Friday 24 April 2015

Goodbye to Bill

Last Saturday I took part in a memorial games weekend for a friend who passed away last year. I think it was safe to say that Bill would have been pleasantly surprised and somewhat bemused by the "fuss" but I think he might have had a wry smile when looked down and saw what was going on.



A friend and I put on a simple Roman vs Barbarian hordes game - carrying on the campaign theme we've being playing out over the last few months. By now Gaesric has been unable to decisively defeat the Romans and their settlements are becoming more and more developed. As his people are placed under more and more pressure from the Goths he invades again and this time comes very close to smashing the Legions and rolling up their flanks from both sides.



However the stout legionaries manage to cut through the german center and at the last moment, as victory is almost within his grasp - his army is defeated.



For the games we used our modified version of Neil Thomas's Ancient and Medieval rules - great fun and easy for the spectators to follow. 

Thanks to Foss and Eric for hosting !!



Wednesday 22 April 2015

A WW1 game using Bolt Action

Last Tuesday nights club game was a 1914 game using modified Bolt Action rules prepared by Gajo Games (gajominis.com). It was supposed to be a Brits vs Germans, Mons type encounter, however the BEF werent available so we had to thrust my Copplestone Sikhs in to test the rules.

The scenario was a simple one, after a very (and it turned out very very light!) preliminary shelling by off table fire, the Sikhs advanced from their improvised trenches across the fields to a farm held by a german platoon. I'd made up army lists for 1914 using the Gajo amendments as a basis, but cut the british sections down to 6 men compared with the german 9's making the latter proportionally stronger as is correct.  Although this meant the Sikhs were weaker units there were more of them so we're able in theory to pin down the enemy and advance by fire and movement....

The shells thudded into the farm but landed short, just between the main buildings and a small orchard. Without knowing how successful the shelling was whistles were blown and the Sikhs began their advance, one party moving out and forward immediately, the other moving along the trench line to try and flank the Germans. 

The MG08 opened up on the flanking move but wasn't able to hit anything because of the cover provided by the trenches, even in their improvised state. However the Sikhs advancing across the first field were hit by rifle fire as they reached the headgear on the other side. Meantime another unit became to move up the road to the farm.

Rifle fire began to take its toll on the smaller Sikh units but they were able to damage the Germans in return, but discretion was deemed the better part of valour and they retired after losing approximately half their men.

On the German left however the kaisers men had kept their head down and allowed the Sikhs to advance a fair way towards their line before opening fire with Rilfes and Mg. Eventually the flanking attack was reduced to a single man before he too was cut down.

Now was the time for a German counter attack. Two sections left their positions and began to rush forward, one getting as far as the hedge that had protected their enemy, the other getting very close to the trenches before becoming pinned down and eventually eliminated.

Eager to keep the game going we decided to reinforce the Sikhs with two sections of French Zouaves we happened to have brought along. These chaps made an appearance and began to push forward, forcing the Germans back to the farm buildings itself. Things were not going well!

Casualties were mounting and the first german section was eliminated with the rest becoming worn down. With the Sikhs coming round the flank the MG continued to fire for a few more turns til it was knocked out. The crisis point of the battle was reached. 

At this point disaster struck and one section of zouaves fired on its countrymen and moments later the Sikhs were stopped by German fire. The friendly fire unsettled the second Zouave section who failed a rally and decided enough was enough and routed. With half their number remaining, the Germans had held their position and prevented the allied attack from succeeding!

Thoughts - a good intro to the rules and an illustration of a different mind set needed to play ww1 battles where automatic weapons and mean a heavier weight of fire for each unit. The one thing I need to resolve really is that sections are not the basic manoeuvre unit in WW1 so I am going to rejig the army lists and shift them a level up so that the smallest unit on the table is the platoon.

Oh and next time I will take my camera and not use my phone - crappy yellow piccies weren't worth showing!!

Monday 20 April 2015

The Ottomans have arrived


At long last, just under 4 weeks from ordering, my Ottomans arrived with a thump thru the letterbox today.

I thought I'd do a quick review.

The figures are from Redoubt. This is the first time I have ordered from them and it's a decidely old school experience. Redoubt's webpage is fine but many figures are unphotographed or unillustrated. In years gone by that was acceptable but today I'm afraid it doesn't cut the mustard. Any site that doesn't have pics probably loses sales to those who do.

The figs arrived in a thin padded bag, inside were a bag with the infantry and a smaller bag with the camel drummer. Not very well protected, especially for the weight of lead in the actual order and as I feared there was one casualty - initially I thought just a broken musket but when I tried to straighten his bent base he snapped at the ankles. £55+ worth of figures in a padded envelop! I know weight has much to do with the cost of postage but it's not like bubble wrap contributes much to that. Suppliers - please protect our figures better!!




Ok, on to the figs themselves.

Two regiments -a unit of janissaries and one of musketeers in turbans with some command type for each.

The jannisaries look exactly like their illustrations on the website, so great news there. Poses are good, marching and advancing figures. However the muskes are perhaps a little short. No big deal though. What is a big deal is the flash. Lots of it on the command figs and a good amount around the faces of the remaining troops. Disappointing again. 



The musketeer figs are better. Again short muskets but much less flash. 

Comparison with Perry - chunky but not huge and the baggy clothing explains away any extra "heft". These guys will line up against my Trent miniatures Austrians so the difference will be less.




Overall 6 out of 10 . Not enough to put me off because these are or were great figures but perhaps the molds need replacing. There are few manufacturers doing Ottomans so little choice. We'll see how they paint up soon!

The Sultan, Sulieman the Dreamer, has designs on Austria's border regions and sees a war there as an excellent means of ridding Constantinople of troublesome commanders and seditious soldiers ! Besides, if he happens to win he'll look even more maginificent - if not he can round on those who failed him and lop off their heads!!
The Archbishop of Hoegaarden may not always see eye to eye with the Emperor but this a religious matter and he may be able to wring some concessions from Vienna if he supports the campaign against the heathens!