HAIL CAESAR!

As in my last Blog, I stated I was going to post photos of the test game of "Hail Caesar!" play tested at a friends house on 7/29/2011. Here are some photos to wet the appetite and the link to the full album on Photobucket will follow, as there are 47 photos in all.

Roman Auxilia in melee with a German Warband
German Cavalry on the move

A German Warband defending the village!

Roman Auxilia Infantry in combat with Auxilia Cavalry in support

Another shot of the combat

All 47 photos (good/bad & so-so) can be seen at:

http://s207.photobucket.com/albums/bb44/juggernought57/Hail%20Caesar%20-%20Test%20Game/

Because of the number of photos, I downloaded them all there! However, as I was jsut taking photos of the miniatures, there is no a AAR with them... Enjoy!

TTFN

PIQUET - Battle of Archon

Here are some photos from the PIQUET - Ancient Pitched Battles - The Battle of Archon in 10mm - Romans vs (I believe) Greek Successor States army run at HMGS Day 8/7 at Aero Hobbies by the kind Mr. Greg Kildare! He and a friend of mine played the Greeks.

The Romans - ready for battle

The Greeks

The Enemy!

Natives- Indian Allies of the Greeks - Elephants

Skirmishers covering Cavalry

The Roman forces with their skirmishers in the lead - The round base is a Command base

The dreaded Greek phalanx!

Elephants advancing in front of the archers - the round base in the back is the Greek General mounted on an elephant

Elephants vs Roman Legionaries - The Romans will win this fight and make the Elephant unit run away!

The Roman skirmishers try to soften up the Greek phalanxes

I move a Heavy Roman Legion with an attached Command Base to crush the archers in melee!

Enemy Cavalry move past their skirmishers

My skirmishers melee with enemy chariots (they are just skirmishers!)

My right flank - I have a cavalry unit hit in the flank, my cavalry engages the chariots while my skirmishers take a break and watch (being unformed at this point)

The skirmishers continue to try to give the Phalanxes a hard time...

The Romans hit the phalanxes...not one of my better plans...which I decided not to do again after they where sent packing! (But were later Rallied)

My right flank again - Holding but I didn't make any of the enemy units run away and I took some losses in the process

Come on, break darn it! NO, not my units.....HIS!

Hit in the flank again...OUCH!

My Left flank, holding..

Trying to hit the flank of a phalanx (failed) but Legionaries on the top of the hill are hitting a light Greek infantry unit - on the left just next to the hill is a Roman unit that knocked a infantry unit with the attached Greek Army General out of the battle (broke the unit)

Sorry, no more photos but that was the battle as the Greek Army was out of Morale chits some time ago and couldn't rally any broken units! And as I have broken the center and the remaining center units fled, that was that!

TTFN

Where have I Been?

Well, in July I have major dental surgery (5 bone grafts/4 teeth removed) and it has sucked the life out of me till just recently. So I have been getting back into action....

Late Romans - I have painting these for sale for a few years now and I am getting back into finishing them. This infantry is getting ready for its "Army Painter" shade treatment. More photos of them to follow...

Cargo ships based & ready for using with the "Victory at Sea" rules

British WWI Battle Cruise "Invincible". I am getting ships for using "The Age of Dreadnoughts" version of the "Victory at Sea" rules ready to play. Not quite finished yet, as the wake and a few touch-ups are required.

Looking at them from above

When my order from Litko comes in, I will do the rest of the ships I have. I also need to get the next unit of Late Romans out of the box and get them prepped to be primed and painted.

I also played a test game of the ancients rules "Hail Caesar!" at a friends house on 7/29, feeling up to it that day. On 8/7 HMGS day occurred at Aero Hobbies and I played Romans in a PIQUET - Ancient Battles and won! I will post photos of those games on this blog in the next post -

TTFN

"The Patrol"at HMGS Mini-Mini Wars 6/25/2011

Here are some photos and a brief "After-Action-Report" on my game of The Sword and the Flame at Historical Miniature Gaming Society (HMGS) Mini-Mini Wars "The Summer Offensive" on Saturday, June 25th, 2011-The scenario is called "The Patrol" and is based on the scene in the movie "Gunga Din" where a force of Indian soldiers lead by British Officers go to the Village of Tantrapur to see why the telegraphic communications have stopped. Of course, a powerful Chieftain has amassed several clans of Afghani to destroy the Britsh and their lackeys!

Above are a couple of shots of the table just after the terrain was set-up
Looking toward the Village of Tantrapur - The calm before the storm!
Some of the Afghani Forces - 4 clans of 20 figs each

The Anglo-Indian forces, led by the brave British Officers - and a Gatling gun!

"Look Sahib! Afghani come!"

A brave (but foolish) Afghani clan charges the Gatling gun! My dice rolling for movement failed me - Indeed, it was a "EPIC FAILURE" of rolling 6" of charge movement on 4d6!!

A Indian Soldier discusses his future with a vulture....

"Ready...AIM...FIRE!!"

"CHARGE!!! DEATH to the British and their lackeys!!" And they did indeed charge up the stairs...and were shot & melee'd to death. The Indian soldier's +2 for defending a building helped a little...

The Afghani's had an old brass cannon "Old Achmed" - Which randomly generated a bit too close to the Indian soldiers (See the above photo of "Ready..AIM") and suffered for it before getting to fire one shot. The next turn the last crewman was shot to pieces...

The Gatling gun crew was shot up but the didn't make it before it was re-crewed....OUCH!

The Gatling gun and a Indian soldier unit. The next turn they re-manned the Gatling gun, much to the Afghani's displeasure!

The Indian soldiers have a good position, re-manned the Gatling gun as a group of Afghani charge up the road at them. The vulture waits...for another meal...

A view from fortunes of war!above of the same scene. The Afghani are about to get shot up by the Indian's and the Gatling does a number on that other Afghani clan charging them.

It was a good game, even with my dice rolling for movement failing me a few times...fortunes of War! Also the one "Event" card drawn during the whole game effected 2 of my units, bad Hummus! So they shot/Meleed and Moved badly due to illness. Again, I was not favored by Allah to drive the foreigners out of Afghanistan! Maybe next time.....

The Perry Miniatures Co. is coming out with plastic Fuzzy-Wuzzys. I have pre-ordered some, 4 boxes of 40/box from Brookhurst Hobbies. with them, I will be set for Fuzzy-Wuzzys!

TTFN

More Saxons & Wood Elves

More unarmored Saxons!
Another shot of the same

GW Plastic Lord of the Rings Wood Elves

Yes, I didn't paint the eyes, it's a lot of work.

More plastic GW LOTR Wood Elves, this time with spears

This is just a quick posting of some of the figures I have finished of late. The May game convention (Strategicon), Gamex 2011, is this weekend. As the May con is usually the slowest, I have planed to play games this time and have some fun. I will post photos from the Con next week.

The GW Wood Elves (and as yet un-painted) plastic Rangers were for a game I was thinking of running but decided not to do, at this time. However, they were fun to paint and gave some experience with using The Army Painter Quick Shade (strong) on plastic figures. Not a bad look (IMHO) and helps get things done quickly. They are a VERY matt finish when spray flat finish is applied after the Quick Shade dries.

TTFN

I'm Coming Home......

Well, I am not running anything at this up-and-coming game Con. For the May Con, I am going to take it easy and play. No mad rushes to finish figures or scenarios. I have a lot of painting on my plate and I need to get more done, like today. Got my Saxon skirmishers (with bows) done and photos to follow. My Flames of War Italians (Mid-War) and now 100% ready to rock. Yes, I still have LOTS more stuff to paint for further List options but the additions to the platoons in "North Africa" (MG's, Anti-tank guns) are all done. HUZZAH!

The top photo is a Italian 20mm anti-tank rifle and the bottom one is the Italian 47mm anti-tank gun. The Anti-tank rifle is extra to have with every squad, but worth the points as to the extra fire-power to stop infantry/tank assaults.

Tomorrow, at our "Paint and Palaver" at Tim's I need to put together my plastic Saxons from Wargames Factory so to speed up (HA!) the process.

Did a play test with harold at Brookhurst Hobbies of the new rules for Ancients, "Clash of Empires". Interesting, but I can't say yet if it's a thumbs-up or down from one game. In some ways they are re-inventing the wheel and many of the mechanics are similar to GW's WarHammer Ancients. More to follow as more games are played...


OK - this part of the post is not about gaming... it's covering one of my favorite shows on Cartoon Networks "Adult Swim" - the ultra-violent and crazy "SUPERJAIL", one of those 15min cartoons Adult Swim has a few of. It's weird and wacky, check it out Sunday nights or on YouTube.

The Warden of SUPERJAIL - a demented "Willy-Wonka"!!!
The opening theme:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hlijc7kivy0&feature=related

TTFN