Rest Stop

Holed up in an isolated farmhouse outside of Tranch, Markham and company need to gather supplies urgently. Of course finding reliable survivors and weapons would also be great if they are to cope with the strange walking dead...

They roll up outside a highway rest stop - Markham goes inside the store, while the others investigate the fuel station (they'll need to top up the truck if they want to go on many more shopping excursions).

At the crossroads - there's some activity in the distance but so long as they remain quiet they should get away with it 

Markham checks his six before heading to the store room to load up a pallet

Outside the fuel station, there's a burnt-out Militia armoured vehicle - with some dead crew members nearby.  

Exploring the fuel station, everything's locked up inside, but there's a way up to get the fuel pumps going manually

Markham hears a sound from somewhere - he tries to remember his CQB training, but it could get pretty hairy without someone to back him up

His caution is rewarded - there are two of those things near the checkout. He takes one down with a pistol shot while the other almost gets the jump on a buddy who's come inside to warn him

Across the way, two militia men come running out - they're the surviving crew members of the tank who'd holed up inside the fuel station. 

They hollering has attracted the attention of the shambling horde nearby - the lead militia soldier lets rip with his autogun, but that's the end of the shopping trip. 

They load everything handy aboard the truck and drive away - they've only got one trip's worth of fuel left for the truck...

Convenience Shop

The year 40.428 saw the expansion of warp storm Elohim into the Hazeroth Marches of the Calixis Sector of Imperium space. Many worlds were swallowed whole never to be seen in this dimension ever again, some were left barren and void of all life, scoured by the touch of chaos, and some have an altogether different story, one of despair and heroism. This is one of those stories.

The central government of the planet Hesiod’s Wake first realised their doom when a space hulk, the Tears of Damnation spewed forth from a wormhole above the planet, within an hour the planet had been sealed from the Astronomican by the warp storm, a mere week after the hulk had crashed into the only city, Tranch. The planetary forces lacking any orbital defences had to look on in horror as millions were killed, this was only the beginning of the nightmare. The majority of the planet being only vaguely aware of the emperor as a god were helpless, some fought the hordes of things that fell out of the hulk with whatever they had, most failed.

Officer Markham has just pulled into Harvey's convenience shop to pick up a few things before heading back to the station. A suspect is locked in the back of the cruiser. 

From the dusty road out of the city, a horde of strange men walk in. They've surrounded the cruiser and are trying to get inside

Across the way, Marv's Bar is being attacked as well

The bar staff find that the back way out is blocked as well

Markham goes outside to see if he can get his shotgun and save the suspect, but he knows he won't make it. He pops off a few shots with his sidearm - putting down a couple, but only attracting their attention really.

With two civilians running towards the door to the convenience shop, Markham holds his nerve to stay outside to give them covering fire

Inside, one of the other survivors makes his way to the back door - there's a way to the loading bay from there. But there are already some of those things inside! He shuts the door, but that won't hold them out

They've broken into the cruiser, and despite a spirited attempt to escape, the suspect is caught and eaten alive! The others go to the windows of the shop and start to beat at them, attracted by the movement and lights inside

The glass breaks and the survivors hurry to escape out the back, grabbing some supplies as they run

They make it to a delivery vehicle parked outside and drive away with not a moment to spare!

With immediate survival sorted, Markham would have to try to gather supplies to feed his small band of survivors...

Hunters Hunted

Having conducted raids a light platoon of Spetznaz are closely pursued by a large group of Mujahideen, the Spetznaz are trying to buy time for their extraction from the Panjshir highlands.

Their first stand went well, from concealed and prepared positions they have inflicted over 30 casualties on the enemy and now they are withdrawing to their second defensive line – though three of their number have been killed and one seriously wounded.



Two scouts on the left flank (equipped with night vision goggles and suppressed weapons) pin back the Mujahideen attack, calmly slipping out of contact after picking off the Afghan leaders



Feeling under threat, the scout team jump into one of the foxholes, continuing to suppress and drive back the Mujahideen attack



The first assault goes in on the central Spetznaz defensive position, but is driven back - the platoon medic races forward to see to some casualties, but it's just a scratch



The Mujahideen send in a further attack, this one is met with devastating effect by some carefully placed directional mines



Near the scouts' position, the second wave of Mujahideen arrives



The pair continue to hold them off - faced with these Soviet demons, the Mujahideen morale suffers and their advance falters



The arrival of more Mujahideen further up that flank makes the prospect of holding it very suspect



There's too many of them! Keeping the rest of the Spetznaz busy, the Mujahideen concentrate on these two scouts and try to envelope them and render their technological advantages useless



The scouts make their escape at the last possible second - running up to the ridgeline overlooking their escape route



With the scent of blood in the air, taking that ridge will dominate the Spetznaz escape route. The Mujahideen rush up the ridge



Despite taking losses on the way in, the Mujahideen gun down the two scouts, and now the Spetznaz below realise that they've tried to hold on too long



The race to the extraction zone leaves them in the open and without their defensive positions. Now without fear the Mujahideen close the distance and begin to take them down



One group of Spetznaz nearly makes it, but the pursuit from the Mujahideen cuts them all down and the rest of the platoon are overwhelmed



With the remnants of the whiskey washed down, a brief but very constructive post-mortem ensued. Some changes were pencilled in, and then we retired downstairs to watch The Losers!

The Package

The rogue Azeri militia group inside Nagorno-Karabakh have arranged an arms dealer to deliver the weapon to the ghost town of Agdam by light plane.

Azerbaijan feels it’s not yet ready for such a confrontation and sends in special forces to arrest the militia leader and confiscate the Package.



The funds transfer has just taken place and the deal is being closed - the Azeri raid has struck at the last possible minute



The special forces move in quickly, taking out the rooftop machine gunners as they cross the open ground to take cover at a wall



As gunfire opens up, there's confusion at the meet - fire is exchange across the airstrip and both teams secure their principals. Accusation of a double-cross are exchanged in the heat of battle



The milita squad next to the SUV rush to the roof of the nearby building to target the special forces squads bunched up in their line of fire, but despite some success are quickly suppressed



The militia nearest their leader pull him back out of the building and behind it to get out of the line of fire. The special forces have taken the main compound overlooking the airstrip and are putting down an impressive amount of fire on everything they can see



As the mercenaries cross the open ground they take casualties and despite their training hunker down, they eventually make it to safety behind the building adjacent the aircraft but aren't too confident about moving on (the pilot is still dithering on the steps)



As the mission clock moves on the special forces realise they must throw caution to the wind the move on - they race across the airstrip to try to catch the militia in a crossfire but can't make it effective



The Azeri Special Forces must withdraw, as the Armenians have been alerted to their presence in the enclave...

The Battle of Sahagun

As designed by Mr. Kinch over on Joy and Forgetfulness

As the climax of the Campaign of 1808 approached, the army of General Sir John Moore, 33,000 men strong, was advancing from Salamanca in the general direction of Burgos, intent upon surprising and all being well defeating in detail the dispersed forces of Marshal Soult, and thereafter creating a threat to the vital French lines of communication running from Bayonne through Burgos to Madrid, which Napoleon had recently occupied at the head of his Corps d'Armee.

Ahead of Moore's main body moved his screening light cavalry under command of the 40 year-old Henry Paget, Lt. General of Cavalry, who was described at about this time by his younger brother as "always at the head, and in the thick of everything that has been going on. He is, in this respect, quite a boy, and a cornet instead of a Lt General of Cavalry, but in every other he is the right hand of the army."
Some very nice background and accounts of the battle

With the element of surprise fast dissappearing and time running short Lord Paget made a characteristically bold decision and ordered a charge straight into the teeth of the enemy.

Initial skirmishing goes against the British, though they have forced some of the heavy cavalry back into the town



Fierce countercharge lead by Colonel Tascher continues their good fortune



Lancers lead by Debelle drive the hussars from the field



British sweep towards the ford, and a last ditch attempt by the French to turn the tide fails



We played this again, and despite a 'Cavalry Charge' drawn by the British, the French counterattack sweeps the tightly packed British squadrons from the field - the game lasts but a single turn!



A nicely balanced scenario, even though the initial handsize of the French has the potential to be disastrous.

The Battle of Blasthof Bridge

First of the games played at the weekend was an adaptation of the classic Battle of Blasthof Bridge for C&C Napoleonics.

Both sides move onto the board using the usual command cards, which can give a player enough rope to hang himself! I found my right flank dangerously weak and unable to use several cards there.

French cross the river upstream from Blasthof



British guns set up at a frightening pace, but their cannonade lacks accuracy and their position, though threatening is dangerously vulnerable



The general leads the way, holding the bridge for quite some time before being forced back



French batteries lay into advancing British



French glory as they wipe out the charging British!



British overlook the bridge



British dragooons cross river



Mass charge wipes out British guns



British cavalry repulsed, but they have done their job and prevented a timely destruction of the bridge.



I'm not sure how this plays with Charge! but it may be that the bridge is too far away from the starting point, especially given that you're not guaranteed a move with units in C&C. The timeline might just be too tight in that regard.

We played the game again, but with a looser ruling on what consituted control of the bridge. If the retreating force had more units adjancent or on the bridge than the attackers, then they controlled the bridge. Unfortunately I forgot that we also shortened the turns required for this from 6 to 4 and neglected to contest when I thought it was pointless. I also had a dry run in the centre (a typical excuse from a defeated C&C player!)

The performance of the French lancers was again outstanding, managing to pin three British units in square, and doing severe damage to two of them over the duration



I may take a look at Sittangbad myself as this was a challenging scenario with definite re-play value.