Sky Plaza Siege: part deux

Scenarios

A Plot

Chosen by the attacker: the why, when, who, and what of the battle. 

1. Take something
2. Capture someone
3. Revenge
4. Discover a secret
5. Challenge
6. Destroy property

A Location

Chosen by the defender: the where and how of the battle, as well as props that may be activated

1. Criminal's Hideout
2. Temple 
3. Restaurant
4. Street Market
5. Fish Market
6. Forest or Wilderness
7. Cemetery
8. Village
9. Mine or Construction Site
10. City Streets
11. Martial Arts 
12. School

A Complication and maybe a V.I.P. 

After all characters have been deployed, roll d6 on the Complications table to see what special conditions apply to the battle.  

1. Artefact?  or Loot?
2. Night falls
3. Betrayal
4. Civilians? New character intervenes
   
5. New Plot arc intervenes
6. Unexpected event: Bomb, Fire, Explosion, Insane criminal, Civilians, Military

Then roll a second d6, if it is a 3+ a V.I.P. is involved in the action. Roll again on the V.I.P. table.

1 Doctor, paramedic crew or medic 

2 Something Eastern and vaguely Supernatural but we will never find out what it actually was 

3 Celebrity, K-Pop star or Japanese Idol model type

4 Zombie, or at least a homeless person that strongly resembles one, but clearly can`t be because I would never... 

5 Protagonist's or Antagonist's Loved One 

6 The Escaped experiment, Roll again:  Dinosaur, Swirling vortex, Super Soldier, Cyborg or Terminator Replicant Time traveller

The Protagonist

Araki Katsuo, Protagonist

Quality 3  Combat 4  Traits: Acrobat, Two Guns, Protected, Jumper. 

Off duty Police Sergeant Third Class, trapped in the Sky Plaza Tower as "terrorists" invade the building

The Criminals

Names in italics were characters "dealt with" by our Protagonist in part one.

Boss Kimura Akino Q2, C4 + D6 Extras Q4  C2

Bruiser Miyazaki Ronjin shot, tripped and fell from the roof of the Plaza building.
Takao Yamamoto Q2, C4 + D6 Extras Q4  C2

Okubo Yoshiaki - shot and killed in the nightclub
Rika Amami Q2, C4 + D6 Extras Q4  C2

The Hostages

Harano Kobayashi, CEO 
Harano Chiaki, Harano family Princess

Shiba Ayumi, Head of Corporate HR - thrown off the top of the skyscraper and shot several times.
Takashi Seigo, Computer guy.  
Kahei Watari, fast talking lawyer

Subway Station

Araki Katsuo Police Sergeant Third Class from Seosu City's 5th Divison, was visiting the Ri District of Jingbai City invited by his estranged wife Shiba Ayumi (who had changed her name and joined the "terrorists," she really dislikes her husband) a high powered business executive at the Harano Corporation.  Katsuo was left to cool his heels in a back room near a party for the movers and shakers.  When the party was interrupted by criminals Katsuo fought back killing about a dozen of them so far.  

The Lobby

The fight has gone from the nightclub, through the offices up onto the helipad.  When I left the Protagonist he was about to try to exit via the subway station beneath the building.  Only a few dozen more criminals stand in his way. 

Locations (from my battle mat book)

1. Concrete Plaza

3. Motel

5. Downtown Shops

7. Nightclub

9. Neon Streets

11. Neon Crossing

13. Car Park

15. Neon Alleys

17. Subway Station

19. Rooftop Helipad

21. Supermarket

23. Municipal Lobby

24. Municipal Rooms

25. Corporate Office

27. Data Centre

28. Tech Rooms

29. High Rise Hab Block

31. Corporate Lobby

32. Neon Plaza

33. Freeway

35. Luxury Residence

37. Warehouse

39. Shipping Container Lot

41. Storm Channel Underpass

43. Industrial

45. Cabin in the Woods

47. Quarry Dirt Track

49. Ruined Street

51. Death  Road

53. Abandoned Desert Houses

55. Mud and Grass

57. Deserted Train Yard

59. Shanty Town

61. Blank Grid "the room"

Katsuo is surprised by Takao Yamamoto Q2, C4 and four Extras Q4,  C2

Katsuo spends a Chi Point for a jump, into cover behind a section.of tunnel wall.

One terrorist down

Katsuo takes down another of Yamamoto's men

It must be excellent training in the Tokyo Police, Katsuo guns down two more.

Yamamoto flees, up the escalator,  Katsuo gives chase.

Yamamoto escapes, feeling lucky to be alive, he flees for the Lobby.

The Lobby, with two of the terrorists behind the desk.  Yamamoto runs in, Katsuo in pursuit.

Katsuo enters, winning three actions.

One of the terrorists hits Katsuo, knocking him back.  He ducks into cover behind a column.

Katsuo gets a bullet into Yamamoto.

Katsuo shoots one of the terrorists posing as Lobby guards.

Then he takes down the second.

Yamamoto is hit again.  He runs away

And Katsuo shoots him in the back

And Katsuo makes it out of the main door.  He has escaped the Plaza and pretty much won the game.

The Great Colonial Rebase of 2021

I think I am to blame. Mid game, as Mr Babbage's Dervish hordes descended on our expeditionary forces it suddenly occurred to me that whilst the Natives were 3,2,1 based my regulars were not.  I pointed out the very cool basing of the camel Corps,  lead by that stalwart officer, Captain the honorable Quincy, and then "My guys would look much better on dusty bin bases," I think I said that out loud.  

To my consternation Doctor Pea agreed.  It's a huge task and it's taken me all weekend, but finally I'm done.  The Dervish have gone onto 5, 3, 1 basing, my Regulars into pairs with a few spare figures to use as replacement for casualties, and goodness knows I have spares.

The 11th Rajputs - 3 companies

The 10th Hussars - 2 Squadron's

Royal Artillery - 1 Nordenfelt, 1 mountain battery screw gun, 1 9 pdr gun, all with crew.  Mules, limbers and horses

The North Lancasters - 1 Company

Heliograph team, Commissary wagon, water carts.

Nile Gunboat,  12 Naval crew, 9 pdr pom pom and Maxim gun.

(The Gurka company was not re based,  nor were the Queens Own Minifigs battalion, both of whom I intend to use for skirmish games) 

The Dervish

My Dervish are largely Ansar "Fuzzy Wuzzies," the cavalry/ camelry Arab and Bedouin and the riflemen Ruga ruga.  To my shame these are still Nubians lurking among the Dervish but they fight just as effectively so for now they stay there.

6 groups of fierce tribal foot

3 groups of Irregular riflemen

1 group tribal cavalry

1 group tribal camelry

1 fleet of Nile feluccas 

 

GDA and the battle of Lardeville

Red vs Blue General d'Armee

Major General Sydney Carton vs General de division Charles Carnay,

Both C-in-Cs rolled 2D6 for their respective ability.   Carton is a Blusterer, losing one of his ADCs, but Carnay is a Campaigner, meaning he is an experienced officer and receives the one ADC per brigade to represent his command ability, giving him a potential four ADCs per turn.

British

Cavalry Brigade

1st Infantry Brigade

2nd Infantry Brigade

French

Cavalry Brigade

1st Infantry Brigade

2nd Infantry Brigade

3rd Infantry Brigade

Lardeville, scene of the fighting today

The British deployment

And that looks like a lot of Frenchmen

Brigadier Command radius is 30cm

My units are pretty much all standard size at 4 bases

they are also all Line, but I make the 95th Rifles Elite.

Deployment

Committed or Reserve.

I reserve a French Brigade of two battalions and the British cavalry brigade.

My third British brigadier is a bit of a character.  Repeatedly hesitant, 

The game turn

Command and Initiative

Charges

Movement

Firing

Melee

Beginning with dicing for ADC availability.  d6.  A 3-6 means they are available this turn.

Initiative.  2d6 off between the two sides, minus 1 for each Hestitant brigade.

Brigade command rolls

ADC taskings

Scouts

brigade attachment

Infantry assault

Artillery assault fire (2)

Skirmishers

Glory

Forwards (2)

Commit reserve

Redeploy

Ammunition

Command

Divisional morale

The French come on

The French cavalry brigadier passes their skirmish line 

The British commit their own reserve Cavalry

And the French get a battery into operation

The cavalry battle.  The British fail dismally.  Not only do they fall back demoralised, the dice difference is such that they rout exposing the flank. 

The French pull back the cavalry brigade to redeploy.  I start to realise that its going to come down to the 95th in the farm in the left flank

The French screen the advance with an effective skirmish line.

The assault column goes in against the 95th 

And its a hard fight.  The 95th hang on but have taken 50% casualties

With the 95th engaged in a melee the French move up the cavalry to flank the British position.

The main lines close and the skirmish screens are being whittled down.

The French cavalry is now a threat.  Time for squares.

Even my third brigadier is engaged as an ADC passes him assault orders

Fighting in the centre

But the British squares are under attack from French Infantry

A second assault goes in against the farm buildings.  The 95th throw the enemy back.

But there comes a point where I have to acknowledge that the day has gone to the French. In the middle of the fighting Brigadier three goes Hesitant again.

With 3rd  Brigade retiring after failing its command roll my right flank is gone.  Game over. 

28mm Colonials.

This one caught me by surprise.  I had the Fistful of lead figures for the three Sergeants vs the Thuggee, including a dozen Indian Army Sepoys, and had just added a box of Wargames Atlantics Afghan tribesmen to pad this out to a slightly larger game.  Then I discovered that I had won a competition at Wargames Illustrated, and the prize... some new Artizan Afghans. 

It seems I am destined to go to 28mm Colonials and my rules of preference are Osprey's Men Who Would Be Kings. 

My relatively small tabletop in Pathos lends itself to 18 point armies.  This balances at 3 Colonial units and 4 to 5 Pathanis under the command of that dastardly opponent Mr Babbage. 

My idea is to build the 1st Rajput Pioneer Company.  Each element of the Company has a British Sergeant as well as an Indian army NCO, the Company should have three Officers, but recent action had reduced the available manpower and command has fallen to a lowly subaltern who must prove his worth to command the unit.

The pioneer Company comprises two platoons of Sepoys and and attached mule train that includes a mountain gun and crew.

The Swaat Valley Pathanis are ruled by the enigmatic Afzul Fatti Khan, Lord of the Swaat.

40 plastic Pathans
8 metal jezail men 
3 gun crew.
8 Thuggee.

Terrain

2d/3d scrunched brown parcel paper hills.
The fort.  Build 3 sides.
Fictional Swaat Valley needs Sangars, a wadi and at least one rickety bridge.

The British invariably named Islamic religous 

Leaders "the Mad Mullah," even if they were Eton and Oxford educated don't y' know.  A range of characters from authors such as Kipling, and William Dalrymple will populate the Swaat.

Scenarios
A Just passing by
B Seek and Destroy
C To the last bullet
D Get off my land
E Run to the hills
F Take the High road
G It's awfully quiet out there
H A sigh of relief

Honour - Rank Table

0   -  sent home in disgrace or offered the "Gentleman's way out."

1-20   - Second Lieutenant - 1 trait 0 tactical value

21-30  - Lieutenant  -  +1 Trait  +1 tactical value

31-45  -  Captain  -  +1 Trait  +1 tactical value

46-60  -  Major  -  +1 Trait  +1 tactical value

61+  Transferred to command a battalion as Colonel.

Promotion system will be imported from Rebels and Patriots as the basis for a campaign.  The Company starts with a 2nd Lieutenant in charge.  New Officers have d20 honour, a zero Tactical value and begin with one Trait.