ASQL: Easy Riders Outlaw Gang

It's time for the annual club ASQL tournament again; this time using the brand new 3rd edition rules. Instead of using an army I've used before, at the last moment, I decided I could paint up these Ramshackle bikers and play an Easy Rider Outlaw Gang army, just in case there was a chance I might have a clue what I'm doing.

I'm going with a Warlord with Bodyguard. Two Gang Leaders with Bodyguards and light vehicles, each with three light vehicles in their gang. A Gang Leader with light vehicle and heavy weapon, with three light vehicles with heavy weapons. And a Gang Leader with light vehicle and heavy weapon, with three light vehicles with heavy weapons and a customised AFV.

  

ASQL: Tournament

Played this year's Alien Squad Leader tournament. I brought my Imperial Strike Force army.

The first battle I faced an Alien Imperial army (my other army, so you'd think I'd know what it does). I piled everything into one flank, as quickly as possible, just like everyone who plays Imperial Strike Force advised me to do. I got pinned down pretty quickly and barely setting foot on the objective, before I reached my break point. This handed my opponent a Total Victory. This Alien Imperial Army won all its games comfortably and won the tournament so I don't feel so bad about being massacred so easily.

The second game, I faced the game's author's Alien Greys army, which proceeded to paralyse me with their annoying paralysis rays, and then gradually whittle me down. Fortunately, I managed to hold on for a draw. I lost by about 8 points which is a draw in the tournament rules (15 points are required for a narrow victory).

The final game I played another Imperial Strike Force. In fact, it was the army that inspired me to build my Alien Strike Force, and so they were virtually identical. Appropriately we also got virtually identical scores, and finished with a draw.

My two draws and a Total Defeat were enough to gain me joint last place in the tournament. Result!

 

ASQL: Space Base Terrain

Did some Built Up Area terrain to use with ASQL (though the buildings will probably work with any 15mm sci-fi). I used the tried and trusted sticking bits of rubbish to the outside of boxes technique.

ASQL: Imperial Strike Force

Here's 150 points of Imperial Strike Force army for Alien Squad Leader, ready for next week's tournament. They're from Ground Zero Games. Not sure why I paint so many armies pink and yellow.

They are three APC with a scout car Command, three Shocktroopers with a Command, three Assault Troops and one Support Squad. And that's all I got for 150 points coz I gave them almost every upgrade going.

GZG Freebies

I just received my order from Ground Zero Games for 150 points of ASQL Imperial Strike Force. Not a particularly huge order. And, because it's christmas, they sent some freebies. I am very impressed by the amount of freebiness and how closely it complements my order (and coincidentally my ASQL army list). So, thanks a lot GZG, and merry xmas.

ASQL: Tournament

So we had our Alien Squad Leader mini tournament. Here's a bunch of random pictures of all the games.

My first game I played a Children of the Gods army. It went pretty smoothly as I was gradually but unspectacular beaten back. I was so frightened of god's elite troops making a flank attack, that I covered them so well, I forgot about the rest of the battle field. God (if she exists at all) has more chance of turning up if her army is under pressure, which probably explains why she didn't bother to make an appearance in this game.

My second game was an Alien Imperial civil war, probably caused by racist dogma, where my terracotta-y crusties fought an army of beige-y crusties. Beige-y scum! The swathe of no-man's-land down the middle of the board, and neither army set up for a massive assault, meant this was pretty attritional. Fortunately, a couple of lucky hits right at the end of the game meant I just sneaked a win.

My third game was against a biker Outlaw Gang. Feeling like I was getting the hang of things, I set up my force with a bit of a plan in mind. Which turned out to be nonsense when my heavy droids were swamped by about twenty super-manoeuvrable bikes, while the rest of my army just sat there and watched. Fortunately, again, my opponent was a single point away from a winning score, and so this ended up being about the most one-sided draw imaginable.

So my lost one, won one, drew one record meant I was very happy with a respectable mid-table finish.

I really like the game. It plays fast but seems to have a lot of depth. It's difficult enough that you need to make a concerted effort to break into the enemies lines but it seems to reward coordinated actions in the right sort of way. The command system means you need to organise your troops with a bit of foresight if you want them to have a better chance of doing what you want.

The best thing about the game, istm, are the nice-sized, thematic army lists. You can get a decent 150 pt. force for a reasonable price. I think my 250 pts cost about 80 quid, which gives me a good few options on what to field for a smaller game.

It's the sort of game that encourages you to make smaller, tightly-themed armies, and I'm already thinking about my next one. I'm planning a long-term, conversion heavy Mad Max type army, and will probably make a Human Colonial force next.

And God finally showed up.