Epic War - Midnight Campaign Part XV: Forest Fracas

Commander Ori knows that the war will likely be won or lost at Ushgarak base but the pressure is on him to reclaim the Campaign Objective he previously controlled in the the Forest of Dregrim.  

With the Ork Kommander Wee Killaz having taken control of the Objective, he can also turn the defences Ori’s army constructed against the filthy stunties!   

Both forces have 2,000 point armies in action. 35VPs are required for victory. The ruleset is Net Epic Evolution.

Here we see an overview of the battlefield.  The Squats are at the top of the picture while the Orks are at the bottom.  The Orks start the game with three sets of defences which consist of two sets of entrenchments and one of razorwire,   They also have Initiative in Turn 1 and can deploy a further 15cm forward of the standard deployment zone.

A look along the frontilines…

Satellite overview from the other side of the battlefield reveals that Ironshield Tanks carry Squat Thunderers while a unit of Rhinos contain a highly motivated detachment of Berserkers!

A closer look along the Squat line…

Once again Plasmablast tanks proxy for Retributor Tanks (foreground) and Ironshield Tanks.

The entire Evil Sunz clan makes good use of protection behind entrenchment walls.

As do a number of Ork vehicles at the other end of the battlefield.

If the Squats take the entrenchments head on, they will find their progress hampered by razorwire (as they can only advance through the barricades)!

Everything seems to be set up in the Orks favour…can the Squats possibly defeat the Orks?

A Warrior Detachment claims an objective in a quiet start to proceedings as both sides manoeuvre themselves into position.

The vehicles and Nobz find themselves frustrated as the Squats do not move into their firing zones…

…as is the case on the other flank, the Evil Sunz have no targets to attack!

Nobz bikes prove to be as deadly as ever as they strike on the Squat back line and practically wipe out a squadron of Trikes, claiming another objective in the process!

Most of Turn 1’s most serious exchanges take place in close combat!

Squat Bikes make short work of Ork Warbuggies!

Berserkers pour out from Rhinos and launch close quarter assaults…

With great success…but the Rhinos are broken!

Ork Coptas slam into Thunderers and Ironshield Tanks alike!

With deadly consequences for the Squats - the Ironshields are wiped out!

More bikes prepare to launch another assault in Turn 2!

After Close Combat has been resolved, the Orks look to be in a strong position with their forces in entrenchments looking untouchable at the moment! 

Wee Killaz Orks have also made significant inroads into Squat territory and hold six objectives!  The Squats only hold one objective with one unclaimed.  Have they lost the battle in Turn 1?

End of Turn One:

Orks: 34VPs

Squats: 5VPs

The Coptas finish off the Ironshields but leave themselves exposed to retaliation from the Thunderers!  Wipe out for the Coptas!  The Retributor tanks surge forward to snatch an objective.

Warriors retreat to lay down heavy fire against the Nobz bikes, almost wiping out the whole squadron!

Nobz, Braincrushas and Spleenrippas break cover but they still have no targets to fire upon!

The Evil Sunz find themselves in a similar situation…

…and more close combat ensues, Squat Bikes against more Warbuggies!

The Warbuggies are torn apart by the Squat Bikers and they capture an objective into the bargain…and break the Kult of Speed!

Even the Warboss’ retinue are attacked by yet more bikes!

The result is good enough to break the Warboss!

The Bonebreakas slam into a Rhino…

No contest! The Rhino is reduced to scrap under the great deathrollas!

The Orks still look very strong but they’ve lost a number of objectives; they only hold three while the Squats have five!

It still looks like there is more fighting to be done but there is a result at the end of turn 2!

End of Turn 2

Orks: 19VPs

Squats: 37VPs

Wee Killaz still had plenty of forces in play but the Squats somehow sneaked victory from Ork hands - and not for the first time in this war!

Ori has overcome the odds but although he has played his part, he is uneasy. The whole war now comes down to the final battle for the Ork base at Ushgarak!  Dwalin has to defeat the Orks on their own turf to win the war!

Strontium Dog Miniatures Game - Middenface McNulty

Middenface McNulty

Lump-Heided Middenface loves nothing mair than a
wee dram an' a sing song.  Art by Carlos Ezquerra.
Copyright Rebellion 2000AD Ltd 

Also known as the "Tartan Terror", Middenface is my favourite character from the whole Strontium Dog series, this in no little part due to the fact that he's Scottish (as I am) and uses a lot of the local vernacular; think of a lump-headed, heavy-drinking, tightfisted, fist-fighting, grown-up version of Oor Wullie... If Strontium Dog wasn't written by Greenockian John Wagner, he would be viewed as an offensive Scottish stereotype. Instead, he is a very, very funny character who always gets the best lines in the series.  For that reason, this was the character I was most keen to field in my games! In tribute to the big yin, the next sections follow in my finest Glaswegian.

Stats

Efter Wulf, Middenface is Johnny Alpha's closest pal and ally, the two havin' claimed mair than a few norms together in ra mutant uprisings. It's nae surprise then that he is another wan ae the maist powerful characters in the game. No one other than Wulf could take Middenface in a square go which means he kens how tae hand oot the lumps! He's puir solid and kin take a bit of fair o' a doin'. Middenface is a bit mair gallus wi' a gun than Wulf but his weapon is puir mince at long range which is a bit o' a scunner. 

Skills & Special Abilities

Brawler: Middenface loves a guid rammy and has the chance of counter-attacking any malky comin' his way. Any bampot acting like a wide-o an' tryin' tae have a square go wi' him may get a guid skelpin' first!

Heid-Butt (aka "Glesga kiss"): A puir brilliant thematic ability, this allows Middenface tae stick the heid oan his opponents, his bony-heided lumps dishin' oot extra injuries or stuns as desired!

Berserker: Just like Wulf, when hit, Middenface goes heavy radge an' kin ignore the first wound taken.

Tactics for playing Middenface

Play Middenface in a similar way that you would Wulf, up
close and personal is where he is best; if he is in short range you are probably as well charging him into close combat as it makes it harder for opponents to target him. If he is already in cover, shooting at enemies is a perfectly reasonable way to play Middenface as he uses his gun as much as his fists in the strip. Nothing short of Aimed Shots will do if you're firing him at long range!

Overall

Middenface is powerful but plays in a similar fashion to Wulf, both in stats and in special rules; you may want to consider using one or the other in your scenarios. That said, Middenface with Johnny and Wulf make a potent team for 50 Notoriety; Middenface and Wulf would be able to spearhead any attacks while Johnny backs them up with his firepower. Be wary of blast weapons if you have them fighting as a pack. Those T-weapons could take all three down in one attack! 

Optional Homebrew Rules

'Mon Then!: Even when he is caught in a corner, Middenface doesn't know how to shut his geggie, routinely challenging opponents in a dialect that confuses friends and foes alike! Every time Middenface activates (even if he is Pinned), make a Cool test. If a special result comes up, Middenface launches into some "Glesgae banter" or "a wee sing-song"; roll a single die again to see if anyone is so distracted and bemused that they effectively become pinned, consulting the following table.

Hit: No effect.

Armour: Ya wee dancer! The closest enemy is Pinned

Middenface, Johnny & Wulf: The dream team?
Art by Carlos Ezquerra. Copyright Rebellion 2000AD Ltd  

Special: Oh ya fud ye! The closest ally is Pinned

Fancy A Wee Bevvy?: Middenface is partial to the odd "wee dram". To reflect this in the game, when Middenface is on your team, one of your Armoury cards will be a "Bottle of Mac-Mac". Deal this to the player first, shuffle the pack and deal out the remaining cards as usual but the Mac-Mac card must be one of your picks from what is available. Note that if any other characters have this ability, it is not cumulative (meaning you can only be dealt one Bottle of Mac-Mac card in the Set Up).


The Strontium Dog Miniatures Game is available from Warlord Games, click here noo ye scunner!

Middenface in Berserker mode!
Art by Carlos Ezquerra.  Copyright Rebellion 2000AD

Strontium Dog Miniatures Game - Wulf and the Gronk

Wulf Sternhammer

Never far from Johnny Alpha's side is a Viking warrior called Wulf Sternhammer. Wulf is a close combat specialist who is deadly with "Der Happy Stick". When he isn't cracking skulls, Wulf is usually keeping a close eye on his reward meter, dreaming of ever-greater riches. So how does Johnny's right hand man play in the Strontium Dog Miniatures Game?

Johnny and Wulf under fire in an early Strontium Dog strip.  Art by Carlos Ezquerra
Copyright Rebellion 2000AD Ltd

Stats

Wulf isn't a particularly great marksman but, that aside, he has some of the best stats in the game. He can take a lot of punishment with strong Resist and Cool, but it is his powerful fighting skill and the bonus of Der Happy stick that really make him such a deadly opponent!

Skills and Special Abilities

Berserker: Wulf ignores any stat loss for the first wound he takes in the game. This is important because the stat loss inflicted by wounds massively reduces the effectiveness of characters in the game and hastens their demise at an ever-increasing pace. 

Brawler: This is the hand-to-hand version of the Gunfighter skill that Johnny has. Provided Wulf isn't pinned when engaged in close combat, there is a good chance he will provide his attacker an opportunity to inspect Der Happy Stick up close - with deadly consequences!

Look Out Johnny!: This is a nice thematic ability which illustrates Wulf's loyalty to Johnny, allowing him to take the hit for his friend if he is close enough to do so.  As Wulf has a higher Resist than Johnny, this is a handy skill to have, especially since Wulf has that Berserker ability! 

Tactics for playing Wulf

As mentioned above, Wulf's Berserker and Look Out Johnny! abilities compliment one another so it is wise to keep Wulf close by Johnny to soak up incoming fire for him. But Wulf isn't just there as a meat shield! Any chance you get to instigate close combat, you should do so. As per the errata post, you can use the Charge action even if you are already engaged in close combat, so if at first you don't put an enemy down you can keep charging! If you land a hit, a Charge action and an attack with Der Happy Stick rewards you with a whopping 6 damage dice! Ja! Is no small cucumbers!  Two attacks with 5 combat dice is my personal preference, 10 combat dice damage to 6 is always the best option! As another character that has a Star Chip, he can be just as devastating to enemies with Der Happy Stick as Johnny is with a Westinghouse - provided you keep your Cool and fortune smiles upon you!    

Overall

By Odin's beard! Wulf is exactly what he should be; a great foil and partner to have by Johnny's side! Get ready to drop the hammer on your enemies!

Wulf in action with Der Happy Stick!  Art by Carlos Ezquerra
Copyright Rebellion 2000AD Ltd

The Gronk

I love Carlos Ezquerra's design of the alien creature known as "The Gronk" and he is well realised in miniature form!

The Gronk by Carlos Ezquerra
Copyright 2000AD Ltd

For those unfamiliar with the Strontium Dog strip, the Gronk is a very frail creature whose species suffer heart attacks at the slightest fright. Obviously this makes him useless in a firefight (Johnny and Wulf regularly instruct the Gronk to stay out of sight when trouble is brewing). What the Gronk is good at is healing and eating metals, the latter of which isn't exactly ideal in a combat miniatures game.

Stats

Slow and fairly useless. He can Evade but that's about it. As per the errata thread, game designer Andy Chambers has confirmed that the Gronk's stated Cool of 5 is a misprint, it should be 1.

Skills and Special Abilities

Oh My Poor Heartses!: Yes, the Gronk is as frail in the game as he is in the strip. He can be revived for a single action but do you want your squad using precious actions to constantly revive him?

Portable: This amusing ability allows other characters to carry the Gronk around the battlefield, presumably by the tuft of fur at the top of his head. This would be a way to compensate for his slow movement but I don't see Johnny or Wulf treating their friend like that.

I Has The Best Medicines: This is the one thing that the Gronk will come in handy for as he can heal all wounds on a model.  As per the errata thread, when rolling to heal, you roll against the wounded model's unmodified Resist.

Tactics for playing the Gronk

There really isn't much you can do with the Gronk other than to play him thematically which means keeping him out of the way as much as possible. If you're the protagonist, I don't recommend bringing him to the fight at all. He is too slow to keep up with your squad and unlikely therefore to be able to use his I Has The Best Medicines. If you're defending there is more scope to make use of him; taking cover in a building nearby to his friends and/or allies would be my recommendation.  That way if the wounds start mounting up against your team, the wounded models can retreat inside to get patched up. It's worth mentioning that putting a retreating model on Hunker Down means that when they run to the Gronk, they can attempt to heal some of their own wounds first, then activating the Gronk gives them another chance, this time to fully heal!

Overall   

Suitably harmless!  Feel like a method actor, crying "oh my poor heartses" every time he is pinned, stunned or wounded!

Johnny encourages the Gronk to eat their way out of a prison cell!
Art by Carolos Ezquerra.  Copyright 2000AD Ltd

Optional Homebrew Rules 

Metal Mouth: At the cost of a double action, the Gronk can eat through metal surfaces such as spacecraft walls, creating a 1" hole wide enough for larger models can pass through.  However, as they have to duck, this counts as difficult terrain. He can also use this ability, again at the cost of a double action, to render a mechanical vehicle useless.

The Gronk would be better suited to being part of the mission objectives rather than a team member.  I plan on designing a few scenarios around him which I'll share here soon!


The Strontium Dog Miniatures Game is available from Warlord Games which you can find here.

Epic War - Midnight Campaign Part XIV: War Journal

Turn 9 (End Phase):
Dwalin's victory means that he can continue his journey on towards the Ork Base in the city of Ushgarak - but the Orks have finally claimed the Tower of the Moon objective!

Squats: 331 CVPs
Orks: 363 CVPs

Target: 400

CVPs calculated thus:

Break Points each battle
Battle 1: Squats 0, Orks 8
Battle 2: Squats 21, Orks 17
Battle 3: Squats 32, Orks 27
Battle 4: Squats 42, Orks 15
Battle 5: Squats 26, Orks 38
Battle 6: Squats 28, Orks 25
Battle 7: Squats 20, Orks 31
Battle 8: Squats 42, Orks 34
Running Total: Squats 211, Orks 195

Plus:
8VP and 12VP bonuses for win/overwhelming victory. 4VPs each for a draw.
Results Bonuses:
Battle 1 Orks 12
Battle 2 Squats 12
Battle 3 Orks 12
Battle 4 Squats 8
Battle 5 Orks 12
Battle 6 Squats 8
Battle 7 Orks 12
Battle 8 Squats 12
Running Total: Squats 40, Orks 48

Plus Campaign Objectives:
Squats: 80 points (2x20VP objectives + Home Base Objective 40VPs)
Orks: 120 points (4x20VP objectives + Home Base Objective 40VPs)

Turn 10 (End Phase):

Dwalin continues his slow journey north...

Squats: 331 CVPs
Orks: 363 CVPs

Target: 400

Turn 11 (End Phase):

The Ork armies move to respond to the threat from Dwalin...

Squats: 331 CVPs
Orks: 363 CVPs

Target: 400

Turn 12 (End Phase):

Commander Ori moves out from the Campaign Objective he has camped upon and Kommander Zanga moves to block the threat.
Meanwhile Kommander Krugger blocks the path of Dwalin's army just as he closes in on the base!

Squats: 331 CVPs
Orks: 363 CVPs

Target: 400

Turn 13 (End Phase):

Ori moves north and Zanga returns to defend the Campaign Objective on the Plains of Blood. Meanwhile, Kommander Wee Killaz has a fast moving force which outwits Ori and heads to take his Campaign Objective! A standoff is developing outside the Ork base...who will move first?

Squats: 331 CVPs
Orks: 363 CVPs

Target: 400

Turn 14 (End Phase):

Wee Killaz secure the Campaign Objective in Dregrim Forest! Ori heads toward the City of Ithrorn but is outmanouvered by the Orks who now shore up their defences! Things are looking bad for the Squats! One more victory for the Orks should win the war for them!

Squats: 311 CVPs
Orks: 383 CVPs

Target: 400

Turn 15 (End Phase):

Dwalin edges closer to the City of Ushgarak but a stalemate seems to be developing...

Squats: 311 CVPs
Orks: 383 CVPs

Target: 400

Turn 16 (End Phase):

Ori heads south back towards the objective he long held. Dwalin receives communications from base about the unfolding situation. He decides to hold position until Ori is ready to strike...

Squats: 311 CVPs
Orks: 383 CVPs

Target: 400

Turn 17 (Post-Movement):

This is it! All or nothing! Ori (2K) and Dwalin (6K) attack and must do well or the war is lost! With two Campaign Objectives being contested - including the Ork base - they have a chance of winning the war if they fight well...but they face balanced opponents in Wee Killaz (2K) and Krugger (6K) with the Orks having bonuses from being on First Fire campaign orders and, perhaps vitally, they have three sets of fortifications at their disposal in both locations! Who will triumph?

Squats: 311 CVPs
Orks: 383 CVPs

Target: 400