"The Flaming Sword of the Holy Brotherhood Mercenary unit" Topic

I promised a few weeks ago some detals on the new Ainsty ainsty-castings.co.uk vehicles for the Slammerverse and one (at least) of the several forces they may be used for TMP link

Anyway, I've finally painted a couple of detachments and prepared a play sheet for The Flaming Sword of the Holy Brotherhood.

The Flaming Sword are light dragoons of generally Arabic background. They are for the most part well-equipped with anti-armour buzzbomb teams in APCs supported by tank destroyers with 9-cm high-intensity powerguns, all mounted on fast, air-cushion vehicles. The FSHB units are often deployed as combined arms ‘Commando' units – self-supporting and hard-hitting. On Placidus in support of Federation troops, they were led by Captain el-Khalid.

The main weapon system used by the FSHB hhas always been various forms of hover/ACV or – latterly – Blower – tank destroyer. Up until the Placidus campaign, they used primarily the GD814 based on a hover chassis around a modified GD800 system hull with reinforced armour, mounting a 9cm High Intensity. Before Placidus, these AFVs were supplemented by heavier vehicles – though mounting the same weapon: the Icarus Industries M12A4. Post the Placidus campaign, a different, but parallel, direction was chosen with some heavier vehicles, specifically the larger M12L14 supplements by the lighter Gull Combat Systems GS1199 tank destroyer.

Post 339TW the GD806 ACV APCs were replaced with the GS1107 APC. The large vehicles carry 4TUs of infantry infantry embarking via a rear ramp. On the same chassis as the APC, the FSHB use a command vehicle that carries no nfantry. The older calliope with twin quick firing 3cm powerguns was also replaced post 339TW with an 8 barrelled weapon, as was quick-firing heavy mortar.

The Flaming Sword Commando has always used the A21 air cushion jeeps with either a tri-barrel or a mortar and their infantry favour powerguns – 2cm assault weapons, with lighter 1cm carbines and additional tribarrel support weapons or buzzbombs.

After 339TW

After losing so badly on Placidus in 339TW to the Slammers, the new Colonel el Khalid (one of the few surviving officers from the Battle for Placidus and subsequently known to his troops as "Khalid the Immortal") decided to invest in external support for new equipment.

Purchasing the M12L14 by Icarus Industries it is not only bigger and tougher than the M12A4 that The Brotherhood were previously employing, it is better armoured – with a bigger calibre main gun – than the M12A1 version used by other forcess.

Fitted with the 20cm Powergun as main armament (Sh 1, FP 2/8) the M12L14 has a tri-barrel fitted for local defence and a more effective stripmine anti-buzzbomb and anti-personnel defence system than previously fitted to the M12A4. (DV 12,11,9,9). The ADS has been configured to have effect against missile systems as the FSHB – as of 340TW – are not in a position to effectively link their AI successfully against ATGWs en masse.

As specified above, lighter GD800 series vehicles have been replaced with a newer flexible ACV system with one hull type being utilised for powergun Calliope defence units, APCs, double barrelled heavy mortars and lighter tank destroyers.

Based on the Gull Combat Systems GS11XX platform with its easy repair, component skirt system (with replaceable, hexagonal panel sections that can be swapped out in the event of minor damage), the Calliope is the 8 barrel, 3cm remote turreted powergun version pioneered by the Thunderbolts Division. This gives twice the volume of shot with twice the effectiveness – and four times the AAA effectiveness – of the older twin mounts. The APC – Khalid having seen the devastation that triple mounted Combat Cars can achieve – has double the firepower of the older APCs and uses a pair of separate remote turrets, each fitted with a two barrelled, quick firing, 2cm powergun developed by Gull and unique to the GS11XX vehicles. In effectiveness, they are indistinguishable from tri-barrels of the same calibre and – although the front weapon has a restricted arc of FA, L and R, the rear mount is 360 degree.

The GS1141R mortar has a pair of rapid fire mortar barrels in a remote turret, however, these are in fact ‘gun launchers' and can operate as non-ballistic, direct fire weapons at any range if required at the usual reduction in hit probability that occurs when artillery fires over open sights.
The GS1199 Tank Destroyer variant has an extra armour face at the glacis increasing its armour in the frontal arc. It is fitted with a new roof mounted anti-personnel/buzzbomb system – the Saeqeh ("Thunderbolt") which is less effective than the ADS on the M12L14 but – uniquely – does cover the top arc as well as the front, sides and rear with protection.

The only vehicle Colonel el-Khalid didn't upgrade were the jeeps, keeping the tri-barrel and mortar variants.

Infantry are still equipped much as they were prior to their previous encounter with the Slammers although they have replaced the heavier tri-barrel support weapon with a more man-portable Squad Support Weapon. The SAW is based on the same 2cm automatic, 2cm powergun technology as the weapons on the APC and although – individually – they are not as capable of sustained fire as the heavier tri-barrel used before 339TW, there are twice as many in a fire team so the net effect is much the same. Regular troops are still using the powergun rifles but have now dropped the lighter 1cm carbines. Their Buzzbombs have been replaced with the lighter but more effective Shahab ("Meteor") long range missile system and more troops carry them.

One quirk of the FSHB is that they often fought with larger units than was common (‘reinforced detachments') relying on experienced sergeants to support officers and the Colonel was often to be found on the front line leading his own troops, usually from a M12 tank destroyer

As soon as el-Khalid's men and women were re-equipped, they were open for business.

More information from the play sheet PDF link and I will be putting the material up – with more background etc – on the site asap.

John Treadaway
hammers-slammers.com

Hey John, are their any Foreign Legion units in your verse? I am wanting to do something with the GZG FFL figures.

@ Tom

There are four french based forces all of which ned infantry in more or less equal ammounts: the Alaudae Legion ( PDF link ) which uses Brigade Models latest offereings, made specifically for it.These are quire high tech so they shold have guys in full armour, mind you.

Then there's the Compaigne de Barthe ( PDF link – thre'sa sheet that needs a few newer pictures..) who are lighter.

There are the Division Legere ( PDF link ) which use all GZG vehicles and figures who I've used the French GZG figures for.

Lastly there are the Phenix Moirots (http://www.hammers-slammers.com/pdf/Phenix1_15mm_sheet.pdf ). This sheet needs redoing but the vehicle is a straight swap out for the new Ainsty one:

And You could use GZG frenchies for that too.

Have a look at the "Big Detachment Cards" on this page: link they give a huge load of options as pdf downloads

John

Excellent work as usual Mr. Treadaway.

They look cracking John :)

Cheers Matt

Darn nice, sir!

Thankyou chaps: I will be doing a painting article for Miniature Wargames.

John T

I found a typo on the play sheet and corrected it…

John T

With Brigade now doing 6mm Slammers are you doing 'big unit' data cards and listing of suitable 6mm vehicles?

Great work on this u it by the way

The 6mm sheets are on the website in the same location as the 15mm ones link – in fact the drop down menu has 6mm, 15mm and 28mm.

However, I went along to the excellent Maidstone Wargames Club recently and played a 6mm Slammers game – hosted by Tony Francis from Brigade (with some superb scenery!) and which I have the pictures ready to do a write up on the site at some point very soon (so many things on my list: sheesh!)

The Game table

As it happens we actually used the 15mm sheets and – because of the big table – it played fine with no alterations needed whatsoever.

Here's some more snaps taken by both myself and Tony as the game progressed:

Waldheim Dragoons hide their blowers

Combat Cars advance

Slammers blowers move forward

Stewart Regiment brings out an Apollo

The TAS size up their targets

Combat Cars cross a bridge

Wrecked blower is left on the road

Texions fly in

It works in both scales (and 28mm for that matter) it just depends on how much table space you have. That 6mm game had seven players (as I recall) and probably eight detachments and was a relaxed afternoons gaming.

John T

A thing of beauty. *sniff*

Wow, very nice.

Is there any chance of a formal Hammer's Slammers scenario book ever coming out?

Is there any chance of a formal Hammer's Slammers scenario book ever coming out?

Good question. I'd love to do one if there was the takeup for it.

So far, other than the one I've just done in Miniature Wargames "A Piper at the Gates" which – as it is in print as we speak: issue 401 – won't be avilable anywhere else for a while, there are the sccenarios on the site and the one in the rule book itself.

The ones on the site are:

"Weed of gold" PDF link

"Under the hammer" PDF link
PDF link

Plus the scenario in Supplement 3 "Operation Night Crow" PDF link

But collecting them together – along with others based on the stories themselves – would be neat.

John T

A scenario book wood be a brillient addition to the game.

Thanks for the quick response. I know I would gladly buy a scenario book and I am sure that it would sell. Hint, hint.

I'll put my thinking cap on. I'd quite like to do a printed version of the supplements as well. Perhaps something could be put together from those and some scenarios.

I know there are also chaps out there who have written a fair number of scenarios for the rules themselves (cough… Matt… cough Patrick…..)

John T

And as you can see here TMP link all you US buyers can get these new Ainsty AFVs at Recreational Conflict.

John T

If only the rules were in PDF form.

I know!

But – on the positive side, ALL of the supplements and play sheets (hundreds of pages) are! And free to download as well!

That's a win/win, hopefully.

John Treadaway
hammers-slammers.com

Inspiring as always.

I'm going to pounce on those gzg infantry soon as they get to resale them… ( if they do).

GZG infantry: I have just seen the newest sculpt of their replacements (Jon sent me one for review just as I'd finished painting these!).

They are imminent and very nice (as I said to Mr Tuffley, Martin Baker's sculpting has got even better as the years roll by).

Yep, I'd recommend getting his new ones (harrumph!)

John T

Love the pics, drawings, and models !!!!