I Played Warhammer Ancients!?!

Last weekend (10-18), on Sunday, I and Mark went to the HMGS Mini-Wars game Con in Glendale. I was hoping to play Rorke's Drift game listed, using "The Sword & the Flame". The gentlemen never appeared (nor did he reply to an e-mail I had sent earlier about the game) so Mark and myself decided to play the Warhammer Ancients "Dark Ages Battle" listed, run by some people we know.

The choices were playing Normans or Vikings, I went Viking & Mark went Norman. I was a great game and the Vikings won. Also most of the Viking players (including myself) also fulfilled our "secret" objectives. All in all, I enjoyed playing WAB but I am not running out to get a army.

My primary focus is still on the Colonial period, with WW2 (FoW) being secondary.

The Ansar riflemen should be finished this week, just need to do flesh touch-ups and "flock" the bases. After that, it's the turn of the Sikh's. I also want to finish all the half-done projects around me, including my Wargod's stuff, extra Italian Artillery staff, LOTR Warg Riders, and wounded/dead French Foreign Legion (left over from the Con). I am tried of see them on my workbench, undone.

I also want to get back to painting my 15mm stuff for "Patrols in the Sudan 1885", such as Egyptians, Ansar camel men, etc. to increase what I have to use with that game.

I also just got my copy of the re-print of the "Rough Rider" rules for the Spanish-American War and action in the Philippines (Moro's) from TVAG. Rules are OK, quality of printing isn't great. Trouble is that rules are written in the old style of "you know what I mean" style. Needs more examples and clearer writing style. Some ideas in it are good, but there are rules out now that do as good or better job than this set.

TTFN

Been very busy. so let's start....

Last Sunday (October 4th) I ran a game of the The Sword & the Flame at Aero Hobbies. It went off better than I had hoped for, given the lack of e-mail response. I thought it would be just me and Mark, but Art & Myelin also wanted to play so I got to GM, which I wanted to do.

1st game Mark took the British, who managed to take on both units of Fuzzy-Wuzzies and cut them down to size. It went quickly, so when we got two more players (Frank & Sam?) I had 5 players for a 2nd game! So I gave the Anglo-Egyptian forces a small 10 man British unit & a full 20 man unit of Egyptians as well as a over CinC figure.

The forces of the Madhi got 3 full units, 2 Fuzzy-Wuzzy spear/sword units and a unit of Ansar riflemen. The FW's got a fairly well times attacked with both units attacking a single unit. The smaller 10 man British unit took the worst of the melees, as well as the attention of the riflemen on a nearby low hill who poured rifle fire into them, as well as hitting the FW unit charging into melee with the British they were firing at!!! (The Mahdi will NOT be pleased!)

In the end, the Anglo-Egyptian forces ran a FW unit off, but the British unit was down to 2 figures, who carried one wounded infantryman and their wounded Officer (possible VC? but they left all the other wounded to the tender mercies of the FW's) into the Egyptian unit, which had formed a square at this time. The square slowly back away off the board as it was felt they couldn't tackle the remaining Madhist's, a damaged unit of FW's and the riflemen, who at best I believe had lost 2 figures.

Overall, everyone had a great time and I did the Happy GW dance at how well it went!

On Sunday Oct. 11th, I went to the mini-con done by Brookhurst Hobbies/ St. Crispin's Irregulars of the Historical Miniature Gaming Society host Hobby Days at the Knights of Columbus Hall in Anaheim on the 2nd Saturday of the month. Not as much as the last time going on, but I decided to play in John's Multiplayer - Fight, Die & re-spawn Battletech game.

Spent the day doing that and had a great time blasting things (at least when I rolled well!) In the above photo were the Mech's I had, and I had fun with the small vehicle I also ran, The "Packrat", armed with a medium laser & SMR-6 missile pack. I got immobilized later, but after I had gotten a luck shot on a nearby Mech and damaged it's gyro. It failed to get up after falling down from that hit right in front of me, facing away. So I hit it with the missiles (laser was KO'd by then) and racked it up good! Have to play this again. Could even use the vehicle rules for the MATAAC stuff.....

Finished all but 5 of the wounded /dead Arab figures leftover from the Con. Also working on right now are the Ansar riflemen and Sikh figures. The riflemen should be done right quick, and I have had Tim make me a copy of 15mm maps for the 2 extra Italian Artillery Staff for FoW I am working on as well. I am getting the extra stuff I need to upgrade my FoW Italians to the new Afrika book for The War Store (have to send the order in!)

Busy Boy am I!

TTFN

The above are a couple of photos from the 2nd of the "Bridge Too Far" games at the Armory. The Germans are crossing the first bridge and crushing the British defenders. And a photo of the brave Italians in their Semovente 47/32 after tank assaulting some British, crushing 2 stands and the British withdrew in fear!!! Photo's on Photobucket soon...

Quick post this time, with a book review of "Flashman" by George MacDonald Fraiser. Howard & Mark read this series many years ago and enjoyed it. Now, decades later, I picked up the 1st book in the series as I am into the period. Our Hero (Harry Flashman) works his way through India and survives the 1st Afghan War. I am not too sure about this character, he lies, steal and is such a cowardly, rapist poltroon I'm not sure I can get into him. I'll have to read the 2nd book and see if he grows on me. Now I do read the "Ciaphas Cain" 40K novels & he is a bit of a coward & weasel but knows the limits of what he can get away with, being a Commissar. Harry Flashman seems to have NO redeeming qualities whatsoever.

I am hoping to have a "Sword & the Flame" game Sunday at Aero.

TTFN

Gateway 2009 Over & Done!

And so another Strategicon is over & done. The Battle of Hamunaptra, demo game for Chain Reaction 3.0 (Two Hour Wargames) went very well and the terrain looked great! The French Foreign Legion survived but too some losses. Only had 3 players (one of them Mark) but everyone had a great time so I am happy! The Flames of War game Harold ran (Battle of Prokorovka) I was Chief Helper Monkey on and the players had a good time (Germans won) and it was a great scenario, and can easily be run again at another Con.

Now that I'm not so pressed for time, I will finish the last of the Mounted Arabs & Foot Figures.

After that, I should really get back to & finish my Basti for WGoE and the extra Artillery Staff for my Italians (FoW). I need to go by Brookhurst and get the new AFRIKA book to see what to do with my Italians, as thing have changed in how my army is structured.

Plotting & planning for the February Con is well underway and I plan to do The Sword & The Flame with all my Brits & Dervishes. Just need to figure a scenario and what is need vs. what I have. I also have alot of figures to paint to add to what I have, so I can get started on them. I can also paint more 15mm to add to my Patrols in the Sudan stuff.

TTFN

Wild Weasal Painting

Well, the high double and low triple digit heat wave has not helped my painting. It is difficult to work in the heat and I am very pooped by nightfall, so get less done then, when it is cooler. However, all the FFL, Beni and Rick are done, see above. I plan to really get going on the mounted Turegs tomorrow, Sunday. Most of the horses are done, as well as the regular mounted figures. The Mounted Command is next. Those Old Glory figures can be really crappy, as 3-4 of the mounted swordsmen had to be converted due to sword breakage. One became a standard bearer and should look quite nice when finished. I am NOT going to get into how bad the horses are...Gggrrr....

Also a source of disappointment is the Sabol SD-Combat mat. Really nice look on it, a very 3-D look of a desert but on one of the short ends of the mat, all the way across is repeated their website and "SD-Combatmat" in white letter, 3.5" from the mat end (otherwise I would cut it off . I was thinking of returning it to the hobby store for a refund, but the photo print is just good enough for me to keep it and see if somehow I can cover the printing up.

TTFN

I Got Books!

Some books on back order from The Scholar's Bookshelf have arrived to increase my Colonial library:

"From Korti to Khartum -A Journal of the Desert March from Korti to Gubat and of the Ascent of the Nile in General Gordan's Steamers" By Col. Sir Charles W. Wilson

"With the Camel Corps Up the Nile" by Count Gleichen

"The Battle of Tofrek - Fought near Suakin, March 22nd 1885" under Major General Sir John Carstairs M'Neill

These books author's were there. Could be dry reading but we will see.

PAINTING UP-DATE

The French Foreign Legion in white are 95% done. Photos to follow. Rick's figure is done -Beni's is 95% done. FFL figs are done!

Foot Arabs are based & primed and painting will start forthwith.

Mounted Figures - need to temporarily attached to dowels and primed. All horse have their based trimmed, but the horse still need to filed and trimmed, then based.

Dead & Wounded Legionnaires & Arabs - Arabs are based & primed & FFL are next on the based/prime list. Some of the wounded Arabs have to painted first, then based due to the figures position.

I am going to clear the table, put a mat down and start some solo play testing, using what is finished and just bases for now.

TTFL

French Foreign Legion, Beni & O'Connell

Work beings on the figures needed. The first picture is of 2 (almost) finished Askari French Foreign legion (Summer Uniform) behind a wall. The next is a picture of the figure I have started which is becoming Beni (Artizen-Renegade Legionnaires II) and the last is the Reaper figure talked about in a earlier post that I swapped one hand to replace the .45 with a pistol. That will be O'Connell and should be finished in a couple of days. The FFL should also be done right quick. And executive decision was made to paint them in the FFL white Summer campaign uniform. In the movie, The Mummy, some of the soldiers appear to be in that uniform (all white) and others appear to have light tan/brown pants (instead of white). So make it easier to paint, and after asking my wife (a non-gamer who can have good insight if I am over-engineering a project) I went with the Summer uniform for everyone.

Then it's the massive paint of Arabs, on foot and mounted. Time to get the drill out to drill horses & riders for pinning (OH JOY!!) and I have 30+ mounted to do. They are going be painted like the movie, Black robes, white turban and under shirt, maybe with some variation. As I have begun basing dead/wounded Arabs and will base wounded/dead Legionnaires after that. 18 foot figure have been based and primed. They will be painted after the FFL are done.

Terrain - I have everything I need, with exception of a bigger mat (I have a 4x6 and I might need a 5x8).

I also need to start play test ASAP to see about ranges, distances, etc.

TTF