Crystallum: Conflict in the Far Future Battle Report Vlast vs Federation of Columbia 450 pts

By Chris Masucci

This week, Chris brings us a battle report featuring the Crystallum rules set, of which he is co-author.

A swirl of radioactive dust swept through the silent streets of East Atana, the border town that had been under Federation control for the past three months until strategic command lost contact with the small division stationed there. East Atana would have been yet another forgettable settlement.

However, its still functional airbase had been well utilized by Federation forces and the presence of an AX-15 Heavy Lifter Craft currently stationed at the base spurred Federation command to send a relief force to East Atana.  Unbeknownst to the advancing Federation column, East Atana had been taken by hostile forces. A mixed platoon of Vlast vehicles and personnel had been stationed in the settlement and awaited the Federation forces to try and retake the city.

This game consisted of both Federation and Vlast combined arms companies. The mission played was Weapons Free, a single-center objective was placed in the center of the board and each unit present would be worth victory points when destroyed. The Vlast force consisted of an infantry commander, tank commander, T80-C platoon, two platoons of Guards, a platoon of Spetsnaz mounted in BMP transports, a Godhammer artillery platform, and a Hind for air support.

The Federation would be advancing with a single infantry commander, a platoon of Roosevelt tanks, a battery of Skyscraper artillery, two platoons of Rangers, a minimum sized platoon of Minutemen in Detroit transports, a Bluebird VTOL, and a Columbia superheavy tank. During deployment, the Vlast chose to place the Spetsnaz and the Hind into reserve. The Federation choose to place their Minutemen and Bluebird into reserves.

Once all units had been deployed the Vlast won the initiative for the initial turn and began to move their units into position. The Godhammer opened with a salvo from its Redemption howitzer targeting the Columbia tank. Despite its superior armor plating, the Godhammer’s weapon dealt devastating damage to the Columbia, stripping 9 of its 11 integrity points and leaving its systems critically damaged.

In response the Columbia used its turn to activate its self-repair mechanisms, regaining 3 integrity and shedding both critical hit markers. The Vlast attempted to seize the opportunity and moved their T80-C tanks up the left flank to engage the Federation Roosevelt tanks taking cover behind shell craters in the road.

The volley of Gauss cannon shots from the T80-C tanks struck one Roosevelt, dealing minor damage to the vehicle. The Roosevelt tanks advanced and fired back into the advancing Vlast vehicles, the large rotary guns of the Roosevelts targeting one of the Vlast T80-C tanks and ripping through its armor leaving it a useless wreck.

On the right flank, platoons of both Vlast and Federation infantry made for the center objective placed next to the settlement’s airbase. Both platoons of Federation Rangers rushed towards the airbase, successfully grabbing the center point before the Vlast Guards could intercept them. Forced to sit on the outskirts, for now, the Vlast Guards fired on the Rangers’ position with a few machine guns, causing a few scattered casualties.

Federation artillery attempted to target the Vlast infantry on the roads to suppress them and keep them away from the airbase, but most of their fire missed its target leaving the Vlast infantry still poised to attack the center objective. Turn 1 ended with the Federation in control of the center objective and no reserves arriving on the battlefield.

The Vlast forces continued to hold the initiative on turn two, with the Godhammer firing a salvo again at the Columbia, and again the artillery found its target. This time, unfortunately, the Columbia did not have enough integrity left to weather the storm of fire and the massive tank detonated, still far from the Federation front line. Needing to recover from this massive loss of equipment, the Federation infantry defending the airbase hunkered down and went on overwatch while the Roosevelt tanks turned their guns towards another T80-C tank which again fell to the combined fire of three Torch Gatling cannons.

With their armored forces faltering, the remaining Vlast T80-C tank and the platoon’s commander fired off their guns once more at the Roosevelt tanks, causing some damage but failing to knock out any of the Federation vehicles. With their attack fruitless, the T80-C tanks attempted to move down a connecting road to avoid taking further fire from the Roosevelts. Federation artillery again attempted to suppress the advancing Vlast infantry, causing a few casualties.

Seeing as their opportunity to attack was growing thin the Vlast Guards assaulted the airbase, the combined fire from their assault rifles and machine guns causing mass casualties across the Ranger platoons. The Ranger’s reaction fire was a total failure with most shots missing their targets. Turn 2 ended with the Vlast contesting the center objective, and with all reserves arriving for the next turn.

Turn 3 saw the Federation claim the initiative for the first time. Trying to keep their hold on the center objective the remaining Rangers fired upon the Guards reducing one platoon to a mere two bases. The Vlast committed their Spetsnaz to the filed in their BMP transports. Driving along the road to the airbase, the BMP’s fired into the Roosevelt tanks but again failed to knock any of the tanks out.

The Federation tanks succeeded in destroying the Vlast T80-C platoon, leaving only the tank commander left. The Vlast again committed their reserves with the Hind flying in and firing its weapons into both the Roosevelt platoon and Rangers on the objective.

Rocket detonations tore the defending Rangers apart and one Roosevelt tank exploded as the Hind’s heavy rockets slammed into it. The Federation responded with their own air support, the Bluebird putting all its rockets and strafer cannon into the Vlast tank commander, destroying the vehicle in one savage volley. The Vlast Guards launched another attack on the remaining Rangers, clearing almost all of them from the airbase. During the end phase, the remaining Rangers failed their break check and began to retreat.

Turns 4 and 5 had the Vlast take control of the airbase but with vastly reduced forces. All the Vlast armored vehicles had been destroyed leaving them with infantry and a few support units to hold onto the objective. The Guards decided to finally charge in and engage the remaining Rangers in melee combat.

The Vlast Guards swept the Rangers and took control of the objective with the Spetsnaz dismounting from their transports and helping to secure the center. Federation tanks continued their onslaught of fire, destroying one of the BMP transports with their weapons. Both sides’ air units decided not to engage each other but rather fire their weapons into enemy ground troops to further their hold on the center.

On the final turn, the Vlast had secured the airbase with their remaining infantry, The Federation Minutemen had arrived in their Detroit transports, entering from the eastern road, and attempting to threaten the Vlast position. The Vlast Godhammer fired off a salvo targeting one of the Minuteman transports, obliterating the vehicle and its occupants. The battered Minutemen attempted to attack the Vlast Spetsnaz but their reduced numbers prevented them from making enough of a difference and the Vlast ended turn 6 in control of the objective. The game ended on turn 6 with a Vlast victory, 18 to 11 points.

Crystallum is a miniature neutral 6-15mm sci-fi game set in a post-sundering future version of Earth where various human factions fight for possession of a new and valuable resource. The Crystallum ruleset is available here.