Hengist and Horsa

 Along with my 1st Corps order for the Early Saxon Warband of Young Warriors I also purchased the Hengist and Horsa pack of character figures. After finishing the Knights of the Round Table figures I slipped the two into the painting queue ahead of the warriors as I rather liked the look of them ~

Horsa, on the left here, will lead my Hearthguard for the Early Saxons. My order for the figures to make up that unit is on its way from Gripping Beast even as I type this entry. 

Hengist, on the right in the first picture obviously, will lead the Arthurian Hearthguard,  the Wolftail Warriors I have featured earlier in a blog entry for this project ~

The Warband of Young Warriors for the Early Saxons are well underway now, with one base already completed. More on them hopefully in the coming days as they pass under the Brush of Doom...

Knights of the Round Table?

No, not really, very sorry if I've  disappointed any frothing fantasy gamer, but just some 1st Corps Arthurian Heavy Cavalry to add to the ongoing Age of Arthur project. These six figures are the last elements of my initial Warband purchase from their sale, the Warlord and Draco bearer plus four Commanipulares. I replaced what I considered the overlarge Draco with a smaller one from the spares box which I thought was more in keeping for a mounted standard. You are free to differ on this of course ~

My latest arrivals, 1st Corps figures making up a warband of younger warriors for the Early Saxon, are now spray undercoated and fixed to the MDF hexes ready to take their place in the painting queue. Along with them I also had ordered the pack of the Hengist and Horsa  character figures which are also ready for painting now. I plan to add them as command elements for the Hearthguard for each force: for the Arthurians the Wolftail Warriors I've previously featured here; for the Early Saxons the Gedriht figures I have ordered from Gripping Beast, taking advantage of the Wargames Illustrated monthly voucher offer which reduced the P&P costs to a more acceptable £1.00! Afterall, my warchest is not bottomless.

Attack at Gelderhöf

Paul expressed his preference for a Black Powder game for our monthly meeting in GHQ, so after some reflection I chose a SYW theme for the game, the Attack at Gelderhöf. The game is set at 12 Turns for the Allies to defeat the French by capturing the defences in two of three sections or causing the army to retire. Paul commanded the Allies and I took control of the French defenders ~

The French are encamped around Gelderhöf during a lull in the early stages of the Spring campaigning season when they are surprised by the appearance of a large Allied force of five infantry Brigades.

The French commander the Comt du Merde rouses himself from his ablutions to direct a hurrid defence of the outer perimeter of the camp.

The French hurry to get into position in the face of the imminent Allied assault developing rapidly before their eyes. The Allies have caught the French with their pants down so as to speak...

A British brigade is tasked with assaulting the left flank of Gelderhöf, supported by a Brunswick brigade attacking the right flank of the position.

Two further British brigades assault the centre of the French defences while a Hanoverian brigade on the right flank of the Allied assault is confronted by the Wild Geese!

The French centre is defended by Grenadiers: Grenadiers de France supported by Grenadiers Royale and two batteries of heavy guns. So, the scene is set,  on to the subsequent action now...

A small French brigade of Dragoons is held in reserve to protect the right flank.

The Allied attack stepped off smartly with only one Brigade failing its Command Roll. Thus the French defenders were unable to inflict the casualties they hoped for.

The centre Allied brigade  of the 11th,12th, and 19th Foot makes good progress to assault the French grenadiers deployed in hastily erected defences.

They come under heavy fire and the 11th falter, leaving the 12th to close on the French grenadiers. In the background the Hanoverian brigade can be seen closing on the Wild Geese!

Converged Grenadier companies lead the assault on Gelderhöf. Leading Small elements of Grenadiers prepare to throw their grenades!

The Wild Geese confront the leading elements of the Hanoverian brigade. Both sides exchange volleys to no real effect!

The attack all along the front makes little headway by Turn 3, galling fire from the defenders inflicts Disorder which disrupts the Allied plan of attack. Although outnumbered the French are putting up stiff resistance. 

The leading elements of the Converged Grenadier brigade cannot dislodge the stout defenders of Gelderhöf. Disordered and Shaken their attack is beaten off!

The Wild Geese are similarly holding off the Hanoverian attack on the French right, driving back the Shaken Grenadiers in Disorder. Their supporting British Foot also find the French defenders disinclined to give up their position.

Despite losses and Disorder the Allied Foot keeps pressing the French centre held by the Grenadiers de France and the Grenadiers Royale. There is little respite for the defenders as the battle heats up!

On the French left flank the stout hearted Wild Geese are toe to toe with the Hanoverians. Crucially the Supports will sway the outcome in the next Turn.

The 33rd breast the works having driven off the defending Grenadiers. Suddenly events take a turn in favour of the Allies after a lot of heavy fighting.

Meanwhile the Wild Geese make short work of their Hanoverian foe. They have no appetite for the cold steel. "Ils naiment pas ça!"

But they were counting their chickens it seemed as fresh volleys see first one and then the other regiment sent fleeing for their lives! The French left is crumbling fast! Merde!

Over on the right the fighting for Gelderhöf is intense. Fresh troops from the Brunswick brigade drive forward to exploit a gap in the French.defences.

Despite galling enfilade fire the Converged Grenadiers leading the Brunswick brigade break through the French lines.

They swiftly form line and beat off the attack from the Dragoons du Roi. Their gallant stand buys time for the supporting regiments to flood into the gap.

The Grenadiers de France are put to flight and the Grenadiers Royale pushed back by weight of numbers. The French position is crumbling away...

More Allied troops sensing victory pour firwardcto seize Gelderhöf as the French army crumbles.

The last action for the Grenadiers Royale sees them soundly beaten in the close combat, subsequently joining the Army's rout!

And all captured in glorious oil colours by our resident war artiste, Paul de Gornale, artist to kings and princes! A grand game decided in eight turns with the usual Black Powder swings of fortune. Tomorrow sees a second SYW battle here in GHQ, more on that by the weekend hopefully...À Bientot mes amis!

Finally a further base...

...completes another Early Saxon warband of three bases; or fourth warband of two bases each; even a ninth warband of one base! Any and all will work with Hail Caesar we've found, but I must confess warbands of three bases certainly look more menacing, especially when you are the Sub Roman Britons! The figures are by 1st Corps,  the shield transfers are from LBMS and as ever the bases are from Warbases! Blathering on at an end, here they are for your comments ~

Next to pass under the old Brush of Doom are the six Arthurian Heavy Cavalry. I've been plopping paint on these from time to time as I worked through the warband figures so hopefully they should be completed by next week, all being well. In the meantime, the completed warband as it prepares to muster into GHQ ~

My latest order from 1st Corps was delivered on Tuesday while we were over at Phil's with William for another WWII game. They are already cleaned up and the shields glued on ready to be spray undercoated at some point. More on these when they exit the Lead Pimple to risk their encounter with the Brush of Doom!

The Second Base...

...for the new Early Saxons' warband has finally struggled out from under the Brush of Doom and mustered into GHQ. Again the figures are from 1st Corps, the shield transfers from LBMS, and the base from Warbases as ever ~

I have tried to organise the layout of figures on this base as far as possible to replicate the undisciplined charge look of the first base, but to me it seems I was less successful! You will of course be able to form your own opinion ~

Figures for the third base are underway, leaving just 6 Arthurian Heavy Cavalry in the Lead Pimple, though more Early Saxons are on the way from 1st Corps, subject of course to the vagaries of Royal Mail...

"The Seagull has Landed!"

William was going to join us in our weekly games for the next two weeks as it is the School Easter Holiday period. Of course that means only one period can feature on the tabletop battlefield here in GHQ this week. You guessed it of course, WWII! I decided on a pale imitation of a well known Michael Caine film with our game title giving a nod to the source, "The Seagull has Landed!" Set some weeks after a successful German landing under Operation Zeelöwe on the south coast Prime Minister Winston Churchill is visiting the works of Josiah Robinson & Son 'somewhere in the north of England' to view progress on a much anticipated secret weapon! Unfortunately some turncoat has betrayed this information to the Gestapo and a hurried raid has been put together under the direction of von Brecher with the objective of capturing Winston and stealing or eliminating the secret weapon and its inventor Professor Braenstawm...

The table layout showing both the Works in the distance and the Landing Zone of the strike force of Fallskrimjägers. And an AI generated topographical map Phil provided for me ~

Josiah Robinson & Son, the Empire Works, site of Top Secret weapon development overseen by Professor Braenstawm, the genius of his age ~

Winston giving his now customary greeting to the locals, just out of shot! While the Bishop of Matabeleland, enjoying a sabbatical, blesses local clergy and laity outside St Olaf's, all blissfully unaware of the drama about to unfold ~

On to the action via the now all too familiar anotated photomontage ~

"The Seagull has Landed!" Fallskrimjägers and Gestapo agents debus from their glider. Each squad can be placed 6" from the landing point, but then a throw of the Random Direction dice for each squad sees three back in the glider, yet to emerge.

Following on from the German deployment overseen by William and Phil, Captain Bykleigh deploys his Home Guard to defend the Works from attack while awaiting support from a column of Regulars. Will theybarrive in time or will the German reserves beat them to it?

The Fallskrimjägers make good progress in Turn 2, the run of the dice favouring the Germans.

By Turn 3 the Gestapo agents are also nearing the outskirts of the town, taking up positions along the hedge line.

To counter such a move a Home Guard Recce squad were peddling like fury to reach the hedge line first. They reach their goal but can they hold?

The remaining Squads await the oncoming Fallskrimjägers ready to give them a hot welcome!

A brisk firefight develops between the Recce Squad and the Gestapo agents. The outnumbered Home Guard are in a tight spot and see Pins Building up though initial losses are slight.

Unexpected rough going through a water meadow slows the advance of the enemy buying time for the Regulars to arrive, hopefully...

The supporting Smith Gun opens fire on the Fallskrimjägers as they struggle through the water meadows. Losses are so slight they might be firing onions!

The barrage fails to register any hits as the Gestapo cross the main road to assault the Recce Squad, but Pin markers may halt their advance.

The second Home Guard Squad dug in opposite the junction have taken four casualties. Their reduced firepower fails to stop the Fallskrimjägers moving on Bleak House Farm on their flank.

Mortar fire from both the 80 and 20mm mortars break the Home Guards' morale. The lone surviving Boy Scout runner makes for safety!

The Fallskrimjägers assault the Home Guard HQ position in Bleak House Farm. Bykleigh and his HQ are outnumbered and outclassed and inevitably succumb to their fate...

Von Brecher and his staff are caught under fire crossing the road! A Fubar results from a failed Order Test: they flee in Panic back into cover!

For a moment at least the crew of the Blacker Bombard have held up the enemy!

The loss of Bleak House Farm sees the flank of the Squad in St Olaf's threatened. They move to take up defensive positions! The situation is grave and no sign of those Regulars yet!

The Regulars finally have begun to arrive but the critical action is too far from their point of entry to be influenced quickly! So, like many an unsung hero before him, Professor Braenstawm moves forward in control of Tommy Adkins 01, covering the attempt to rush Winston to safety!

Taking advantage of the confusion caused by the surprise appearance of Tommy Adkins 01 Winston's car speeds away from the scene!

The escape route is threatened though by German reinforcements who have arrived just in the nick of time it seems!

Winston's driver is undettered, putting his foot down hard on the accelerator! The surprised Germans fail a test and unexpectedly stand aside allowing Winston to be whisked to safety!

In a final twist on the last Action Dice of the last Turn Professor Braenstawm is mortally wounded and Tommy Adkins 01 is captured to be hurried away to the Nazi scientists waiting with excited anticipation back in Berlin...

"They told us the British were retreating. They didn't tell us they left their monsters behind to guard the gates." — Recovered diary of an unknown Obergefreiter.

An Honourable draw to end the game. Winston is rushed away but Tommy Adkins 01 has been captured and Professor Braenstawm mortally wounded it seems. Home Guard losses are heavy and the town must fall to the Germans, but can it be held as more Regulars arrive...?