After the success
of the rearguard, the Minnesota Volunteers sent an armored column back up the
river to blunt the continued Martian advance and to probe the enemy for
potential weakness. A screening force of
Rough Riders went ahead of the main force looking for trouble. Behind this screen came steaming the armored
column.
Little did the
humans know, but a Martian advanced guard had been put in place to act as a
trip wire for the rest of the cell.
These machines were dug into the woodlands, fields, and bluffs of the
region. There they waited for the
expected human counter-attack.
Forces
Martian Advanced Guard
Scout + Target- 150
Grenadier- 100
Slaver Tripod- 100
2x Lobotons- 40
3x Drones- 60
3x Assault Tripods
Minnesota Volunteers
2 Rough Rider Squads- 90 points
Reserves-
1 MkII Command Tank-
3 MK II Tanks- 240
3 MK II Tanks- 240
3 MKIII Tanks- 280
1 Field Gun Battery- 80
Mission
The Martians are in hiding using Blip markers scattered
around the board. 1 Blip marker per
unit, so it is clear Tripods are about, but unclear where they are. Blips are revealed when you come within 6
inches of them, they move, or they shoot.
The Minnesota Volunteers will have initiative to start
the battle. The bulk of the Minnesota
forces are in reserve. They will begin
to arrive in Turn 2 on a d6 roll of 5+ with each subsequent turn reducing it 1
until they auto arrive at 1+.
The treeline is soft cover for all units for Def +1.
The Martians are trying to destroy the human attackers
while the Humans are trying to drive the Martians away and press on up
river.
Set-up
The board is fields to the south, with the dense Great
Woods on the North side. The River is
assumed to be just off board to the south.
A few scattered bluffs block off the fields and woods.
On the Easy side, two squads of Rough Rider scouts are
deployed 6 inches in from a short board edge. The Minnesota Volunteers will
arrive on this edge. Martian blips are
along the tree line and behind a few bluffs.
Turn 1:
Initiative:
Minnesota Volunteers
The Rough Riders race forward but are still too far away
to reveal any blips. Those canny
Martians are in deep cover.
However, a scout Tripod chooses to rise up from behind a
bluff in front of the first Rough Rider squad.
Instead of using its fearsome Heat Ray, it illuminates the 2nd
Rough Rider squad near the woods. From
the distant tree line the familiar double “Whoomp” of a grenadier tripod can be
heard. Dreaded B;ack Dust fall within
the squad and kill 2 units, and cause the third to flee. The Scout, its mission accomplished falls
back from the advancing humans.
Turn 2:
Initiative: Martians win!
The scout paints the second Rough Rider Squad. This time, Black Dust rains on them from the
Grenadier and causes one unit to wither and die. However, his squad mates stay in the fight!
The fleeing cyclists from 2nd Squad rally and
turn their bikes around. The first
squad takes cover behind a bluff, while the remains of the second head for the
closest blip in the treeline. Meanwhile,
the rest of their column begins to rumble into the area. The command tank leads the MkIIIs and a squad
of Mark IIs pulling the field guns.
In their second move, the 2nd squad of Rough
Riders revealed two blip markers to be Lobotons!
Turn 3:
Initiative: Minnesota Volunteers
The Rough Riders scoot along the tree line and reveal a
unit of Drones! The field Battery unhook
and set-up to fire. Meanwhile, the last
of the armored column rumbles onto the board.
Heat Rays reach out to the advancing Tanks! In the barrage, a MkII is detonated by shock
canisters and two of the leading MKII’s are brewed up! The human remnants stay in the fight. Martian Drones swarm the Rough Riders of 2nd
squad. The brave riders are all
killed!
Turn 4:
Initiative: Minnesota Volunteers
The human advance is slowed by burning tanks, but they
manage to form a firing line to concentrate their fire on the Martian
slaver. The barrage starts with the
Command tanks machine gun cutting down the approaching Slicers. With that, the signal flag goes up and the
rest of the tanks open fire on the Slaver in a coordinated salvo! The Field Batteries also target the Slaver,
but the barrage manages to take out a nearby Drone. Despite all the firepower, the Slaver still
stands tall.
The Martian counter-attack is fierce! The last of Squad 1’s MKII’s is brewed up by
the Blasters. Meanwhile, various single
shots from Heavy Heat Rays eliminate the last two MkIII tanks. Things do not look good for the Volunteers.
The Martian infantry presses forward and closes in on the
tanks. Their masters continue to lurk
cautiously in the tree line.
Turn 5:
Initiative: Minnesota Volunteers
The remaining Volunteers slowly start falling back, their
cannons blazing. However, their fire is relatively
ineffective. The machine gun from the
Rough Riders only manages to take out 1 Blaster. The field batteries quickly limber up as the
Minnesotans prepare to withdraw off the board.
The Martians sense victory and their war horns begin to
blow to signal for a pursuit. Their Heat
Rays lash out with precision fire. The
Human Command tank explodes from a direct hit!
Black Dust from the grenadier and Loboton fire takes out two more
MKIIs. As the Martian forces close in
the last few Minnesotans decide that retreat is not enough and instead break
into a rout!
Conclusion
With the defeat of
the Minnesotans counter-attack the Minnesota River Valley returned to a hostile
stalemate. The Martian advance had been
blunted, but the Humans had failed to gain back any territory lost to the
advancing Tripods. Instead, a stalemate
developed near the Wood Lake area of the river.
Minnesotan and federal engineers began to hastily assemble defensive
emplacements there of barbed wire, trenches, and gun emplacements.
Meanwhile,
replacement equipment from the Twin Cities industrial area began to pour into
the Minnesota River Valley. Fort
Snelling even received authorization to deploy Federal troops to support the
defenses. A showdown was coming between
man and Martian in the Minnesota River Valley.
Final Thoughts
Huh, Lobotons are kind of cool. They are dirt cheap and forced me to draw
back as my daughter pressed forward.
They were hardly worth shooting, but I couldn’t let them just keep
coming. On the other hand, I couldn’t seem
to get solid shots on the Slaver either.
In this game I managed 5 damaging hits, to 13. That will never allow you to win.
Kudos to my kid for concentrating her firepower. I got too aggressive with my tanks and pushed
them too far forward. I should have kept
them at range and forced the Martians to come to me. I might have been able to divide them and pick
them off piece meal. However, she stayed
disciplined and let her firepower take its toll.
The Minnesota River Valley Campaign continues!
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