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Saturday 26 June 2021

Tanks, but no Tanks!

 Today, after a bit of confusion, Phil and I ended up doing What a Tanker again, using my Arab-Israeli war modifications.

Our first game was a 1948 war battle pitting two Israeli Shermans against two Egyptian T-34/85's

The battlefield

...and from the side!
Phil's Sherman, with its 76mm gun.
Mine appeared to its right, and headed for the town.
An Egyptian T34 took cover in some bushes.
The other was slowly climbing a hill!
My Sherman was plodding on to try and outflank the Egyptians.
I was still a way off, so paused in cover.
One of the T34s moved into town looking for us.
The other took a hilltop position, vulnerable, but with great visibility.
He fired!...
...but missed me!
I was beginning to think the entire Egyptian army was after me!
I raced forwards to the town-- and some cover.
Nearly there!
Phil now became the target...
...and pulled back into cover behind the hill.
The T34s had no targets in sight, and stopped where they were.
My tank entered the town, executed a sharp left onto the flank of the T34 there...and suffered an electrical failure as I tried to fire!
Phil cam out from behind the hill and fired at the same T34...
His shot bounced off the thick frontal army...
...but upset the crew!
The other T34 saw Phil and fired.
A great hit, but the shot bounced off the Sherman's armour.
The T34 in the town turned on the spot to face my tank.
We now had a Western shoot out in prospect!
The T34 fired...
...and scored a hit...my running gear was damaged.
My shot back missed!
The T34 fired... 
...and hit AGAIN!
Another running gear hit!
The other T34 went looking for Phil, after he had backed up behind his hill again.
My Sherman fired again and missed!
Fortunately, I had several drive dice and got off table!
Phil was hit by the T34 on his flank, which damaged his optics.
The T34 which had been beating me up now headed towards Phil.
2 more hits by the Egyptian had wrecked Phil's tank.
The other T34 was making good progress...
...and arrived just in time...
A further hit made Phil's crew bale out!!!
A stunning victory for the Egyptians (and my solo system, which ran them!)

We did have a second game, where our two Sho't meteors destroyed two Egyptian T62s, so we ended with honours even in the end!

Saturday 19 June 2021

Stargate conundrum

 Today, Phil and I had a return to the Stargate universe, of course, I have had several games solo during lockdown, and it was fun to share it again!

Our game got several 'Ooohs and Ahs' from interested folk around the church hall!

The table, a desert one, and yes, two Stargates!

A view from the other side.
A M.A.L.P. surveys the terrain, reports back, and goes into hibernation.
A few hours later, the gate bursts into life!
Four beige clothed figures appear as if from thin air as they exit the gate.
They spy four Jaffa in the distance on patrol.
Their leader leads his men at a sprint behind a nearby hill.
The Jaffa halt, apparently unsure what to do!
Phil's team comes through the gate, forewarned by me, they head towards my hidden position.
The gate disengages.
We skirt the hill, approaching the point at which we saw the Jaffa.
The Jaffa see us and shoot a few bolts from their staff weapons.
Our fire...
 ...wounds one of them and suppresses the rest.
We continue firing, the Jaffa begin to fall.
Taking a chance our fire might attract more Jaffa, we continue sending rounds down range until the last of the Jaffa fall.
Too late, a new group of Jaffa come round the building!
Their fire is as ineffective as the first group's.
Ours was very effective, considering the range.
With the Jaffa suppressed, I lead the teams forward.
We fire on the move, killing the last of the Jaffa.
A third group of Jaffa round the building...
...while more appear in a walled field on our left.
I lead my team forward.
Fortunately, the Jaffa decide not to fight, and rout off table!
My men pause, in case more Jaffa appear!
Phil's men went back to the hill near the gate to engage the Jaffa in the field.
A Jaffa falls.
My men attack a hill to dislodge the Portal Markers that brought the Jaffa down on us!
With nowhere to go within 12", the 3 counters are destroyed.
Phil is winning against the group of Jaffa in the field, but more Jaffa came up in support of them.
Phil is coming under more and more fire.
My men move to engage the Jaffa, and attract their fire!
Another Jaffa falls.
The Jaffa have friends! - A heavy staff cannon sets up on a hill behind the Jaffa.
He sets up to engage me!
Our fire knocks down more Jaffa in the field.
The Jaffa 'Cree' off the table.
My men go into the lee of the hill to avoid the cannon fire.
More Jaffa appear to support the cannon
Phil, too, keeps low and heads towards the gate.
I run towards a building nearer the cannon.
Phil sets up behind the gate.
His men spot another group of Jaffa.
These have just come off another hill.
They take cover in some bushes.
To my right, the second gate activates, and six Jaffa arrive.
I try to engage them.
One of them is wounded.
The Jaffa in the bushes get a 20 on a D20!
...it only suppresses Phil's half team!
Another Jaffa 20...
...again it only suppresses half of my men.
The Jaffa in the hedge make good their escape.
Phil's forward men engage the Jaffa in the hedge.
They kill one.
All my men are now suppressed!
The Jaffa at the gate disable one of my men!
I call for the team to take position in the house.
They take position at a window...
...and at the door.
Phil drives the Jaffa from the bushes.
Go Phil!
My fire from cover...
...kills two Jaffa.
The rest take cover, but I still kill one more.
A Staff blast comes through the window and kills another of my men!
We hold our nerve and keep firing.
The last two Jaffa charge desperately.
More Jaffa arrive, aiming to engage Phil.
Phil moves behind another building.
He engages the first group.
I stand my ground in the house and kill one of the Jaffa attacking it.
The survivor runs.
The Jaffa attack Phil's men...
...A short range blast disables one of his men.
The second fires on full automatic.
The Jaffa are mown down.
The last one runs, too.
As I engage the last group of Jaffa, one of them wounds me! 
We manage to kill two of them though!
The other Jaffa flee!...cowards!
The Staff cannon is shooting at targets of opportunity.
Phil's men are in cover, and the shots miss.
Phil gets more rounds into the Jaffa on the hill.
He advances!
With the line of sight clear, the Staff cannon fires at my man.
He hits a tree! - we are undamaged!
I wound the gunner, Phil's men kill more Jaffa on the hill.
The last one flees too.
We knock over the gunner, the hill is ours!
Taking our wounded and dead, we go home through the gate.
Phil has a new Staff cannon, towed back by the M.A.L.P.!
Hardly a glorious victory! - but we had fun!

Postscript: Th captured Jaffa tells the SGC the planet is used by Anubis and the Children of Ra as a meeting place to discuss the politics of empire, hence the 2 gates, the Anubis gate we used, and the Ra Gate.