Last year Miles and Helen both shot a 'hand mortar' - an 18th century grenade launcher.  They only shot tennis balls, not lead!

Songs of Drums and Tomahawks new scenario

Played a 3-way Songs of Drums and Tomahawks scenario today.  The scenario rules still need some adjusting, but it played well.  Sara had the settlers, Miles had the soldiers, and I ran a small yet elite Indian band.

The general board area.  War has erupted all along the frontier.  War parties roam the wilderness.  A band of settlers is desperately trying to corral the last of their cattle.  A party of regular soldiers is patrolling the area (and also looking for extra rations), while a raiding party approaches.

For the scenario, the cattle started at random locations on the board.  I have the perfect mechanism for this, it's called "Helen".  She did insist on naming each cow before placing it.  Settlers will get points for any cattle in the pen after 10 turns.  Soldiers will get points for killing Indians, and also if they can sneak any cattle off the board.  Indians get points for killing and scalping.

 On turn one, War Chief Not-so-lucky orders his braves to fire on the settlers in the open, while "Elsie" stares him down.

 Later in the game, we see how the war chief got his name.  He's combat 3 with a bonus for hand to hand, his opponent is only a combat 1 and already on the ground!  And chief not-so-lucky rolls a double fail.

This was but one of many double fails.  The average activation on all 3 sides was a 3, but we had an amazing number of fails with turnovers.  Activation was random order, with uncontrolled cows moving after all 3 sides had moved.

You might think this was Chief Not-so-lucky's son.  He is in quite a pickle here.  But thanks to his great activation and big fails on the soldier rolls, he managed to get into the woods, then on his next turn kill the officer!

The final tally:  

Indians win with 4 kills, no scalps.

Settlers in 2nd place with 2 cows penned and 1 person in the blockhouse.  They could have pulled a win by rushing the house on the last turn.  Somehow, I forgot to remind her of that...

Soldiers in 3rd place with 2 kills.  In 2 more turns (or with better activation) he would have snuck a cow off the board.  

I cannot fail to mention the kickstarter!  SDT is a part of the "Songs of" game family.  There's a kickstarter going on for a whole new breed (phylum?) of warrior.  Check it out, well worth backing!

Miles already has plans for the vampire mushroom...

Fightin Fungi Kickstarter

windshield washer

I finally fixed the commander windshield washer!

SDT river crossing

Not having fun trying to cross the stream here.

trailer update

Hey!  I actually did some work on the trailer!

Get The Message Through - A Songs of Drums and Tomahawks AAR

Songs of Drums and Tomahawks AAR

“Get the Message Through”

Based off the great SoBH / WHFB conversions available at

http://hour11gaming.blogspot.com/p/song-of-blades-heroes-stuff.html

(Scenario 24 “send for help”)

"Get the Message Through"

Hawkeye, Uncas (red leggings) Chingachgook and 2 disposable frontiersmen (336 pts)

Versus

Magua, 2 elite braves, and 6 braves (340 pts).

(Magua top right, 2 elite braves on the handle, mooks down below)

(The scenario called for the defender to have more than the attacker.  I found that not having a leader on the attacker side helps balance the books.)

Hawkeye's group has to advance up a river valley to deliver a message to the fort about a beleaguered town.  Magua's band has to stop them.  Hawkeye's band will not take morale checks, the message must get through. The Hawkeye player secretly designates 2 figures as the messenger and alternate.  One of them has to make it off the board on the other side.  Magua's band gets to use the hidden deployment rules.

Battlefield:  3 x 4.  Battle is fought lengthwise across the table.  I pre-built the table and designated entry and exit points.  Magua’s band gets to use the hidden deployment rules from SoDT.  He deploys first.  Then Hawkeye deploys in the starting area (1 long wide, 1 short deep).  The goal is for the messenger or the alternate to make it off the board at the other edge center (1 long wide). 

My home rules for the board:

-          All cover is light (-1)

-          If your base touches the cover you are in cover

-          Only 2 figures per tree can claim cover

-          Elevation: if you are more than short from a player at different level, the defender gets light cover bonus (-1).  Does not stack with other cover bonuses.  (this really encourages the use of the gullies)

-          

f    Streambed costs 1 short to cross.  There is no “middle”, they are either on one side or the other.  Bushes in the streambed count as cover.

The battlefield:

A stream runs up the center of the board.  Light trees all around, no heavy forests.  A gully transects the middle but is dry at this time of the year.  The stone fences at the far side are only there to designate the exit area.  Once a figure reaches this area, they are covered by the guns of the fort and will not be pursued (win the game).

Deployment:  Magua’s force deploys first, using the hidden deployment rules in SoDT.  Miles chose to put his leader with the larger group of braves, leaving the 2 elites separate.  I ruled the groups have to be designated. 

Red group with elite warriors

Green group with Magua.  Ummm, not sure how that guy on the left got in there.  Methinks the 6-year old wants her figures in the game too.

He put his hidden markers on the field, then wrote down which was the real for each group, and which false.

Now, looking at the board, Hawkeye could plan his advance.  With the stream splitting his deployment, he chose to push hard on his right, leaving only Frontiersman Gray on the left of the stream.

 

The Hawkeye player also had to pre-designate the messenger and alternate.  I picked Hawkeye and Frontiersman Black.

The start:

An inglorious start.  Uncas rolled 3x 1’s to start.  Pass to Magua.

Magua (my 12 year old son) wisely decided not to do anything.  Play passed back.

Better:  Chingachgook got 3 activations and moved out, scouting the first blind position.  It was real!

slight interlude while I put new batteries in the flash...

  

Magua deployed his strong group around the point.  Chingachgook fired and dropped a Huron!  First blood to the good guys!

(He moved within medium of the marker, so Miles had to deploy at least 1 figure.  He chose to deploy his entire group)

Everybody else on that side of the stream moved up to help.  Frontiersman Grey said, “Screw you guys!” and made a runner on the left flank. 

Magua/ Miles turn:  The group advanced and engaged in melee with Chingachgook.  The first only got enough activations to move into contact.  The second had a swing at him, but lost and was knocked down. 

Hawkeye / Me turn:  Uncas and Hawkeye move up to assist Chingaghgook.  It’s going to be a real brawl.  Hawkeye doesn’t quite make it.  Frontiersman Black sneaks around the edge of the fight.  Grey just sits there.  Chingachgook discovers why “Primitive Weapon” is cool when he rolls a 6.

Magua / Miles:  The remaining braves, having pissed away their shots, all rush in to melee.  Uncas goes down, but still fights on.  And then the surprise hits:

Both forces were pre-deployed on the same side of the creek!  I never would have thought he would do that.  The 2 elite warriors fall for the bait and go charging off after Frontiersman Grey, but the other 2 are more important.  The first takes an aimed shot and knocks Hawkeye down!  Not to be outdone, the second brave rolls a 6, while poor Natty Bumpo rolls a 1 (yes, my trademark roll). Holy Crap!  They killed Daniel Day Lewis!  Is that even allowed?  The only consolation was the brave failed his scalping roll and had to rush out and collect that scalp (Hey, wouldn’t you?).

Me:  Well shoot.  There’s one of my messengers gone.  Chingachgook and Uncas dispose of the remaining braves on them.  Black makes a runner on the right, Grey on the left.  Magua / Miles is now convinced Grey and Black are the messengers and moves to intercept both. 

Several turns of mayhem and chasing later (I forgot the pictures), it ended up like this.  One Brave had a chance to catch Black before he made it to safety.  He needed 1 success to reach melee.  He’s a Q4, but was still in range of Magua.  Miles chose to roll 2, hoping for a move and attack.

(Any resemblance to Drums Along the Mohawk is totally coincidental and should not result in a lawsuit!  It was random, I swear!)

And he blew it!  

He rolled a ONE and a Two!  

And I totally forgot to take the celebratory picture!

Uncas was down, Hawkeye was gone, Grey was gone, the Huron’s were 1 more casualty away from taking a morale roll, but the message got through!  The settlement would be saved.

Dammit girl!  Get your figures off my board!

Aftermath:  It was a very close battle.  The last roll wasn’t the only example of clutch rolls that were missed.  Miles surprised me by deploying both forces on the same side of the creek.  I must be getting predictable in my deployments.  I didn't expect Hawkeye to fall so quickly, so I didn't get to exploit his Hero status. 

Halloween fun!

Miles went as a scary vampire, Helen was a very pretty Elsa, and Sara went as Elvira Mistress of the Night.  We had a great time.  Tom was a CDC worker, but sadly we forgot to take a picture of him in his costume.  He did scare some adults though, so he had fun too!

Miles' 12th Birthday

Today 10/29 was Miles' 12th Birthday, instead of a cake he requested creepy crawly cupcakes.   Lazertag party to follow on Saturday.  Wow can't believe he is 12 already, wow  the years have flown by.

playtest

These are just some pictures of a game I'm playtesting.  It's finally cool enough in the garage to work.

forgot one more:

fuses

Never trust a car company.

Jeep labeled several fuses in this fusebox as "spares".  They are not spares!

School pictures

Love the background, but not too crazy about the pose the photographer put her in.  Still she's a beauty, and my son..look out ladies!