glasses as a steady stream of bullets impacted around the Legion soldiers. Two legionaries fell, Kraken smiled and murmured "First Blood"

Chinese infantry rush toward the center statue and are suppressed by rifle fire.

Kraken watched as two squads broke cover and sprinted toward the center statue. Rifle fire from Legionaries in the woods knocked down a couple soldiers and left the squad stuck in the open trying to help them.

One squad makes it across and spots Mcflys Command Half track.

One squad made it across the street and moved to defend the statue. Then a rev of a diesel engine and the clank of tracks alerted them to the oncoming half track. They took aim and fired but it was to no effect.

Major Kraken down.

Kraken watched as one of his squads took a murderous fire from the Legionaries. The troopers huddled around a low wall as they were slowly picked off. Kraken pulled his pistol and walked out of the woods, yelling at the troopers to"ADVANCE" Then a burning pain hit Kraken in his side and he crumpled to the ground. He had been shot,it wasn't the fist time, as he lost consciousness he realized how beautiful the sunlight was filtering through the leaves.

A chinese squad moves up to claim the statue. Fire from the Chinese at the halftrack kills one of the crew.

Manning the half tracks machine gun Mcfly guns down several Chinese troopers.

Mcfly moves up the Half track to claim the center statue.

After a running gun battle, a Chinese squad claims the objective on the right.

At the left statue a lone Legionnaire makes a last stand. He fires twice and hits with both shots.

Then rolls two nines and fails to wound.

We called the game soon after this. The Chinese held two statues and Mcfly held one. We decided that the Legionarie didn't have enough troops to push the Chinese off of an objective and it was a matter of time till a field gun got a good hit on the half track. So another setback for Prospector Bob.

The game was played with the Disposable Heroes rule set. I used the Chinese lists from the Red Sun,Red Death book and Chuckaroo used the French foreign legion rules from the Futile Gallantry book. Major von Kraken and Mcfly were added on as officers with an eleven guts rating.

Chuckaroo and John Bays played the French while Rick Money and I played the Chinese.