Xenos Rampant. UNIT circa 1980

 

BIG shout out to https://www.butlersprintedmodels.co.uk/  and at time of writing they have a 15% sale on.  PLUS they do everything in a gamut of scales, so take this and run!

Oh my Gossips.  Many of you may have noticed that I use UNIT Recon for my e mail.  This is because in their hey day I was the right age to have been there.

I'd idly thought that I'd like to have this force.

Then, last year they brought out the right figures.  Vehicles are no great problem, but the figures are pretty sparse.  Now order in, vehicles, figures and decals for just over £100.

This wasn't the army's best time.  Most troops bided their time in barracks, with some patrolling (and violence) on the streets of Belfast and Hong Kong.  Playing silly buggers in Canada and Germany.

Then there was the Falklands where a near bankrupt UK just managed to scrape a force together.  Some (the Para's) were amazing, but a later inquiry https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C11760221  found that some units were not mentally prepared for combat. 

Meanstwhile, the UNIT troops drawn, possibly all volunteers from the same British army (but I surmise not commonwealth or Gurkhas)  They are going to be classed as an auxiliary unit and will get the older equipment that will fit their operational requirements as an UK based, air transportable quick response unit. 

Lettuce discuss my selection:

Elite command unit, probably over-officered, able to call in artillery or air strikes and bombing around in a lightweight (air portable) Land Rover.

You will note that there is no science team.  I may add later or part of the HQ section.

Infantry I've classed as heavy infantry as they are a bit above the normal.

Recon I've classed as veteran and also capable of fire support.

Transport I opted for the Spartan, just going out of service.  It's light, small and not bothered by narrow British roads and old bridges.

The FV120 Spartan MCT,  armed with MILAN anti-tank missiles. adds anti armour punch.

I've added a Scorpion and a Scimitar as recon units.

Lastly, a Country unit of Light Infantry as they're the poor sods (well and the local police) with a Bedford truck for transport.

10p UN E.I Com.  2 as 5	1	Move 5+ 8”		Attack free (5+)  Attack V4 DefenceV 4
Courage 3 Armour 4		Shoot Free (5+) 4+ 18”		Firefight. Back into fray. Ranger   Fire Support .
5p  LW Landie Soft Skin.	2	Move Free (6+) 12”		Attack 6+  Attack V6 DefenceV 6
Courage 4 Armour 3		Shoot 7+   6 6”		ATV. Transport 10
5p UN H.I  5	2	Move 5+ 6”		Attack 6+  Attack V6 DefenceV5  Blades ½ armour
Courage 4 Armour 3		Shoot Free (6+) 6+ 18” Tgt-1 arm. 6=2		Firefight.  Go to ground.  AP HW.
8p Recon  2 as 5	1	Move Free (5+) 8”		Attack 7+  Attack V6 DefenceV 6
Courage 5 Armour 1		Shoot 7+ 5  12”		Firefight. Hard to T Armour 2-12”  Fire support  Vet.
6p  Spartan APC 1 as 5	2	Move Free (6+) 10”		Attack 6+  Attack V6 DefenceV 6
Courage 4 Armour 5		Shoot 7+   6 6”		ATV. Transport 5 Line breaker.
6p  Spartan MCT, 1 as 5	1	Move Free (6+) 8”		Attack 6+  Attack V6 DefenceV 5   Blades ½ armour
Courage 3 Armour 5		Shoot 6+   4 18” Vec ½ armour		Lt vec. ATV. Transport 5 Line breaker.   Vet crew no-1
5p County LI  10	1	Move Free (5+) 8”		Attack 6+  Attack V5 DefenceV4
Courage 4 Armour 2		Shoot 6+ 5+ 18”  6=2		Firefight.  Go to ground.  Increase squad.  HW
5p  Bedford 4x4	1	Move Free (6+) 10”		Attack 6+  Attack V6 DefenceV6  Blades ½ armour
Courage 4 Armour 5		Shoot 6+   5 12”		Transport 10
6p  Scorpion 1 as 5	1	Move Free (6+) 10”		Attack 6+  Attack V6 DefenceV 6
Courage 4 Armour 4		Shoot 6+   5 18” no cover		ATV. Armour Technical.  Engulfing
6p  Scimitar 1 as 5	1	Move Free (6+) 10”		Attack 6+  Attack V6 DefenceV 6
Courage 4 Armour 4		Shoot 6+   5 18” -1 armour		ATV. Armour Technical. AP.

Dragon Rampant 2ed. - Mars 2 British Infantry!

Please note that I'd posted 1st part by accident, now completed.  Apologies!

New edition!  Look at that!  Now to try and break it.

Well didn't break it. Tried--.

The result was a good series of games.  Most of the new stuff, well let's look:

Rules are not designed for colonial warfare.

Colonial warfare rules are not designed for fantasy settings OR for limited scope aimed at specific ranges.

Bodkin.  If you're used to Xeno this is heavy weapons,  Costs a lot but 6's gives you 2 hits.  A force multiplier.  Turns a unit of (say) heavy crossbow into an early machine gun.

Add flying and you've a heavy sled with real punch, but 1/3 of your force.

Add long range and you've got light artillery hitting way back there.

I tried adding Bodkin to mixed light infantry, I want to give this a good go as the ability to form wall of spear - or square needs testing.

95th was simply normal skirmishers with good shots.

Shooting party is your small group of "high tech" and your link to a campaign or RPG.  Add more, good shooter, bodkin and extra range for 2 shooters with reloads and high powered scoped hunting rifles after that T Rex trophy.  Or a group of veteran longbowmen transported to earlier times.

Naval volunteers are the ones who would go through Boxers like a laser through cheese.  Cutlas, heavy pistols and a few good shot marines. 

I got the figures (Irregular Miniatures) on Monday, played Thursday - I got a paint pen and started on webbing that morning. Once again I forgot flying bases and red base cloth.  Next time you see these will be against the dread Baron Greenback!

7p County Inf.  H shoot 12		6+ 6”		Attack 7+  Attack V6 DefenceV5
Courage 4 Armour 2		Shoot 7+ 4+ 18”  6=2		Bodkin
4p 95th Recon  6		5+ 8”		Attack 7+  Attack V6 DefenceV6
Courage 5 Armour 1		Shoot 7+ 5+ 12”		Hard to Tgt. arm 2- 12”.  Fleet foot Skirmish 7+  Evade. Good shooters
8p  Ghurka/Scot Mix LI 12		Move 5+ 8”		Attack 6+  Attack V5 DefenceV 4
Courage 4 Armour 2		Shoot 6+ 5+ 12”  6=2		Mixed weapons. Wall of Spears.  Bodkin
2p Shooting party  6		Move 5+ 8”		Attack 7+  Attack V6 DefenceV6
Courage 5 Armour 1		Shoot 7+ 5+ 12”		Hard to Tgt. arm 2- 12”.  Fleet foot Skirmish 7+  Evade.
8p Naval Vol. HI   12		Move 5+  8”		Attack 6+  Attack V4  DefenceV4
Courage 4 Armour 3		Shoot 6+ 5+ 6”		Offensive.  Short missile.   Fast
7p H MG H Shoot. 2 as 12		Move 6+  6”		Attack 7+ Attack v6+ DefendV 5+
Courage 4 Armour 2		Shoot 7+ 4+ 18”  6=2		.  Bodkin
9p L.art. H Shoot.2 as 12		Move 6+  6”		Attack 7+ Attack v6+ DefendV 5+
Courage 4 Armour 2		Shoot 7+ 4+ 22”  6=2		Long R.  Bodkin
10p Fly MG L Shoot.  1 as 12		Move 6+  8”		Attack 7+ Attack v6+ DefendV 5+
Courage 4 Armour 2		Shoot 7+ 4+ 18”  6=2		Fast. Flyer .  Bodkin
Suggested 30 points
2 County, Scots. MG 29		3 county MG Party 30.		2 Fly.  Scots or navy. Party  30
Art. Fly. 95, County  30		Mg Flyer. Scots. 95  29		Fly  Art.  MG 95.  30

Young Easton decided to take my plan and try to wreck, um, Zulu it.  Take my Borderers  (see 1st post) and make as many units as possible.  Add skirmishers.

So I ended up with 6 units of foot and 2 skirmishers. Actually worked out to 28 points.

I was facing 3 County infantry units and a machine gun.  8 vs 4.

Matt "negotiated down" trading units to add javelins and skirmishers.  

He faced 2 flyers and naval volunteers. 7 vs 3.

This force was punishing on cavalry, but the flyer and skirmishers routed one flyer and damaged the other.  Naval infantry not so good at fighting cavalry.

One of his units hit a line infantry, did damage and sent them back before the MG opened up-.

Here they come!  My dice rolling was - not good.

Starting to wear them down, I got some damage on the MG but at the cost of both skirmishers.

Just getting there!

The survivors.  All of them!  It was hard pressed and not quite as unbalanced as you might expect.  I can see (say) 1/3 of a force Europeans working well. 

Game 2.  Matt's Reptilians again,  36 points each.  I decided on Scots (2 lines) 95th (red, Mars deployment) Party and 3 County.  How's this for a British column?

Drat!  Matt takes the objective, the Carrot Pile of Carrots.

The lesser warbeasts plow into the Country, cause damage then get shot.  That slows me down whilst his lighter infantry and skirmishers mass on my right flank.

The 95th and the left gets pounded by shooters.  Party and reserve move right.

Everything concentrates on the Scots, now the lead unit and my commander.  And they're gone.  Snake eyes and I lose another unit.  My ability to roll one's is unparalleled today.

Oh good, a big gap.  That should be ideal for my shooters!

Shoot!  A 4.  I need 7.  No command so no reroll and that's turn over.  Oh good.

They're there!  Shoot!  And I do, but I need 4+ Not enough! 1 gone--.

They slam in, NOW I get a good roll.  If that had been the shooting it would have been 4 gone and possibly broken.  That was my last chance--.

Gone gone.

Next.  Get sent back broken.

And that's me done!  Excellent game, well balanced.