March on Pretoria ~ a 1st Boer War battle

Action at Bronkhorstspruit, or at least a game based on the action fought on 20 December 1880 during the First Boer War, was the subject of today's game here in GHQ between Jon, commanding the Imperial force and yours truly commanding the Boers.

The Imperial column snakes across a river using a pontoon erected by the Royal Engineers.

A reporter pauses to refresh himself and his mount as the Infantry cross the pontoon bridge.

The column is screened by a detachment of Mounted Infantry.

Boers engage the Mounted Infantry, with very little success I have to say...

Kommandant De Byklei, in the top hat, coordinates the fire of a Boer Kommando and a gun ~ without much success I'm sorry to say!

A fierce firefight develops along the line of march, with Infantry deploying to assault the Boers' position on the heights.

Boer 'Pluck' finally evaporates as their losses mount and they contemplate the glint of bayonets marking the British Infantry's steady climb up the heights. Kommandant De Byklei orders a general withdrawal, or as Jon might say, a flight to safety...

The figures are mostly Empress Miniatures, from their Anglo-Zulu War range, although the Boer gun is a Foundry Krupp and the gunners are conversions from the Perry Miniatures' Mafeking 'Armed Civilians' pack. We used an amended version of my own 'Washing the Spears' rules ~ available from Caliver, Redoubt and Dave Thomas at shows or by mail. We played thirteen turns in about two hours, until the Boer losses mounted and a 'Pluck' failure ensued...

17th Lancers in the Anglo-Zulu War

I've completed the first base of Empress Miniatures' 17th Lancers for my Anglo-Zulu War collection.
Its taken me a week to paint these three, which is very slow by my usual pace I have to say. The Ebob horses, as ever, are wonderfully rendered, but their very active charging poses, when combined with the action poses of the Lancers themselves meant a real challenge for my old eyes and unsteady hands, so be kind when you judge them/me...

These are the most challenging figures I've tackled for a very long time and at times very frustrating as my 'skills' did not match what I wanted to achieve. I don't think I've ever overpainted so many colours during the painting process to correct me mistakes. I have to say I'm satisfied with the overall effect, but would really like to have done better. {I've actually finished a fourth lancer and both of the remaining horses for the second base!}

Its that time again...

Its been a very busy month here in GHQ, but first up I must post the picture from Thursday's ECW game which Blogger refuses to enlarge...

There, let's hope it works this time around! It shows the moment I knew the game was slipping away from me as Sir Marmaduke Robinson's Horse smashed into the flank of John Hamden's Foote...









Painting this month has been a very mixed bag, beginning and ending with additions to my Empress AZW collection: Colour Parties for my Regular infantry units and the first of the 17th Lancers, probably the most difficult figures I've encountered in the range. The first base is done now I'm relieved to add...
Other additions were for the Indian Mutiny games; the ECW; 1940 Zeelowe and finally the FIW. Figures were from Redoubt, Foundry, Perry, Crusader and Warlord/BEF.

Games were great fun this month, eight in all; of which I won three, drew one and lost four! The draw was in my third venture into Flames of War with Jon, as I took Italians against Australians in the Western Desert campaigns of 1940-41. My tanks were nowhere, but my dug in infantry held their ground for a well deserved draw.  Other games were two Hail Ceasar! Late Roman encounters; two BR2G ACW games; two ECW games {featured in earlier Blogs} and a Devil's Wind Indian Mutiny game in our ongoing Byklabad Chronicles series...

I've managed two visits during the month: to WMMS and to Stafford Games. WMMS is a show I have much affection for and usually enjoy. On a splendidly sunny day Phil and I walked there and back along the canals without a care in the world. There were some good games on show and I did manage to get a few bits as well. Actually, now I take stock I've bought rather more than I meant to this month! {Ooops!} My main purchases have been the start of a project for 2013: the Seven Samurai, hopefully using a variant of Sharpe Practise. I've sourced and acquired a heap of John Jenkins Designs buildings, both from the UK and from Hong Kong, comprising a walled Samurai house, a Temple, and a farm complex of house, stable and barn. In addition I got about 75 figures from Museum Miniatures' Samurai range in 28mm and the civilians from Perry Miniatures, which seem to fit in exactly for scale, if a bit bulkier ~ a bit like me perhaps? I'll add more figures and terrain items over the rest of the year I hope, starting with some bits from Oshiru at Salute next month? I've also bought some books! Can't resist them I'm afraid, even though GHQ's shelves are groaning under the weight already: an Osprey on ECW Artillery, Sherwood's "Civil Strife in the Midlands" covering our local ECW actions and Chisholm's "Ladysmith" {I still have a strong hankering for the First and Second Boer War.}
Well, enough rambling on. I hope your wargaming month was as much fun as mine! May we all enjoy many, many more in the company of good friends ~ even when they thrash us and frustrate our best laid plans....

Disaster at Dunny-on-the-Pyddle

The forces of Parliamente were this afternoon put to route by those of the Kinge, "God save his Majesty!"

Parliamentary forces attacked on the left and on the right from the first move.

Obadiah Bykleigh can be seen directing the attacks, from the Parliamentary Army's left, in the middle distance.

While on the Parliamentary Army's right the Foote advance steadily towards the Royalist Foote, whose Horse is rapidly crossing the bridge over the Pyddle and coming up in support.

Soon the Parliamentary Army's Foote found itself under pressure and, alarmingly, began to give way: first on the left centre and then on the right, when Sir Marmaduke Robinson's Horse crashed into the flank of John Hamden's Foote, while Obadaih Bykleigh's Foote could only look on helplessly.

A general view across the table near the end of the game, as Jon's Royalist Army advances on all fronts and the forces of Parliament flee the field of battle in disarray.

As ever in our ECW games the rukes in use were "Victory Without Quarter!" They are card driven, so not to everyone's tastes, but we feel strongly that they represent the chaotic nature of mid C17th conflict really well. Its not often that a battle ends up as one sided as today's Parliamentary route though...

From Byklabad to Pyddle Down...

...is but a short stroll around the table here in GHQ. Wargaming, for me at least, is almost like a stroll around one of those 'Model Villages' which formed {still form?} one of the attractions of British seaside resorts for parents and children alike. Even perhaps a sort of mini 'Grand Tour' of the world's military and historical hot spots without leaving the comfort and safety of your own home/club. This week I've been able to get in two games here in GHQ: an Indian Mutiny game, using my own The Devil's Wind rules with Jon, and an English Civil War game with Phil, using our current rules of choice, Victory Without Quarter, the Second Battle of Pyddle Down.

In the Mutiny game I took the Mutineers' part, as the Raja of Byklabad attempting to block a HEIC relief column 'somewhere along the Grand Trunk Road. {The command elephant is the Foundry one, but Mutineer have a really good one too, and probably a tad cheaper...}

The Raja's main force consisted of his Guard, who in the end proved his most stalwart asset, both the Foot Guard...

...and his Horse Guards.

The Raja's position straddled the Great Trunk Road, with the Guards supported by a battery of Mutineer Foot Artillery and the local Badmash, eager for some loot.

The HEIC Relief Column gathered at the western end of the table: to win they merely had to escort the baggage safely off at the eastern end...

The Raja's forces attacked fearlessly and repeatedly, while in the far distance you can see the Badmash beating off the best efforts of the HEIC'S best...

Even the services of a marksman trying to take out the Raja himself failed to shake the gallant defenders...

But finally the Raja's forces wilted, under repeated bombardment and merciless infantry fire, their Pluck finally gave way as they fled the field.






The following day here in GHQ, our attention switched back two hundred years or so and half a world away, to an English Civil War action: the Second Battle of Pyddle Down. Phil, as ever, taking the part of the Royalists and yours truly taking the part of the Parliamentarians.

In an epic five and a half hour struggle both flanks saw swirling cavalry fights surging back and forth across the table.

In the centre the Foote faced off against each other in dour struggle, intermittently bombarded by each side's large positional guns.

The battle seemed to swing away from the righteous forces of Parliament as Obadiah Bykleigh's foote "...went home to beer and family..." as a result of an Event Card! They were soon followed by a second Regiment of Foote fleeing in disgrace and then the positional battery as another Event card had the master Gunner 'drunk as a lord'!

Things even looked bleak for Obadiah Bykleigh himself at one point!

But fortune in battle { that is the run of drawn cards in this case} can so readily change. With the Royalist cavalry on both flanks put to flight and two fresh Regiments of Foote being sighted off their now unprotected right flank the Royalists fled the field of battle, leaving Obadiah Bykleigh victorious and in the bosom of his family! "Hurrah for God and Parliamente!"

Sir Marmaduke Robinson...

...a staunch, if not stout, Royalist commander!

He's the Warlord Games 'Gustavus Adolphus' figure from their 'Pike & Shotte' range of figures. I've painted him to represent Phil's Royalist character figure in our games, Sir Marmaduke Robinson.

Perhaps a better view of the figure and my efforts to paint it.
The character even has a back story, being created 1st Baron Rawnsley on the Restoration of His Majesty King Charles II in 1660, in recognition of sterling service during the late unpleasantness...
He pops up in all our games from the American Revolution, the Seven Years War,through the War of 1812 to the high pomp of Queen Victoria's {Gawd Bless 'er!} "Little Wars" in India, Natal and the Sudan!
Quite a stirring life for a little lead fellow...

Those of you who know Phil may recognise the similarities between the man himself and his little lead alter ego...or perhaps not!
Next up will be a figure for Sir Jon Whyte, another long lived character in our games...

A Mixed Bag...

...in more ways than one. I'll explain if I may. I've had an eye test which has resulted in a new and different prescription for my close focus painting glasses. The results are pleasingly clearer focus on the little chaps when I'm painting them, which is obviously a 'good thing', combined with a rather alarming realisation that the stuff I've been painting these last few months is pretty rough, which is obviously a 'bad thing'...
Well, judge for yourselves ~

A unit of Dixon Miniatures, painted up as Regulars.

As the close up shows only too clearly; I even seem to have missed the moustache on the right hand figure completely.

Some Redoubt Enterprises additions to my French Indian War skirmish games.

A Perry Miniatures ECW gun, 'Primrose' and crew.

And finally a Warlord/BEF Panzer 38t for our 1940 Operation Sealion/ "Pig Hoo-o-o-o-ey!" games.

Of the lot, I'm really pleased with my efforts on the tank and the ECW gun and crew, but much less pleased by the ACW and FIW, stuff which I finished a while ago. Perhaps I'm being too picky, after all I'm no great shakes with the paint brush anyway, as I will readily admit, but they did honestly look ok through the old lenses. Moral of the tale: keep up to speed with those eye tests, they are too important to leave go!