Saturday 28 April 2018

Incas, Nubians & Napoleonics



The first of the Incas to come off the paint table - and the simplest colour schemes.  The slingers are obviously modelled on a plate in the Osprey book - pity about the cloaks as they were not worn in battle.  I'm now working on the chequered designs - red & white to start with.


After fielding my 20mm Egyptians against the Nubians (a fortnight ago) I found that I had insufficient Nubian Bw to serve in both armies. So, scrounging up a dozen suitable figures I can now cover that particular shortfall.

There is still a shortage in chariots (especially for generals) so yet again I rummaged through my 'plastic mountain' to find some convertables.  Looks like the basic Airfix Roman models will fit the bill.  Of course the wheels are wrong but that problem can be solved by a visit to Irregular Miniatures at the next show that I attend.  

Already awaiting my attention are 3 (x7) 'biblical' Horde.  The Hebrews plus a few 'spares' should look the part in due course.  Why do I get the feeling that I have taken on too much?


Round Up

Saturday 21st April 2018 - WDW

I wasn't there as Montezuma had other ideas.  There were two games going on - Bob's "Setting the East Ablaze" Russian Civil War game and Chris' Napoleonic effort.

Castricum 1799

"In 1799, an Anglo Russian army under the Duke of York invaded Holland, lured by tales that the country was ready to rise against the occupying French. The rising did not happen; and despite the capture of the Dutch fleet (Quite a triumph in its own right) and some battlefield success, the allied army was forced to evacuate after a set back at Castricum on 6th October; and it was this action that we chose to fight out under "Age of Eagles" rules. The map and order of battle from the Age of Eagles scenario book "Power is my Mistress" by Steve Hojnacki formed the basis of our game, with added detail from "A Waste of Blood and Treasure", by Philip Ball (Pen and Sword; recommended). Chris started the morning commanding the Russians and British, handing over the commands of Dundas and Abercromby to Paul and James when they arrived. As in the original battle, Essen's Russians forged ahead of their British allies, the Lifeguard Cossack squadron leading a gallant charge in support of Fersen's brigade, which drove the French from Bakkum, while the Russian guns flayed the French on the Russian right flank. Pressing on, the Russians threatened to take Castricum next; but Mark, as Brune, held his nerve and fed reinforcements in, holding the Russians in front, and threatening to cut in behind their flanks. This was in no small way aided by the tardiness of Dundas on the left, and Abercromby in the Dunes on the Allied right. Padget's brigade of light dragoons, a potential battle winner, failed to deliver the knockout blow expected of it. Mark stormed the Russian Heavy battery with one of Gouvion's demi-brigades, and  Essen had little option other than to fall back to avoid being cut off.  As in the real battle, our Duke of York started the game in Alkmaar, arriving in our case two thirds of the way through. At this point, James and Paul arrived,  taking over as Abercromby and Dundas respectively. Headed by the Guards brigades, the British intervened at long last and the French were halted. Both sides lost heavily, but there was no doubt this was a French victory. The allies had failed to advance further towards Amsterdam, and could not afford their losses. Evacuation would have been unavoidable. "Man of the Match" to Mark, for not losing his head, feeding in reinforcements to hold the Russian infantry, and then cutting between the Russian flanks and the tortoise like advance of the British when under Chris's command (The Court of Enquiry acquitted James and Paul; Chris has been demoted to commander of the wagon train). Unit of the match? close call between Fersen's brigade, and the Dutch dragoons, who turned the tide of battle by cutting in through the junction of Dundas's right, and Fersen's left. All in all, an enjoyable re-fight, with a few lessons for the next time we give it a go."

Thanks to Chris for this report.

Saturday 14 April 2018

Bits & Bobs

I finally got around to finishing off the two Chinese chariots that Chris sold me (except for the bases):

This releases 2 of my 'dual use' 4h chariots to the early Carthaginians.

Still working on my Incas - long job with all those chequered patterns.


Round Up
 
 Monday 2nd April 2018 - WDW

Thinly attended meeting - bank holiday and pouring rain (of course).

Kings of the Battlefield - Hanoverians plus other 'German' states v French
WW1 6mm Mesopotamia - DBA variant No.1


Monday 9th April 2018 - WDW

Square Bashing - Austrians v Italians 1915
Kings of the Battlefield - Malburian
WW1 6mm - DBA variant No.2
DBM - Sha-t'o Turkish v Khurasanian - only picked the Turks because they were on the facing page.  Threw good combat dice to break the enemy centre. It was Andy's first foray into 'proper' Arabs.  He will, no doubt, alter his army composition and try again later. 

Slingshot 316:
Part 1 of an article by Nicholas Spratt - "Holiday in Cambodia" Many photos of the Bayon Galleries - interesting.

Otherwise a bit of a yawn - battles of Paraetacene, Chalons & Ad Decimum. 

Can't help thinking that the Society of Ancients / Slingshot has lost it's way.  In the 70s & 80s it was a resource for information hungry wargamers.  It provided a sense of camerarderie, even a community of sorts.  Now the internet is the first goto for obscure military information. 

Slingshot needs to find a niche.  I would suggest that extended battle reports would be better placed on the website / blog.  The internet is incredibly useful but much of its data is superficial (and access can be restricted).  Maybe more original research should be published.

Sad to say that I will not be renewing my subscription.


Saturday 14th April 2018 - Gt. Houghton

3 rounds of DBA v3.0

1)  Sea Peoples v Trojans - 4:0 to me
2)  Pre-Feudal Scots v Anglo-Danish - 5:0 win but a cagey fight until the end.
3)  Early Egyptian v Nubian - 3:5(7) loss. There was a point where we were 3:3 and I attacked a 3Bd with 2 x Horde and a Ps.  One Horde was on the flank but Ian escaped.  After that he killed both hordes plus two more elements.  The dice gods are ever capricious. 

This was the first outing for my 20mm 'biblical' plastics in quite some years.  The Egyptians were built as a full Armati, New Kingdom, army including all options.  For the earlies I had to improvise some horde from Hittites - that I only seem to have 8 x spearmen for!

Looks like I will have to unearth my stache of unpainted 'biblicals' to see if I can improve the situation.   Oh well - just another line of soldiers to paint - sigh!


Oddments:

http://fencingfrog.blogspot.co.uk/2018/04/scenarios-for-saga.html

4 scenarios for Saga - "Rescue the Hostage", "When you can’t pillage burn",  "I just want to get home" and "Death in a Tight Place".

Aldi purchase - 1 metre x 2 metre grass mat £6.99 - a hell of a lot better than the green paper that I have been using for test games.  Ideally it would have been 3' x 4' but you have to blame europe for something.



Thursday 5 April 2018

Motley Crew (part 1)



Z 219 - Z 222 - Z 223 - Z 225 - Z226

Z 234 - Z 238 - Z240

Big Al brought along some mixed Dark Ages 15mm figures to try to sell them - the box lid had this message:  "74 (virtually weaponless!) old minifigs - but very patient person with 'Micro-Drill' may well make something of them.  £5 for the lot (6-8p per figure).  Will be 'binned' if no sale.  Box must be returned."

Needless to say there were no takers.  Rather than going into the bin I offered to sort them out at a reduced price - Al gave them to me for nowt.

Some were on multiple bases (2, 3 or 4) and many were singles.  The first tasks were to separate, clean up and identify.  After consulting an old Minifigs catalogue I came up with the following:

1 x Z 219 - Ottonian HI, sp, pointed shield
4 x Z 222 - Viking huscarl, axe
1 x Z 223 - Viking Bondi, sp
4 x Z 225 - Vikikn berserk, sw
4 x Z 226 - Viking ulfhednar, sp
7 x Z 234 - Anglo-Saxon speaman in cap
1 x Z 238 - Saxon select fyrd, sp
20 x Z 240 - Late Saxon huscarl, axe

42 out of 74 identified so far.  I will now have to consult "Armies of the Dark Ages 600-1066" by Ian Heath to work out the rest.

Obviously this project is going to take some time.  First priority will be the Vikings as I can use them in my growing Welsh army.  The one Ottonian will probably get donated to the club.


Round Up

Monday 26th March 2018 - WDW

N.W. Frontier (Afghans v Brits) - "The Men Who Would Be Kings"
"Liberte" - boardgame - politics & intrigue in revolutionary France
DBM - Later Carthaginian v Patrician Roman - once again I held on magnificently to my assigned flank whilst my C-in-C crashed and burned.  Such is life!

Thursday 29th March 2018 - Halifax

Went to Halifax Modeller's World but only picked up one box of 1/72nd figures:

HaT 8128 - The Assyrian Army

This will go into the 'stock pile' to swell the numbers of unpainted plastics.

Seems that HMW is swerving towards the 1/32 (or 1/35) scale figures these days.  If I wanted those I would take the much shorter journey to Pontefract.

Tuesday 3rd April 2018

Caught up with TA & Co output - two more DBA v3.0 games:

Athenians vs.Early Achaemenid Persians - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IWRVFq6oslY&feature=youtu.be

Lombards vs. Magyars - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ugonKxFkLw

Thursday 5th April 2018

Whilst trawling on the Internet I found a post about the new version of Saga:

Saga 1 vs Saga 2 : Main differences spotted so far (31/3/18)

https://www.madaxeman.com/Downloads/SAGA2.pdf