40K action.. slightly too late perhaps!!

You know, Adrian and I have been promising to play a game of Warhammer 40K ever since 6th Edition rules came out. A couple of weeks ago GW issued their '7th' edition. Guess what? We finally had that long promised game of 6th. We just took a 500 point force of Orks against Imperial Guard. My Lost and the Damned masqueraded as a couple of the Guard units, just because I like the models.

The game was limited because we are both 'packed up' for EQ matters, Adrian for repairs, us for our rebuild, so neither of us could find the Codices. Here are some photos, in order, with captions rather than a with a full after action report. I guess we mostly play this because of the beautiful miniatures.

Guard mutants advance into the ruins in the centre of the battlefield.

Another Guard squad occupies a wood on the Guard left, as a flank guard.

Meanwhile two Guard Sentinels advance on the Guard right flank.

The battlefield form the Guard right flank, with the sentinels in the foreground. With the first move the Sentinels destroyed the Ork buggy on the Ork left.

A warband of Ork boyz (slugga and choppa) rush ahead through more ruins on the centre of the battlefield.

... and a band of grots/gretchin sneak through more woods on the Ork right, approaching the Guard left flank guard.

Mid game.. two Guard squads hold the centre, one in the ruins. They have faced off against the orc slugga mob in on set of ruins, and a mob of shootas in the other. The Guard centre is supported by a squad of 3 autocannon, and another with 3 heavy bolters

Four Ork bikes advance around the OrK right to threaten the Guard left

Meanwhile the Ork sluggas charge across the last bit of open ground and into the ruins in which a Guard squad has taken refuge hoping to hold the centre. We had a feeling that this wouldn't end well for the Guard, as their 'First rank fire, second rank fire' order didn't inflict too many casualties.

The Orks were all over the Guard fellas.

Meanwhile there was a firefight going on next door, between two Guard squads, and the shootas. They were taking serious casualties

Vrroooommmm .. in came the bikes

The shootas decided to 'ave a go as well, so out they came.

Meanwhile the Grotz snuck up onto the top of some old entrenchments, and opened fire.. rats, Guard soldiers die even if they are being fired at by GrotBlasters

The Guard centre is reduced to a decimated squad and the company command, holding, just

The bikes roar into the Guard support gun line, 3 of the four die, and the remaining bike is stopped in its tracks.

The Guard centre is thinly held, but it has held, and victory goes to the Guard .. JUST!! Whew

So, that was out simple 6th edition game. We think we might take a time warp and go back to 4th edition. Only problem is that we need to find our rule books, everything is packed into boxes.. damn!!

Th game was  a bit of fun, although we are both still of the opinion that the rules are not that flash. That's our opinion. We are both frustrated by the rules creep that is a part of the GW business model. That's not a criticism of the business model, just the views of a pair of 'gaming curmudgeons who don't play this rules system often enough to cope with 3 a yearly rules overhaul. Hence we think that, as we generally only play against each other with 40K, we might go back in time to 4th edition and just stick there.

We'll see!!!

Let battle commence ...

What Mother Nature began with 14000 earthquakes, a large yellow digger finished in a few hours. Our house and garage/games room were demolished this week ready for our rebuild.

The new house, and garage/games room, shall rise phoenix-like from the metaphorical ashes.

Now we face the vagaries of the building industry matched rather nicely with a Christchurch winter. Let battle commence....

By the heavens Suh, this is indeed a glorious day ...

"Finally finally finally dear boy". Caruthers was swirling the brandy in the bottom of the large brandy balloon glass. 'Finally we shall see those cursed creatures from the face of this earth. Today's arrival shall herald my revenge" and he gazed out of the mess window with the enthusiastic smile of a ten year old by who had just been given both a spinning top and a hoop. Young Lieutenant Winstanley was trying to contain his own excitement, gulping his pink gin like a dog at a puddle.

For there on the field across the parade ground sat the wondrous flying machine of the famous adventurer Lord Chelting of Cheam. Many were the stories of victory that the newspaper columns of the Times had laid before the admiring population of this glorious England, stories of daring do, stories of  Lord Chelting's triumphs against the odds.

Finally Caruthers' ambitions for imperial glory would be achieved.

Lord Chelting of Cheam arrives at Caruthers' field headquarters with his wondrous flying machine.

Lord Chelting at the controls.

Caruthers and Winstanley greet Lord Chelting

Caruthers and Winstanley lead the aerial forces of the Caruthers task force in a fly-by.

This new flyer was made from a plastic container that I've kept safe in a box since the '80s. It originally contained  a chocolate treat that we'd bought for our kids, a treat the nature of which has long since been lost in the mists of time. I have another one in the spares box, after all we had two small children at that stage and we couldn't possibly buy for one and not the other. I was to some degree inspired by the concept of the old 'Bathyscope' as well. Chelting will most probably be used as an aerial hero. This isn't a troop type I commonly use, but it seemed logical.

It is perhaps not quite as 'steam punk' as I'd envisaged it, but .. I've now almost got the 72 points I need for the 3 command Big Battle HotT.. just 3 points to go. Another artillery piece I think. I have the gun, just a search through the spares box for a couple of crew.

Mysterious goings on with Major General Caruthers

http://science.howstuffworks.com/transport/flight/classic/steampunk-blimp-pictures.htm

Why is Major General Caruthers so keen to see Lord Chelting of Cheam? Why is Lord Chelting so famous anyway? And what could the latest order for 100 tons of coal and 1000 gas tight bags possibly have to do with Caruthers' planned spring campaign?

Keep watching.

Royalists cede the field ... but the King lives on!!!

Several months ago I rekindled an old love affair with DBR. Our love had grown cold and I had spurned her as she went through pone of those odd unlikeable phases, but there she is again, resplendent in her glory. Several weeks ago now I was invited to a four person game at Keith's place, with Keith, Brian and visiting Australian Roger.

Keith and I each fielded 300 points of Royalists while Brian and Roger did likewise with Parliamentarians. I had forgotten that I had these photos, all taken from the Royalist side of the table. The intervening weeks have meant that my memory is vague on the details, but the battle didn't end well for the Royalists.

Anyway, enjoy the photos. I certainly enjoyed the game.

The temporary games room is christened

First game in a few weeks, a mid week game with Adrian in the new (temporary) games room, and it was a 15mm ACW game fought using the 15mm ACW armies. Lack of time and so no real AAR, just a selection of random photos.

Union troops advance into a town sector

A regiment of Union cavalry. These boys soon dismounted and fought through the wilderness

Facing off across a river

The gap in the line was the result of  a failed morale check.. those M4 troops eh!!

The centre ... while the Union line looked solid, the battles on both flanks had gone to the Confederate forces. Withdrawal was in the offing

An interesting game, with my VnB skills rusty with disuse.. but great to get the boys out on the table top.

The Lucky Seventh AAR

A nice photo AAR of a 6mm Spearhead game from Keith McNelly. Well worth the read.