testing photo's.

Having just changed from Windows 7 to Windows 10,I am experiencing great difficulty in accessing my photographs.

Design to be used on Kamikaze headbands on 9.7.2016.
Don't you just hate it when things suddenly right themselves and make you look like a complete "TIT"???????????????photo's back on track!!!!!! I wish I knew what I was doing with this computer.

Kamikaze(Divine Wind)

Last night,Brian and I had a very enjoyable,and entertaining game/trial of the participation game we hope to put on at Stockton in July.

This is the info. given to us by Dave and Thomas at "Battleground" show.

Here are three views of the "Terrain" we will be using,the American Aircraft Carrier in the bottom left hand ,and the Japanese Air Base on the right centre.

A view of the "authentic" WW2 Japanese air-base(Hmmmm!!)

A shot of the American P40,and the Zero fighters we will be using for the game.These are made by a company,based in Chicago,called "Tootsie Toys" and are very collectable,so if anyone out there has any for sale,contact me!!-the models are no bigger than my thumb,but look quite effective.

Two shots of our "trial game" in full flow-Brian looks relaxed!-the playing surface is about 4 foot by 3 foot,and is just about right for the size of the game we are putting on.
I have made a couple of Kamikaze head bands for the "participants" to wear during the game,as they will always be the Attackers and we,as a club, will always be the defenders!
The whole point of the game is for the Kamikaze pilots to sink the Carrier.

There it goes!!-we hope this will be good fun on the day,with lots of "participants",each game last night took about 20-30 minutes,and the Carrier was sunk each time!!! so,roll on 9th July!

Battle of Caccamo Camp 1100AD

Last night the "Fab Four" ie. Graham,Brian,Paul and I,had the most colourful game we've had for a while,involving Moors and Normans in Sicily!

This is the simple scenario,the objective was to capture the camp for the Normans(Paul and Brian)

Graham and I had come up with the plan,to attack on both flanks and hold the camp area with Infantry and cavalry-Paul and Brian had come up with plan to attack our centre and capture the camp as quickly as possible!!-look at the colour!!

My light infantry are sweeping across the stream,against Paul's light infantry-he had heavy cavalry support,but chose to use them to support the attack against our centre-bad mistake!!-I had light cavalry which I used to out-flank on my left-this proved to be very successful,to the point that in one melee,Paul put his commander into the fray to bolster the points of his left hand unit-I killed the commander and the whole of the flank collapsed-hurrah!!!

Meanwhile,on the right flank,Graham launched his cavalry against Brian's heavies-we "bounced" but still had reserves,which were also put into the melee-Brian then put his reserves into the melee,and all hell broke loose!!-neither side winning a decisive victory-great stuff!

In the centre,things were going the Norman's way-their cavalry brushed aside our cavalry,smashed their way through the first line of infantry and crashed into our second line!!

On the right,Graham has won a crucial melee,and is driving the Normans back through the trees-I've got a good feeling about our chances now-hurrah!!

On the left,I am pushing hard,and Paul's infantry are not doing well-it was at this point that he decided to put his commander into the melee,to support the far unit-how will he explain that to his C-in-C(Brian the Brute!)

Well, standing with your hand on your hip won't get you any sympathy for  a start!!-you can imagine the conversation-"well,it was like this..............."Brian is looking none too pleased and speechless!!

Graham is looking none too pleased and speechless too-why? his right flank is doing okay,however the centre is looking a bit "fragile"

Yes,our centre is looking as grim as Grimsby on a wet afternoon-and that's grim!!!
However I have some spare cavalry,and sent them into the flank of the attacking Normans-hurrah!!

The centre is now stabilised,my light troops are advancing on the Norman centre,and Graham is winning on his flank-is it all over for the Normans????

YES!!the camp and gold are both safe,and the Moors were declared the winners-another hurrah!!-great game well played.
All of the figures used were from Warrior Miniatures,and painted by me!
I don't know if we will be playing on Thursday,and we definitely won't be playing on next Sunday.

Battle of "Arfook" 1898-Sudan.

It was down to Brian and I last night,to fight this fast-paced and good fun game.

Scenario and table before any movement-Brian was British,and really had to get rid of the "followers" in the camp before he could advance on Arfook-my plan was simply to attack,although the bulk of my Haddendowah warriors couldn't move until move number three!!

This shows the bulk of my troops,"lurking" in the palm grove!!

Brian's Egyptians were tasked with stopping my camp troops from attacking the flank of the British-a job they did with great aplomb and ease!!!

My camp troops surge over the stream,and take devastating fire from rifles and the Gatling gun.

Meanwhile my left flank and centre Haddendowah launch an attack against the British-Brian has sent his lancers out against my Baggara cavalry,and got beaten-hurrah!!

My "lurking" troops have now broken cover and are converging on the thin British line-this is going to be slaughter,isn't it??????

Well,no!!Brian has managed to get the "followers" from the camp to retire on all fronts,which will leave his Egyptians free to support the British line!!

A withering fire from the British is taking its toll-Artillery,rifle and Gatling are causing the Haddendowah to suffer more casualties than they can safely take-if only I can get them into hand-to-hand combat,they'll do okay!!

Many of my units have decided that they have had enough and are retiring(it's good being retired!) leaving the British victorious(happy and glorious)

One last shot(excuse the pun!) showing "dead" figures,and the attack in a total fail mode!
I will quote Kipling:-We've fought with many men across the seas,
                                     An' some of 'em was brave,an' some was not.
                                     The Paythan,an' the Zulu an' Burmese,
                                      But the Fuzzy was the finest of the lot!!!!
This sums up the game-good fun,fast and furious-great wargaming.
Roll on Sunday.
Our local Auction house in Westerhope is having a sale on the 23rd,and coincidentally these fine items are on sale................

Genuine Haddendowah swords from the Sudan!! but with a guide price of £200-300 pounds each they are way out of my range-oh to be rich(instead of handsome!!)

Carthaginians vs Romans

Last night,Graham,Brian,Paul and I had a good old fashioned "set-to" involving a mixed Carthaginian army against a republican Roman army.
Paul and I were Romans,Brian and Graham were Carthaginians.........................

Graham has sent his Elephants,skirmishers and cavalry against my legion on my right flank.

Meanwhile,Brian is moving his Celtic contingent against Paul's flank-this is going to get messy!!!

I have managed to get rid of Graham's Elephants,who have rampaged off to the right of the photo,but I am still struggling with his Spaniards.Paul has sent his centre legion forward but they have run into huge things with trunks!-no,not American holidaymakers,Elephants!!!-it's definitely getting messy!

Brian's Celts have attacked across the stream,and are giving Paul's legion a bit of a hard time,and he is piling more warbands forward-are we in trouble???

No!! Paul has driven the Elephant threat away to my flank!!-thanks Paul, but this has relieved the pressure,allowing him to concentrate his forces against Brian-hurrah!!(unless you're Brian!!)

My Triarii are waiting patiently until the rampaging Elephants have passed then they will launch an attack,supported by my heavy cavalry against Graham's flank-piece of cake!!!

The depleted,defeated and disintegrating Carthaginian centre!!But what of Brian's Celts?

They're knackered too-Graham's face says it all-victory to the Romans!!
Well,roll on Thursday!!
I am seriously considering knocking Sunday games on the head,and maybe playing them every other week,but still continuing with the Thursday night games on a weekly basis.

Ship Building returns to the North East.

Early last year I saw in one of the many catalogues my wife receives,some cardboard press- out Viking ships,priced at £5.99-too much I remember saying!!-however,later on,June I think,they were selling the same ships at £2.99-a much better price,so I bought 4,on the strength of getting a Viking army to go with them!!
Anyway,it's taken me until now to have a go at making them.On first examining them,it was obvious that,at 16.5 inches long,they were too big for wargaming purposes,so I decided to alter them to a more manageable 8.5 inches,however it meant a lot of alterations and the abandoning of the decks etc.however I have persevered-see what you think............................

This is how they come packaged,from the British Museum,and this is what you get....

Deck,Hulls,sail and even crew!!

These are the component parts I am going to use-I cut down the hull and sail,and used a Bar-B cue skewer for the mast,and Canape Skewers for the oars,with an MDF base for the mini-deck.

I cut "V's" out of the hull to take the oars.

Oars would be positioned like this when that stage happens in the process.

This is how the mast will be stuck through the MDF base,which will then be inserted between the hulls.

The hulls have been glued at both ends(very nautical terms are being used here!!) and the base "jammed" in between them.

This is how it looks prior to the oars being added.................

Oars added to the "Port" side-the same is done to the "Starboard"side,and almost complete.

Taking shape now,I thought that the mast and oars stood out a bit,being just white,so I coated them with Mahogany varnish-what will all four look like??

The Viking "fleet" sailing majestically up my kitchen table....................

All four only took me an afternoon to complete-I hope my Viking Army(not yet ordered!) takes as little time!!
Any comments would be welcome.