Der Weiße Bauernhof

 Just a short update on my Cold War Gone Hot 15mm project, another building finished. This is the Small German Postwar House from LaserCraftArt of course which I've used as the farmhouse, paired with the barn from Empires at War (which is also painted now but lacks a base as yet.) Together they can form Der Weiße Bauernhof, the White Farm, while they can also be used separately of course ~

I've another small order on the way from LaserCraftArt in the shape of another house, the Large German Postwar House, and two bases intended for terraced housing which I plan to repurpose as bases for the two Modern Apartment Blocks I've painted. The bases are large enough to accommodate the buildings and leave space to represent car parking or lawned recreational areas. 

While I wait for Phil to fit in the vehicles for the game around his commission work schedule I'm plodding on with the 76th Hindoostan Regiment for the Army of the Pendawar Presidency. I'm hoping to complete the 28 figures this month, a modest target I failed to achieve in January! So far I've finished 4 figures for the Light Co and have the first 4 figures for the first Centre Co underway. First though, two SYW games here in GHQ, with Jon today and with Phil tomorrow.

The 74th (Highland) Regiment...

 ...have mustered in and are to be posted to the Army of the Pendawar Presidency. They were the subject of a short post last month, so no need to say over much about the regiment here ~

The figures are from Wargames Foundry, sculpted back in the day by the Perrys, while the flags are from GMB Designs and the bases are from Warbases as ever. As an experiment I bought a pot of GW Contrast paint, Snakebite Leather, to try on the horse of the mounted Colonel. As you'll know from all my moaning on I really don't like painting horses much at all. So, I thought I'd give the Contrast a try out, figuring most folk could forgive one horse if the outcome was poor. From my view the jury is out. I quite like the effect on the horse's mane and tail, but I'm less keen on the look of the body of the beast. Any and all opinions or advice welcome on this front.  No more wittering on, here are a few group pictures ~

Next under the brush are the second HM Regular regiment of infantry I'm adding, the 76th (Hindoostan) Regiment. These are using the Perry Miniatures British from the Napoleon in Egypt part of their Napoleonic figure range. My modest painting target this month is to complete the 28 figures for the regiment, a target I failed by 4 to achieve with the 74th last month! As in January though I'll intersperse the figure painting with the painting and modest modelling  of the 15mm MDF buildings for my CWGH mini project. Next up there are a house and barn for a small farm. Well, it passes the time for we geriatric-in-waiting folk if nothing else...

No-one Has Blundered!

 Face to Face gaming resumed in GHQ after a week's forced hiatus resulting from illness in Phil's close family and isolating in mine following close contact with a Covid 'leper'! With luck now we will be back to gaming in alternate venues, so for this last time in GHQ for a while I asked Phil to choose a game. His choice fell on an AWI game, so I first laid out a table and then decided on the armies: Hessians v Continentals! Von Bikelberg v Benedict A Robinson perhaps? See how it panned out now in the following photomontage ~

In Turn 1, with the initiative lying with the American Rebels, their first brigade advances very slowly along the road bordering the Watkiss Farm.

Their slow approach allows the sluggish Hessians to rouse themselves in their camp on Watkiss Meadow and push out troops to stall the American advance.

In Turn 2 Von Bikelberg arrives at the head of the second Hessian brigade. The Fusilier regiment with support from a 4ld gun makes a sweep to the east of the farm while he leads the remaining troops straight up the road for the farm.

By Turn 3 the American Continentals are finally getting into their firing lines, harassed by the fire of the Dragoons and the Light artillery piece.

The Fusilier regiment and their supporting 4ld gun are making heavy weather of their flanking move, allowing Arnold's Second Brigade of Continentals to steal the advantage.

In the distance as Turn 4 opens we see Arnold's Second Brigade of Continentals begin their advance on the left flank of the First Brigade , whilst the remaining Hessians finally get organised in the meadow and begin to form for action. 

The Hessian Fusiliers are deployed lining the fences surrounding the farm's cultivated fields, isolated from the test of the force they ready themselves for action.

Support is slow to arrive on the Fusiliers' left, but mercifully Arnold's Continentals are equally tardy. In the distance fighting has erupted around the Hessian camp in the Meadow. Casualties there are mounting steadily and troop morale on both sides is shaky already.

A closer look at the fighting around the Hessian camp in the Meadow reveals the toll already taken from the 5th New York while the Hessian Dragoons and Light artillery piece have also lost men in the developing firefight.

The Regiment Von Rall has finally deployed into a firing line in time to confront the 3rd New York who have relieved the battered and Shaken 5th. The 9th Pennsylvania have moved up also to engage the Dragoons lining the Meadow's fence line.

The 3rd New Jersey, the Blues, boldly advance through the crops to attack the Hessian Fusiliers who calmly await their fate.

Regiment Von Rall and the Dragoons have the better of the firefight! The 9th and 3rd are driven back Shaken while the 5th are on the verge of collapse when the Brigade's commander is shot down!

He met his fate unflinchingly leading his men, dying with his face to the enemy. The 5th are Shaken by this and fall back as the Regiment Von Rall advances on them, bayonets glinting in the Spring sun.

Back on the other flank the fighting is fierce as the 3rd New Jersey are joined by the 4th and 8th Virginia Continentals. Casualties mount for both the Virginians and the Hessian Jaegers as neither will yield ground to their foe!

On the other flank the determined advance of the regiment Von Rall drives back the Broken First Brigade, although the retiring Yankees keep up what fire they can to discourage the Hessians from closing with the bayonet!

The Fusiliers, supported doggedly by the brave Jaegers, have halted the remaining brigade if Continentals in the fields and along the road. Surviving heavy fire they shrug off loses and hold their ground.

Regiment Von Rall is finally broken in rout by mounting losses caused by the galling fire from the retiring Brigade. Von Bikelberg has too many Shaken units to press the Americans closely. Their Broken brigade will be able to safely withdraw from the field unmolested by their foe. 

The remaining brigade of Virginians and the New Jersey Blues are too strong to be assaulted by the remaining Hessians. The brave Fusiliers, supported by the stubborn Jaegers have fought the Continentals to a standstill but lack the support to press them as they prepare to withdraw from the action.

A smaller game than many here in GHQ produced a tense fight over the full twelve turns. The fortunes of war swung both ways from turn to turn, but never favouring one side for long enough to turn the game in their favour. An honourable draw then, slightly in the favour of the Hessians! Black Powder 2 as ever gave an excellent and gripping game right down to the wire! All being well next week will see a SYW game featuring here in GHQ, allowing the Hessians to flex their military muscle in a European setting for a change alongside their British employers.

Encounter at Bikelheim

 Not an AAR report, sorry if that disappointed anyone,but rather an update on progress so far. I've completed two vehicles: a Soviet BMP-2 and a Chieftain MBT ~

A closer look at each of the vehicles to appreciate Phil's handiwork in painting both. I'm just responsible for the basing work and adding the transfers. Oh, and the buildings and such of course. The vehicles are the plastic kits from Battlefront's Team Yankee range. The Chieftain MBT first ~

The Soviet BMP-2 next ~

I hope to have more to show on the building side in due course. I took delivery of another package from LaserCraftArt recently, including bases for the office block and the modern shops which can be seen added to Bikelheim in the picture below ~

There were also bases for the terraced houses and another terraced house to complete that part of the layout, along with another small German house to join my barn in a small farm setting. More on this front as and when...

Blatant Self Promotion!

 And why not? I have a piece in the new (February) issue of Wargames Illustrated. I've lost count of how many pieces I've contributed down the years, it's probably more than I can recall ~

Mind, it's tucked away at the end almost, after the more meaty on theme stuff I suppose. It's a piece in the magazine's occasional "Why I love..." some aspect of our wonderful hobby theme. In my case the subject probably shouts out for anyone who knows me well ~

"Why I love Dixon Miniatures ACW Range". Any of you who buy the magazine will, I hope, enjoy the article even if you don't agree with my general position. No doubt there will be some frothing at the mouth by devotees of (imho) inferior ranges and the odd person nodding wisely in agreement, but my main aim was just to share my enthusiasm for a range which I don't believe will ever be bettered. I also provided the photos for the article, both in game and unit photos. If you look closely you may even spot my little pewter alter ego, Useless S Bykleigh, calmly giving orders in the heat of battle! Incidentally, there's lots of other great content in this issue for pukka Wargamers' rather than the '50 figures for an army' figure fiddlers!

This week I have been mostly...

 ...painting the wrong figures! Well, not quite, but you'll soon grasp the enormity of my error! Last year I decided on one last addition to my Army of the Pendawar Presidency, namely two Regular Infantry regiments to facilitate the formation of a Regular Brigade. Rather than just buy two regiments from Perry Miniatures I bought just one and then a second from Wargames Foundry's Napoleonic range. At first glance hardly a disastrous error you'd think. Ah, well there you are wrong then! I chose a regiment of Highlanders in bonnet and trews and the flag from GMB Designs for the 74th (Highland) Regiment. So, you may ask? Well, it happens that the 74th were not a Highland Infantry kilted regiment during the early years of the C19th! This is how they appeared during their time in India ~

They look in fact exactly like my other British Regular Infantry Regiments in my Army of the Pendawar Presidency.  On the other hand, the figures I’ve been painting so slowly and carefully over the past week look like this ~

A bit of a difference you have to admit. Am I overly concerned though? Well, no I’m not. After all, if I can Field the South Essex Regiment, which never existed outside the books featuring Cornwell’s Fictionalised hero Richard Sharpe, I can surely stand a unit of premature Highland Infantry! My game, my toys in play again you see. 

For those who’ve got this far without giving up in despair I’ll add that the other regiment formed from Perry Miniatures will be the 79th, the Hindoostan Regiment, also with white facings and a white Regimental Colour! Obviously not one of my better days when I decided all this! I’ll put it down to age I think... Twelve more figures to complete the regiment, then I'll wash and vegetate the bases all in one go.

Alongside my painting exploits I’ve also been assembling more 15mm MDF buildings for the Cold War Gone Hot Project. The latest additions are a number of terraced houses. Now, I’ve no idea if terraced houses were a thing in Germany, but they will be found in my game layout, representing both the older edges of urban areas or on their own as small built up areas so far untouched by post war modernisation. I have a few more bits on order from Lasercraftart which I hope will see me through as regards that part of the project, at least in the build up phase.

The Death of Chief Bykelezi

 A return to the Anglo-Zulu War was Phil's choice for this week's game here in GHQ. Taking a little poetic licence with the theme I chose to pit Chief Bykelezi's Impis against the wily Boer, Van Robhinsaan. The Boer objective was simply to exit on the opposite side of the table, crossing the Blood(less) River ( which would take a turn). The wagons and baggage can only cross at the ford, as can any units on foot, while the mounted Boers can cross at any point, taking a move plus Dx6 to do so. The Zulus, apart from two units of rifle armed warriors deployed covering the approaches to the ford,appear randomly after the Boer initial disposition. The baggage train fights as two Small units - I don't have enough figures to depict the escort!

Three of Chief Bykelezi's Impis deploy on the flank of the Boers, but several moves potentially from making an attack. Probably the deciding factor with hindsight.

The mounted Boers (with some Natives making up the number) move swiftly out to block the Zulu approach.

The Boer wagons have made a bold strike for the ford, supported by some Boer infantry, only to be attacked by the fourth Zulu Impi.

While that fight rages on the mounted Boers elements halt, firing from the saddle.

The Boer infantry s fire is concentrated on the rifle armed Zulus so they can take the higher ground and flank the Impi fighting to halt the Boer wagons' bold push for the river.

The Zulus are shaken by mounting losses and so the Boers close in to finish them off! The Impi fails yet again to defeat the wagons' guards!

Meanwhile, one mounted element is driven off but the other two hold their ground. Zulu losses begin to mount and the exhibit an uncharacteristic reluctance to charge home!

Zulu losses and Disorder are mounting on the Boers' flank as the mounted elements steadfastly hold their ground.

The fight at the approaches to the ford reaches a climax! Both sides have losses, who will be the first to buckle?

Shaken and Disordered with excess casualties! Throwing 3 in the Moral check hardly helps does it? The Zulu Impi flees from combat shattered and the route to winning the game is open for Van Robhinsaan!

One mounted Boer element charges the Impi to its front. Surely a rash move at this stage? No! Both sides are Shaken by losses but are not broken!

The Impi which defeated the mounted Boer element earlier finds its path blocked by the Boer artillery! 

The Boer wagons reach the ford! The game is slipping away from Chief Bykelezi's grasp.

The rash Boer charge has done more than shatter the Zulu resolve. In the fighting Chief Bykelezi falls, never to rise again! (What a time to throw a 6 with one excess casualty?)

The Boer wagons cross the Blood(less) River. The game is almost over!

One Impi is chased to the river, where it is slaughtered to a man! (A bit of overkill never hurt anyone Phil said!)

The only remaining Impi of the late Chief Bykelezi can only watch the victorious Boers from a safe distance! Seven moves to disaster for the Zulus but a great game thoroughly enjoyed despite the comprehensive thrashing  and the demise of my little lead alter ego...