Anyone able to identify the manufacturer and range? I think they're 25mm 14th Army. They have magazine rifles and seem way to large for 20mm.
Tuesday, 30 July 2013
Friday, 21 June 2013
Scatter Terrain II
I got in from school today and finished the second batch of terrain. It's my first time with rubberised horse hair. Wow! It is SO easy to use and I think it looks very effective too. Sorry Last Valley but I don't think I need you any more...
Some shrubbery with palms or rocks.
Just shrubs.
Everything so far this week. Four evenings work.
Super macro!
I'll be doing more when I can get hold of the MDF cut outs. In the mean time I'm off up the woods with my secateurs to collect the raw materials for some nice new trees. Hopefully I'll be using my own cold dyed flock to make them.
Saga Dark Age action at the club tonight which means I'll have a back log of FIVE (!) Club Nights to post as well as the latest Mbogo progress. Soon...
Some shrubbery with palms or rocks.
Just shrubs.
Everything so far this week. Four evenings work.
Super macro!
I'll be doing more when I can get hold of the MDF cut outs. In the mean time I'm off up the woods with my secateurs to collect the raw materials for some nice new trees. Hopefully I'll be using my own cold dyed flock to make them.
Saga Dark Age action at the club tonight which means I'll have a back log of FIVE (!) Club Nights to post as well as the latest Mbogo progress. Soon...
Thursday, 20 June 2013
Scatter Terrain
I have shamelessly neglected my blog this last month or so but now I'm back with a vengeance and a backlog of stuff to post...
A year or so ago at a show I picked up a bunch of laser cut MDF 'shapes' intending to produce some scatter terrain for placing on larger templates and I finally got around to starting (and finishing) the first batch this week.
They'll be used to represent terrain in the Mexican-American War, Spanish Civil War and Mbogo. Not all of them will work for all three theatres. The Sudan is possible in the future and western gunfight / Cavalry and Indians too maybe...
First up, the least useful items, patches of saguaro cactus. I'll use these pieces for Mexico and ignore the fact that saguaro would only have featured in the California campaign which I'm not going to cover...
A year or so ago at a show I picked up a bunch of laser cut MDF 'shapes' intending to produce some scatter terrain for placing on larger templates and I finally got around to starting (and finishing) the first batch this week.
They'll be used to represent terrain in the Mexican-American War, Spanish Civil War and Mbogo. Not all of them will work for all three theatres. The Sudan is possible in the future and western gunfight / Cavalry and Indians too maybe...
First up, the least useful items, patches of saguaro cactus. I'll use these pieces for Mexico and ignore the fact that saguaro would only have featured in the California campaign which I'm not going to cover...
Next up, rock formations and a welcome oasis.
Finally, some long grass ready for Palo Alto.
I've nearly finished batch two; scrub and brush / mimosa. I've used rubberised horse hair for the first time. Fingers crossed, more MDF is on the way for batch three.
Saturday, 4 May 2013
Mbogo's a go-go!
I found a few hours here and there this week to get the Mbogo ball rolling. I've cleaned up and undercoated all the East Mbogo regulars and finished the first squad.
Fire team A. NCO, 2 rifles and SAW.
Fire team B. 3 rifles and LAW.
All together...
Fire team A. NCO, 2 rifles and SAW.
Fire team B. 3 rifles and LAW.
All together...
I've assembled a little support for them in the form of an M48 tank and a V100 Commando armoured car. Their attack copter is still unassembled.
I'm thinking Mbogo will launch in June. I've done a little map work and a lot of background / history. The E. Mbogo army list is half written in the same format as the lists in the Bolt Action book. Oh yeah, the first two scenarios are written too!
Club Night 26th April / 3rd May - Man O' War
The 26th was the night of the AGM for Stoke Wargames Group so we knew we weren't going to get much game time in and needed something quick to set up. Off to sea!
Keith agreed to put a game of Man O' War together for us and turned up with his lovely Bretonnian and Empire fleets as well as a gazillion boxes of accessories. Matt and I took the Brets., Tom and Ryan the Empire. The Brets. had a Galleon, 3 Corsairs and 6 Buccaneers and the Empire had a Greatship, 3 Wolfships and 6 Wargalleys. Our MoW was 'heavy timbered' and theirs had a 'crows nest'. We both had a wizard.
We only managed a handful of turns on the first night but it wasn't a good start for us Brets. One of us (I'm not naming names, but it wasn't me (I made all the other mistakes)) turned our Corsairs into the wind and they took a pasting while they struggled to turn back out again. Bizarrely, MoW has no tacking rules...
I hadn't got my camera so a few phone shots will have to show how things were at home time.
In the South things looked OK. A plunging Buccaneer catapult shot sent a Wargalley down to the bottom of the sea and our Galleon was moving up in support.
Things were 'grim up North' however. You can see our paralysed Corsairs and in the distance our mostly dismasted Buccaneers. Oh dear...
Seven days later. Ryan couldn't make it so Tom took sole responsibility for slaughtering the remaining Brets.. In the close quarter fighting the Empire ship's oars and forward firing guns gave them a huge advantage. We took a few with us and had the satisfaction of sinking their Greatship but by the end of play all we had left was our Galleon; crippled, toothless and on fire. (Oh... and one Buccaneer heading for home!)
Keith agreed to put a game of Man O' War together for us and turned up with his lovely Bretonnian and Empire fleets as well as a gazillion boxes of accessories. Matt and I took the Brets., Tom and Ryan the Empire. The Brets. had a Galleon, 3 Corsairs and 6 Buccaneers and the Empire had a Greatship, 3 Wolfships and 6 Wargalleys. Our MoW was 'heavy timbered' and theirs had a 'crows nest'. We both had a wizard.
We only managed a handful of turns on the first night but it wasn't a good start for us Brets. One of us (I'm not naming names, but it wasn't me (I made all the other mistakes)) turned our Corsairs into the wind and they took a pasting while they struggled to turn back out again. Bizarrely, MoW has no tacking rules...
I hadn't got my camera so a few phone shots will have to show how things were at home time.
In the South things looked OK. A plunging Buccaneer catapult shot sent a Wargalley down to the bottom of the sea and our Galleon was moving up in support.
Things were 'grim up North' however. You can see our paralysed Corsairs and in the distance our mostly dismasted Buccaneers. Oh dear...
Seven days later. Ryan couldn't make it so Tom took sole responsibility for slaughtering the remaining Brets.. In the close quarter fighting the Empire ship's oars and forward firing guns gave them a huge advantage. We took a few with us and had the satisfaction of sinking their Greatship but by the end of play all we had left was our Galleon; crippled, toothless and on fire. (Oh... and one Buccaneer heading for home!)
Good game. Thanks, Keith.
Monday, 29 April 2013
Club Night 19th April - Bolt Action: Hold Until Relieved III
Turn 5
The Dingo continued to pile the hurt onto the squad pinned just in front of it (aided by the mortar)while the nearby Pz IVH carried on ignoring it.
The 222 was performing a similar trick against the poor remnants of a British section...
The real drama started on the German right as a long range 'schreck shot lit up a Sherman; the Ronson rule guaranteeing it's distruction.
The Firefly took more pins from the opposing panzer effectively taking it out of the game
Turn 6
Boom! The right flank Sherman was set on fire and went 'all inferno' (Ronson!) thanks to the continuing efforts of the Pz IVH. In the graveyard the pinned Brits failed to make their dash to the objective. Not so the German platoon HQ who sneaked up to claim it, using it as cover.
The central Pz IVH rolled up and the German MMG went into ambush covering the road.
Oblivious to the now ineffectual Firefly the right flank Pz IVH moved to cover the objective as the 'schreck team eyed up the British mortar position.
If the game had ended now the Germans would have won, but no, the dice gods said play on.
Turn 7 (Final Turn)
There was no way the German HQ could be winkled out of their position behind the bunker so the only hope for the Brits was to contest the objective for a draw.
The graveyard section refused to move again, (probably saving their lives) so it was down to the fresh section that had moved in from the left flank. If they took the shortest route they would be Advancing (6") through a hedge and would fall short. However, Matt had correctly eyeballed the distance and was planning on Running (12") around the hedge to reach the objective but alas, the next order die was German... This allowed Keith to display the low, underhand, gamey sort of cunning that makes him ideal to play the 'vile Hun'.
He drove a Pz IVH up to the hedge and parked with his 'bumper' against it. The Brits now had to go around the tank and could no longer reach the objective!
Game over. German victory!
Thus ended our biggest and best game of Bolt Action yet. We all enjoyed it and (at least up to turn 6...) felt like realistic tactics were used and rewarded. A club noobie who joined in liked it so much he invested in a whole 20mm WWII army at Salute the next weekend!
Several of us, me included, expressed disatisfaction with the Recce rule. I know I've seen it slated on a few forums. The ability to repeatedly escape from fire encourages unrealistic offensive action. House rules incoming...
The Dingo continued to pile the hurt onto the squad pinned just in front of it (aided by the mortar)while the nearby Pz IVH carried on ignoring it.
The 222 was performing a similar trick against the poor remnants of a British section...
The real drama started on the German right as a long range 'schreck shot lit up a Sherman; the Ronson rule guaranteeing it's distruction.
The Firefly took more pins from the opposing panzer effectively taking it out of the game
Turn 6
Boom! The right flank Sherman was set on fire and went 'all inferno' (Ronson!) thanks to the continuing efforts of the Pz IVH. In the graveyard the pinned Brits failed to make their dash to the objective. Not so the German platoon HQ who sneaked up to claim it, using it as cover.
The central Pz IVH rolled up and the German MMG went into ambush covering the road.
Oblivious to the now ineffectual Firefly the right flank Pz IVH moved to cover the objective as the 'schreck team eyed up the British mortar position.
If the game had ended now the Germans would have won, but no, the dice gods said play on.
Turn 7 (Final Turn)
There was no way the German HQ could be winkled out of their position behind the bunker so the only hope for the Brits was to contest the objective for a draw.
The graveyard section refused to move again, (probably saving their lives) so it was down to the fresh section that had moved in from the left flank. If they took the shortest route they would be Advancing (6") through a hedge and would fall short. However, Matt had correctly eyeballed the distance and was planning on Running (12") around the hedge to reach the objective but alas, the next order die was German... This allowed Keith to display the low, underhand, gamey sort of cunning that makes him ideal to play the 'vile Hun'.
He drove a Pz IVH up to the hedge and parked with his 'bumper' against it. The Brits now had to go around the tank and could no longer reach the objective!
Game over. German victory!
Thus ended our biggest and best game of Bolt Action yet. We all enjoyed it and (at least up to turn 6...) felt like realistic tactics were used and rewarded. A club noobie who joined in liked it so much he invested in a whole 20mm WWII army at Salute the next weekend!
Several of us, me included, expressed disatisfaction with the Recce rule. I know I've seen it slated on a few forums. The ability to repeatedly escape from fire encourages unrealistic offensive action. House rules incoming...
Club Night 19th April - Bolt Action: Hold Until Relieved II
Turn 3
The British pushed forward aggressively on their right flank trying to move into the graveyard which would make an excellent jump off point for taking the objective. A Sherman moved into the cover of the wall to trade potshots with the Pz IVH opposite. The Germans were content to hold the hedge line along the road and exchange shots.
The British were also the main players on the other flank. The section that had been cowering behind the house started to move towards the centre and a Sherman along with the PIAT team moved into a forward position. The German Panzerschreck team arrived and moved up their right flank covering the Pz IVH that was sitting there engaging the second Sherman and Firefly.
Shortly after, a third Pz IVH arrived which took up a position covering the objective, totally ignoring the Dingo that was taking point blank shots at the infantry nearby, (knowing that it could simply 'recce away'.)
The Pz IVH on the German right managed to put a pin on the Firefly and the 'schreck team continued their wide sweep
The British pushed forward aggressively on their right flank trying to move into the graveyard which would make an excellent jump off point for taking the objective. A Sherman moved into the cover of the wall to trade potshots with the Pz IVH opposite. The Germans were content to hold the hedge line along the road and exchange shots.
The British were also the main players on the other flank. The section that had been cowering behind the house started to move towards the centre and a Sherman along with the PIAT team moved into a forward position. The German Panzerschreck team arrived and moved up their right flank covering the Pz IVH that was sitting there engaging the second Sherman and Firefly.
Turn 4
The British surged into the graveyard and the Sherman accompanying them continued to unsuccessfully engage the Pz IVH, taking a couple of pins. The cheeky Sdkfz 222 moved up again putting a few rounds into the troops that hadn't made the cover of the walls.
Shortly after, a third Pz IVH arrived which took up a position covering the objective, totally ignoring the Dingo that was taking point blank shots at the infantry nearby, (knowing that it could simply 'recce away'.)
The Pz IVH on the German right managed to put a pin on the Firefly and the 'schreck team continued their wide sweep
Part III will relate the final three turns. Maybe later tonight, maybe not...
Wednesday, 24 April 2013
Salute 2013 - A Show Report - Part 2
The last photo's:
Stoke Wargames Group's Wargods of Aegyptus skirmish game.
5 Go on Holiday? And burn and pillage a Trojan town?
A large Waterloo game. That's Napoleon top left, honest.
Wolsung skirmish board, a very well filled 2' x 2'.
Ninja skirmish game.
Mars and... Martians. Oh, and Earthmen.
Japanese castle siege.
Hordes and Heroes. Medieval in the foreground, Dark Ages behind.
Stoke Wargames Group's Wargods of Aegyptus skirmish game.
New fantasy skirmish game system and model range, Twilight.
Snit, from Dragon Magazine. I love it.
Sound El Deguello. Oh, too late. Mexicans parade around the Alamo.
Da Clash! Intriguing.
54mm action from Victrix. Gorgeous.
Back home by 9.30 p.m. and my lift is already sorted for next year...
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