2013 Berkeley FWC Boot Camp - photos

Great event again this year. Some interesting individual games, nice scenario games and a couple of good multi-player games - all played over a Saturday & Sunday on the 1st/2nd June.

Game 1: Day 1: Morning - The Red Planet (mostly open terrain with areas of scrub and a nasty bit of 'infestation'!). This was the setting for a 2,000 pt Encounter Game between my Neo-Soviets (jointly commanded by myself & Michael from Angle Barracks) and Colin's new Star Wars Imperial force.

Game 1: Day 1: Morning: The Enemy - or Colins new Star Wars Imperial Forces - 1 large tank (top) 2  stands of chicken (type ) Walkers, some armoured combat droids and some small recce droids.

Game 1: Day 1: Morning: more Imperial Droids ... all of which were Expendable (as I subsequently discovered! Although as you can see they are getting some 'attention' from long-range Neo-Sov shooting.

Game 1: Day 1: Morning: The Neo-Soviet Armoured Wing (Commanded by Michael from Angle Barracks)
This consisted of 4  x Vombat IFV/Tanks + 4 x Neo-Sov Regular Infantry (all upgraded with Smart Missiles) and a Shersen AA wagon + their HO. There is an adventurous Recce tank up on the right-hand top corner of the 'infestation' and the Corp FAO in the "schrubbery" in the centre.

Game 1: Day 1: Morning: The Neo-Soviet 'soft' right wing/flank - consisting mainly of Conscript Infantry (4 stands) + their HO & 2 transport trucks in the terrain ("Can all those Conscripts really get into those 2 tiny trucks I hear you ask!" - "well yes" I reply) + another Shersen AA wagon (far left centre) and a Mammoth (Mark II) Plasma Heavy Tank next to the CO top centre.

Game 1: Day 1: Morning: more Imperial Droids line the edge of the cover (also all Expendables!) with their Recce out front and a large IFV/APC containing 3 stands of Imperial Stormtroopers well back out of harms way.

Game 1: Day 1: Morning - the Conscripts advance cautiously to start pouring fire into the Imperial Droid Line. With the CO encouraging them (top).
At this point things started to get a bit hectic & the official photographer 'forgot' his role (so no more photos) but needless to say on the Imperial right things got off to a bad start (& got worse) as the Imperial line was repeatedly his by Neo-Soviet artillery and then long-range smart missiles and anti-armour and plasma shooting. With both chicken walkers 'roasted' by plasma shots and all but one of the droids either suppressed or smoking - it was the turn of the large tank thing to become a 'fire-magnet' but it was a tough cookie and eventually ended up a charred & smoking hulk. On the Imperial left the battle between the Droid line and the Conscripts continued with both sides taking casualties, but in the end Michael's Vombats (having finished off the Imperial right) swung across to catch the IFV/APC in a devastating cross-fire and the Imperialist broke. Neo-Soviet casualties were light - with a couple of Conscript elements and a long-range tracked SPAT lost to enemy shooting (the SPAT advanced for a shot on the Droids only to discover they were classified as Infantry and it was # ... oh dear!)
A good warm-up game ... so good in fact that the Neo-Soviets obviously felt that honour was done and went home for the rest of the event!

Game 2: Day 1: Afternoon - my Orange Ork Clan (1,000 pts) - you get a lot of Orks for your money. This was a multi-player and I got drawn with a couple of 'rebel' Kraytonians (Paul & Gordon). My Ork horde consisted of: 2 x Flak Waggons (either flank), 2 Death Trucks, each with 2 stands of Ork infantry + 1 stand of Runts, both towing an AT gun (centre rear) backed up by their HO (in his mobile command tower) the whole formation was then led by the CO in his armoured mono-cycle, with 6 pig-riders ("piggs in spaaace!") and 6 ork bikers. A highly mobile force - that (unusually for me & them) managed 3 full movement  bounds in the 1st turn! "Go get em nasher!!!"

Game 2: Day 1: Afternoon - Pauls Kraytonian Flyers - sort of a cross between Avatar and Apocalypse Now! Sadly they seemed to get themselves 'frozen' in this moment for most of the game due to Paul's incredible poor showing on the command dice rolls.

Game 2: Day 1: Afternoon - Gordon's Krays in the distance, more flying lizard things plus some Rakkat riders and a few lighter jumping lizard riders. The 'thing' on legs in the centre - much admired by all  - was Gordon's CO in an armoured walker (manufacturer unknown).

Game 2: Day 1: Afternoon - Colin's Imperials advance (cautiously) on a large worm that has surfaced (presumably disturbed by the vibrations in the Force) and on a worm lava breeding compound. One of the objectives of the game being to capture worms ... and we all know what worms mean boys & girls ... worms mean prizes!

Game 2: Day 1: Afternoon - Gordon's defensive Rakkat Rider 'laager'. A formation he adopted rather quickly once Paul's CO had been attacked by Alan's burrowing Bug horde! Shame nobody had any Off-table artillery!

Game 2: Day 1: Afternoon - another view from Paul & Gordons table edge - showing the Compound (worth more 'prizes' if occupied) with the 'stalled' lizard flyers & Orange Ork Clan (bottom right) and the Imperialist Colin force off to the top left. I also think that there might be a few 'pinko' Krays appearing top centre (almost a full house with the exception of the SST Bugs).

Game 2: Day 1: Afternoon - Imperial Colin - looking slightly concerned as a large pink Gunship drops onto the table in front of him ... thankfully it had it's sights on Paul - but that was until Colin opened fire on it with his COs AA (oh dear Colin ... now say bye bye's!)

Game 2: Day 1: Afternoon -more of Steve's pinko Krays ... you don't get very many for your points apparently (according to Steve) but the rest of us though he had more than enough!

Game 2: Day 1: Afternoon - The Orange Orks advancing very rapidly - with nothing moving less than 25 cms this was a fast advance (for Orks anyway).

Game 2: Day 1: Afternoon - Kurboom!!! something ... I cannot remember who or what 'toasts' a Kray Grav tank (sooper!) - maybe it was Colins Imperialists ? But of course there are always more Krays and now they are 'angry!'.

Game 2: Day 1: Afternoon - the Compound - occupied by 3 different Recce (all ignoring each other) and a Bug + a worm ... hardly a busy Compound IMHO - but the lander is nice.

Game 2: Day 1: Afternoon - Alans [SST] Bug Flyers - each armed with Flamethrowers. I think that there was an enemy element in the triangulated fire trajectories at the start of the turn ... oh ... where did it go (puff, crackle, sizzle) blasted to atoms ... not even any smoke!

Game 1: Day 2: Morning - my Great Scabby Desert terrain. The entire table was low cover, with the exception of the alkaline lake and a few low hills and 6 or so large open spaces. There was a road down the middle and a Compound at the far end. This was a pre-set 'Convoy' scenario with contractors protecting a convoy of fuel, against marauding scavengers. Safety was the Compound.

Game 1: Day 2: Morning - another of the 3 desert terrains - again this Grey Desert was mostly low cover  with a set of river bank whadi type features and an illegal settlement and a Khazari mining operation.

Game 1: Day 2: Morning - Steve setting up his (the 3rd) desert terrain - note he is wearing the 'away-strip' of his Kraytonian faction.

Game 1: Day 2: Morning - Alan - the Contractor in our game - up to some sort of devious Pax Arcadian activity ... at first I thought it might be a didgeridoo ... answers on a postcard please?

Game 1: Day 2: Morning - Steve's desert terrain

Game 1: Day 2: Morning - my Scabby desert terrain - from a different angle (nice eh?)

Game 1: Day 2: Morning - the Compound on Steve's desert world - an eclectic blend of the old & the ultra-modern.

Game 1: Day 2: Morning - Gordon's Grey desert - the whadi in all it's glory + a few crops (mind altering drugs apparently)

Game 1: Day 2: Morning - the Khazari mining facility (they did have a legal prospecting permit - after all that fuss)

Game 1: Day 2: Morning - some other sort of facility - apparently an innocent dew-farm - not a centre for the production of weapons of mass destruction as we had all initially been led to believe!

Game 1: Day 2: Morning - my game gets underway - the Pax Arcadian contractors fan out ahead of the convoy, expecting trouble (they had received a tip-off maybe?)

Game 1: Day 2: Morning - facing the sound of revving bikes and squealing pigs the Arcadian APCs turn to flank (nice trucks). NB: the cards were 'assets' which the scavengers could activate by putting elements on them. Some assets were good - weapons upgrades, extra troops etc. Some assets were not so good ... like the bunch of future-Taliban which sprung up in ambush (centre) - ouch!!!

Game 1: Day 2: Morning - a nice shot of those trucks, no wonder the scavengers were after them - they were a matching paint job.

Game 1: Day 2: Morning - Ah, finally I hear you say ... yes it's the Orange Ork Clan again, "pigs to the right of me & bikers to the left (smoking) here I am stuck in the middle with you"

Game 1: Day 2: Morning - the Convoy puts its foot down, past the landing pad - over half way home now already

Game 1: Day 2: Morning - Oh dear is that a lonely Mammoth tank all on it's own on the far left? 

Game 1: Day 2: Morning - EEEK! a truck loada orks triggers an ambush by a competitive scavenger gang. Scratch 1 x Ork truck, 2 x Ork infantry stands + 1 stand of Runts & a towed AT gun (hmmm this "all your eggs in one basket" plan is not working!)

The trucks continue to make their escape.

Game 1: Day 2: Morning - finally the Mammoth surcomes to an attack by 4 Pigs & a Buggy in the flank ... but all to no avail as it is fuel that is the objective of the game :((

Game 1: Day 2: Morning -so in the end the Orks had launched their ambush too early and despite trashing an Arcadian Mammoth tank and collecting a host of additional weapon/assets/units, the all important fuel trucks had made it safely back to the Compound.

Game 2: Day 2: Morning - the Orange Orks now deploy on the Grey desert, supported by a rebel Kray faction (commanded by Paul) against Steve's pinko Krays. 

Game 2: Day 2: Morning - Ork Armour supports bikes and allied 'jumper' infantry

Game 2: Day 2: Morning - the Kray armour 'appears' and Pulse-fires down the line of Scavenger Riders  - now that is just not very friendly!!!

Game 2: Day 2: Morning - Kray rebels appear, to take on the Pinko Krays now the Orks have drawn them into the open.

Game 2: Day 2: Morning - remind me why having all our infantry in trucks was a good idea again? 

Game 2: Day 2: Morning - oh dear (understatement) - I think an Ork recce has disturbed a nest of bugs!

Game 2: Day 2: Morning - let's take a closer look. No ... it doesn't look any better in close up!

 In the end the Orks collected a load more assets but neither of the Krays could do each other much damage. So the game ended with a lot of smoking Ork armour but most of the asset cards triggered or collected. However, the Orks were now totally out of fuel.

Game 3: Day 2: Afternoon - the big multi-player game with all players on a single table and a carefully crafted scenario where we were divided up into balanced sides/factions. The Krays & Pax Arcadians were defending the Prison Complex ahead of the arrival of a Grey Alien relief ship. Scavengers and Pirates attacking the Prison, all needed to get in & capture & trash the facilities, grab fuel, release prisoner & try & get off-planet PDQ.

Game 3: Day 2: Afternoon - another shot of the Prison  - with (the now traditional Boot Camp appearance of Alans) landing craft on the airstrip .

Game 3: Day 2: Afternoon - Orange Ork Clan setup - note that extra assets are marked by coloured counters (loada Smart Missile & HVP laser upgrades) but that all mechanised transport is counted as dug in & 'grounded' due to lack of fuel. But what is that large creature on the right of the formation? Yup - it is a large lizard type 'beasty-thing' which was 'acquired' from recce activity in the deep Grey desert - and how fortunate it doesn't need any fuel to move  ... "which is nice!"

Game 3: Day 2: Afternoon - the Orange Ork pigs & dismounted infantry trudge wearily forward towards who knows what Kray horrors they might find in the Prison.

Game 3: Day 2: Afternoon - on the far flank - a new force of Scavengers has appeared but having assaulted a number of prison guard sentry guns & bunkers + smoking some more, they start to fall foul of a nasty looking Kray Gunship! NB: the big white doughnut thing is some sort of Grey Alien artifact ... better ask Gordon about that - far too technical for us Orks.

Game 3: Day 2: Afternoon - Colin's Gammorians (Star Wars Ork types) - mostly armour & mostly out of fuel - dug in & shooting at long-range against the airfield defenses.

Game 3: Day 2: Afternoon - the prison compound with the Pax Arcadian contractors having a barbeque by the pool. Oh dear ... is that a Kraytonian gunship template over the Orange Orks (top right) .... but like the Eye of Sauron it hovered (just briefly) then moved on find juicier targets (all the ork bikes were classified as Infantry so couldn't be spotted in the terrain - phew!)

Game 3: Day 2: Afternoon - the full crew (well minus me) ... but what is Steve up to I hear you ask? Well, he his using a laser pointer to work out just how many (all) of Mikes Ork armour he manages to hit in one go ... I draw a sad veil over the resulting scene (see below). 

Game 3: Day 2: Afternoon - 1st there was the air-strike

Game 3: Day 2: Afternoon - then there was the culprit

Game 3: Day 2: Afternoon - and still the Pax Arcadians drink beer by the pool

Game 3: Day 2: Afternoon - and then Mike's Ork get the full brunt of the Pulse weapon from the Kray gunship (very nasty - and all in 1 go!)

And that was about it ... the Grey Alien Mothership arrived to take off the current Kray Guards plus a few allies & contractors ... of yes and also an Orange Ork Clan that had done a deal (in typically under-hand Ork fashion) with the Krays ... wha ha ha haa!

Many thanks to Alan, Gordon, Steve & Paul for an assortment of scenarios.
My turn next year for at least 1 game scenario (pleeeeeese!)