Welcome!

Welcome to the Blog of a Skirmish wargamer! I hope you enjoy reading it!



All my rule sets are freely downloadable from our club website's Downloads page





If you need to contact me my E-Mail address is richardbradley5@gmail.com







Sunday 19 July 2020

Naboo are you?

Today, I decided another Star Wars skirmish game was in order. As I had done Rebels last week, I thought a scenario set in the Clone Wars would be a nice change of pace!
I have always thought Ahsoka Tano was the best character in SW:TCW, so took her figure to command in this game.

The scenario I decided on was set on Naboo. Ahsoka is visiting her long time friend, Senator Padme Amidala.
Captain Typho interrupts them saying that a Gungan female, Be-Be Wor, has reported strange sounds near the swamps where she herds Shaaks, and the water mill she used to visit is now haunted.
Typho says he will take a few guardsmen to check out the situation.

Senator Amidala: 'Captain, I am sure Ahsoka and I are quite tired of peaceful Theed, and would love a little expedition to the south, so will be joining you. Is that ok with you Ahsoka?'

Ahsoka Tano: 'Of course!, I think a walk in the countryside is just what I need too!'

Senator Amidala: 'Captain, could you contact representative Binks, and have him join us, he knows these swamps very well and could be useful?'


My dining table, today it is Naboo!
 Padme, Ahsoka and Jar Jar move up the road towards the 'Haunted Mill'.
I had placed Portal markers covering all the likely approaches of the Republic 'visitors' 
A high die roll generated 4 Battle Droids on the stone bridge. 
(The view from Ahsoka's position) 
Jar Jar: Meesa tinkin' dat the mill is not haunted, meesa  tinkin' doe's are bombad clankers!'
Padme and the guardsmen quickly (and luckily at that range!) took down 2 of the droids. 
Ahsoka: 'Padme, take everyone over this hill, I'll cover you!' 
Ahsoka deflected a shot aimed at Padme back, but one of the guardsmen was pinned by a nearby blaster bolt. 
Ahsoka's deflected shot downed another droid!

Droid 224: 'Hey! - that's not fair' 
Padme finished of the last droid! 
 Super Battle Droid 199: 'Die, Republic dogs!'
 The Super Battle Droids advanced, shooting.
Ahsoka: 'Keep in cover, and try to reach the bridge, I will deal with the droids!' 
The Super Battle Droids continued across the bridge, scanning for the Nabooese. 
Padme led the  Guardsmen and Jar Jar behind the hills, while Ahsoka took up her chosen position.
Ahsoka: ' Surprise!'
Padme slipped behind the droids while Ahsoka engaged them. 
2 droids fell. 
Captain Tycho took the lead.
Ahsoka engaged the last two droids. 
...the battle was quickly over. 
 The Portal markers had been corralled into one small area.
Ahsoka ran to try to catch the Nabooese. 
The new rules on enemy forces generation now mean that if too many portal markers can see your troops, The most likely die result is to send the markers ahead of your troops. This now happened, allowing our heroes to achieve their mission of capturing the mill. 
Tycho, Padme and Jar Jar cautiously approached  the 'Haunted Mill'.
Jar Jar (muffled): 'I'sa thinkin' we is the only ones in here? '
 Aware that when withdrawing, the portal markers could generate more droids, as some of the markers lost sight of the Republic figures, she lead the two Guardsmen to clear them out.
Ahsoka took the woods, directing the Guardsmen to check the hills. 
 This forced the markers behind the woods.
Ahsoka moved to dislodge them. 
With nowhere to move within 12" unobserved the pile of markers were given only one option... 
 ...they massed on the small hillock.
Captain Tycho dislodged them by moving within 8". 
 With Ahsoka, the Guardsmen, and Padme's group covering all the possible positions they could move to, they were eliminated.
Padme: ' It looks very much as though these droids were from an escape pod, I think it may have been from the Trade Federation control ship Anakin destroyed all those years ago, Who would have thought?' 
That was an easy--and fun game to play, I actually liked having to clear the area before moving out, it feels more 'real', and helps remove the wargamer's curse of having a God like view of the battlefield!

Saturday 11 July 2020

Star Wars:Rebels Zeb's day out!

Today, I finally had enough of painting and organising figures, so I decided to have a solo game using my Star Wars skirmish rules - which are designed to be played solo, like many of my rule sets.

In case anyone is unfamiliar with Star Wars: Rebels, then have a look at these YouTube short films, I am sure you will get the idea of what its about!

The machine in the Ghost


Property of Ezra Bridger

My game is based on Season 3 of Rebels, since the Imperial Assault figures I have are based on that season's 'look'.

The scenario is a small village on Lothal is being used as a storage area by the Empire, and some very useful munitions are included in the stores (these are in the cube shaped storage units in the game)
The Rebels have to steal the 2 cubes, and make good their escape.


My dining table, doubling as Lothal!

At the end of the table, the two storage units our Rebels are after.
 Hera begins by telling her crew how they will achieve their mission objectives.
The village seems strangely quiet, neither civilians nor Imperials are in evidence! 
As usual, any Imperial forces will be randomly generated from the hexagonal portal markers, which have random values. As normal, I placed them where a sniper, or LMG team would go in a WW2 game! 
Having completed her briefing, Hera sends her troops on their way... 
 Chopper, AP5 and Rex will tap into the Imperial net via a communication hub and prevent any of the defenders calling for help.
Hera, Kanan, Zeb, Sabine and Ezra will try to sneak round the other side of the village without getting spotted. 
Unfortunately, the 2 Portal Markers covering the road are high denomination ones, a 3 and a 4! 
This means a roll on the D6 produces 8 Stormtroopers! (It would have been an AT-DP, but its not quite finished yet!) 
The Bucket-Heads open fire at long range... 
 Sabine, and Zeb with his Bo-Rifle return fire.
 Although no Stormies are killed, several are pinned down.
Kanan and Ezra cover the rear as the rest move behind the row of buildings. 
Another group of Imperials joins the first...  
... and both advance.
 Hera cautiously probes round the house...
...and leads her small force up an alley. 
The Empire, keeping together, continues up the road. 
Hera send Kanan, Ezra and Sabine back behind the second house in the row to outflank them. 
Hera backs up Zeb... 
...who cordially greets the lead group of Stormtroopers. 
 Kanan comes round the building, only to be spotted by the large group of Stormtroopers. He is forced to bat away a shot with his light Saber before ducking back into cover.
Zeb bangs the first two Bucket Heads together. 
 IG 411: "Command, this is IG 411, we are under attack!"
An NCO and 5 more Stormies come to the rescue. 
 The whole first line attempts to surround and capture the rampaging Lasat.
Suddenly, Kanan advances on the rearmost unit, taking out a Trooper, Sabine guns down the NCO, Ezra just watches the show! 
Zeb is soon making short work of the Bucket-Heads. 
Kanan's attack managed to dislodge the Portal markers which had been generating all these Imperial troops! 
With their officer down, faced by a Jedi, the last group of Stormtroopers decides to retire! 
 Hera calls out a warning...
...as more Bucket-Heads appear. 
Kanan, Ezra, Zeb and Sabine quickly finish off the troops they are fighting. 
 Zeb chases after the last few. 
 Two heads bang together and two more men are out of the fight!
The final bucket head, unable to see the fate of his companions raises his blaster to shoot at Kanan. 
 Zeb pops out of the bushes "Surprise!"
 A blow to his head sends the last trooper sprawling!
The newly arrived group of Stormtroopers moves to take Zeb out. 
 Hera, ever the general, takes Sabine to guard their rear. 
 "Surrender, Rebels!"
Zeb: "Er, I don't think so! - Right, Kanan?" 
The remaining Stormtroopers fire wildly into the bushes... 
Kanan: "Enjoying yourself there, Zeb?" 
Garazeb Orrelios: "Never better!"         
 Hera, satisfied their flank is safe, moves after Kanan's group, past groaning Bucket-Heads!
Keeping low behind the walled enclosure, the rejoined group head towards the buildings next to the Imperial storage area. 
 Another group of Stormtroopers, spotting the Rebels, advances to attack.
Zeb: "These are all mine!" 
Sabine is reduced to being a cheer-leader! 
Zeb: "I suppose asking you to surrender is out of the question?" 
Bash, Wallop, Bang! ... 
... - Problem solved.
 Hera sends Ezra to check round the corner of the last building, while the rest head straight for the storage units.
 Sabine dashes wide to dislodge a large group of Portal markers...
...thus securing the area. 
 Hera gathers her crew, to escort the stolen armaments.
 Sabine takes over as rear-guard.
Hera calls in Rex's group. 

Hera: "Chop, did you manage to get any useful Intel while you were connected to the Imperial system? "

C1-10P: "Brp, Brp, buh burp Brp!"

Hera:"Well done! Imperial dispositions for the Lothal sector?



AP-5: "Of COURSE, I had to translate the Imperial chatter, so you could make sense of it!, didn't I, Chopper?"

Hera: "Alright, AP, I am sure it was a real team effort. Well done to you all anyway! This intelligence is a real bonus for us!"

AP-5: "Captain Rex, why are you banging your head on that wall?".....



Meanwhile, back at the storage area, a less than happy commander is wondering how he will explain this to Grand Moff Tarkin...

This was quite a fun little game! Its been a while since our club ...paused...for the Lock down, and my last posting. I hope you enjoyed reading it!