Warmachines Lead Rescue of Downed Martian Command Ship

 

    Martian walkers and infantry race towards the crash site of their downed command ship

** Guest blogger on this post, the GM for this game and my long-time friend, Tom G. **

The ground was shattered and smoke still rose from the burning and charred ruins of the wheat field a few miles west of York, England. Above the bleating of terrified sheep, the heavy, rhythmic thumping of approaching Martian war machines could be heard by the men of the Queen’s Own Rifles battalion, as they marched double time toward the ridge of broken ground ahead of them. It was July 4 th 1861. The sphere ships of the Martian invaders were still landing around the globe. Here in the York countryside, one of their command vessels had suffered a malfunction and crash landed.

    Tom presides over the battlefield, with the Martian command vessel at the end of a long impact crater

Three giant Martian war machines and supporting infantry approached to rescue the command staff and critical war plans from the fallen vessel. The British threw three battalions of the finest infantry of the empire, as much artillery as could be found, and a handful of steam tanks to destroy the brains of the Martian attack on England. The long legged war machines approached rapidly and gained the precarious heights plowed up by the fallen vessel.

    Martian deployment -- each advancing force had a walker, Cephalopod infantry, & Martian infantry

On the British left flank, the troops waver and seemed shocked at the speed and size of the machines. At the first brush of the Martian heat ray, half the battalion lost heart and fled. On the British right flank, the war machine took aim at the artillery as the crews were unlimbering and with devastating accuracy destroyed the entire brigade. 

    War machine in the Martian center pounded forward aggressively & led the attack on the British

In the center ,the British C-in-C, General Resistance, pushed forward with a battalion of the Queen’s Own infantry brigade. He gained the heights of the crater wall and fired on the command vessel, but was driven back by the heat rays of two different war machines. Cephalopod infantry swarmed forward under the devastating fire of the war machines and began evacuating personel and equipment. Driven back at times by the British, the beings from Titan eventually cleared the vessel of all intelligence and crew and command staff and quickly retreated with their prizes. 

    British commanders hurriedly move up to (hopefully) get enough shots on the vehicle to destroy it

I had recently simplified my For Queen and Planet rules and this was a test case for the altered rules.
We learned I might have made things more bloody then intended, so I will be backing down Fire Factors and Combat Ratings a bit. I will also weaken the war machines, as they were way too powerful! 

    Martian battle line has reached the lip of the hill plowed up by the crashing command vehicle

Thanks, Tom, for writing this report! It is fun to get more voices on this blog. The last time I did that was when we were playing Frostgrave: Ghost Archipelago. High time! I enjoyed Tom's game very much and felt the rules making it more bloody were fun. Need I say that I was part of the victorious Martian side? Ha, ha! 

    British fire momentarily drives off the crew of the command ship, while their allies hurry to help

MINIATURES Acquired vs. Painted Tally for 2026

• Miniatures acquired in 2026: 210
• Miniatures painted in 2026: 185

TERRAIN Acquired vs. Painted Tally for 2026

• Terrain acquired in 2026: 14
• Terrain painted in 2026: 36

SCATTER Acquired vs. Painted Tally for 2026

• Scatter acquired in 2026: 34
• Scatter painted in 2026: 75 

    With the Brit artillery destroyed early, they had no counter to the war machines, who turned the tide

 

    Crash site is secured by multiple units of Martians, who have driven off the British attempt to seize it

MINIATURES Acquired vs. Painted Tally for 2026

• Miniatures acquired in 2026: 210
• Miniatures painted in 2026: 185

TERRAIN Acquired vs. Painted Tally for 2026

• Terrain acquired in 2026: 14
• Terrain painted in 2026: 36

SCATTER Acquired vs. Painted Tally for 2026

• Scatter acquired in 2026: 34
• Scatter painted in 2026: 75