This latest piece is the last of the current WW1 project: an armoured train, from the 6mm range produced by Irregular Miniatures. I chose a camouflage scheme that I thought might not look amiss in either the Middle East, or on the Eastern Front, or even the Russo-Polish Way or the Russian Civil War. I did miscalculate the length of rail I bought, so. Irregular.. look out for another order.
And for everyone else, look out for an AAR featuring.. an armoured train.
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 Austro-Hungarians.
The Russians approached with a Corps of two under strength divisions (only two brigades each), and only two regiments of 76mm field guns in support, fielded on table.
The Austro-Hungarians fielded a single division with all four regiments, one on-table regiment of 76mm field guns, and an off-table regiment of 104mm. They also had an independent regiment of cavalry. One of their regiments was already on-table occupying light entrenchments, and the remainder of the division was racing to reach them and support them before the full weight of the Russian attack could be brought to bear. As a scenario specific rule, the AH cavalry did not need to be within the command radius of the AH division, as it was deemed to be independent.
We managed 6 turns before time ran out, so the action was inconclusive, although we felt that the scenario design meant that the Russians would be hard pressed to defeat the AH's. In retrospect the Russians should have been able to field much more of their divisional and Corp artillery.
 |
| The advanced AH regiment, waiting for the relief forces to arrive |
 |
| An overview of the action early on, the Russians on the left. |
 |
| Russian advance |
 |
| Initial fire opened on the advancing Russians, the 104mm regiment causing first casualties |
 |
| Fire is returned on the Russians. One regiment of Russian guns is firing over open sights (direct) while the other is 'brigaded firing under control of a FAO |
 |
| The AH cavalry reserve arrives as a flank march .. scheduled for turn 3, this is turn 6 |
 |
| Russian Cossacks on the Russian right have dismounted and will face off against the AH cavalry |
 |
| Casualties begin to mount of the forward AH regiment |
A shame we miscalculated our time, but it was good to get some of the 20mm armies out onto the table.
We took the time last night to get the 15mm ACW armies out of their boxes for some Volley and Bayonet action. The game was loosely based on 1st Bull Run... no AAR, but a few selected photos.
I felt like doing something a little more creative, in the midst of a lot of 6mm WW1 painting. For some years I've had a crocodile 'figure' in one of those boxes that we all accumulate, and thought .. ah yes, a water lurker for the Pirates (or the 'Lost Worlds' army). The problem was that the figure was too large for the base size, so I opted to cut it in half and pose it as if lunging out of the water. It's mouth isn't suitably opened, but all the same I thought this is a reasonable posing of the figure, and it fits on the correct base size.
Hopefully you can spot the 'joke' on the base too, although arguably that's not what you ought to see on the base of an element in a pirate army, rather on the base of an element fighting against a pirate army.
Water lurkers may well be a troop type that is 'broken' (as are 'sneakers'). Alan Saunders (veteran HotT player and guru) suggested these changes for lurkers, in a post back in 2012.
Jim, a very experienced 'gamer, and a new HotT player, and Andy came around for a few HotT games. Jim enjoys the steampunk aesthetic so in his games used the VSF Turks, I used the Spiders, both of us in turn playing Andy with his Weird World War 1 German army.
No detailed AAR, just a few shots.
 |
| Andy's first naval element for HotT, the base not yet finished |
 |
| Andy's 'boat' up against the Spider 'boat' element, waterborne spiders |
Adrian and I took the afternoon to play a War of the Austrian Succession game, using his 15mm armies and scenery... it's too gorgeous not to show off a few photos. The action was between Spanish and Austrian froces.
Back to the Great War Spearhead Middle East forces... and I've just completed 12 bases of Imperial Camel Corps. The figures are Irregular 6mm, as usual, base labels still to come.
They are clearly (I hope) not photographed in a game context here, just clustered together for the photograph ☺
What is the measure of a good set of wargames rules? Ask 100 'gamers and you'll likely get 100 different answers, although I suspect...
