VSF Martians

Good afternoon,

Here are my VSF Martians to go up against my VSF Brits.




They are actually Light Alliance Elves.

Tall, skinny, a bit bow legged, I think they make quite good VSF Martians.

These dudes, being spear armed, are now armed with VSF Martian Staff Weapons, just like in the Star Gate universe.



The squad leaders are armed with slashy, samurai like swords and daggers. Very lead-from-the-front.


I really enjoyed painting these.

The skin tone is actually Snakebite leather over a black undercoat, with Vallejo 118 Middlestone highlights and a Middlestone-mixed-with-Yellow highlight highlight. Which turned out so subtle, that you can't actually see it (I was hoping the the camera might be able to pick it out...)

Ah well...

Now for some comparison shots.

Here a column of VSF Brits, supported by a Steam Tank and a couple of Steam Jumpers advance to contact said Martians.





See, they are taller!



The rest of the figures in the box are armed with bows (as well as a few more blade armed bods). So I figure, these staff weapon fellows are like the Royal Guard (or something), and the rest are just regulars, or even town militia.

Cool!

Nick

Oh yeah, and yay! We won! Very hard fought game, a great test rugby match.

Mark's Second Crossfire Game...

...within the space of 24 hours!

Good evening,

Just finished up a second game of Crossfire, and a great game it was. 'Twas our second try at this scenario, but this time done more proper like. Still no engineers (though each of the German platoons and two of the three Kiwis had an anti-tank weapon), and I upped the squad numbers, but we did use the minefields (blimin minefields!) and the big gun!



Kiwis

One Infantry Company with...

• 1 - CC (+2)


• 1 - 3" Mortar


• 1 - HMG


• 1 - SMG squad


• 3 - Regular Rifle Platoons, each with
  
  
  • 1 - PC (+1)
  
  
  • 3 - Rifle Squads

With the support of one Sherman.

Germans

One understrength Infantry Company with...

• 1 - CC (+2)


• 1 - 75mm Infantry Gun


• 2 - HMGs


• 3 - Veteran Rifle Platoons, two with
  
  
  • 1 - PC (+1)
  
  
  • 3 - Rifle Squads
  
  one with
  
  
  • 1 - PC (+1)
  
  
  • 2 - Rifle Squads

With the support of one Panzer IV-G

Here is the set up.



Mark opted to deploy his squads unseen.

Kiwi objectives - take the town, take out the gun.

And off we went. One of my first moves was into the forest across from the north west corner of the town. Straight into a mine field. Two pins...bother...


...and one outright destruction of a Platoon Commander!


My next movement draws reactive fire from the platoon in the building at the other edge of the town.



Fortunately, the newly revealed platoon (who was actually still in the building, but, well, you know...) proved themselves initially inept when taking on the platoon that I had sent to outflank the town.


And still my Company Commander and an entire squad languishes in the minefield!


Unfortunately for my flanking squad in the west, Mark pops out his Pz IV-G and promptly takes out one squad, just like that.


The centre platoon tries to edge their way out of the minefield, only to receive two suppressions and an additional pin!


So, the West is pretty full on, lets try our hand in the East, say I. I move the Sherman out onto the road with infantry support...


...which promptly gets cut down by a newly revealed HMG from the building at the north east of the town.


On my next initiative, I decide to take a pot shot with the Sherman...


...with some success!


I then brought up the Sherman so as to use it as cover from the HMG for an infantry squad, with ideas to take on that remaining German squad in the building.


Ahh, alas and alak, the Sherman inadvertently drives into the corner of the second minefield and gets pinned.


Worse than that, the jolly gun misses it's target and the great hulking, well, hulk goes no-fire, loosing me the initiative. Rats!


Mark keeps blasting away in the West, until he goes no fire with the entire squad (!), so I lay down smoke (first of the game) to mask the [now two] HMGs so's I can close assault the remaining squad in the building right ahead.


Would you believe it - the assault was a draw!


After more ineffective fire fights, the initiative passes once again to me, so I lay down smoke and pulled back the remaining squad (and PC) right across to the other flank (seeing shelter behind the tank) in preparation to reinforce the platoon in the town. Which had just successfully wiped out the squad and it's PC...


...which, next initiative, with the help of some well placed smoke, went on to successfully assault the [suppressed] HMG to the east of the town...


...but stopping short of running out into the line of fire of the waiting Panzer!



And still my centre platoon is stuck in the minefield!


Next initiative, Mark moves out his centre platoon with intent to do grievous bodily harm to my own HMG.


Which duely it does.


So, he brings forward the Panzer to support his next intended drubbing, this time of my centre platoon. Unfortunately for him, my Sherman was able to take a pot shot first!


With the back door now clear of big nasty Panzers, I dispatch a couple of squads to dispatch the gun.


Which duely, they do...



...and then assault the remaining German HMG.


In the meantime, the Sherman takes on a nearby Panzerfaust armed squad...


...and wins!


Next initiative, Mark moves the remains of his centre squad behind my own centre squad...


My next initiative I take out another German squad with the Sherman...


...and Mark conceeds.


And my centre squad never did get out of the mine field!