Just updated my previous post - photos instead of the box backs. Managed to dig out two small lamps from my cupboard - light levels still poor (a very grey October here in northern England).
No DBM this Monday but Saturday saw a re-fight of Blenheim (King of the Battlefield) and a Samurai Civil War (Impetus).
Wednesday, 22 October 2014
Wednesday, 15 October 2014
A Bumper Harvest
For the first time ever I purchased an entire issue of Hat soldiers (E25) - six boxes in total (very fast service from Model Hobbies Ltd).
I tried photographing the figures but light levels have been so poor since Monday that I haven't managed any decent pictures. Maybe later!!!
First up - 8298 Huns - 3 sprues. The only 'ancients' set in the release. Don't know where they are going to end up but we shall see.
Two 'colonial' sets next - 8289 Bengal Lancers and 8288 Colonial British Dragoons (3 sprues each).
Last up - three sets that replace the truly dreadful Hat/Coates & Shine WW1 German Colonial Infantry (8123) that only managed 3 for sculpting at PSR [http://www.plasticsoldierreview.com/Review.aspx?id=911].
We have - 8268 Askaris, 8269 Ruga Ruga & 8270 Schutztruppe. All these can be used for the WW1 conflict in East Africa (4 sprues per box). Now if only HaT could manage some combatants for West Africa!
The Ruga Ruga could be used elsewhere and provide a number of baggage handlers which are much needed.
When light permits I will provide photos and, maybe, I will post about my WW1 East Africa project.
I tried photographing the figures but light levels have been so poor since Monday that I haven't managed any decent pictures. Maybe later!!!
Last up - three sets that replace the truly dreadful Hat/Coates & Shine WW1 German Colonial Infantry (8123) that only managed 3 for sculpting at PSR [http://www.plasticsoldierreview.com/Review.aspx?id=911].
We have - 8268 Askaris, 8269 Ruga Ruga & 8270 Schutztruppe. All these can be used for the WW1 conflict in East Africa (4 sprues per box). Now if only HaT could manage some combatants for West Africa!
The Ruga Ruga could be used elsewhere and provide a number of baggage handlers which are much needed.
When light permits I will provide photos and, maybe, I will post about my WW1 East Africa project.
Saturday, 11 October 2014
Struggling On
First off - Monday's DBM tussle was between Marian Roman and Abyssinians. In the centre Wb(O) faced Wb(F) - at exactly the same points expenditure. On our (Abby) left flank the motley command of Ps(S) & Lh(O) tried to investigate a large BUA but made little progress. The other flank was a different story however - our Camels(O) & Lh(O) had Cv and Lh in their sites. Such an unequal contest resulted in a broken command and a 6:4 win to us.
On the painting front I have almost finished some Chinese warband elements. Some colour has appeared on the Dutch and Transylvanians but not nearly enough. Sad to say RL is still getting in the way.
On the painting front I have almost finished some Chinese warband elements. Some colour has appeared on the Dutch and Transylvanians but not nearly enough. Sad to say RL is still getting in the way.
Wednesday, 1 October 2014
RL Getting In The Way
It's been almost a month since I blogged - real life had interposed itself. With the Folk Dance season starting in September I have been very busy and the pressure is not easing off (calling today and Friday). Still I will try to get some painting done soon.
Monday's DBM game was between Lysimachid and Alexandrian Imperial. Some pikemen actually got into contact (but not with each other). So a long drawn-out affair with Lysimachus' cavalry arm being whittled away.
The Saturday game featured DBA-RRR with 4 players in a 'round robin' followed by a larger game in the afternoon.
In the first game my Polish hussars went crashing into the French with the inevitable result. Tim's Colonial Spanish were comprehensively trounced.
The second round saw John Smith triumphant again and my Germans were six-oned relentlessly.
The 'big battle' saw 30YW Catholics versus Protestants. Quite a struggle which ebbed and flowed for a while until a decisive loss in the centre.
The rules are more subtle than they seem (especially the flank support rule). I added a few house rules regarding generals for the last game:
(a) C-in-C's command has 12 elements plus a round command stand.
(b) SG's commands are 12 strong including a nominated general.
(c) SG's get +1 for everything and 1d6 for movement.
(d) C-in-C gets 1d6 for his command plus 1d3 to be distributed as he likes to elements
or groups within 18" (9" if line-of-sight is blocked by terrain).
The extra 1d3 made PIP distribution more even and seemed to work fine.
Monday's DBM game was between Lysimachid and Alexandrian Imperial. Some pikemen actually got into contact (but not with each other). So a long drawn-out affair with Lysimachus' cavalry arm being whittled away.
The Saturday game featured DBA-RRR with 4 players in a 'round robin' followed by a larger game in the afternoon.
In the first game my Polish hussars went crashing into the French with the inevitable result. Tim's Colonial Spanish were comprehensively trounced.
The second round saw John Smith triumphant again and my Germans were six-oned relentlessly.
The 'big battle' saw 30YW Catholics versus Protestants. Quite a struggle which ebbed and flowed for a while until a decisive loss in the centre.
The rules are more subtle than they seem (especially the flank support rule). I added a few house rules regarding generals for the last game:
(a) C-in-C's command has 12 elements plus a round command stand.
(b) SG's commands are 12 strong including a nominated general.
(c) SG's get +1 for everything and 1d6 for movement.
(d) C-in-C gets 1d6 for his command plus 1d3 to be distributed as he likes to elements
or groups within 18" (9" if line-of-sight is blocked by terrain).
The extra 1d3 made PIP distribution more even and seemed to work fine.
Thursday, 11 September 2014
Polish Presence
Finished the last bases for Polish-Lithuanian 'Commonwealth'.
Commander & 2 x Lh
Armoured cossacks & 'winged' hussars
As an experiment I used a mid-green background. As you can see the lights appear to have turned it turquoise! The 'light-bounce' is also strong. Guess I will go back to the white sheet (even if it does go a bit pinkish).
Anyway that's the Polish-Lithuanian army completed - by substituting another Lh for the WWg. I will get around to building that wagon then the Lh can go to the Transylvanian army.
Tuesday, 9 September 2014
Est Arrive
No not the Beaujolais (that's in November) but the 60mm bases. At the first opportunity I put painted figures on bare bases and got on with the flocking. So here are the additions:
On the left - 4 elements of Portuguese colonial musketeers (with very bright feathers courtesy of South American birds of paradise).
On the right - 1 element of Russian Blades plus 3 Dutch shot.
On the left - Spanish colonial soldiers - Escopeteros (ex WoR Courers), 4-to-a-base Blades & 1 shot.
On the right - 3 Lh (haven't decided exactly where each is going).
This means that I now have 11 x DBA-RRR armies ready to fight - Free Cossacks, Danish 30YW, French 30YW, German Catholic, German Protestant, Ottoman Turks, Portuguese Colonial, Russians, Safavid Persians, Spanish Colonial & Early Gustavian Swedish.
Yesterday was another DBM scrap - Ancient British (with Roman ally) v Syracusans. The dice gods were capricious granting large movement scores only to wait until you were over-extended then serve up a '1'. Combat dice were no better with me losing 3 cavalry in one round even though I was on even or better odds.
Come the final round the first combat dice-off killed 3 of our hoplites and the central command collapsed. Two of the enemy warband fell leaving only two more needed to break the enemy centre. The remaining dice-offs did nothing until there was only my lone cavalryman to try his luck. I rolled the bones and turned away to get the tin ready. 6-2 was enough to snatch a draw from the jaws of defeat.
On the right - 1 element of Russian Blades plus 3 Dutch shot.
On the right - 3 Lh (haven't decided exactly where each is going).
This means that I now have 11 x DBA-RRR armies ready to fight - Free Cossacks, Danish 30YW, French 30YW, German Catholic, German Protestant, Ottoman Turks, Portuguese Colonial, Russians, Safavid Persians, Spanish Colonial & Early Gustavian Swedish.
Yesterday was another DBM scrap - Ancient British (with Roman ally) v Syracusans. The dice gods were capricious granting large movement scores only to wait until you were over-extended then serve up a '1'. Combat dice were no better with me losing 3 cavalry in one round even though I was on even or better odds.
Come the final round the first combat dice-off killed 3 of our hoplites and the central command collapsed. Two of the enemy warband fell leaving only two more needed to break the enemy centre. The remaining dice-offs did nothing until there was only my lone cavalryman to try his luck. I rolled the bones and turned away to get the tin ready. 6-2 was enough to snatch a draw from the jaws of defeat.
Wednesday, 3 September 2014
Just Some Notes
No progress on the DBA-RRR front because of very poor service from wargamestournaments.com. I ordered (and paid for) £22 worth of 60mm mdf bases on the 8th August - and am still waiting for delivery. Subsequent emails have gone un-answered. Now I have to try to reclaim my money via PayPal.
On the DBM front I took Former Ch'in (List 2.21) to face Andy's Early Vietnamese. I ended up fighting against 3 commands with the inevitable result. Two of the enemy commands were near breakpoint but that was little compensation for a birthday defeat.
When John Smith returns from Partizan (at Newark) he will, hopefully, bring me some alternative bases - so normal service can be resumed!
On the DBM front I took Former Ch'in (List 2.21) to face Andy's Early Vietnamese. I ended up fighting against 3 commands with the inevitable result. Two of the enemy commands were near breakpoint but that was little compensation for a birthday defeat.
When John Smith returns from Partizan (at Newark) he will, hopefully, bring me some alternative bases - so normal service can be resumed!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)