"It's the most remote parish in Herefordshire, and the field armies of all the VBCW factions have "passed it by" in their determination to attack each other - it might be said that Little Hereford is truly a 1930s agricultural idyll. Well, apart from the heavily armed local farmers and their homemade A/T weapons, marauding renegades (of all factions), robbers and brigands (of none), numerous spies and intelligence men, and the psychotic Nuns of St. Mary Magdalene....
The Autumn Big Game 2023 is an "all play all" bashathon, where there are farms to capture, cattle to rustle and individual reputations (and individiual alliances) to be made (or unmade)..."
Following our "Early Notice Post", it's time to set out the Scenario for the Autumn Big Game 2023 ("Big Trouble in Little Hereford"). And there is indeed "Big Trouble" (or there certainly will be by lunchtime...)
1. The Table
Our usual "Big Table" represents the Parish of Little Hereford, consisting of five farms and the Church of St. Mary Magdalene. Farms and Church will be randomly distributed across the Table by the Umpires, and as the Table is purely representative, there is no need on this occasion for any kind of map. Umpire/Terrain Tsar Roo will, as per usual, provide and place all the roads, hedges, ditches, trees, bushes, haystacks etc. etc. that might be necessary to 'provide interest and break up lines of fire' across the Parish. For his part, Umpire Clive will provide all the farmers' "agricultural animals" (aka "objective points" or "mobile barbecue snacks") and also place them in random pattern across the "Big Table". The result? A 1930s "rural idyll" awaiting some action....
2. The Farms and Farmers
Each of the five farms is owned and run by a "Big Man" - the 1930s equivalent of an 'agricultural baron'. It just so happens that each "Big Man" is represented by a Charbens or Britains 54mm figure dating from the 1930s, so quite as old as the VBCW itself. Each "Big Man" is placed within the boundaries of his farm and will not move during the course of the Big Game - he is just a personality placeholder.
Each of the five farms has a section of 10 armed agricultural workers (rifles/LMG) standing ready to defend their farm. Some farms may have, in addition, a heavy weapon of some kind (mortar or MMG), and all have some kind of improvised AT weaponry (bomb pigs, anyone ? exploding milk churns? TNT satchels ?).
While within their own farm, all agricultural workers are immune from morale tests. They are all determined to "fight and die for their home" and, while on the farm, count as "Trained/Regular" for all other purposes. Should the agricultural workers be moved out of their own farm, however, they count as "Raw/Green" for all purposes, including morale.
At the start of the Big Game, the Umpires control all the "Big Men" and their agricultural workers, however armed. While under Umpire control, the agricultural workers will adopt a purely defensive posture, i.e. seeking only to defend their own farm.
3. The Farmers' Co-Operative Assets
The "Big Men" of Little Hereford have entered into a "Defensive Co-Operative" in anticipation of attack. The Co-Operative has purchased bribed persuaded the following to come to their aid:
(1). a "Farmers' Technical", i.e. a PMW 1.5 ton truck armed with an improvised "heavy tank gun" using "homemade ammunition". Softskin with a crew of 4, Green/Raw for all purposes.
(2). the "Little Hereford Light Horse", i.e. a section of 10 Cavalry armed with swords and carbines. Count as "Trained/Regular" for all purposes, these country troopers can also "fire from the saddle".
The Farmers' Co-Operative Assets will be placed roughly in the centre of the Table at the beginning of the Big Game, and will at all times remain under Umpire control. Their general mission is to assist in the defence of any farm under physical attack.
4. Random Umpire Forces
But that's not all. In addition to the Umpire Controlled "Farmer's Co-Operative Assets" detailed above, the Umpire Forces may be fortified by the appearance of (at random, controlled by dice throw at the start of each move):
(1). The North Herefordshire Hunt - beware the fox! A pack of ten pink jacketed huntsmen and their baying pack of hounds charge after a randomly moving fox; they will run down anything that stands between them and their quarry!
(2). The Herefordshire Police Lancers - a patrol of 10 stern faced "keepers of law and order" with their pigstickers, ready to engage all and sundry !
(3). "Doc Daktari and the Shangani Patrol" (2 x South Rhodesian Technicals with 'Big Game Hunters'). South Rhodesia's finest enter by road, determined to take "a few trophies" home to Salisbury - and these hunters are heavily armed but not at all fussy !
Additional rules for the above will be blog published in due course, or at least appear on Roo's Mobile Phone for the Big Day. There may or may not be more "Random Umpire Forces" on the Big Day - it may depend upon what the Umpires find in their storage boxes the night before !
5. The Nuns
A schismatic sect of psychotic Nuns, led by Mother Superior Firepower, have recently taken over St. Mary Magdalene Church in Little Hereford. The former parish Church has now been turned it into a Convent devoted to the worship of "the Blessed Alfred Nobel".
The Nuns have a mortar with a spotter, one section of "nun infantry" (9 Rifles and 1 LMG), one section of "self immolating explosive nuns" (10 Nuns with suicidal tendencies and huge explosive charges), and an HQ led by Mother Superior Firepower.
The Nuns begin "the Big Game" at prayer within St. Mary Magdalene Church, and will at all times remain under Umpire control.
The Nuns will not take any part in "the Big Game" unless:
(i). directly attacked, in which case they will defend St. Mary Magdalene with utmost ferocity;
(ii). "disturbed from their devotions", in which case they will seek to "cleanse the Parish of all malefactors". "Malefactors" may include anyone, even local farmers - these are, after all, psycho-Nuns.
Quite what may cause the nuns to be "disturbed from their devotions" is unknown, but loud noises such as explosions, revving engines, the rattle of tank tracks, ululations of grief, rifle fire, etc. etc. would, on the whole, seem unwise.
Nuns, permanently in a state of religious ecstasy, are never subject to morale tests. They count as "Trained/Regular" for all other purposes.
While organised as a section, the "self immolating explosive nuns" may move independently of each other, i.e. are not subject to the one inch "continuity" rule. Their explosives count as the same as AT teams when attacking armour; alternatively when attacking infantry or cavalry, their explosions count as mortar bursts. "Self immolating explosive nuns" may explode themselves whenever they wish (but will obviously only do so when worthwhile, e.g. in contact with a tank or when a mortar burst circle would cause casualties). Any more detailed rules in relation to Nuns will be provided by the Umpires at the start of the "Big Day".
It is rumoured that St. Mary Magdalene contains within it "a treasure of great value". Quite what it might be - perhaps "the Ark of the Covenant" rendering its possessor invincible in battle - can only be discovered by a Player taking complete control of St. Mary Magdalene.
6. Your Platoon
Your Platoon represents one of the "landless" contending groups within the Parish of Little Hereford, anxious to capture as many farms, agricultural animals and treasures as possible, and then finish with a victory barbecue.
Your Platoon could simply be 'an independent battlegroup' from one of the VBCW Factions (Anglican, BUF, Royalist, etc. etc.), stranded or left behind by the Hereford VBCW's famous "War of Manoeuvre". Or you could be an outfit of robbers, or brigands, or discontented agricultural workers, or anything you like, really. The point is that you're not bound by VBCW Faction, but are acting quite independently and for your own personal interests. Nobody is likely to enquire too closely as to what is happening in remote Little Hereford, and you can therefore feel free to make (or unmake) strange alliances as you wish...
Please use the Platoon Generator to ensure that your Platoon is in accordance with the "WTDW" rules. If you wish to create a new commander character (or just rename your existing commander) to reflect the isolated nature of Little Hereford and your own Platoon, that would help the Umpires. And remember - as the Umpires are nice, helpful people - if you're taking part in the Modelling Challenge 2023, you can, as a free Umpire Bonus, play your resulting Technical(s) at this Big Game !
7. Rustling Cattle - to your Farm
Well, when we say 'cattle', we really mean 'any kind of agricultural animal'. In addition to the ordinary cows, there will also be scattered across the Table all sorts of farm animals - sheep, pigs, ducks, etc. To rustle any kind of animal, you need to place one of your figures (any kind of figure) in base to base contact with said quarry, and then conduct it back to your Farm at an ordinary rate of movement (no charging back, please). So there's no point "rustling cattle" unless you have a Farm base to take them back to - in such circumstances, the animals will "simply wander off" (at Umpire discretion).
So how do you obtain a Farm ? Direct assault might be the most straightforward method, wiping out the farmer defenders and "capturing the Big Man". Or you could try to take a Farm by subterfuge, using your specially Umpire granted "Spies and Intelligence Men".......see below.
Special rule - St. Mary Magdalene, if and when occupied, also counts as "a Farm" for cattle rustling purposes. It just doesn't have a "Big Man" because, um, well....its a Nuns' Convent, for goodness' sake.
8. Spies and Intelligence Men
Vienna 1930, Madrid 1940, East Berlin 1950, Little Hereford at any time during the VBCW - these places are all known to have been hotbeds of espionage and counter-intelligence. Just to get you in to the proper frame of mind, please now play the theme tune from "The Third Man" before reading on. Done? Ok, then -
(a). in addition to your Platoon, you have an "Intelligence Unit" of six figures (1 Leader, 5 Agents). These are initially kept off-table, for use only in the "Intelligence Phase". If you want to produce suitable figures for your "Intelligence Unit", please do so, but the Umpires will provide an "Intelligence Unit" of figures for you otherwise;
(b). "Intelligence Phase". The Intelligence Phase occurs between each 'Move' and is of very short duration. Players decide if they want to play one of their "Intelligence Agents" (or even more critically, their "Intelligence Leader") to "subvert a Farm", and place their chosen figure next to the relevant "Big Man". There is then an opposed die roll of a D6 (drawn results are re-rolled) between the challenging "Intelligence Agent/Leader" and the defending "Big Man", with these modifiers added to the relevant D6 score:
Big Man +3
Intelligence Leader +2
Intelligence Agent + 1
"Its the Last Turn of the Big Game Challenge" - 2
(c). If the challenging "Intelligence Agent/Leader" loses the D6 opposed dice roll, the losing figure is surrendered to the Umpires, and plays no further part in the Big Game;
(d). If the challenging "Intelligence Agent/Leader" wins the D6 opposed dice roll, the "Big Man" and his farmer forces have been subverted by propaganda (or betrayed by a traitor within their ranks) and can then be used by the winner as part of their Platoon, whether staying to defend the Farm or exiting to assist the winning Player's offensive plans. The winning "Intelligence Agent/Leader" is placed and remains next to the "Big Man" to show "who's now the Boss", but has no combat value. The winning "Intelligence Agent/Leader" will then use the Big Man's dice modifier in any subsequent challenge;
(e). If, during the same "Intelligence Phase", two or more players choose the same Farm in which to place one of their Intelligence Agents/Leader, the players battle it out between themselves (using an opposed D6 roll) for the right to challenge the "Big Man".
(f). No, you cannot challenge the same "Big Man" with more than one "Intelligence Leader/Agent" during the same "Intelligence Phase";
(g). Yes, you can play more than one "Intelligence Leader/Agent" during the same "Intelligence Phase", provided they are each played against a different "Big Man";
(h). Yes, once a "Big Man" has been subverted in one "Intelligence Phase", any other Player can challenge the "Intelligence Leader/Agent" (in possession of the Farm) in any subsequent "Intelligence Phase", using the same opposed D6 method. The successful Player takes charge of the Farm and its' farmers (wherever they may be, even if they have exited the Farm).
Special Rule - the Convent is immune from Intelligence Attack
9. Your Aim
Read this far? Eyes crossed over at the complications ? OK then, here's the Executive Summary of your mission at the Autumn Big Game 2023:
"IT'S A BASH-ATHON. Blow up your Enemies (that's pretty much everyone). If you're brave, occupy the Convent. Otherwise, get a Farm, by fair means or foul. Keep the Farm. Avoid being run over by the North Herefordshire Hunt - or the Police Lancers. Get as many rustled cattle to the Farm as possible. Blow up your Enemies some more. Try to capture more Farms. Don't get machine-gunned by the Big Game Hunters. Blow up the recumbent corpses of your Enemies. At the end of the Big Game, whether roasting your rustled cattle or captured prisoners (hey, depends upon what kind of character you're playing) enjoy your inevitable Victory Barbecue."
At the end of the Big Game, the Umpires will declare the "Winner", which should be pretty obvious - the Player who has acquired the most Farms and Cattle while losing the fewest troops from his Platoon, or inflicting the most spectacular amount of casualties upon everyone else.
10. Campaign Background - and does it Matter ?
After the Communist's "Disaster at Dinmore" and the Combined Corporate Guard's vigorous defence of the Cadbury's Factory at Marlbrook from the aggressive (and sweet-toothed) Anglicans/Bromyard Social Democrats, HM Government are on somewhat of a high.
It is known that the defeated (and spectacularly athletic when necessary) Comrade Colonel Professor Winter has since spent most of his time dashing around in London, seeking to avoid "repatriation and liquidation" by Stalin's NKVD.
It is also known that HM Government's C-in-C, the newly promoted Major-General Everard and his staff, have been busy planning a significant "Government Counter-Offensive" (aka the Spring Big Game 2024).
However, as remote Little Hereford is cut off from such momentous events, for this Autumn Big Game 2023 only, absolutely none of this matters a jot..,,,
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