This weekend we decided to have a large multiplayer game with two sides and 4-6 players. Each player made up a 750 point naval list. The night before I realised that we had 5 players, and so asked the Prussian player to double his list, making 1,500 points. Then on the day we rolled randomly to see which of the other players would be allied with the Prussians to make for a 2,250 points a side clash. As luck would have it, the Federated States of America was allied with the Prussian Empire against a force containing the League of Italian States, The Empire of the Blazing Sun and the Republique of France.
Scenario
In the centre of the board, sheltered by ‘massive’ islands
is the scenario objective, a large Oil Platform (which uses the Oil Platform
statline from Hurricane Season, with the ‘volcanic base’ model from Spartan). To win the game, one side must capture and be
holding the platform at the end of the game.
If the platform is destroyed, or there are no AP from any nation aboard
it, the winner is the side which has accrued the most Campaign Points. As with Prizes, the platform can receive AA
support from a single nominated squadron from the side which controls it, if
within command distance.
Forces
League of Italian States
1 Mars Battleship3 Gladius Cruisers
2 Fortuna Bombers
4 Cinqueda Destroyers
2 Scutum Frigates (escorting Mars Battleship)
6 Uccisore Torpedo Assault Craft (free)
Empire of the Blazing Sun
1 Sokotsu Battleship3 Tanuki Gunships
4 Uwatsu Frigates
3 Uwatsu Frigates
5 Testsubo Small Flyers
1 Kitsue Escort (escorting Sokotsu Battleship)
1 Tourbillon Large Flyer
3 Marseille Cruisers
3 Voltaire Heavy Interceptors
4 Lyon Frigates
Federated States of America
1 Saratoga Fleet Carrier3 Lexington Cruisers (with sharpshooters and shields)
2 Princeton Gunships
1 Valley Airship
3 Augusta Frigates
3 Augusta Frigates
Prussian Empire
1 Rhine Fleet Carrier1 Imperium Sky Fortress
2 Konigsberg Battlecruisers
2 Hussar Gunships
3 Pflicht Scoutships
3 Grier Bombers
4 Jager Scoutships
2 Speerwrf Light Zeppelin (attached to Jagers)
4 Arminius Frigates
4 Stolz Destroyers
2 Wachter Escorts (attached to Rhine)
As the fleets manoeuvred in the thin grey light of early
morning, the order of battle became evident.
The Prussian Empire despatched a formidable air contingent to secure the
oil platform, and hold one flank.
Pflicht scoutships, teeming with Prussian shock troops, manoeuvred to
seize the objectives, while a large number of smaller airships, backed by Grier
bombers, destroyers and frigates, prepared to engage the bulk of the Blazing
Sun naval force – a battleship, gunships and frigates supported by Italian destroyers
and bombers.
The Italians acted first, their Fortuna bombers dropping torpedoes
which snaked a path to the Prussian surface ships, damaging a destroyer. Prussian Hussar Gunships surged forward,
their opening volley claiming an Italian destroyer. Pressing their advantage, the Grier Bombers
launched devastating electrical attacks against the bombers.
While the shields of Fortuna bombers deflected some of the initial
barrage, - one plane was engulfed in flames, and the tri-wing spluttered and smoked,
before finally spiralling down into the sea.
In return, the Italian destroyers and Blazing Sun Gunships pick off one
of the Grier Bombers which fails to regain sufficient altitude to hide amongst
the clouds. The damage aboard the bomber
is severe, and many Prussians die trying to extinguish the terrible fire.
Prussian and Japanese surface ships both press forward to deny
the channel to the oil platform to the opposing navy. On both sides gunships engage in a brutal firefight,
pouring shell after shell into the opposing ships at close range until gunships
on both sides are burning. The Japanese order
their frigates forward, to rake the Hussar Gunships with devastating broadside
and turret fire, however, the Prussian response is decisive, Prussian frigates
pick off the Japanese frigates at close quarters with ruthless efficiency
sinking two and sending boarding parties to the others, leaving them derelict.
On the other flank, Italian Motor Torpedo Boats speed
forward, in a daring torpedo run against a Prussian Battlecruiser. The mighty Prussian ship is wracked by a
series of explosions as the torpedos detonate, and momentarily winks out of existence,
only to materialise moments later, mere feet from the small motor boats,
causing them to bank sharply.
The mighty Tourbillon airship exchanges fire with the
American Valley airship, in a duel which lasts for several hours. Meanwhile, Augusta frigates engage the French
cruisers, covered by fire from the powerful turrets of Princeton gunships. Prussian and American Diver Bombers sweep
down in a massed attack. Volatire Heavy Interceptors, and French fighters thin
their numbers, but enough torpedo bombers get through to cause significant
damage on the massed naval forces. An
Italian cruiser is engulfed in a tremendous fireball and several other ships
are damaged.
The French forces unleash a tremendous barrage, their fire
directed against the ominous, sleek shapes of the Konigsberg Battlecruisers. The Battlecruiser which is already damaged by
the Italian torpedoes succumbs, and is sunk, while the other burns fiercely. Boyed by this success the Italian motor
torpedo craft launch another attack, this time against the huge, hulking, Rhine
Fleet Carrier. Although their torpedoes strike
home, and cause the great ship to lurch drunkenly, it contemptuously crushes
many of the tiny craft beneath its armoured bow as it moves forward.
Meanwhile, the Prussian air flotilla strikes a decisive blow
against the Prussian Gunships, their Speerwrf Light Zeppelins fire an
electrified lance which penetrates the reinforced armour of one of the
gunships, killing all aboard and sending the ship beneath the waves with a
glowing blue halo. The remaining Italian
destroyers sweep past the Hussar, and fire a single devastating salvo that
tears apart the damaged gunship.
In the air above, Prussian and Japanese fighters dogfight,
and many aircraft on both sides are downed.
A wing of Prussian fighters closes on the remaining Fortuna bomber, but
the internal shield wards off the worst of their fire. Italian fighters engage
the Prussian small zeppelin and down a several.
The Prussians now enact their main strategy. Pflicht airships descend over the oil
platform and Prussian shock troops easily dispatch the crew, and take up
defensive positions on the platform. The
airships remain overhead raining fire on approaching enemies. French fighters and Tetsubo small flyers swoop into attack the
Prussian zeppelin, raking them with fire until one of the Pflicht is sent,
burning, into the sea. The remaining
airships continue to support the Prussian Marines aboard the platform, although
they are heavily damaged.
Realising they must try and take the oil platform from the
Prussians before it is too late, the remaining Italian Cruisers enter the
narrow channel and launch an attack using their elite marines. The fighting is intense and the Prussians
take heavy losses, but the attack is repelled. Now it is the turn of the French, a squadron
of Lyon frigates send their rocket marines over to attack the platform, but the
Prussians have reinforced their troops and while their losses are again heavy,
they repel the French and retain control of the platform.
The Italian, French and Japanese commanders now realise the
situation is desperate. They have no
remaining way to capture the platform in time, so they resolve to destroy it
and deny it to the enemy. The Japanese Battleship
sets the platform ablaze with a ferocious volley from its main turrets, then
the Italian Battleship, at the other end of the channel, opens fire with its
rear main and raised turret. As the
shells strike home, the entire oil platform erupts in a huge explosion. The other turret of the Italian Battleship
lands a fatal hit on the Rhine carrier, and it too is destroyed.
With the platform gone, the fleets begin to disengage, but
the fury of battle has not yet dissipated.
French marines launch repeated attacks against the damaged Valley airship,
until they overcome all resistance and claim the Valley in the name of their
glorious Republique. In retribution
American forces send the damaged Tourbillon airship careening from the sky.
Conclusion
Due to the size of the game, and the number of participants,
we only managed to complete 3 full turns in about 6 hours. This meant that the FSA strategy of keeping
the bulk of his cruisers and gunships from the fray until the Prussians had
significantly weakened the opposition was not as effective as it might have
been in a longer game. The game was
almost won by the Prussian player, who managed to repel every attack against
the oil platform, but in the end the platform was destroyed through combined
firepower from undamaged battleships. The final Campaign points conceded were as follows:
League of Italian States: 7
Empire of the Blazing Sun: 14
Republique of France: 13
TOTAL CP YIELDED: 34
Prussian Empire: 25
Federated States of America: 13
TOTAL CP YIELDED: 38
Overall Result: Marginal Success for League of Italian
States, Empire of the Blazing Sun and Republique of France.