Sunday, 3 August 2025

Robts vs Tanks

The last couple of months have been incredibly busy, trying to get things completed at work, the kids moving to the end of their respective school years (teachers' presents to be arranged), Scout camps to organise.  With the arrival of the summer holidays, it's time to break out the Mecha for another battle with the kids, hopefully heralding a return to more regular posting on the blog.

This time, the baddy Mecha (Number 2 son) are battling the tanks (me).  Mecha are supported by Free Cal Tex infantry, the tanks by Japanese Corporate Troops, both from GZG.

Mecha have the normal rules: walk 5" and shoot or run 12" with no shooting, D10 damage from missiles, D8 from big guns, D6 from small guns, infantry suffer -2 penalty shooting at mecha/vehicles. Mecha weapons are either missile pods (4D10 shooting), guns/missiles (1D10+2D8), guns (2D6). Mecha can take 4 damage before being destroyed. Tanks fire 1D8 for the main gun, move 5"/12" same as the mecha, but can take only 2 hits before being destroyed.

 Captions in the photographs below... 

Tanks advance, watched by Japanese troops.

More tanks move down the main street.

Free Cal Tex infantry.

Overview of the tank advance.
 
Tank traps visible at the head of the column.

Mecha move down the flank.

Transport for the infantry.

Tanks peel off to counter the mecha.

Infantry move up with the tanks.

Mecha take light damage from tank fire.

Lead tank destroyed!

Massed tank fire starts to tell against the mecha.

Will swarm tactics work in the tanks' favour?

First mecha down.  Tanks & mecha exchange fire.

More damage to both sides on the other flank.

Another tank destroyed...

... and yet another tank brews up!

Free Cal Tex infantry filter forward through the jungle.

Transport (up-armoured GI Joe Stinger transport)

Free Cal Tex spotters in the ruins.

Overview of the fighting.

Baddie command mecha falls.

Another mecha is destroyed on the rocks.

Tanks squeeze past the wreckage.

Lots of tanks!


As so often happens, so much time was spent setting up the scenery that we were unable to finish the game, but it was good fun all the same. 

I retrieved my old games mats which were packed away at my parents-in-law's house while we had building work going on.  These have lasted very well over the years.  Scenery is my 3D printed Flatline City along with lots of items from my 2020 Summer of Scenery. I also excavated a box of tanks from under the bed.  These were purchased several years ago, bought in bulk from one of several sellers on eBay for less than £1 each.  I have about 30 of them.  They have a vague resemblance to the French Leclerc MBT and have the added bonus of a pull-back motor inside!  I need to add stowage (lots of Jerry cans, ammo boxes etc have been 3D printed in readiness) and give them a repaint, but their native camouflage scheme works pretty well.