1067 & All That!

Time to give my Normans and Saxons some tabletop time we thought when discussing the next game in GHQ after last week's epic Ancient battle over at Phil's Olaf'sHQ. The figures are bar three from Wargames Foundry and were sculpted for them by my son Matthew. I painted the Saxons and Phil painted the Normans for me, at "mates' rates" I'm pleased to say. (I'd definitely recommend his painting service to you, even at the full rate its superb value for money if you enjoy well painted units in your game!) The rules we chose were Lion Rampant from Osprey Publishing, in my view one of only two decent sets they've produced, the other being Honours of War. (You should be able to guess my view on Frostgrave and the like...)
I laid out the table for the game, with the Normans lead by Phillipe de Rawnsli, the newly created Lord of the Manor or Worsul, tasked with harrowing the small Saxon settlement near Penda's Ford, home to one Bicca, a stout supporter of the late lamented Harold and holder of the Manor of Penda's Ford, despite what that bastard from Normandy might say. I've taken a few pictures which I hope will illustrate for you the see saw nature of the game and a most unexpected outcome at the end ~

The Saxon defenders of home and hearth, the 'good guys'!

The b*stard Normans!

Norman crossbow unit, the Saxons really suffered from their fire in the early
stages.

The Foot Companions, the Hearth Guard, take the centre of the Saxon line.

The Lower Class spearmen move around the flank to attack the crossbows.

The Upper Class spearmen, much reduced by fire from the crossbows, are
charged by Norman knights.

The Upper Class spearmen are driven back and the knights also route the
Lower Class remnants just for good measure!

Norman and Saxon close for hand to hand fighting while the knights look on.

More Saxon Upper Class Spearmen route. Its not looking good for Bicca!

The Hearth Guard are thrown into the attack along with the remaining Lower
Class Spearmen. Its all or nothing time!

Its a stalemate, neither side can press home an advantage, and both withdraw
to tend to their wounds and plan the next phase...

Two and a half hours of harmless fun. What more could you ask for from a game? We felt we coped with the rules quite well, despite the long interval since they last had a run out. From looking a lost cause, the Saxons were saved by two Norman failures in Courage tests after the Leader's unit routed! Early in the game the Saxons were made to pay for choosing no missile troops, and indeed t as the Norman crossbowmen's threat which saved them from total defeat at the death.
Next up here in GHQ will be a Black Powder SYW game with Jon on Wednesday evening. I shall hope to have that up on the blog for interested readers by the weekend. Pop back soon to see how to went.

Ayo Ghurkali...

...and some other bits and bobs. As my loyal reader must know, not a lot has been possible in wargames terms these past couple of weeks, due first to Sue's injury and its aftermath and then to the 'Great Flood'! Things are on a more even keel with Sue now, apart from a bruised foot making walking a trial, and the leak seems to have been sorted, though I'm not mad keen on the multiple ceiling holes! I have however managed some painting in the odd moment and finally have enough to warrant a blog entry, so here are my Warlord Games Ghurkas firstly for our Bolt Action Burma 1943 games ~

Secondly, for my Wars of the French Revolution project, the Eureka Miniatures French Vivanderie set, painted for me by Phil ~

And lastly, a very kind gift from long time friend and modeler Ian Bottrill, two baggage elements for my Late Roman army. The wagon, oxen and figures are from Foundry, not sure about the laden mule though  ~

As the new month opens I hope for better fortune in my daily life and far fewer traumas like the old month! I've actually started some figures today, four Footloose British Militia for my VBCW games, together with the Partizan Free figure which Laurence kindly gave Phil for me. We'll see how we go with these and hopefully improve on August's tota lof 34 figures finished!

Black cats, broken mirrors and gypsy curses...

I should be on holiday with my daughter, son in law and three of our grandchildren. I'm not. I'm still at home having waited most of the day for the Homeserve emergency plumber! He'll be here between 12.00 and 6.00 pm they said! Not my idea of an emergency service! As if a soaked dinning room table and ceiling weren't enough, we've only just recovered from greater trauma last week! I found Sue collapsed on the bathroom floor, unconscious and blood everywhere! Cue 999, ambulance, paramedics and off we go to A & E at New Cross. Several hours later, some tests, an examination and subsequent rehydration and we are on our way home at 4.30 a.m. She had passed out due to fluid loss it seems and hit her head on shower screen as she fell. A chipped tooth, lots of bruising but otherwise she'll live! My was I relieved to say the least. So you see, a blasted leak now is just another issue! No wonder the dice gods have deserted me...
Before all this I did manage to finish my new Dixon Miniatures Confederate cavalry unit and yet another command base for the cavalry. I planned to finish off my Warlord Games Gurkhas but that's rather slipped by at the moment. Onward, if not upward at the moment!

Obviously there is no possibility of gaming, either here in GHQ or over at Phil's, this week. I didn't make it to Partizan either on Sunday, not that I had expected to be able to go being on holiday. I would have liked to see Matt and the other Bodkins pick up the award for 'Best in Show' but have had to content myself in seeing other folks' photos of the game. Lots to do now dealing with the aftermath of the lesser flood, though thankfully no ark is necessary or I'd send for Phil!

The Robinson Raid

Monday saw Phil and I settled early into GHQ for our anticipated ACW game, the last game here this month as I'm away next week and the following Monday is a Bank Holiday. I've recently completed a third Union cavalry regiment and am working on a fourth Confederate one, so I felt getting the mounted arm onto the table was a good idea to keep my motivation going. The scenario sees a Union supply column crossing the table, protected by a cavalry brigade. The Rebs enter from the far end of the table with their cavalry brigade and flying artillery. The Reb general is a 10, the Union general a 9 in Black Powder Command Ratings. Each side is supported by an large infantry brigade, which can arrive in any turn on a dice throw-off ~ the Reb brigade must enter though before the Union can. The uncertainty of the infantry arrival and the relative distances to be covered by each side conditions the Reb cavalry to be aggressive to have a good chance of a win. The Union wagons move at 6" plus a D x 6 and must always be protected by one Union regiment, staying within 3" of one of the wagons. I took the Union, Phil the Rebs. The situation after the first turn ~

The Union column enters and moves 12" along the road, screened by cavalry
and horse artillery.

The Rebs advance boldly, one regiment reaching cover behind the stone wall,
while Union cavalry dismount to cover the column's advance.

The curse of the newly painted unit strikes early on! Shot up by the Rebs
lining the wall and 'Whipped', and the paint was hardly dry!

In Turn 3 the Reb infantry advance on the column! Progress has been slow,
the Virginia mud must be to blame!

Reb cavalry gets behind the Union flank, but infantry can be seen at last
marching to the sound of the guns!

Further Union infantry heading for the fight! Union generals can be seen
checking the rules!

The Rebs seem to have the initiative by Turn 5 despite Union infantry
flooding towards the battle line.

In the nick of time the Reb cavalry is Disordered on the hill and Union
infantry begins to shore up the position.

As the Union infantry stabilizes the front the remaining cavalry mounts and
charges the enemy! "Follow me, boys!"

Sabres, carbines and pistols as the melee swirls around! The Union drives off
the Rebs!

A desperate throw of the dice by the Rebs almost tuns the tables but it slips
away from them cruelly as Union cavalry defeat them again! 

Meanwhile the boys from New York take up a dominant position on the hill
and the Reb infantry attack is halted by galling fire.

The Union supplies are safe at the end of Turn 9 and cannot be prevented
from leaving the table.

The Reb infantry attack stalled in Turn 9 and meant that the supply column
could not be prevented from achieving its objective and exiting the table.
A Union win!

A tense and enjoyable game for both players was our mutual opinion, with a favourable outing for the 'Glory Hallelujah' expansion rules for ACW Black Powder games. Most remarkably only one Command Roll was failed in the entire game, and that 'Blunder' provided a move in the general intended direction for Phil's Reb unit! We can't remember a similar instance ever in our games! On the other hand Firing dice were very mixed and Phil's Saving rolls were exceptional at times. But, Union cavalry winning melees, now that was unexpected given my track record!
Inspired by the game I've just finished another Reb cavalry figure and started the last one in the unit too! I hope to finish him off tomorrow now so I can get on with their bases. I'd like to have them finished before I go away for a break.

Keep on keeping on...

...the painting front, though at a pretty glacial pace of late. With all the who-ha surrounding Photobucket's changes/attempted extortion I've not been inclined to take pictures of newly finished figures and units. However, resolution is in sight after experimenting with Imgur and Microsoft and an apparent climb down by Photobucket, so some pictures are in order for those interested ~

British Marines 1793-95 ~ Trent Miniatures

Marine Command figures ~ Trent Miniatures

Warlord Games LDV with improvised weapons

Warlord Games LDV with firearms

Warlord Games German Heer 1940 Command and Panzer II

Footsore Miniatures Banker and Lady Moseley

Dixon Mniatures Union Cavalry

Closer view of ACW Union Cavalry from Dixon Miniatures

Warlord Games Vickers Mk VI and Renault tanks.
Like the Panzer II above these were a gift from long time friend and
modeler Ian Bottrill.

There is a bit of history behind the Dixon ACW figures. Sue bought them for me over two years ago at the Falkirk wargames show where they were part of a bereavement sale. At £1 each they were the bargain I could n't resist. I'm glad I finally got them painted this week. In fact they were so enjoyable that I've finished half of a unit of Confederate cavalry now as well!

Similarly with the Warlord Games tanks. I've known Ian since we met at College in 1968, I was even Best Man at his wedding to Ann. We meet up from time to time, as we did last Thursday, when he surprised me with a gift of a box of painted tanks and armored cars he'd made and painted for pleasure. Downsizing after a house move was the reason for them having to go, so I gratefully rehomed them in GHQ. The gift also included a Russian tank and Italian armored car, which Phil can repurpose for the SCW I think, and an ancient Roman cart which Pompus Maximus will commandeer for our ancient games in due course.

No more painting for me this weekend though. I'm off to see Walsall play Oldham Athletic this afternoon in our first home game of the new season, full of dread as to the result as we seem dire so far! Tomorrow Matt is coming up for Lunch with Arthur and Reuben and with Ruth, Craig, William and Emma joining us for Sunday Tea I've no doubt I'll be too busy for anything else! Still, there will be an ACW game in GHQ on Monday with Phil, if I've recovered in time and his hot air balloon did n't float away...

The Union! The Union!

The next game scheduled for GHQ falls on next Monday, when Phil and I will play a decent sized ACW game using Black Powder and some of the amendments suggested by the supplement, 'Glory Hallelujah!' In truth, although I've read these several times now, I still have not taken them all in. Its an age thing. The game will give me the opportunity to put some of my recently completed Dixon Miniatures Rebel infantry on the table in the form of a Georgia brigade. Over the last couple of weeks I've been painting up another unit, Union cavalry this time. Sue bought these for me from a bereavement sale at the Falkirk show two and a half years ago, so they were long overdue to make it onto the painting desk! I've also started on another cavalry unit, Rebels this time, which I collected from Spirit Games in Burton on Trent and Trevor Dixon at Claymore. These bring the respective number of units in my collection to three Union regiments and four Confederate. They don't often figure in our games in GHQ so I shall try to wangle them into the scenario in the coming days!

Three Oldish photos of my ACW collection in action here in GHQ. I hope to have a game report up here on Tuesday next week before I'm away from base again for a few days in Somerset. In the intervening few days I hope to post something else to wet your appetite for the coming game.

Claymore 2017

As you'll already know, I went to Claymore wargames show last Saturday with Sue while we were enjoying a short break in South Queensferry, staying at The Hawes Inn on the Forth's shoreline. It's a show I highly recommend if you have the opportunity to attend: meeting friends, seeing new games and buying new toys for the Lead Lump, no longer a Pimple! What's not to like really? I've already posted pictures on Facebook as it's so easy, but for completeness I wanted to add the to my Blog also. Firstly, from my friend Kevin and the Iron Brigade, a 28mm ACW game showcasing Kev's new rules, "The Bonnie Blue Flag" published by Caliver Books. The game won the Best Game award too I believe, though we weren't there by then to celebrate their triumph ~

The Iron Brigade's games at Claymore and elsewhere are always a joy to see, featuring as they do wonderful figures, terrain and interesting vignettes galore. While I spent most time with Kevin, Vivien, Emma and Peter and their game I did have time to take in the other splendid offerings from other gamers. As I only had my limited time I took few pictures, but here are a few of the other games ~

As with any Wargames show there were many more games on show in many differing scales and genres, but between chatting to friends, shopping and just mooching these were the ones which most hit the spot for me. Of course, I bought new toys as you do: ACW figures from Dixon Miniatures, AWI figures from Perry Miniatures off Dave Thomas, MDF bases from Warbases of course, and perhaps surprisingly for me given my track record, some AWI from Old Glory. On impulse I also bought a ruined desert fort in 28mm from Supreme Littleness Designs! 

The previous day Sue and I had been in Perth. Besides general sightseeing and shopping we'd visited the Black Watch Castle and Museum, well worth the visit and cost, though as ever these places disappoint when it comes to postcards useful to wargamers. What didn't disappoint was the local Oxfam shop which had an excellent Military History section. I bought a couple of books, but was most chuffed to find a mint copy of Don Trioni's Soldiers of the American Revolution for £14. So all in all a grand trip! I hope we will be back next year!