Basement-Con: Friday and Saturday

Night 2 of Basement-Com saw the clash of two fantasy armies. The Empire teamed up with the elves to take on an Orc horde (is there any other kind?) using Hail Caesar. The game and minis were provided by Lead Addict, who I think used every piece of terrain I own to simulate the foothills being fought over.
We had a core set of units we had to use, but could then add from a pool to a max of 20 units a side. As the elves, I decided to go heavy into cav and shooties, while the Empire loaded up the bang-bangs.
I stacked the horse on the left flank and did what I do best, CHARGE! We smacked into Minotaurs and Trolls and despite the monsters being "Big" managed to drive them off, then in a second charge route them. We units were blown, but light cavalry riding in reserve filled the gap. This little skirmish showed the importance of supports.

Meanwhile in the center, the Imperials were getting slammed. They were just barely holding the farmstead and the tower, the objectives of the game. Due to poor initial placement by me, I wasn't able to support being across a wide river.
The center finally broke and fell back. The farmhouse was close to falling, but from across the river came the Treants. Like a scene out of the Two Towers, they smashed into the goblinoid lines. These casualties caused the orcs in the center to break. It was over.
Great game. Hail Caesar is perfect for Fantasy.

Speaking of Caesar, Saturday afternoon was spent playing Commands and Colors ancients. I have played C&C many times at our local con using the lovely mini collection from Cluck Amok, but never played withe the blocks in my own home.
The Romans faced the Carthaginians in the battle right after Cannae. Carthage was trying the old Double Envelopment again, but the Romans were ready this time. It looked like an easy Roman victory, but just like every C&C game I've played, it came down to wire with one unit a side deciding the outcome. Carthaginian victory!
It was a good weekend. Although my beer horde has seen better days.

GASLIGHT AAR- the Breakout

Basement Con night #1 started off with a 9 player GASLIGHT mega-battle. We had guests from come in from out of town for this one.

The Anglo-French forces were surrounded and attempting a breakout from a small Belgium town on the frontier. Among them were the Secret Six, a band of British heroes carrying top secret plans. They needed to get off the table without being captured.

The German plan was simple: contain and destroy. They were aided in this by the Nefarious Professor Nightshade and his mechanical minions.
The Anglo-French devised an good plan. As the Germans were attempting to cover all exits, the allies would stack their units on one side and try to overrun the enemy with numbers. But you know what they say about plans and contact with the enemy?

Apparently the crews of the French contraptions had had a bit to drink the night before. Their boilers were cold. They spent the first 3 turns of game trying to get started.
Meanwhile, the Germans moved in. The Luftmarine captured the strategic farmhouse in the middle, while their vehicles lumbered forward.
The British infantry bravely charged across the open ground alone, while the French Marines cowered in the woods. They assaulted the Luftmarines and routed them despite taking heavy casualties from both farmhouse and the sputtering Jaguar velocipede.

The Commander of the French Zuoaves and the Luftmarine's colonel talk

politics in the woods.

The British, in turn were driven out by the Rokkittruppen.
Let me stop here for a minute. We've been playing this game for many years. Over that time, many troops and vehicles have developed legends and lore to them. The Rokkittruppen, for the most part, have a terrible rep. Yes, their rocket packs let them hurtle across the table, but almost always to their doom. Their clockwork automatic carbines can wreak terrible damage, but only at close range. This time, however, they charged in and drove out the Brits.
Another unit with a past, is the Wespe. An ungainly steam powered helicopter with a penchant for falling out of the sky. This time, he dropped bombs and strafed with abandon.
Finally, the Lady Hussars. These girls have been holy terrors. Maybe its the bright red dresses, but the last 4-5 games their gunfire has been deadly, routing troop after troop. Never fired a shot this game

The Jaguar. More dangerous to crew on a good day.

Ultimately the allies never got moving. The Six puttered around, when they should have made a bee-line for the table edge. Only one the Brute Class Land Ironclad escaped. Three separate German units attacked it, without slowing it down.

Thanks to everyone who showed. Tonight, night #2 of Basement-Con, will be Hail Caesar Fantasy.

Basement-Con Friday Night (Fistful of Lead)

For the opening night of Basement-Con we dug out an old time favorite, Fistful of Lead.
The dirty streets of Lesterville once again ran red with blood. The scenario this time? Gold in the bank, a rich Railroad Man to nab and hold for ransom, and the hand of Camel Face Annie, lady of the evening.

The town of Lesterville

The citizens, unaware of what's to come.

Deputy Dan goes down to El Guappo's guns

Marshal Bill dies early

Blood Alley. There's always a Blood Alley

Fistful of Lead. Always fun, simple and bloody. My daughter, running the League of Gentlemen Gunfighters tied in Victory Points with son, running Yellow Knife's Indians. 8 players with 5 miniatures each, played to conclusion in under 3 hours. Not too many rules can pull that off.

Basement-Com Saturday (Medieval slugfest)

Saturday's game at Basement-Con, was a medieval slugfest using one of favorite rules "Flower of Chivalry (see previous posts on the Campaign for the Kingdom).

The scenario, the doddering king Osbert III, had been facing opposition to his throne for years. Finally, his nephew Ruprect made his move. It would be a battle over the strategically important village of Farfield-Upon-the-Smund.

the battlefield

Ruprect's forces arrayed

the battelines close

Things looked bad for Osbert. Most of the general's on Ruprect's side were rated as "Brilliant", allowing them to operate more independently. But. early in the game, the losses were almost equal.

The battle for the village begins

Then, suddenly, in one turn, everything changed. Ruprect's troops inflicted heavy losses on Osbert, taking out 7 units in one fell swoop. It was over.

Each commander started with equal units. A knight, a halberd and a longbow unit. Then, they took turns choosing more units till they all had five.

Each commander had a card that matched his troops.

Basement-Con Saturday Night (Golden Age Super battle)

Saturday night was the Basement General's theme game, which follows our unofficial motto "First the Zombies, then the robots, then the tanks."

It was a Golden Age Super Hero battle amidst the jungles of a hidden Nazi island base, off the coast of South America. The victory conditions revolved around stopping the baddies from a) launching their experimental rocket aimed at the US coast, full of zombie gas. b) capture the scientist involved, in case plan "a" fails c) capture General Von Sturm, head of the Ubersoldaten program.

The Axis were allowed to set up first. They chose the concentrate their forces around the mountain base, rather than try to spread out and cover all the possible entry points.

The Liberty legion split in two. The flyers would approach en masse, and try to overwhelm the mountain top. The ground forces would draw off the remaining forces. Their planned unraveled from the get go. The flyers were picked off one by one by the security forces (not even supers!). Only Warhawk and Jack O'Lantern remained, with the latter lobbing fire bombs and take out most of the robots.

Then, a few ill timed charges by the speedsters of the LL landed them surrounded by enemy troops and quickly dispatched.

The mad scientist managed to get halfway through the launch sequence before Warhawk, dodging ground fire, knocked him silly. On the ground, things looked a little better for the Liberty Legion. Seawolf and Weapon H were taken out of the fight. Liberty Belle healed a few of her allies, but was attacked by zombies and was unable to finish before a few of the heavies, like Sgt. Stone were dispatched.

With hour getting late, time was called on this game despite a clear conclusion. So I made one.

"His forces decimated, Ubermensch, leader of the Axis super soldiers, hefted the giant rocket and headed toward the US coast with the remainder of the Liberty Legion in hot pursuit. He was determined to deliver the bomb to Washington, himself. Somewhere over the Caribbean, a combination of fighter planes and Liberty legion heroism brought down the rocket. It, along with Ubermensch, were lost in at sea. But where?"

Thanks to everyone who made it out.