WW1 East Africa Project (revisited) - Pt.2

A couple of pictures of my Brits:

 

Left - 30th Punjab regiment             Centre - Masai warriors         Right - actual Brits  

Left - 2nd Jammu & Kashmir Rifles          Centre - Arab auxilliaries              Right - Askaris


Looking through my rules I unearthed the following:

"Hordes of the Empire" by Potter, Blake & Webb
[http://www.fanaticus.org/DBA/periodadaptations/index.html]

"HotT in Darkest Africa" by Mac Walker
[available on the HotT Yahoo group]

Obviously both are based on "Hordes of the Things.  It looks as though I tried to combine these into one set!

"I Wish I Was In France" by Tony Cullen
[http://staineswargamers.org/Webrules/RulesIWishIWas.htm]

Tried these out but found them a bit too complex.  Maybe I should try again!

"East Africa WW1" by Will McNally
 [http://www.freewargamesrules.co.uk/uploads/7/0/8/1/7081303/east_africa.pdf]

Not tried these at all.

"In the Heart of East Africa"
 [http://www.edinburghwargames.com/great%20war%20in%20africa.htm] - scroll down for the playsheet

These are a variant of "In the Heart of Africa" a much larger (now commercial) set written by Chris Peers.  I have tried ItHoEA but they are for skirmishes using bases of single figures - fine if you want that scale.

Next time - Pt.3 - more Brit pics & info sources.

WW1 East Africa Project (revisited) - Pt.1

With the issue of new figures from HaT I decided to dig out the old box files.  Not surprisingly the contents needed some quick repairs and basing work.  The paint job could also do with some improvements.   Nevertheless I intend giving them an outing in late November - so the next job is sorting out the rules.

Here are some of the German forces:

         Left - Ruga Ruga armed with spears & shield
(various sources including Red Indians).
    Centre - Schutztruppe from HaT box 8123
Right - Ruga Ruga armed with muskets / rifles.     

                                                                     Similar to above.

 

             Not sure where the gun came from (or the mounted officer).

Foot are Schutztruppe again.

                  'Personality' figures from various sources plus machine-guns 

(from who-knows where?).

With another 4 bases of Schutztruppe that's all I have for the Germans.  The Brits will be in part 2.


On the DBM front Monday's match was Early Libyans v Later Sargonid Assyrian.  This is another case of a powerful and successful army doing badly under the rules (like most of the Romans).  The list gives you over-priced 4h chariots (counting as Kn(S) @ 14 ap each) and only packets of other troop types.  Not surprisingly the Assyrians were massacred for the second week running.

Another Quick Note

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).

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.

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.

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.