Germans vs British

Well, I managed to get another rare Saturday off and decided to put together a Martian Empires game.
Scenario: Italians had foolishly allowed a small mission to be built in a Jed's territory. Jed moved by religious forces to stamp it out. Italians called in to defend mission, but about to be overwhelmed, when the Jed hires several Earth mercenaries. Germans decide to support their lukewarm Italian ally. British see a possible German land grab and step in! Great game with the Italians holding out. 11 players! Sorry forgot the camera.

Out of the Desert, the Hoodin!

So it was finally time for our first big battle of 2012. And with the release of  the John Carter movie, it was decided that we just had to have all the Green Tribesmen on the table. Unbeknownst to me, there had been a lot of Greenmen being painted recently. In fact so many showed up that I declared that there had to be some great leader on the scene. That's when Dan showed me his Green tribesman in the Hat and Suit. Well, obviously a great leader trained in the ways of the Earthmen and determined to lead his people to greatness and loot. The Hoo-din!

Out of the desert came the great host threatening one of the key religious shrines of the red martians. Decades of offerings sat ready to pillage. Just had that 'new' canal to cross.
Guarding that holy shrine was the Despot! "Always me" he moaned as opened up his coffers to call in the Irish Legion. Smythe seems to also have appeared, with British funds? And a local Jeddak sent a small mobile force of gaurdsmen.

A view from the North (shrine area) You can see the Despot's forces and the Legion arriving. Smythe takes the right.

Lone gun towers guard the far side of the canal, while the troops take up positions on the canal.

One from the South (desert tribe area) The Tribes gather!

Before the battle can even begin, the left flank of the Despot's is hit by a flanking tribe of Hendoons! The thunder of cavalry charging!

The fight on the flank is well matched on goes on for several turns while both forces rush to the canal.
The constant groan of bad command rolls is universal!
Views of the battle as it takes shape.

The tribes have begun to assault the towers and threaten the bridges.

The Despot desperately defends the bridge while Smythe prepares his gun line and defense.

Smythe settles into position calmly. "No worries here" he thinks "We'll have this lot beaten and running in no time. Probably won't even need those Native nobles or that Irish rabble." But then his Martian steed suddenly bucks as a great noise is heard over the battlefield.
"ULLAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA"
"They've allied with the Devil Himself!"
The Hoodin has many allies.

 The Cephlipods march quickly and begin to spray the field with black smoke.

  A frightening sight as the alien machines approach the canal.

The Legion and Martian Guard rush to hold the line as the Despot begins to collapse.

As all fire is concentrated on the Cephlipods, the Green Tribal cav pours across the canal and relentlessly smashes into Smythe!

Before all is completely lost the Despot calls for a withdraw.
The Hoodin is across the canal!
More to come 

Independent forces on Mars

Over the last few years of play a few independent commands have appeared on our Martian landscape.
First off is the dashing Col Smythe, who seems to have raised several units of Askari. The Colonel also likes to indulge in mechanical devices and the odd hexasaur. Where the funds for these units initially came from is still in doubt, but the troops now seem to be maintained with contracts to various Martian princes.

Another Mercenary unit that has appeared on the scene is the Irish Legion. Funds are reported to be coming from various sources, but ex-American and British uniforms are quite prominent.

Finally built a Canal

After years of playing I finally got around to making a canal for our Martian games. I made it sectional so that I can extend the length and make it as wide as needed. Have to be ready for the steamboat.

Martian Theological Clash

Yes, after several months of calm the Martian landscape erupts once more with conflict, thankfully!
Everyone had always known that it was only a matter of time before the rival theological views of Martian Society come into conflict.
Jeddak Bob Sun of Hender, defender of the Cult of the Square, which views 4 as the perfect number, 4 lines 4 angles, units organized and based on a square! No longer could this Orthodox ruler tolerate the depredations of the Jeddak of Frangium. For the Frangiums renounced the perfection of the square and instead embraced the gentle flow of the Circle! Their architecture and unit formations reflected this Heresy! How could men know their place in a damn circle!
"The Book of Martian Empires demands squares!" raged Jeddak Bob Sun!
"The Book is simply a guide, all must seek their own path." replied the Princess of Frangium.
"Heresy!"

So after months of scrambling for allies and the right time for battle, the warhosts of Frangium and Hender at last meet. Few free martian states would join the Intolerant Jeddak Bob Sun so in the end he chose buying mercenaries over allying with heathens. The Green Tribes flowed out of the Wastelands while the orderly legion of Col Smythe marched to the Jeddak's gold.
Frangium, meanwhile, had also encountered trouble recruiting other Martian city states to it's divine cause of the Circle. In the end, the Princess had reluctantly turned to the Germans and Italians for aid at the cost of trade concessions.

The BattleField. 6'x12', and relative dispositions:
(Some Gamenotes: for fun I decided to try out some blinds for the brigades. Martian blinds activated on 9 if in 'march' and '8' if in column, Europeans 10 and 9. Max of 2 activations per blind. This also helped speed up movement until everyone got into in engagement range. Also all flyers were considered to have their own command of 9. Victory would be determined by whichever side occupied the most key villages, marked with a banner)

Green Tribes/w what looks like an experimental American Walker?
The Frangium Assault Brigade!
Henderite Cavalry and Guard Infantry prepare to chastise the heretics.

Col Smythe's Askari infantry march to Dontaum and preparesto hold the flank until their relief column arrives.
The Battle develops. Jeddak Bob Sun finds himself trying to hold off Italians, Germans and Frangium forces hoping that his overpaid mercenaries can turn the Frangium flank before he's crushed! His masterful skill at the fighting withdraw is severly taxed.

While the Italians assaulted a small village Henderite flank (sorry no pics of the Italian assault,
guess the Germans wanted all the credit) The Germans formed up and prepared to destroy
everything in their way. Mostly Hendernites!

Meanwhile on the Frangium flank the Green Tribes have finally deployed and begun to attack.
The Tribal Cavalry was destroying everything in it's way. Striking deep into the rear of the Circl Alliance. And Col Smythe arrives with his relief force.


The Henderites have begun to wither under the German fire. Smythe however quickly realizes that his light cav force cannot face the German line and shifts to harass the Frangium martians.
As the day ends all eyes where on the small village at the rear of the Frangium line.
If it fell to the Green tribes the day would result in a draw if it held then it would be victory for the Circle! So crucial was the situation at the Princess of Frangium with the Guard took charge of the village defense and managed to fight off several green assaults The day was won!

Some of my newest units

Finished the Princess up Sunday night, thinking of adding rules for
a few of these special figures. For instance, units within 20cm of the Princess would
have their morale increased by 1. Better death than run and put the Princess in jeopardy!


Somehow I forgot to take any photos of the Guns of Navri!


The Martian Imperial unit commands were completed in time for Saturday's battle. I had
some extra Guard Command so I worked them into the irregular foot.




The Germans were done late last year but never got any photo time. The Clockwork and
Heavy Infantry Soldiers laid down some vicious fire Saturday.

The German Uhlans are Outpost FPW Ulhans mounted on Black Hat martian steeds.
Okay, but I like Bob's Black hat Prussians better.

A farewell to our friend Terry Wills

On a sad note:
Saturday was our first Martian Empires game without Terry Wills.
Terry passed away last month after fighting cancer for several years.
He will be missed by all, especially for his easy attitude towards gaming.
He was our first Imperialist on Mars with his Glatz-Leuthens and the first
guy to invite me to my first wargame 27 years ago at Origins.
"But I don't have any figs."
"You don't need any figures we have more than enough, so here start playing!"