"Slammers at the Bovington Wargames Show" Topic

Matt Hay's group the Wessex Wyverns were kind enough to invite the South London Warlords along to their Slammers game at Bovington tank museum link run by Battlegroup South.

They'd given us a hand at Salute with the game we did in 2013 and it seemed only fair and proper that we should do the same.

This isn't a report or an AAR – I'll let Matt do whatever he'd like to with that (it was his game) but I have put some of the shots I took up on the Slammers site just as some 'eye candy'. It's on the gallery page link or straight to it here link

I didn't get the Stewart Regiment finsihed in time – they still need infantry – so they were a n show but lots of other toys hit the table.

Thanks for inviting the team, Matt.

John Treadaway

I was wondering this morning (and couldn't find the answer neither on your site, nor on TMP, but the again it was a cursory search): what's the typical table size for a Crucible game (assuming 15mm scale and either a single detachment or even a troop)?

I am curious about the game, your forces are a great inspiration, but… Every single pic I see seems to show a game featuring a couple of hundreds (very nicely painted) vehicles fighting across a board the size of two football fields filled with about a thousand buildings. I understand those are convention and demo games, so how much room do you need for a mom and pop game with just a (half-)detachment on each side?

Trojan

there's a brief description on this page (Introduction) link

It says:

The Crucible is designed for games that are, typically, of two players with between one and three detachments a side. You can have more players and greater or fewer detachments – we often play four handed games where each player runs one or two detachments.

Forces

A detachment is between 8 and 30 Tactical Units (TUs). The variation depends on the quality of the troops. There are four quality levels (Elite, Veteran, Trained and Untrained) and they field 8, 10, 15 and 30 TUs per detachment respectively. A TU is one vehicle or one stand (or group if they are individually based) of infantry. A stand/group is generally 4 figures. The game hinges around the quality level of the troops fielded mobilised by their leadership: Leadership Points (LPs) are the 'currency' of a game during play.

There's more detailed 4 page PDF intro here PDF link which links from that same page.

The really short answer is this:

If you played something from one of the books where a Slammers force fought, say, a local trained army unit and you wanted a one player game you could run a small one with a detachment a side or a larger one with two detachments a side or – if you were really short of time or models – a half sized 'Troop' per side – that's half a detachment.

A Sergeant is in charge of a troop, an Lt for a single Detachment and a Captain (and another Lt) for two detachments (one commander per detachment).

If – referring to the example above – it was, say, the Slammers versus the Antargran Regular Army (who happen to use Khurusan models) and they used a single detachment each, the Slammers might have a mixed, single armoured detachment of eight AFVs but no infantry: PDF link

Single Armoured detachment: 5 combat cars (M9A1-3);
1 command car; 2 Blower tanks (M2A1-4).

Where as the Antargrans PDF link might chose their Panzers:

Panzer detachment:2 Zentaur Heavy Tanks (one of which is a command tank), 4 Gryphon Medium Tanks; 3 Ajax APCs, 6 infantry TUs (3 standard, 2 support, 1 with buzzbombs)

Note that the Slammers field eight TUs – in this case eight single AFVs – and are Elite (ie better to hit and better morale etc)

The Antargrans, on the other hand are only Trained (not so good at the hitting, giving orders and the not running away…) and so field 15 TUs: 9 AFVs of varying kinds and 6 infantry stands.

That game would take novices an evening or experienced players and hour or so, depending on scenery, scenario and so forth. Two hours, maybe, if there was a lot of line-of-sight breaking scenery and cover.

You can use as few or as many of the optional rules as you like – some of them (off table artillery with maybe hidden sniper/spotters etc) all add to the fun but also add a little complexity/time.

I've regularly played troop sized games with just two players and they are pretty quick.Conversely, at Salute 2013, for example, everyone on the Slammers team played a Troop just so that they didn't have too much to think about as newbies.

Does that help?

John T

EDIT: I thought the pictures on the link pages were a little small so I've just increased the size of the pop-out's by 50% to 750 pixels

OK, sorry my question wasn't quite clear: I get the detachment composition and the "better troop quality = less TU"… Sorry I made you type a lengthy explanation about things that are available on your site. I did find the introduction and it is quite clear.

What I tried to ask is: what size of table/board/terrain is the system designed for? How small or large a table do you recommend playing a typical game with one detachment on both sides? 4' x 4'? 6' x 4'? More? Less?

Am I making any more sense?

Thanks John we all had a cracking weekend :)

Oh and great pictures as usual :) that portable floodlight works a treat :)

Once I get on my PC I'll put up the scenario details :) and my not so cracking pictures :(

Hi Trogen

I normally play on a 6' x 4' table with one or two detachments aside.
Last Mondays club night we had two games in an evening :)

Cheers Matt

VERY, VERY, COOL !!!!!! x 10 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Must be a blast gaming next to all those vintage AFVs too !!!!!!

L4 – the setting is stunning.

Matt – a pleasure I can assure you.

Trojan – what Matt said: in 15mm the smallest game I've done is about a 3 foot x 5 foot (AKA "My Dining Room Table") and it works just fine with a troop or a detachment a side. Normally I'd do a 6' x 4', like Matt said. If I do two detachments a side or four players I might go to an 8' x 6' but usually there's an envelping nature to the scenrio: ie a central position with infantry in a town with forces attacking from several directions.

This one – for example link – had four players, one defending a central Space Port and the other three coming at them from either end of the table. That was four experienced players, seven detatchments on an 8' x 6' and it took three hours.

John T

L4 I do it every year and it never gets old :)

Yes a great looking table as always Matt.

Mike

Thank you Mike :)

So to the crazy Scenario :)

Well a good excuse to use far to many toys on largeish table and have some fun :)

The planet of Malamocco is an arid planet with a small population. Its Space Port of Livorno to the north is its main contact with the outside universe. The Port is controlled by the Balve Confederacy a shipping line made up of the member planets in the Balve system.

The main export of the Planet of Malamocco is Obsiddian and is mined in the south by Shado Corperation. The rest of the planet is made up of migrants from around the unverse. They settled here to get away from the rest of the unverses worries and did not take kindly to outsiders digging up there planet! They sent there warriors out (Sincanmo force of which there were three detachments under one comander) to intercept the Shado vehicles (New Ukrainians Mersanaries two detachments).

The Shado Corperation is getting very anoyed with the locals raiding there facilities over the planet as well as the Balve Confederacy turning the scew on port fees and transport costs.

Shado Corp has used other carriers from the port but fees skyrocket up and 'small' misshaps happen to the ships or cargo. This has made the Shado Corp try something new. They have contacted another shipping line and offered them to land at there mine in the south. This has happened twice with out any incedent but Balve Confederacy has sent them a bill for using Malamocco airspace without permission. Shado Corp have had there laywers work up a document stating that they would not pay as Balve Confederacy do not own the airspace! A final letter was sent with a messeger. The messenger was a Mercenry Captain with a small group of men.

What the Balve Confederacy did not know was that Shado Corp new this was coming (they bugged there main offices at the port!) so had a little supprise for them! There own mercenry company. The New Ukrainians waiting for them.

Well as you can guess this has escallated into a three way total war!

The TAS is supporting the Balve Confederacy with a small mercaanry artillery company (One Regular Artillery Company with two detachments of TAS. The heavy one already on planet with the light police force as reserve on a dropship in orbit!).

The Locals have ther own Sincanmo Warriors (three detachments), the Antargrans (One detachment) and Solace Regulars (One detachment) support coming in three waves.

The New Ukrainians and a Troop of PATU Power Armour will support the Shado corp for most of the game with the Slammers arriving later by dropships in two waves one being a class 3 combat transport to hopfully save the day :)

Cheers Matt

Those figures cant belong to Matt, they are painted !!!! :)

Also here are some of the pictures I have taken of the game and set up (not as good as Johns Photos)also a few of other games as well :)

link

And one of John and Fiona

Hi Ress

No some of those are mine 'honest guv' and they were painted!

Cheers Matt

Matt, John: thanks!

Gorgeous, that dropship with the Slammers tanks disembarking is WOW. Got to get a copy (update the old rules) of Crucible.
Cheers happy gaming.

comstarhpg
L4 I do it every year and it never gets old :)

AFAIK, we have nothing like that locale for gaming in the US …

Sorry to here that L4! If you are ever over here for hol's and are near to dorset its definatly worth a trip :)

I believe the Patton museum moved from ft Knox, Ky. to ft Bennington Georgia…. I think they had a stunning collection of tanks too….maybe they'd allow a game?

I love all the table candy…and the armor in the background

Thanks fer posting

Occasionally, there's a gaming event held at the Virginia Aviation Museum, and someone always brings a WW1 air game--which is really nice next to the WW1 aviation display at the museum. But not at a tank museum, unfortunately.

Rob

@ Zargon the dropship worked well and agreed John uparmoured blowers were …. well just cool :)

Guys give the museums over your side of the pond a buzz you never know they may say yes :)

Cheers Matt

What is that large aircraft on the landing pad?

I think it's an Avengers (as in Marvel) toy ship that has been worked over by my mate Roger into a 15mm dropship (scale cockpit added and lots of nice paintwork and weathering with his air brush).

He did it for the Route 66 game at Salute link and Matt asked if he could use it as a third drop ship so we brought it along.

John T

Yes, many of the historical tanks in the US militarie's collections have been moved. I was at the Aberdeen PVGs and the Patton museum as a Cadet. And was stationed a Ft. Benning [not Bennington … ] a number of times … But I don't think any wargames took place in any of those locations. Save for Real World 1 to 1 Scale. Plus MAPEXs, etc. … I participated in many of all of those … But would like to go to the UK to Bovington and many other places over there ! And again, Absolutely GREAT stuff JT and Crew !!!!!!

Thanks to Matt and John for the pics and AAR
Clif

Legion 4 (and others) thanks right back t you: it was all down to Matt inviting us, so all credit to him, really.

I'm also pleased that Battlegroup South (who run the show) can see the advantage of a tank game that uses SF tanks – it'd be easy to have a 'just historical' point of view, bearing in mind the venue.

I think this is around the tenth year Matt has run a Slammers game at the show so hatsoff all round.

John T

Great stuff John and Matt!

Where can people buy a copy of Hammer's Slammers: The Crucible rules from? And who makes the official vehicles and figures?

Ooooh Patient Zero – let me think :)

Ainsty do both models and rules, GZG do figures and Rules can also be had from Caliver books.

In the US they are available (with Blower tanks etc) from Recreational Conflict…

Mostly, all the lnks you need are here link

John "Shameless Dog In The Race" Treadaway…

EDIT:

I've just put a selection of Matt's photos of the game as a third page on the same link as above on the Slammers site link – Thanks Matt :)

Thanks John for putting up the extra pictures :)

You ran the first games for the Slammers handbook back in April 2004 at Salute :)

I was unable to go but my friend David (who was nuts on Drakes novels ) brought me a starter set and some extra bits and bobs. Well he let me borrow his novels and I'm a very slow reader but I couldn't put them down ! I then went to eBay and other internet sights to get all the novels for myself and just managed it when the three new books came out with all his main work in them and three extra novelets as well!

We played John's new game every Wednesday for about three months. Richard from battlegroup south came into my work place and I asked if we could put a game on in July of these new rules. He said yes and I have run a game every year since :) That's well 11 shows! And have enjoyed everyone of them :)

Cheers Matt

Well done Matt. Interesting the throughput of punters who knew nothing of the show but had come to see the (truly fabulous) exhibits. The w/e as great, just wish I'd been there the week before, which is when all the 'runners' go round the area; see:
link

Thanks Peter :)

Over the years I have seen alot of the museums tanks move around the old arena. But I know work every weekend so need to book them off but i couldn't get both this time :(

Cheers Matt