Wharf Project, Part ii

So with Leprecon over, back to the wharf project we return...

As you can see the main wharf is clad with stone, while the other one (an earthen section) has wooden pilings shoring it up. This kind of earthen wharf was more common than you might think, but could be completely removed if inappropriate.

One end of the stone wharf is rather worse for wear, and the other side of it has two barred openings where sewers or streams could exit into the harbour.

There's two smaller sections for the wharf to connect to the main board. An earthen ramp and some steps (large enough to take a standard 28mm figure's base). Two 6" jetties finish off the construction, with wooden pilings to match the earthen wharf's.

I think you'll appreciate how well the whole thing fits together. Mr. Fitzpatrick is amenable to taking up your cause for a wargaming project - email him and I'm confident he'll be able to solve your design and construction quandary!

Here's two final shots of the wharf in action!

Wharf Project, Part i

A while back I commissioned a wharf from Capability Savage (whose work to make the Airfix Waterloo Farmhouse a true gaming item you may have seen before over on Joy & Forgetfulness).

My brief was simple (or at least simple-minded!):

In broad strokes I was looking for approx. 36" stone and/or wooden wharf to go around three sides of a waterway in a small colonial port. Extras like steps, piers, mooring posts would be good too.

One issue I wasn't sure about was how it would connect to the town - without building up the ground level...

Keeping the overall shape fairly uniform was important - after all I would be transporting this in a box to games. I really didn't want to fully integrate it with the land or water sections - just to set it down on a water area which will be on a earth-coloured mat. I'd be putting buildings nearby with cobbled streets and such, so it'll be a rough-and-ready transition.

Two wooden jetties would jut out from the main wharf.

I had a few boats which needed to be considered. Three of them have straight gunwales of just less than 1". The fourth one has a waist of just more than 1" and forecastle/quarterdecks of approx 2".
My initial feeling was that something of between 1 & 2" is about right (for 28mm figures by the way).

The game in question was set during the Pulp era, so aiming for 1920s/30s colonial Africa, but really I wanted to be able to use it for Mobsters as well - somewhere between a well-run merchant dock and small Caribbean port.

More photos to come...

Please Advise

The conclusion...although the Package has been secured, an American contractor has been captured and is being used as an unwilling technical advisor to the rebels.

A small group of elite operators is sent in to rescue him – should the rebels be taught a harsh lesson it would be considered a bonus.

Quiet streets, for now - you can see the four Delta operators getting ready behind a nearby building 

A rebel group patrols down a nearby laneway - they're in a good position to directly reinforce the main compound or attempt a flanking movement

Delta approach compound - they've made a quick movement down the side of the buildings, avoiding the main street and the traffic. Just behind the white and orange taxi is a news team, who've somehow gotten wind of the hostage situation - any trip-up will cause a media storm

They're engaged by the rebels in the compound - one of them gets hit and as they try to return fire under movement an unarmed civilian crosses the road in front of them!

They cross the open ground and rebel fire hits the old woman - one of the Delta operators stops to give her basic first aid before dragging her into cover

They're under serious time pressure now, but a heliborne sniper has joined in to  help them out. The shots from above takes out two rebels nearby as Delta storms the smaller building, wiping out another rebel group. Unfortunately for them the hostage is nowhere to be found: he must be in the main building

Delta form up for an assault, but with incoming fire and the helicopter driven away by RPG fire, they hunker down and must exfiltrate before more rebels cut off their route

Once again, a very close-run affair - keeping to a strict time-table is difficult with only four men, and Delta only seemed to realise the urgency of things in the last two turns.

Eyes On

With rebel forces in control of the Package, a SpecOps team has been sent in to put eyes on it, and destroy  it along with any threat to the stability of the region.

A two-man hidden sniper team lies conceals, attempting to put 'eyes on' the Package in order to call in an air strike to put it permanently beyond use.

Patrols are out in force, they patrol the compound in a tightly controlled circuit. So far the hidden observation team hasn't located the Package, but has ruled out two of the buildings in the main compound

An unknown vehicle approaches along a dirt road, and immediately the patrols' alertness is raised. One patrol makes its way across to check out the vehicle.

One patrol spots something in the small copse of trees beyond. The observation team  has just compounded it's failed roll to check out the third building - maybe in their frustration they left their laser designator flash in the sunlight... 

Snipers in the undergrowth! The patrol engages them in a firefight and overwhelms them . The snipers let out a squawk on their radio as they call in the quick reaction force!

The QRF swoops in! These guys mean business - despite the attention of two four-man patrols and a machine-gun team on a rooftop they barely take any return fire at all as they wipe out each of the three rebel groups

The SUV (which was just a resupply run for the rebel group) and the other patrol make their way to the compound. The  rebel leader with the package remains hidden but hopes to sneak into the vehicle while the rebels hold off the inbound gun truck

The special ops team aboard the gun truck careen around the compound trying to cut off the SUV's escape route. The rebel leader makes a run for it but is shot down as he leaves the building. 

With the rebel leader out of the action, the nearby rebels grab the package and jump into the SUV instead. The gun truck pulls up alongside and shoots down three of the four rebels. The last guy, huddled in the corner with the briefcase, loses his nerve and surrenders to them 

A close-run affair in the end - while the QRF were amazingly effective, the rebels were one morale check away from victory in the last turn!

The Package

At Warpcon a couple of weeks back I ran the Brave New World campaign from the 'Classified' book

An arms dealer delivers the package to the rebels by light plane.

A small special forces mission is sent in to arrest the militia leader and confiscate the small briefcase

The rebel village looks peaceful, a small patrol is seen in the distance picking its way through the supply dump

But two special forces squad rush into the village, taking out the rebel machine gun team perched on the rooftop of the largest building (believed by their intelligence to be the rebel HQ)

Another group of rebels has leapt into their SUV and raced across the main road  to where their leader is meeting with the arms dealer - they bundle him aboard, trading fire with the special forces

The arms dealer's mercenaries escort him back to the aircraft, where their pilot has kept her nerve and is getting it ready. As they get into the plane rebel forces nearby pause from their firefight with the assaulting special forces to open fire on them! Do they think the arms dealer has sold them down the river?

The rebels hold on to their stronghold, stopping the special forces dead in their tracks and causing the arms dealer's plane to skid to a halt - despite their losses they've gotten their leader away

Nice and quick, and I think the tactical options open to all sides make this one eminently re-playable.

Contracting Trouble - Redux

After the first game a crowd of us sat/stood around the table for some varied chat; until I charged a couple of them to give Contracting Trouble another go, since the terrain was already set up and all.

During the last post I compared this to 'Suicide Mission' (from Space Hulk) - what I meant was that the mission is challenging for a beginner, but experienced player can give themselves a much better shot at success...

The first fire team reaches the contractors without much trouble, with their comrades on a rooftop behind they  feel safe

Two things are not in their favour however: one large group of insurgents has broken away from contact and moved all the way around the main street, aiming to cut off their line of retreat

The other group near the SUV has hugged the wall of the building and is now actually out of line-of-sight of the overwatch team, while being able to attack the rescue team. The insurgents wipe out the rescue team, taking the contractors and one of the soldiers prisoner

The second fire team rushes to their rescue, though the initial exchange of fire is in the regulars' favour, they're stuck for time and assault through the insurgents killing every last one and saving one of the mates and the contractors

Their time is running out and as they flee the scene of the wrecked SUV, the insurgents lining the walls and in nearby building open fire and overwhelm them

A white-wash in favour of the insurgents, careful manoeuvring along with some poor decisions by the regular player made it a bad day for the squaddies