Charlie don't Surf Demo game.

Well the big day finally came. I am glad to say that I am really happy with the response I had from fellow gamers and the general public, who stopped by to have a chat or to just take a photo.

The game did not go through to a conclusion. I really like the rules but would make a few changes next time I try them out. I felt that the VC should have one level higher of cover than we used but this may be in the rules already. I might have missed this in the rules like a couple of other parts I did not know well enough. I would also allow points for the truck getting destroyed and would set a turn length at 10. I would also only count VC casualties when you have US troops on the ground. i.e. not those caused by Airpower or Artillery.

The scenario was a combination of two of the TFL's scenarios from the Surf's Up compilation.

Fried Rice to Go.

The Rice Farm of Grace Kwan (a local TV character) has reportedly been a hotbed of VC activity during the early part of 1965. It has been decided to evacuate the Farm, locate the caches of Rice located in the area and burn the buildings and anything useful to the VC that cannot be evacuated.

There may be some tunnels in the area that require locating and destroying. This area may be used for a Fire Base in the future as it is a defensible location with good road access.

The plan is that the Free World Forces will send in an advance team at dawn to organise the Workers and escort them away from the Farm. This Force will start on the table in the building compound.

The Search Party will advance across the ford and proceed to search the buildings and waste piles for Rice Caches. Anything located will be Air lifted out by the Helicopters on Standby. The buildings will then be set on fire. If any tunnels or VC can be located and also destroyed would be a bonus to the mission.

The force on the left flank will also be searching for any Rice Caches and if any VC caught will also be destroyed.

Forces to be used for the Search and Destroy Mission.

Advance Party

Bigman plus Kit Carson section and attached Sniper.

Farm Search Party

Air Cavalry Platoon 1 and attached Flame thrower, Tunnel Rat and truck.

Left Flank Force

Air Cavalry Platoon 2 plus HMG and Mortar Observer.

Support Units

Mortar Platoon

Marine Hogs

Air Support

Suspected VC units

Two small platoons of Main Force VC with snipers, Mortars and HMG's.

The Farm Workers may have VC sympathies.

Scenario Rules

Rice Caches can be found by using any number of action dice on a 4+ while remaining stationary next to buildings or farm waste. A success means that the Roof or pile can be lifted to reveal if the VC player has hidden a marker there. (This can only be done by an Infantry Section). If a booby trap card is pulled from the deck immediately after a Cache is discovered then 1D6 hits on section.

Tunnels that are located in the mound area can only be located by a Tunnel Rat. He will remain stationary next to a terrain feature and use his dice to test on a 4+. If a booby trap card is pulled from the deck immediately after it is successfully found then the Tunnel Rat suffers 1D6 hits. The VC player will note where the Tunnel entrance is hidden.

Scenario Points

US VC

1 Enemy Casualty 2

1 MIA (prisoner) 2

5 Rice Cache 1

0 Helicopter downed 10

-5 Civilian casualty 0

5 Civilians relocated -1

10 Tunnel located -10

10 Buildings burnt-down -2

-20 Broken Arrow +5

Day 1 started off well enough with the advance party of the Kit Carson Scouts entering the village. (I was the US player) The 1st Platoon moved slowly to secure their line of retreat but did encounter some resistance from a sniper and a section of VC. On the left hand flank things seem to start well. When two sections of VC along with two LMG's appeared from the rice fields they did serious damage to one section forcing it to retreat, while another section was destroyed. Now as the third section had failed to appear on the table, the Platoon Commander had no other option to withdraw to the start line.

Things looked so bad that I went through the card deck twice to make sure that I had put the correct amount of US cards in, but found everything was as it should be and put it down to the timing of the cards with a timeout card controlling turn length.

Day 2. I had finally started to make some progress into the village and got the Civilians on the move to the river, although I had lost my truck to an RPG. I had also done some damage to the VC on the left flank with my Airpower. At this point I felt that I could start to make some impact on gathering some points as the VC were leading 28 points to my 13. However my opponent decided that as it seemed unlikely that he could stop the Green Machine we should stop the game.

I can only assume what would have happened if we continued. When packing up the terrain later on I found where the rice caches and tunnel were hidden. I think that it was unlikely that I would have found the tunnel placed where it was and would have only found one Rice cache. I may have gotten my Flame thrower on in time to burn down some of the buildings so it could have very easily been a draw.

Before packing up the game I went to the table next door and had a game of Skirmish Outbreak with Colin Philips, and my usual Demo gaming buddies Raymond and his son Michael. I had a lot of fun with the game and will admit that although I struggle with the Sanguine rules (unless somebody else drives the game) I found this easy to play. I won with the loss of one of my teams characters out of three.

Best news of all was that I sold three Flames of War Armies plus some other bits and pieces and made nearly NZ$700. I only spent NZ$4 on a couple of Grenadier Wizards and NZ$25 on two Corgi Kubelwagons.

Random photos from Call to Arms 2014.

A few photos of other games.

Ronin, wished I had time to watch as the game interests me.

Skirmish Sanguin.

Modern Micro Armour.

Roly Hermans NZ Wars.

Pulp Alley at Call to Arms. Part 3.

So now Michael had broken through into the cavern beneath the Pyramid, we all took turns throwing challenges at him to slow him down to give us a chance to catch up. We had also agreed to replace our casualties with like for like, by throwing against the health rating of each one. These were very useful as we were dropping like flies. Ray was held up by a single Mummy and lost a few men jumping  across instead of fighting. I worked my way down from the top of the Pyramid with just my labours and Hugo being held up, while the others broke through by jumping down a wall avoiding a melee successfully. Tyrone was last into the crypt which was good timing as we were all fighting the Mummies before going for the last Plot Point.
We used a second pack of cards for events in the Crypt as we were running out of them in the first pack. The characters had to fight their way past Mummies which the other players directed at them.

We all took turns going for the last point and failed turn after turn until Tyrone took it with an Ally, who was an Egyptian expert funnily enough. We decided that we should finish there rather than fight to get out with the loot as it was about 3pm and time to pack up.

We had great fun all weekend and found very little need to look at the rule book. I'd happily do it again but just not yet. It was hard work packing away all the figures so maybe I can host an event when my new gaming room is built.

Predator statue, the shape of things to come?

Nazi's fighting their way down the stairs.

Another Conga line down a tunnel.

Dr Who gets a new assistant.

Three convicts failed tests to cross the rickety bridge. 

Mustafa, (top left) wins the Major Plot Point.

Pulp Alley at Call to Arms 2014. Part 2.

Four different gangs arrived to seek the treasure of the hidden Tombs (sorry I'm not good at doing flowery prose). Ray had a group of British Archaeologists. Michael a group of Local Egyptian Cultists, Tyrone used my British Archaeologists (named the Cooper family) and I commanded a Group of Nazi's seeking loot.
The Cultists started midway down the table and proceeded to create havoc attacking everyone. The British started on the left hand side on the beach road, I started from the left side of the beach while Tyrone started on the right hand side of the beach. We had a few shots at each other mainly designed to slow each other down but nothing too serious. Michael attempted to take the plot point in the fortress but found a things a bit hot and withdrew but took the point in front of the band. I snuck into the Jail and took a point without any opposition. Ray then took the point on the hangman's scaffold while Tyrone took the one in the fortress.
So now we were able to recruit some labourers and proceed to the Pyramid.

My leader winning the point after failures by the other two members.

The Tardis arrived moments later.

My labourers being lead by Hugo.

My reinforcements waiting for the call. 

The Cultists locating a hidden entrance.

Cultists labourers in the tunnel.

My casualties

Tyrones casualties 

Tyrones reinforcements.

My reinforcements.

Tyrones labours,

Rays reinforcements/casualties.

Michaels reinforcements/casualties.

Day 2
Michael was first getting a good lead and broke through a hidden entrance in the bar and went underground into a tunnel. Ray was next and gained entrance by the left hand positioned needle monument. Tyrone was lagging a bit as he was trying to hold me up costing us both some time. I managed to run to the front entrance (tourist entrance according to Tyrone), I chose to shoot the guard just because I could (being a Nazi), while the others had negotiated their way around them. Tyrone had also made his way into the right hand positioned crypt. We all had to pass tests that other players had thrown at them as well as the Peril points.