.. an' there be pirates .. an' there be rum .. an there be .. adventure ... arrrrrr
So, when Andy alerted me to a packet of large pirate figures for just . a couple of dollars, I thought .. arrrr.. they be goin' great with me pirate army ... arrrrrrr
The packet contained 6 ;arge figures, two of each of those below. The problem with them was the large gap in the back of each, presumably the manufacturer's way of saving materials on the mold and reducing costs.
Painted up, they looked like this from the rear
And this ...
And ... this!!!
Some good old fashioned jiggery pokery after a bit of a ratting through the spares box, and some ideas started to come to fruition ..
A God, and two behemoths, fo the HotT pirate army.
And here are the boys, completed.... the God has that slightly misty, cloud like (I hope) stuff at his feet. The behemoths are maybe bionic constructs, with slightly putrid flesh on mechanical frames.. or something like that, anyway.
The completed contraptions on their backs, filing the large holes on each.
God .... a true Pirate God!!!
Behemoth 1
Behemoth 2
And the boys with a few of their more mortal fellow warriors...
This leaves me with a total of 40 points of pirates, so not big enough for a double sized game, and too many 3+ point elements to take them all in a 24 point game, but nonethelesss... arrrrr... thar be pirates!!!
I'd stalled with the painting mojo while in the middle of completing some 6mm Uhlans for the Prussian army 1870 for Volley and Bayonet, after a really tough, frantic, and frenetic, end to the school year .. this has allowed me to reconnect with the pint brushes, and some creativity....
Some years ago I created a web site 'The Great Adventure' to showcase world war 1 games fought using the Great War Spearhead rules set. I think the rules set is great, and I enjoy the Spearhead rules system for all three of its historical period iterations - WW1, WW2, and Moderns.
The site had been hosted by my former school, but when the server that was hosting it failed, they decided not to replace the server, so 'TGA' was without a home.
I have spent a good 14 months pondering what to do. The answer came to me when I was shown how to construct a site using Google Sites.. such simplicity and flexibility (albeit with a limited palette of formatting options).
So I have begun the task of rebuilding the site. Fortunately most of the files I used previously are still extant on my laptop, so this has mostly been an exercise in transferring and slightly adapting the content. It's not something that requires haste, so I'll establish the site a page or two at a time.
For Captain Garcia Fernando Pedro del Gama this was not a great way to fight a war. He had stood with his men for 6 hours. The sun had risen from the horizon and was now almost directly overhead, and still the Generalissimo sat at his table beneath the flapping canvas, lunching, drinking champagne, and tasting the delights of the roast hare, and chicken. A conference of commanders, it they called it. He called it a long lunch at best, damnable disgrace and a waste of fighting time at worst. There were Frenchmen to attack, Spain to defend. He kicked at the dried grass at his feet, snorted in disgust, and turned back to face the French columns advancing now across the plain.
Another action on the Iberian Peninsular, fought using the Volley and Bayonet rules, and my 25mm armies. Each army comprised 3000 points, created using the VnB Road To Glory scenario system
The position after the first two moves, the French on the left, the Spanish on th right
The Spanish left had taken up position on the first hill that they came cross
French Dragoons moved out to attack the Spanish left
One of the two Spanish reserve cavalry divisions advanced to counter the French cavalry threat
The Spanish right. Captain de Gama's troops were pushed forward to attack the French
The firsat Spanish attack routs one French brigade, but one Spanish regiment is lost in the process
On the left the cavalry battle is joined
The French left wing attacks the town of El Django, ejcting the Spanish troops that had captured it in the opening moments of the battle
The French also apply pressure to the Spanish centre
The Spanish counter attack El Django, but fail to break in to the town
The French troops are caught in a bottle neck in the centre
The French draw troops across to their right to develop the attack on the Spanish left, but leave a hole in their own centre. Spanish reserve troops advance to exploit the gapSpanish
The Spanish right continues the pressure on the French left, causing significant casualties
The Spanish centre/left
The Spanishjcavalry have defeated the French dragoons, but bow a division of French Hussars advances ion them
Shoring up the Spanish left
The French pull two brigades back from the Spanish artillery
The Spanish left waiting on the next French attack
Spanish cavalry have launched themselves into the flank of one of the French cnenre brigades, driving them back
The French centre/left troops pull back to guard their own flank
The Spanish right wing attack continues to push forward
The Spanish troops took their moment sot withdraw form the field as night fell. Had they been saved by the impending darkness, or had they lost the opportunity to defeat the French invaders because the battle had started so late in the day. For Captain Garcia Fernando Pedro del Gama this left a bitter taste in the mouth. Long lunches, indeed. Battles and wars were not won on the back of long lunches, but on the back of decisive action, and this day had not seen sufficient decisive action. Perhaps next time.
At this point the game was called the hour being late. The Spanish left was in a very vulnerable position. The centre/left had lost a division under withering French artillery fire, and the reserves had been called forward to hold the line. We had delayed too long before beginning the fight.
It was agreed that the Spanish army had been bested. The defensive posture of the Spanish infantry o the left had meant that they ceded the initiative to the French to develop their attack as they wished.
However this was another great game, as they always are with Volley and Bayonet.
This was a Big Battle HotT game that Andy and I played a few weeks ago. (The pressures of work etc have meant that the photos have sat here for a little while.) The game featured Andy's Semi historical Egyptians vs my VSF Turks.
Set up, Egyptians on the left, Turks on the right
Egyptian blade, with flyers tucked up behind
Chariot general, and behemoth (da cat!!)
Turkish airboat
Turkish behemoth
So Andy and I both made perhaps the worst choice possible.. we both chose a Hero General, and what's more, this was our CnC. They went head to head in turn 2, and on the simple roll of a die, I won/Andy lost. His entire centre disintegrated. We'd both made a bad choice.. the fate of the game hung therefore on a single die roll -- winner takes all.
Andy' Andy's centre has all but disappeared, and his reserve is rushing lover to fill the gap
On the Turkish right, Turkish riders circle around in an attempt to get in behind the Egyptians
Turkish blade battering away at what was left of the Egyptian centre
The Egyptian right is having a better day of it against the Turkish left
The Turkish right, flyers in advance, backed with Riders, pushes across into the Egyptian centre
Battering away at the Egyptian reserves
The Egyptian right makes some headway against the Turkish left
However casualties mount amongst the Egyptian reserve
The game went to the Turks with over 50% of the Egyptian forces counted as casualties. Both Andy and I had forgotten that when hero goes up against hero, each is a 'quick kill' to the other. So the entire game went the way of that single die roll.
Neither of us is likely to do that again. The game was still a bit of fun, albeit that it wasn't typical of what other of us can do as players.
