Assault on Fortress T’BomFee

Are you having fun? Then you are winning. YaY!!

What? You say you want quantifiable conditions to satisfy your need for crushing opponents abjectly?

Are you sure you’re not really part of the House of Three Truths? Never mind. ;P

How about this:  Each time a unit respawns make a note of it, perhaps a tally mark on a white board. This will be how you track casualty counts.

At the end of the day, check who is holding the most bridges.

 If the Attackers hold all three bridges, then it is a Rebel total victory regardless of Rebel casualties.

If the Attackers hold Two bridges, and they have a LOWER casualty count than the Imperials, then it is a Rebel partial victory. The army has been delayed but the campaign for liberation will continue.

If the Attackers hold Two bridges, and they have a HIGHER casualty count than the Imperials, then it is an Imperial partial victory. The fortress has taken a heavy toll on the Rebels but the campaign for liberation will continue after the fortification has been purged of fascist scum.

If the Attackers hold no bridges, then it is an Imperial total victory regardless of Imperial casualties. The re-education camps will open and the purges commence on alternate Tuesdays.

For additional strategic challenges, asymmetrical forces could be used at the beginning of the battle.

Considering the battle, we would suggest, to have the three battle be fought with unequal sides.

For the outside I would suggest an advantage for the attacker as they come in at full force whereas the defender are still grouping themselves.

– Bridges table: Defender 1:3 Attacker

– Fortress table: Defender 2:3 Attacker

 For the Chambers table this would be reversed as that is where a main part of the defenders are situated and are basically trying to get out to support the people outside.

– Inside: Defender 4:2 Attacker

We just ballparked the divisions between the armies and someone who actually has more experience with the game would be better situated to say if this is too much or if the difference should be even more steep.

*Respawning*

We propose using a Respawn mechanic to simulate vast numbers of troops. Each person will only have built a limited number of models and it would be more fun to be able to commit to the meat grinder, if you knew that your game would not be over if your squad was killed.

Named special characters would only have one life. Use them wisely.

Respawn points –

Bridges Table – Both sides respawn anywhere along the long edge of their side of table. Attacker may also attempt to land gliders on table.

Fortress Table  – Attackers attempt to land gliders on the table. Defenders do not respawn on the Fortress table. They move on from the Chambers Table.

Chambers Table – Defenders respawn from determined points at the back of the table. Attackers do not respawn on the Chambers Table. They move on from the Fortress Table.

*Deployment*

            Each side will need to decide how to deploy their **players** initially.

How much attention to devote to the Bridges, they are the ultimate objectives, versus how much attention is devoted to the Fortress. If the Fortress is not neutralized, then the bridges can’t possibly be captured, but if all the forces are on the Fortress then nothing is left to capture or hold them.

After the game has begun, players may choose freely which part of the battle they would like to contribute to by choosing which respawn point to redeploy at. The idea is to maximize fun by allowing the players to freely move around and sample every part of the battle if they like.

–          Bridges table deployment

Each side deploys along their respective long edge of the table. Each deployment zone is a length 3 distance. Both vehicle and infantry may be deployed to this table.

–          Fortress table deployment

This table has the more complicated rules for deployment.

The Imperial defenders determine which gun positions are manned and which units are deployed there. Those figures are physically placed in the corresponding rooms on the Chambers table.

Historically, not all of the positions were manned but the attackers did not know that. If it seems like metagaming by the Attackers seems likely perhaps the troop assignments could be written down or the Chambers table could be in another room to heighten the mystery and tension about what is happening inside the fortress.

The Glider assault works as follows:

Historically not every glider made it to the battlefield on time.

Pregame – each glider rolls one of the Black attack dice and on a “blank” result they are delayed and don’t deploy before the battle.

When deploying the glider pilot nominates a point on either the Fortress Table or the Bridges Table,

  * Roll a Black attack die:

    – Surge or Critical Result – Place Glider on nominated point

    – Simple Result – 30 cm (12 in.) scatter in direction of point on the d8

    – Blank result – 60 cm (24 in) scatter, placed by opponent

Later in the game, infantry can choose to respawn in a glider.  Make a Reserves roll with a Black attack die.

 * Surge or Critical result – Deploy immediately. Make a deployment roll as above.

  * Simple Hit Result – Delayed. Deploy next turn or choose to walk on at Respawn point on Bridges table.

  * Blank Result – Distant. Roll again next turn or choose to walk on at Respawn point on Bridges table.

***Any glider attempting to land on the Fortress table may be shot at once by the defending  AA positions before landing.***

–          Chambers table deployment

The Imperial forces deploy wherever they like on the Chambers table.

Might I suggest in one of the gun positions?  That seems like a good idea. From there they’ll be able to rain death on rebel scum. If they get proper authorization first, of course.

*Firing the BIG DEATH GUNS*

Historically,  the fortress had really bad preparation, low quality coordination, and horribly bureaucratic command structure.

The big gun emplacements were “dialed in” on points of strategic interest. The gunners could not physically see what they were shooting at.  They dialed the weapons to the pre-determined setting listed for any given target and fired based on that. But they were forbidden from firing at anything at all unless given explicit orders from officers elsewhere.

On the upside, when the guns fired, they struck the target precisely and destroyed any vehicles or infantry utterly.

The defenders will have designated pre-determined targets on the Bridges table for the big guns.

The troops occupying a given gun position may attempt to fire that gun. Obviously, unmanned positions can’t fire, the Empire doesn’t automate such things. Why are you against gunner employment? They need wages too, you know.

Instead of rolling to hit, the gunners roll a White defense die.

On a Blank result, nothing happens. Permission hasn’t been given or the gun misfires or the ammo is faulty.

On any other result, a 5″ blast marker is placed on the pre-designated target and anything underneath it is annihilated.

Defenders designate 10 fixed locations on the Bridges table as targets. Once those locations are struck by the big guns leave a marker there representing smoking craters. Maybe the attackers will be smart enough to not walk there anymore.

The forces that just got smoked will be able to respawn at appropriate places to charge and die again. There will glory for all.

*Breaching turrets and silencing Big Death Guns*

Each attacking squad has two shaped charge explosive Maguffins powered by the angst created when Khyber and Dilithium crystals are combined with liquid unobtainium.

When in base contact with a turret , the squad may roll 2 Red Attack Dice to use one of their M4-GFN Shaped Charge Explosives to blow a whole in the turret.

2 Hit results are necessary to breach the turret, in addition for each Surge or Crit result rolled, one defender is automatically killed by the blast.

If the maguffin successfully breaches the turret, that gun goes out of action and the attackers may move into the corresponding gun chamber on the Chambers Table.

*Oh yeah, I promised a Giant Rampaging Tentacle Monster*

The Imperials have the aforementioned GRTM in a containment facility somewhere on the Chambers Table. They can choose at any time to release it from confinement.

After it is released, it will move at Speed 3 (or whatever that is called) toward the nearest living thing and attack it using, let’s say, 3 Red Attack Dice.  IIRC those things were basically unkillable in the movie so let’s not worry about defense stats.

The critter will attack ANYONE and all casualties caused by count toward the victory conditions. It definitely could be used as a means of driving off the Rebel intruders in the fortress but it could end up being a very costly weapon of last resort. Could be a lot of fun though, watching that chaos.

When considering probabilities we used this pic to consider what sort of dice would give the best results.

This is the table for people who can’t wait to try the Legion rules for Close Quarter Battle in room to room fighting. This table is also where the Imperial Fort Troopers will respawn.

The Chambers table is either a full sized table layout, or several smaller play areas representing multiple levels of the fortress. It would all be built of the Corespace terrain that you’ve used before for the Star Wars space station that John built a while ago.

The table would be laid out in such a way that each of the gun positions on Fortress table would have a corresponding Chamber/room that the Imperial gunners would be deployed in.

When the attackers breach a given turret on Fortress table , that squad then relocates into the corresponding room on the Chambers table and performs a Breach & Clear operation there.

The original Fortress Eben Emael was a massive installation built under a hilltop. It was covered in machine guns, artillery, barbed wire, and false turrets. There were no entrances (or exits) on the surface of the hilltop. Attackers wishing to breach the inside of the facility would need to blast their way in through one of the functioning turrets.

This table highlights Lloyd’s upholstery foam terrain in all its glory. The opportunities for 50 and 100 mm rock faces that interfere with movement and line-of-sight are boundless and would cause great mischief.

The Bridges table is an opportunity for people who want to play an open field battle running from cover to cover and outflank and outwit the enemy.

It could be laid out in a variety of ways. The presence of three bridges implies three branches of a river or ravine on the table.

If one of these branches broke up a deployment/respawn zone then that creates challenges for that side to maintain a mutually supportive force rather than attempt to run two independent flanks. If both sides were broken up by rivers then it would create the same challenges for each side.

The tactical dynamics of speeders and amphibious vehicles in Star Wars allow for interesting opportunities to raid back and forth across those infantry-impassable features and harrying the opponent.

In the historical battle the Strategic objective was to take and hold the three bridges nearby. Tactically, it was necessary to neutralize the fortress in order to take them.

 There will be three tables.

– Bridges Table: will contain the three bridges that are being contested.

– Fortress Table: is an upholstery foam hilltop with the domed gun emplacements that the gliders will land on.

– Chambers Table: is the inside of the fortress built of the Corespace terrain sets that are in the studio.

     “Assault on Fortress T’BomFee” is based on The Battle of MF’in Eben Emael (TBoMFEE, see what we did there? 😉 ) from WWII, using only the finest and most awesome historical elements in order to create a superlative experience of total and complete epic killyness.

It has everything!

A set piece pitched battle fighting over three (3!) bridges

Huge artillery guns that completely annihilate anything they hit

Airborne troops landing in stylish chromed-out gliders

Shaped Charge Explosives that blow huge holes in the sides of huge artillery turrets.

Desperate room-to-room battles in an underground complex

Giant tentacle monster things rampaging through that same underground complex

Machine gun nests, miles of barbed wire, false turrets to deceive and delay the attackers

Violence aplenty as troops are cut down and blown to smithereens in great numbers

Bodies parts flying everywhere, but no sex scenes though, this is a family movie.

            The Fortress T’BomFee is an Imperial held fortress on a poor defenseless victimized world just minding its own business. It is an “unassailable” fortification, filled with a vast number of troops, which overlooks three strategic bridges that must be secured in order to drive the Imperials out.

A land assault for the bridges is kicked off. This land assault has been anticipated and the Empire has allowed it to progress unimpeded in order to demonstrate that the Imperial troops can crush the rebels without even resorting to the guns of the fortress.

            Meanwhile, using an annual unpowered glider regatta as a cover, the rebels divert from the regatta to land on the upper surface of the fortress and breach the gun turrets using innovative new shaped charges. This unprecedented aerial landing catches the contemptuous and complacent Imperials flat-footed.

            We envision this battle to be of grand epic proportions to easily rival the other events that I’ve seen on OTT.  Our goal is for all the special scenario rules to have epic proportions and high killyness. Balanced out by being able to respawn squads and vehicles to charge and die again.

            Anticipating a weekend comprised of one Build day, one Battle day and one Bullshitting day, this event will allow people who have only assembled a small portion of their new models to participate fully and hurl themselves into various meatgrinders over and over to their heart’s content.

Looking at the historical battle, I have to say this battle is soooo Star Wars!!!

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Each of these videos is about 10 mins long.

This first part of the documentary lays out the basic scenario elements and quick summary of the battle.

Youtube Documentary from the History Channel while it was still semi-reputable.

(1/5) Dangerous Missions – Eben Emael – World War II

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kpbz1TTdhKQ

(2/5) Dangerous Missions – Eben Emael – World War II

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1g1era65nr0

 (3/5) Dangerous Missions – Eben Emael – World War II

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sX5USDaYMTQ

 (4/5) Dangerous Missions – Eben Emael – World War II

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZDjD-fCQKf4

 (5/5) Dangerous Missions – Eben Emael – World War II

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3v2vpFHLGgk

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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Fort_Eben-Emael

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This link is for: Interactive: German Glider Assault on Fort Eben Emael, 1940 https://www.historynet.com/interactive-german-glider-assault-fort-eben-emael-1940.htm

HistoryNet

Amy Chan

Interactive: German Glider Assault on Fort Eben Emael, 1940

You are Oberleutnant Rudolf Witzig, commander of 85 glider- borne German fallschirmjäger (paratroopers). Your mission is to attack Fort  Eben Emael,