Saturday, August 19, 2023

Town and village sectors for Mesopotamia and Palestine WW1

 Good friend Andy 3D printed these buildings for the 6mm Great War Spearhead Middle East. I'd asked him to do that so I could create some town and village sectors. The figure side of the project is about half done, and while pausing to sort the next order to Irregular Miniatures I took the time to paint and base these buildings. I have been deliberate in leaving space on the bases for figure stands, I prefer not to have them sitting atop buildings.

The first 'town' sector

the village sector (these count as 'outskirts' in game terms. I may need another couple of 'village' sectors

the second 'town' sector

I have based these using an aesthetic consistent with that used for the figures (logically).

The Martians are coming: on into Africa

The Martians were not to strike in England again, but struck deep in the heart of Africa, in the darkest misty jungles, the jungles where the unbelievable was real. The local population assembled what forces they could, dinosaur behemoth and the wildest of beasts, and began the wildest incantations in the hope that their God the great Kong would come to their aid.

The Lost Worlds army:

1 x warband general
3 x warband
1 x dinosaur behemoth
1 x magician
1 x God (they hoped)1 x beasts
2 x Lurkers

The Aliens mustered:

1 x hero general
2 x walker behemoth
4 x blades
2 x shooter

The view from behind the defensive deployment of the Lost Worlds defenders

Off the table were the mighty Kong, the God, and the two lurkers

In the second turn the defending magician managed to ensorcel the Martian hero general, a good start

The Lost Worlds stronghold.. soon to be in the centre of the action

The Alien blades advance to contact

Thew walkers advance to cross the river, threatening the magician, defended by the behemoth

The first lurker is deployed against the advancing Martian blade, caught in the forest

The Lurker is sent fleeing

Another blade enters the forest and the second lurker is deployed


However the Martian hero managed to emerge from ensorcellment, and found himself in contact with the enemy stronghold.

and the defenders' stronghold is taken. 

The mighty Kong had not answered their calls, had forsaken his worshippers, and the Martians had a foothold on earth. Now no-one was safe. 

This was not over .....

The Martians are coming: in defence of England

Mr Wells had predicted it, had written about it, described it as it would be, in detail, and no-one believed. But now they had no choice. The Martians had arrived. And who should the world call upon in their time of need, but Major General Caruthers.

And by jove, take up the cudgel he did, assembling some of Britain's finest, with the intention of defending Britain, nay of defending the entire world, against this heinous threat.

Caruthers found himself defending behind a river line not far from London, deploying nthe scratch force that Horse Guards had assembled:

1 x Blade General (Caruthers himself)
3 x Blades
2 x shooters
1 x Knights (17th Lancers, of course!!)
1 x steam Behemoth
1 x battery of Royal artillery
1 x Airboat

The Alien force had emerged from cylinders a exactly as predicted by Wells, and included:

1 x Hero general
4 x Hordes
2 x walkers (behemoths)
2 x shooters
2 x warbands

(Quick note: Andy had confused his choices a little, so the troops' base sizes didn't match his choices.. we went with his choices.)

Initial deployment seen from behind Caruthers' position






The Martians advanced, seeking to cross the river. We were both hindered by consistently low PIP die rolls)

The British airboat crossed the enemy lines preparing to attack their line from the rear


 ... and attack the line it did

The Hordes attack the blade holding the British left flank

On Caruthers' right, a behemoth supported by warband pushed across the river. The British flank is held by the Lancers, a unit of blade, and one of shooters

On the right the attackers are vanquished

The airboat finally finds success, eliminating a unit of Martian hordes


On the British left the second walker is destroyed by the steam robot.

Martian casualties had now reached a critical point and the Martian forces withdrew. Caruthers had won the day on the battlefield here in England, w]but where else would the Martians strike?

Onto the Galician plains 1914/15

Jon and I thought we'd try to get a little Great War Spearhead mojo back, so I set up a 1914/15 eastern front game between Russians and ...