Little Wars 2015 Mech Attack Battle Report

Last Saturday, Tim and I met up at Little Wars to run our 28mm Mech Attack game. This was our third year running the game at Little Wars, and Mike C. also stopped by to lend us some dice and hang out.

This was the same scenario that we ran at Adepticon last month, and to be honest I didn't record the event quite as well, so this report will be a bit shorter. Suffice to say the attackers' (green) goal was to earn 15 points by destroying defenders' (grey) pillboxes of varying point values. The defenders' goal was to hold them back until the end of the game or destroy them all.

Even before the convention began, I knew we were off to a great start. Five of the eight spots were taken during preregistration a month before the convention. Even better, on the day of the game we had almost as many people waiting for a potential last-minute spot as we had players!

The game layout was similar to the previous convention, but we added a bunch of scatter terrain. It had no effect on gameplay but sure looked nice. The only additions were a bit of train track for the elevated train station, a batch of sci-fi shipping containers made from vintage Micro Machine playsets, and a transport truck.

Since we had twice as many players as at Adepticon, I gave every player only two units rather than three. This still resulted in 50 percent more units on the table, but didn't seem to affect the flow of the game.

The battle ended up being fairly straightforward. However, the younger players were quickly drawn to the idea that mechs could climb on top of buildings, and some dramatic scenes ensued. The actual result of the game was a bit of a surprise to me. I assumed that with more mechs on the table to block the attackers' slow advance, the game would certainly go to the defenders.

However, with only two units per player and each side activating one unit per player, the gameplay went quickly.

It took the attackers less than two hours (the game had three hours allotted) to destroy the three pillboxes and win the day.

With so much time left, I gave the players the choice of leaving, but those who stay could either continue the game or have a death match. They chose deathmatch! We reduced the playing area a bit, gave each player one mech and divided them into three teams. It took just an hour for one team to make enough kills that the others conceded.

Being able to play the same scenario with different numbers of players and units was very instructive. After two years, three conventions and at least five play-throughs, the scenario itself is very tight and players seem to enjoy it, but it's probably time to do something different. Two of the gamers from Little Wars 2014 came back this year, and we should probably give them a new experience next year. Also, it's clear that the players can handle more units than I am giving them. Maybe it's time to put infantry and vehicles back into the game, as we did in the first year we put on Mech Attack at Little Wars in 2013. 

Little Wars as a whole was a positive, if slightly mixed experience. As in the past, I was only able to be there for Saturday during the daytime, so I can't speak to the entire convention. Having a double helping of excited and interested gamers was really encouraging though. It's almost enough to make me run the game twice next year.

On the other hand, the Saturday morning flea market was two hours earlier than last year and half as interesting. Further, I just didn't find as much to love in the dealer section, which seemed even lighter than last year (which was down from the year before). I made a few nice finds (including a box of Oldhammer chaos warriors and two Rogue Trader commissars), but in total I dropped half as much cash as I have in the past. Buying and bargain hunting is one of my favorite parts of a convention, so that was a bit of a let-down. As for the general vibe of the convention, everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves and while the early morning had at first seemed a bit low in numbers, by midday it was plenty full of happy gamers.

-- Karl, Chicago Skirmish Wargames club member

Adepticon 2015: Fistful of Seamen and the Adventure of HMS Titan's Uranus

At Adepticon Tim and I participated in the Saturday night edition of this massive, colorfully-named "Fistful of Seamen" (FoS) swashbuckling and sailing game.

Easily the largest game I've ever been a part of, this massive game spanned a half-dozen tables, a few dozen ships and what appeared to be 50-plus participants.

We had spoken with some of the gamemasters (all of whom appeared in suitable pirate garb) and looked at the terrain ahead of time, but our participation nearly didn't happen. Tickets were sold out, so we hung around the table as the event began and learned what we could. Nations in the game included the French, Dutch, English and Spanish. Players might be military, traders, privateers or pirates depending on what boat they selected. The number of ships available was dizzying.

Luckily, captains who had participated the previous evening were allowed to select "First Mates" from the unwashed masses. Admiral D. was kind enough to pick Tim and me, and we joined him as crew on the HMS Titan's Uranus (I kid you not) hereafter referred to as the Titan. This massive 5-master was the crown of the English fleet and the largest ship in the game.

To attempt to report on the entire game would have been madness, but the beauty of FoS is that each ship essentially plays out its own adventure as it interacts with the other players and the various features of the game. So we'll just follow the Titan's adventures.

As soon as the game began, we left the English port and began to sail across the board escorting a trio of smaller schooners and traders. No sooner had we reached the open sea then we were set upon by the Marseille. The vessel was the pride of the French navy and nearly matched our own size.

We bravely placed ourselves between the raider and our charges, allowing them to slip away. Despite it being a time of peace, the brash French captain declared that we mush strike colors, raise the French flag and join his fleet. We replied with appropriate scorn and righteous indignation.

The ships closed quickly and brutal deck-to-deck combat ensued. After taking a significant casualties, our crew surrendered. Admiral D. was taken onto the Marseille, and the first mate of the Marseille became our new captain. Under her command, we sailed on to the French island for repairs and re-crewing, but upon arrival a surprise was waiting for us.

As we sailed into the port, the French Governor immediately stated his intention to seize or destroy our ship. As we had been taken in a time of peace, its seizure was considered an act of piracy. Seeking to avoid a diplomatic incident, the Governor was prepared to try the entire crew as pirates.

We begged the Governor's favor and explained that we had been brought under duress and would willingly hand over the rebel French captain. The Governor agreed. I dueled our French captain for command and she was defeated. We handed her over to the Governor to be hung for piracy and bringing dishonor to the name of France. Though given no refit, we were encouraged to raise our original English flag and leave the island post-haste.

Thus we found ourselves somehow in command of one of the most fearsome ships on the sea. We set off again across the sea, heading back toward the English island. Spain had recently declared war on the English and on the way, we briefly skirmished with a Spanish galleon.

However, our swifter craft safely made it home in time to leisurely watch the papist galleon be mercilessly raked by the English island's artillery.

Having feared us lost, the Governor listened with rapt attention to our tale of battle, capture and return. After hearing our tale he heartily congratulated us and awarded us promotions in honor (the currency of the game for military units) and titles to lands.

Following a full refit and with a full crew we set out again on the open sea. A minor skirmish with some pirates ensued. We were not capable of pursuing them into rocky shoals, so after a blistering broadside to demonstrate the seriousness of our position, we extorted a minor fee and let them go.

Returning to the French port again in peacetime, we paid some coin to learn the local news (the game allows for "buying" a random game event) and discovered that the Kraken had been sighted! With this disturbing news, we returned to blue water only to be set upon the feared and neigh-invincible Ghost Ship.

We reluctantly paid the Ghost Ship's tax and gave a tithe of his crew as souls to the feed the spectral vessel's terrible appetites. There was not time to ruminate on the fate of those poor devils, however. No sooner had we left the unholy vessel than we came across the Kraken!

Fortunately for us, the legendary beast proved to not be as fearsome as its reputation. A few volleys set the monster back on its heels long enough for the Titan to sail away.

With our tour coming to an end (the game was nearing it's completion), the Titan at last returned to the English island to exchange the last of our deeds and gold into honor and lands.

Our experience with FoS was a real pleasure. The ruleset was concise, and a dozen GMs were present to assist in combat resolution and clear up whatever complications might arise. I'm not usually a fan of systems that require writing down one's commands in advance, but I greatly enjoyed FoS's mechanics which required each captain to make two moves ahead during each turn. Tim thinks we could play it out with his small scale Uncharted Seas ships.

The ruleset as a whole seems to target fun as the highest priority, and it paid off handsomely. Though we supposedly had the most fearsome ship on the sea, brief contact with other captains showed that every ship seemed to be made to excel in a specific manner, such that no player's fun was handicapped by their vessel and some rather unassuming vessels were quite fearsome.

If the cheers at the post-game debrief were any indication, I suspect that every captain in the game could tell a tale as dramatic as ours.

All in all, an excellent participation game and one that I would be pleased to play again. Most interestingly, this has created a small spark of interest in swashbuckling games, a genre I've never been interested in before. Definitely not something on my immediate radar, and certainly not an undertaking of this size, but maybe someday when I'm in need of a new gaming project I'll turn my eyes to the high seas.

-- Karl, Chicago Skirmish Wargames club member

Mech Attack at Adepticon 2015

Earlier this month, Tim and I had the opportunity to run Mech Attack at Adepticon. Though we didn't have anyone sign up for the game ahead of time, we were able to acquire enough passers-by to run a good four-player game.

The scenario and objectives were nearly identical to the game we ran at last year's Little Wars convention, with the attackers on a punitive raid to earn points by destroying the defending teams' bunkers. Each bunker's type and points value was hidden from the defender until it was destroyed. The defenders' goal was to keep the attackers from reaching their objective by the end of the game time.

The main difference between this year's game and last year's game was the quality of the terrain and mechs. Last year's plastic crate buildings had all been replaced with more detailed model buildings.

Twelve new mech models made their convention debut at this game, a few of which are pictured above. Tim brought five massive Zaku, their green paint schemes fitting well with the attacking forces. I brought three Kryomek Striders, three plastic mechs and a rebased prepainted Mechwarrior die-cast Legionnaire.

The scenario background was as follows. In 2366, the occupying forces of the United Colonies were in full retreat. The tide had turned and they were being driven off the planet Melk-3 by a well-organized rebel advance. The vital hub city of Borschtegrad in St. Martin's Parish was the scene of some of the bloodiest mech vs. mech combat in the campaign. There, the retreating UC forces halted their withdrawal for two days and unleashed the Ventauran Legion in brutal punitive raids. Their aim: to cause as much damage as possible to one of the planet's most important industrial centers.

Thus explained, each player chose three mechs and the battle began. The UC forces (in green) advance from the western countryside into the city.

After the opening moves, the Melk-3 rebel forces (in gray) sent two mechs on patrol into the heart of the city.

The tan bunkers are all visible toward the defender's table edge. The rebel forces quickly moved through the city to protect the most westward bunker.

The UC forces quickly reached the first bunker and began to fire on it.

Making use of the dense neighborhoods, the defenders rushed to trap the attackers in a crossfire.

On the north side, the rebels hunkered down...

...as three UC mechs attempt to rush the flank.

The advance is slowed, but only for a moment. The combined firepower of three heavy mechs ripped apart the defending heavy mech and shortly after destroy the bunker. It was an ammo dump! The bunker exploded and did minor damage to the green behemoths.

The advance continued.

Returning to the south side, the UC continued to pour fire into their targeted bunker.

It was eventually destroyed, and the UC attackers discovered that it was a rebel comm center! In the confusion, the attackers make an additional advance (one free move). However, the Melk rebels exact a high price.

Tactical use of crossfire and flanking destroyed the attackers' southern front completely, and the defenders turned their attention to the north side of the city. The defenders took up positions...

…and prepared to sell their lives dearly...

But it was not to be. They slowed the UC advance and managed to protect their city long enough for reinforcements to arrive. The surviving UC mech were in full retreat and the battle is over.

The game was up and we called time. The UC had lost half their force, and the two bunkers they had destroyed had not netted them enough points to claim victory. Though they had lost two mechs of their own, it was a solid win for the defenders. And with that, it was time to pack up the mechs and see the rest of the convention.

I was very pleased with the battle. We had built the game to support eight players running two mechs each, but two players per side running three mechs worked very well.

As always, Mech Attack proved itself to be a system that gives a really fun game. It is easy to teach, with enough detail to keep the players interested but streamlined to keep play moving fast. In my previous post, I discussed my overall experience as a first-time Adepticon game master. Suffice it to say it was an excellent experience and I plan to run a game -- probably Mech Attack -- at next year's convention.

-- Karl, Chicago Skirmish Wargames

Adepticon: A First-Timer's Perspective

Earlier this month I had the pleasure of attending Adepticon 2015, and here's a review of the experience from my varied perspectives, as a:

• First time attendee who isn't a player of the flagship Adepticon games 
• Terrain-building addict 
• First time Adepticon game master 
• Bargain hunter 

Thoughts as a First-Time Attendee
As an attendee, I have to say that the convention is very impressive. Even though I don't play any of the flagship Adepticon games (such as Warhammer 40,000, Warhammer Fantasy, Flames of War, Warmachine or Hordes), I found a lot to like about this convention.

From what Tim tells me, Adepticon has recently widened it's scope to cover other sci-fi and fantasy games, and it showed this year. This expansion wasn't limited to some of the other big players like Reaper Miniatures, Mantic Games, Bolt Action and Infinity. There were demos and booths for small local games like Wreck Age, recent Kickstarter successes like Aetherium and Super Dungeon Explore, startups like Broken Contract, and a host of vendors selling all manner of Mminiature supplies and services.

To be fair, many of these ancilary companies were directly related to the "big" games, but there was still alot to enjoy.

I'll say right up front that the convention also did a bit to improve my views of the "big games." When we game at the FLGS, I invariably find the 40k tables to be loaded with unpainted, half-assembled miniatures. To the guy playing with three sets of unpainted dreadknight legs (just the legs): I'm looking at you. However, at Adepticon, the 40k tables were filled with wonderfully painted miniatures alongside good terrain and thematic boards.

I didn't take any pictures of them, but the Hordes (see what I did there...) of bare metal Warmachine miniatures seen on shop tables were instead replaced by lovely paint jobs showing off the incredible detail of these elaborate sculpts.

As an example of the variety, Tim, Mike and I were treated to a full guided game of SAGA, a historical Dark Ages warband combat game. The experience was extremely enjoyable, and as Tim has the rules, we will definitely be trying this game out again soon. Tim and I also played in a massive naval game that I'll review in a future blog post.

In the vendor hall, I had an excellent conversation with Mike of Terrainaholic.com about his construction of this display at the Mantic booth. Note the interesting use of NERF guns and other toys.

Thoughts from the Terrain Addict's View
Much of my interest in attending was seeing what kind of terrain folks had constructed. Even if you're not a paying attendee, Adepticon is a joy to walk through just to see the variety of terrain on display, such as this amazing asteroid setup for Robotech.

We saw a number of terrain pieces based around common sizes of buckets combined with laser-cut wood MDF elements. I must find out more about this clever product.

I don't think this concept is quite fleshed out, but I plan to try a similar combination of Dust Tactics buildings and Mantic Battlezone pieces. I have a large quantity of Deadzone sprues on the way…

I won't be buying any Forge World terrain anytime soon, but there were a number of pieces that I photographed for future inspiration.

Thoughts as a Game Master
On Saturday morning Tim and I ran a game of Mech Attack. A full battle report will be coming soon. Here's a sneak peek...

As a judge, I was very pleased with my experience. The staff was very courteous and helpful. Tim and I were given free admission to the entire four-day event and each received one of full swag bags, which I will elaborate upon below.

Our room was off the beaten path, and we didn't have any sign-ups prior to the start of the game, but we had some good foot traffic and managed to rope in enough participants to have a good game.

The only downsides were the slightly out-of-the-way location, and the organizers forgot to make the mini-plaques for our game winner. However, the overall experience was very positive.

Mention must be made of the full swag bag, which is available to those who sign up relatively early. We submitted our event application before registration opened, so when it did, we were primed with our free admission voucher and were able to sign up in time to qualify for a full swag bag. Here's a peek at the contents:

• Warmachine starter army
• Mantic Mars Attacks Alien
• Official Adepticon fantasy miniature
• Special Edition Adepticon Victoria Miniatures Female Imperial Guard Officer
• Aetherium Figure (actually a coupon to be redeemed for figure at their booth)
• Issue of Wargames Illustrated
• 2 Robogear Veritech Mecha on sprue
• Reaper paint bottle, which just happens to be in a shade that I find very useful

Not pictured is the drawstring bag it came in and a batch of coupons for various services and vendors. The pirate captain figure is a freebie for participating in the naval game (which will get its own blog post later).

Conservatively measured (and not counting the pirate), that's well over $50 worth of stuff. Even though Adepticon offers free admission for those only looking to shop and look (but not play), I'd pay the $25 admission fee just for the loot!

Thoughts from the Bargain Hunter's Perspective 
Lastly, as any reader of this blog knows, when I go to conventions, I am always looking for real bargains. Most of the merchandise available was aimed at players of the "big games," and most of the discounts were only moderate. However, I still managed a few good scores at both the vendors and the after-hours open trading session. They call it "Bits Trading" but it's actually a free-for-all swap meet that takes place at 10 p.m. in the hallway.

Here's what I acquired at both venues. You can be the judge of how I did.

• $7 for the Void VASA armored vehicle (1/3 of retail) 
• 50 cents each for resin Hesco Barriers 
• $8.50 for laser-cut plywood stairwells (2 big and 2 small sets... stairs are a pain to scratchbuild!)
• $12 for the group of 40k figures and bits, 3 Lord off the Rings figures, 2 Copplestone musicians and a Void Junker
• $10 for 3 Necromunda Orlock figures 
• $20 for mounted Chaos Marauders on sprue. These are the previous edition figures without as many skulls. I've been looking for a deal on these exact figures for a long time. It would have been even better if it had contained the 11 figures the seller had said, but I'm not complaining. Anyone got two more to unload?

I'm sure someone with more interest in Games Workshop and Privateer Press would find a lot more deals especially at the after-hours swap meet, but I'm very happy with what I found and what I paid. I may even bring some things to sell next year.

Final Thoughts
Adepticon is most certainly worth a visit for gamers of all types. If you can register early, the swag bag is reason enough to pay the entry fee. However, at the very least it's worth the price of gas for all Chicago area gamers to go and feast their eyes on what I often refer to as the "Glorious Spectacle of Painted Armies Clashing on Evocative Terrain". After my very positive experiences, it's likely I will be a game-running attendee at Adepticon for years to come.

-- Karl, Chicago Skirmish Wargames club member