Dog raid on a small Italian port

Allright, finally started getting tired of playing Donnybrook.   Did try it with dark ages and it worked well.  Both sides are evenly matched so a bit generic compared to SAGA but I can work on that by setting up characters.

A Saxon and Viking (D12) hero battle it out!  Great fun that. 

Also penned a humor article called "Confessions of a Dice Junkie" for WI and "Leadership Matters" a variant for SAGA for WSS.  Guy at WSS is a nice person but pretty unreliable at answering stuff so I won't hold my breath for the SAGA article.  I have almost finished "We got the Beat" my age of Sails variant that Jack has asked about.   That should be off in 2 weeks.

Picked up Dog Boats at War  by Leonard Reynolds at a used book store.   What a great book!  It covers the channel, Med and Norway and has a lot of scenario ideas.   Am still tweaking my Release the Hounds rules as it is either perfect for MTBs or DDs.   Think I found the solution.  Roll 2D6s to even out the variance in the combat table but allow for the "big hurt".  Also wanted to test out my sea to land rules.    So pulled out my MGB flotilla in the Med and sent them against a small port on the island of Sicily using Flotilla Forward.   This is only their second battle and their SO is not popular. 

Lt Jones RNVR was happy to finally be raising some hell.   There last several patrols had found nothing.  Tonight his lads would stir up trouble like commandos!   All they had to do was run along a port and shoot at anything in it!  He could lay off the booze for that.

Lt Jones     Haughty/ alcohol                     avg crew
Lt Van Heiss   Naive/ revenge   privlaged          avg crew
Lt Peters         Cheap / family                      poor crew

The target!    20mm guns on the quays.    2 37mms far left.   2 88mm far right.

Roll for ships in the harbor tonight.     One coastal defense ship armed with a 37mm forward.
2 unarmed schooners and a small merchatman. 

Dog Boats moving smartly.   No random events on the way to target.


Despite visability being almost 2 miles Lt Jones gets to almost a mile before the Italians notice.  ( It is late afterall!)   

Surprise is almost total as the Dogs begin their run across the mouth of hte port.  Tracers flash across the night sky bringing calling cards of death and destruction.

After their run the patrol boat is wreaked and the merchantman is on fire!!! 

Lt Jones decides, with only light damage to his own forces, to pass across the entrance one last time.  He is tempting fate to accomplish even greater feats.  Lt Van Heiss, bent of revenge, couldn't be happier.  Lt Peters, is not so sure, but falls into line.

The British do silence one gun on the quay, destroy a truck and damage a schooner but the 88s start to find their mark.  Lt Jones' boat is hit causeing engine damage and Lt Van Heiss' boat sustaines a near miss.  Lt Jones beats a hasty retreat making smoke as he goes.  Lt Peters is happy to comply.

A hasty but truimphant exit!

Very fun game that played fast!  Whole thing took just over an hour because only one side moved.  LtCdr McSwain was delighted.  Lt Van Heiss earned the speed skill and one of the two boats will be fixed for the next mission.   Liked the sea/land rules and the 2D6 system worked well.  Will have to try it out on some bigger boats now!

Enjoy

Joe