Xenos Rampant .... for Vietnam???

I admit it, I have become  a fan of the Rampant series of games. There are many subtleties to the way the basic game engine works and it is easy to add additional rules for special effects.

Xenos Rampant is the ostensibly Sci-fi version of the Rampant system. I say ostensibly because shortly after getting my copy I realised that it could work for modern periods as well. Indeed one of the "settings" is entitled "Five Minutes into the Future" (in other words, modern) and another is "Weird War" (which is basically WW2 with added fantasy bits).

So I thought, why not Vietnam?

Why not indeed!

US troops and NVA are Heavy Infantry while VC are Light Infantry. The "Fire Support" option can represent either artillery or airstrikes. The vehicles are either Fighting Vehicle (tank) or Transport Vehicle (APC). For helicopters just add the "Flying" Xeno rule. Add other special rules to taste and away you go!

I have designed several House Rules to add to the flavour:

Xenos Rampant – House Rules

Fire Markers

When a unit in cover fires, place a red counter next to it. This represents the defenders spotting where fire is coming from. In the defender’s turn they must fire at red counters if possible. Firing at a red counter (and the unit next to it) removes the red counter.

If a unit with a red counter moves, the red counter is left in place. Thus the defenders may find themselves firing at nothing.

Infantry Anti-Tank Capability

Infantry can attack armoured vehicles with satchel charges and grenades if so equipped (This is the XR “Demolitions” rule, worth 2pts). The target’s armour is halved against such attacks.

Vehicle Flanks and Rear

When a vehicle is fired on from the rear 180 degrees by anti-tank weapons then the target’s armour is reduced by 1

Casualty Effects

An FW unit that takes a casualty must move to a suitable LZ location (8” square) for Dustoff. Dustoff occurs on a 6+. This doesn’t remove the casualty from the unit but allows it to fight again.

Place a marker for every 2 casualties on a NLF unit. An FW unit must move to contact the marker in order to claim a bodycount.

Media Crews

A media crew is typically 2 figures. They have an Armour of 2 and 5 SP. The only actions they can take are Move (though it is a free move) and Rally.

Media crews score points as follows:

+1 A media crew that is in LOS of a firefight (FW unit firing).

+2 in LOS of an NLF unit that takes 1 or more hits

+4 in LOS of an NLF unit that is broken

-1 If media crew is shot at

-2 If media crew takes 1 or more hits

-4 If media crew is forced to retreat

Barbed Wire

Barbed Wire is a linear obstacle. It can be cleared by an Engineering Unit making an Attack action when in contact. The Attack is automatically successful.

Slit Trench

A slit trench provides Cover (Armour +1) against shooting.

Bunker

A bunker counts as a fortification (Armour 7)

Satchel Charges

Attack action (6+)

Attack value 4+ (1D6 per SP)

Anti-Tank (½ armour vs. vehicle or fortification)

Mines

A mine is rated as nD6. A Claymore is a one-shot 6D6 weapon with a range of 6”.

Attack action (6+)

Attack value 4+ (roll nD6 according to mine rating)

May be Anti-Tank (½ armour vs. vehicle)

A mine is a one shot weapon

Stealthy Movement

A unit can move quietly at half speed. A unit may have a Stealthy Movement skill so can move quietly at normal speed.

Going Prone

A unit can drop to prone or stand up from prone as part of a Move action. A prone unit counts as in cover and is invisible to sentries until it stands up or moves. A prone unit can move at half speed and remain prone.

Shot at in the Open

An infantry unit that is shot at while in the open will immediately go to ground.

Visibility and Spotting

A terrain item may be designated as either open or dense cover. Open Cover can be seen through up to 4”. Dense cover can be seen through up to 2” and additionally the edge of dense cover blocks LOS when looking into the terrain.

A unit can see within a 90 degree arc to their front. A unit in contact with a terrain item may “hide in the shadows”.

Visibility distance at night:

Unaided 6”

Torch or lantern 12”

Searchlight 24”

Rain or fog reduces visibility to ~12” (dependent on scenario).

A unit that is in any cover or prone (except on a hard surface) is Hidden. A Hidden unit cannot be observed or shot at. The unit remains hidden until it discharges any firearms or moves out of the cover.

Sound

In daylight, sound is not usually significant. However at night, sound carries further. So a unit moving normally can be heard at a distance of 24” by an alert unit. A firearm discharge can be heard at any distance.

“Endless Hordes”

A unit that is routed may return as a fresh unit on an activation score of 8+ on 2D6.

Nervous Defenders

After the first shot or explosion, on each turn roll 2D6 for each unit with a Claymore. On a score of 7+ they fire the Claymore (see above for effect).

Illumination Rounds

Call for Illumination Rounds in the same way as for artillery support. If at least one hit is scored then the field is illuminated for 2 turns. Unaided visibility is increased to 12”.

Note: I am publishing these posts in no particular order.

The First Battle of St Albans

 I have created a page (see menu above) for a Lion Rampant scenario for the first battle of St Albans.

Resurrecting a Blog!

I've decided to resurrect this blog to give me a place to make available some scenarios and rules that I have developed. 

Some of this material may find it's way into "The Nugget" - the journal of Wargame Developments.

I plan to add stuff in no particular order to start with as I have a backlog of material that should be published. We'll see how it goes.

Long time - no see

Goodness me! I have just realised that I started this blog several years ago and haven't updated it in the last 3! I am reminded that the orginal intention was to use the blog as an "online diary" of my wargaming activities. It is thus completely untrue that I have done no wargaming in the last 3 years - quite the contrary. I think I will have to start writing here again. Of course if you don't see anything here for the next 3 years you'll know what has happened ...

The War of 1812

This period offers a way to do something slightly different with the 28mm plastics now available.
I already have some ACW infantry and was a bit unsure of what to do with them. I could use a few to add to the existing old west skirmish figures, but a box of Perry plastics contains 36 figures! I think I can use some of these (in slouch hats) as American militia for the War of 1812.
British infantry and regular American infantry are easily done with Victrix and/or Perry.

Also, the War of 1812 allows me to explore more of my (adopted) country's history. Hopefully one day, I'll get to visit some of the battlefield sites...

There is a certain "toy soldiery" charm about the period with figures in unusual uniforms, small forces and so on.

Salute 2010

Well, Salute 2010 has been and gone. Another very enjoyable day out, this year with David along too. WD were not invited to run a game this year, so I did not see much of other WD members. Caught a glimpse of Bob Cordery and John Bassett across the hall, but not close enough to say hello to.

David wanted to come this year as he has decided to get back into figure painting. We had a good time wandering round the show and looking at all the games and trading stands - the biggest concentration of wargaming in one place anywhere in the UK.

I had my shopping list prepared and made sure that I went to those stands first. First off, Kallistra for two packs of their Single Hex Brook Set. I needed two packs to get enough of the curve pieces.

Then on to QRF for a whole lot of odds and ends really. Geoff had kindly taken my pre-order even though I had missed their deadline by a day, much appreciated!

So I purchased 8 packs of Highlanders (64 figures). These will serve in a dual capacity. Firstly, as Highlanders in the ECW for battles like the Montrose campaigns, secondly as Jacobites for the Jacobite Rebellions. I blame Ian Drury for the latter! His rules "Redcoats and Rebels" got me interested in the Jacobite Rebellion, then I picked up a copy of Culloden by John Prebble, at The Lee Flower Show. Fascinating stuff! With Prebble's book giving the historical background and Ian's rules and complete scenarios for all the battles, all I needed were the Highlanders - I would press my AWI British into service as the opposing forces.

Along with the Highlanders, I bought 2 packs of 3 pdr guns (6 guns) and a pack of Coehorn Mortars. These diminutive little mortars are quite unusual as battlefield artillery, so quite nice to do. The pack contained 4 mortars so I will base them as 2 batteries of 2 each. Crews will come from the AWI British again. A single pack of Jacobite Lowland Cavalry (4 figures) completed the Jacobite force.

I also purchased from QRF 3 packs (12 figures) of ECW Heavy Cavalry. These will replace some Essex figures in the Parliamentarian army. I know it's stylised and an over simplification, but I like the idea that the Parliament horse should all have helmets and breastplates while the Royalists have big floppy hats! Also, the ones being replaced are a bit big and needed 25mm bases rather than 20mm.

Finally in the bag from QRF were a pack of AWI British Light Infantry and a pack of Queen's American Rangers. While working on my updated rules for the American Revolution, I realised that the British had "unbrigaded" their light infantry in the same way as the Grenadiers. The light infantry tended to wear caps or cut down tricornes, so I needed some specific light infantry to represent them. Secondly, the Minfigs "ready made army" that I bought years ago and that forms the bulk of my AWI Brits included some loyalist figures, Butler's Rangers. While a somewhat iconic AWI unit, I discovered that they spent pretty much the whole war fighting Indians and were never involved in any of the major battles. On the other hand, the Queen's American Rangers were. Exit one unit of Butler's Rangers to be replaced by the QAR!

I'm not sure yet what I'm going to do with the figures that have been replaced. One thought is to take them to COW and see if anyone is interested in buying them...

My other purchases were some more Coat d'Arms paint from Black Hat Miniatures and a copy of "Empire", a campaign game of the Punic Wars by Philip Sabin (from the Society of Ancients).

David bought a couple of "Warmachine" models, two starter packs of Coat d'Arms paints and a paint brush.

Oh, one last thing, I bought a box of the Perry WOTR figures (along with a free mounted commander).

A good day out, a good haul (everything I planned) and before the end of the evening I had some of the QRF figures cleaned up, on the painting table, undercoated and painting started!

Catching up

Well it's been a while since my last post. What have I been doing since January? Mostly it has been a time of rationalising my wargames projects and deciding where I am going with various games.

Many years ago I bought two armies of plastic Spencer Smith Miniatures for the Seven Years War. I dug them out a while ago and played a game or two of "The Whites of Their Eyes" (my modified version of Neil Cogswell's rules from Wargamers' Newsletter in 1968 !!). It was good fun. Only problem was that I found that the paint was flaking off the plastic and in some cases the plastic had gone brittle and was beginning to disintegrate. What to do? Only one answer, really - replace the plastics with the new metal castings from the same masters now being produced by Spencer Smith. The first order was sent off and £90 worth of figures arrived a few days later. I am going to paint these in "classic style" but using acrylics rather than enamels.

Looking at my American Revolution armies, I had designed a set of rules I called "A Few Bloody Noses" that were based (to start with) on a board game called "Hold the Line". I wasn't really happy with them so I looked again at my old rules "A Small Colonial War" published several years ago by Gomi Designs. I reworked them and I now have a draft ready to play test. I'll probably also call them "A Few Bloody Noses" because I like the title (it's a quote from George III).

I wanted to be able to use my American Revolution British to do the 1745 Jacobite Rebellion as well (using Ian Drury's "Redcoats and Rebels" rules). These rules require units of 4 figures. So I have rebased both the Brits and the Americans to allow 8 figure units for AFBN and 4 figure units for R&R. In the process of doing this, I discovered I had painted the Highlanders wrong (no blue bonnets!) so that had to be sorted. I also repainted the facings on some units to match up better with the historical OOBs (for example, I didn't have a unit with red facings. The 33rd Foot, with red facings, featured in a number of battles.

Started putting together the shopping list for Salute, of which more later...