Grey Lady Down: Rescuing the Airship Leland!

Back to Mars today, hosted by club mate Gav and with fellow Space 1889 aficionado Charles. Highly unusually for us, we kept the game size way down at 24 points, and played a modified scenario from the TMWWBK book. 

Using our modified rules tweaks listed here (but forgetting to use the Bolt Action dice drawing technique) I played a French force comprising:

- French Garde Grenadiers (12 man Regular Infantry) with Elite and Fierce (8 points)

- French Foreign Legionnaires (12 man Regular Infantry), with Fierce (7 points)

- 2 Skirmisher Squads (6 man/half strength Regular Infantry) (3 points each)

- Aerial vehicle crew (6 man/half strength Regular Infantry) (3 points)

The Leyand was cleverly constructed from card by Andrew P - all the fittings are magentised

The aerial transport ship Leland had emergency landed on the Xanthe plain while transporting French supplies to Idaeus Fons. The local manager of the owning company, Dubauve and Gallais, had great influence with the local magistrate and was able to solicit military assistance for its recovery. Locally stationed legionaries had linked up with the crew, and now waited for a rescue column to arrive- led by the newly arrived Garde Grenadiers on their first foray out of the city! Against them, 4 mixed Martian companies (*8 units of Cutters and Shooters) advanced, seeking to forcibly salvage the weapons and technology of the Earthmen.

The superior French rifles kept a number of Martian units pinned down and whittling them away slowly.  I managed to get my relief column into range and the volleys crashed out with regularity.

The Martians got some luck when their musketry took down a couple of the Airship's crew, pinning the unit. It failed to rally and the sailors fell back, abandoning the ship and their firing vantage point. The race for the ship was on!

And won by the Garde, who surged forward and began to pour the fire on. The Martians lost momentum and their casualties began to tell, falling backwards and a couple of units dispersing under fire.

The sound of rifle fire died away as the Martians melted back into the hinterland to lick their wounds

I thought I would be overwhelmed quickly, but lacking good leadership the Martians failed many of their activation rolls. In contrast, I didn't fail a single one all game and the Garde never rolled less than 11 !  That made it a rather one sided affair, though the Legionairres almost failed a pin check after taking a single casualty at a critical time and that would have really turned the game around.

Armée d'Mars in all its Glory! (minus the Cavalry WIP on my desk!)

Thanks to Gav and Charles for a fun game and the chance to get our figs out onto the table! Naturally we dreamed big plans for our next armies (my French army is now getting waaaay too big!)