Friday 19 August 2011

Early Imperial Romans - Warmaster Ancients -Part III

Early Imperial Romans - Warmaster Ancients -Part III


This month sees the completion of my early imperial roman warmaster ancients force. a total of 1250pts, you can see the progress here and here.
I even managed to play my first game with them too, but more about that later.
First the army itself.

The Army


General Marcus Titus Aquillus with his veteran legion

Closer shot of General



Heavy cavalry

Aux Archers

Aux Infantry



Legions

Legions and Scorpion bolt throwers

More Legion



Now on to their Debut Battle





My opponent was using a sassanid Persian force (which is mostly cavalry)
My setup was fairly basic with the legion in the centre with aux infantry and cavalry protecting my flanks. the Persians deployed their dreaded Elephants on my right flank and cavalry on the other. After dicing for game length (only a six turn game) first turn went to the Persians.

Highlights for me were:
  • The Persian Cavalry got first into combat, but were unlucky and got repelled by a unit of archers in combat
  • One unit of legion with a Legate backed up by unit of aux infantry took down a unit of elephants, mostly due to poor Persian dice rolling.
  • One unit of archers caused enemy infantry to be confused twice.
  • My block of legion holding strong in the centre after numerous charges and counter charges and at one point flanked.
Now the low points
  • Persian cataphracts shattering my cavalry to bits
  • Poor command rolls, i even managed to fail with a portents re-roll
  • Two units of Skirmishers and my scorpion bolt thrower didn't move or make any contribution to the battle
In the end i managed to pull off a victory, and if i am honest i didn't really expect to win at all. but the end victory points were :
Persians - 350
Romans - 700


 
Lessons i have learnt
  • Legions are nails and can more than handle themselves in combat against most things
  • Even with a general and two Legates  i still can't guarantee to move move my entire force
  • Shock cavalry are scary
so inspired by cavalry my next purchase will be a Norman army

Tuesday 9 August 2011

Fiddix Break - Star Wars Fan Fiction

Fiddix break


The corridors were cold and gray in the Fiddrix outpost. A Trade federation outpost, and currently a holding cell for Tolma Yemme. A noble captured by the federation, and Ven’s mission. Although just a young Jedi Padawan, he was confident to be given this rescue mission alone. Using the force he was able to sense he was nearing the noble’s containment cell. Arriving at a crossroad of corridors, he peered round. A B1 battle droid with red shoulder pad markings stood by a steel double door. “Its only one droid” he said quietly to himself as he sprang round the corner. The lightsaber slashed thought the air and cleanly sliced the surprised battle droid in half. Its sparking torso crashed to the floor. Ven turned to find a door either side of him. The one which the droid was standing in front of had a control panel, reading “Detention unit- key access needed”
Trying the other door behind him the door opened with a low hiss. The room inside was dark, he could smell oil. Looking around he noticed various boxes full of droid parts. Not going to find the key card in there, he thought to himself. Double backing on himself he stepped over the ruined battle droid and walked up the left hand corridor to another large door. The keypad flashed green.

Dak-ran was re-programming a set of power systems at his utilitarian workstation. The two battle droids in the room where in needing a standard CPU maintenance. Dak-ran supposed he’d better get started to another thankless task. He jumped as the door opened with a whoosh and a young human male, instantly recognisable as a Jedi by his strand of braided hair that marked him as a Padawan of the order. Before he opened his mouth to speak, the Jedi jumped and front flipped and landed in between the two battle droids. His lightsaber activated and sliced the first droid’s head off. The remaining droid stood between him and the young Jedi. The droid fired off a shot from its blaster. A blue bolt of energy struck across the strangers arm. Dak-ran scrabbled at his desk to find a blaster pistol, behind him he heard the sound of a lightsaber slicing though metal. Looking up the remaining droid was just a pile of parts on the floor, the metal red hot where the Jedi’s weapon sliced through. Ven grabbed the technicians collar “Your coming with me”
Dak-ran shrank a little under the Jedi’s gaze, his saber still activated. He was then led to the door of the detention unit, having to step over the ruins of the security droid. The Padawan gestured to the key-lock on the door. “Open it”
His hands were shaking as he inserted his access key. On the key lock a light flashed green. As the door hissed open Ven shoved the technician through the doorway. He quickly scanned the room. It was a long unimpressive room.  At the end of the room a human female was bound to a large prisoner chair. Her wrists and ankles bound with energy restraints. The three battle droids in the room raised their blaster carbines at the intruder. The Battle droid with yellow rank markings in the centre of the room said in its metallic voice “Hold! put down your weapons.”
The terrified technician broke free of the padawan’s grasp and hid behind a desk at the side of the room. Before the Droids could fire a shot of, the young Jedi already was sprinting towards them.  A blue bolt of energy sizzled past his head as Ven darted towards the two droids. Jumping high he landed between the two droids. Slicing through the chest of the first one with his lightsaber. The droid’s circuits fizzled and popped.
Dak-ran seeing his opportunity and ran in to the corridor up to his maintenance room.
Turning his attention to the yellow marked battle droid, slicing upwards the through its chest armour. Ven felt a surge of pain as a shot was let loose into his leg. Sidestepping the droid, he thrust his lightsaber straight through its body. He cleanly dispatched the remaining droid with a clean swipe taking off its head.
The young noble looked at the Jedi and said “please release me.”
He closed his eyes, using the power of the force the bonds flickered and went out.
Opening his eyes he said “we need to get you out of here.”
“There is a hanger not far from here; my ship is still docked there.” she replied.
Gesturing to the door the Jedi said “lead the way, but we must be quick.”  

“A Jedi here!” the security officer answered down the commlink to a gibbering technician.
The tinny voice of Dak-ran replied “yes and he’s releasing the prisoner in the detention unit!”
Without hesitation the security officer shouted to one of his sub-ordinates “Quickly send two Droidekas to the Detention unit!”
Throwing the commlink to one side he reached for his blaster pistol and slid it out its holster and
walked towards the door.


 They both ran together down the grey dimly lit corridors toward the hanger bay, Getting to a T section they stopped. “Which way?” the Jedi asked
 With a hint of indecision she replied “Erm…I think it’s this way.”
The noble pointed down the left hand corridor
From behind them a rumbling sound was rolling down the corridor towards them.
“Run!”  Ven suddenly shouted “Droidekas!”
Running up the left hand corner he spotted a large double door to his right.
The large exterior door quietly opened up to the outside hanger bay. Tolma noticed one of the Driodeka destroyers roll around the corner. She watched as it unfurled itself, large metallic limbs clanking on the floor. It loosed off a shot from its laser cannons. Blasting in to the wall next to them.  Both of them rapidly passed through the door way closing the doors behind. Ven activated his lightsaber and plunged it deep in to the door controls. “That should stop them.”
Tolma smiled back at her liberator. The Small hanger bay only contained one small carrier ship. The whole back wall was open to the outside, revealing the green forests beyond.
“That’s my ship”
She pointed to the small transport craft, its rear ramp open. No sooner had they started towards the craft that a blue beam of energy crackled past them. Followed by a vocalised voice “Don’t move”
Ven noticed three battle droids with blasters raised towards them, approaching from the other end of the large outdoor hanger. To Tolma’s surprise the Jedi sprinted towards the nearest battle droid, with his lightsaber raised. Its blaster fired at the sprinting padawan. The blue beam slicing across the humans shoulder.  Ven grunted in pain before sidestepping the droid and shearing its arms off, then delivering the coup de grace. Tolma continued to the craft. It was an uncomplicated XD-50 Lomba transport craft, used as a simple system to system craft. Although currently out of production, most ships had been upgraded to include hyperdrives. Behind her she heard the thudding sounds as the Droidekas started to blast their way through. One of the doors started to buckle.  She raced towards the rear ramp of the vessel. “Hold!”
From next to the craft a battle droid had trained its blaster on the noble. “Raise your hands”
This is not good, Tolma thought. Deflated the young noble slowly raised her hands.
Suddenly the battle droid was thrown against the rear hull of the transport vehicle. Its metal body shattering as it collapsed. Tolma looked up to see the Jedi padawan dashing toward her “Get into the ship!” he yelled over the noise of one of the already buckled doors bursting open and crashing to the floor.

Ven seated himself in the cramped cockpit of the XD-50 Lomba. Looking around at the controls he was easily able to recognise the standard fight mechanisms. Tolma peered out of the rear porthole window to see the other hanger door get blown off. Two Droidekas rolled through the ruined doorway. She was thrown off her feet as the craft started to shudder with incoming blaster shots  from the droids below. Ven strained to try and control the vessel as blaster bolts hammered against the hull. He steered it to the open rear exit. Increasing speed as it neared the large exit. Brightness of the local sun blinded them as they left the Fiddrix outpost.

Stepping over the debris of the hanger bay doors, security officer Grakkim Sulio observed the sight of two Droideka destroyers firing at a small transport ship. He sighed heavily as he watched the ship fly expertly out of the hanger bay. This was going to cost him. Count Dooku was due in two hours time to take the prisoner away. Rage built up in the security officer as he thought of having to explain himself to the old ex-Jedi master. Sheathing his trusty blaster pistol he furiously walked back inside the complex.