Bash on Recce!

The Mantovian Royal Army has been upgraded with some armoured reconnaissance assets to fill out the light cavalry regiments.

Ferret armoured cars and Landrovers. 

wondering if I should hit the windscreens with some gloss varnish, or blue airbrush paint

I picked the Ferret because it's rather ubiquitous, was widely used, and most importantly, it's as cute as button.

Two of my Ferrets had their turrets coming away, so I experimentally gave them a tug, revealing the open top for the Mk. 1. After cleaning up the uncured resin, I added the upper body of some spare infantry in suitable poses and a couple of MGs on AA mounts from the Bits Box, left over from building Sdkfz251s.

They will be supported by Fireflies until the Comets arrive from Don. I'm undecided if the Comets will be from a separate regiment or just a "Heavy Squadron," like WW2 German armoured recce battalions had a schwere kompanie of the Sdkfz 234s to support the 222s. 

Full Recce Patrol

Landrovers with dismounts

The Tartarians are using BTR40 scout cars supported by T34/85 tanks.

Tartarian Combat Reconnaissance Patrol

Now to design a scenario for them.

Birthday Trench Assault!

I took the day off to drink tea, eat bacon and play with my Quar. I had some ideas tootling around in my head and opted to use This Quar's War and do another playtest for the Zombiesmith design team. I also decided my Trench Raiders should see some dice rolled in anger and thought a raid to spike a big gun would be fun. The Crusader defense have a company plus two heavy shotguns garrisoning the trenches and bunkers. But they're all asleep in their nests, and need to get into positions.

The Coftyrans are attacking from the trees on the right. In addition to the Trench Raider detachment, there is a company of 3 squads, plus an M3b HMG team and an RCO field gun to make a diversionary attack.

Table set up. There's a squad and an H11 team in each bunker, an HSG in each gun pit in front. The other two squads are in the dug outs in the forward trench line. The gun that the Trench Raiders are trying to blow up is in the left hand trench line.

Sniper and pair of Cryfen LMGs provide overwatch for the Raiders 

Trench Raiders move out

Diversionary attack in their assault waves

M3b HMG team 

RCO field gun 

Cold sentry

Sentry

Standing guard in the battery

Coftyrans get the first card. How far they get (how many activations the card gives them) is the random element before the alarm is raised. Using Group Moves, the Trench Raiders moved three bounds, being slowed crossing the wire, and the Rhyflers got two moving up to the bunker and road block. 

Fortunately, they drew a 5.

Combat Activations can't use group moves, so one squad was sent forward to assault, quickly overwhelming the lone sentry. 

They then assaulted the bunker behind. The Crusaders by this time were trying to mobilize, needing an Activation to deploy each squad or team. In hindsight, I should have put the Bomber Squad up front to take the bunker.

In the trenches I had the squads and HSG teams deploy from the two dugouts causing more delays. But the sentries in the weapons pits could fire the HSGs with half dice until the rest of the crew got there.

Alert! Stand to! Stand to!

Trench Raiders slip past the forward Trench.

The Trench Raiders got into the Crusader rear and were moving up on the big bunker when it's garrison started waking up.

Trying to get up close before the garrison wakes up

I should have brought the Support group (two Cryfen LMGs and the Sniper) along with, they would have been more useful firing on the bunker from the orchard.

Just close enough for everyone to count for Close Combat. But two Raiders have been cut down by the alerted H11 in the bunker.

Both sides taking casualties in close quarters fighting. Trench Raider's Doru SMGs and grenades giving an edge (I gave them the Brawler advantage, rerolling any missed dice)

After about 4 rounds of combat, the Raider detachment retires with only 3 quar left and 4 shock. The bunker Garrison has 8 shock and 7 figures left.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the table, the Rhyflers were trying to assault the other bunker. They started out getting a slight edge; the side with the least shock gets "the Lead" and adds an extra die per figure.

But eventually the defense had a good roll or two and killed several attackers, resulting in them now having twice as much shock as figures left.

In hindsight, I should have brought the LMG team (in the slit trench) up with the assault team to add some dice to the attack. They were just a smidge too far back to help.

Trying to assault the bunker at the roadblock 

Assaulting squad breaks with double shock

I also sent a squad to attack the HSG nest that was firing into the flank of the diversionary assault.

A second squad tries rushing the HSG nest.

Yeah, that didn't go well 

More hindsight: I should have put everyone prone while the RCO and M3b put some fire on the HSG nest before rushing the squad up. Live and learn I guess? But with the card activation, and everything getting snarly once the shooting starts, you just don't have enough activations to do everything you want. Of course, neither does the other side.

But with the Trench Raiders retiring and the supporting Rhyfler company having two out of three squads shattered, it was time to call off the attack.

I struggled with the Close Combat rules as written, but was able to give some useful (I hope) feedback. It turns out my biggest idea (using reduced firepower dice) was very similar to one Joshua already had. Great minds and all that.

My indulgent birthday lunch. Toasted cheese bun, with fried egg, cheese slice, and crispy bacon with one of several mugs of tea.

All in all, a good day was had.

Gloam-Hyyn Serial Number Three

The rhyflers were halted along a nameless stream, perched among the thick, twisting roots that reached down into the brown water. Some had fishing lines already cast, hoping to catch some fresh rations. Others got fires going for the mandatory brew up. Lukey and Syr'tte sat by their small tea fire built in the hollow between two large roots and watched the conference a short distance away, in the middle of the water. The Tracker Yawdryl was making a report in a thick, back country accent. The new Is-Caerten was standing in squeaky new hip waders. He had a puzzled look, and scratched at a bug bitten and sunburned neck while Yawdryl Laf'ynt stood between them translating. 

Caerten Parfoyl ap Whyfflyn stood a little apart, listening, but letting his new Is-Caerten get the report, interested to see what the youngster would do. He puffed contentedly on his pipe, and wiggled his toes in the mud, letting the water from the stream wash over his feet.

Scouts and Trackers

Two are carrying traps that can be prepositioned at the start of the game. The other two will control packs of tamed Sarf-Cyn.

The Tracker Yawdryl, resplendent in the fragrant skin of a giant mud crawler, waved at the distance. "Tollyquar big termy dignest busho away away. Tre pan rhyfleys onna wing. Bashna inna port onya kay?"

The Is-Caerten turned the map, trying to orient himself. Yawdryl Laf'ynt pulled his pipe out of his mouth. "He sayin' a force of Greenies is dug in here, an' anudder, 'bout t'irty rhyfles, is comin' along dis here holler tryin' an flank us." Laf'ynt helpfully turned the map right way up and indicated the relevant positions with his pipe stem.

Trio of Yawdryls

Caerten Whyfflyn offered the Tracker his tobacco pouch. "Kopang, baratna mi. Inna Gloamyquar onna bowl, sassa-kay?" The Tracker Yawdryl helped himself to a generous pinch of tobacco leaf, packing it into his own pipe before raising his knuckles to his snout and shuffling off along the creek to gather his Scouting Detachment for a welcome rest and feed.

He looked at Yawdryl Laf'ynt. "Yawdryl, make sure Cook knows that he has some guests coming for bowls of his excellent snail and shrimp gumbo."

Yawdryl Laf'ynt gave a comparatively much sharper salute, although perhaps not up to Royal Guards standards. "Aye, Bossquar! Sure t'ing,  eh."

Whyfflyn regarded his new Is-Caerten evenly. "You just arrived on the supply pirogue yesterday, didn't you?"

Coftyran officer on attachment in his hip waders

The Is-Caerten came to attention. "Yes sir!"

"What do you make of them?"

The Is-Caerten slapped at a blood midge. "Who sir? Midges?"

"The Trackers, bucko! The Trackers."

"Well, um... they're a bit... smelly, sir."

"That'd be the mud crawler skins they wear. Badges of honour. Only the best Gloamyquar can catch one. And they wear 'em to disguise themselves when wading in the waterways. Damn'd clever chaps."

"If you say so, sir."

"I do say so. Useful to have around. They'll save your snout if you treat 'em right." Whyfflyn looked him up and down. "Get yourself some sandals. First firefight and you'll have holes in your rubber pants and they'll fill with water." He puffed his pipe some more. "And until you learn the lingo, just let the Yawdryls give the orders." He started to climb out of the stream. "Now, d'ye like snail gumbo? I hope the Trackers haven't et it all! We can have a bowl and decide what to do about these Greenies trying to sneak around us."

Gloam-Hyyn get a logistics element as well

Lukey watched them go. He spat a stream of tobacco juice at a stick-bug, knocking it off a leaf. "Pashang! Izzy na Gloamyquar mi pensa. Him no bush long, sassa-kay?" Syr'tte shrugged noncommittally and checked if the tea was strong enough.

***********************

A big batch of 16, plus the pack beast, this time. But I wanted to try some of the trackers with their unique headgear. This gives me another rhyfler squad plus some more Headquarters elements. It took me a while to get them done due to life getting in the way and not having the energy to work on them in the evenings. But this completes all of the regular rhyflers.

This brings them to four squads of 7, plus a headquarters group of Caerten, Is-Caerten, Master-Yawdryl, Medic, Cook, Messenger Squirrel Handler, Quarter-Master Yawdryl with pack beast, and an extra Cryfen LMG.

The Scout Detachment will consist of 8 Scouts and Trackers, plus twelve Sarf-Cyns when completed.