Encore!

"Two in one day? The man must have nothing to do!"

Actually... no, but there's a lull in the activity, a calm before the storm, a hiss before the water boils... or something like that. In any event, I am blogging about last Saturday's games at the Hamilton Road Games Group.

A few of us wished to play some WWII skirmish using Iron Ivan's Disposable Heroes rules. Rich was interested in colonial wargaming using Osprey's The Men Who Would Be King, a set I'd never seen. He said the number of players would be limited to 2-4, so he, Stephen, and Bob played the game. I'll refer you to his blog for a better overview of his game:
 http://rhannibalswargamingblog.blogspot.ca/2016/11/anglo-zulu-war-game-prep.html
It's well worth taking a look... when you've finished reading this and looking at the photos of a few of the games. Andy brought Muskets & Tomahawks, but the game was not used. His son, Stephen decided to play the Zulu War instead. By the way, this is an excellent game and I'd recommend it to those interested in the French & Indian War in North America.

I set two tables with more or less identical terrain and a few guys jumped right in. (No photos; sorry.) My son, Rob and his "Red Devils" British Paras fought Martin and his early war American GIs. Martin prevailed in that one. I didn't see much of the game because I was assisting the other half of the table: Matt and a Canadian force vs. Bear and his SS Kampfgruppe. Matt had only played Disposable Heroes once before, and he probably didn't need my help anyway. I was able to assist in some communications difficulties that cropped up. Bear's late war troops defeated Matt. A gripe I have with the DH rules is the sense that British and Commonwealth troops are at a great disadvantage against almost any other army. The late war Germans bristle with LMGs and their morale is quite good. The British Commonwealth forces are a bit under-gunned and their morale is brittle, so you end up playing early war equipment and organization with late war morale. I should do something about this. ("Adjutant! Add that to the list, the ever-growing list! In fact, get them on the phone!")

The only photo of the first game - Martin's M3 Lee, which he used to great effect as a machine gun circus.
Both sides had options, one of with was a vehicle. Rob chose an additional squad while Martin chose this beast. 

Rob played a second game against Bear using later war US infantry against Bear's SS. This one he won. I was busy elsewhere and I didn't keep track of the game - Rob knows the rules better than I do anyway.

Bear's troops advancing and apparently taking come casualties.

Rob's GIs using the distant woods to break the German's line of sight.

SS troops in the woods. The white yarn shows the edge of the woods, the light green shows light woods.

Past the house and the standing grain.

An MG-42 crew at the edge of the woods. The green bead shows the section has been activated.

Matt and Stephen take it all in.

At one point, I took a few minutes and journeyed all the way across the room to the other table to see Rich's game. He did a very nice job on the terrain (home-made for the most part) and the 20mm plastic figs. His blog has a tutorial of sort on how to make the terrain using felt and epoxy and using upholstery foam and shop towels. Well worth reading.

A portion of the Impi advances.

The stalwart British infantry rush to take up a good position.

Another portion of the Impi which has seen better days.

So far as I could tell, everybody enjoyed the games. We spent some time planning out games for the future, but that'll be for another time.

... While you're busy making other plans

"Life is what happen to you, while you're busy making other plans."

I'm not a great John Lennon fan, and this strikes me as a very true statement. Just like the old saw of ministry - "Ministry takes place in the interruptions."

Needless to say, I haven't blogged in a while. For reasons unknown and unforseen, things have become busy for me. I've had time -at times- but I haven't taken what time there was for writing a blog.

So now up and at 'em!

A few weeks ago, Martin and I played a game using Warlord Games' Pike & Shotte rules. We're the only two in the Games Group that have armies for that period and we hack at each other every so often. So Martin's French fought my Swedes. He was aided by Rich and Derek while Bear and Matt were my assistant generals

Martin has "director-itis" and has taken to videoing things. So here's the intro to the game:

I always enjoy these games... and there's an outside chance I'll win one someday.

One of Martin's French infantry brigades with regimental guns

My Swedish/German brigade.
The red beads indicate casualties.

Bear's cavalry wing, including the Finnish Hackapells.
You also have a good view of my Swedish Yellow Regiment.

Selfish self-promotion: My Irish made an appearance after many years in a box - 4 units of Galloglaich and 2 of Bonnachts, who were Spanish sword-and-buckler men in another life. It appears that Gustavus Adolphus had hired some Galloglaich for his campaigns in the Baltic countries. I don't know how true that is, but it allows me a foot in the door.

Almost at push of pike

Still closer.

As things ended up, Matt's cavalry wing was crushed. Bear's wing was intact but having trouble getting untracked. The Swedish infantry centre brigades has either fallen back or were in difficulty. Here's the latest from the Martin News Network:

There's more to come, so watch for my next entry.

Saturday of Saga and Tanks

There was only a light gathering at the Hamilton Road Games Group this past Saturday. I arrived a little later than usual with a box of books to give away. A friend of mine was cleaning out his library and gave me a few books to share with the gang at the Group.

When I arrived, Andy and Ralph were already playing Saga. Andy's Vikings were facing Ralph's Skraelings. The Skraelings are a late addition to the Saga list of armies and they are quite unique. Based on the First Nations bands the Vikings encountered upon their arrival on the coast of Labrador, the Skraeling army list and battle board are only available on-line and are not included in the commercially marketed supplements to the original game. They have no "elite" level troops and can only realistically have one "peasant" class unit, who are armed with bows. The rest of the warband are "warriors" armed with javelins and very little armour. Both they and the warlord are armoured at a -1 level compared to other factions. From what I've discovered, "Skraeling" was the Norse word for the local natives encountered in Labrador and it means something akin to "screachers." (Photos were taken by the author and by Martin.)

Skraeling bow-armed "scouts" advance across the table.

The Vikings appear to be surrounded.
One of the Skraelings abilities - if the Saga dice cooperate - is the ability to bring reinforcements in made up of figures
who have been killed in the game. The dead still count as dead for points and they aren't zombies; they're simply reinforcements.

Ralph uses a measuring stick to move his warriors forward.
In the previous photo, the multicoloured stick is Andy's measuring stick, converted from a knitting needle.

Ralph tells me his Skraelings are Gripping Beast figures that are no longer available.

Andy contemplates the Skraeling advance. The Vikings were whittled down all through the game.
Sad to say, I can't remember who won.

Meanwhile across the room, Bear and Martin, later joined by Derek, were playing a game simply called "Tanks." Apparently, this game is a 'thing' right now. It appears to be a packaged and laid-out table top game for a very few tanks. I saw that Bear had only one Panther, while Martin had two Shermans. I've not played the game myself, so I can't say much about it.

The M-4 and the Mk. V square off in what seems to be a North African village setting.

Bear moves aggressively.  It appears that even the measuring devices are part of the package.

First blood! Andy asked why you'd put a tank so close to the side of a building anyway.

Ronson... lights first time, every time.

A "ghost tank"? I don't know if the tanks were Martin's although the terrain was.

Two down!

Another view of the carnage.

The Panther seeks other prey... another day.

Ralph and I got to play Saga after we ate lunch. He took my Irish and I got to try out the Skraelings. It made for an interesting game. One thing I forgot to tell you about the Skraelings is this: they get to use their opponent's battle board. They can block certain abilities on the board and can mimic others. This makes them tough to play, but quite effective.

The Irish hearthguard and warriors advance.

To their right, kern and more hearthguard.

I deliberately made my units smaller than normal to cover more distance.
Beyond the trees, the Irish hound warrior band can be seen. They charged and fell back. They're tough to play at times.
I use them to "jackel" enemy bands since they can move like mounted troops and ignore most terrain.

We advanced toward each other, although I kept my scouts in the woods to fire their bows from cover.
That's my measuring stick. Very conventional/

Irish warriors advance on my Skraeling warriors.

We're up close and about to come to blows. The Danish axe is a nasty weapon, doing extra damage, but reducing the user's armour by 1.

The Irish warlord and his Fianna (hearthguard) face the Skraeling warchief.
The little shield indicates a "fatigue" on the unit. Fatigues show how fresh or motivated your unit is.

I like this figure of Ralph's so much, I took a portrait of it.

Since neither warlord was killed (the victory condition required in the scenario called "Kill the Warlord"), Ralph and I totaled up points to determine the winner. I won by one point!

And here is Martin's YouTube video of the unusual occasion!

Some "work in progress"

For some unknown reason, I've been getting a good bit of time to paint lately. I wish I knew how this is, because then I could do it again!

I've been doing some "contract" work for Bear and I've been enjoying it. (photos by my phone-camera at my painting table. Not the best studio, but it'll do.)

From the Bolt Action line from Warlord, late WWII SS troops.
Some are in the tunic, some in the late war field blouse (waist length), while a few are
covered by the Zeltbahn shelter half/poncho. I used the late war SS "spring" camo pattern.

This rifleman is in the camouflaged tunic and helmet cover.

An example of the Zeltbahn. Notice the lack of gaiters and the rolled socks.
That's a nice touch.

Field grey field blouse and Panzerfaust.
Another nice touch are the rolled-up sleeves.

One of my favouites - Zeltbahn and captured PPSh Soviet SMG.

For some reason, Warlord loves the soft officer's cap for their sprues. I'm not a fan, but these aren't my figs!

the ubiquitous and necessary MG-34.
I dipped this fellow in the basing sand a little too early.

Also for Bear, Perry Afrika Korps.
Slightly smaller than the Warlord figs, but they look good.
Helmets, field caps, and both long and short boots are in evidence.

A little closer and in better focus.
I used three or four different light tan colours to get different shades of khaki uniforms
with a brown ink wash to pick out the folds and corners.

I also finished a Sci-fi figure my daughter had begun a long time ago for use in out Traveller games. She could be carrying a large sci-fi gun or a wrench worthy of the Titanic's engine room, so I used both. (Reaper Miniatures)

I like Reaper's figures - well-detailed, lots of whimsy.
Katie did the face and hair.

Also for my daughter, some Reaper "Mouselings." These are anthropomorphic mice in various human costume. I have a "Thanksgiving" set, but this pack was for magic and Japan.

Merlin Mouse? Hairy Potter? 

A Samurai-mouse in his robes. He is carrying two swords... as he should.

I've been slowing assisting my wife in her Welsh army SAGA project. She likes slingers and these fill the bill nicely.

I have to get out all of my "drab" colours for this medieval project. The figs are nicely detailed and fun to paint.
Again I use a brown ink wash to pick out details.

And...

For the family's on-going Steampunk projects, this officer came straight from the Northwest Frontier.
Another study in khaki.

I've done a few other things - for my 15mm Napoleonics and SYW projects, my son's Imagi-nations army, and some clean-up things on the painting table. (I tend to be easily distracted in my painting.) I hope to show some of those off soon.