The Battle For Chateaux 'X' - FUBAR VSF AAR

Hello again Dear Readers it's been a while but I'm back and I'll hopefully will be able to divert some more time to my VSF passion over the next few months! This post, my first in quite a while is a FUBAR VSF AAR, yep I got the TSOG guys to play a game last Monday!

Background

The Great Steam Wars of the 1880's engulfed the World and battles between the European Empires raged across the length and breadth of virtually every Continent! The Low Countries in Europe were a hot spot of activity and as allegiances and alliances changed Armies of the Great Empires fought many actions within their borders...one of those was fought for the possession of Chateaux 'X'!

The Battle for Chateaux 'X' begin German Steam Armour advances with Infantry support!

The Armies!

British Army - Lord Arfwitt - the 22nd Steam Assault Detachment

Unit                              Activation         Expertise          Armour           Suppression     Hero Pts

HQ                                    2+                    4+                    6+                    2                     2

Guard Infantry                  2+                    3+                    5+                    4                      2

Armoured Infantry 1/2      3+                    4+                    5+                    3                      1

Armoured Infantry 2/2      3+                    4+                    5+                    3                      1

Line Infantry 1/2               4+                    5+                    6+                    2                      1

Line Infantry 2/2               4+                    5+                    6+                    2                      1

Naval Auxiliaries              4+                    5+                    6+                    1                      1

Artillery Detachment        3+                    4+                    5+                    2                      1

Automaton MG                3+                    3+                     4+/6+           Special Rules     0

German Army Oberst Oinker - 3rd Grenadier Gruppe

Unit                              Activation         Expertise          Armour           Suppression     Hero Pts

HQ                                   2+                    4+                    6+                    2                      2

Jager Border Guards       2+                    3+                    5+                    4                      2

Armoured infantry 1/2      3+                    4+                    5+                    3                      1

Armoured Infantry 2/2      3+                    4+                    5+                    3                      1

Line Infantry 1/3               4+                    5+                    6+                    2                      1

Line Infantry 2/3               4+                    5+                    6+                    2                      1

Line Infantry 3/3               4+                    5+                    6+                    1                      1

Artillery Detachment        3+                    4+                    5+                    2                      1

Automaton MG                3+                    3+                    4+/6+            Special Rules     0

All Vehicles       

Activation         Expertise          Armour             Suppression      Speed      Crew

      3+                    4+                    3+                        2                   10”          5/6

Vehicle Notes;

Vehicle Activation roll of a 1 requires an unmodified 1D6 Roll on Breakdown Table

Vehicles must move 3” straight ahead before it can turn up to 45 degrees

Vehicles without turret have 6 man Crew

Special Rules;

1. Heroic Points can be spent to reroll a die per Point HQ may use its Points on Unit within 12”

Gain 1D6 movement

Gain 1 FP factor for a shot

Reroll a save at 3+

2. Automaton requires 2 successful unsaved hits in the one attack to kill, 1 unsaved hit causes a roll on the Malfunction table, if Controller is closer to firer than the Automaton he may be targeted and has 6+ Armour, the Controller must be within 12 Inches of the Automaton if not it rolls to activate a pass and  it remains stationary a failure and it rolls on the Malfunction Table

An Automaton Activation roll of a 1 requires an unmodified 1D6 Roll on the Malfunction Table

Scenario Rules & Victory Conditions

The Chateaux 'X' scenario begins with both sides placed within 6" of their table edge, one Armoured Steam Wagon enters along the road for each side per turn for the first three turns and at the end of turn three each side places their Artillery Detachment anywhere within 20" of their table edge, once placed it can not move but it can pivot.

The game runs for eight complete turns and at the end of the game victory is given to the side with the most Victory Points at that time.

Victory Points are earned for;

1 VP per live figure within 12" of the edge of Chateaux 'X' on the player's half of the table

2 VPs per active vehicle within 12" of the edge of Chateaux 'X' on the player's half of the table

2 VPs per live figure with 12" of the edge of Chateaux 'X' on the other player's half of the table

4 VPs per active vehicle with 12" of the edge of Chateaux 'X' on the other player's half of the table

Chateaux 'X', everyone's objective, seems the Senior Officers of both sides wanted a classy bivouac for the night!

The AAR

With cold Autumn nights approaching many Commanders sought better lodgings and Chateaux 'X' drew the attention of both Lord Arfwitt and Oberst Oinker, they manoeuvred their forces to gain control of this vital location in the lowlands of Holland.

The Germans deployed with a strong right wing and their elite Jagers in their centre with their Automaton under the control Engineer OberLeutnant Willi Orvontee. The British placed their troops in a long line on a board front with their Guard Grenadiers in the rear and their Automaton supporting their left flank. Both sides expected reinforcements of Steam Powered Armoured Wagons and Artillery which would enter along the road.

Both sides advanced aggressively the British skewing their advance toward the dead ground behind Chateaux 'X' where as the German continued their attack on a wide front!

The road was the centre of the action for the Steam Powered Armoured Wagons of both sides and it became a battle within a battle. In a confused firefight interspersed with Breakdown Events a draw ensued, One British vehicle was destroyed, one bogged down and the other dogged by fires fought on valiantly earing them double VPs, while for the Germans two vehicles were destroyed and the other successfully ended the game near the Chateaux giving them VPs.

While the armoured clash continued the foot soldiers of both sides drew closer to the Chateaux and each other. Initially the British had the better of the exchange of fire but near the font entrance of the Chateaux the garden became a killing field and two British Units were hammered by the German Armoured Infantry.

During the last two turns the British artillery came into play pushing back two German Units and then the fresh British Grenadier Guard Unit was released and on entering the fray unleashed a barrage of fire that made the difference! They defeated all the Germans facing them and they then pressed forwards to earn even more VPs for their side!

At this point the action ended with a British triumph over their German foes, they scored 54 Victory Points to Germans 34!

Our Battlefield, the British are in the foreground!

The British initial positions...

Captain Walee and his new Automaton on the extreme British left.

The Germans deployment mostly hidden in the fruit orchid...

The Huns left flank advances!

(the blue mini die indicates Units that have Heroic Points they can spend during play!)

The British move forward carefully shielding their reserve, elite Guard Grenadiers armed with the latest repeating rifles and grenade launchers with a Naval Unit...

Germans massing at the edge of the orchid about to begin their grand attack! Their best Unit is ready to lead the way!

The first German Steam Powered Armoured Wagon to arrive coordinated closely with the Infantry!

"Mensch Vorwarts!" The German advance begins!

Meanwhile the British Steam Armour was in difficulty, a fire broke out in their leading vehicle!

(the infamous Breakdown Table strikes!)

Not to be outdone the Germans Armoured Behemoths too fell foul of fickle mechanics! This allowed the British to hit the middle vehicle below destroying it!

Meanwhile the first infantry casualties are taken, the Germans best troops, their Jagers take hits from opportunity fire!

The roadway became the location of a hot armoured action! Below in the distance two British vehicles move down the road toward their German counterparts, a third one after putting out an internal fire veered off the road when a second fire broke out (curses!). In the foreground the two surviving German vehicles face them.

In an attempt to clear the road for their last vehicle the second British Armoured Wagon moved off the road but due to a power surge it ended up bogged down in the Chateux's pond! It became a pillbox for the rest of the game, luckily though it was within 12" of the Chateaux so qualified for VPs at the last moment!

Firing was now general across the line as both sides Units advanced, initially the British got the better of this but in the foreground of the below a shattered Unit of Redcoats retire losing seven out of ten figures (the red disc indicates routing units!)!

The British artillery deployed on their left and proved deadly targeting the German foot troops...

The final German push supported by artillery looks promising and despite losses they were advancing steadily!

Note the lonely looking German Automaton ambling forward in the centre of the picture, its operator, Willi Orvontee is lurking near the artillery behind the hedge.

Ground level view of the German right...

Despite losses the British gunners toiled and their work reaped rewards, they broke two German Units pushing them back out of the VP area of the Battlefield!

The last German Steam Armoured Wagon destroys the the British vehicle facing it and trundles down the road! It ended up earning the Germans VPs.

The final dispositions around Chateaux 'X'! These are the figures/vehicles that earned the sides VPs, the British are to the right and Germans (obviously) are to the left, it was 54 British VPs to 34 German VPs! Take that Huns, three resounding cheers her Her Majesty Queen Victoria! Hussah!

The Summary!

Alan and I lined up as the British and Dave and Maurice took the reins of the Germans. This was a proven scenario formula I have used many times before, it forces players to advance to a central point and if the want to win 'advance lots'! The victory conditions rewarded the attacking and both sides did that, uncertainties of the Breakdown Table ensured that both sides Steam Armour were not major influences and as usual the Automatons proved unreliable (as they should be). The British tactic of retaining a strong reserve in their Guard Unit as against the Germans advancing their best Unit, the Jagers proved crucial and was telling in the end result. We haven't played these rules for ages but they were quickly picked up and the game ran quickly and smoothly. Fun was had by all and the fickle steam vehicles added a lot to the entertainment! 

Hopefully we'll get another game in before the FUBAR VSF Christmas Extravaganza!

Next Time; Back to the Russians are Coming Games!