Old enmities

It's been a while since we had played Armati, so Adrian and I managed a game of ancients, pitching Egyptians against Hittites, reliving old enmities. These are both Adrian's armies, as usual in 15mm. By Adrian's admission, the figures are old and the Egyptians are showing their age with a little metal rot having broken a few small pieces. However to me they look great. I won't offer the more usual AAR, just a few photos to enjoy.

Assyrian foot

Clash of chariots on the Hittite right, Egyptian chariots facing

Egyptian foot advancing

The heavies clash in the centre

The strong Hittite left clashes with the weaker Egyptian right

The game was an Egyptian victory. I had mis managed the organisation of the Hittites, leaving the chariots in too large units too large to allow maneuver. This deprived me of the use of the Hittite superiority in chariots.

As ever however, what a great game.

And now for something completely different ..

After quite some time painting and assembling aircraft and AFV's it was time for something completely different. A wee while agi I found a cute Matchbox aircraft that I thought would make an ideal flyer for a HotT Orc army.

It was a good plan, but with that one flaw: I don't have a 20mm HotT Orc army. Solution? Buy some 20mm orcs and paint an army. OK. Let's create an orc army. Now, when I create new HotT armies I usually try to create an army with a different composition so that each army plays a little differently. The 'flyer' might be an aerial hero, while the orcs?

Well I have one army with a few warband, but orcs? Well, they are very impetuous, very.. um .., warband'ish. So 6-89 warband will be the core of the army.

The box of figures also contains some spear, and some figures that might make good blade.. in my mind a nice representation of some very damned hard fighting orcs, maybe the 'elite' of the orc clan. They'll come soon.

'The Price of Glory'

Mention the battle of Verdun and those who have even heard of it develop that misty glazed look as they contemplate horrors that no man or woman should ever have to endure. I've just finished reading Alistair Horne's account of the battle 'The Price of Glory'. This was the Penguin 1993 revised edition of the book that Horne first published in 1962.

Horne's account is gripping, reflecting the brutality and horror of the battle as well perhaps as any words can to those of us who have never known such things. It does however come from the anglo-centric stable of World War One histories, and early on I found myself reading words that planted  a seed of scepticism in my mind.

Horne begins with chapters dedicated to the two prime antagonists Joffre and Falkenhayen. In discussing Falkenhayen he has this to say (and it is worth quoting in full to make my point):

On first seeing a portrait of Falkenhayen, one's immediate reaction is: 'this is a typical Prussian general'. The hair is closed cropped, the nose well-bred, the features vigorous and stern. The eyes have that Prussian down-turn at the corners - a suggestion that in some far-off age there was an infusion of fierce blood from the Steppes into the Teuton stock. They flash with hard intelligence, and imply a capacity for ruthlessness and possibly cruelty. But when one comes to the mouth, partly concealed under the aggressive military moustache, the whole picture changes. It is not the mouth of a determined leader, a man of action, but that of an indecisive, introversive man of thought, and the sensitive, dimpled chin confirms the implications of weakness.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erich_von_Falkenhayn

Words like phrenology popped into my head as I read the words, and it left me with the seed of doubt, reading the text with more than the usual critical lense.

That said, the book has a lot to commend it in terms of its overall analysis of the battle. Horne identifies some of the tactical innovations that came from the collective problem solving inherent in the battle: the refinement of the infiltration tactics that were the hallmark of the German spring offensives of 1918, Nivelle's creeping barrage, and the first use of phosgene gas.

He makes the point that Nivelle's development of the creeping barrage and its use in two late attacks at Verdun also held the key to his disastrous offensives on the Chemin des Dames in 1917, as the German high command had the opportunity to analyse his 'new' artillery tactics. The pattern provided German commanders with sufficient notice of the attack (although security itself was also seriously wanting) that they pulled their defences back some distance to avoid the casualties that might otherwise be experienced. The result was that the French attacks ran up against untouched German defences.

Overall? The book is worth a read as long as you are able to balance it against other perhaps more up to date analyses and interpretations.

1940 - France - the cavalry have arrived

Progress is a little slow at the moment, but I've finally managed to complete the four Vickers Mk VI tanks in 20mm for the 1940 British BEF. The kits are S Models, and we are all set for some moderate sized Spearhead games (and the occasional Rapid Fire too).

The accumulated 20mm armour A13s for an independent armoured brigade, and the Vickers for the Infantry Division's divisional cavalry

Another view of the div cav.

That'll do for the moment. Now on to the next project which will be .. um .. errr... so many to choose from. The poverty of choice.

A new membership

I recently joined the Society of Ancients after 40 years of good intentions. My first ever copy of the Society magazine Slingshot  (Number 305) arrived yesterday.

I'm looking forward to a good read, and some motivation to re-engage with my old love of ancients wargaming, something that has been absent for a number of years.

'Repent or die'

It seems that traces of corruption had been detected amongst elements of the Imperial Guard. Yep, the Sisters knew, and so they arrived on the planet surface with their infernal ultimatum: 'Repent or die'.

It was another 40K night, with 1500 points of Imperial Guard this time fighting 1500 points of Sisters of Battle. Andy joined Adrian and I for the game. He deployed the Guard, and I played the right wing. Adrian of course played his Sisters of Battle army.

Forces deployed.

On the Sisters' right wing three Penitent engines were ready to roar forward

The Guard took first turn, and brought down a hail of fire. No effect on the Guard right.

An initial Guard success as fire from the Leman Russ tank took out the Sisters' Immolator.

The girls weren't prepared to sit and dally about. They surged forward across the battlefield.

The Guard forces occupied the ruins of the old cathedral, supported by a squad of autocannon.

Fire fell on the Guard.

Occupying the Cathedral.

In turn 2 the Guard forces put out a lot of fire.

One Penitent engine was destroyed and one immobilised.. this might look promising for the Guard

 However that was all. In the Sisters turn 2 there was all hell to pay.

One complete squad was wiped out by Bolter and Heavy Flamer fire

The Canoness swept forward and fearlessly attacked the Leman Russ from the rear, her power weapon scything through the adamantium armour.

A unit of Seraphim smashed into the other Guard right flank squad, wiping the squad out.

Another unit of Seraphim assaulted the Heavy Bolter squad, destroying two of the three crews before pulling back.

The Sisters Repentia were biding their time awaiting the right opportunity to send the heretics to hell.

Seraphim and Sisters push forward on the Guard left

A Vendetta Gunship arrives from reserve and with three twin linked lascannon ... scores no hits.. second game in a row

 Andy decides it's time to make use of his mobile left flank. A special weapons squad, and a veterans squad, each mounted in a chimera (we had to proxy Rhinos here) pushed forward. The special weapons squad, armed with three flamers, targeted the Battle Sisters squad, with almost no effect. The veterans aim for the Seraphim.

The remaining mobile Penitent engine survives fire.

The Sisters centre takes a lot of fire too, and .. you guessed it, takes almost no casualties

Battle is joined on the Guard left. The Canoness is involved. this may not end well

The Sisters battle squad takes heavy casualties in the assault but stays firm. The Canoness dishes out a fair bit of punishment too.

Finally the Sisters Repentia see their opportunity and charge in to assist the Canoness and Seraphim.

The Penitent engine charges the remaining Sentinel which .. rolls two ones  

Gah .. snake eyes ..

This was the centre Guard squad, now its right wing in the absence of anything looking more like a right wing. It takes fire.

The Canoness, Seraphim and Repentia destroy the target Guard squad

And the sentinel on the Guard right is destroyed.

The Guard Company and Platoon command squads charged forward to try to reclaim the initiative in the centre

And the Vendetta repositions itself to provide more supporting fire.

However the Guard left is disintegrating

The right has gone ...

And the two command squads take such a volume of fire that they are all but eliminated.

The game is conceded, the Guard have been almost wiped out. Repent or die? Apparently they took the second option.

Next time?

Thanks Adrian and Andy.

The 5th RTR gains some reinforcements

Reinforcements for the 5th RTR in France 1940 in the form of four A13s from S Models.

These are a nice easy build (I like that, these days). There are etched brass additions, most of which I ignore. This time I made use of the decals to add detail too. I should get my head around adding extra detail, as AFVs would never have looked like this on campaign. Crews are human beings who strap their extra stuff anywhere it will fit in the search for those extra comforts while in the field.

In the meantime ...