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Monday 25 June 2012

Patrol, side-bar. A bit of advice please.




This scenario has got me hooked, and its mine (wierd). Highway and platoon are heading into Purgatory to save their pal.

I want to make it as realistic as possible.

Patroling is one of the most exhilarating of military endeavours. However, it is also the most demanding and dangerous. It requires TRUE teamwork, training and experience. A night patrol needs this in spades!
Highway has an inexperienced group, with mediocre training. In order to reflect this I am thinking of decreasing the command sphere and dropping all grunts' Reps by 1. Do you guys think this would work? I would appreciate your advice,  guidance and ideas over this.

PS; is this the best forum for this question or should this be on Board of the Living Dead?

Sunday 24 June 2012

Odd week & Prequel


Where does the time go? Another week with no hobby time! Sacrelige! Reflecting; I suppose the youngest heir's 9th birthday and the conversion of my 'man cave' to a Lego building station put pay to modelling. I'm not a great footy fan, but I have found the current competition entertaining which has taken up some time and a couple of shift changes'll do it for you.

On the plus side I've managed to get to a better grip of my birthday tablet, with which I was struggling. The result was that I wrote the prequel to my next game on it and managed to send it here.

Prequel: Patrol

"Highway! You have one KIA. One MIA, who is still out there, and the men are in a mess! Tell me now why I shouldn't just cashier your butt right now!" Major Ring was apoplectic, foam was practically spilling from his mouth as he screamed at the Gunny.
Tom Highway stood at ease staring straight ahead. He'd been chewed out before, by professionals, not a part timer who was more in tune with his trucking business then fighting for your life.
"Yes sir. You didn't see them, the walking dead and I'm going back in tonight to recover Fragetti. My boys are with me."
"Your boys, They're not your boys. They're my boys, the Guards' boys, America's boys!"
"Sir," a teenage, pasty faced Lieutenant, standing next to Highway, spoke up.
"Lieutenant?"
"I gave the Gunny permission to lead a rescue mission tonight."
Powers glared at the subaltern, "lieutenant, dismissed."
Lt. Ring snapped to attention spun and marched from the office. Leaving only Powers, Highway and the Regimental Sergeant Major in the room. Powers paced to and fro finishing inches from Highway.
"Highway. You're an anachronism. The war has been over years. There's no place for the likes of you in this new era. I'd have your ass on a silver platter if it wasn't for that child," he snarled jerking his head to the office door.
"Now get out of here, sort out your patrol and send that jackass in as you leave."
The two NCOs threw up a salute and marched from the office.
Leaving, they passed an even paler looking Lieutenant.
Guardsmen Practise Hand to Hand Combat
Highway saluted, "he wants to see you L.T."
Ring looked crest fallen.
Highway clenched his fist in front of of his ribboned chest, "L.T. hurrah," he said and left the building with his old pal.
"You ready for this Tom?"
"I'm an anachronism, of course I'm ready.

Stay safe gang.

Sunday 17 June 2012

152nd National Guard.

 

The 'Haven' Scenarios require a new vehicle that being a Humvee. Now, as they didn't exist in the inter-war years I had to look for something else. I did some research and came up with the Renault FT-17, which seems to fit the bill. Models of it are hard to come by, but I've managed to acquire a couple of free cardboard downloads which ill be this week's project.

 

 

 

 


(pages 30, 31)


Heavy Infantry


By the turn of the next decade Colonel Mossely Hill had successfully petitioned the Army Board and Local Government to designate the 152nd as a ‘Heavy Infantry’ Regiment. This entailed being equipped with the Six Ton Tank, based on the old French Renault FT 17 tanks.
The FT 17was a French light tank; among the most revolutionary and influential tank designs in history. The FT was the first operational tank to have its armament within a fully rotating turret[1]and its basic configuration with the turret on top, engine in the back, and the driver in front became the standard pattern, repeated in most tanks to this day. Armour historian Steven Zaloga has called the Renault FT "the world's first modern tank"[2]. FT tanks were used by most nations having armoured forces, invariably as their first tank type, including the United States.
It morphed into the Six Ton Tank (or Special Tractor) M1917 and was America's first important mass produced tank[3]. The Six Ton Tank M1917 was a licence built near-copy and was accepted by the army in October 1918. The US Army ordered approximately 4,440 Six Ton M1917 Tanks between 1918 and 1919, receiving about 950 tanks before cancelling the contract. No US manufactured tank reached Europe in time to participate in World War I But were utilised by the National Guard. The M1917 did not take part in any combat. In July 1932 six M1917s were deployed during the dispersal of the Bonus Army in Washington D.C. George S. Patton Jr. states in his diaries that these vehicles were carried in trucks as a deterrent, but contemporary film shows them moving on their tracks along Pennsylvania Avenue[4]. It is not believed that any shots were fired.In June 1920 the Tank Corps was abolished as a separate branch, and control of tanks handed to the infantry. The number of tank units was progressively reduced, and the vehicles mothballed or scrapped.The 52nd employed The Six Tonne Tank in an anti-bootlegger role, during Prohibition.


Destruction of Illegal Stills Moor City 193?

It supported the Guard and civilian law enforcement agencies in several operations before being deployed into Purgatory during the ‘outbreak’[5].




[1] The British prototype tank "Number 1 Lincoln Machine" was fitted with a turret but the design was not carried over into the first British tanks to enter service
[2] Steven J. Zaloga, The Renault FT Light Tank, London 1988, p. 3
[3] Zaloga, Steven J. Armored Thunderbolt, The US Army Sherman in World War II. 2008, Stackpole Books.

[4] British Pathe
[5] Hill, M. Col. (retd). Use of Light Armour in Urban Environments. 1938, Rosewood Books.

(Thanks to 'Wiki', Google and Paint.net)

Tuesday 12 June 2012

Protection; Episode 2: ATZ: Batrep: AAR

Prologue

Gunnery Sergeant Tom Highway has taken an inexperienced platoon (-) into Purgatory in order to fix a water/sanitary problem. Zeds have started to appear and he has split his force into three groups. A gun group, under Sgt. 'Stitch' Jones a close protection group for the work party and a rifle group led by himself. This group he has led into the shanty in order to clear the shacks that oppose overlook the work site. The completion of the  task is controlled by the rolling of doubles separated by ordinary activations.

Turn 11 (6-3)

“Rear of the shack. Ready?” Highway ordered. His two men nodded.

“Quinoness, the front. Choozo, with me. MOVE!”

Highway and Choozo moved rapidly to the rear of the building to find nothing but derelict yard space.

Orders.
No zombies, no doubles just Guards movement.

Turn 12 (3-1)

“Woods. Move”

The Guardsmen pushed there way into the shrubbery between the two shacks.

Highway raised his rifle to his shoulder, “Halt, National Guard!” he ordered a bush.

His two subordinates followed his gaze.

“Heck boys, how you find me in here?” a tall male with a single shot two-two pushed himself from the bush.

Wood Clearance
“Get out of there,” Highway commanded. The man came closer.

“Name, date of birth, address!”

“Julian Metcalf, June fourth, here.”

"What the hell are you doing?"

"General, I live here, but you seen what's goin' on, what with the sick an' all?"

“OK Metcalf your with us. Stay close and do whatever I say immediately, without question. Any issues?”

“No problem with that General. I just want a chance to get outta here.”

"I'm no General, a Gunnery Sergeant, I work for a living," finished Highway as he scanned the scene for his next bound.

The woods I treated as a building and R&R card was drawn, revealing a survivor with a Bolt Action Rifle. The interaction with Highway led to him joining the group for the remainder of the scenario. The work gang needs one set of doubles two moves and another double before the work is complete.

Turn 13 (4-4) (6-4)

Highway pushed his way through the brush followed by Choozo, Metcalf and Quinoness. A dog burst from the underbrush yapping at his ankles. A swift boot sent it whimpering away.


A Dog chased by Zombies.

“Gunny! Watch out!” Choozo snapped a round at a tattered blood stained female that burst from the woods. The bullet crashed through the figure’s skull throwing it aside to reveal two further zeds.

"Fire at will!" screamed Highway and loosed a shot. The rifle group fired. Their bullets passing harmlessly through the advancing bodies.



A volley has no effect.


Jones snapped into action; “Johansson, your front. Two figures, one short burst. FIRE!”

Jones’ fire command reached Highway’s ears; “DOWN!” he roared and fell flat. The men followed his lead as the Browning automatic rifle chattered. Johansson’s aim was good and the zeds no longer proved a threat.

Climbing to his feet Highway spied a couple of the ‘ill’ move in the area surrounding the truck, “Fragetti! To your right!”

Jones; “Gun group, half left, building line one figure.”

The doubles created a ‘barking dog’ followed by 3 zeds. The SAW sorted them but in turn created 3 more in zones 1,5 & 6. Highway passed (2d6) a Rep test to get his men down so they wouldn't be effected by any stray rounds. One zed created in zone 5, opposite PFC Fragetti.

Turn 14 (1-5)

Fragetti Flees


Thomas Highway drew a bead on the figure advancing on Fragetti. A deep breath; hold it; let some out slowly and fire. The round shattered the sick’s skull showering Fragetti in blood, bone and brain.

Even at the distance he was Gunny Highway watched as the blood drained from Private First Class Fragetti’s face.The soldiers eyes bulged. Highway knew instantly what was happening. Far too many farm boys’ minds had shattered from the instant shock of death and gore, during the 'Big One.'

“Stand fast Fragetti!” he yelled.

The soldier swayed too and fro. He dropped his rifle, cast off his ‘campaign’ hat and ran screaming into the shanty.

“Shit,” was all the Gunnery Sergeant could manage.

TH passes his in sight and takes a crack shot which hits and kills. Fragetti had a catastrophic fail of his ‘morale’ checks and got a ‘retire’ result.


Turn 15 (1-6)

Highway held his breath and checked out the remainder of his platoon.

“Jones, sitrep!”

The Sergeant raised his thumb.

“Boys?” he asked his group. They all nodded ashen faced, “hold it in and let’s get back.”

Unseen, a zed stumbled from behind the truck and shambled towards the platoon’s driver, Hicks, who was more concerned with the unfolding drama about Donkey Drive, had no idea what fate held for him.

The painful moaning pulled the rifle groups attention and they looked to their right as a couple of the undead appeared.

With no move for the NG zeds get a free shot and advance.

Turn 16 (4-4) (7 a zed in 2) (1-3)

“Targets to your front, rapid fire!” screamed Jones.

“Fire at will!” ordered Highway.

The rattling BAR underpinned the higher sharper reports of the Springfield rifles. Round after round hammered into the advancing zeds all but one burst into a bloodied mess.

Harry Worth threw the last spade of dirt into the excavation, “soldier boy! We’re all done here!”

Hicks is Zombie food, two of the City's three workers flee
Hicks starred, wide eyed, at the carnage. He felt a hand on his shoulder and half spun round. The zed grabbed him by the throat. Hicks kicked the creature between the legs. It roared as if mocking the guardsman’s assault and threw him against the truck's bulkhead, knocking the wind from Hicks. The once human thrust his hand into Hicks' chest. The soldier's ribs burst and he gasped as saw the creature tear his heart from his body. Death couldn’t come quick enough to the young man.

The creature dropped onto Hicks' carcass and began to rip bloodied chunks of flesh from his body stuffing the shreds into its mouth. Only Harry Worth held is ground as his colleagues fled and hid within the jetsam of one of Purgatory’s dumps.

A double concluded the work party’s involvement and the subsequent activation roll was a good one to win for the players. The SAW and the rifle group made short work of the zeds (you’ve got to love the easy hit rule) only one was knocked down and not OOF’d. Hick’s got attacked from the rear and lost his melee (2-43)(2-1)(3-3)(2-6). Feast for 4 turns. All but Worth lost their ’see the feast’ checks and fled.


Turn 17 (1-2)

Worth recovered quickly. He shed his shovel and grabbed a dropped pick. Launching himself at the feasting monster Harry Worth buried the blade into its skull.

Harry takes his pick.



The lads return

Highway made a swift survey of the situation. This mission was hotting up. He crossed to the downed zed and bayoneted the struggling body. "We're intending to return," he hollered, "Qunioness to the truck grab Hicks’ body load it and get the truck up to the gun group, to get us out of here, Metcalf your with him.” He looked at the troops for confirmation. Getting it, he went on “ Choozo, I’m going to get those civvies, cover me.” Choozo nodded. “Jones cover us! When Hicks gets the truck to you, load up and let’s get out of here. Questions?”

Receiving none he yelled, “Right. Move out!” pumping his left fist into the air.

The men required no second chance and they obeyed without question.

Turn 18 (6-6) (7-3 zeds from building 3) (5-2)

Quinoness followed his orders and with the help of Metcalf and Worth the tattered body of Hicks was loaded onto the rear of the truck. The two civvies followed it. He jumped into the cab and kicked the waggon into life.

Highway, jogged across the track and grabbed the navvie , Drake, by his collar and propelled him towards Jones’ gun group,” come on man, we ain’t got time to dawdle.”

Choozo took up his covering position in time to see three creatures burst from the shack they had already searched, “Gunny, didn’t you say that that building was clear?”

Highway turned from his task and saw the trio of creatures stagger from the shanty he knew was empty, ‘what the …’

“Quinoness get that truck up here PDQ! Come on Choozo, grab that civvy!" he shouted indicating to the remaining labourer, the one named Wisdom.

"Jones, keep them sick at bay!”

“Swede, slot ‘em!” ordered Jones and the BAR opened up.

Highway manages to rally the civilians. The double creates 3 zeds from bldg #3.

Turn 19 (4-6)


Highway Rallies the Work Team

The trio of once humans pitched forward, more appeared. Quinoness hammered the truck into an oncoming creature and the truck bounced and swayed as it cut its way through the corpse.

Highway, Choozo, Jones and the BAR team, checked their loads and readied themselves.

“Johanson, get ready to dismantle and embark."

No move for the guards, the zeds just keep coming onward.


Turn 20 (3-2)
Quinoness braked adjacent to the small garden in a cloud of dust, he was too scared to pass a comment.

On they come!

National Guardsmen brace themselves.

Choozo and Highway pushed and heaved the remaining city workmen onto the back. Swede Johanson embarked followed by the remainder of the guardsmen. Highway climbed into the cab.
“Move!” he barked.

The Guardsmen consolidate their Position
The driver needed no second command and the truck accelerated onto Donkey Drive.






Extraction




Epilogue
The mission was a success. It could have been far worse had the dice not rolled the doubles when they did, a couple of more moves and I think the platoon would have been over run. Highway will face a carpeting by his OC. He lost one guardsman, KIA, and one MIA. This leads to another 'off Haven' scenario, when Tom takes his team back into Purgatory, once more, to 'recover' the lost Fragetti.

Thanks for reading. All the best.

Bob 









Sunday 10 June 2012

Musings (it seems like a habit)


Well, it seems like the weekend is my time for blogging and I appear to be getting a trio in. I've spent my entire adult life dealing with the worse of human kind and it can jade your views.

But when you sit down and think of it we're a great gang of creatures. Granted the southern hemisphere gave our boys (in the 1st XVs) a spanking yesterday but hey ho.

You saw the post of the motorcycle run, at Easter. Well that run had 30,000 bikers in it and earned over 100k (sterling) for the local kid's charities.

One of the other things this little peninsular holds is an annual kite festival. The colours, the crowds, the picnics and everyone just having a good time in the sunshine. The pilots ('cause that's what you call kiters!) willing to share their hobby in an enthusiastic way, like it happens at wargame conventions.

No matter who or what you are we all have more in common to make us friends then we have to make us enemies (unless your a zed!) This blog group (and the others) is proof of that.

WELL DONE US!



PS. My notes for episode 2 I left at work, so I'll post that when I get hold of them.

Just some photos of kites for your delectation.




Kites, sir Thasans of 'em

Even a Toy Monkey had a kite

A Trilobite & a Manta Ray (what can one say?)


All the best gang. Bob

Saturday 9 June 2012

'And the Winner Is...': Competition winner

Me & My Boys 'On the Waterfront' Spring '11 

Well there you have it I was behind door #2.

The following got it right:

Shelldrake; good detection skills.
CMNash; nice quote.
Zabadak; never heard that quote before.

And the winner is: ZABADAK; The quote did for me it made me laugh. I've dropped you an email.

The runners up. Well done.

Thanks for participating

Bob

Friday 8 June 2012

Protection: Episode 1: All Things Zombie, Batrep, AAR


Turn 1 (2-6)

The transport hit Donkey Drive spot on 08.00 hours and bounced its way down the pitted main drag.

“There you go Gunny, we’re here,” stated the young Guardsman as he pulled up adjacent to a water trough.

Gunnery Sergeant Thomas Highway jumped from the cab.

“Back it up there,” he ordered pointing to a convenient spot next to the work site.

The Field.

Banging on the side of he truck he summoned the platoon. It was daylight but no one was in sight. An eerie silence hung over the shanty, the like of which Highway had only experienced when the shelling stopped. He surveyed the scene with the eyes of a thirty-two year veteran’s experience.

“Sergeant Jones!”

“Gunny?”

“Get the BAR set up in that vegetable garden, behind the fencing. Fragetti, Take the left flank of the trough complex. Arc from one-o-clock, thorough nine. Choozo, the right. Arc eleven, through to three. Quinoness protect the truck, Doc stay with him.”


Sgt. Jones sets up the BAR
He watched with a degree of satisfaction as his platoon shook-out to their positions. He heard Jones barking the BAR team into slicker action and then identifying to them his required arcs of fire. The city workmen went about their work with pick and shovel. Happy he sat on the broken trough and lit a Cuban sucking in the tasteful smoke.

‘Stitch’ Jones was also a happy soldier. His gun team were in position with a good arc. He was comfy in his role and he had a date that night. ‘Life’ he thought ‘is sweet’.

One zed created. Section 4



Turn 2 (3-1)

His revere was broken when ‘Swede’ Johansson, “Sarge, you better look at this.”

Jones turned to face the direction of his subordinate’s concern. A middle aged white woman shuffled towards his team. Her long hair was unkempt and matted with blood. The dress she wore was tattered and flesh hung from out of its rips.


The first Zed of the day.

“Stitch. That’s my Aunt,” gasped Johansson.


The zed created was on a double. Therefore was known to the individuals.

Turn 3 (1-4)

‘Holy smoke. That just ain’t right,’ thought Jones as he brought his rifle to bear. 

An Off'd Zed

The creature growled exposing a sharp row of pointed teeth. He fired. The round crashed into the woman’s head shattering like a watermelon. Johansson dropped like a sack of spuds.

Highway was studying the city’s men as they dug into the soil around the trough when the shot rang out.

Jones passed his zed or no zed test and fired the others passed with a double and therefore it was somebody they knew. 1 zed was created in zone 6, behind the truck.

Turn 4 (3-6)

“Jones! What the hell! Can’t you follow orders? I said no firing unless you get the command!”

“Gunny, you’d better come and see this.”

Highway got up and moved towards his 2 i/c.

“Gunny!” Choozo’s cry dampened his anger. He turned on his heel and saw a figure engage the guardsman.

Another

Not sure of his orders Choozo held his fire. The shambling figure came on. It's face growing more macabre as it neared. Choozo swallowed hard. The creature growled and lurched the final yards at the young soldier.

Hand to Hand

Choozo banged his rifle against the slavering creature pushing it back, "get back!" he screamed.
 The beast came on, snapping and snarling. The butt of Choozo’s weapon buried itself into his assailant’s forehead bursting it in a cloud of red mist.

Choozo passed his ‘zed or no test’ as well as his ‘being charged’ one. The melee ensued R1(4/66645) R2(4/644331).

Turn 5 (1-6)

Highway examined the body of Choozo’s assailant, “I heard about this shit during the war,” he said. “The Limeys told tales of the Hun looking like this eating people. But I never saw it myself.”

Highway examines the body.

Chozzo listened in slack-jawed.

The workmen stood from their labours and looked at the scene.
City Employees Carry on watched over by PFC Fragetti

“You men!” barked Highway, “get back to it, I don’t want to hang about here any longer then I have to.”

Turn 6 (5-3)

“I’ve had enough of this shit. Quinoness, grab a Springfield. We’re going to clear out them shacks!”

The driver picked up a rifle.

“Choozo, Quinoness, with me! Jones cover us! Fragetti stand fast on the working party. Fix bayonets. MOVE!” Highway jogged across Donkey Drive towards the first building.

House Clearance
Turn 7 (5-5) (3-6)

Quinoness looked up as the door of the building opposite burst open, “Gunny!” He loosed a shot at an overly dressed zed that charged from within.The creature tumbled black gore splattering the shanty.

A Zed burst forth

Down but not out!

Norman Wisdom, a labourer, hesitated in his work and called to his comrades that he had located the source of Donkey Drive’s water problem.

The zed moaned and rolled onto its back. She began to rise.

Double revealed 1 Zed created from building 3. Q snap fired and knocked down the zed. 1 zed created behind the shack in zone 3. The double starts the work pary's next phase of activity. Two more moves and two sets of doubles remain before completion.

Turn 8 (1-2)

Highway moved onto the collapsed body. It’s bloodstained clothing and light palour identified it as one of the sick. His bayonet cleaved the figure’s skull.

Highway 'pops the weasel'

“Choozo, watch our six. Quinoness, the door, I’ll be first in.”

The shot created a zed which was located behind the shack. It began to move inexorably towards the house clearance team. 

Turn 9 (3-5)

"On my mark. Three, two one, MARK!" ordered Highway.

Quinoness hammered his size ten shoe to the shack’s door and it burst from it’s hinges. Highway followed it in. The one room shack was empty save for some boxes as tables and a ramshackle bed.

The creature behind Highway’s shack heard the door shatter and thought of food. It shambled from behind the shack towards the sound.

Q meleed the door and beat it. A R&R card was drawn for the building and there was nothing inside except for a food reward.

Turn 10 (4-5)

Highway and Quinoness searched the shack.

“Choozo!” yelled Jones as he saw a figure lurch from behind the shack and descend upon his friend.


Choozo felt the cloth of his tunic rip as black stained claws shredded his back. Rolling forward he escaped the assault. Standing he turned to face his threat, “Holy ghost,” he gasped as a slavering once human creature thrust itself at him. Snapping he thrust he bayonet at the creature renting its stomach, it fell. Choozo thrust the blade of his bayonet into the collapsed beast bursting it’s eye in a cloud of red/black fluid.


Lucky Choozo


Choozo is attacked from the rear. Jones and the SAW are unable to activate & Choozo was on his own. Melee at a disadvantage; R1 (3-4/2) R2 (6-2) OOF. A close run thing.

Epilogue

End of Turn 10
The work party are still hard at it but have a lot of work to do (2 doubles + 2 moves). The lack of Rep has proved an issue for the SAW and although it has great range and impact it has not been brought into the action. Highway has split his force. Has he 'knocked on' in his own 22, or should that be fumbled on his own 2 yard line? Episode 2 to come. (PS Sorry, I got some of my figures & names mixed, I hope it didn't Confuse matters too much).

There is a winner in the 'Guess the Bob' competition I'll post the result this weekend.

Watch out for yourselves, and your own. Cheers for reading, Bob.