Punic Wars archers

The latest figures to endure their spell under the Brush of Doom and muster into winter quarters in GHQ are a dozen Aventine Miniatures archers from three different packs: Command figures, archers wearing hats and bareheaded archers. They are a really useful addition to the collection as they can mix with the existing bases and serve in the forces of either Coronus Cunctator or Haztrubal Bicca! Versatile you might say! Like all Aventine Miniatures figures they are cleanly sculpted and cast and thus seem to love the paint and scrub up nicely with very little difficulty ~

On the down side its taken me the best part of a week to get these done due to my persistent hand issues! Next in the queue now are three mounted figures for the Wars of the Roses project, from Aly's latest Red Cross parcel, Henry Tudor, his Standard Bearer and a second mounted knight for my Lancastrians. They are underway, so I'd hope to share them with you in not too long...

Heart of Darkness

While we are on the theme of forgotten armies/collections I've recently been thinking over the fate of the remnants of my Darkest Africa collection. As the jungle effect terrain was out recently for the Burma '43 game I thought, why not a Darkest Africa session? Change the buildings and rearrange the rest of the terrain and here we are, somewhere on the Dark Continent in the 1890's, will it prove to be the white man's grave ~

The collection is not large, as I've previously sold off various elements, but enough remains for a small action where terrain and superior numbers will play against British organisation and pluck. Can Watson of the River bring Mustapha Sihx and his ally King Bykalaizii m'Tubi to heel? Or will they jungle silently cover his remains?

Watson of the River leads his expedition forward bringing the benefits of civilization to the locals. Whether they want that benefit, or not...

Mustapha Sihx's rather swish residence and base of operations. He's an honest trader...well, sometimes he is!

King Bykalaizii m'Tubi, surrounded by his favourite wives, his fortune in ivory and his trusted advisors, plans how to keep hold of it all...

...whilst keeping his more questionable activities profiting from slavery hidden from the prying eyes of B'wana Watson, the all seeing bringer of the Queen-Empress' swift justice, dancing at the end of a rope!

The question of rules is important in a game of this scope and limited figures: too big for a skirmish, more a small battle. In younger days I might have tried Astounding Tales or even tried The Men Who Would Be Kings. But nowadays I prefer the familiar, so I settled on an experimental mash up ~

The Order and Nature of movement using Bolt Action dice, options and distances.

Firing using Black Powder. All units being Small with 2 dice, Tribal muskets having to reload between volleys, hence firing every other turn. Casualties Saved or not in the Usual way, similarly Disorder, Shaken and Rallying lifted wholesale from BP. Officers/NCOs & War Leaders are able to Rally elements they are with, not just a CinC.

Hand-to-hand fighting lifted from Hail Caesar, with Sikhs & European units firing before charging as well as having Closing Fire. European, Sikh and Maiden Guards having a Clash of 9 and Sustained of 7, while Warriors had a Clash of 9 but Sustained of 5, representing weaker discipline if not winning the initial combat. Tribal Musketmen had a Clash of 5 and Sustained of 3!

As an aside I have a couple of units of Pygmies with bows. We gave them separate dice, with their actions chosen by whoever had the previous dice drawn. It provided much hillarity, except perhaps when they shot at Paul's Askari from the rear! 

The Slave party, whose liberation was Watson's second objective similarly had a distinct dice that when drawn saw their action determined as for the Pygmies. I would try to move them from the native village to Mustapha's residence and embarkation, Paul to halt, deviate or retire then even. Now though an annotated photomontage to show how it all played out on the tabletop battlefield ~

Groups of warriors armed only with stout spears and shields move out from the village intent on destroying the incursion threatening their King.

Watson orders his stalwart Sikhs to advance on his left, directly threatening Mustapha's palatial residence!

The Sikhs' mountain gun makes rapid progress and deploys to open fire on the residence!

More groups of warriors are making for the fray, supported by the King's Maiden Guards. (They have the Ferocious Charge special rule from BP while the Warriors are Tough Fighters).

Mustapha Sihx has organised two groups of natives armed with obsolete muskets, strengthened by a small cadre of loyal Arabs from his Household. (They must spend a Turn Down after Firing to represent Reloading).

Both groups take up defensive positions taking advantage of the abundant natural cover. They hope to blunt the advancing enemy, allowing the native warriors time to hit the enemy's flank.

The first group of warriors burst from cover but fail to reach the Sikhs advancing down the jungle path! The Sikhs give them a close range volley and charge with fixed Bayonets!

The Maiden Guard are held in reserve, hoping to deliver the decisive blow when the Warriors have bloodied their spears!

The martial skills of the Sikhs proves too much for the Warriors who break and flee in the second round of fighting! (Don't even think of asking about my dice throws🎲🎲🎲🎲🎲🎲)

The Sikhs don't pause to regroup but smash straight in to the first group of native Musketmen. They are caught Unloaded by the Sikhs' charge and soundly beaten! 

Wisely Mustapha Sihx has taken refuge in a solid house from where he can direct his defenders more readily. More Native warriors are seen rushing forward on the advancing Sikhs.

It proved all in vain though as the victorious Sikhs, supported by the Askaris, swept all opposition before them!

Leaving Mustapha Sihx to await his inevitable dance with death at the end of a rope. Whilst King Bykalaizii looses both his slaves and his ivory, but not yet his life.

The Forgotten Army?

Recently Phil and I have been discussing our various lesser used collections and when they last saw any action on the tabletop battlefield. Checking back via my and Phil's blogs we found that somehow collections had not emerged for five years or more! Subconsciously serendipity was perhaps therefore in play when I chose a Burma 1943 game using Bolt Action Mk3 for our next encounter here in GHQ. Phil as 'Orde Robinson' commanded the British and Imperial force in a counter attack against a hastily prepared Japanese defence. To further complicate matters 'Ono Onomoro', my Japanese alter-ego,has fewer dice than units in his command, only 12 matching those of the British-Imperials. As ever now the blathering is over, an annotated photomontage carrying you down into the action ~

Gurkhas guided by Burmese Scouts enjoy no terrain penalties and form the right of Orde Robinson's attack.

British troops from The Forgotten Army advance cautiously either side of the jungle roadway.

One squad comes under fire from a Japanese sniper team. The shot misses and they charge in! The outcome is inevitable...first dice lost!

Ono Onomoro's defence line is stretched taught. This squad, supported by a HMG, must cover two possible avenues of attack in his centre.

A second squad covers the main approach along the jungle roadway. In relative terms they proved the most valiant of Onomoro's troops.

In contrast his extreme left comprising his sole infantry gun never fired a shot in anger!

Having dispensed with the sniper team and the entrenched anti-tank gun the Flamethrower team clears the courtyard of Japanese troops! Three dice down now!

Just for the record: lost in action without firing a shot in anger. Wiped out by mortar fire!

"Banzai!" A desperate charge is initiated to take the attacking British squad in the flank. If successful the initiative will swing back to Onomoro.

Almost too late the third squad is moved onto the right flank where another British squad has been advancing unopposed. A brisk firefight ensues!

"Banzai!" Vicious hand to hand fighting takes place in jungle so thick one man can barely see another!

Onomoro's heroes are triumphant, the British squad is destroyed, but his losses cannot be sustained in a second combat.

The remnants are overwhelmed and the Japanese line split wide open!

One light tank makes a Kamikazi charge to fill the gap but is destroyed by anti-tank rifle fire! It's all up for Onomoro, who falls on his sword to minimise his disgrace!

Well, there you have it, that's a little seen collection given a run out. No idea when its turn might come around again. Time now to get ready for the next game with Paul...

Odin's Wolves

Included in the latest Red Cross package - see previous post- was a frame of Games Workshop Dire Wolves. There are two of them on the frame, each of four parts. Even old 'Ten Thumbs Bickley' can manage that, assembling the two of them without William's assistance! They are big beasts as you'd expect and are depicted in full cry, closing in on their selected prey! Aly thought they would make fine representation of Odin's Wolves, Geri and Freki, in The Saga of Bicca Biccasson. Here they are for your eyes only ~

The pair on scenic bases with added snow effect.

Geri, in full pursuit of the happless Bicca?

Freki, ready to pounce on Bicca's mortal remains?

Painting the two figures might have been tricky given the poses, so I first spray undercoated them and then fixed each to a 60mm x 3mm circular base. When they were firmly fixed the next task was to add rocks and my usual basing texture. After that had all set Painting could begin!

Each wolf is first painted all over with Foundry Equipment Black shade. When dry and hardened off successive light dry brushing of Slate Grey shade, Boneyard light and Arctic Grey shade pick out the marvelous details of the sculpt. The mouths are lined using Madder Red shade, in one case the visible tongue picked out in the mid shade. The fangs and teeth are Boneyard mid shade, highlighted with Boneyard light. The claws are just Boneyard shade. Their eyes are Madder Red shade, picked out with a spot of Bright Red light. Their bases are my usual wash of Crafter's Acrylic Country Maple, decorated with a little static grass, a clump or two and some snow!

As I now have a copy of Dragon Rampant we must try and get this game out on the table in GHQ sometime. You have been warned...

"The Deserving Poor?"*

As I mentioned in my previous post, there was more to report following the exchange, in Bugman's at Warhammer World in Nottingham, with Aly receiving my Late Romans in exchange for moolah; namely the receipt of what I have dubbed a further 'Red Cross package' of figures surplus to his requirements ~

The opened package on my painting desk, to give you some idea of the box's dimensions. 

The contents viewed from above. On first opening the box looked to be packed with many bags containing bare metal castings.

That proved to be only half the matter though. Hidden away beneath this veritable mountain of bare metal was a further box. On opening that second inner box 100 fully painted figures were revealed, carefully rolled into yards of bubble wrap! I felt rather as Lord Caernarfon or Howard Carter must have felt, I saw beautiful things! I am not often lost for words - ask my family or friends - but I was genuinely struck dumb! These figures had been painted I've been informed  by Mark Hargreaves of Over Open Sights. They are Empress Miniatures, formerly Tusuba, for the Russo-Japanese War. 

The painted figures alone have given me three Japanese battalions of infantry and a machine gun set, while for the Russians there are two infantry battalions. It seems now that I shall have a new project after all...

Two Russian infantry battalions.

Three Japanese infantry battalions together with a machine gun & crew.

Sorting through the myriad contents of the bags of bare metal castings was a complex task, as I know next to nothing about the history of the Russo-Japanese War,  the organisation of the respective armies, nor the figure range(s) themselves. As initial searching seem now to have revealed these include:

Russians ~ High Command; Field Gun & crew; Machine gun & crew; Cossacks - both mounted and dismounted; mules and mule handlers; a Band; casualties and medical staff.

Japanese ~ High Command; a number of infantry command figures; a flag sheet (which anoyingly I've misplaced!); mule, handlers and ammunition carriers; casualties; infantry marching and command - these latter might be Oshira figures, as they have separate heads and full back packs to add and are slightly larger sculpts?

Certainly this is all well beyond an outstanding gift you'd surely have to agree and a magnificent foundation for a new project for the new year! Now you see why I was lost for words...

As a postscript: there was also a large number of Perry Miniatures Agincourt range figures for my son Matt and, perhaps with evident serendipity, the Henry Tudor command set which saves me buying it as I'd painted Richard III, himself in an earlier Red Cross parcel! The Wars of the Roses project was not finished after all...

* The destitute deserving of help from their betters. A Victorian concept for those unfamiliar with it. Used in a lighthearted way of course.

A Farewell to...

...the one true Emperor Pompus Maximus, the usurper Baldinus and the rump of my Late Roman collection ~

I negotiated a price for them with Aly Morrison which was fair and acceptable to both of us, giving me welcome funds to reinvest in our wonderful hobby. Bearing in mind the number of periods we can play here in GHQ with my many collections built up over the last 50 or so years they will perhaps see more tabletop battlefield action in their new home. So, PompMaxImp moves on to pastures new: battles untold and victories without number lie before him and his battle hardened legions, seen here for one final time on the tabletop battlefield in GHQ ~

Time and Tide wait for no man it is said, so I shall look forward to new thrilling tales of these and their fellows previously sold on to Aly as the year unfolds. There is more to report on this exchange, but that must await a further post after some reflection.

To finish for now then, a gentle reminder to readers that two other collections are available if any reader is interested, as previously outlined, at the right price.