Those who the 'Dice Gods'...

...ignore! Well, over the last almost 50 years of wargaming I've seen a fair few odd things occur during games, but I don't recall anything as unusual as the unfolding of our latest game here in GHQ, a Black Powder 2 FRW game pitting Austrians and their various Allies against Republican French!

After 7 turns Phil and I decided to call it a draw. Why you might ask? Well, in all those years I alluded to earlier I have never, ever seen a run of such awful dice by both players in a game! Hardly any units moved in the early phases due to inept command rolls. Those that did get into action hardly covered themselves in glory. Shooting was poor, hand to hand in those few encounters almost as useless. In all the Austrian heavy cavalry was repulsed, but the French suffered losses which lead them to caution rather than Sweeping Advance moves. The Austrian Hussars swept the French Hussards away, charged a Light Infantry unit in the flank and was promptly sent packing to the rear despite causing 6 casualties and suffering only one. While the Hussars of the Damas Legion sabred the gunners of a French 12lber battery only to retire Shaken and Disordered!
The objective of the game, the central low ridge found itself half occupied by Austrian Infantry, half by French Light Infantry, neither side being able to dislodge the other!

Well, it looks pretty, but as games go it really was a none event! As I said, those who the 'Dice Gods' ignore can't really do much about things, just a Gallic shrug of the shoulders and on to the next game.

Additional US Infantry for 1812

The disruption to time spent at the painting desk caused by redecoration, allied to a few days away which Sue and I enjoyed up in Matlock, Derbyshire ~ where we met as students in 1968 ~ means that it's taken an unusually long time to complete the next addition to my War of 1812-15 expansion, in the form of the 5th US Infantry. These are Foundry figures, sculpted by chum Aly Morrison back in the day. The bases are from Warbases, of course, and the flags from Warflag's free site.

Mentioning flags brings me to the fine sheets of flags for this war produced by Adrian's Walls. At £10 for several flags, both for the Anglo-Canadians and the US Regulars and Volunteers/Militia, they look good value. That is until you add in £6 postage and packing. Are they having a laugh? Well, not at the expense of my pocket! A few minutes searching the net and a few more on desk top publishing and I have two A4 sized sheets of flags for the Militias from New York, Pennsylvania, Kentucky and New Jersey. Cost? Well free but for a tad of Lazer jet ink and paper I suppose!

Next in line for the project is a battery of 32lb rockets on the ladder frame. I got these from Eagle Figures at Colours. The owner kindly swapped the RHA figures for RA figures for me. Off with the heads last Sunday and new heads added from Trent Miniatures and in my book they will pass on the table for RM Artillerymen!
After these I have more Foundry figures in the shape of New York Militia in Round Hats. I've converted a spare drummer via a head swap and bodged a standard bearer from the pointing officer in Round Hat. After these, the 100th and the 1st Foot for the Anglo-Canadian forces. It keeps me off the streets or from chasing loose women I suppose...

The Battle of Bickelburg

Jon and I managed to fit in a Black Powder SYW game recently. As usual it pitted Lord Walton's British force against the French under De Bykli, the Comte du Merde. Like many Black Powder games it veered first one way, then the other, finally seeing the French concede the field with half their army Broken. I was so involved with the game that I forgot to take many pictures, but the few I have might suffice to give the general  overview of how the game turned out `

The French army, commanded by De Bykli,the Comte du Merde.

An early,and sadly not to be repeated, success for the Cuirasier du Roi!

Lord Walton's right wing have pinned back the French left although in the
centre Du Merde's infantry have pressed forward.

The Grenadiers Royale have been forced to retire, while the Gendarmes de
France have been routed!

The French centre crumbles! Sacre Bleu! Poor powder I think...

The French cavalry on Du Merde's right flank were a great disappointment,
despite their early success.

So, a triumph once more for Lord Walton's command.There will be a bit of a gap now in games here in GHQ as Phil and I are away for a while and I'm not due to host Jon until next month.

Pompus Maximus did not perish!

Phil and I decided to revisit our adaptation of Neil Thomas's Ancient and Medieval rules for this Monday's  game here in GHQ. Readers with a good memory might recall that Pompus perished apparently in our last outing earlier this year. Thinking over possible directions we might take the story I decided that rumour had been responsible for the reports of his death; he was rather carried from the field wounded. Reports have finally reached the usurper Baldinus indicating that Pompus has been recuperating in a remote villa estate. Speedily Baldinus musters his forces and marches toward the location. Warned of Baldinus's approach, Pompus musters what forces he has available in the area. He will win if he prevents Baldinus from routing his smaller force, while Baldinus must destroy Pompus's army utterly. A draw is simply a victory for Pompus and strengthens his weakened grip on the Imperial throne...

The army of Pompus Maximus drawn up for battle.

Artillery readies its destructive load!

Hun cavalry surges forward into the attack for Baldinus.

Baldinus's infantry are strangely slow to move into battle.

Baldinus's cavalry move forward to support the sluggish infantry.

Heavy and Light Archer units support the thin center of Pompus's army.

Pompus's army steadies itself for the final assault!

On the right of his battle line, Pompus's cavalry prepare to drive of the enemy.

In a desperate throw, the infantry commander joins the melee...

...he fails to add much value and is captured for his troubles!

The battle is nearing its climax. Baldinus's forces have failed to break Pompus's
hold on the Imperial throne.

The remnants of Baldinus's infantry sell their lives dearly, but to no effect!

So, Pompus Maximus retains his hold on the Imperial throne, despite the usurper Baldinus's efforts. No doubt we shall revisit the ongoing saga at some point towards the end of the year. But in the meantime I have to concentrate on other areas here in GHQ.

Eureka Renaissance Civilians

For the last couple of years Colin Ashton and I have made a joint order to Eureka Miniatures for collection from Salute, thus avoiding the unpleasant postal charges and other related impositions, not to mention receiving a fine discount. While I was browsing their site prior to finalising my part of the order I came across these non combatant figures for the Italian Renaissance. I seem to recall there are three or four packs in the range, but I only ordered the one comprising six casually standing figures, three male and three female. I’m pretty sure they are inspired by Romeo and Juliet looking at them. The females seem to be a young girl, her nurse and her mother while the males are a young man and two stern looking mature types. Here they are anyway, so see what you think ~

They made a pleasant diversion while the decorating was in full flow and I was still in Renaissance mode after completing the two bases of Light Cavalry for the project (see earlier post if you missed those). Now it’s back to the War of 1812 with a further US Regular Infantry unit in 1812 uniform, from Foundry of course. Will I paint them? “I will try!”

Italian Wars Light Cavalry

I picked up these Casting Room Miniatures from the Foundry stand at this year's Partizan for £5 a pack. I think they must have been clearing out stock. I wanted a couple of bases of Light Cavalry to supplement the Gendarmes and Elmetti in my Papal army of Alexander VI which you may have seen featured, along with Phil's Florentines, in an issue of Wargames Illustrated earlier in the summer. While the figures may not be to  everyone's taste they do paint up nicely I've found so they will do for me at any rate.
I had to fit in painting them around major redecoration of the room I've been using as a painting base since GHQ relocated a couple of years ago or so. This meant that it took me longer than I'd hoped to complete them. Real life, gets in the way sometimes! Now they are finished you can see what you think of them. As usual bases by Warbases and flags by Pete's Flags ~

I’ve also started on six Eureka Miniatures Renaissance civilian figures to populate my tabletop setting in future games. If it wasn’t for the disruption of decorating, allied to a trip with Phil to Colours on Saturday, I’d have hoped to have completed them over the weekend. As it is, it will take a while longer...

Disruption on the Home Front!

The room where I set up my painting desk when GHQ was relocated has arrived at the head of the queue for redecoration, new carpet and blinds/curtains. It will double up as a bedroom for any of our grandchildren who come to stay when it’s finished by the addition of a Trundle bed. The job will take our decorator about a week, so painting figures is likely to be restricted to evenings for a week or so. Then there is the matter of a new carpet, etc.The desk has been relocated temporarily in our upstairs sitting room, off the master bedroom. If I spill any paint I am a dead man!
I hope to be able to finish my two bases worth of Italian Wars Light Cavalry though. In the meantime, here are a couple of Command bases I’ve completed recently: a Mounted British officer to lead the British Light Dragoons in the War of 1812 and a second Line Infantry Brigade Command base for the French SYW Army. The former is a Perry Miniatures figure with a conversion paint job, while the latter features figures from my Redoubt Enterprises/Grubby Tanks F&IW collection which were surplus to requirements there. Anyway, you can see for yourselves here ~