The Cephlipods make their Appearance!

My apologizes for not having posted over the past few months. We had a big game
last month but my camera failed to take adequate photos. So no pictures of the
Japanese first outing. But this Saturday we managed to get together without Bob, who was stuck in Phoienx, though we did have some new players and new armies, among them Daric who brought his British Army as well as his wonderful camera!

Though we've had many a battle, the Cephlipods have yet to make an appearance.
It is said rumored that the few remaining Cephlipods are the ones who were the caretakers of the armada that invaded Earth. Some scientists theorize that the Cephlipods actually originated further out in the Solar System and had only used
Mars as a jumping off point to Earth. Speculation has also circulated that it is the
Cephlipods who refine the rare ore that gives lift to the Red Martian Airships.

With this last bit of info, the British and Japanese wasted no time moving on
a Cephlipod force that had been sighted near the frontiers to the West.
The British (Daric) moved up from the South and the Japanese (Terry, Shogun Doug and John) from the NorthEast.
The Cephlipods(newly painted by Dan) were there gathering ore, but soon two other armies arrived. A coalition of Red Martian City States(Kieth, Rick, and my subordinate self) as well as Green Tribesmen(Allen&Son)
eager to defend their territory and win glory!

Before the battle began there was a great whirlwind of negotiating! Promises, threats and sacrafices were made! In the end the Red, Green and Cephlipod Martians faced off the Earthling, much to the annoyance of Shogun Doug, who would comment later that these Martians were not honorable!

The Armies Arrive!

The Red Martian City States


The Green Tharks


The Cephlipods

The Japanese.

The British.

The Battle begins as the Tenacled Menace advances on the Japanese firing black smoke and heat rays. "There is no honor in such war!" snarled Shogun Doug.

Smoke Projector crews



Japanese line covered in poisonous smoke!



The Thark Cavalry flanks the Japanes line! Shogun Doug is hooping mad now! 'Treachery!'



The Thark Blood-Gods watch the battle. Can the ninja halt the thunderous charge of the Green Horde. Well.... no.



The Tharks drive deep into the Japanese line till finally the Tharks find themselves surrounded.



In the South



The stout Highlander marches through the ruins of the ancients.



Martian Swordmen prepare to duel with the new invaders.



The British rifle fire is murderous!

The Egyptians Charge and drive back the Imperial Martians.



The Egyptians find themselves cut off.

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Imperial Airships bring fire down on the desperate Egyptians.

The Cephlipods watch the Imperial vs British battle.

British Marines try to hold the right flank against a sudden advance of Martian Cavalry and Hexasaurs! But are driven back!

The British right flank falters as the Highlanders arrive. Can the line me held?

But in the end the Highlanders are driven back!



When the game was called the Cephlipods were still in control of the Mountain ore.
The Japanese had been savaged and the British driven off. For their service the Red Martians soon hoped for more of the magical ore that powered their airships. And the Tharks had new heads to display!

Another Club game with new toys!

It was the end of the month which meant that it was my turn to host the game. With Bob available I decided on Martian Empires. Instead of a line them up and slug it out game, (we now have lots of stuff), we decided on a quick 2600point scenerio.
The evil and vile Earthmen, Terry's Glatz-Leuthans & Bob's new Germans, had to enter from the South and Western road ends and exit the North road with a decent amount of troops. The Martians would enter from the North and the Eastern desert. 3 Martian players vs 4 European players. People kept showing so we happily shared the troops and vehicles.

Opening view from the West and my German Zeppelin.


Earth Forces in the South. Note the new german Walker. The Ironclad figures work well for this scale.


Terry's mythical state of Glatz-Leuthen, a carry over from his Charge games.
A modge podge of Austrians and exiles mixing for over 2 centuries.


Martian Forces on the North edge.


Martian Horde entering from the East. Plenty of big Green tribesmen and Bob's newest lancers.


The Green Tribes were out to wreck revenge on the Glatz military order cav for previous wrongs. They even took tim out to take trophies.


Ah the cav in all it's glory!


Dan wasted no time pushing the walker and the Glatz Highlanders to the front.


This small village would trade hands several times before German Rocket troops, on the left, finally decided to give it up.


We used the slightly larger March or Die German gasmask troops as rocket troopers.
They were quite effective but eventually numbers told.


Never fun being charged by Green Tribal Cavalry! The Zeppelin also took a lot of fire from the Martian Airships this turn and lost rudder control. Ended up moving in random directions for the rest of the game.


This powerful but slow moving force of Martians managed to break most everything in it's way, the askari taking major punishment. But being newly painted figs we expected their certain doom.


Dan and Doug reach the North road but with too few troops as airships and cav continue to harass their troops.


It was a very fun game! Bob and I keep painting more stuff and now it looks as if Doug will be raising some Japanese for Mars. I also feel the need to add even more terrain! Everyone keeps asking about the canal, it's coming!

First Club Game! Earthmen here to stay!?

Well today we fought are first club game of Martian Empires at Treefort Games in Fayetteville, Ga., it was a blast! Bob and I managed to put some 22 Martian units on the table versus Jim's

Crimean War Brits and Sepoys. (We're still working on our specific Martian Europena forces).

Three players per side: John, Terry and Jim as the landgrabbing Earthlings while Freman, Bob and I ran the very dignified Martians, well maybe the Giant Tribal Greenmen weren't so dignified.

There was plenty of room for a little manuever allowing everyone to get a grip on the activation rules. For those of you that have not played, you roll to activate a unit based on a commander's

rating, you can keep activating a unit if you can keep passing your rolls(with building modifiers), once you fail you can no longer use that commander. If the army commander fails no one can try to activate any more that turn. I love this system, no guarantees as to how long it may take that cavalry to get to you. During the game there was plenty of pleas to the Army commanders requesting an activation roll as the brigade commanders failed theirs at the worst moments.

The Martians sent waves of Warhoon Tribal cavalry (Giant GreenMen) and Imperial Sword units against the British right. The British fire cut them down like wheat. Desperately the Martians tried to weaken the British flank with fire from the Airships, Hexasaur and Guard Infantry. Only a single stand of cavalry broke through only to be crushed by the Smythe Walker.

The Martian right meanwhile was being beaten back by successful charges lead by the Guides and Queen's Lancers. The Martian Guard finally held at the edge of the table while an ambush of Greenmen took some of the gusto out of the British horse. The Martian Flank commander, his honor tarnished, refused to advance till the British Horse was exterminated!

By now the Martian advance had ground to a halt, the Jed decided to pull back and gather more forces and study these Earthlings a bit more before bringing them to battle again.

The Martian Players all agreed that more cavalry was needed as well as extra sub commanders for the forces. Everyone greatlly enjoyed the game and now there is talk of a campaign!

Pictures of the field before hostilities began.

Hexasaur, Flyers and Infantry advance

Martian Guard

View of the Martian Line

British in distance

View from British Side

The Green Horde

First Solo Game

Well with the first game coming up on the 19th, I thought it best to put a few figs on the table and roll some dice.

3 European units vs 4 Martian Imperial units, just enough minis to get a grasp of the rules. A small German victory in the end, and some lessons learned.

Earth rifle units pack a wallop! So get those swords in quick. I really like the rules, plenty of uncertainty with the command rolls adds a lot of fun.

Got a few questions, which I will be fielding onto the Yahoo Martian Empires site. Certainly looking forward to the big game this following Saturday!

A few pics of my smaller gaming table. Sorry about the light.

German SeaBattalion tries to hold a small village.

Dawn Advance of the Germans.

Back to Mars! Hexasaurs, Swords and a Jed

Sorry about my absence over the last few months but as usual life and other projects took charge. But fortunately someone at the club, probably Bob, put down Martian Empires as the game for the 19th of this month. So it was back to the paint table and Mars!

So this week with the help of my wonderful wife I managed to finish 2 Martian Sword units, 1 Jed/Prince, and a village. I also managed to convert and paint my own version of the Hexasaur.

A Royal Prince/Jed leading two units of his city's Swordmen.


A small village with a magistrates keep.


The Hexasaur Arrives!


I used a D&D critter and added a howdah and odd and end guns.

Big and Bad!