New RSBS module

Finally I've been lucky enough to find a good vassel module for Red Sands Blue Skies. The one I've been using up till now is something I cobbled together in 15 minutes and although it does the job it lacks a certain polish that this new one has.

I have to thank Kidd for creating this and making it available for download as it is a fantastic module which goes over and beyond what is necessary to play the game by including some really nice extra cosmetic features which are especially helpful if you're wanting to post battle reports of the game. A link to the post where he reveals the module is here http://kidd-batrepsandotherstuff.blogspot.co.uk/2012/07/vassal-module-is-donefinally.html and a download link can be found here http://kidd-batrepsandotherstuff.blogspot.co.uk/2012/07/link-for-rsbs-vassal-mod.html?showComment=1347908941036 .

It also appears that he's starting up his own Red Sands campaign at the moment too so if you enjoy them be sure to keep an eye out on his blog. My own campaign will be continuing soon and you can be sure to see a star appearance from the new module.

NUTS! - Intro Scenario 2

Here we are with the promised NUTS! scenario, this will be the last introduction scenario before we dive into our campaign which is what I'm really looking forwards to. Although I'm writing this after the game I was actually writing the report in full while I played rather than just taking notes like I normally do, I think this will let you see my thought process and reactions to events better which is something I want. Also there is no fluff RP stuff in this but don't worry I will still be adding it now and then when the situation feels right.

Anyway on with the report, this scenario is taking place at night so all units have their view distance reduced to 12", this made for some very interesting stand offs, but you'll see all of that as you read on, I would be in command of a US infantry squad with a BAR and bazooka supported by an M-10 tank destroyer, my objective was to halt the German advance and prevent infantry or half-tracks from leaving the west side of the table.

Good Tiger tanks...

 --Deployment--

I chose to deploy my tank destroyer on the road at an angle where it could cover most of the eastern side of the table, which would be where the enemy would deploy. I then placed my infantry nearby in the woods as support. I rolled for the enemy forces and where they would appear *Cue girlish whimpering* 2 Tiger tanks were deployed on the southern side of the road, I would have rather rolled something like an APC for at least one of them as now I'd have to completely rely on my tank destroyer and two man bazooka team to do any real damage, on the plus side I technically couldn't loose seen as the objective for the Germans is to have six infantry or one half-track reach the eastern table edge, they have neither and at this stage we're not playing with reinforcements so they're gonna have a really hard time managing to do that any time soon. But hey ho, this isn't about winning, I'm just supposed to be learning how vehicles work so lets get into this.

--Turn 1 American 2-3 German--

Both teams activate with the Germans going first, T1 moves up behind a low wall and goes hull down while T2 moves towards the US Squad in an attempt to draw them forwards and into their ambush, the In-Sight test is triggered and 2d6 passed sees the squad duck back as the only AT weapon is out of range.

A quick turn for the Germans and its over to the Americans (from now on Yanks as I'm too lazy to type and it feels more natural as I'm a Brit :P) The M-10 crept forwards staying out of sight range, I kinda need it to be in an advantageous position or be able to first first before I expose it so it's over to the boots. I decided to split the squad up into two fire-teams, the Jr NCO would take the BAR and a rifleman (Baker team) and fall back towards the M-10 while the NCO and bazooka (Able team) would hide deeper in the woods until they could get a side armour shot, that's the plan anyway, first I've got to get away from those machine guns.

I think I may make the X's for OOF bolder, little hard to see.

Able team was the first to make a break for it, the Tigers In-Sight test would be at -1 to rep because it is buttoned up. *Sigh* 1 and 3 meaning 2d6 were passed, no prizes for guessing what happens now, the co-axial MG-34 spat a burst of bullets at each of the 5 men attempting to stand up, thank god for my cover as it was six's or nothing for hits. It would be the two most important people that get hit though wouldn't it, my NCO was knocked down and a 5,6 roll against his rep saw him out of the fight, my bazooka gunner found himself meeting the same fate as he hit the dirt after a roll of 2 for damage, narrowly missing being obviously dead.

At this point I think I'm going to use a bit of creative licencing, I'm going to make a rule in my games (not sure if its already official I'm too lazy to look) that a unit can forfeit half of its total movement to pick up a weapon from a fallen soldier, friend or foe, I think this is a realistic thing to happen, especially in a situation like this. I roll for the MG reloading an it passes 2d6 meaning it's ready for anything next turn, now it's onto the hull LMG, again 5 bursts fly at the team and all but one miss. The hit is scored against a rifleman and although he is knocked to the ground he has no serious injuries and will be able to act again after a turn out.

Now for my reactions, I have to take a received fire and man down test for the entire squad, and the Able team needs to take a leader lost test on top of that, both teams will use the worst result of all their tests. Able squad hurriedly grab the wounded and duck back towards the northern table edge, the bazooka is still on the body of the downed gunner as I used more than half of the teams movement to get them out of there, H's stunned result is overridden by the duck back so He'll be able to operate next turn as normal. Remarkably Baker team would have returned fire if they weren't out gunned, but instead they remained in cover behind the trees.

Not a great turn for the Yanks but at least some of them are still alive.

Bring in the M-10!

--Turn 2 Yanks 1-6 Germans--

That's the kind of luck we needed, the German tanks wouldn't be activating this turn which gave us a much needed reprise. I've decided my M-10 needs to get in on this if I'm going to survive so I'm going to advance into range of T1, the In-Sight test now, 1d6 passed meaning he fires at -1 rep so we need a little luck here. The German gunner brings his sights onto the hull of our M-10 and passes his round placement test with 2d6 scoring a solid hit...I should have looked at the armour on my tank first...so I've got a front armour of 3 against the AP power of 9 for his gun...Bollocks. He needs 6's to pass, guess what?! 2d6 passed! My crew is all OD and the vehicle is destroyed...oops.

Uh huh...

Lets see if the infantry have anymore luck, Able team are out of sight and I retrieves the bazooka while taking command, G steps up to become the new loader and H is left behind to set up a wounded way-station and protect the injured. I want Baker team to try and go round the back of my tank wreckage and flank round the building so I check to see if they're in sight range (they weren't) and fast move them out. My JrNCO passes his leader dice so every figure will pass at least 1d6 and I manage to roll a 3,6 on the actual test meaning even the rep 3 figures pass 2d6 and can move double distance into the forest to the west.

--Turn 3 Yanks 6-5 Germans--

This is the kind of turn that only matters if reinforcements or something happen...let's move on.

The only option is to hide...run and hide.

--Turn 4 Yanks 2-5 Germans--

Aha! Another turn with no German activations, we may actually be able to swing this (famous last words). I try another fast move with Baker squad and all pass 2d6 except for the two riflemen who only passed one thanks to the leader dice, they'd lagged behind slightly and would now count as their own group till they caught up. Elsewhere I want to sneak my bazooka up for a side armour shot on T2 (I left the ruler so you could see his sight range, I'm literally millimetres short.) Now in an ideal world I need to go first next time to get my shot off otherwise I'm going to get MG'd to death again.

--Turn 5 Yanks 3-6 Germans--

Dice gods, I love you, each and every one of you where ever you are. Time to try some bazookaing! (If I don't get spotted) In-Sight passes 1d6 again so another -1 rep modifier, now the gunner physically can not hit me (needing a 8+ dice roll) and he can't benefit from the pitiful shot rule as he's not rep 3 for this shot, so I'm going to take that as the gunner decides not to shoot because to me that makes sense. My bazooka team come in range of the 6 rated side armour, I need a 5 to hit with this soldier and that's exactly what I got, because my weapon's AP rating is 7 I need to roll a 1 here to penetrate, I got a 5 so the tank will just take a Clank test, 1d6 passed means they would return fire but neither the hull MG or turret are facing me so they can't.

Baker squad caught their breath at the corner of the house while F and E just managed to catch up.

--Turn 6 Yanks 6-5 Germans--

...Ignore that.

Suicide? No, Bravery!

--Turn 7 Yanks 3-1 Germans--

At least I get to go first again, so lets fire off another bazooka before anything else happens, I saw in the book I did the last shot wrong so lets do this one right, I'm aiming at the hull again and pass 2d6 on the appropriate table scoring a hit, but alas my roll for penetration is 3 and we get another Clank test which gives the same result as last time.

Baker team take a Wanting to Charge test...yes you read that correctly...the leader dice fails so it's all down to the figures to pass these. Apparently E and F are still tired as they pass 1d6 and stay put, one by one the rest of the men charge round the corner after a fast move test each. My assistant gunner was first and passed 2d6 on his test,  I'm not bothering with In-Sight tests for the tank as no guns are facing the chargers anyway.  He takes the appropriately named Who Wants to be A Hero test, Success! He throws a satchel charge under the tank and uses his remaining movement to duck back (which in this case was run and go prone). The top armour of the tank is 3 and the AP of our charge is 5 so we need a roll of 2 or less to penetrate, the roll is a 3 and we just force a Clank test which results in nothing. If at first you don't succeed try again, my BAR gunner tries this time and once again manages to hit but has no effect. Finally my JrNCO steps up, he's the man of the moment he needs to take this tank out here or we are royally screwed...he dashes towards the tank...annnd drops the charge before he can place it...good job buddy.

Ohhhh crap.

Now it's the big guns turn, both tanks spin in place to face their respective enemies, T1's co-axial will fire first, amazingly only one hit was scored thanks to the soldiers being prone, but it was against their leader and he suffered a knockdown resulting in OOF, luckily the gun wasn't properly reloaded and therefore the loader would have to try again next turn. Now the hull MG let loose and scored a hit on the assistant gunner, he too was knocked down but managed to get away with a result of stunned. T2 needed six's to hit so it was unsurprising that only one of its shots hit the target, the single hit did manage to score an OOF though which meant that the bazooka wouldn't be able to fire every turn now. Remarkably Baker team score 2d6 on all of their tests and were allowed to carry on as if nothing happened, even more surprisingly the same was true for the remaining soldier in Able team.

At this point I decided I'd learnt enough from this scenario and it was already decided that the Germans would win here, I did enjoy this game and I'm keen to get into the campaign battles which should give us some interesting scenarios and some tense fights, hope you enjoyed this and I'll see you soon for another report.

Red Sands - Fourth Fight

I felt bad not having a battle report up in so long so I decided to do a quick Red Sands one to fill the gap while I get battle chronicler working again. When I rolled up my opponent for this fight I was quite surprised to see that his stats and fighting style came out almost identical to mine, the only differences were that I have one more base strength than him and he had no bonuses from size or signature. I had a feeling this might be quite an even fight, probably with not too many wounds but one or two rounds that would decide it, was I right? Read on to find out.

Sigh - Issues

Unfortunately I'm battling with some issues on battle chronicler at the moment and until I solve them I won't be able to get the next NUTS! report out. If I don't get it sorted before Monday I'll give in and do another Red Sands battle to give myself a bit more time and end my posting drought.

Announcement - Changes to the Plan

Hello hello hello, I'm going to get straight to the point in this quick announcement, my original idea of making this quite a regular blog is not going to work, I just don't have the time to keep up with it, therefore I'm going to aim to put up a post roughly once a week but do it in a much more informal way, so basically I'll put up content when I get it ready rather than constantly rushing to finish it in time. I've also decided I'm going to stop writing the 'In character' fluff in my reports for every little thing that happens, instead I'll only do it for parts that are humorous, insanely awesome or that I will feel will really gain from having a narrative along side them, this obviously means some games are going to have more of the fluff than others so you'll just have to get used to which ones will have it and which ones won't (If it matters to you).

So with that out the way I should have something more from the Nuts! Introductory scenarios ready soon so look out for that, I also have plans for other games I want to start up and I fully intend to have quite a lot of different campaigns going at once which is why I'm using the labels thingy on Blogger to organise them, I just want to clarify even though I think it should go without saying that if I start a campaign I will finish it no matter how many others I'm playing and no matter how long the breaks in between games are.

Sorry this post isn't really on topic but I just don't want to make changes without documenting it on here so people know what to expect, I'll have new stuff up soon and I'm still waiting for the elusive first comment so be awesome and make my day by giving me some one to chat to :P See ya.

Red Sand Blue Skies - A Days End

Here we are at the final fight of the month, so far Vergilius has managed to win two fights without so much as a scratch, he's beginning to make a name for himself and his career as a gladiator has got off to a perfect start. This match is easily going to be the hardest he's had (trust me) and to come out of this one uninjured would be an absolute miracle, that said he still has every chance to win he'll just have to fight clever and hope that luck is on his side, this is a long one guys.