Epic... It was a simple epic!

Epic!
Who plays that anymore? Well, me... and Martin... at least on Saturday.

The "Epic" version of Warhammer 40K was one of Games Workshop's best games, in my opinion. For whatever obscure/obtuse business reasons, GW discontinued the game or sent it down to the minor leagues, along with some of their other great games, like Warmaster and Man-of-War. Before my move to Canada, my buddies and I played Epic a lot and we had most of the usual armies covered - Space Marines, Imperial Guard, Eldar, Squats, Orks, and Tyranids. I have a Tyranid army but I feel I should shower whenever I touch it. We had a few great games. Then GW changed the rules and I found the game unplayable. (Again personal opinion.)

A while ago, Kevin, one of the Panjandrums of the Hamilton Road Gaming Group, told me of the Net Epic discussion group on-line. The rules seemed to be a slight variation of what I considered the classic Epic rules. The usual armies were available, but they added a few others - including the Ecclesarchy (The Church of the Emprie), Slann, "Evil creatures" (somewhat weird, I think), and Tau. Oh, Tau! I've been converting and dummying them up.

Finally, Martin and I agreed to try the rules. We laid out small forces - Dark Angel Space Marines vs. an Imperial Guard force. The Marines were outnumbered but were of much better quality. The IG was wave upon wave of expendable infantry with heavy armour support and loads of artillery. We weren't sure how the game would be, but it ended up to be a real nail-biter of a see-saw battle - quite satisfying all around. (Martin grasps rules very quickly and we're both quite amiable at the table, so we have fun.

The objectives included a small town and a large power-plant. The Guard was to hold both and the Marines were to take both. Simple goals for a simple game. (Martin and I took the photos.)

Your humble blogger measures something or at least appears to.

The massive power plant, where the power-techs burn compost, leftovers, and old manuscripts
to provide power for the masses. (An end-of-game photo)

It ended up that only Martin and I played a game.
The rest of the group discussed the merits of sand-bagging heavy machine guns,
the M3 Lee, the Deuce-and-a-Half, pulled pork, and how to run a hobby shop.
In other words, the usual conversation.
We also bid farewell to a member of the library staff who was always helpful to us.

Early in the game, the Big McLargehuge* Memorial Power Plant was held by an Imperial Guard
heavy weapons section, backed up with a company of infantry.

Martin attacked and noted that because of the size of the forces, he should have defended. He kept up that chant until he saw how easily my troops were taken out. The Imperial Guard infantry have no saving throw! Neither of us could throw good dice for the entire game. Martin sent the Dark Angels infantry (two sections) toward the power plant, supported by three sections of Land Speeders and four Dreadnoughts. Another Marine tactical section, a section of Terminators, and a section of Assault Marines in Razorback APCs headed for the town backed by bikers, heavy weapons, and a battery of Whirlwind missile launchers. I had a heavy weapons section in the town and another in the power plant. Two companies of tactical infantry were in support, one to each heavy weapons section. A third company took the far right flank with a Baneblade super-heavy tank in support, to preclude a Land Speeder end run. In the centre, an entire company of Leman Russ tanks were set to move forward. Three artillery batteries - Whirlwinds, Basilisk cannons, and big rocket launchers - supported the entire force. Three helicopter gunships ("Death Pigeons") and bomber planes ("Vultures") could come on to support as well.

My third infantry company moves forward to engage the Land Speeders.

An early game photo of the heavy weapons guarding the Big McLargehuge* Power Plant.
The building is a chunk of wood with two old film canisters attaches as cooling towers
or maybe deep fryers. 

Heavy weapons in town, setting up in the post office or some other official building.

Leman Russ tanks with company HQ and a Commissar's tank.

Razorbacks! Land Raiders! Rhinos!

Land Speeders.

Dark Angels Devastators/Heavy Weapons.

Martin's advance came on quick and hurt my heavy weapons sections. His Razorbacks smashed my Rough Rider cavalry and cut up an armoured infantry detachment. I was able to hurt the Space Marines that were advancing toward the power plant, taking out about half of them before they could dismount from the APCs. His Land Speeders actually destroyed the Baneblade super-heavy tank and wiped out the heavy weapons section in the power plant, using their Flamers which ignore cover. When my Leman Russ tanks came up, they really damaged the advancing Space Marines and the Terminators' Land Raiders, although those big tanks gave as good as they got. The Space Marine advance supported by the Dreadnoughts finally took the power plant, and I was sure I'd never dig them out of that place. Just for a trial run, I brought up a company of infantry and after shooting for two turns, I charged the place... and re-took it! Not without losses, however.

Baneblade on the rubber road. Now you see it.

Now you don't. I've got to remember to pack cotton balls to show brewed-up vehicles.

The Leman Russ company come forward.

Dark Angels Whirlwinds.
These models were always among my favourites,

Slowly taking losses, the armour still advance.
The real strengths of the Imperial Guard troops in this game are the armour and the artillery.
I almost felt that the infantry was a side-show... until they retook the power plant!

There they are! Fighting hand to hand with Rhinos and an HQ stand.
The figures are from a BattleTech range. Not totally "orthodox", I know, but they add so much variation.
AND they're cheaper!

By the end of our time, I had lost and retaken the power plant. Martin had troops in the town and was grinding up my infantry there. My bombers and helicopter gun ships were doing damage and had taken losses from AA fire. The Dreadnoughts had been firing on the rear of the Leman Russ tanks and had done plenty of damage to the company, about two platoons worth. The bombers and the artillery finally did them in.

In the end we called it a "bloody draw", which I don't consider a bad thing, since I hadn't played there rules before and the figures hadn't seen the light of day in almost 10 years. I left both of us with an appetite to play again, and do do micro-armour moderns.

As Martin moves his Razorbacks, you get a good idea about the size of these models.

One of my infantry companies prepares to enter the forest and defend the power plant.

Helicopter gun ships... with a news chopper from the local news Tri-vid outlet.

I have fun painting flags, mostly free-hand.

Another infantry company in the town. Again BattleTech figs in the Russian green-and-cream cammo.

Martin's Terminators, Tactical Marines, and Assault Marines de-bus to annoy my peaceful town.

As to the name of my power plant, you can find it here in an MST3K rif.

* The origin of the Big McLargehuge Memorial Power Plant*
Thanks, MST3K!

Next week - Casserine Pass in 15mm.

Some days, you get the bear...

This past Saturday, we followed Martin's lead and played a "modern era" micro-armour game using the Cold War Commander rules. He has a very interesting collection of micro-armour piece, mostly modern, but Israeli and British. Since these two nations are not historical enemies, the actual sides were "the Empire of Albion" and the "Covenant of the Twelve Tribes" meeting on the field of battle in some mythical desert area. Both sides fielded about a brigade-strength set - two armoured battalions, two armoured infantry battalions, a helicopter-borne battalion, and a flight of helicopter gunships, with two batteries of off-board artillery. Bear and I ran the Twelve tribes while Kevin and Derek ran the Albioners. Martin served as games-master and Andy advised both sides.

Kevin and Derek won the initiative and had us deploy a battalion first, after which we took turns. The field was really, really flat with a small hill village surrounded by barbed wire at the southern end of the table and a village surrounded by a law wall to the north.

The village to the north - Martin privately briefed us that we were looking for an artifact of great power hidden in one of the two built-up areas. Not having any visible kohanim with us, I suppose we'd have to be careful. (Most of the terrain was from my collection of... stuff.)

The big-time village. The barbed wire areas were done up years ago for GW's Space Marine/ Epic games.

The same hill village with the Albion-ish force moving in - a mechanised/armoured infantry battalion.

There were some white yarn pieces laid on the table. If your unit touched the yarn, it was considered to be in a wadi and was "hull-down." This was to serve Derek well.
Bear and I split our forces - one armoured and one infantry battalion each, with Bear taking the Cobra gunships and myself taking the helicopter-borne paratroopers. On the other side, Kevin took the two infantry battalion and the Apache gunships while Derek ran the two armoured battalions. Kevin headed for the hill town with both battalions which included some Javelin SAMs and some anti-armour rockets. Derek came at me with his Challenger tanks. Bear deployed his Merkava tanks to the centre with his infantry to the outside. I sent my tanks "up the middle" and my infantry to the small village. For about two turns, we manoeuvred and finally came to grips. Derek used the wadis to good effect as he advanced to engage my troops. I found that the Merkavas could stand up to a lot as he and I exchanged fire.

Bear's M113 "Zeldas" with the battalion command an M901 track with TOW gun.

One of Kevin's battalions - Warrior APCs and some scout and support equipment.

Kevin's Apache gunships looking belligerent.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch - Kevin's rolling stock moves into the town.

Derek's Challenger MBTs hull-down in the wadi.

What was left of Bear's infantry battalion after taking fire from the Challengers, over two turns. Zelda goes boom.

I called in an air strike with F18s on Derek's one battalion. I allowed a wide spread on the run; a narrow spread hits one vehicle with double attacks, but I wanted to suppress or pin as much as I could. I didn't get them all but I got enough to make it worthwhile. The battalions were made up of Challengers and Scorpions for recce and support, whereas my armoured battalions were all Merkavas. My infantry all got into the village and commenced the search for the lost Ark... I mean, "the special artifact." (Get it? <poke-poke>)

Well, Bear took a lot of casualties, especially from a pop-up attack from the Apaches and his infantry broke under the whithering fire. His armour took some casualties as well. My armour held its own against Derek's tanks. He had to split his fire between our two battalions. His Scorpions really could not handle that volume of fire and brewed up fast. Lighter armour and all that. Bear and I sent two jet sorties against the town held by Kevin, both with napalm. Here the game broke down. The rules make napalm really brutally deadly, which did not seem realistic to some of the guys. It destroyed units in the open and in houses as well as vehicles. Martin had to re-read the rules and discovered that he hadn't adjudicated the air strike correctly, so some damage was taken back, but not all. To his defence, he hadn't read the rules for about 2 years and had only given them a cursory reading recently. At this point, the game went off the rails as Bear brought his Cobras in to attack Derek's tanks, then to strafe the town, and then engage the Apaches air-to-air. Since Cold War Commander uses Warmaster's command set-up, a player can move a unit many times in one turn, until his command rolls fail. This can be aggravating or exhilarating, depending if you're on the receiving end or on the delivering end. In any event, the helicopter gunships did a dog-fight which left both pretty cut up. Kevin brought in his Chinook-borne paras to reinforce the town and provide some more AA cover since they had some man-packed AAGMs.

One of my Merkavas with a wound (the white washer) and a suppression marker (the blow-up splash,)

Kevin's Apaches, betting ready to pop up and sling missiles at Bear's infantry.

A Merkava battalion with only two platoons and the HQ left. The blow-ups indicate lost stands.

After slashing up Derek's tanks, Bear's Cobras head for the town. The wadis don't effect them.

The Cobras engage the Apaches in a deadly duel.

 We hit curfew shortly after and had to wrap up.
I don't collect micro-armour so I enjoyed playing the game and handling the little tiny tanks. Martin deserves credit for painting those vehicles and men so well. The rules, however, need something to be desired. I'm thinking that the weaponry of modern warfare is SO varied and complex that it might be tough to game without a computer and an accountant. What certain weapon systems and bomb-loads can do is very subjective and open to interpretation or argument. (Except for tactical nuclear weapons which is best simulated by dribbling a basketball on the table for five minutes.) Maybe it's just not "my cup of tea" as they say. My wife believes gaming beyond 1815 (or maybe 1865) is worthless since it is no longer an "honourable" endeavor. I'm not quite so tied up but I will say the technology makes gaming the modern period tough to do. Maybe I'll try it again. Maybe...

Meanwhile, more photos. (I took all the pictures this time, with my wife's good camera.)

Israeli Merkavas with some attched troops.

Israeli Blackhawk helicopeter, which went unused the entire game. I usually end up dropping the airbourne into harm's way and getting them destroyed.

British Chinook helicopters - heavy lifters, carrying two stands of infantry.
However if one is shot down, you lose two stands of infantry.

British Apache helicopter gunships

The British Challenger MBT - rather nicely detailed in my opinion, especially for a model the size of your thumbnail.

British Warrior APCs

Just an interesting vista

My armoured infantry with M113 Zeldas and a mortar carrier as they search the village.

Next week will be the Group Christmas Party with warmed cider, hot chocolate, cookies, and the "traditional" Wings of War game which will include Snoopy and the Red Baron as well as Santa's sleigh. This year we add a big bomber to try it out. If you are in the neighbourhood of London, Ontario, on the south side of the city, you are welcome to stop in for a cookie, a nip of cider or chocolate, and a quick flight in a SPAD or a Fokker or a Sopwith. (RSM Mark and the Mad Padre, I'm looking at you!) We're holding this party on the 13th because Martin is making his way to the family homestead up near the permafrost. The week after will be a bigger surprise.

From previous year's Christmas Party.