Last night,apart from having a cracking game,Dave also brought up his latest project,a Napoleonic artillery limber and caisson.........................
The figures are from Elite Miniatures,and really suit Dave's painting style-I particularly like the bases and the attention to detail.
Two more views, from behind-very nice,beautiful models,and well executed(do I sound envious?)
A close up of the gun,showing the fantastic detail,and painting.
Also,a box of WW2 vehicles,which I couldn't possibly begin to remember the names of,SDZ thingies or something like that!!-all for towing heavy guns,I believe-can't wait to see them painted.
Now,from my previous blog,why have I got my nose and mouth covered???????
Well,I have been reading Robbie Roddis' blog and he has just bought a "Battle Mat",so I thought I would have a go at making my own.
I already had a light green sheet which cost about £10,and I bought a couple of tins of spray paint from Halfords,costing £6.99 each,and,following the instructions on the cans,I covered my mouth and nose,and started spraying!!!!
Tins of paint,from the Rover range(only the best!)
After spraying the green,in a sweeping motion,over the cloth,I then did the same with the brown,and the effect was achieved-the ripples are caused by the wind(no Brian wasn't there helping!) blowing through the garage door,which had to be left open in case I gassed myself!
A couple of bits of scenery added for total effect,and "voila! a battle mat,at a fraction of the cost of a commercial one.
Same bits of scenery,from a different angle!
Those tanks get themselves around don't they??
Any comments???
Last night Dave,Graham,Brian and I had a tremendous game using my 40mm 7YW figures.(this was the last time I could call these wonderful figures my own,because Dave is now the proud owner!)
The top photo is the scenario,and bottom is the table before any movement-Dave was Austrian,I was French,Graham was British and Brian was Prussian.
After a 5 minute "conflab" both sides came up with a battle plan,and away we go!!!
From the very start of the game,the town was contested using light infantry,as the lancers and hussars get stuck in to each other-very colourful and exciting.
This shows the start of my out-flanking move against Graham's flank-this was to prove decisive,but not before Graham inflicted tremendous casualties on my French troops.
As Dave manoeuvres his infantry to protect my left flank,I am engaging Graham's British with my French-great wargaming!!
On the far left flank,Dave and Brian pitched their cavalry into a grand melee,which lasted the whole game-each side reinforcing when and where needed!
Brian had decided that he would stand his ground with his infantry,denying them the added movement and firing bonus,which played into Dave's hands,as he waited until the cavalry were all engaged then moved forward with his infantry,to deliver a devastating volley-hurrah!!
This photo shows Dave's troops moving majestically across the board,whilst Graham and I "slug" it out in the centre!-once again,it happens almost every game(!!!) a Colonel figure was put into the midst of a regiment to stop it retiring,and was killed,resulting in all the regiments in the brigade to take off at a rate of knots!!-this time the culprit was Graham!!!!!-his first line of British vanished,giving me time to replace my shattered troops with fresh ones from the second line-another hurrah!!
With my French outnumbering Graham's troops,and the Austrians now making a real impact against the Prussians,it was just a matter of time before the Anglo/Prussian alliance collapsed.
This shows the state of play at move number 10-our lines are looking good,the Anglo/Prussians not so good!!
This is move number 12,and the British flank has collapsed!!-even with the cavalry still fighting on,it was a lost cause for Brian and Graham,and they capitulated!!
Well done to us all,an engrossing game,full of highs and lows for each side.
The next time we see these figures will be on Dave's new table,soon to be finished,can't wait for that!
Why have I covered my mouth and nose?-am I about to rob a bank?-NO!
You'll have to read the next blog to find out-intrigued????
Before anyone thinks I am copying Ron Ringrose' article in this months Wargames Illustrated, I have been working on this article for a couple of weeks now,in fact after our last WW2 game!
Explosions always look spectacular on a wargames table,and lend a certain something to the game move...............................
I am a collector of all things that "just might" come in handy,and one of those things is the red plastic piece of junk you can see in this photo!-it is in fact the top from a glucose tablet bottle,but it forms the basis of my Explosion! Also in the picture are the other elements to be used,ie. wire,kapok(animal stuffing) pliers and glue.
The wire has been cut to size,and you can see the ideal shape of the tablet top.................
Health and Safety alert!!!! holding the wire in the pliers,heat it up just enough to be able to pierce the plastic top,as shown,and push 6 pieces into the top,at crazy angles!!
All pieces of wire in place,but just to make sure,I super-glued them too-can't be too careful with explosions!
A "healthy" splodge of glue was put around the base and then kapok was wrapped around it,as shown.
Glue was then added to the wires,and kapok wrapped around them too.
A central "plume" was added,and the kapok on the wires twisted into spirals.
The secret ingredient!!-hair gel to stop the spirals from unwinding-clever or what????
A few dabs of black paint to represent the debris and dust,and a few dabs of yellow and red to represent the explosion itself,and the explosion is complete.Now to show it in situ......................
Bloody Hell!!-that was close!!!!!
So was that!-I will now have to work on about another 5 for the next WW2 game.
Any comments?
If Wellington had been watching our game last night he would have called it a"near run thing!"
First the Romans were winning,then the Barbarians,then the Romans then the..........well you get the picture!
This is the scenario,as per my previous blog-Brian and Graham were the Barbarian commanders,whilst Paul and I commanded the Legions-all was set for a wonderful game.
As the Barbarian hordes sweep down from the hills,the Romans calmly deploy-both Paul and I had 4 cohorts each of "raw recruits" which had low fighting and morale values,so we knew we were going to be "up against it!"-and so we were!!!
Graham's warbands were the first to make contact with my Legion! Luckily for me,my "raw recruits" did well in the first round of melee(I had deliberately put them in the front rank to "blunt" Graham's attack,and it worked!) but more and more units were rushing towards me!!
Then it was Paul's turn to feel the strength of Brian's attack-Paul also put his "raw" troops in the front line,but they didn't do too well,at first-and look,Brian's second line of warbands are advancing-this is going to be tight!!-whatever you do Paul,don't put your Legate into the fight just to bolster the "raw" troops!!!
Paul's "super-men Cavalry unit" beating warbands and cavalry units,before retiring to rest,but saved his right flank-hurrah!!
Graham's "not so super-men cavalry" being given a right old "hiding" by my cavalry-because of the confined space,he had nowhere to move to,and was forced to retire and re-group,thus saving my left flank-hurrah!!
In the background my Legion is still intact and holding its lines,but not before Graham,with some fantastic dice throwing had managed to kill 8 Centurions-however this was nothing compared to Paul's legion!!-as mentioned before-"don't put your Legate into the fight to bolster your "raw" troops,Paul"-but of course he did,and got him killed!!!-woe is us!-his whole front line had to take a morale check,and disappeared,hot foot back to Rome!!!!
This shows my Legion pushing steadily forward-Graham's warbands decided they had better things to do,and retired! but what of Paul's Legion??
After sending what was left of the Legate,to the rear,the second,as yet untouched, line of cohorts advanced and knocked seven shades of s--t out of Brian's battered warbands-I never doubted you for one second Paul-honest!!!!
By this time the game was up for the Barbarians,although I think I can remember Brian asking for a draw!!!!
A shot of the table at the end of this tremendous game-well done to Paul,Brian and Graham.
Roll on next Sunday,when,hopefully,Dave will back with us after a bout of illness,and we will probably have a 40mm 7YW game.
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.
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!!
