Reinforcements for the Tolly-Maeryn

I wanted to work on these weirdos months ago. But I couldn't find the box of parts that I had set somewhere safe for weeks, until I found them while looking for something else, naturally. 

Fortunately I found them before Don reprinted everything. 

Light Machine Gunners

But what has been lost, is found again, as the Padre says. And assembled and painted. Hopefully I have enough now to put together a decent ~400 point force of them for Clash of Rhyfles.  I tried last month, but the low Skill value on the basic rhyflers meant I was struggling to get a 300 point squad together. 

They also rely on a lot of squad LMGs and an assortment of Leader options to make up for the low Skill of their basic conscript Home Guard rank and file. 

And I mean a lot of LMGs. They can have 3 per squad if I give one to the Milwer (Corporal). So I need Don to print me another 5 to 8 LMGs for the complete company. 

Veteran in camouflage cloak 

One of the leader options is a Veteran who has rejoined the ranks to defend the homeland. He has infiltrate and a better skill level, so he's good for sneaking about and being annoying.

Technically they're carrying Harlechs, but on one figure the rhyfle had broken off, so I cut the end off a Bostad rhyfle used by the squaddies.

Rebuilt rhyfle on the right 

Leaders all gesturing

Another character they get is the grouchy Veteran, who is missing an arm,  which explains his bad mood I'm sure, but he brings his experience, higher Skill, Leadership, and being a good pistol shot to the battlefield. 

Since I don't need two one-armed veterans, I added a pointing arm to another to make another officer. 

I also needed another NCO to finish the fourth squad. This is a dyna (quar female). 

Another one of their things is rhyfle grenadiers. Two per squad. Trying to build a rhyfler aiming their rhyfle upwards wasn't working, so I opted for declaring that all rhyfle grenadiers are wearing the soft hat with plumes. 

These ones also have spherical grenades on their belts. 

They're also dynas (female quar). But it's hard to tell with the rhyfles across their busts.

Except for more LMGs, this army is complete. 

Unless I want to add their bicycle dragoons. 

Crusader Light Armour

Finally got these 3d printed vehicles finished off.

First is a Krassyl Mod(4) Armoured Contraption, or armoured car to us humans.
 

It is a three quar, reasonably fast, armoured recce vehicle with a turret mounted light cannon in the front.

I haven't read the vehicle rules yet, so not sure how well armoured it is. I assume it's faster than, but not as well armured as the Alithean.

I also got a pair of these cute little Squad Tractors, the Orythil.

I painted one for my jungle themed Toulmorese, even though they officially don't get one in their list. But light armour in a jungle makes better sense.

It has a larger gun than the Krassyl, with a bigger blast template, but less anti-tank ability. Finishing these was delayed as I decided after painting, to add stowage.

Metal packs and rolls of camouflage netting from cheese cloth. The bin on the left side of the Crusader vehicle is from a Sherman Firefly turret.

With my other Toulmore tractor, the Twaenhyr

Mail Call!

Some arrivals this week, just in time for the Civic Holiday Long Weekend. Tuesday UPS delivered my hardcopy of Clash of Rhyfles. and the new plastic cavalry. 

I was going to wait, but Zombiesmith had a sale on, so I ordered direct and got the printed pieces to convert them into Toulmorese Dragoons and Gwynt Lancers. The Gwynt Lancers will be a mounted troop for Princess P'trysha's Lifeguards.

Both sets include dismounts. Toulmorese Dragoons can dismount to skirmish, but anyone might end up dismounted if their mount is killed. People have recommended around 30% for dismounts, so not sure how to split the boxes between Crusaders/Toulmorese and Coftyrans/Gwynt yet. 

So this weekend I plan on charging about with my metal cavalry to get a handle on how they work before I start gluing figures together. 

These also arrived in my mailbox today.

Rising Sun Over Java is a scenario and campaign supplement for my favorite naval rules Snorkers! (Good Oh!). There are some new rules, and 16 scenarios. Fortunately I have some older USN destroyers on order from Donski's Printer Farm. I might also see if they can be reskinned for Royal Navy vs Regia Marina or perhaps the Kreigsmarine, since I've got several German ships also on my print list.

Trench Raid!

I left the trenches set up from last week and played the Trench Raid scenario from the full rules. The defenders get 300 points; a basic squad with 1x rhyfler upgraded to sharpshooter, and an attached H11a LMG. They deploy half in the first third of the table and the rest in the middle third, guarding important locations in the trench system.

The attackers get 400 points. I wanted to try my Coftyran Special Forces Group and broke the Patrol Building rules by allowing mysef far more Trench Raiders than is strictly legal. The attackers got a Trench Raider Yawdryl, 6x Trench Raiders, and a Support Team made up of a Sharpshooter and 2x rhyflers armed with Cryfen LMGs.

Crusader set up. Coftyrans come in from bottom left of picture

9 Commando, 11th Special Operations Group, slipped through the wire like tendrils of mist. Yawdryl St'nyr posted his Support Team, a sharpshooter and two armed with Cryfen LMGs in the center and left among the shell craters. The rest of his trench raiders would infiltrate into each flank.

Cryfen gunner in center moving through a gap in the wire

Soon the rapid chatter of the Cryfens and the sharp crack of the sharpshooter's Harlech broke the silence as they tried to lay some suppressive fire on the trenches so the raiding teams could infiltrate.

Cryfen in center quickly moves up the middle trench to give supporting fire to either flank

First Raider infiltrates into the trench on the Crusader right

Sharpshooter and 2nd LMG laying down fire from the blasted copse

Yawdryl Vaark with fireteam in the center

Trading shots with sharpshooter and Cryfen

Nod blasted away with his Ryshi over the parapet. There was a blue sniper hiding among the blasted trunks and shell holes. Byrt fired quick 3 round bursts from his Bogen. 

Suddenly bullets came from their right, chewing up the parapet. "Ancestors! There's blues in the forward trench Noddy!"

Getting flanked. 

Nod turned and fired heavy rounds down the trench,  splinters flying from the walls. A masked trench Raider did a quick burst of fire around the corner with his Doru SMG. 

The dark shape of a grenade arced through the air, bursting between Nod and Byrt, knocking them flat.

Raider throws a grenade and then charges in while the rhyflers are prone

Designated sharpshooter Podwyn and Daffyd with the H11a engage the threat on the right flank

Milwer Derval had been directing fire on the Cryfen gunner who was steadily advancing up the center communications trench when he saw Noddy and Byrt get taken out by a Blue Commando.

"Daffyd! Pudding! Get that grub over there! There's Blues in the forward trench!"

Daffyd hefted his H11a LMG around, and Podwyn carefully sighted with his Bogen. He was called "Pudding" by his squad mates after an evening at Madame Maeb's All You Can Eat Beetle Buffet. Both Rhyflers began blasting at the parapet. Podwyn saw a head go down.  Two more commandos dashed across the craters, chased by Daffyd's machine gun bullets to jump into the trench.

Yawdryl and two more Raiders successfully infiltrate into the left flank trench

Yawdryl Vaark was trying to do what little he could to direct the battle. With bullets buzzing just over the sandbagged parapet his control was reduced to the fireteam immediately with him.

There was a lot of fire coming from Derval's team off to the right, so they were still in the fight. A Blue with an LMG was trying to come up the center trench to get in between them. Vaark was directing his Ryshi to try and take the sneak out when the chatter of SMGs came from the trench to his left!

Marksquar Podwyn puts Raider OOA

Two more Raiders infiltrate into the trench on the Crusader right and are joined by the Cryfen gunner. Fire from the Marksquar and the H11a knock another OOA. The Raiders do Tend Wound on their OOA comrades. Two are seriously wounded and would need to be carried out. But they capture one wounded Crusader before LMG fire suppresses their activity.

Podwyn moving up to clear the trench. Tend Wound actions on friends could get them back in the fight (except I rolled '2' serious wound on both), and Tend Wound action on enemy OOAs makes them prisoner or confirms they're KIA.

Raiders throw a grenade and charge in from the left

A grenade sailed through the air, and the Blues followed it, SMGs chattering. Olyf met the first blue and staggered back from a blow. Shaking his head he roared and smashed the blue, throwing him right over the parapet. 

One Raider is knocked clear out of the trench where he is rendered OOA by a ryshi. A second raider is also OOA.

Raider Yawdryl charges forward and kills the Crusader outright!

A short range exchange of gunfire wounds one Crusader and puts the Raider Yawdryl also OOA. Another rhyfler moves up to start Tending Wounds and taking prisoners. The Yawdryl and third Raider are seriously wounded.

"You're nicked sunshine!" The Yawdryl Vaark has had a short range firefight with the Cryfen that had moved up the center trench to support the team coming in on the Crusader left. The Raider is knocked OOA and the Yawdry rushes forward to take him prisoner.

The sharpshooter had moved further up but was laid low by a Ryshi bullet. A Tend Wound action at game end revealed that he was KIA.

The final tally was that the Crusaders had lost one rhyfler taken prisoner, two were seriously wounded, and one was lightly wounded. The Raiding Patrol had suffered seven taken prisoner (1 unharmed, 4 wounded, and 2 seriously wounded) plus 1 KIA.

The large number of elites with Skill 13 didn't really unbalance things I felt. The Crusaders being in pretty heavy cover and the short range of the Doru SMGs helped balance things out.

Operation Getting to Know You 2

A chum of the Mad Padre's, who I hunted in Mike's PBEM campaign Swan of the East (he was Captain of the notorious and much sought-after Emden) is in the region visiting and was hoping that the three of us could get together. 

My July dance card has been rather full, but Peter and I found a mutual gap in our schedules this past Wednesday night. After dithering over what game to put on, Mike suggested I show off my Quar.

A simple 300 point squad vs squad game of Clash of Rhyflers would fit the bill.

I set up at the top right edge. Peter set up lower left.

For a learning game I decided to keep things simple. A basic Crusader squad with attached H11a LMG, and a basic Coftyran squad with attached sharpshooter.

I set up some trenches on a 3x3 for lots of cover, and because I haven't used my trenches with CoR yet. 

Pushed my sharpshooter out to the flank, which was great until a Ryshi knocked him OOA 

LMG teams blasting away at each other

Yawdryl and 3 Rhyflers try to flank the Crusaders 

I suggested Peter take the Crusaders, since they're easier, and let him choose a table edge. I set up opposite. 

Vicious bayonet fight at the intersection! I was winning until I wasn't. 

Crusader squad marksquar 

Crusader LMG 

Clearing the trench of all my OOA figures

We threw grenades. We had a nasty bayonet fight in a trench. We used supporting fire. Machine guns blasted away. 

We played 4 full turns and when we called things at 10 pm I had 1 lonely rhyfler left to his 5. Peter found the rules pretty quick to pick up and will hopefully take some Quar enthusiasm home with him.

I lost, but the real victory was making a new friend. 

This was game 24, for the year!