A tale of two worlds

Astral Archiuteuthis or more commonly known as space squid.

Despite being a relatively non threatening creature the Astral Archiuteuthis are one of the most terrifying creatures to inhabit Mars and have proven the demise of many Aeronef.

None more so then the destruction of the Tzars 3rd Imperial Russian Fleet which unfortunately found itself stuck between two herds of squid during mating season.

This battle was first contact between one of the races of Mars and a German logging fleet and set in the history of our campaign, back in 1898.

For this we used the Aeronef rules system, although we could have just of easily used Full Thrust rules and just changed the names of things to suit our ideas.

The German forces are from Brigade Games, The Astro Squid are home made from beads, cheap jewellery and bits of wire.  Nothing like wargaming on a budget.

The floating islands are chunks of polystyrene with kitchen towel soaked in PVA glue draped across the tops to for the soiled areas.  The Trees are cocktail sticks with a little red flock glued to them.

After battle report

Unteroffizer Blucher surveyed the desolate Martian expanse before him as he listened to the roll call made in the sharp, Prussian voice of Sergeant Kurtz. He turned once again to look at the men. Barely 40 able to stand, another ten who needed to be propped up and probably another 10 who would die before the day was through. A motley mixture of marines, dirigible crew, engineers, a cook and even the captain’s faithful wolfhound. Sixty men from a ships company of nearly seven hundred. A ship which was launched only a year before to be the pride of the new German Martian fleet by the Kaiser himself. A ship which lay in pieces all around them, scattered as far as the eyes could see.

Blucher shuddered as the winds whipped dust around his greatcoat and harsh sunlight started to fall on the camp, still surrounded by fires from the falling debris of the dig fleet. But is was not the cold he shuddered from. He could still hear the screams of men trapped in the ships stern section, slowly being crushed. He could hear the gunshot like sound of metal rivets being torn loose. The fire crews braving the inferno of the upper decks and the harsh sound of gunnery captain Smeltzer as he barked orders even when all was lost. In barely twenty minutes the force of expeditionary ships ordered to accompany the Bavarian logging crews during the past week had been nearly totally destroyed.

Admiral Hutz had received notice two days prior to this happening when a strange ship had signalled it’s approach. The visitors had come aboard and spoken with the admiral for nearly an hour before departing. Obviously things had not gone well. Some sort of warning had been given and the admiral was not a man to take a warning well. The mission was to extract the floatwood material for new ship testing. Floatwood gave the ability for ships to remain static in the air and still be able to move at vastly greater speeds then the digs they currently used. But the mature trees only grew on the vast floatwood archiapeligo that migrated around the planet. After a week of harvesting they had seen and harpooned a specimen of the architeuthis species. While only a juvenile it weighed in excess of 2000 kg. That was the day before the attack.

Blucher had been in charge of the forward damage party when the attack happened. From his vantage point near the bows of the ship he had seen the astral monsters approach quickly from the south. The sound of the gunnery decks opening fire was deafening and for a little while at least it seemed as if their ship was warding off the attacks as architeuth after architeuth fell before them. When they started to get into close range however the tables turned. Blucher saw strange electrical charges appear from the animals that caused fired to erupt on deck and gunnery decks to lose electrical power to move turrets. Men on fire fell screaming overboard. When the large architeuths hit it was with the force of a freight train. Superstructure buckled and bent, large gun ports were torn free like a small child playing with a tin opener. Still they fought on. Hundreds of marines swarmed the tentacles with axes, swords and anything they could use to cut through the hideous tentacles. Men mounting the deck machine guns poured fire into the vast hulks, aiming for their eyes. Their eyes…. At one point Blucher remembered being knocked down a companionway staircase and seeing a great eye through a rent in the hull.

After that things became a little harder to recall. The shouts and screams of the men became subdued and then quiet. It was as if they were in a trance or a nightmare. Blucher recalled seeing the midships explode and the tail section fall away as the gas compartments were destroyed in quick succession. The deck beneath him had buckled and then risen sharply as the great weight was released. It was the floatwood store that had saved them. When the men came to their senses they found themselves drifting slowly down to earth some half a mile below them with the large tree trunks giving them enough lift in order to sink like a feather and not a stone. It all seemed surreal now.

Blucher turned to see the massive frame of chief engineer Hummel approaching him. He was limping painfully from the acid burn to his right leg.“Sir, I’ve assessed what remains of the ship and the scout parties have returned with some of the parts I need. It’s possible to build something but it will be pretty basic. With all the men helping I could probably have us in the air again in six days. But there is one problem…we have no means of propulsion”. Blucher looked at the three steam clanks that were making repairs to the hull in the distance and then to the  low row of tents which the men were using as shelter, their canvas flapping hard in the breeze. “No my good Hummel, we have the wind..” he said.

And so began the epic voyage of the crew of the dread 33 in their vessel which they nicknamed the ‘Frieda’ (after the engineers wife who had a rather portly appearance and was known to stagger a little after heavy drink).

Meanwhile in Germany the loss of their main Martian navy drew a great cry of indignation from all strata of society. Calls were made for war but it was hard for the public to find an outlet for their rage. Ultimately it was the British who grew suspect in the eyes of the German high command for orchestrating such an event. The British High Commissioner claimed that they knew nothing of the event but was expelled shortly afterwards. Things grew tense. A British ship off the coast of East Africa was sunk without survivors or explanation. The Russians made noises to support the British while the French carefully avoided taking sides with anyone but instead offered a negotiating table for all parties. The Boers in South Africa seem to be receiving German arms and heavy calibre weapons. In the Sudan a British Aeronef patrol has been attacked by an ‘unknown force’ which bore markings last seen during the time of the Mahdi. Things are looking grim. Meanwhile on Mars a secret expedition has been sent out by the Kaisers feared and hated chief of secret police Heinrich Von Hinkel to the southern Polar regions to make contact with the only race known to have defeated the Seers..the Mechaloids.

Her Majesty’s Mars Ship Gladiator.

The HMMS Gladiator is one of the largest land ships currently in service in the British Army.  Built in the Metropolitan Carriage of Birmingham this fearsome machine is at the pinnacle of land warfare.

With a top speed of no less than 4.3 mph (7 kph) in good conditions with the wind behind it and armed with a ferocious howitzer capable of firing shells of 900 kg for over 11 miles (18 km) and two Richard Jordan Gatling Guns the Gladiator lives up to its name.

Able to trade blows with the toughest fighting vehicles out there.

With a 35% reliability record the Gladiator is set to really take the fight to the Martians.

Model scratch built by the fabulous British Commander, Lev Vykopol out of Cardboard, plastic kits and the odd trip to the local hardware shop.

Scale comparison with the Orca, Light Scout walker.

Also Scratch built from plastic kits, old star wars models and plumbing fittings found at the DIY shop.

For the most part the Prussian forces are made from WWI German troops from the fantastic Renegade Miniatures range.  Sadly this range of figures seems incredible hard to find these days with the company closing shop for long periods of time.  To this day I am not even sure if they are still in business.

Added to those are a mixture of all kinds of models that I have picked up along the way.

The joy of this campaign is it really is anything goes.  We really don’t mind who wins or loses or if the forces are balanced, as long as we have fun and can tell a good story.

The bunting strewn all around town was very simply made from little Union Jacks printed out and glued to string.  I suppose I could of done them in little triangles, but I am a bit lazy.

Building Sandrigham

My little set up for the Battle of Sandrigham inspired and ruthlessly taken from the fabulous article in one of the Touching History books which are sadly no longer in production.

A little over 4′ Square in total on two terrain boards.

I think the pictures explain the building process on there own better than I probably could in writing.

Basically the terrain boards are made of MDF ‘trays’ with polystyrene inserts which were carved and contoured.  Inserts were then cut into the polystyrene for the buildings to be inserted into.

The buildings were constructed in foam-core and wooden stirrers and balsa wood used to create the wooden beams.

The roofs were made from MDF with a literal ton of individually cut tiles.

The whole lot was painted with regular household paint from Bunnings and flocks and the like added to create a rather dreary semi cold and damp looking town.   Just like a good old English summer 🙂

The Battle of Sandrigham

After Battle Report

Father O’Mally Sighed as he looked around at the devastation.  Familiar faces, members of his Parish lay in the blood splattered mud.  Their limp bodies broken and lifeless.
Although tired from the days exertions it would be some time before he could rest.
Personal effects needed to be gathered from the fallen and passed on to surviving relatives.  Graves would need to be dug, oh so many graves.
The Motionless Clanks would need to be disassembled less anyone proved foolish enough to wind up the giant keys embedded in their backs and unwittingly unleash their foul anger once more.

With a crisp salute Private Perkins came to attention before Captain Blashford.

“Sir, father O’Mally found these on the body of Mister Clements, Sir”

The Battle of Sandrigham

Part Two

The Stahlfahrrad, Prussian Scout bike, barges through the Highlanders holding the secondary entrance.  A closely following Clank is not so lucky and is battered to death single handily by Captain Mc Doogle
The Stahlfahrrad lines up a flanking shot on the H.M.M.S Gladiator, unfortunately Wachtmeister Eberhard hadn’t counted on the most fearsome thing in the British Empire¦

A Queen Victoria, who was anything but amused, with her trusty double barrelled hunting shotgun.

Highlanders, realising that their rifle fire is having little effect on the clanks, unleash volley after volley into the much squishier Prussians.
Without the constant supply of people to keep the Clanks fully wound up its not long before they start to grind to a halt.

With the Prussian assault in ruins the few survivors make a fighting withdrawal, erm ok it was more of a rout.

In a last act of defiance the Derailer fires a departing shot at the Queen¦ A direct Hit!

A deadly silence covers the battlefield whilst both sides wait for the smoke to clear¦

People gasp, the only person left standing is Lady Marmalade.  But wait, the body of the Queen is nowhere to be seen.

In a bizarre act of pure chance the Queen was blasted into sky by the explosion.  Only the several layers of petticoats saves her, acting as a parachute bringing Her Majesty, trailing a thin whisper of smoke, down safely onto a nearby roof top.

The Battle of Sandrigham

Part One.

Captain Blashford – Robbins tugged at his collar to relieve the heat as he watched the Queen climb the gantry for the official ship naming ceremony. It was late in the day due to delays which had been beyond his control but which he knew he’d be blamed for by his superiors. As long as Queen Victoria wanted to stay in the inn swapping tall tales with her highland officers and that annoying Lady Marmalade there was little he could do about it. Overall though he couldn’t be too disappointed. Although the Queen had not initially been too amused by the rather unsteady gait of the new army walking artillery platform ‘HMMS Gladiator’, she had been excited to use it to chase grouse across her estate. It had been quite a sight to see the ageing monarch who needed help to keep upright suddenly start belting away with her shotgun at anything that moved, including at one stage a game warden from the RSPB reserve. The test range forgotten, the mechanical terror had waded tidal inlets, crossed salt marshes and at one point crashed a party of the local WI. Once the smelling salts had been passed around the good ladies were more than happy to pass cakes and scones up to the thankful naval brigade who scoffed them at the insistence of the Queen who scolded Admiral Standish for being too ‘po faced’. The captain smiled at the memory of the admirals expression.
It was vitally important for certain members of the cabinet to get the Queen’s approval for the new war initiative which was being funded by the 23rd war bond. As usual the job of pleasing the Queen had been given to the officer lowest in the food chain.. Him. The artillery trials had gone well except for the first round which had overshot. Really there was no way of knowing that the pig farm was there. Correction..that it once had been there. At least the good citizens of Lower Titchwell would be eating chops for a good few weeks to come. And the Queen had been impressed by the pintle mounted gatling guns, though he’d not heard of them being used for rabbit hunting before.

Standing on the fore-deck of HMMS Gladiator, the captain was aware even above the din of the crowd which had gathered on the royal-estate of a growing squeaking sound. He’d put it down to another infernal component in this machine, but the noise was getting louder. No time to look about though as the Queen had reached the top of the gantry. The crowd shushed into silence and a hundred pairs of eyes watched as the queen took hold of the lever which would drop the bottle onto the front deck of the ship. Something fell behind the captain and clattered to the ground but he dared not look away.
The Queen had managed to gather some composure now and look slightly more regal, despite the bunting which had somehow got snagged on her foot and which no one had had the bravery to tell her she was dragging around.
“God Bless this ship and all who shail in her”
Oh God, how many had she had..and some of those highlanders didn’t look much better..
CLUNK the lever was pulled. The bottle released…and …exploded in midair.
The captain turned, wiping champagne from his face while several thoughts buzzed through his head. In roughly this order he thought: “that’s not supposed to happen…why is there a large Prussian tank on the other side of the millstream …why is midshipman Phelps unconscious behind me…why do they always use such cheap champagne for these things?”

And so began the infamous battle of Sandringham.

Will Queen Victoria be snatched by the ruthless Prussian special forces? Will someone tell the Queen about the bunting she is dragging around on her boot? Will someone get the highlanders out of the pub in time? Were the WI scones really poisoned? If a tree falls in a forest and no-one is there, can we assume it has been caused by an ageing British monarch with a Gatling gun? Can somebody please get me an aspirin?

These questions and more probably will not be answered fully as the battle unfolds.

I picked up a copy of GASLIGHT and Battles by GASLIGHT for this game.  We didn’t really have to long to prepare for the game so we decided on a rather small skirmish, slightly themed (yes very slightly) on The Eagle Has Landed.
It was also a good excuse to paint up some new figures and hang good old Union Jack bunting around my little town.

Prussian forces consisting of Clockwork Cranky pants, A Metal Bicycle, Derailer Tank and a handful of Elite Prussian Guards would attempt to snatch Queen Victoria in a lightning raid whilst at the same time a Prussian Spy who had not only sabotaged the H.M.M.S Gladiator but had also stolen its blueprints would try to escape undetected.

We decided that the Prussian Clanks could only make sustain rolls if there was a friendly figure in base contact with them, someone needs to wind them up.  So the Prussians also had a 4 man Bavarian repair team.

The damage caused to the Gladiator would mean that it had a really low Start and sustain number and could only fire its main gun once it was up and running; its two gatling guns however were fully operational.

The Prussian spy was chosen in secret and hidden within the unit of townsfolk.   At any point in the game I could reveal his true identity and immediately take command of him.  He was armed with a pistol and a bomb should things get desperate for him.

On the British side were 20 Highlanders split into 2 units of 10.  A unit of Marines a large mob of 20 Townsfolk (including our spy.) and the two British tanks freshly back from the hunting trip with the queen.

Anyway  enough of my ramblings and on with the pictures.

Her Majesty Queen Victoria addresses the townsfolk.

Prussians advance on the town using both bridges in a pincer manoeuvre.  Uhrwerk-verschrobe Hosen at the fore; their solid metal skins all but impervious to small arms fire.

No sooner has the Prussian assault started it starts to falter.  Clanks begin to unwind blocking the way.
Bavarian Wind Up teams rush forward to restart the static assault troops.

Highlanders and townsfolk rally forth to defend the Queen whilst the H.M.M.S Orca, a British scout class walker, attempts a flanking manoeuvre on the smaller of the two Prussian forces.

H.M.M.S Gladiator stirs to life and begins to trade blows with the Prussian Derailer.  Round-shot skims past chimney pots in this deadly exchange of heavy metal.