Rising like a Phoenix...

   This is the Quadcycle that was destroyed a few weeks ago by my puppy. 

   Actually, it's the Quadcycle that Elderac very kindly sold to me to replace the one eaten by my puppy. I changed the paint a bit to match my existing minion forces and put it on a base.

   But from tragedy comes renewal - I finally got that piece finished and it's ready to grace the table as soon as I stat it up for either GASLIGHT or IHMN.

New Issue of The Aethergraph!

   At long last, I have published the new issue of The Aethergraph. You can find a link to it on the left hand column, right at the top there, or simply click here. I would like to thank my contributors, and the gentlemen that offered me submissions that I didn't have room for this time around. I'm hopeful that, especially with more submissions, I can produce another issue this spring - perhaps in April or May.

   I hope you enjoy it. Please let me know what you think, and if you are interested in helping to produce The Aethergraph, email me at aethergraph@gmail.com.

Historicon VSF Report

   I got into no less than four (4!) Victorian Science Fiction themed games at this year's Historicon convention in Fredericksburg, Virginia. My record was an outstanding 3-1.

   The first outing was a land-based Dystopian Wars match. Britain and France fought over Flanders' Fields. I played the French, uncharacteristically for me. Our mission was to defend a ridgeline from British occupation. In the end, the British managed to pull off a victory.

Landship and medium tank versus British armoured onslaught!

A pair of French Cruisers arrive

  The next VSF-themed game I played in was "Further Adventures of The League of Pear-Shaped Gentlemen." This game was hosted by Thomas Harris and Frank Chadwick. Yes, that Frank Chadwick. Fanboy gushing moment for me. We used their upcoming "Mars Needs Steam" rules - look for a Kickstarter campaign near the first of the year.

   I took up the cause of Justice as a force of Martian sepoys in the service of the British crown. The Parhoon Rifles, the Meepsor Fencibles, and the 4th Martian Infantry, as well as some gashant mounted lancers, a cannon, and two sleek airships made up my forces. Just to our right flank were some nefarious servants of the Emperor of Japan - they had to be stopped! In the end, I won the game with 30 points (points were awarded for killing the enemy and uncovering secret encounters, like the Princess and the Rock Chameleon).

My 1st Colonial Lancers

 

Troops of the 4th Martian Infantry fire on the Japanese.

The Parhoon Rifles stumble into a nest of Rock Chameleons!

The Lancers rescue a Martian Princess

Lancers charge into the Japanese hunting party!

 

Thom and Frank get a well-deserved award for an Outstanding Game

See, I told you I know Frank Chadwick!

   My third VSF game was Bob Charrette's Secret Science playtest. Again, I was on the Martian side. Earthlings were attempting to invade our sacred red soil, and had to be held back! Although my performance in the game was less than stellar (some truly bad dice rolling), overall, we scraped a marginal victory when a truly gargantuan beast on the Martian side trampled sixteen - sixteen! - enemy automatons into scrap before plowing into an enemy walker. This left the Earthers with too little a force remaining to push across the field.

My Martian Cannon, the Fist of Grond, in its redoubt.

Martian musketeers advancing

The Great Beast!

  The last VSF game was Chris Palmer's "Victoria Hawkes Saves the Queen" using GASLIGHT rules. I took the side of Prussia, holding Her Majesty in a secret location until a zeppelin could arrive to bear her away. My dice were again, rather atrocious. Most of my forces got shot down in the course of the game. However, in the end, we Prussians loaded HM Victoria into a zeppelin and escaped with her.

British Impervious Suit. One of my comrades kept shooting it for no effect with a gatling gun rather than mowing down infantry. Not a help.

The US Marines' Steam Walker...

My Prussian Kreighosen attacks the Steam Walker with that nasty can opener saw.

"Z" is for...

ZEPPELIN

   Zeppelin (n.): a rigid cylindrical airship consisting of a covered frame containing multiple gas cells, and with a suspended compartment for passengers and engines.

   There was, of course, no way not to mention the Zeppelin and other forms of flying ships when discussing Victorian Science Fiction. You may as well leave out Her Majesty (God Bless Her!) as flying vessels! The idea of flying ships was written about by Victorian writers (Jules Verne published Master of the World in 1904, just a few years after Edward took the throne).

   Graf Ferdinand von Zeppelin started designing the style of airship which would bear his name in the 1870s after seeing airships used by the Union in the American Civil War and the French during the short-lived Franco-Prussian War. The first real zeppelin (LZ-1) was built in 1899. Zeppelins were used as bombers in World War I and as commercial vehicles after the war until the Hindenberg crash in 1937 ended their popularity. (Oh, the humanity!) In my VSF universe, I have Zeppelin retiring from the military at a younger age due to injuries sustained, and getting into the development of airships sooner as a result. Zeppelins fitted with more powerful engines and using a wondrous lifting gas (hydrium, an idea copied from Kenneth Opel's Airborn novels) are commonplace in the late 19th century of my little universe.

   Besides zeppelins, which are just really cool, the VSF enthusiast has a variety of airships to choose from. Most use some for of lighter-than-air technology, which is often non-gaseous in nature, thus eliminating the need for huge gas bags to provide lift. Liftwood, cavorite, and unobtainite are some examples of this. The problem with massive gas cells is that they are, well, massive. Big, relatively slow targets, which can't be significantly armoured due to weight considerations. Using liftwood, etc., eliminates that liability and makes armoured airships much more practical.

A small 6-man gunboat
[Laughing Ferret, 25mm conversion]

    Some airships are small gunboats, intended to swiftly enforce the will of the Great Powers which build them. The British Naval Air Service's ubiquitous Aphid-class is a prime example of this type. Others are massive behemoths of armourplate and turreted 14" naval guns, bristling with batteries of quick-firing light guns, and cruising slowly through the air, dominating the sky. The Class IV dreadnought is one of these types of airship.

HMS Aphid

<> 

Dreadnought Class IV Airship

   I know of several good rules sets that exist for VSF airship fleet battles, in alphabetical order:

• Aeronef, by Wessex Games
• Dystopian Wars, by Spartan Games
• GASLIGHT Compendium, by Palmer and Surdu
• Sky Galleons of Mars, by GDW (and Heliograph)
• When Dreadnoughts Ruled the Skies (not commercially published that I know of)
• When the Navy Walked, by The Arm Chair General (I helped write these rules).

   I have played in games using all of the above rules except for Dystopian Wars, and enjoyed them all. Except for When Dreadnoughts Ruled the Skies, all of them also have associated ground forces rules suitable for playing air-to-ground engagements and mixed actions. If I have inadvertently left any systems you are aware of out of the above list, please let me know and I will be happy to add it!

Naval Zeppelin

"G" is for...

G.A.S.L.I.G.H.T.

or, Glorious Adventures in Science Loosely Involving Generally Historical Times

G.A.S.L.I.G.H.T. Compendium (Cover)

   G.A.S.L.I.G.H.T. is a set of rules first published way back in 2001. The authors, John "Buck" Surdu and Chris Palmer, created a very generic set of 'framework' type miniatures rules for skirmish style games, where each player controls only a few individual figures, classified as either "Main Characters" or "Extras". These rules also allow for the creation of fantastic devices and vehicles. A point value system was created for Battles by G.A.S.L.I.G.H.T., which helps in creating scenarios. Unit activation is random, determined by a card draw. Combat resolution is generally very simple - and the Extras die in droves! (Redshirts not included with rules - you have to paint them on yourself!)

   The popularity of the original rules led to several sequels, including Battles by G.A.S.L.I.G.H.T. (for larger scale battles), To Be Continued by GASLIGHT (for more pulp adventure), and Adventures and Expeditions by GASLIGHT. Last year, a new compendium, including new rules for large scale fleet actions was released as well.

   One of the things I like most about the game is the ease with which you can modify it to fit exactly what you want to do. For example, they had no rules for automatons. So I made some up, no muss, no fuss. (You can find those rules in The Aethergraph, Vol. 1, Issue 1). Want big tough creatures like dinosaurs? No problem. Give them a Save, or Wound Points. Done. The rules are really very flexible, which is a huge plus for me. They also work equally well for 25 or 15mm figures.

   This is my go-to rules set for VSF, unless I am doing really big battles, for which I use When the Navy Walked and 6mm figures. I have played several other sets, including The Sword and the Flame, Martian Empires, and Valor, Steel and Flesh. And I always go back to GASLIGHT.

AAR: Battle of Simla Valley

   News has reached Victoria's Landing of a clash between civilised Europeans and the mechanickal hordes of Doctor Maton. The battle took place yesterdayin the fertile Simla Valley. For those of you new to Mars, the Simla Valley is one of the few really fertile areas on our Red Planet, situated between two major mountain ranges, and the source of the Simla Grand Canal. It is also the site of a major German colonisation attempt, with the frontier village of Simlaburg.

   Apparently, Maton and his human and Martian followers have grown hungry in their mountain hideaways. A raid was planned, to take the food and livestock of the Simla Valley for themselves. To this end, Maton's diabolical boring machine, the Iron Mole, erupted from a rock outcropping in the valley floor, very near the village. Subterranean navigation being what it is (which is quite difficult, actually), Maton failed to erupt through the center of the village as desired.

Maton's Minions, and two of his Female "Assistants" emerge.

The Iron Mole is in the background, near the exit to the tunnel.

   Luckily for the inhabitants of Simlaburg, German and British troops were engaged in 'training exercises' just outside the village on the eastern side of the valley. Also, a large piece of German 'agricultural equipment', the Bauerwerk, was in the forest just outside the western palisade of the village, clearing more land with its immense powered saw and flamethrower. Slash and burn agriculture indeed!

The Bauerwerk clearing land near Simlaburg.

   Just as the Anglo-German 'exercises' were  about to commence in earnest, a sharp-eyed, clean-limbed Tommy spotted the Mad Genius's men emerging from the tunnel. According to reports in the German colony, one of the Kaiser's men also managed to spot them, although this journalist believes that to be Hun propaganda. Both European forces immediately turned against the mechanickal menace to attempt to stop the oncoming brazen hordes.

Germans and British about to begin their 'exercises.'

   The European forces swung to face the western edge of the valley, from whence the threat came. Before long, even the Bauerwerk noticed the oncoming hordes, and moved from the woods to defend the village and its precious food.

One of Maton's objectives: the swine of Simlaburg.

   More and more automatons emerged from the tunnel: steam-powered spiders, piloted half-jacks, hoverbots built from stolen unobtainite, scuttling steam turtles, and finally, the dreaded Destroyer, with its twin Galvanic Accelerator Cannons! The multitude of mechanickal menaces kept Maton and his assistants running about, ensuring all was in ordnung. Slowly, they advanced. Slowly, except for the speedy hoverbots, which made directly for one platoon of our redcoated heroes! For a few minutes, our men fought the swooping villains to a standstill, but their valour was no match for the armour and snapping talons of the foe, and they were forced to retreat. Just as destruction seemed inevitable, the flying machines suddenly malfunctioned and froze in place for a critical moment. Our men escaped their peril, leaving too many fellows on the ground behind them, but allowing the second platoon a clear shot at the hoverbots. The ensuing fusilade of fury brought down all but two of the tormentors.

   Meanwhile, on the left wing of the battle, the Bauerwerk fired off its industrial flamethrower, sending some of Maton's human henchmen to their eternal rewards. ASA #27 also brought its flamethrower into action. Though designed only for anti-material use, it worked admirably against Maton's henchmen, and even caught his Oriental assistant in its spray, killing the misguided woman in a mercifully short blast of heat. The second assault group, however, managed to close on the Bauerwerk and attach Galvanic-Magneto Bombs to its sturdy legs. In the process, the Bauerwerk's powered saw shredded a pair of them, but they made good their escape. However, the minions botched the job of placement, and the explosions failed to penetrate the tough metal of the Bauerwerk's legs.

Maton's human Minions assault the Bauerwerk

   With the HMLS Prince Charles (affectionately known as Bonnie Prince Charlie by its Scots crew) approaching the battlezone, the minions gathered for a second assault, rightly fearing the searing flame that gouted forth from the landships armoured flanks. The Bauerwerk charged into the steam turtles, destroying one and causing confusion in the mechanickal minds of the others, which froze in place for a considerable length of time, which the Bauerwerk put to excellent use, disposing of three more before they began to react. Maton's troops began to recoil from the strong armoured left flank and the approach of the German rifles on that end of the line. The village was saved!

   Back on the right, Maton's fortunes were also going awry. The dreaded Destroyer must have miscalculated the fall of shot with its shrapnel shell, as it failed to explode, and only killed one member of the platoon on which it fired. Rifle and cannon fire from German troops whittled away at the scuttling steam spiders.

  It was at this point that Maton's nerve failed, and he ordered his remaining forces back into the tunnel, with the Destroyer in the rear, bringing the tunnel mouth down behind the retreating mastermind. Having made good his escape, I am sure we shall be hearing from the Mad Belgian again.

[Editor's Note: A G.A.S.L.I.G.H.T. game played yesterday afternoon with my sons. Dane played the Automatons. Greyson had the Brits, and I ran the Germans. Anglo-German cooperation was not good (English troops twice masked the foe from the German artillery, for instance). Really, the minions were wiped out by some lucky dice rolls, and the automatons were paralysed by malfunctions. Still need to tweak their stats - too many malfunctions. No units were totally wiped out before time ran out, but things did indeed look dark for the Mad Belgian Genius, Herr Doktor Professor Otto Maton!]

Report: Historicon 2011, Day 3

   I know it has been a few days, but I am just now fully recovered from my relaxing stay in lovely Pennsylvania. Not that I saw a whole lot of it, because I spent most of the time indoors.  But you don't want to hear about all that - you want to know about the games!

Beautiful terrain from Miniature Building Authority.

  So by now it is Saturday, the last real day of games for Historicon. I have a game at 0900, a WWII game using a rules system new to me called NUTS! It's from Two Hour Wargames. The scenario was pretty simple: D-Day, American Airborne forces approach a village held by the Wehrmacht. Wehrmacht must hold village. Didn't enjoy the game. One of the main opponents was a 'psychic.' Always knew what my troops were doing even if there was no way for the troops to have such information. I didn't like the rules either. One of my troops dropped a hand grenade into a room full of Amis, rolled the best result possible, and the result was that two of the GIs charged up the stairs and killed not one but three Germans at the top. One of the Germans was my second best guy, and a 'Hero', unloaded his SMG at the GIs, while waiting at the top for them to approach, and missed totally. An unbalanced scenario maybe, and a bad opponent for sure, but any result that leaves a group of people in an enclosed area in which a grenade has gone off totally unharmed - not stunned, not anything? Needs work.

Amis appear in the woods and ambush a Wehrmacht patrol

  My next game wasn't to be until 1900, so I thought I'd hit the vendor's area and Wally's Basement (the flea market). the boys, on the other hand, were headed to their game at 1300; a game of Car Wars. I've been playing the game off and on since about 1983. Even been planning on getting a Matchbox scale game set up. So the boys take off; about 1305, I get a call from Greyson and they need another player since there's only the two of them there to play. Had a pretty good time. Killed Greyson's car, got rear-ended by a ramplate but survived (barely!), got revenge on the rammer by virtually eliminating him. Time was just about up so we called it, and I won (only 'kill').

My car. Twin MGs and a bumper trigger.

Dane in red, Greyson in green, myself in the rear.

   My last game was one of the ones I most anticipated since registering: a G.A.S.L.I.G.H.T. fleet battle. Simple scenario was that a new German aircraft carrier was damaged by a storm, and the British are trying to capture it while the Germans seek to prevent that.

Patrol boat HMS Courageous (fore) and cruiser HMS Essex

   I liked the game. It was very similar to Battles by G.A.S.L.I.G.H.T., and so it was familiar, with a few changes which had to be made in order to accomodate the third dimension. It seemed impossible to get to the carrier (the Valkyrie) before she made it off the table, and it proved so. Highlights of the game include the performance of HMS Cossack, one of my patrol boats absorbing fire from two German patrol boats and a German cruiser. After several turns, she was a wreck, and had three commanding officers killed aboard her. Finally, she settled to the surface, with no guns, no engine, and no officers left! Things looked very bad for the British side until the battleship finally got within range. Three German capital ships were crippled or destroyed, and three escorts, to the loss of three escorts on the British side. The Valkyrie did manage to escape, however.

The Valkyrie.

  The Valkyrie is a total scratch-built job, except for the mast and the flight stand. Absolutely beautiful piece of work. I especially like the raised hangar on the flight deck.

One More Gaming Project: New G.A.S.L.I.G.H.T. Compendium 30 Second TV Spot

   Just something I thought was really neat!

   One More Gaming Project: New G.A.S.L.I.G.H.T. Compendium 30 Second TV Spot: "Here is the new 30 second TV spot for the upcoming G.A.S.L.I.G.H.T. Compendium. Sit back and enjoy! Thanks for watching!"

AAR: 15 January, Gunderbad

Gunderbad - The sleepy farming hamlet of Gunderbad, in the Jasheen District of the Crown Colony was violently woken last Saturday by the crash of gunfire. A recent eruption of unobtainite just east of the settlement was the object of an attack by that vile fiend, Herr Doctor Professor Otto Maton, the Belgian Mechanickal Maniac. Fortunately, the good townsfolk of Gunderbad had reported the eruption to the appropriate authorities in the Ministry of Strategic Minerals at Government House in Victoria Landing, and troops were already onsite to defend the unobtainite.

  Maton led the attack with his usual horde of automated contraptions: steam spiders, hoverbots, and serv-a-tons. But he also unveiled some new horrors in the conflict: steam turtles, piloted armor suits, and a mechanickal giant of fearsome aspect. Thankfully for our gallant boys, the steam-powered menaces were not reliable, and slowed their own advances. [In the first turn, misfortune strikes the Automatons as the hoverbots malfunction right away and tear into the half jacks. The steam spiders retreat instead of advancing.] Our valiant redcoats, stalwart sepoys and a platton of Texican allies bravely held their line against the foe, using artillery to somewhat thin the enemy ranks. [Two shots, one from the Bonnie Prince Charlie and one from a 7-pdr. Both hit their targets, and destroy a few automatons, but the shot on the Giant bounces off harmlessly.]

  With his mechanickal devices malfunctioning, the Mad Genius and his assistant, the mysterious Oriental woman known as Yuki Ono, sprinted about the battlefield trying to reprogram their servants' Babbage engines. The great giant remained steady, and fired it's awesome cannon at the puny humans across the field. Thankfully, it missed! More malfunctioning units again slowed the advance of Science!, and the only reliable troops Maton fielded march forward (the two platoons of minions and the midget-piloted half jacks). Steady in the face of the onslaught, many of our valiant defenders were laughing themselves silly as the dreaded mechanickals continued to malfunction, well beyond effective rifle range. [Yet more malfunctioning automatons, though the original problems were solved. Still out of rifle range, the two human artillery pieces traded fire, and Jack the Giant missed again.]

 With his minions finally under control, the advancing metal horde reached rifle range. A series of volleys by platoon rang out, felling some of the diabolical machines. The giant landed a shrapnel round on the Texicans, killing two of the steady lads. At the far right of the British line, a troop of lancers charged into the fray, attacking the remnants of the half jack squad with their armour-piercing explosive lances. In turn, they were hit in the flank by the remaining hoverbots (seriously depleted by rifle and artillery fire). In moments, the last of the half jacks was scrapped, the final hoverbot downed, and the lancers fell to the last man, covered in blood, oil and everlasting glory!

  More trouble awaited the Automaton horde. Still confused, the steam spiders halted in the midst of an open plain, sitting ducks for the crew of the 7-pdr field gun. When the smoke cleared, only one remained. The human Minions of Maton finally approached rifle range and fired at the Texicans, killing all but three of them and breaking their spirit momentarily. The Texicans fled the line, but in their panic, wandered into the No Man's Land between the armies, masking a platoon of sepoys! An armour piercing shell from the Giant did for the Bonnie Prince Charlie, and more rifle fire seriously hurt a squad from the 23rd Foot, killing their officer. Finally, on the British left, several automatons were approaching the line, with calculating mayhem clicking through their whirring mechanickal brains.

  The last of the steam spiders spat venom on the Texicans, felling two, and causing their final fellow to retire from the field to report to the Republic's emissary. The vicious machine's triumph was short lived, however, as the fire of an entire platoon of Martian sepoys was directed upon it, smashing it into bits. On the left, the serv-a-tons reached the sepoys behind their wall, and red ruin resulted! The great Giant, so deadly before, was in need of adjustment following a telling blow that rang off its armoured hide. It wandered aimlessly for several minutes as the battle wound down. Volleys lashing out from British troops hidden in the buildings of the town scourged the remaining Minions of Maton. At this point, the Doctor and his mysterious assistant from the East took the better part of valour, and departed the field. No doubt, we shall hear from him again!

[Editor's Note: We played using Battles by GASLIGHT. Normally, the club doesn't do non-historicals, but with only a few folks showing up (and me with virtually all the lead!), the few chose to play a light hearted game of mayhem. The after action report was favorable, though it is considered that some adjustments will be needed to the Automatons - every unit succumbed to bugs at one point or another.]

Historicon, Day Two...

Reports from the front coming in... pictures to follow...

So, it's early (ish) on Saturday morning. Last night was a bit late, so I put off blogging until now. Sorry about that. The Yuengling may have had something to do with it. That's my excuse, anyway.

Day 2 started early with an 0800 game. The boys tried out a new (to them) set of Western rules called "High Noon." The folks putting it on had a HUGE (200+ square feet!!!) table set up, with towns, ranches, deserts, Indian villages and mesas. Unfortunately, the boys lost (they were on a team together), but they did have a couple of very dramatic moments, including one point in which Dane dove a character through a window, came up with guns blazing, and killed one of the cowboys.

Next up was my game, "After the Unobtainite". Happily, I had all six players show up, so I had a full game. I think everyone had a good time, and I made no major mistakes. HMLS Prince Charles burned down about ten Martians before succumbing to multiple hits from the Martian artillery. Another high point of the game was when one of the Soldaten went rogue and charged into the unsuspecting back of a squad of Maton's Masked Minions! The British force was virtually annihilated in the end, and the automatons were plagued with mechanical difficulties, leading the Martians in good position to destroy the pack animals which were carting off their unobtainite for the wetland devils. Colonel Sir Harlan Sanders, KFC, will have a hard time explaining his losses once he returns to the Crown Colony!

The boys hit the painting table while I was running my game, and Dane even got a class in painting for beginners in. They continued to practice painting at the Paint N Take Event. You will see that mentioned again, as they have spent a lot of time there! Thankfully, I have checked with the ladies in charge (Heather is the best!), and I am proud to say they have gotten glowing reports on model behavior. I suspect bribery...

Next up was a trip through the dealer's area, and the flea market. I picked up a couple of things for a friend of mine back in Houston, and the boys found a new copy of a game called AT-43 (science fiction) for half off, and pooled together to buy it. It's nice because the minis are pre-painted and neat looking, so you can pretty much play as soon as you open the box. Dane also bought a few minis at the flea market, while Grey and I went looking (unsuccessfully, so far) for some Reaper brand paints. Those may just have to wait until we get back home to order some for him.

My 1900 game - the one I was probably most looking forward to, Airfleet Battles by GASLIGHT, was cancelled as Chris was very ill. I did manage to get into another game that I had wanted to try which was run using the rules "Valor, Steel and Flesh." That was fun, and the minis (by Parroom Station - the game was run by the sculptor, Bob Charette, incidentally) were fantastic. I wish I had taken a few more closeup shots of the tanks, especially. I played the Prussians in an Earth Alliance attack on a pass held by Martians. The infantry did well for me, but neither of my tanks could hit anything. I think it must have been Oktober, and the tank crews were celebrating a bit much the night before. Hangovers are not good for accurate gunnery. Honestly, I don't know if it was possible for us to take the pass, but we gave it a good solid try, and the sands of Mars are a bit more red as a result!

Grey and Dane had a game at 2000, in which they each took command of a 25mm scale buccaneer ship. They didn't win their game (we have had some rotten luck this weekend!), but did have fun. Dane blamed a couple of his allies for getting in his way so that he couldn't come to grips with the enemy, as he ended up the game essentially unharmed, but frustrated in most of his attempts to blast the British ships he was raiding.

So, once my game was finished I checked in on the boys (who still had an hour to go) and then I hit the free beer line. Yes, you heard me: Free. Beer. Yuengling Lager, no less, which I am rather fond of but have a hard time getting my hands on in Texas! Got my beer, called up my friend Patrick (Gallowglass of TMP fame), and went to hang out for a bit. He was just starting to run a Moderns game (Ambush Alley, I think), so he was busy, but I chatted with a few other players while there.

Anyway, except for the cancelled game, which I luckily replaced with another game I wanted, Day Two was another good day of fun for us all at Historicon.

I'll post Day Two photos later. Promise!

Preliminary Fliegerjaeger Stats (GASLIGHT)

Die fliegerjaeger need to have statistics and some rules worked up for them. I have some preliminary ideas as to how they will operate, but the rules will need testing.

Advantages:

The flieger gear allows a model so equipped to move at Soar 24 for one action. The model automatically comes back to ground at the end of the action. It requires re-winding as well, which is handled the same as a Reload action. Models can charge directly into combat with the flieger gear. Also, the gear is attached to a breastplate. This armor gives an Extra a Save of 5 from long range smallarms fire and Scuffle attacks.

Disadvantages:

Flieger packs (die fliegertornister) are heavy. Any model wearing one has a 2" reduction in their movement on land, and can not swim at all. Landing in water automatically kills the model. The packs are also rather awkward in close combat. When in melee, any model wearing a fliegertornister has a -2 modifier to their Scuffle attribute. There is no effect on Shooting. Finally, no model wearing a flieger pack can enter a normal building entrance. Barn doors, okay, but a standard door or window? Forget about it. Flieger packs may be removed by using one action. Putting them on again would require another action.

Other Thoughts:

I am considering giving fliegerjaeger a bonus to Scuffle on the turn they charge, if they charge in flight. This is to represent the large whirling blades which could be used as a weapon. On the other hand, you could argue that the difficulty of controlling such awesome weapons of whirling death would offset the massive damage they would do. Perhaps a SRM modifier insted of a Scuffle modifier? Or even a modifier on the charged unit's Morale test (+1 to the roll?) to stand their ground in the face of the charge? It would be pretty scary, I think.

Weapons

Regarding the weapons of the fliegerjaeger, officers are armed with pistols. NCOs and jaegers are armed with reciprocating carbines (Karabineautomatische) designed by the KFG for their use. Use the regular GASLIGHT stats for a submachine gun (Range: 6/12, SRM-10, ROF 2).

Second battle of Ghola coming up Soon!

Yes, friends, it seems that the small Martian village of Ghola shall once again be split asunder by modern warfare.

Martian agents recovered the Sacred Orb from British hands and returned it to the Shrine at Ghola. The British are sending an expeditionary force to recover their trophy and punish the natives, and the French have come to stick their noses into Her Majesty's affairs yet again. These continued incursions into territory which clearly falls into the British Martian Crown Colony's control by the French may provoke a wider conflict.

The native Gholani are again assisted by units of 'volunteers' from the Galforrian Empire. Those devils never learn.

Battle will no doubt be joined this Saturday morning, and should last until early afternoon at the latest. It is hoped that this time there shall be a proper report after the action.

Rules used are GASLIGHT. Figures come from both Stone Mountain (for the French and the British) and Black Hat (for all Martians, including the sepoys). The steam-powered war machines of the French and British started life as MageKnights and D&D Miniatures figures, by WizKids and Wizards of the Coast, respectively.

Friday's Scenario

The Shrine of Ghola

The Story Line:


Native resistance to colonial expansion is on the rise. Much of it is based on two things: the Empire of Galfor's desire for power and the rise of a fundamentalist religious movement amongst the natives.


Galforrian troops are stirring up trouble in the border areas. One unit of the infamous Emerald Legion has arrived in the small Martian village of Ghola. In the center of the town is a stone shrine, which local legend claims landed from the heavens. Inside the shrine is a holy artifact, the Books of G'aree Gy-gaks.


The village of Ghola lies in territory whose dominion is disputed by both the British Empire and the French Second Empire. Both nations send small patrols to investigate reports of Galforrian meddling and to remove the Books which seem to be the focus of all the trouble. The Galforrians, meanwhile, are trying to whip the locals into a frenzy to protect their sacred objects.


The Setup:


There are three sides: British, French, and Martian.


Terrain is minimal - the village of Ghola lies in the midst of a large basin. Water comes from the village well.


In the center of the table is the village. It is protected by a few low stone walls which are in poor repair and have large gaps. The Martian forces deploy in this zone.


British forces enter from the southwest; French from the northeast. Both must deploy no more than 16 inches from the corner they begin in.


Victory Conditions:


British: 5 points for seizing the Books and removing them from the table; 5 points for each Emerald Legion unit destroyed, 10 points for driving off the French.


French: 5 points for seizing the Books and removing them from the table; 5 points for each Emerald Legion unit destroyed, 10 points for driving off the British.


Martians: 5 points for each Earth unit destroyed or routed off the table; must keep the Books from being removed from the table.

The Aftermath:
We are going to play using regular G.A.S.L.I.G.H.T rules (not Battles by...). After the game, I can make available the forces - I want to keep them secret for now. Jim reads this blog, and he's playing in the game.
I will take several photos during the game on Friday night, and shall promptly publish an after action report for the newspapers to ruthlessly plagiarize. The scoundrels!

Caloric Ray Emitter Statistics

The Caloric Ray Emitter has been patented (RP No. 1888-07-034621) by Professor K. Blooie, FRS, of the Smitterdown Technical Institute, North Whinging. It emits a previously unknown ray with the ability to rapidly heat whatever material it is shone upon. The ray itself is invisible to the human eye.

The CRE is still undergoing trial at this time in Her Majesty's forces prior to a decision on issuance to the lads. There is a "rather vexing tendency for the Teslatronic Coil to vaporize, causing a suboptimal [and often fatal, ed.] discharge of stored voltage into the operator and rendering the wepon itself useless," according to the Professor.

In G.A.S.L.I.G.H.T. terms, it is worth 2 points and possesses the following attributes:

Name: Caloric Ray Emitter
Short Range: <12">Shoot # Modifier: 0