54mm ... yes, these are some big models! We used my 6 foot by 8 foot table which was only a slight challenge ...
The game plays over three "waves" of Mexican troops. Three columns of 28 figures for each of the 4 sides of the Alamo start 30" away from the wall. Each column advances 3D6" per turn. Once a Mexican column reaches a wall, a ladder goes up and they can start feeding troops up the ladder. Each column can shoot 1D6, needing a 6 to hit.
We placed each Mexican column on the table where they the player wanted them to approach and used D6's to mark how far away (subtracting from 30") the column was from the wall. Since casualties are removed from the front of the column (to slow its advance), for each 4 casualties (column was 4 figures wide), we added 2" to the distance the column was at.
Meanwhile, the defenders get 1D6 per model - needing 4+ to score a hit. If you are firing a hero or sharpshooter, the score is 3+ to hit. There are a mix guns in the fort. 1 heavy, a few medium, and some light guns. Heavy guns inflict 3D6 hits in wave 1, 2D6 in wave 2, and 1D6 in wave 3. Medium do 2D6 hits in wave 1 and 1D6 hits in wave 2 and 3. Light guns do 1D6 hits in each wave. Mexican columns cannot be hit by artillery once they are within 12" of the wall.
While the Texan's can't achieve "victory" - the "forth wave" always wins ... if they are still alive/holding the fort at the end of the third wave it is considered a Texan victory.
Nick mentioned that the Mexicans had never failed to take the fort by the end of the third wave in previous times he had run it. However, mostly thanks to the incredibly lucky dice of Dan Kerrick, the Texans held out! Dan and I ran the Texans (I wasn't much help, 4+ is a lot to ask!). Nick, Wyn, Roy and Adrian ran the Mexicans, each taking one of the sides of the fort.
This game was a lot of fun - very straight forward rules we all picked up quickly and it played very well. Pictures below.
A great way to spend a lovely Sunday afternoon.
54mm? Stunning display!
ReplyDeleteYeah, Nick is crazy! I thought I was "going big" at 28mm. Was very fun and didn't need my glasses :-) lol
DeleteConventions, painting, hosting games... it's almost like you found a time machine and jumped back a few years 😂 madness
ReplyDelete... or the much better thought, maybe we're actually getting past this pandemic 🙏
So at 54mm are all those figures plastic, they'd have to be no? If they're not, the weight is making my back hurt just thinking about transporting them around.
lol! It's starting to feel like this thing is behind us. Nice to be getting back to doing things and feeling some level of motivation to do more.
DeleteMost of them are plastic ... I think there were a few metal figures in there. I helped carry the stuff in and out and it wasn't very heavy (the actual fort is foamcore).
Those Mexicans started close huh?
ReplyDeleteJust looks that way ... technically they start 30" away ... we used dice to track how far away there were from the wall.
DeleteHi Jay I use these same rules called Come and take it for my 28mm Alamo game. How long did it take you guys to complete the Game? I felt like the rules made the game too long and wondered if you all made any modifications to the rules that expedited the playing time of the game? Appreciate your post and answers.
ReplyDeleteJosh
Hey Josh. Game went along smoothly ... finished in about 2.5 hours, which I think was perfectly reasonable.
DeleteDidn't really modify anything. We had some ideas at the end. Nick is mulling over some very minor adjustments.
Josh, in the original rules each of the 1st and 2nd Mexican wave attacks only end when all 12 of the Mexican units routs or is destroyed. So it can drag things out. For the game at Jay's I tried a breakpoint of 2/3's for each unit as well as each of the 4 columns so that when a column lost 2 of its 3 units it also routed. It was tough on the Mexicans but it did really speed up the game.
DeleteAhhh, excellent, thanks for replying Nick. Wasn't sure what you had changed from the original.
DeleteWhat a fantastic looking game and well done the Texans for reversing history! Its a ;period I have considered "doing" several times - I like the idea of the Napoleonic style uniforms worn by the Mexican Army!
ReplyDeleteAgree, the uniforms are striking :-)
DeleteWow! What a table! I love this, truly! The Alamo was my favorite play pastime as a kid growing up in Texas, building the entire complex over and over again out in the sand box, only to destroy it in battle. I wish I still had all of the Marx figures.
ReplyDeleteRegards,
Vol
Cool! It was a fun game.
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