Spiders versus Dinosaurs (and people)

 Number Two Son requested a game today, spiders versus dinosaurs "and some people too, PAINTED people!".  I had a tub of Alternative Armies Muster that I got second hand a couple of years ago that fit the bill, plus some Retained Knights that I painted back when they were Free Companies Crusaders for Firefight version one in the 1990s.

Our battle takes place on the planet Endross... where "spiders are scouring the city".  Apparently "people are going missing... spiders are feasting on them!"  I love his descriptions of what is going on in our games! (Though sometimes they can be slightly disturbing.)

 Anyway, to combat this worrying development, troops have been deployed to the city.  Combat robots are positioned on some of the sea platforms nearby.

"My spiders have 1000 points of damage.  The big boss spider has 2000 points!"

"Wow", I replied, "how many points of damage do my humans have?"

"2!"

I expressed my reservations about the slightly unbalanced scenario, but my concerns were brushed aside - after all, I also had DINOSAURS to help me!  Pterosaurs to "scout around", velociraptors to race into action, plus more nearby!

Troops warily enter the city.

Combat robots.

Port patrol.

The city.

Smoke rises from burning ground vehicles...

 

Troops cautiously move towards the harbour front.

Dinosaurs stand guard over the sea wall and ships.

Spiders swarm from the sea.

"Look out!  Our guns are having no effect!"

Spiders scuttle through the streets.

Troops fall back and try to get to the ships.

A spider blocks the way to the sea platforms.

"Quick, shoot it!"

The boss spider leads its arachnid minions.

Dinosaurs attempt to hold the line.

"Give us a piggy-back?"

We didn't play an actual game, I was just given a script of how my troops should give shocked exclamations from time to time while the spiders overwhelmed the dinosaurs and blew up the town, but it was all good fun.  Some of the photographs use my ultrasonic mist-maker for background smoke, though it isn't all that visible.

As I feared might be the case, the road parts of my city board scratch very easily, so I think I'll have to sand and repaint them.  I've got a black spray can that might give a harder wearing result.  These scratches didn't even happen today, it's just from being in storage.

An enjoyable morning, always fun to get the city out and take a few photographs.

Robot Dinosaur Battle!

 The offspring ordered me to pull together another robots versus dinosaurs game, and this time it had to involve my 3D printed scenery as well.

Robots ready for action.

Standing by to move out.

Small "jungle" between the robot base and town.

The town is well populated.

Hungry and aggressive dinosaurs.

The full battlefield - approximately 6' x 3'

The dinosaurs started at one end of the table.  Close by was a walled settlement populated by lots of pawns.  In the middle of the table came a small band of jungle, and the other end had the robot base, surrounded by rocky outcrops.

Dinosaurs move to the attack.

Pterosaurs swoop down!

Larger dinosaurs break down the walls.

Robots move to the rescue.

Raaaaargh!

Rooooaaaarrrrrr!

Snaaaarrrrrlllll!

Pterosaur gobbles a victim.

A lone robot guards the flank.

Long range fire kills two dinosaurs.

Dinosaurs sweep round the flank.

Dinosaurs pour into the compound.

Robot conga line.

Robots advancing down the board.

Space Marines coming to help.

Townspeople stand terrified!

Spinosaurus looking for food...

Pawns are falling thick & fast.

Small dinosaurs gang up on some pawns.

Dinosaurs attack the first robot to arrive!

Gunfire wounds a Tyrannosaurus.

A small dinosaur falls to autocannon fire.

Some of the pawns are rescued by robots.

Pterosaurs and small dinosaurs damage a robot.

One robot has fallen!  Another is badly damaged.

Dinosaurs stream through the ruined settlement.

Main body of robots prepares to engage.

Although heavily damaged, robot shoots down two Pterosaurs.

One of the Tyrannosaurs succumbs to its wounds.

Small dinosaurs fall to the robots.  Explosive cylinders dumped nearby.

Robot firing line is established.

Robot flank is failing...

Big dinosaurs bring down another robot.

Spinosaurus damages another robot.

Small dinosaurs overcome another robot.

Robots detonate the explosive cylinders. Kaboom!

Dinosaurs stream through the gap in the robots 'flank.

Large dinosaurs tear into the robots rear.

Small dinosaurs stream past the burning robots.

Another pawn in danger!

More explosive cylinders needed!

 

Robots and dinosaurs fight it out.

 

Reinforcements approach, carrying explosives.

 

Tyrannosaurus badly hurt but robot suffering serious damage too.

 

Spinosaurus intercepts the reinforcements.

Small dinosaurs have broken through the robot flank.

 

Small dinosaurs heading for the robots' base.

Robots try to disengage, but it's difficult...

 

More small dinosaurs flood through the breach in the line.

 

Pterosaurs reach the industrial platform.

Robot prepares to defend the entrance.

Pawns in the base - will they be safe?

Pterosaurs swoop in and devour a couple of pawns.

Small dinosaurs continue to harass the robots.

Robot just manages to fend off the big dinosaurs.

A tide of dinosaurs about to crash over the robot defenders.

Dinosaurs smash through, breaching the defences.

Robot wreckage chokes the entrance.

Defending robot is almost destroyed.

Boooooom! Explosives detonated, wiping out many small dinosaurs.

Endgame.  Last stand for the robots.

An eerie silence falls over the town.

We didn't quite have time to finish, but I think the robots would have eventually been overwhelmed by the dinosaurs!