Battleships and Battletech

 The Space Cadets had our last big gathering of the year on Saturday. We played a couple games and overall had a fine time. I set up the first game - Victory at Sea Age of Deadnoughts... the WW1 variant. The encounter was an Italian convoy being intercepted by an Austro-Hungarian task force. Although the two fleets never really got into it during the war, they make for a nice pair for this kind of gaming.

The large Italian group in the center commanded by me, Mike and Ziggy. Mark and Wayne helmed the AH ships. The AH ships arrived from both sides. They had many targets to choose from. I barely took any pictures.

The scrum later in the game. Mark made a mistake by having his best battleship get behind our convoy instead of plunging it right into the middle where it could use its plentiful armaments to their fullest.

At the end, the Kriegsmarine sank five transports and crippled two others but lost four of their five warships.  Not a good rate of exchange.

I think the scenario is presented improperly in the Mongoose VaS rulebook; the convoy has too many warships and the raiders not enough. Live and learn!

Next up we played a six-person game of Battletech Alpha Strike. Wayne put together the scenario and provided the minis. Scenery / terrain was a whole 'nuther thing but we cobbled together enough to make a game of it.

Kurita and Eridani Light Horse forces advance towards the downed dropship. 

We did have some cool Samurai-inspired mechs on the Kurita side.

I got "last licks" on the enemy Warhammer.

And then finished off the Marauder.

Due to some scenario victory conditions that were the subject of much debate, the Kurita side lost with very little chance of winning. It was a darn entertaining game though, so victory conditions notwithstanding, we all had a fine time.