PFE100: October 2010

Monday, October 25, 2010

Uncharted seas

Well another game of uncharted seas was played last night at Britt, as always he wrote the after action report and i took the pictures.

This was our first large battle of ‘Uncharted Seas”. My Sanlando Marine (Shroud Mage) had 825 points while Greg’s Iron Dwarf’s had 830. Both sides had 7 squadrons of Flagships, Battleships, light & heavy cruisers, frigates and submarines. Greg also had some Destroyers. We played on a 4’ x 4’ blue painted board with a couple of small islands and a rock pillar for terrain.

There was far too much action to easily record. Greg’s rockets from his destroyers pasted my Lt Cruisers from long range. My western frigate squadron sunk a Dwarf Frigate & I had an early success sinking another Dwarf Frigate & a Cruiser. I got my lumps as well though. The Iron Dwarf Battleship caused my Heavy Cruisers some grief while his Frigates scuttled about everywhere. My cries for “more steam” (& its + 2” MP) went largely unanswered ( I couldn’t roll a 5 or 6). I guess it all went to the cook to steam the veggies. When it does work however, it’s a thing of beauty. My Flagship was able to ram the Dwarf Battleship and capture it. Meanwhile, while I was victorious in the east, disaster was the story in the west. My much vaunted submarine attack on Greg’s flagship hardly bothered the paintwork. My own Cruisers were taking a heavy pounding & his subs flamed my Cruiser. Soon most of my Frigates were lost with all hands. The Dwarf submarine attack was also much more successful than mine. Ships on both sides continued to slip beneath the waves, but a pattern was developing. Greg held the west of the bay, me the east. Our 6^th turn had long since passed, so we decided to call it a draw at that point.

Tonight’s game was far bloodier than previous ones. 800 points is just about perfect for a nights game for 2 players, and as battle fatigue set in, I was having a hard time just controlling 7 units. The combination of the visual aspect of the games large models, clean & fast playing rules, and a good opponent in Greg made for a very enjoyable nights game. I’m looking forward to playing many more games of Uncharted Seas in the near future.

Next week we’ll have another 800 point game of Uncharted Seas. Anyone who’d like to, come on out then. I’ll teach you the rules & put you in command of a squadron. “Death to the Iron Dwarfs”!

hope your dice roll high

Regards

Greg

Monday, October 18, 2010

UNCHARED SEA

Well we had our first game of uncharted seas last night, and I had a blast playing it. As all ways Britt did the below report and I took pictures. Although I didn't take many, Three shots is all I took.

Greg came over a bit before 7PM for our first battle of ‘Uncharted Seas’. It turned out even better than I’d hoped, and US now rivals E:A for my favourite game. While Greg’s Iron Dwarves’ fleet was nicely painted in grey, bronze, wood decking & green squadron ID markings the Shroud Mages were ‘undercoat white’ to conceal themselves in the mists & fog so common in this area of the Thousand Islands. It’s my story & I’m sticking to it. Anyway, we set up our respective Starter Fleets (1 Battleship, 3 Cruisers, and 6 Frigates) on the 4 foot by 4 foot board I’d painted up to look wave-like, and placed a small island and 2 pillars to give us a bit of terrain. Greg advanced diagonally line astern with one group of Frigates leading the BB and the CA’s while the other Frigates squadron went to the west edge to engage my Frigates. I advanced in line east to west Frigates, BB, CA’s, & Frigates. Things started happening quickly. Far too quickly! Both sides Frigates took damage & I think I lost one of my Eastern Frigates immediately. Hits were scored all around. Numerous (undeserved according to Greg. I agree) hits rained down on the Dwarf BB but their Admiral steeled himself and charged into the centre of the maelstrom. My Cruisers were dieing fast and I’d lost most of my Frigates. The Dwarf Frigates had sunk my Western Frigates & now controlled the sea west of the Pillars. Greg’s BB then delivers a particularly nasty broadside to my BB. With fires raging and water coming in from a dozen holes, the Shroud Mage BB forgoes gunnery and rams the enemy BB…for surprisingly little effect! But, just when all was gloom, while the ram was a failure, but boarding action that followed was a complete success. A prize crew sails off with the Iron Dwarf BB, but the Mages BB is up to 6 of its 8 hits, and only 2 Frigates remain. My Cruisers are but a memory. Such is the eternal hatred of the Iron Dwarfs for the Shroud Mages that the battle would long continue. Soon all Mages Frigates disappeared beneath the waves, as did all remaining Iron Dwarf ones except for a lone Cruiser. Closing to “half a pistol shot”, the Dwarf Cruiser let loose with a broadside that almost took out the Mage BB’s last 2 hits. Almost. Then the Mage BB’s broadside put an end to the valiant Dwarf Cruiser. Peace now returned to the foggy waters of Ironbottom Bay as the Mage BB limped home, the sole survivor of an epic sea battle.

Thanks Greg. That was the best game I’ve had in years! Lots of Tactics, fun, suspense and action. I’m looking forward to our second game of Uncharted Seas next Monday night with 800 point fleets.