An ADD Gamer: February 2012

Broken Ties

A Prussian and Empire of the Blazing Sun Battle Report

The Scenario

While they are allies, occasionally events unfold that test the boundaries of the Prussian Empire and the Empire of the Blazing Sun alliance. Today, was one of those events.

Kaigun Chûjô Hiroma is carrying secret and precious cargo that just received from the Empress' forward fleet in the Indian Ocean. This cargo HAS to make it back to her Majesty as fast as possible. Hiroma has to make a choice.

Travel through an established Prussian trade route that, according to the Treaty of Chiba, was off limits to the Empress' warships. Or go around the trade route which could add days to the journey home.

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Charged with guarding the trade route from attack, Kommodore Wieck received a warning that there were enemy ships on the horizon. Weick scoured his charts looking for the perfect place to strike. He then ordered some of his fleet north and the rest south to converge on the enemy as they approached a small cluster of islands.

Shortly after, Scout Ships report that the enemy ships belonged to the Empress Shizuna, an ally. Kommodore Wieck sent warnings to the opposing fleet stating that they are infringing upon Prussian Trade Routes and to turn back...

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The Forces

Fleets were chosen around equal points.

Prussian Empire (P)

1 x Emperor (5 X Torpedo Bombers CAP)

1 x Gewitterwolke (5 X Fighters CAP)

2 x Pflicht Scout Ships

2 x Geier Bombers

2 x Hussar Gunships

4 x Stolz Destroyers

* a couple notes - The Prussian Navy was using 3 Cruisers as Hussar Gunships and all the Destroyers were represented by Frigates.

Empire of the Blazing Sun (E)

North to South were

3 Fujin Class Corvettes

3 Tanuki Class Gunships

5 Fighter Planes

1 Recon Plane

Sokotsu Class Battleship

* 1 Kitsune Class Escorts

2 Inari Class Scout Gyros
3 Yurgi Class Destroyers

Hachiman Class Dreadnought

* 2 Kitsune Class Escorts

4 Uwatsu Class Frigates

3 Fujin Class Corvettes

EotBS was to set up within 8" of short table edge. Prussian Empire randomly deployed min 24" away on long table edges. See below.

The Battle

Turn 1

Three Fujin Corvettes moved straight from the south corner, from East to West. They fired guns at the Prussian Frigates in front of them causing the loss of 1 hull point.

Seeking revenge the Frigates moved forward straight through them. Guns blasted from the front turrets toward the Frigates in the rear, Prussian guns range true as they sunk 1 Frigate and causing 1 HP on another. Prussian Marines hit the air, boarding enemy Corvettes. Two of them taken as prizes.

* During the game the larger plumes, with fire, represented Raging Fire Tokens, 2 HP damage tokens, and in some cases, where a ship had been destroyed. Smaller plumes represented single hits. I'll be working on different style tokes to represent the different effects and AP loss.

The squadron of Uwatsu Frigates in the South moved full bore, lining up perfectly to unleash all barrels on the Prussian Frigates. The barrage sent 3 Prussian Frigates to the bottom of the sea.

Another Prussian retaliatory strike proved fatal for the invading fleet. Of the starting seven EotBS ships in the southern passage, only three remained afloat and they were under the control of Prussian Marines.

In the Northern Passage, The EotBS Gunships moved slowly forward. Speed was not as important when Rockets and Torpedoes work best at such a long range. The Rockets set both Prussian Gunships ablaze, causing the engines to shutdown (critical hit) and causing 2 hull points of damage on one and then 1 HP of damage to the other.

Panic stricken, the Gunship Captain coordinated and ordered their Tesla Generators to fire up giving them a bit of a push forward and then fired main turrets on the incoming Cruisers. With thundering report the gunships only slightly damaged the enemy gunships (1 HP)

Skirting along the northern bank of the south island, a squadron of four frigates press forward.

The second group of Hussar Class Gunships in the north power up their Tesla generators and pushed forward. Firing ahead at the enemy gunships they failed to cause any damage.

A group of 3 Destroyers led the advance through the middle passage. Once vision was cleared of the nearby islands the Destroyers observe a small group of Gunships to the south supporting an Airship. They fire their main guns. The shells penetrate deep within the hull, causing a Fusion Leak and the loss of 2 HP's.

Hussar Gunships to the south limp forward and attempt to fire on the Destroyers but once again fail to hit their mark.

Fujin Corvettes to the north sped forward, past the Tanuki Gunships. They initiated fire support toward the oncoming Prussian Gunships but to no avail.

Obscured by clouds, the Prussian Airship surged forward. Fighters also zipped around the airship as it floated forward. The whole ship crackled with electricity as the fore Tesla Coil energized to fire on the Corvettes. With the target so far below and in the distance the airship only caused 1 HP and 1 AP.

Inari Scout Gyros whirred into action soaring into the clouds and hovering there. They fired rockets into the forward Gunship in the north. 1 HP in damage was done.

To stay within the support range of the Gunships, the captain of the Emperor Battleship ordered the powering up of the Tesla Generator. As it surged forward it fired its forward battery of guns toward the incoming Tanuki Gunships. But as status quo with this arm of the Prussian Navy the Battleship failed to hit the enemy.

Out from the safety of north and south islands the Hachiman, and its escorts, lumbered forward. Rockets soared from the behemoth intended for the airship in the south but missed. A barrage cannon fire lit up the forward enemy Hussar in the north. The Hussar took a Hard Pounding and Loss 2 AP and 2 HP.

Following the rest of the fleet in the north the Bombers fly forward, powered up the fore Tesla Coils, and failed to do any damage.

A lone recon plane soared forward over the north island.

Pflicht Scout ships floated forward to rest next to the bombers. They too unleashed Tesla energy into the forward Fujin Corvettes but, showing up their comrades, actually did 1 HP in damage.