Darth Maul Returns - Episode 4

For the latest installment in the Darth Maul series, we opted to switch to Nick's action figures for testing the latest revision of our home brew rules.  The figures are great for these small scale skirmishes because you can get a lot of expression out of them.  All gamers should have kids so they can get away with playing with action figures!

Lazy Saturday FoW

Got some time off from work and got to play a bunch this weekend.  Most of the group was busy so us stragglers decided to play some FoW and just chill out.  Then I had a bright idea; "Hey George, let's do late 45 and Patton gets to rearm the Krauts.  I'll be the Yanks, let Dave be the Germans, and you be the Russkies".  Well, let's just say that I got what I deserved!

Some of Dave's Germans advancing on our right.

Here are some of my Shermies motoring into an ambush.

My Sherman 105 support tanks in the center.

And here's the result of my getting ambushed on the left.

While I'm getting my ass kicked, Dave's rearmed Germans are taking names on the right.

He's pushing the Russians pretty hard.

Fortunately, Russian air support was not so good!

After demolishing my easy eights, the T-34/85s went to work on my 105s. 

My infantry heads for cover and starts praying.

Dave begins to close on the objective.

This was not one of my better days.  To prove it, here is where I sent my halftracks up the middle to engage infantry in support of Dave, but forgot there was no integral crew for the 50 cals.  So I just wound up driving around and not shooting at anything!

Just as Dave got close to the objective, he discovers a couple million more T-34s hovering about.  (we ran out of tanks and had to proxy some old Valentines)

And then the final ugliness.  Dave was overwhelmed by all the Russians who had nothing better to do. 

Sharp's Escape - Episode 2

In the first episode we left Sharp and his lads as they just fled into a cave with the French army hot on their trail.  Let's look in on them and see what they are up to.

*Warning*- If you are a historical purist who can abide no foolishness, it is probably best if you close your browser now.   I don't want to see any gripes on TMP, it is damned difficult for me to classify my reps!

I suppose some explanation is in order before continuing.  In the first post I mentioned we were testing some experimental skirmish and campaign rules we are compiling to handle universal gaming  situations.  The Sharp's Escape series is my vehicle for this purpose.  Most gamers have cool toys sitting around collecting dust that do not get any, or enough play time.  As I'm never one to shy away from something due to issues of "realism" (or sanity for that matter), I told the guys to show up with any miniatures, from any time period, with NO restrictions.  For test purposes I thought Sharp would make an interesting guinea pig.

Here is an overview of the rules:

1. Sharp must survive.  

2. He loses points for losing named heroes, gains points for collecting wenches, and gains points for "kills".

3. Every time Sharp goes through a gate, we roll to see if he makes it home.  If not, we roll off and the winner gets to decide where Sharp lands and who he must pit his skills against.  No restrictions, any time, any place.

4. Terrain and hostiles are randomly generated and he must cross the table to gain the next gate.

You get the idea.  There are simply no rules which handle this scope of gaming so we have been creating our own.  Now back to the rep!

Sharp's Escape - Episode 1

It has been a good long while since I did a full rep.  While we have still been gaming plenty, I've just been too knackered with work to get much blogging done, but there is light at the end of the tunnel!  This game is from a test we are doing with some hybrid rules sets, in a campaign setting.  My photos turned out horrible with the lighting, but I still got some acceptable ones to tell the story. 

We chose poor Richard Sharp to be the guinea pig, and poor Mark from our gaming group to be the hapless and hopelessly doomed Sharp because he didn't bring any minis for the campaign.  Without giving away the plot, let us just say that when Sharp was compelled to run recklessly into that unknown cave, he has opened up a whole new can of high adventure.