Aliens - This Time It's War 54mm Sci-Fi

The Secondhand Lions converged on the Lion's Den this Thursday the 1st of September 2011 to prepare our convention presentation at Recruits September convention. We did a practice run through the Aliens Leading Edge title "This Time It's War." This is a recreation of the movie reactor room scene where the colonial marines face the xenomorph in an attempt to get the hell out of the alien hive. Double click images for a heads up display.
"Hicks check your helmet cam.."

For those about to Rock We Salute You!!!!


Initial deployment screens with fire.

Xenomorph encounterd and neutralized.

Being watched.

The retreat is cut off.

I played Crowe and was about to be consigned to the bagage column. This xeno incapacitated me and next thing I knew was waking up in the APC on the way back to base.

A view of the reactor room.

Our left flank is wave attacked by multiple contacts!!!!!

My other marine, Dietrich was to remain behind for close personal contact with the new alien species. She did in the course of the retreat whip 2 xenos off of Apone. Only to be the last marine in the hive firing away with the flamer as she was covered in acid and dead bodies of the aliens....

7 marines made it to the awaiting APC for a complete marine victory. I however was down 50% and wounded.

Wilson's Creek 150th Reenactment August 14th

Union forces.


12 pounder called "Thunder". This gun shook my teeth!

View of the assault on bloody hill.

View from behind the Missouri lines.

To our right was the confederate artillery.

Out front was the Federals on the far hill.

Confederates moving into line.

Pre battle muster.

Total tourist. I bought the caps at Gettysburg and my son Aaron and I wore them to root for our favorite side. Here we pose before a confederate gun. Got the tourist program, and t-shirt along with a bullet from Stones River battlefield.

Had a really great day with my family and enjoyed the event.

The Battle of Wilson's Creek August 10th, 1861

The Secondhand Lions celebrated the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Wilson's Creek this last Thursday and played our 54mm reenactment game featuring significant battlefield terrain and positions of troops at the outset of the battle.

This image shows the battlefield and Confederate bivouac. We used the club's VBACW rules that were written and compiled back in 1993 which are a chromed version of J. Morschauser's rules.
In this image we are looking northwest across Wilson's creek at Sharp's cornfield and Bloody Hill.

This image shows Sharp's cornfield looking north at the valley of camped Confederates. The scenario required the Confederates to roll a 1D6 and score a 6 to come out of bivouac and be able to move. Subsequent turns the needed score was 5,6 and then the next turn would have been 4,5,6. The Confederates activated two regiments on the very first turn!! This allowed for a quick reaction to the federal attack.

As the Federal attack begins the Missouri troops are called to action.

Formed troops turn toward the hill and see the attacking Fed's coming into view over the rise.

Franz Sigel's battery opens up on the Texans camped in Sharp's cornfield. The battery was to get off three turns of fire into the troops before they could roll their activation and begin to fight off the bombardment.

Another view of Sigel's battery bombarding the cornfield.

The Pulaski Arkansas battery lies in ruin in this fight and was put out of action by the federal artillery on Bloody Hill!

This image is a pretty neat recreation of the battlefield.

Description: Brig. Gen. Nathaniel Lyon’s Army of the West was camped at Springfield, Missouri, with Confederate troops under the commands of Brig. Gen. Ben McCulloch approaching. On August 9, both sides formulated plans to attack the other. About 5:00 am on the 10th, Lyon, in two columns commanded by himself and Col. Franz Sigel, attacked the Confederates on Wilson’s Creek about 12 miles southwest of Springfield. Rebel cavalry received the first blow and fell back away from Bloody Hill. Confederate forces soon rushed up and stabilized their positions. The Confederates attacked the Union forces three times that day but failed to break through the Union line. Lyon was killed during the battle and Maj. Samuel D. Sturgis replaced him. Meanwhile, the Confederates had routed Sigel’s column, south of Skegg’s Branch. Following the third Confederate attack, which ended at 11:00 am, the Confederates withdrew. Sturgis realized, however, that his men were exhausted and his ammunition was low, so he ordered a retreat to Springfield. The Confederates were too disorganized and ill-equipped to pursue. This Confederate victory buoyed southern sympathizers in Missouri and served as a springboard for a bold thrust north that carried Price and his Missouri State Guard as far as Lexington. In late October, a rump convention, convened by Governor Claiborne Fox Jackson, met in Neosho and passed an ordinance of secession. Wilson’s Creek, the most significant 1861 battle in Missouri, gave the Confederates control of southwestern Missouri.

Fourth of July Dawn Patrol 2011

The Dawn Patrol game for the Secondhand Lions was played as per tradition on the morning of the 4th. We began at 8:00 with mimosas on the patio. Flying sorties began around 8:30 featuring Jasta 11 vs. Squadron 60. The German planes were dominant this year despite repeated jamming of the guns. All three allied planes were destroyed and forced down.

I am teaching at a summer camp this year and have passed the tradition of clothespin aircraft on to the next generation.

Best regards to all readers and happy fourth of July.

Song of Arthur and Merlin Song of Blades and Heroes

King Vortigern had given the summons to call out the retinue. All artificers and craftsmen had been summoned to build a tower of refuge for the king. The land was invaded and loyal house knights must earn their keep and pay homage to the usurper king and try and keep their fief controlled and free of invading looters.
Sir Gafannon, Sir Tylyd, and Sir Tywain and the men at arms that were in the vicinity of Lincoln castle began a progress of the fief looking for invaders. Duke Aeron knew that being so far to the north of London it was not likely that a large army was in the area...

Near the perilous chapel an enemy patrol was encountered. Saxons mounted on horseback and a fyrd levy were looting the local countryside.

The Song of Blades was commenced.

Sir Tylyd and Tywain charge in amongst the fyrdmen. Hacking and slaying the enemy.

Sir Tylyd pokes the Saxon Rider right in the eye!!
The evening ended with one of my favorite kinetic adventure games. Dragon Strike MB.

and I got the Dragon's eggs out of the cave and won.

Cheers.

Kurita Command Report From Proserpina Leads the Evening News from PRSPNN

Guest article written from the desktop of the Kurita commander, Ted Conn.

we rejoin our broadcast already in progress...

Intro: It has been almost a year since we started the Proserpina campaign. For info on the first installment of this campaign, go to http://www.boardgamegeek.com/thread/522394/the-battle-for-proserpina-part-1.

I will refresh some information originally relayed in ‘part 1’, as it has been a while! The variant rules we use in this campaign are here on BGG. Info on the variant, called Call To Honor, can be found here: http://www.boardgamegeek.com/thread/271685/mechwarrior-call-to-honorSetting:Proserpina is a world ravaged by war. Nuclear fallout, scorched earth policy and various highly contested engagements on the world have led to the creation of several continental 'Dead Zones'. Fast forward several years. The Draconis Combine (House Kurita) rules with an iron fist. Dirt poor people scratch out meager existences by foraging in the 'Dead Zones' and finding lost tech or anything else of value. The populace rails silently against the oppressive Draconis regime. The Highlanders, a collection of mercenaries (terrorists?), aim to throw off Kurita’s yoke and return Proserpina to its original ‘glory’...for some unknown entity.Situation:Kurita’s iron grip on Proserpina was challenged. Pride Town had been attacked in a most devious, yet disconcerting manner. Draconis High Command, while commending the actions of the planet side commander for his role in maintaining order during the attack, issued a military lock down. All civilian traffic was considered hostile while the situation was further assessed.

Within a day after the battle ended, recon ‘mechs to the NW of Pride Town reported a large column of civilian vehicles heading toward the ‘Dead Zone’. A majority of these vehicles appeared to contain supplies that a settlement would require: Foodstuffs, housing fabrications, etc. As this information was relayed, a sizable force of armor and infantry appeared from the ‘Zone’ in question and assumed a defensive position along the vehicles’ route. Oddly, their IFF signatures didn’t signify ‘foe’, even though the recon ‘mechs could clearly see they weren’t Draconis forces. The planetary commander didn’t waste any time dispatching three lances of ‘mechs, air cavalry and power armored troops to the location. The order was clear: There are no civilians in this conflict. Kill anything in sight.

Map:The map featured a road that ran from the SE to the NW. There was another road that intersected and ran straight north about 1/3 of the way into the map. The terrain was mainly comprised of rock formations and was considered ‘rough’ terrain for wheeled vehicles. There were two built-up areas on the map: A small resupply station in the SE corner and a heretofore unknown collection of buildings along the road, in the NW area of the ‘Dead Lands’. The insurgents were formed in a defensive position along the length of the western edge of the board. The Kuritan forces entered from the east, with the ‘mechs entering along the road in the SE corner of the board. Game:The objectives for both sides were clear. The insurgents had to get their ‘civilian’ vehicles off the western edge of the map. Kuritan forces had to inflict as much damage to the insurgents as they could.The game started with Kuritan forces, the 9th Benjamin Regulars (Ted and Carl), coming in ‘hot and heavy’ from the east. The ‘mechs pushed their heat sinks as they hurried to catch up to the fleeing ‘civilian’ vehicles. With insurgent military forces looming on the horizon, but still out of effective range, the ‘mechs fired on the convoy, knocking out a couple of vehicles and damaging a couple more. They then blended into the resupply station’s buildings and waited of the enemy to close the distance. Meanwhile, the air units and armor moved to engage the enemies’ defensive perimeter. They started giving and taking fire almost immediately. Even under this storm of tightly-knit energy beams and hot flying metal, the transport VTOLs continued to head due west, directly into the heart of the enemy’s formations.

The Highlanders (Bill and Ken) reacted immediately and aggressively. The SW mass of ‘mechs and armor moved toward the resupply station and the Draconis forces. They opened fire on anything within their HUDs, inflicting light damage to a couple of units. The center (west) Highlander forces didn’t have to move to engage their enemies, as the Draconis VTOLS and air support helicopters had not only moved in and started deploying power armored infantry, but had split into two formations near the Highlander rear. These aerial units took a great deal of damage, with two VTOLs knocked out of the sky.

The second Kuritan turn included a lot of action. A large ‘mech battle along the southern flank raged without any Highlander or Kuritan losses. The battle’s center was littered with dead forced from both sides (mainly infantry), but the insurgents’ IFF scramblers were discovered. Unfortunately, there wasn’t time to destroy them. The northern flank was stalemated by rough terrain and poor shooting, but both sides were closing to get into short range.

Unfortunately, the evening ended before a firm resolution on any part of the front could be established. We sat around the table and discussed what most likely would have happened, which brings us to…
Ending:The outcome of the battle wasn’t clear, as the conflict wasn’t carried to the end. Five convoy vehicles had been destroyed or rerouted to the north. However, some key points in the campaign were established.

Draconis-
The insurgents established a base of operations in the ‘Dead Zone’, which was believed to be uninhabitable. The exact location of this base is unknown. It is also known that the insurgents have the capability of masking their IFF signatures. This was evidenced in the initial Pride Town attack and was also observed during the attack on the convoy. This reinforced the need for martial law and the ‘shoot first, ask later’ mentality Kuritan troops had adopted. Some supplies did make it into the ‘Dead Zone’, indicating that the rebels’ continued viability in the area should be considered a fact. Incursions into the ‘Dead Zone’ to locate and destroy the insurgents’ base of operations are highly recommended.

Highlanders-
Things went according to plan, more or less. The damned Kuritans caught wind of our convoy and destroyed valuable supplies, but we did get quite a lot of supplies, ammunition and people to further our cause. We didn’t figure they’d open fire on the convoy, but evidently they are taking us seriously. Good. They should, because we’re in this for the long haul. With the old man’s information, we can pursue our goals to rid Proserpina of House Kurita and the Draconis Combine. They did discover our IFF jamming stations, which is a shame, but the information cost them dearly.

Operation Bulldog Part II After Action Report

The military activity on Proserpina has accelerated after a fortune in mercenary money was donated to the cause. One of the first targets the insurgents attacked was the Bulldog Tank works on Proserpina.

Bulldog Enterprise is located in a northern sector of Pridetown and is heavily guarded by the 9th Benjamin Regulars. The Highlander Mercenary Unit that attacked them was paid for using a sizable donation from a retired mechwarrior named Thomas Clearwater.

This view of downtown Pridetown includes portions of the Bulldog campus. 9th Benjamin Regulars can be seen moving into responsive positions to intercept Highlander mechs.

An aerial view taken from the Highlander command vtol.

An urgent looking Goshawk from 2nd Batt. 1st Co. 9th Benjamin crashes through the lush palms on the Bulldog industrial campus to try and halt an encroaching Atlas.

The Highlander force has a toehold in the wasteland and has landed on planet additional forces that have still to be encountered or accounted for...
This attack signals a new and reinforced threat to Kurita control over Proserpina.

Bulldog Red building is being looted by the Highlander infantry. Part of the objective was to secure mech specifications and technical data from the industrial complex.

From top of image to bottom: Blue, Yellow and Green buildings are in view. Each of these buildings was targeted by the rebel army in an attempt to gain valuable technical data for use in the wastelands to refit mechs needed for further success in the fight to free Proserpina.

Combat footage courtesy of PRSPNN

The first and greatest success occurred because of a united Highlander front crashing into the south border of the Bulldog complex. Red Building was ransacked during hot fighting that included gutted mechs just within 200 yards.