Preview of Sunday's game-Romans vs Britons.

This is getting to be a habit!!-previewing the next game,but idle hands and all that!!
We decided on Sunday,that this Sunday we will be playing an Ancients game,using the same terrain as the Zulu game,and here it is(minus the river!)

The simple scenario-we will pick sides on the day,unless anyone has a particular preference.

This is the table as the "lads"(that's a laugh!-Dave,the youngest member of the group,has just turned 50!!) will see it as they arrive.

The village,being attacked by the Auxiliaries at the start of the game.

The rear of the Roman column.

The head of the Roman column.

The opposition!!
Roll on Sunday.

Painting Update-Saracens and Teutonic Foot.

I am getting on pretty well with my latest additions from Warrior Miniatures,having completed 3 foot units and 4 cavalry units.........................

These are the three Teutonic Foot units-am I sick of painting Crosses???-the standards are from wine bottle foil-close up they don't bear careful scrutiny,but working on the three foot rule,they will pass!!-only another three to do,but one will be a Templar unit(white with a red cross) and one Hospitaller unit(black with a white cross) and one Sword Bretheren unit(red with a white cross) so shouldn't be too hard!!

These are the 4 Saracen cavalry units in full flight!-again the standards are from wine bottle foil.I went to town on the colours,which are in no way accurate,but I thought they looked the part!!

A bit of a close-up,showing the highly authentic extracts from the Koran,painted on the flags!!
I don't know what it says,but it looks ok to me!!(no offence meant to anyone!!!!!!!!)

A shot from the other side,showing "bonny" colours!

AAAAAAgh!!-I really must stop drinking Rum!!

Battle of the Inyezane River 1879.

The "Fab Four" of Dave,Brian,Graham and I turned out last night to re-fight this interesting battle set during the Zulu War of 1879,and what a battle /game it turned out to be!

Top photo is the scenario,and bottom is the table before any movement.Dave and Brian were the British commanders and Graham and I were the Zulu commanders.

The British column crossing the Inyezane-what a quiet,peaceful scene(??)

The NNC making their way through the bush and tall grass on the slopes of Wombane Hill-what a quiet and peaceful scene(!!!)

USUTHU!!! a combination of Zulu stabbing spears and "friendly fire" obliterated the poor old NNC as they attempted to escape back down the hill-is Brian looking to the Heavens for help??
His regular infantry are forming a firing line,but has he left it too late?

Meanwhile,Graham has opened fire with his Zulu rifles,and inflicted a few casualties on the Naval contingent,who then replied with (laser guided?) rockets,Gatling(this battle was the first time a Gatling had been used in a land action) and Martini-Henry rifle fire,which sent the Zulu running!!!-this does not auger well!

Brian's infantry open fire on the fast-approaching Left Horn,who took horrendous casualties,but managed to get stuck into the Redcoats-hurrah!!-in the background,Dave's troops are taking up their firing positions,preparing to give the Centre and Right Horn a "baptism" of fire if they dare to approach!!(Graham and I had to throw a dice to see which move number the Centre and Right came onto the board and we both threw a 4)

This shows the Centre and Right coming onto the board-Dave was still moving his troops into position,and got quite a shock at the speed of the Zulu!!

My Left Horn is engaging the British in hand-to-hand fighting,and winning(for the moment!)
Dave has now got his troops into position and is giving Graham's Right Horn a right old pounding!!

My Centre Regiments are now making their presence felt and Dave is under severe pressure-however Brian is gaining the upper hand on his flank,and my Left is being beaten-woe is me!!

Graham is now lined up and ready to inflict a "ploating" on Dave's troops-hurrah!! however my Left is retiring(it's good being retired!) and my Centre is "not doing too well!"-come on Graham,it's down to you now!!

This shows Brian's way of saying "cheerio" to my Left Horn-at this point my Centre collapsed and began to retire(I refuse to say it's good being retired again!) but Graham was still winning with his Right Horn.

This shows the state of the Zulu Centre-shot to bits,but still trying to form a line facing Brian's advancing troops!

As Brian's troops advance to support Dave,it was clear that the Zulu were beaten,and we called it a night-all of us suffering from exhaustion(the nervous kind!!)
This was a tremendous battle/game and thoroughly enjoyable-well done lads!
Paul is back from his "jollies" next week(Rhodes) so we should have a full complement to fight an Ancients game over the same terrain!

Battle of Belvoir Castle 1200AD.

Last night we eventually fought this battle which was put off from last week due to "diminished" numbers-however,only Graham,Brian and I turned up again last night,so we made the best of it and fought a great game.

In the excitement,I forgot to take any photo's for the first 3 moves,so this is move number 4,and it's action all the way!-Brian and Graham were the Saracen commanders whilst I took charge of the Crusaders-my plan(very like the Saracen's plan) was just to attack and drive the enemy away!!

This shows my Teutonic knights making mincemeat out of Graham's first line cavalry-but,and it's a big but,his second line is advancing at a rapid rate!!

As Brian looks to the heavens for inspiration,my central infantry crash into his,and drives them back to the town-hurrah!!-things are going very well indeed for the Crusaders.

As Brian looks down to the ground for inspiration,my Teutonics are giving Graham's cavalry a right old bashing-I have a feeling that it's not going to last though!!!

On Brian's flank,despite him killing most of my officers,I am also gaining ground-what could possibly go wrong????

Some bloody awful dice throwing from me,that's what!!-in all sectors I am being pushed back,in the most horrible  turn of fortune ever seen!!My Teutonics have been hit by Graham's second line and driven back, Brian's infantry have recovered and sent my infantry back,and a unit of Templars(in the foreground) have broken on my left flank,and Brian is now grinning and winning!!!

That looks more like wind,than a grin from Brian!-Graham's second line cavalry and infantry,have seen off the Teutonics and are about to decimate the infantry,who can't even get back to the castle!!!-it's all over now baby blue!!

One final shot of the sorry state of the Crusader army-Brian has done a magnificent job of ruining my left flank,Graham has done the same for my right,and Brian's infantry, in the centre, has crushed mine and sent them packing-never mind,there's always another day!!
Well done to Graham and Brian,and roll on next Sunday,probably a Zulu game.

The "non-game"

Due to a set of circumstances on Sunday,only Graham and I were available to play the planned Crusader game,but,as it was so big,we decided to delay the game until next Sunday when,hopefully,everyone will be available!!
However,the fact of not playing on Sunday gave me the chance to sort out my latest batch of figures from Warrior Miniatures......................

Don't you just love it when a box of figures "plops" through your letter box -this particular box consists of 100 Norman infantry,which are going to be painted as Knights Templar,Teutonics and Hospitallers infantry,to supplement my existing cavalry.Plus,in the box,were 50 Saracen cavalry,which I hope to build up into a large army to fight the Crusaders!
The figures arrived on Saturday afternoon,and I immediately made a start on a unit of Saracen heavy cavalry....................

Monday morning-the first unit is finished and ready to be based.

Detail of the face-veil which I think is very striking!
Roll on next Sunday!!

Preview of game for Sunday 10th Sept 2017.

As way of a break from my "normal" format,I am posting this preview of our planned game for this Sunday.

Top photo is the scenario,bottom is the table as the "lads" will see it on Sunday.

This is the Saracen right flank-I am using my "El Cid" Moors for the Saracens,because I haven't got the appropriate figures at the moment!

The Saracen infantry,positioned outside the town of Maqab(not quite sure how to pronounce it!) opposite St. Peter's Rock.

Saladin's camp,opposite Belvoir Castle.

A formidable line of Teutonic Knights,hold the right flank of the Crusader army!

The  holy cheer-leaders shouting abuse from the Castle Tower!

The Crusader centre and left.I have a feeling that this game will be very brutal and bloody!

This has got to be the safest place to be!!!
All fighting figures are from Warrior Miniatures,all buildings scratch-built by myself about 100 years ago!!
Roll on Sunday.

WW2 re-match/rules test.

After a bitter dis-appointment at Border Reiver show on Saturday,we needed a good game to lift our spirits,and last night was just the tonic.
We revisited last week's game,but the British were in possession of the village(with less forces than the previous game)and the Germans had an awful lot more armour to attack it with!!!

This shot is taken about move number 3,the Germans are advancing on the village,and the British are not revealing any of their hidden troops-the Germans were in for a bit of a surprise!
The houses look good though!!!

This is about move number 6(!) and "first blood" goes to the British,who have revealed a hidden tank(behind the beautifully made house) which knocked out a German tank-this sparked a flurry of activity,which saw 5 other tanks being hit and destroyed in the next move!!!

This is Brian's flank c/w a fearsome Tiger Tank. Colonel "Pussyfoot",as we now call Brian,took his time getting his lead tank into position,only to get it knocked out by a PIAT,hidden in the small(but beautifully made) house on the side of the road!!

Colonel "Pussyfoot",or Brian as we now call him(!) sent a platoon of infantry and a tank straight down the road,but was met with a hidden anti-tank gun,and small arms fire from the houses(beautifully made!) either side of the road,plus a mortar-and sent packing back up the road!!!

Don't German tanks burn nicely?-a grand example of Brian's painting ability.

A general view of the village around move 9-the Germans are making headway,and on the left flank Brian is making his Tiger count,by knocking seven shades of s..t out of the British reinforcements,in the shape of Shermans,which have now entered the fray!!-all looks doom and gloom for the brave defenders.

One final shot of the table(Paul is missing-having gone to pick up his daughter from the railway station!!) and Graham has just admitted defeat(but not dishonour!)
The game raised a few queries and questions,which were discussed and any amendments will be made before the next WW2 game-well done lads,another good performance by all.
Roll on next Sunday-very likely a "Crusades" type game.