Mech Campaign - Part 3 - First Claims

As a quick reminder of the campaign setting. A previously mined area in the southern hemisphere of the planet Aridain Prime has become available for prospecting again after the collapse of a mining house that previously owned the rights. Both StarCore Corporation and the Rorek Syndicate, whose mining operations border this region, are actively vying to claim the territory. (Refer to the previous two blog posts for the campaign setup details).

A StarCore Mech has taken position on a hilltop.

Before the battle, or hostile prospecting, both StarCore and Rorek Syndicate choose their campaign actions. Since this is the beginning of the campaign and neither side has claimed any territory yet, both selected the same action, to expand their territory. So, the winner of this battle will be able to claim two territories on the campaign map. In the event of a draw, both will select on territory.

The Battle Setting…

An isolated group of StarCore mechs has taken control of the derelict mine in sector Alpha-457. Meanwhile, a team of 5 Rorek mechs is advancing from the south to investigate these two StarCore targets, when they detect three more targets approaching from the north, which are expected to arrive shortly. This scenario is based on "Take the High Ground," Scenario 4 from *One-Hour Wargames*.

Each side has 5 mechs, consisting of 2 heavy mechs and 3 light mechs. Two of StarCore's mechs have already taken position on the ridge. Their reinforcements will arrive on turn 2.

The force occupying the ridge uncontested at the end of the game wins.

The Rorek Mech team investigates the two primary targets, aiming to secure the ridge. To the east are the remains of the old mining works.

The Battle Report…

The five Rorek mechs (Blue) swiftly advanced from the south toward the two StarCore mechs (Red) stationed on the ridge. They used their lighter and more agile mechs to lay down suppressive fire on the larger StarCore mech while their heavier mechs closed in and started to join the attack.

Opening game moves.

The nearby reinforcements from StarCore soon arrive from the north and move swiftly to support the two mechs holding the ridge, who are now under heavy fire from the larger Rorek mechs and their powerful weaponry.

Reserves arrive for StarCore.

The Rorek mechs are able to secure a foothold on the ridge. Additionally they were able to inflict significant damage on the StarCore mechs defending it. However, they are now beginning to accumulate hits from the StarCore reserve mechs as they move into range and engage.

The Rorek mech team gain a foothold on the ridge.

The StarCore mechs were able to destroy the Rorek mech that had secured a foothold on the ridge, but their mechs on the ridge eventually fell in swift succession to the concentrated fire. With their loses, the resolve of the remaining mechs failed and they withdrew, allowing the Rorek team to claim control of the ridge.

Out numbered and with increasing losses the StarCore mechs withdraw.

The Rorek mech team claim control of the ridge for victory in this first skirmish of the campaign.

The Campaign…

The Rorek Syndicate claimed victory as their mechs secured the ridge, clearing the way for them to take control of two territories in the prospecting area (shown by blue stars).

The Rorek Syndicate have been able to claim two territories following their victory at Alpha-457.

What’s next?

While I enjoy playing scenarios from Neil Thomas’ One Hour Wargames, these battles played with just a handful of mechs feel much more like skirmish games to me. Therefore, with my next few games I plan to select scenarios from Sci-Fi Skirmish Scenarios by John Lambshead and adapt them to the narrative of this campaign.

Future scenarios will be inspired from this book.

Mech Campaign - Part 2 - The Campaign Rules

Having decided the high level background for the campaign in my previous post, the next step is deciding upon a specific campaign setting and campaign rules. I found some simple campaign rules in the “One Page Fantasy Rules” by John David Stor which seemed to fit the bill nicely and with minimal modification would work for my sci-fi setting. But before getting into the campaign mechanics the setting of the campaign needs to be described.

Not all mech are walkers. Miners have upgraded mining equipment with weapons.

Campaign Setting…

"Possession is nine-tenths of the law," as they say, and the mining corporations and mining houses will race to seize or claim as much prospecting territory as possible before the Aridex Prime Prospecting Claims Council (APPCC) steps in. This council, composed of representatives from the major corporations and mining houses, holds the authority to decide on prospecting rights.

Aridain Prime. The campaign is taking place in the southern hemisphere.

A prospecting area has recently become available in the southern hemisphere of Aridain Prime, situated between the existing claims of StarCore Industries and The Rorek Syndicate. This land once belonged to the now-defunct mining house, Trogan Trading Company, founded by one of the original prospectors, Dyrk Trogan, the house remained under his family’s control after his death. However, internal disputes and mounting debts eventually led to its downfall. The rights to the land were nullified, as it was believed that the area had been completely depleted of Nyxium from previous mining operations. However, recent surveys have revealed sizeable traces of Nyxium still remain, both in the ground and in the old mine tailings, as earlier mining techniques were far less efficient than today's methods.

The prospecting area of 20 territories to be contested by StarCore Industries and Rorek Syndicate.

Campaign Rules…

At the start of the campaign, there are 20 unclaimed prospecting territories. The objective is to secure more territories than your opponent. The campaign consists of 8 battles. Before each battle both players must choose one of the following objectives:

1. Expand Territory – If the player wins they claim 2 unclaimed territories.
2. Recover Territory – If the player wins they steal 1 of the opponent’s claimed territories.
3. Hostile Claim – The player wins they take 2 of the opponent’s claimed territories. Otherwise, the opponent claim 1 of their territories in addition to their chosen objective's rewards. Note you must have 1 claimed territory to select this objective.
4. Disrupt Claims – If the player wins, then 3 of the opponent’s territories become unclaimed.

After all 8 battles are fought, roll a D3 for each territory claimed. Add up your total D3 results. The player with the highest combined score wins, representing the total amount of Nyxium deposits available for mining.

Drones are used to support the mechs.

Setting up a game…

The games are setup using one of the scenarios from One-Hour Wargames. For this game the “Take the high ground” was selected.

A small, isolated team of StarCore mechs (Red) has secured a hill near the abandoned mine in sector Alpha-457. Meanwhile, a group of 6 Rorek mechs is advancing from the south to investigate two StarCore targets. As they move in, they detect an additional 4 targets approaching from the north, expected to arrive soon.

Tabletop setup

The next post will have the game report.

Mech campaign - part 1 - background

With everything now packed up ready for the impending move, my gaming has been restricted to playing a few quick Mech games and trying different rules or rule mechanisms. I seem to be settling on a set of rules suitable for a series of games in a campaign, so the next step is to begin developing a campaign background to make these Mech battles more interesting and with a linked theme. The background is still in its early stages and is fairly basic for now. I expect to add to the detail as the campaign progresses. 

A Titan-Class Mech 

For a bit of fun and challenge, I've been using the "Clip 2 Comic" app to give the photos of my models a cartoon-like look. I’m not sure yet if I’ll continue doing this throughout the campaign, but for now I hope it will make things a bit more interesting.

Campaign Background…

In this sci-fi future, Nyxium is a rare mineral found on only a few planets. Its unique atomic structure allows it to channel and amplify energy, making it a critical component for powering the quantum engines of starships. Without Nyxium, quantum space jumps would be impossible, making it a most valuable and useful resource.

One source of Nyxium is Aridain Prime, a desolate dwarf planet located on the fringes of the solar system beyond the asteroid belt. The planet’s surface is dotted with massive mining complexes where workers and automated machines struggle to extract the precious Nyxium from deep within the planet’s core. Recognising its vital importance to their wealth and power, the Terra Alliance closely guards Aridain Prime, but takes a hands-off approach to managing the mining operations. Instead, they leave governing of the planet to the corporations and mining houses established by the original prospectors, intervening only when the Nyxium supply is disrupted.

Aridain Prime is a desolate world dotted with rocky outcrops and mining complexes.

Left to their own devices the mining corporations and houses are often in conflict over access to mining rights and new sources of Nyxium. They have turned to mercenary groups to defend their mines and patrol the areas where they are prospecting.  The mercenaries use large mechs, designed specifically for the planet’s harsh, unforgiving environment. They can be walkers standing up to 50 metres tall or tracked armoured vehicles. They are equipped with an array of weaponry, including plasma cannons, rail-guns, and missile launchers. Some well funded mercenaries will also upgrade their mechs with shield generators for additional protection.

Two lighter (Raptor-Class) Mechs engage a larger (Titan-Class) Mech.

Mercenary mech groups on Aridain Prime are commanded by seasoned captain pilots, veterans who have survived numerous engagements. Leadership structures vary between different types of mercenary groups. The more independent, freebooting groups typically elect their captains through a democratic process, with pilots voting for the leader they trust most to guide them in battle and ensure their survival. In contrast, mercenary groups employed by the mining corporations operate under a more hierarchical system, where captains are appointed by corporate management. These captains are often ex-military personnel, handpicked for their combat expertise and loyalty to the corporation’s interests.

A free-booting mech pilot

Corporate mech pilot

Each pilot is responsible for their own mech, They will employ a support team dedicated to the maintenance, repairs and upgrades of their mech. For the larger Titan-Class mechs, these teams can also serve as crew members, operating various systems and weapons on board during combat.

Next up will hopefully be details of the campaign and possibly a scenario and battle report.

Preparing futuristic terrain for a Mech game

While I’m busy preparing for a house move. Packing and getting the house ready for sale, mostly tackling those small tidy-up tasks I have ignored for years. I am still finding slots of time in between tasks for  wargaming related activities. Over the past couple of days, I’ve been working on some terrain for a futuristic Mech game. I recently marked a 4-inch grid on a brown felt mat using dots to mark the corners. Since I plan to use some One-Hour Wargames scenarios for my games, many of which feature rivers, I decided that for my futuristic game set on a mining planet, crevasses could replace the rivers. I found some black suede cloth in my wife’s material stash and cut it into strips to represent crevasses on the tabletop. 

The gaming mat prepared with a square grid, each corner is marked with a dot.

Some crevasses created with black cloth cut up.

I already had some foam hills made up. They have been borrowed from my 6mm WW2 Western Desert game. Details of how I made them here.

Foam hills.

The next steps are to finalise the rules I've been playing around with and begin writing a narrative for the games and campaign I am planning.

Packing up the toys

With the removalists arriving in five weeks, it was time to start packing up all the toys. Over the past 4 days, with the help of my daughter who's visiting, we've been carefully boxing up all my wargaming miniatures, terrain, painting supplies, and more. We ended up using over 100 metres of bubble wrap in an effort to safely secure everything as it gets boxed up.

The first layer of miniatures all wrapped up and packed on their side before a corrugated cardboard insert is added and the next layer of miniatures is added. 

Hopefully they all arrive in one piece.

This now means no model making, painting, or wargaming on the tabletop until everything gets shipped from Australia to New Zealand and unpacked. In the meantime, with no tabletop games available, I will have to resort to drawing maps on an A3 sketch pad and using cardboard counters to satisfy my wargaming habit. My daughter is taking a Mech-Robot game back with her to New Zealand, which I’ve been preparing over the last few months, the Battletech models and terrain all conveniently fit into a shoebox (see here and here). So once we arrive, and before the rest of our house contents show up, I should be able to squeeze in a few miniature games, though most of my time will likely be spent preparing and painting the new house.

Battle of Cheriton 1644 - Remote Game Rematch

Yesterday, the rematch of the English Civil War Battle of Cheriton took place. It was hosted by Jon from the Palouse Wargaming Journal. I had hosted the first game a couple of weeks ago where Jon commanding the Royalist forces had secured a victory (details can be found here).

Jon has some wonderful looking English Civil War armies.

Below is a photograph of the deployed armies which was included in the briefing details provided by Jon. I chose to command the Parliamentarian army under Waller once again, hoping to redeem myself after losing with them in the previous game.

The deployed armies

The Plan…

My plan was to attack on the left wing and try to out flank the Royalist army’s position while the infantry centre would advance and use the woods occupied with dragoons to protect their right flank. All bar one of Balfour’s cavalry units would move to the left flank to support the attack. One cavalry unit was to be held in reserve, just in case the infantry centre needed support.

This screenshot highlights the opening move along with my planned strategy indicated by the red arrows.

Opening Moves…

My right-wing cavalry advanced, led by Haselrigge, and were quickly engaged with the Royalist cavalry on the left flank. The results were mixed, some of my units were successful, while others withdrew after the clash. Overall, my cavalry appeared to gain the upper hand, with the remaining Royalist cavalry opting to remain behind the hedges.

Balfour’s cavalry continue to reposition themselves to the left flank as Haselrigge leads the cavalry charge on the left flank.

The Royalist infantry centre had advanced and taken up positions behind the hedge running across the middle of the battlefield. With Balfour’s right-wing cavalry still manoeuvring into position, my infantry centre, led by Potley who had joined the front unit, charged forward. They managed to push back part of the Royalist centre away from the hedge, but much of my infantry centre had become worn in the process. One very annoyingly and stubborn Royalist infantry unit crossed the hedge and positioned itself awkwardly toward my left flank, obstructing my cavalry's movement.

Meanwhile on the right flank my dragoon’s were slowly making their way round to position themselves on the Royalist left.

Parliament’s infantry centre push forward while their cavalry have the upper hand on the left flank. The hedges were creating problems.

The Middle Game…

Potley pressed his infantry forward, taking advantage of their momentum, while on the left flank, Haselrigge’s cavalry continued to engage but were now becoming worn and fatigued. Any further attacks on the left flank would now depend on Balfour’s cavalry, who had finally taken up their positions.

Potley's infantry continue their advance in the centre while on the left flank cavalry continue to engage with little effect.

Potley’s advance in the centre, while successful, had resulted in his unit becoming very exposed and surrounded by Royalist forces. It was crucial to clear the Royalist infantry unit blocking movement on my left flank. After a series of desperate cavalry charges they were finally routed.

On the right flank, Balfour’s one reserve cavalry unit moved forward to be ready to charge the Royalist artillery. While the Dragoons, after making very slow progress through the woods, emerged on the Royalist flank.

After a series of cavalry charges a problematic Royalist infantry unit is routed, freeing up movement on the left flank. On the right flank preparation is underway to charge the Royalist guns.

The End Game…

With the blocking Royalist infantry unit removed, Balfour’s remaining fresh cavalry on the left flank were able to charge the Royalist infantry centre. They successfully routed a unit but failed to pursue, leaving them vulnerable to a flank attack that ultimately forced them to rout. Potley’s infantry unit was finally routed by Royalist assaults, he managed to escape and rejoin the remaining infantry, who were all at various levels of exhaustion and merely observing the battle.

Note - this is a view from the Royalist side of the table. Parliament’s cavalry on the left wing are finally able to charge on the flank of the Royalist infantry.

With my infantry centre units all in a worn state, my final attacks now all depended on my remaining fresh cavalry units, which managed a somewhat successfully charge and destroy the Royalist artillery near the woods before quickly retreating back. On the other flank, my cavalry repelled a Royalist charge. These final Royalist losses were enough to break their army’s resolve, leading to a Parliamentary victory.

Note - a view from Royalist side of the table. The final moves see the Royalist artillery destroyed and Parliament’s cavalry repulse the Royalist cavalry charge.

Summary…

The game began slowly as I worked to reposition Balfour’s cavalry and advance my infantry. The hedges restricted movement, causing my initial left wing attack to stall, which led me to charge with my infantry against the Royalist centre infantry lining the central hedge. Not part of my original plan, but Potley’s charge proved to be crucial, as it pushed back the Royalist centre and limited Parliament’s ability to move units and coordinate attacks. Removing the Royalist infantry unit that had restricted cavalry movement on the left was crucial. If this had not been done promptly, the Royalists could have reorganised after Potley’s successful charge.

By the end of the game, nearly all my units were exhausted and had limited attack capability, with most loitering on the battlefield like lost sheep. The remaining Royalist units were still in relatively good condition, but after witnessing other units routing the overall army resolve had been undermined.

It was a thoroughly enjoyable and close game and took 3 hours to play. Thank you to Jon for hosting the rematch. Below are a few close-up photographs of Jon’s armies from the game. One downside of remote gaming is missing out on appreciating the miniatures up close.

A view of the Royalist centre as Potley begins his attack.

The last hurrah of Potley’s unit.

Making Terrain for a Stompy Robot and Mech Game

In March 2024, I posted an update about my Stompy Robots and Mech Mayhem project. This weekend, I revisited the project to try and make some buildings that have the look of towering mining and manufacturing facilities. I wanted for a futuristic look and decided on tubular-shaped structures. This choice allowed me to put to use the various pieces of wooded dowel I've been saving in the shed, waiting for the right project.

Futuristic buildings for the robots and mechs.

Robots defending the mining and manufacturing facilities.

After deciding on tubular-shaped buildings, the next step was figuring out how to make them and choosing the colours. I wanted to make the buildings in such a way so they could be placed together to make one large facility. I also knew I didn't want the usual grey, so I chose a pale purple with blue undertones.

The first step was to cut up the wooden dowel into various lengths. I used the largest piece of the dowel as the base and piled the smaller pieces on top, glueing them as I went.

The wooden dowel cut up and glued together.

The buildings were first undercoated with white gesso, followed by a light grey. Once dry, I gave the buildings a pale purple wash, then used a blue wash to highlight specific features and the base of the buildings.

After undercoating a pale wash is applied.

A blue wash is added to highlight areas of the buildings.

The final step was adding details and sealing everything with PVA glue. I kept the details simple, using small dots of white and yellow, along with a few black lines.

The buildings with details painted on.

A closer look at the finished buildings.

With the buildings finished, the last task for this project will be to add some color to the gaming mat, which is currently just a piece of sand-coloured felt.