The Battle of Partoum! or Return of the Cephlipods.

Saturday the gang gathered for our Quarterly Martian Empires bash. Well it's suppose to be quarterly but sometimes life and other interests get in the way. I did manage to paint a new Cephlipod army, the old one is now in Indiana with Dan, and a few new large rock formations and a new ruin, actually designated for an eventual Egyptian Campaign.
 So the scenario called for a coalition of 2 Cephlipod, 2 Green tribe and an Imperial Martian command, besieging a German outpost. 6500 points.
 Three Earth forces, 2 British and one German, were on their way to save the day. 4500points
 von Redd was saddled with  holding out against overwhelming forces, a responsibility that he took with great humor! 1500 points
There was also a chance that a gunboat may arrive down the canal in time to support the besieged force. von Redd was to roll a die every turn, when the total of the pips reached 20 the ship would appear.
Sadly the gunboat appeared on the last turn after von Redd's demise. 
The colonial forces fought hard but barely made half way to the old fort. In hindsight, the defending force should have had more points or the gunboat at start.

The Captains of Grins and Mayhem

The first big game of the year 15,000 points on the table!
So what happened? I got a rare Saturday off and on short notice 8 friends showed up for a Martian Empires game, we would have had 9, but poor Eli had his hot water heater burst that morning.
In expectation of the game I sent out maps to various commanders and collected their orders.
Nothing elaborate but it added a bit of fun. In the British-german coalition there was a bit of confusion, as to was in overall command.

The Captains of Grins and Mayhem

Earthling forces

Martian Forces

The cunning Bavarian

Final plans

The Thark himself

Kurt Karter

The British discussing the correct time for tea on Mars

The center was as expected a mess! The Germans and British under Daniel and Glenn advanced with no fear. In turn, they recieved charge after charge of Green cavalry and Infantry, while under constant fire from Martian artllery stationed in the Keep and the guntowers. The British after repulsing the mad tribesmen had to contend with the Mutinous Askari. The Germans meanwhile had started to push their way into the foward town, the street fighting was furious! On the far Martian right, Col Smythe's British were encountering stiff resistance from the forces of Kurt Karter, an earthman turned native. Accurate artillery fire by the Civil War vet Karter accounted for more than one of Smythe's machines. another machine went down to fanatical swordsmen weilding smoke pots! At one point the Martian Warlord was so confident of holding out till dark, that he ordered his reserves of cavalry away( where they went will be revealed in the future) But in a most cunning move our favorite Bavarian commander sent his Dragoon rocketeers on a mad dash to take out the big American guns. Smythe sent a walker and a small flyer to support the Dragoons! Needless to say the the American gun crews were shot down without mercy, the guns blown up and the rocketeers flew the coop!

The Wave prepares to attack the British

Those Rebel Askari are everwhere!

Kurt Karter's foces on the wall

the canal

French on Mars!

The French guarded the canal and did little else!

Smythe's Armored might

Royal Navy

British Troops and Loyal Askari

French, 'We have stopped any attack on the canal!'

The End Phase

 And many thanks to Charlie, Stelios and Rick for the pics!!