Andy's Modelmaking Misadventures

[Andy in Germany]

Time for another silly tabletop game...

We’re back on the Island of Ascension, mid-Atlantic trading hub and spy haven, where the Auxiliary police have been sent on another nefarious mission to collect information on a new Monowheel, and if possible setal the secret anti-gravity gyroscope that enables it to stay upright. You may wonder why such an important item has been hidden on an Island in the Atlantic, but this is the least of the strangeness that will soon be apparent…

I’ve got a new league; the Württembergische Düsenjäger, or Wuerttemberg Rocket troops, and I wanted to see how they would work in a Pulp scenario. They are hot on the heels of the Auxiliaries and will arrive to stop their villainy, or possibly fly straight past and land in the sea.

The Auxiliaries have already arrived at the start, and are spread out trying to get into the warehouse,

find other information, take out the phone lines, or in the case of Col. Lawrence, hide in the control tower.

An agent has apparently come expecting a rendezvous, and is rather startled to find the Auxiliaries.

The Düsenjäger arrive at the start of turn one. Their landing area is defined by a target and 8-sided die. This works for most of them; their Captain, Ernst Bonlanden lands at the back of the Warehouse...

...Sgt. Stetten sees the Agent and drops down to protect her from the Auxiliaries.

Harthausen and Plattenhardt aim for the Control tower roof; Plattenhardt misses the roof and just avoids crashing into the privvy.

The action is also determined by cards and Harthausen draws “Foul Play” which means the enemy nearest him has to overcome a challenge or take three hits. Col. Lawrence is directly under him and is knocked out without doing anything.

The Düsenjäger not otherwise occupied run or fly to meet their leader and break down the back door...

Meanwhile the leader of the Auxiliaries, Lt. Gunning collects some carelessly dropped photographs in an officers car and decided the time for subtlety is over. Leaping into the car he drives forward…

...and rams the warehouse door...

 

[Andy in Germany]

As he does so, Seaman Dundas draws the “Furious” card which instructs him to charge the nearest enemy. This happens to be Sgt. Stetten who has been trying to persuade the agent to trust him. Seeing the danger, Stetten grabs the agent and rockets her to safety.

The Düsenjäger burst into the warehouse. They are confronted by the Auxiliaries and a cloud of toxic smoke, probably caused by the car smashing into the Monowheel. A big fight ensues with both sides taking casualties from each other and from the toxic fog.

By the end of turn six the situation is unresolved as the sides engage in a classic cliffhanger fight scene: Will the Düsenjäger beat the Auxilaries before succumbing to the toxic gas, or will the Auxiliaries manage to steal the antigravity Gyroscope?
Will Col. Lawrence come out of hiding?
How on earth did the Monowheel get through such a small warehouse door?
Find out in the next thrilling instalment…

 

[Cycleops]

Amazing what fun you can have by using a bit of imagination.

 

[classic33]

Time for another silly tabletop game...

View attachment 709041

We’re back on the Island of Ascension, mid-Atlantic trading hub and spy haven, where the Auxiliary police have been sent on another nefarious mission to collect information on a new Monowheel, and if possible setal the secret anti-gravity gyroscope that enables it to stay upright. You may wonder why such an important item has been hidden on an Island in the Atlantic, but this is the least of the strangeness that will soon be apparent…

I’ve got a new league; the Württembergische Düsenjäger, or Wuerttemberg Rocket troops, and I wanted to see how they would work in a Pulp scenario. They are hot on the heels of the Auxiliaries and will arrive to stop their villainy, or possibly fly straight past and land in the sea.

View attachment 709042

The Auxiliaries have already arrived at the start, and are spread out trying to get into the warehouse,

View attachment 709043

find other information, take out the phone lines, or in the case of Col. Lawrence, hide in the control tower.

An agent has apparently come expecting a rendezvous, and is rather startled to find the Auxiliaries.

View attachment 709046

The Düsenjäger arrive at the start of turn one. Their landing area is defined by a target and 8-sided die. This works for most of them; their Captain, Ernst Bonlanden lands at the back of the Warehouse...

View attachment 709047

...Sgt. Stetten sees the Agent and drops down to protect her from the Auxiliaries.

View attachment 709049

Harthausen and Plattenhardt aim for the Control tower roof; Plattenhardt misses the roof and just avoids crashing into the privvy.

View attachment 709050

The action is also determined by cards and Harthausen draws “Foul Play” which means the enemy nearest him has to overcome a challenge or take three hits. Col. Lawrence is directly under him and is knocked out without doing anything.

View attachment 709051

The Düsenjäger not otherwise occupied run or fly to meet their leader and break down the back door...


View attachment 709052
Meanwhile the leader of the Auxiliaries, Lt. Gunning collects some carelessly dropped photographs in an officers car and decided the time for subtlety is over. Leaping into the car he drives forward…

View attachment 709053

...and rams the warehouse door...

That car appears to have reversed into the door!

 

[Reynard]

Love it!

All that's needed is an asterzine carpet and a jug of catalyst...

 

[Andy in Germany]

That car appears to have reversed into the door!

Yes, Gunning decided this was the easiest way to open it...

 

[Andy in Germany]

Love it!

All that's needed is an asterzine carpet and a jug of catalyst...

Asterzine?

 

[Reynard]

Asterzine?

You haven't read any of the Miles Vorkosigan books? Cetaganda in particular.

In that universe, asterzine is a military explosive that can be made to look like anything, including carpets. On its own, it is inert, but pour the catalyst over, and BOOM!

Asterzine smells faintly of oranges.

 

[Andy in Germany]

You haven't read any of the Miles Vorkosigan books? Cetaganda in particular.

No. But an Asterzine equivalent may appear in a future game.

 

[Andy in Germany]

Amazing what fun you can have by using a bit of imagination.

That's a polite way to put it i suppose.

 

[Andy in Germany]

The silliness continues, with the next episode of the “Düsenjäger” story.

When we finished last time, the Düsenjäger were having some severe fisticuffs with the mysterious paramilitary “Auxiliary police”, over a top secret anti-gravity gyroscope attached to a steam powered monowheel, and if that isn’t silly enough for you, nothing is.

To get the story moving, I’ve assumed the Auxiliaries have regained control of the Gyroscope in the chaos but can’t find the exit (Oh, yes, the Monowheel is emitting a cloud of toxic gas, did I mention that?)

Outside Col. Lawrence, who in theory is in charge of the Auxiliaries, can hear the fighting. Motivated by his legendary loyalty to his team the belief that a successful mission is the best way to escape Ascension with a promotion to a desk job in London, he for once runs toward the danger, opens the door and shouts: “What are you waiting for; get in the car…” This example of military leadership completed, he legs it.

The Auxiliaries all try and get through the door at once and run for the car; Düsenjäger in hot pursuit.

Lt. Gunning tries to provide covering fire for the remaining team members as he gets into the car (which will get a repaint at some point, I promise). Col. Lawrence tells him to get in and drives off, abandoning the stragglers to their fate.

The Düsenjäger manage to get the other car started, despite it being used as a battering ram in the last episode. They give chase, ignoring the stragglers as they try to catch the leaders.

Suddenly Capt. Bonlanden turns down an alleyway…

His plan pays off as he emerges suddenly in front of the Auxiliaries.

Suddenly there is a cloud of smoke and a clanking noise as Sgt. Harthausen leaps into the steam powered tank and pulls levers until something happens. The tank turns slowly and rumbles out into the street to block the escape for the Auxiliaries.

Is this the end of the road for the Auxiliary police? Will the Düsenjäger manage to reclaim the anti-gravity gyroscope? Will Sgt Harthausen find the brakes? Find out in the next episode of the Ride of the Düsenjäger…

 

[Andy in Germany]

Okay, I'll be sensible now.

Sort of.

I took out the current railway project and decided that it's probably better to paint the seats and interior before I forget and glue everything together. To this end I fixed up the high-tech painting booth, or as everyone else calls it: a cardboard box on a bucket. It does the job though.

 

[Andy in Germany]

When I left you last time, the kitchen table was host to all manner of shenanigans; the Auxiliary Police had escaped by car and truck carrying a top secret “Anti-gravity gyroscope” and the Württemberg Rocket Troops were in hot pursuit in, amongst other things, a steam powered tank.

The chase has become a stand-off at the edge of the garrison with the Tank and one of the cars blocking the exit. The Auxiliaries, being British, have formed a queue.

Much shooting takes place, pretty much all of it ineffective, in true Pulp style. Then Lt. Gunning of the Auxiliaries decides on a death-or-glory charge for the one gap he can see. So much for German efficiency; they couldn't even coordinate a barricade.

Captain Bonlanden sees the car aiming for the gap and reverses his own damaged vehicle to block the gap. There is a loud crunch and Rocket troops converge on the now stuck police car (Yes it’s a police car. I know it’s yellow and has Cyrillic letters, but it’s a police car; I’ll repaint it soon, really) firing as they do.

Once again this results in a lot of noise but very little else. The only “hit” is Colonel Lawrence, the theoretical leader of the Auxiliaries. It’s a local rule that the Colonel would never stay around long enough to be injured, so when the die rolls show him as “down” he’s considered to have run away. Again. Usually this happens very early in a game; he did well this week.

Unfortunately reversing to block Lt. Gunning leaves another gap and the remaining Auxiliaries race towards it in their stolen truck. Sgt. Harthausen is unable to move the lumbering tank fast enough to block the exit. As he’s on the driving controls there’s also no-one to man the machine gun so they get away.

As the Rocket Troops converge, Lt. Gunning leaps out of the car with the anti-gravity gyroscope ready for a heroic last stand. He attempts to kick down the door to a building but fails. He surrounded on all sides but fights on until he is finally overcome.

On this occasion the Rocket troops win (just, it was the last move of the last turn) and the anti-gravity gyroscope is returned to its owners, but this won’t be be last we see of the nefarious Auxiliaries… Find out what they get up to in the next thrilling episode… et c.

I’ll try and get some model making done before playing any more game though; apart from anything else, there’s a model railway carriage looking at me reproachfully from the shelf above the model making workbench…

 

[Reynard]

You do realise that it's a Soviet GAZ car? Originally based on lend-lease Chevrolets...

Sorry, nerd instinct kicked in there...

 

[Andy in Germany]

You do realise that it's a Soviet GAZ car? Originally based on lend-lease Chevrolets...

Sorry, nerd instinct kicked in there...

I know they're both ex-soviet; which one are you referring to?

They're part of a range of 1:43 soviet vehicles, made by an Italian company for some reason.