Monday 31 December 2018

Da Legend of Santork Klawz

Greenskin legends tell of a frozen planet far away where lives the legendary Big Mek known as Santork Klawz. Each year on the birthday of Gork and Mork, a day known to da Boys as Gorkmas (or Morkmas) the mysterious (and dangerously psychotic) Santork sneaks into Ork houses and leaves shooty and stabby presents for all the ladz who’ve been bad all year long.



Small Orks are warned that if they’re not bad enough Santork will only bring them Eldar weapons to play with.

The day after Gorkmas (or Morkmas) a huge fight erupts as the boys try out all their new weapons – a day known across the Klans as Boxing Day in honour of the mighty punch-up Gork and Mork had the day after they were born.

Most Orks grow up to think of Santork as simply a myth to frighten small grots but lately the Mad Prophet of Gork and Mork, Krom der Bashiest has been preaching far and wide that he has discovered the planet where Santork has his workshop.

Most Orks have ignored da loony prophet, but some, lured by tales of shooty and stabby weapons beyond their wildest imaginings, have taken him at his word and set off across the warp toward the tiny frozen planet known to the Imperium as XMZ – XXV.

Some are hoping to discover the scarlet clad Mad Mek and his stash of weaponry – but many are just along for the big fight they know will happen when they all get there.

This then was the background to our Christmas game in the Ilko Gaming Hut.

We each had 750 points of greenskins and the table was covered in frozen terrain with the mighty Gorkanaut Rood-Ork da Rednaught in the centre.



Somewhere in the frozen wilderness Santork himself was lurking...


Inevitably I forgot the rules I had written and raced for the objectives. Equally inevitably I was the one who unleashed Santork himself...


And then, as if by magic Rood-Ork decided to come and have a pop at me too. Things looked grim for Gruzzkupp


Waaagh Ballruum decided to join in and took some pot-shots at the ladz, so we got stuck in


Da Ballruum boys had bought some 'eavy metal with them



Santorks SnowOrk assistants rose from the frozen ground to do battle


Rood-Ork was miraculously frazzled by my Mek Gun. The first ever time the cowardly grots have ever done anything useful for da Waaagh!


By some (Gorkmas, or possibly Morkmas) miracle, when the blizzard of shootin' and stabbin' had finished da ladz of Waaagh Gruzzkup had come out on top!
So I got to eat all the chocolate.

Saturday 8 December 2018

Chain of Command Campaign (5)

Welcome visitors from TMP.


Thanks for the traffic Bill.

General Ballroom and I convened again for a second attempt by the Americans to seize no-mans land before making their attack on the German defences.

The terrain was as in the previous battle but this time our patrol markers started in opposite corners.
We played out the Patrol Phase which feels really clever and like there's a complex thing to unlock that will massively enhance our games. But that we don't really understand.

General B is now the proud owner of some "fricking lazer beams" which he used to work out where the jump off point would end up.


And then the attack began.

I deployed a section in the woods by the bridge.




Germans began pouring on in the north of the village.


A second squad arrived behind the house


The Germans began to deploy in strength and cover


Leaving the BAR to provide some sort of defensive cover the rifle squad leaped the wall and raced for the bridge.



Whilst Tusk's section pushed toward the boccage lining the river.




Jefferson led his squad in a dash across the bridge.


Under the baleful eye of an MG42



Tusks squad began exchanging fire with the Germans in the village.


Jefferson's men sprinted across the open ground and  captured one of the German jump off points.


However Tusks squad were in a firefight they couldn't hope to win.



Spotting a chance 'Red' Patterson raced across the bridge and began to lob grenades through a loophole at the Germans crouching within.


Whilst Jefferson's men consolidated their position.


Unfortunately soon after this both Jefferson and Tusk went down and morale plummeted. The Americans have been again forced to pull back ceding the field to the Germans.

Another good fun Chain of Command game. General B. and I both really enjoy playing it.

This is a tough mission for the Americans, they need to attack, which means the Germans can occupy defensive positions and let their superior firepower do its work. The board set-up with just a single river crossing meant a bottleneck and I couldn't get the manpower to where I needed it. I suspect a better thought out patrol phase would have left me in a much stronger position.

So now General B has a decision. We're abandoning I think the original as I've failed to make headway - so now he needs to plan his counter attack...

Friday 7 December 2018

Square Bashing at Lenton Gamers

Inspired by the recent battlefield walk near Ypres James fancied another game of Square Bashing. I was able to escape Dad's Taxi duties for the evening and make it down to the club.

We had a fairly standard set up but with just 650 point armies (I think), got all the toys out and went at it.
James and I commanded the British (that I had painted) attacking Bob and Mike using James' Germans.
James supplied the splendid terrain cloth and all the scenery and planes.



 British on the start line

 Tanks to give the chaps courage


 The hun dig in








 A healthy stonk lands on the chateau


 The initial British barrage blew holes in the wire, giving the attackers hope!

 German barrages disrupt the British assault










The chateau is attacked

The British attack struggled to get started. We called in a plane, who at first refused to turn up and then failed to kill anything at all with its strafing run.
Meanwhile the Germans cleverly disrupted our advance with barrages. Bob had played before and knew what he was about - which is clearly most unfair!

Late in the game the British assaulted the Germans in the chateau but despite the accompanying tanks were thrown back. The beastly Hun even deployed fiendish gas against the plucky Tommys!

In the end the British attack stalled and the Germans remained in control of their trenches.

A great fun game with good company.