Naval element for the Spider army

A new element type for the Hordes of the Things (HotT) spider army, is a naval element. We plan on using the sort of mechanisms taken from the Hordes of the Empire (HoTE) adaptation to HotT (available on the HotT iOGroup). This one is based on one of the spider species that move around on water, on leaves etc 9see the reference in the illustration text below.

Source: https://mdc.mo.gov/discover-nature/field-guide/aquatic-spiders

Here is my interpretation of Mother Nature in this regard. 

It will cost 3AP (as per an Airboat) but be used per HoTE:

• Gunboats cost 3ap and play as either a gun, mortar, or a machine gun. May fire in its own bound even if it moved. Gunboats move 400 paces. Gunboats are on 80mm deep bases (15mm). 
• Transports cost 1ap and play as the type element they are carrying if they are carrying one. If not carrying an element they have a combat value of 0 and use the combat outcomes for Riders. Transports move 300 paces. Transports are on 60mm deep bases (15mm).
• Both Gunboats and Transports may carry one element. Their movement is limited to waterways. If in contact with the shore they may unload or load one element for the cost of 1 PIP. If a Gunboat and/or Transports are part of an army and a waterway is not placed on the board these elements cannot be used and do not count as elements lost .
• We have broken artillery down into 3 types - Guns, Mortars/rockets and Machine Guns. All 3 types use the artillery move rates, combat factors and combat outcomes. Guns: direct fire in their own bound if it did not move. Range of 8 inches. We are not distinguishing between type of gun, loading method or crew training. Mortars and Rockets: fire in their own bound if it did not move. Range of 5 inches and may fire over intervening terrain or elements. Machine Guns: fire every bound even if they moved. They have a range of 4 inches. 

German Cavalry for WW1, and some pillboxes

 Finishing a few bits and pieces, and scavenging through the remains of a second hand purchase made some years ago, I found a pile of late war German cavalry, Dragoons, and Uhlans, already painted. I am unsure of the manufacturer for these.  I checked with friend Robert to ensure that cavalry would have a use in some scenarios (I was sceptical, but he confirmed that there will be numerous scenarios in which mounted cavalry can figure) and then set to basing and touching up the figures. There are enough to create three regiments, and a Brigade HQ for Great War Spearhead. Each base represents a squadron.

Last year I also bought some Leven pillboxes and bunkers, and painted up the first three (why three? I had three cut bases spare, and couldn't be bothered cutting more for the time being.. simple!!)

The pillboxes placed on some of the Timecast trench sections.

Righto .. what next? I really should sort the order to Irregular Miniature for the next batch of 6mm figures to complete at least one of these projects.

Raid on a rail junction: 1916

 It was time to bring out Jon's awesome 10mm middle east WW1 figures. Jon designed a small simple fictional scenario: an allied daylight raid on a critical rail junction defended by a Turkish infantry regiment, and a cavalry regiment, supported by two batteries of field artillery. The raiding forces were two mounted Brigades, one from the Imperial Camel Corps, the other a regiment of Australian Light Horse. They included several armoured car squadrons, and six artillery batteries, in support. There was also some possible RFC support. The game was played using the Great War Spearhead rules.

The raid was planned to approach from opposite sides of the objective to try and split the defenders.

Overview of the rail junction

The junction, with two 'village' sectors

Defending Turkish infantry

A deep ravine outside the villages

The overall defence, the Turkish cavalry, alerted to the impending raid, had taken up a position against the rail embankment (top centre of the photo)

Defenders occupying the village sectors (these count as 'outskirts' under GWSH

The 'southern' sweep made by the ALH

The northern wing of the attack (ICC). This Brigade had a timed order bringing it to just short of the objective, a timed order intended to see it attack the junction at the same time as the southern ALH .. I got the timings wrong (surprise, surprise). Both forces dismounted short of the objectives to attack on foot.

The ICC advance

The ALH were accompanied by two squadrons of armoured cars

However the Turkish commander occupied/reinforced the high ground to the west of the junction

The ICC took heavy casualties from flank fire

... and then failed its morale. The raid had failed

The game was intended as a small scenario to get the 'feel' for the theatre. The attack lacked subtlety (my fault entirely) being caught in the open with flank fire. I also forgot the two RFC flights, although casualties mounted so quickly it would most likely have made no difference.

However when all said and done, it was great to see Jon's 10mm figures out on the table.

Spiders for Big battle HotT

So, I've finally finished the expansion of the HotT (Hordes of the Things) Spider army to 72 points for Big Battle HotT. Well actually there are 74 points here, as I included 2 x Lurkers, but also two additional horde bases so that the lurkers are an option. You could argue that there ought to be more lurkers in a spider army, but.. just .. no.

The complete army (the full 74 point) is as follows:

1 x Hero (general - usually)

1 x God (Spiderman, of course)
1 x Magician (a half spider half human sorceress)
2 x Behemoths (bloody big spiders)
2 x airboats
2 x flyers
2 x Lurkers

42 x Hordes (after all this is meant to be a horde army

The complete army

 

The hero

Again, the hero, rear view

The two behemoths

Spiderman, of course!!!

The two Lurker bases

The sorceress magician

Side view of the two airboats

The two flyers

and.. da dahh.. the 42 horde bases

Finally, the Stronghold

Now, to get it onto the table for some game play

Beware: more spiders, different spiders

It's a few years ago that I created my Spider army for Hordes of the Things.

The Spider army in a recent game.

And here is a link to their most recent game.

The army is primarily a horde army. That is, the predominant troop type is horde bases - there are 12 of them in the standard 24 point HotT army. It always seemed to me that, being a horde based army, it would look amazing if expanded to a Big Battle HotT army i.e. 72 points worth. Time has been an issue that has prevented me from actually creating the larger army over the past few years, as also has been the availability of more small spiders. The army was based on a few cheap packets of small plastic spiders. Recently however 'gaming friend Andy alerted me to a supply of suitable figures on sale as part of the Halloween season. I grabbed some. I've just finished the first batch of horde bases - 21 to be precise. There are a few more to be made.

The latest 21 Horde bases

Close-up horde bases

I did however also grab a packet of middle sized spiders, wondering how I might use them. A little internet digging revealed that there are species of spider that can 'fly'.

Source: https://nypost.com/2018/07/06/flying-spiders-use-electricity-to-terrify-us-all/

Take a look at this video:

Clearly first of all there could be some flyer bases in the army. I'll do that, but then a more interesting idea occurred to me (possibly some of my more creative thinking in the HotT universe). What about a group of large spiders that fly across the enemy, dropping hordes of smaller poisonous spiders onto the enemy? In my head (a very strange place, I agree) in HotT terms this sounded like an 'airboat'. Here is the result.

The 'airboat' base has 2 large flying spiders, two smaller spiders descending to the ground, and another couple on the ground - a veritable poisonous spider horde.

The final 72 point BBHotT army will feature 2 airboats, and a couple of flyers as well.

As a footnote, there is an important acknowledgement I'd like to make, and that is to my good friend and 'gaming colleague Keith. Now HotT, and spiders, are perhaps the last thing Keith would tackle in the 'gaming universe. He is an historical 'gamer through and through. However he is also a 'gamer who puts a lot of time and energy into basing, and terrain, for his games. It is his work in this regard that has inspired me to 'do better' with the basing of my own armies, whether fantasy of historical. So for this army, as for all of my work now, basing has taken the biggest proportion of prep time and effort.

I've always believed that it is important to say thank you to people who inspire you .. thanks Keith. This is perhaps not an area in which you expected to have an influence, but .. you never know, eh.

Foray into the Russian Civil War 1919

Adrian and Jon and talented at making adaptations to rules sets to create a flavour that suits sub periods for which the rules may not have been written. This week we played a Russian Cilcvil War game using an adaptation of the 'Rapid Fire' rules that Adrian has developed (the variation, that is). I had played the original edition of RF extensively back in the 90s, but hadn't really looked at them since, preferring the Spearhead rules systems.

The game was a bit of fun, we had a good time. This isn't an AAR, but more of a show and tell for Adrian's beautifully painted Peter Pig 15mm miniatures.  The armoured train didn't feature in the game, but I just couldn't resist taking a few shots .. what's not to love about an armoured train?