The aesthetic we build in our games has become increasingly important to me. Much of my previous 'gaming life has involved compromises, created by a mixture of cost and skill and time availability. I decided that I wanted to step things up a little, especially now that I have more time. I have been inspired too by my 'gaming colleagues who have themselves set new standards in scenery and army painting and basing.
I recently bought the figures for a camp for the Anglo-Saxon army.
The 'camp' with a couple of bases of the Anglo Saxons.
I struggled to get decent photos for these. Hmmm
The figures are from the Essex 15mm medieval range, and the 'pig on a spit' is from the Irregular Miniatures 15mm range (I really liked that!!). The barrels were 3D printed by friend Andy from files he created himself.
Finally, the return of some painting 'mojo' with the application of the age old strategy, choose a smaller project from which you might be able to expect a relatively fast return. I have just completed painting the figures for a DBA Viking army, specifically the 'raider version with mostly fast blade, list III/40A.
The army is intended as a 'matched pair' with my Anglo-Saxon army. The list has a solid blade as general, 10 x fast blade,, and the twelfth element may be either a solid Bd, a fast Wb, or a Ps.
The completed army, with its options
Solid Bd general
The option.. Wb, or solid Bd, or Ps
Some of the fast Bd
Their 'camp' will be a beached longship.. I'll order one in the new year.
All set to play a Balkan Wars game with Jon this week, I had a last minute change of heart and set up a 15mm ACW game that involved my first use of the new river gunboat USS Monitor. This fictional scenario was inspired by some of the readings on actions along some of then great rivers of North America in which armies were supported by flotillas of gunboats and other naval craft..
The scenario pitted a smaller Confederate force, against a larger Union attacking army. The confederate force was deployed mostly on the left side of a tributary to a much larger river, but with a division deployed on the other side intent on holding the town and bridge crossing vital to the Union advance. The game was played using my 15mm armies, and our fave Volley and Bayonet rules.
The gunboat on the main river at the bottom of the photo, with the Union forces advancing from the right. The bridge and town sector are in the centre foreground of the photo. The buildings on this town sector were scratch built.
My initial deployment of the Confederates was flawed, and I had to pull a brigade and supporting artillery back across the river from a very exposed position adjacent to the town sector. Jon placed the weight of his attack on his left, against the main objective, supported by the gunboat coming up the river.
The gunboat advancing slowly upriver in support of the union attack
The brigade and artillery beating a hasty retreat from its initial exposed position
On the confederate left the army cavalry brigade dismounted and deployed on foot in support of the left Division. While not 'sharpshooters', their die rolls seemed blessed. . a LOT of 6's were rolled and they inflicted significant casualties on the Union right.
The first attack went in against the town .. and bounced, with one Union brigade routing away
In the firefight on the left one Confederate brigade was lost but ...
The pressure mounted against the town
A second attack .. which successfully pushed the defenders from the town
Union forces now hold the town
In the meantime the Union right flank brigade suffered such casualties that it went into morale collapse.. however soon after the opposing Confederate division was exhausted.. as was their right flank division.
Overall, with the Union centre divisions untouched, the confederate position was no longer tenable. A withdrawal was in order... 'Cry me a river' huh?
Just a little more 'eye candy' from this week's games: a 'Boxer Rebellion' game played using the Volley and Bayonet rules, and Adrian's fabulous 15mm figures (and boats), and an evening of HotT played using a range of our 20mm armies.
The HotT games.
Andy's Undead army
Andy's Undead stronghold
British and Turkish VSF
Barbarian (warband, a couple of heroes, and some shooters), vs Andy's 'Sparatacus' army
Quite a few years ago I painted up a series of stands to play American Civil War in 15mm using the Volley and Bayonet rules. I plan to add a few more stands to each side (currently the collection includes 16 infantry brigades, some artillery batteries, and one regiment of cavalry per side). With encouragement from 'gaming friends Adrian and Jon I bought the Sarissa model of the USS Monitor . I assembled and painted the model itself a month of two ago, and finally found the motivation to base it ready for action. Here it is.
I painted the water effect with a green/dirty brown base, as I figured that North American rivers aren't exactly pristine pure blue. I do recall from my visit to Memphis some years ago that at that point anyway the Mississippi ran looking pretty brown and discoloured.
Righto... I guess I should try and organise some games.
Another week with a bit of varied war games activity. First was a game from the War of the Spanish Succession in the 1740's, an intriguing scenario in which the French and Spanish forces are retreating form the Austrian army, and are trying to get a supply convoy of four wagons across and off the table. The armies are from Adrian and Jon's collections, all 15mm.
Despite a massive encircling move from the Austrian cavalry, the cavalry were defeated and the convoy 'got away'.
The second was a game from the Franco-Prussian war of the 1870s. The Prussians are from my collection, and the French from Keith's, all 6mm Heroics and Ros figures.
Both games were played using the Volley and Bayonet rules. The small rules changes that are used to differentiate the sub-periods wokr amazingly well, giving two very different games that capture the feel of the periods.
