OCPD Scots!

I think I'm going(gone?) mad,ever since I started painting my 15mm Jacobite Scots,I find I've changed my diet,and now will only eat porridge and deep fried Mars Bars,and not only that I've changed the way I talk-no more the genial Geordie Twang,now its "Hoots Man" and "Lang may your Lume Reek" interspersed with as many "Och Ayes" as you can shake a stick at!!!-However, I am getting on with them...................

 I am,as usual, painting over all the detail that I think is un-necessary(ie most of it!!) but as they are for my solo games,it doesn't matter-the figures are very good,and include officers,bag-pipers,swordsmen,lochaber axemen,musketeers and bowmen,all in various poses-really pleased with them,and it shouldn't take me too long to finish them.

I set myself a task of making some "step" hills for my Sudanese stuff,and again am quite pleased with the result.................

The hills are very simply made by cutting(using a jig saw-I've had the bloody thing for about a thousand years,and this is the first time I've used it!!) some MDF and filing the edges-how clever is that??? I'm planning a game for later on this week,so they'll see some action very soon.All is ready for Border Reiver show next Saturday-I will be demonstrating my Solo rules whilst the rest of the "boys" will be putting on a 40mm 7YW game.

Smoking the Hornets’ Nest

Finally another run out for my French Indian Wars figures!

Whoop! Whoop!

I presented an amended version of Scenario Five from the Sharp Practice rules

I would be the defender with 5 groups of Indians and the hope that support would come to my aid. Rick would be the attacker and was allowed to build his force:

2 groups of Regulars

1 group of Grenadier

1 group of Rangers

2 groups of Light Infantry skirmishers

1 group of Indians

All to destroy a village of poor, defenceless natives who never did any harm to anyone. Innocent I tells ya!

The table is covered in light woods which doesn’t do a great deal to movement, but restricts visibility to Close range. It’s going to be bloody!

I put out a group of warriors to screen the village. Rick uses his Indians as a blunt instrument and wielding their tomahawks they bettered my boys in Fisticuffs. Bruised, bloodied and carrying significant Shock, my group are forced back almost to the objective (my main Deployment Point; the base with the redcoat getting a haircut).

I move groups to either flanks of Rick’s friendly Indians to stop them advancing into the village.

I also get 3 Command Cards and roll for new arrivals.  Please let it be Coureurs de Bois, please let it be Coureurs de Bois. I roll a 3, nothing arrives. Damn it!

British “Light Bobs” move swiftly to support the allied Indians whilst a British line picks its way through the woods. Overkill or what?!

I decide to pull back with the heavily Shocked group. They were the only thing between the British and the objective. What was I thinking?!

Rick takes on the guise of a cat. And I’m the mouse!

Once again he launches his Indians forward. Their British officer has sprained his ankle but is still game to throw the natives under his command forward. Not sure they’d be 100% friendly if they heard their officer’s “expendable” comment!

They don’t win this fight, but it has weakened my warriors.

The Light Infantry, instead of pouncing on the object, finish the job. They attack my still recovering group and break them (imagine lots of dead and dying in the foreground above). Their officer is knocked out, but recovers almost immediately.

I’ve not had 3 Command Cards again to throw for new arrivals… Cruel Fate!!! (Shakes fist at the sky)

The cat stops toying with the mouse… with his second group of Light Infantry, Rick captures the objective! Resounding British victory!

So a couple of mistakes on my part and the cards weren’t kind to me, but undeniably outplayed by Rick. Next time, grrrr…

Thanks for reading!

Chris

WWG in exile

15mm Eastern Buildings.

I have finished,not without difficulty, my "Hovels" Eastern Buildings,and think they will do the trick on many a future game..................

 All eight buildings photographed back and front-I washed them first in hot soapy water,then scrubbed them with a nail brush,undercoated them,then painted them twice with an acrylic paint,then undercoated them again before I was happy!!!-adding the windows and doors etc,was the least of my efforts-however they look okay,so onto the table for an "in situ" couple of shots..........

I'm sure these two villages will be fought over vigorously within the very near future-the palm trees were Birthday Cake decorations!!-who would want palm trees on a cake???

First battle.15mm Sudanese campaign.

Last night I tried out my solo rules using my newly finished Sudan figures,and what a game it was!

 To introduce "unpredictability" into  my solo games I throw an average dice for every unit that gets an order-2 it doesn't get that order,3/4 it reacts as ordered,5 it goes "beserk" and moves twice its normal move! In this shot,on move number one,the left face of the square has thrown a 2 and doesn't move,leaving a gaping hole in the square-this could spell trouble!

To cover the gap,the Bengal cavalry are ordered forward-guess what-they threw a 2!! with the Haddendowah camels and infantry fast approaching this could spell trouble(with a capital T)

On the other square,the same thing happened,only this time the Dervish cavalry broke into the square before the Bengals,sheltering there, could react-oh hell,its Tamai all over again!!!

Square has closed up,but still the Bengals refuse to move-massive attack coming in from the Haddendowah.

The British rifle fire has,luckily, decimated the Haddendowah on their way in,and the hand-to-hand fight saw the square have the advantage-the Bengals are retiring(it's good being retired!)

It's "push and shove" in the other square as both cavalry and infantry attack! things don't look good-oh dear!

Order is being restored in both squares now,things are looking much better,and the Ansars have run out of steam,hurrah!!

One final shot,the Ansar cavalry are being repulsed,and the infantry are beaten-phew!!

This was a good game,and very enjoyable-my rules worked,so what more could I ask for?

A few more Sudanese games are planned!!

OCPD!!

I wonder how many of you out there suffer from OCPD-Obsessive Compulsive Painting Disorder? 

I suffer terribly ie whenever I get a "batch" of figures I have just got to paint them immediately and get them onto the board.A few weeks ago I received hundreds of Sudanese Campaign British and Ansars,and got to painting them straight away,and now I have just finished them-I deliberately (oh yeah!) missed out fine detail,but as they are for my Solo wargaming it didn't matter(to me anyway).En Masse they look the part,and I can't wait to try out my rules and have a game..........

British,and Allies in marching square,with Cavalry on the flanks-in the background are "some" of the Ansars.

Close up of one of the squares-Egyptian at the rear-Bengal cavalry to the left flank.

Bengal cavalry-note lack of detail(the figures have lots of detail,but my painting skills don't allow me to paint it!!)

Square in fighting order-companies have opened out and cavalry are "sheltering" inside.

Top-Ansars,bottom Haddendowah,c/w cavalry and camels-a disturbing sight if you'reBritish!!

Haddendowah camelry.

I also received from "Hovels" some beautiful buildings to go with my figures,and they have now been undercoated,and should be ready by next week...............

I have two of each type so will make a good couple of villages or one large town!

What I haven't mentioned is that I also have a very large "Jacobite" army to paint-here goes the OCPD again!!!