Wednesday, December 16, 2015

28mm MUSKETS & TOMAHAWKS: FRENCH INDIAN WAR


Over 2 week day nights last month I organised a big French and Indian Wars game at Hugh Wilson’s who again provided the excellent terrain.  This time Hugh had produced lots of new mountain cliff sections.  We used Muskets and Tomahawks with some minor changes to the rules for shooting hits requiring more than a 6.
View over the table
Large ship in the British harbour
The objectives of each side in the mountainous terrain was to destroy the settlements of the other side.  Over the 2 nights neither side managed to destroy a single enemy settlement!  Despite this it proved to be an enjoyable game which kept 9 and then 7 players amused each commanding a force of 2 to 3 units.


French allied Indians finally cross the deadly bridge


French allied Indians scaling the cliffs to get to the Rangers


Here is the OB for the game
 
FRENCH FORCE 1
INDIAN CHIEF
6 INDIANS
6 INDIANS
6 INDIANS

FRENCH FORCE 2
INDIAN CHIEF
6 INDIANS
6 INDIANS
6 INDIANS

FRENCH FORCE 3
INDIAN CHIEF
6 INDIANS
6 INDIANS
6 INDIANS

FRENCH FORCE 4
IRR OFFICER
12 MARINES (IRR)
6 COUREURS DES BOIS

BRITISH FORCE 1
REGULAR OFFICER
8 REGULARS
8 REGULARS

BRITISH FORCE 2
MILITIA OFFICER
6 MILITIA RIFLES
6 MILITIA
6 MILITIA

BRITISH FORCE 3
6 RANGERS
6 RANGERS
6 LIGHT INFANTRY

BRITISH FORCE 4
MILITIA OFFICER
6 MILITIA
6 MILITIA
6 MILITIA

Indians coming down a mountain track



Sunday, November 22, 2015

TARGE 2015 - KIRRIEMUIR 21 NOVEMBER

This weekend I travelled to the Targe 2015 show held at Webster’s High School by the Kirriemuir Wargames club.  Instead of as usual putting on a display for the SESWC this year I was asked to be one of the judges for the display games and the painting competition.
SESWC Lepanto PP game

Falkirk - Indian Mutiny game
It was unfortunate that a few clubs and traders did not make it to the show due to the bad wintry weather in certain parts of Scotland.   The best display game was the Iron Brigade’s Retreat from Moscow and the best PP game was Glasgow Games Group’s Jurassic Park game.  The Border Reiver’s Preston 1715 display won the Targe trophy which is voted on by the members of the Kirriemuir club.
Border Reiver's - Preston 1715

Leuchars Veterans - WWI display

Iron Brigade - Retreat from Moscow

East Neuk - 6mm Quatre Bras using Blucher
Overall it was an enjoyable last show of the year for me.  I picked up more figures for my Napoleonic Peninsular War collection from the traders and the busy bring and buy stall.

Burma 1944 - using Bolt Action

LRDG raid on a German airfield

Tuesday, November 17, 2015

LOGW BIG GANGSTER WEEKEND


I was away at the weekend at Kirriemuir in Angus for a Gangster event.  Over the two days 12 gamers attended from the LOGW.  All the scenarios were developed by Peter Nicholson and Colin Jack.  The figures were supplied by various members of the group and Colin and Peter supplied the vast bulk of the terrain.
Docklands scenario

On the first day there was a choice of 6 tables with differing scenarios.   Each of the players played 4 games on a different table.  The scenarios were the docklands, the airport, a city centre, Mexican border town, Canadian Border and a backwoods moonshining operation

Nowhereville kinema
On the Sunday we played a single big game – set in the impressive fictional city of Nowhereville.  There were 6 gangster gangs and 6 law enforcement teams some of whom turned out to bigger crooks than the gangsters.  Each player was attempting to make money and achieve 2 secret objectives.  Mine were to rob a bank and kill a police commissioner.
Nowhereville airport
The first bank raid
It was an enjoyable weekend and the rules adapted from Legends of the West worked well and were easily picked up by all the players.   My thanks to Peter who acted as the hard working rules umpire.

Big shootout at the Bank of Baltair
All my photos on flickr at
https://www.flickr.com/photos/bill26048/albums/72157660511046638

I am responsible for planning our next weekend meeting in March which will be a series of Muskets and Tomahawks FIW games.

Saturday, November 7, 2015

FIASCO 2015 LEEDS AND ROYAL ARMOURIES MUSEUM


Two weekends ago I went as part of an outing from Falkirk and District Wargames Club to the Fiasco wargames show in Leeds.  A lvery ong but enjoyable day. Here are some photos from the show and from the Royal Armouries Museum which is next door to the show.
 
15mm WWII Eastern Front game

Sci Fi game

1970s Football Violence game - the open terraces - figures by Ainsty

The Tower of Arms

Tiger hunting going wrong

Superb 18th century armoured elephant

Wildfowl/Duck punting diorama
 

Friday, October 30, 2015

BACK OF BEYOND AB1 WEEKEND GAME

A few weeks ago I was away at the weekend at Lundin Links in Fife for a 28mm Back of Beyond game.  Over the 2 days 14 gamers attended from the AB1 group.  We used the Setting the east Ablaze rules.

View along table - Angus Konstam in far distance

The Baku oilfields
 Each player commanded a different faction of 10 units - there were 2 Bolsheviks, 2 Turks,  British, Americans, Italians, Bokharans, Islamist rebels, 2 German Freikorps, Poles and Chinese Warlords

Myself and Angus Konstam were the Bolshevik players but we were both worn down by the attacks of the Turks, Poles, Italians, British and Freikorps who all seemed to have something against Bolsheviks.  Angus’ armoured train was destroyed by a suicide head on run by a Freikorps commandeered locomotive.
Turkish airpower

My Bolshevik faction advances
 
A massive and very enjoyable game and a fun weekend.   Officially it was won by the Italians as they held the tower of Silence holding the Tsars hidden treasure.  Thanks to Ken Pierce who organised the scenario.

The deadly Islamist armoured elephant stampedes into US infantry

Angus' Red faction moves to support me

Tragic end of the  'Red Victory' train in the massive rail crash

Red airforce hero goes down in flames

There is a longer report on Bart’s blog at
http://asienieboje.blogspot.co.uk/2015/10/ab1-big-back-and-beyond-game-weekend.html

Thanks to everyone who has helped me get over 250k page views.

Monday, October 5, 2015

THOMOND - IRELAND 12TH CENTURY


On Wednesday I was at Hugh Wilson’s for another Medieval game designed by Dave O’Brien.   It was a variant of his previous French raid game this time set in Ireland in the 12th century.  5 players commanded the English supply missions  whilst Dave umpired and commanded the ambushing Irish.  The table was 14ft long and we used Hail Caesar.
 
Map of the layout showing hidden Irish deployments
Background

Henry de Clare Earl of Pembroke finally managed to marry Domnall Mor Ui Briain’s daughter and ‘surprisingly’ Domnall suddenly died leaving all the lands of Thomand one of the largest areas of Southern Ireland to him and he quickly set about erecting castles to protect his inheritance.  The natives have been extremely upset by this and have launched attacks against isolated castles.
 
Player Briefing

A number of knights have been sent to deliver supplies and reinforcements to the castle at Knock.  Each knight has a small force of troops and either a wagon of supplies or herds of sheep or cattle to deliver to the castle, once the supplies have been delivered that Norman player will then take command of Irish troops. 

Each wagon is worth d3x10 VP’s, a sheep is worth 1 VP and a cow 2 VP’s.  Each skirmish unit destroyed is worth 1VP, each formed infantry unit is worth 2 VP’s and each Fianna unit is worth 4 VP’s.  Troop losses will be deducted, mounted knights are worth 10VP’s and formed troops 4 VP’s.

If your character is killed then all VP’s are lost and your troops will disperse and not take any further part in the game.
 
English press onto Knock

Disaster for the first supply group as their cattle stampede of the road

Hugh's group with their flock of sheep cross the last obstacle before Knock

The game was won by Hugh commanding the 2nd supply group who managed to slip into the lead when Tim's leading group was ambushed by the Irish. A situation made worse when his cattle herd repeatedly stampeded.
 
 
 
 

Wednesday, September 16, 2015

NEW NAPOLEONICS


I have continued to work slowly away on my Napoleonic collection.  I bought some very nice painted Front Rank Russian Lithuanian Uhlan figures on Ebay.  I have rebased them and fitted them with the correct regimental lance pennants and a standard from GMB Designs.
LITHUANIAN (LITOVSKI) UHLANS

I have also added 2 more regiments of Light Dragoons and a battalion of guard infantry to my British army.  I bought the figures ready painted from South Africa and I added some more shading and rebased them.   The infantry flags I found on Warbases.
 
3RD BATTALION IST FOOT GUARDS

12TH THE PRINCE OF WALES'  LIGHT DRAGOONS
 

Wednesday, September 9, 2015

BORDER REIVER 2015

On Saturday I went down to the Border Reiver show held once again at Gateshead International Arena.   It was a successful visit chatting with some old friends.  Also I discovered the stand of Eagle Figures and bought 2 battalions of their Portuguese Militia to add some allies to my Peninsular War British. Here are a few photos from the show:
PP Fantasy PP game - I liked the big buildings

Falkirk's Tiger tank PP game - John the Tiger Meister

Russo-Japanese Naval game

Dumfries ACW Wilderness game - the relaxed union commanders

The view from the CSA side - the Union commanders have gone for lunch

Tuesday, September 1, 2015

LES INVALIDES PARIS 2

As the second part of my blog on Les Invalides here are some photos of uniforms from the Musee De L'Armee. 
A circle of  Napoleonic Eagles

 

2nd Empire Zouave

2nd Empire Cavalry

Napoleonic 23rd Dragoons

2nd Empire