Time for a 'Catch-Up'

After a flurry of painting the brushes have sat idle.  That doesn't mean, however, that nothing has been happening on the wargames front.


Monday 6th August 2018 - WDW

ACW Naval
Revolution (boardgame)
DBM - Scots Common v HYW English (0:10 to the Scots)
I wasn't there so thanks for the info Deany.


Monday 13th August 2018 - WDW

Napoleonic skirmish (Forager rules)
Age of Eagles - French v Prussians
DBM - Welsh v Early Byzantine.  When Andy sprung 8 x Kn(F) out of the wood it was all over bar the shouting. Our Wb(F) was massacred.  An ignominious defeat - we were packed up by 2100 hrs.


Friday 17th August 2018 - Gt. Houghton

Just for a change we were playing "DBA in the New World" (rules on 'Steven's Balagan' web page).

1)  Tarascans v Aztecs - I was (mostly) on a hill and awaited the Aztec onslaught.  It was then that we found out how weak Bd(O) are against Sh(S).  Maybe the term "Warrior" would be better for this class as they incorporate Wb, Aux and Bd(I) into one classification.  It was a 0:8 win for me.

2)  Aztecs v Later Spanish -  the dice deserted me so I went down to a 9:1 defeat.

3)  Colonial Spanish v Later Spanish - I had half-pikes but couldn't make them count.  Again the dice gods spurned me - only a 6:2 loss this time.

The rules seemed to work OK but the troops have to be handled carefully.  Modifications are needed to encompass the evolution of DBA to version 3.0.  As a consequence we did make a few mistakes.


Friday 17th August / Saturday 18th August - WDW

A big re-fight of Borodino organised by Chris - see the (Wakefield & District Wargamers) club website for details.


Sunday 19th August 2018 - Newark

I did consider going to 'The Other Partizan' but couldn't be bothered to make the 40 mile drive.  It seems that others made the same decision (eg Wargaming Girl).  Maybe having 3 shows at the same place in relatively short succession is a little too much!


Monday 20th August 2018 - Al's Garage

I took along Latins (this time with Gallic and Syracusan allies) to face off against Al's Early Carthaginians.  The set up was 'mirrored' with both armies concentrating on their left flanks.  As a result plenty of time was spent trying to get into contact.  Our Gallic Wb(O) was too slow to make any impact as were the accompanying chariots. 

The fighting front rotated 70 degrees clockwise which made moving figures tricky.  When we pulled stumps our side had taken more casualties but nowhere near enough to break a command.

Had we both used a more conventional (and confrontational) set up something other than a draw might have happened.

Maya Completed

 Well.....not quite complete actually - I need a further 4 bases of commoners with spears. As I don't intend buying 5 more boxes of Caesar Maya just to get them I will have to raid the 'native reserve'. 

 All Caesar (except the Alligator Knights) 

Front right - Alligator Knights (Revell & Caesar) 

Back right -General's unit (white plumes).

So what's next?

Can't do anything with the Incas until I find the weapons I so carefully cut from the sprues and put away in a 'safe place'.  Also need to figure out how to build a litter for the general.

Recent purchases might give me a push though:

Orion 72013 - Ukrainian Foot Cossaks and Artillery

Orion 72007 - Polish Winged Hussars

Red Box RB72050 - Highland Infantry

I'm also finishing off the last of my Hellenistics. 

Have a feeling I might be looking for a change of scene........

The Unexpected Army - Tarascans

With a second tranche of warriors on my painting board I looked at the Maya army list variations. 

For the 'Post Classical Period' DNW wanted 11-31 Commoner Archers.  So basically 55 archers in breechclout needed.  A search through my plastic stocks found nothing suitable nor anything that I could convert in such numbers.

What I did find was some figures in tunics.  So what could I use them for?  An opportunity to dive back into my source books.

Reading about the Tarascans (also called Purempecha, Purepacha, Huacanace & Michoaca) showed soldiers with very short tunics but the text says that they were often longer - aha!  The bulk of them are archers plus some suit-wearers and otomi mercenaries.

 2 x Sh(S) backed up by 2 x Sh(O)

 Atlantic Trojans -the kneeling figure is somewhat larger than the rest

Sh(O) - rather two-dimensional figures

 This core of archers amounts to - 11 x Sh(O) @ 3 ap = 33
                                                      2 x Sh(S) @ 5 ap = 10
From 'stock natives' I can add - 5 x Bd(S) @ 5 ap =  25
                                                 3 x Sk @ 2 ap = 6
So that's 74 points out of 90 taken care of.  I now need to find 3 x Bd(S) Otomi mercenaries.

Maya Progress

Using Caesar Maya I have completed 9 bases, with 3 more about 90% done.

 My 'army' is now 12 bases strong::
                                                    6 x nobles (spear) - Bd(S) @ 5 ap = 30
                                                    1 x middle rank (spear) - Bd(S) @ 5 ap = 5
                                                    1 x middle rank (sling) - Sh(O) @ 3 ap = 3
                                                    1 x peasant (spear) - Bd(O) @ 3 = 3
                                                    2 x peasant (sling) - Sh(O) @ 3 = 6
                                                    1 x peasant skirmishers (sling) - Sk @ 2 = 2

Even if I could use them all together (which I can't) that's only 49 ap in total.  

So where do I go from here?  The middle rankers can, obviously, be promoted (or demoted) at need and a few Aztec nobles can be co-opted.  This still leaves a big shortfall.  Looks like I'm hitting the books again and giving my bank card a pounding. 

The Native Question - Part 2

I have added to my 'native' bases for DBA in the New World:

Skirmishers

back row - slingers & archers (Caesar Aztecs)

front row - slingers & atl atl (conversions)

Warriors

back row - Canari/Cunti (Incas), bowmen (Arabs) & blades (Aztecs)

front row - bow, slings & more bow (all conversions)

I decided to go for 3 skirmishers or 5 warriors to a square base.  Reasoning that I am only going to use these figures for "DBA in the New World" I thought that this was the best way.

So where do all these 'extras' come from?

 Waterloo 1815 - Dervish Infantry

I noticed that some Meso-American warriors (such as the Anti) had wrap-around breechclouts. 

(1)  Atl Atl - from plastic card & rod plus drawing pin shield

 original - fig 1c (PSR)

(2) Bowman - much trimming - quiver from sprue

original - fig 2a (PSR)

(3) Bowman - treatment as above - original standard-bearer for comparison

 (4) Slinger - sling from wire & putty, shield is a drawing pin head

original - fig 1a (PSR)

Now I need some blades - looking at Libyan warriors for them.

Also started on my Maya - watch this space!

The Native Question - Part 1

One of the problems with plastics is the over-supply of chiefs and not enough Indians.  Understandable from the suppliers point of view - the more attractive nobles will have greater appeal to the younger elements of our hobby.

A case in point is Aztecs (Caesar & Revell).  Nothing like enough peasants.  So where do I get enough Spanish auxilliaries from?

 Taken straight from the Caesar Aztec box

HaT Almoravid Arabs - repainted as Indian Auxilliaries

Taken from the Caesar Inca box - feathered spears are typical of Canari 

but the stripes are more Cunti or Colla.

I need at least 3 more stands of Indians for my Spanish in Mexico (or Peru) armies.  They are being worked on at the moment.  Watch this space!

Spanish Colonial

My first 20mm army for "DBA in the New World". 

5 x Shot - 1 x Lancer (knight) general - 1 gun - 8 x Half-pikes =  90 points

 Decided to put 'regular' shot and bow 4 to a base.  Makes the elements more flexible for other rules systems.  Keeping Lancers/Knights 3 to a base as well.

Still working on the 'native question' so that I can field Conquistador armies.  

 It's also dawning on me just how many Maya or Inca figures I am going to have to paint!