Newsletter June 2000

Next meeting:

Saturday June 10^th 2000, at St. Johns Church Hall, Norrie St., Drury, starting at 9a.m.

Games arranged:  

Morning session: 9.30 am to 1.00pm

Afternoon session: 1.30pm to 5.00pm

If you can't make any of these games let me know - Kevin 2670319

Copy for the Newsletter

Copy for the news letter needs to be to me by the Friday of the week before we meet .- Kevin

Battle Reports

Battle of Turnopol - Kevin vs Ivan - Kevin had the stronger army with a Sorcerer, Heavy Artillery and Guard, while Ivan tried to hold him off with his Guard and an entrenched Heavy Artillery battery. Kevin sent his Sorcerer in an attack on the flank of the battery while his Guard and artillery attacked Ivan’s Guard. The entrenched battery held out but eventually Ivan’s Guard were overwhelmed and fled the field. Kevin’s troops then pushed on for a joint attack on the Redoubt which quickly fell to a charge from Kevin’s Guards. The result of this battle was that Ivan’s army fled south leaving Kevin in a position to besiege Turnopol.

Battle of Slutsk - Robert vs Peter ( & Michael ) - This is undoubtedly the most one sided and shortest battle in the history of SAMWC. Peter had control of a joint army comprising his own and Michael’s troops, however Peter made the tactical decision to withdraw his own troops from the battle and leave Michael’s forces to do the fighting.  ( Michael - you need to turn up to the club! ). This meant that Robert outnumbered Peter by seven to one with the battle consisting of a two minute artillery barrage by Robert’s Heavy Artillery, a one minute firefight between the opposing infantry and a five minute pursuit of Peter’s fleeing troops. The result was that Michael’s Guard are now fleeing to Yapen via Oklyabriskiyi and Robert is free to besiege Slutsk. However....

In one of the cleverer strategic moves of the campaign, Peter sent his Sorcerer on a cross country march around Robert’s army to attack the cities in Robert’s rear which are currently undefended. This explains their absence from the battle, while the remainder of Peter’s army is falling back to a reserve position where he can receive reinforcements. Peter has also convinced a friend of his to join the campaign by landing in Robert’s rear. He is going to need this as Michael is letting the side down.

A few notes on the campaign.

Players who are going to be absent may issue orders in advance, and any units that are defending a town for another player may fight in any battles that take place provided at least one of the players is present to take command. However I will not be allowing armies to be transferred wholesale to another player, if no orders are issued for a unit then it cannot move, and cannot be moved by another player. Similarly any armies that do not have their commander present cannot fight and will retreat. Players who do not turn up on a regular basis can expect to lose territory. They cannot simply transfer their forces to another player. If you are planning to attack me ( Ken - the umpire ) then take note that my own orders are written out in advance before any other orders are received , and that a copy is available to anyone who wishes to check them after they have given me their own orders. If you want to write your own orders down then we can do a straight swap to keep things fair.

Kevin ( German ) beat Ken ( British ) 15mm World War 2 - In our previous encounters Kevin has suffered through misunderstanding the anti-aircraft rules, but this time he got his own back as I struggled to understand the anti-tank rules. Kevin had tons of artillery while Ken’s Brits had better ( but fewer ) tanks as well as air cover. German artillery systematically pounded the Commandos throughout the battle but their real success came when some very light armour was able to over run a village that was held by Sherman tanks. His anti-aircraft kept the Spitfires away and in general he suffered very little for his pains. A post battle readup on the rules has shown me what went wrong. Defenders have to use reserve fire rather than just standing and shooting, otherwise they get no advantage for being in a good position. This is only a technicality but it makes a hell of a big difference to the results. Now that I have this worked out you can expect a better performance from the Brits in future.

Peter Colson’s valiant men of the Empire of Sigmar Heldennhammer Unberogen crushed Damian Neems’ inadequate Undead horde utterly!

(Please note this report has been change slightly by the editor due to a few of the choicer words in Peters Vocabulary) 

"Ahhhhh! You only live once, might as well die now!" Bellowed Adolf Voerten, the SLIGHTLY unhinged Imperial Marshall.

The grim troopers formed their battle line, awaiting an almost certain death, better to die fighting than to lie down. Take it like a man!…..except that was the problem, if they were Orcs or Elves and such like, they’d have some interesting toys with which to thwart the shambling tomb-rot! But alas! No, they had to try to win through with steadfast and stalwart determination, and a fucking MIRACLE!

The battle-line was now formed. The left flank was anchored by the disciplined Reiksguard, where Adolf had chosen to dwell, so he could keep a close reign on the crossbowmen, positioned just to the right, so that they wouldn’t drop their nuts like they did before. Further on from the Crossbowmen were the hardy halberdiers, in many ranks arrayed (and quite likely soon to be in many ranks slayed). To their right stood the reputed Helblaster Volley Gun! dramatic drum beats go hereA regime of Imperial Archers escorted the Helblaster in battle, backed up by a battery of Imperial Great Cannons!!! Directed by Napolean, and engineer and high ranking officer of the Imperial Gunnery.The slow advance of the shambling corpses made headway the men readied themselves for battle.

Suddenly a dark shadow passed the assembled armies, and with a thud and mighty, bestial roar, an immense and decomposing dragon set down to earth, his challenge answered only by the sound of nigh 150 men soiling themselves."Come on you hopeless &%*^! The sooner you stop filling your pants the sooner we can show that glorified chicken what we’re made of!" Screamed the Imperial Marshall. His men were rather reluctant to show they were made of blood and bone, but jumped to his order.The gutless crossbowmen levelled their crossbows and rained steely death upon the dreaded Black Coach. Many hits were made, but difference was not done. Pitiful really.Then the archers decided to show how it was done. They drew their bow-strings, let loose, and suprisingly, they DID have an effect! Only two of a pack of dire wolves were left standing after the cloud of arrows landed.Then the artillery sounded! Four cannons fired at the dragon, two missed. The third cannon angled towards the offending beast, the fuse was meticulously, the chief gunner put his forefingers in his ears, and the cannon ROARED!!!When the dust cleared the devastation and destruction it wreaked was immense! The entire crew had been slain and not a hint that it had ever been there remained. Napolean shrugged and decided never to hire that crew again.The last cannon aimed and fired, and then suddenly everything went HORRIBLY and UNEXPECTEDLY……right.

The cannon ball arced gracefully through the air, straight towards the Vampire count sitting upon the hideous and pungent dragon. "My armour will protect me" said the proud unholy aristocrat, holding his helmet in his hand as a large iron ball replaced his head.He fell. His dragon crumbled. His minions crumbled. His necromancer muttered "%$^#@!#$!" under his breath. I won, hehehe.Before he even had his first turn I defeated his army and he conceded as all he had left was a Necromancer and a few zombies, haha. That’s ONE defeat avenged.

Peter Colson (Empire) Vs. Robert Davies (Wood Elves) –Inconclusive. - Victory here depends on whether or not batteries of war-machines count victory points for individual machines being destroyed, or for the entire battery. Unimaginative and far from satisfying game of cat & mouse. Robert managed to charge my crossbowmen with a treeman, and the crossbowmen, trying to bravely club the monster to death with their crossbows quickly succumbed to his assaults. I shrewdly gained advantage of territory, advancing my units towards his table sides while drawing his away. If batteries count as one unit like they state, then victory is mine, but if they don’t, as the statement is really vague, then he one. Rematch should be in order, hehe

Club Information

This newsletter is edited by Kevin Carberry so anything you would like included in the newsletter should be sent to me at 48 Beaumonts way, Manurewa, South Auckland. Phone 2670319, kevin@profax.co.nz

Robert "Dictator" Davies is the Club President so any queries, problems, issues or suggestions about the club should go to him at 14 Grebe Street, Manurewa. Phone 2670899.