The Zareba, a Grand Game!

Sorry about the delay, I have been relaxing after Historical Miniatures Gaming Day at Aero Hobbies, which happened on Sunday, December 13th. I was on a painting jag to get everything ready for The Sword and The Flame game I was going to run, getting those British cavalry done in time. They were, finished on Saturday, the day before. And as you can see above, my Anglo-Egyptian forces looked grand in the their zareba.




And here are those Hussars I was working so hard on, charging into some Fuzzy Wuzzys during the game. They had some problems getting to grips with the Madhists that game! If it wasn't the Fuzzy Wuzzy blowing there "Stand & Fight" rolls, I blew my "Charge Completion" roll (rolled a "6" on a d6 and failed..) once. But it was a great game, with just me & Harold playing. I had hoped for more people, but for a 1st time it was a good turnout never the less, with Fields of Glory in 10mm), Flames of War (15mm), ACW (using Johnny Reb II in 15mm) and myself doing TS&TF in 28mm.

That fellow seems to be saying "Follow me and charge the Egyptians, it will be fun!" The scenario was taken from The Sword and The Flame Scenario Portfolio 2000, the one called "The Zareba". It is taken from the 1939 version of "The Four Feathers" and is the nigh time attack on the British zareba. Things get to close quarters quickly as the visibility is reduce to 8" (nighttime, no moon) and regular shooting scores are also only used up to 8". Over 8" everything is a Class IV target, the worst possible score to hit. worked out well and I am going to run this scenario at the February Con. I hope to play it again once or twice more to fine tune it, as per Harold's suggestion during the after game "How-did-it-go?" session. The game was to be for 9 turns, then the sun comes up and it's over. The Mahists didn't totally destroy the AE forces, but gave them a good thrashing, killing or wounding most of the British platoon, the rest fleeing, and reducing the cavalry to 6 figure out of 12. The Egyptians were not badly hurt (still well over half strength) and the Mahdists has lost 2 bands out of 5 (4 spear/sword armed & one rifle armed). One of the remaing FW bands was pretty chewed up (at 1/2) and the riflemen had just been charged in the rear but the remaining cavalry but still were on the table.

For more photos go to:

http://s207.photobucket.com/albums/bb44/juggernought57/The%20Zareba%20HMGD%2012-13-09

Lots to see there. Even tho it is Christmas Time, still have to get back to the little metal guys, my Sikhs need finishing, etc.

TTFN

Point of Focus...

28th Bengal at Suakin 1885

POINT OF FOCUS...

Which is what is most important to me in my gaming right now. Which is Colonial gaming. Not that I don't like FoW, but after playing some Colonial stuff, I prefer it. Not sure why, but there it is. My primary gaming focus is going to be Colonial gaming, the Sudan and the North-Western Frontier. Maybe Boers later....

I got my order from The War Store, so now I have all the stuff I need to up-date my MW Italians with the MG's & 47mm ATG's now needed to add to my infantry platoons. I also got more Perry Miniatures - Mounted British Command, more Beja riflemen, British infantry and some Gordon Highlanders to buff up my British. As one of my current projects, the unit of Sikh's, is almost done, then I will start on my Italians. I need to finish the extra artillery staffs (need my 15mm maps) and then it's 47mm's & MG's galore!!!

I have started the horse for the unit of Hussar.

TTFF

You say Kharkee...I say Khaki...

And what a paint to try to get right! As shown in the above color plate and photo of the reenacter. And even his blouse and pants are 2 different colors. And of course the dyes faded under the effects of weather, washing, etc.

This photo is from the 1939 "The Four Feathers" and they are wearing the later Khaki uniform in the 1890's and the color is a little bit different again. After some research I found that the British had problems with dyes not being very color-fast (still using natural dye sources) and batches of dyed item were uneven in color, some darker and some lighter in color.

This photo shows some figures I have been working on with different colors that have been put forth as use able for the khaki color of the period. The figure on the left has Vallejo Iraqui Sand 819 <124> on the pants and lower blouse area. The middle figure is Vallejo Green Ochre 914 <119> and the right figure (the officer) is totally in Khaki Grey 880 <115>.

I started with the VJ Khaki Grey but don't like the color and it doesn't appear to match what was worn. So using the power of the Internet I looked up what other people have used, which appears to vary from a "Buff" color to Games Workshop Commando Khaki. To me, the VJ Green Ochre appears to be the closest to the Khaki Drill used on the Sikh uniforms I am trying to paint. It also appears that the British uniforms wear a lighter color that the uniforms worn by the Indian units (maybe they had better dyes in India..) and I have read some British uniforms were dyed in the field. Plus Officers often paid for their uniforms which were of better cloth and dyes.

So aside from mixing my own color, I'll use VJ Green Ochre. Unlike Napoleonic, there are not real "Uniform Police" on this. And the later Khaki color used in World War 1, is very different. I need to get these figures finished ASAP and the 10th Hussars underway.


TTFN

DONE!!

The rifle armed Ansar are done! 30 riflemen + 1 Command figure. I have 30 Ansar Spearmen left to do and then I am out of foot figures (I believe). I also have a a unit of Ansar camel cavalry to do, and I should do them next.

The above photo is of the 10th Hussars, and those I am working on now. Currently I am working on a unit of Sikh's but it has come to a stop temporarily as I try to figure out a khaki color I like. There are no hard & fast rule on the color. The figures in the photo has a darker khaki than some figures I have seen painted...





The photo of the Indian service dress appears a little greener than the 19th Hussars. Other figures I have seen are painted a "Buff" color, which might work for a British uniform as the dye was not as fast and batches varied. Anyway, it's off to Brookhurst to check on Tamiya's Khaki (XF49), which I might use.


I am running a TS&TF game on Adam's "Historical Gaming Day" on Sunday, December 13th at Aero Hobbies and using "The Zariba" scenario from the scenario package for TS&TF 20th Anniversary edition. I have everything right now, with the exception of I might need more stuff for the zariba. I'll use either moss or make bush stands out of that door mat I have...

I may run this one as well at the Con in February.


TTFN

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