The Attack on Fort Colonial Sona Italia

Chris and I had spoken about playing a tabletop battle for quite a while already.  As we had been delaying since March this year, I decide to oblige him.  The thing about him is that he only likes humans and he likes guns.  Given my limited collection of human troops, I designed a game of human colonist vs alien indigenous natives.  The rule is is old 40k but simplified and I will be using the harmonised weapon profiles in my houserules (I had created a list of weapon profiles all the way from ww2 era to sci fi ).   Chris will be using an army of humans (Italians as basic troops while support by elite units of TAK and stormtroopers) while I field lizardmen.  So here goes.

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A peaceful morning in the fort of Sona Italia, the colony going about their daily business,

Meanwhile a warhost of indigenous lizardfolk gathers, let by the Skink hero with Stegdon helm. (Both this game, both Chris and I chose a miniature as our character.  The character is for cosmetic purpose only, he can do no damage and cannot be killed).

The full might of the warhost. charging out of the jungle!

First blood goes to the natives, as a bolt thrower shot take out a L6/40 tank.  Is it poor armor of the tank? or is it the pure magic of the natives? [i rolled 3 plus s6, just nice pen it]

Chris did well too.  Taking out a salamander with small arms fire.

End of Turn One of the humans, the lizardfolk natives had lost one and a half squad of skinks and a salamander.

The natives drew closer, showering the human defenders with darts and javelins.  But only slight damage are done.  The stegadon is just too far to ram into the fort.

The humans seize their chance! Concentrating fire onto the stegadon.  1 wound left!

Alas, the Sahariana armored car drove by and peppered the beast with 10 machine gun shots, shredding the platform and the beast.

Their big dino gone...

The lizardmen folk were undaunted and charge into the human lines.  Skinks form the first wave.

Some lizardmen folk took cover behind the barricades.

I made an error in this photo.  This is turn 4, the lizardmen reinforcements arrived in the form of a bastiladon and a Troglodon, but i made a mistake and did not capture the two models.  Nevertheless, the saurus joined in the fray as well.

The humans first wave of reinforcements arrive with a M13/41 guns blazing.  (Chris made the choice of delaying his reinforcements.  His reward is his tank will come first)

Turn 5, the lizard folk punched through the walls of the fort (did 12 damage!)

The last of the human reinforcements arrived.  Five elite storm troops dropped in.  Meanwhile Chris sent his engineers to engage the Saurus in CC, hoping to stem the tide.

The new reinforcements with melta, plasma and the missile launchers and howitzers of the existing garrison forces blasted through the thick armor of the bastiladon.  The beast that he so dreaded is no more (he fired almost 90% of the army's shots into it)

The lizardfolk forces are spent.  The hero assaulted the stormtroopers with harsh language while the troglodon charge into combat.

Game ended with the troglodon still fighting with the storm troopers in cc.  The saurus survive but were too far to do a thing.  Chris still has the full force of his garrison on the right and two vehicles with 4 MGs in total left.

Well it is a fun game and great that Chris enjoy it.  He wanted another session soon but a bit more serious and more balance.  I do not want him to be too distracted so I do intend to continue to let him play simplified rules and will still design scenarios for him.  Nevertheless, I conceded that there are some refinements that I need to make

1) include a mechanism for deliberate retreat, and pursuit

2) insert new weapon profiles!

3) to decide if we still want more modern-primitive matches.  if so better establish the profiles of the dinos in advance!

4) Chris asked for a medieval/fantasy game next.  I need more human troops next year. COS, when release!