tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18834673089803597252024-03-17T23:03:21.976-04:00Little Lead HeroesAndy's Mostly Miniature Wargaming BlogAndyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03188043128640438712noreply@blogger.comBlogger1228125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1883467308980359725.post-65458602934237711242013-09-25T00:02:00.001-04:002013-09-25T00:02:12.233-04:00The History of England Podcast<div style="float: right; margin: 0 0 10px 10px; padding: 0; font-size: 0.8em; line-height: 1.6em;"> <a href="http://historyofengland.typepad.com/" title="Ooo da lolly, King John!"><img src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/b/b0/John_of_England_-_Illustration_from_Cassell%27s_History_of_England_-_Century_Edition_-_published_circa_1902.jpg/204px-John_of_England_-_Illustration_from_Cassell%27s_History_of_England_-_Century_Edition_-_published_circa_1902.jpg" width="204" height="240" alt="King John"></a><br /> <span style="margin: 0;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:John_of_England_-_Illustration_from_Cassell%27s_History_of_England_-_Century_Edition_-_published_circa_1902.jpg">King John</a></span></div>
I have been fairly busy the last month-- more so than even usual with three kids all in extracurricular activities-- and one of the more interesting things to occupy my spare time has been the <a href="http://historyofengland.typepad.com/">History of England Podcast</a>. And I thought the <a href="http://littleleadheroes.blogspot.com/2011/01/history-of-rome-podcast.html">History of Rome Podcast</a> was long! The History of England has run over a hundred episodes so far, and has just reached the beginning of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hundred_Years%27_War">Hundred Years' War</a>! It has obviously entertained me, and I dare say educated me, or I would not have listened so long. It occasionally gives episodic updates on what else is going on in Europe, and obviously a lot of English history post-1066 is intertwined with France's history, so you're getting a somewhat wider view than you might think. Combined with <a href="http://www.littleleadheroes.blogspot.com/2012/08/dark-ages-history-podcasts.html#more">Norman Centuries and 12 Byzantine Rulers</a> and you're getting a much wider view of the Dark and Middle Ages, especially. Can't wait to fill it out with the <a href="http://historyoffranceinenglish.libsyn.com/">History of France in English</a>, maybe the <a href="http://www.medievalarchives.com/podcast-archive/">Medieval Archives</a> and the <a href="http://thebritishhistorypodcast.com/">British History Podcast</a>, and even the <a href="http://historyofenglishpodcast.com/">History of English Podcast</a>...and I can't wait for somebody to start a Holy Roman Empire podcast! Real opportunity there, people!!
Andyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03188043128640438712noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1883467308980359725.post-66811240968445102312013-08-18T23:45:00.001-04:002013-08-18T23:45:05.450-04:00FoB2: The Battle of Morunnin<div style="float: right; margin: 0 0 10px 10px; padding: 0; font-size: 0.8em; line-height: 1.6em;"> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7514296@N05/9541270040/" title="Battle of Morunnin by The Gonk, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2882/9541270040_7aeee391f1_m.jpg" width="180" height="240" alt="Battle of Morunnin"></a><br /> <span style="margin: 0;"><a href="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2882/9541270040_7aeee391f1_m.jpg">Battle of Morunnin</a>, a photo by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7514296@N05/">The Gonk</a>.</span></div>
We played our randomly generated Field of Battle scenario <a href="http://www.littleleadheroes.blogspot.com/2013/08/field-of-battle-2-random-scenario.html">described here</a> Friday night. It went well for the French, with Marshal Dalé's plan working perfectly-- the Russian hordes did, indeed, crash and break against the French rock.
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We were a bit short on command stands, which played a bit to the French's setup advantages. Essentially, the Russians were forced to set up first, and the French responded by setting up entirely on the right half of the table. They placed the imaginary town of Morunnin on their left flank, and the entire left half of their line was able to anchor on a forest edge. On their right, they placed a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Battery">grand battery</a>-esque concentration of four artillery batteries.
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7514296@N05/9538465961/" title="Battle of Morunnin by The Gonk, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2868/9538465961_d172aa0aa5.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="Battle of Morunnin"></a>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7514296@N05/9541253332/" title="Battle of Morunnin by The Gonk, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7452/9541253332_ff0d83780b.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="Battle of Morunnin"></a>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7514296@N05/9538462125/" title="Battle of Morunnin by The Gonk, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7284/9538462125_82d21d2e95.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="Battle of Morunnin"></a>
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The Russians marched forward. The right division pressed into the woods, while their left division had a difficult time against the massed artillery. The Russians found the Class III woods (a poor scenario decision by me) to be GREAT defensive cover for their opponents, and struggled to break through. On the left, though, the Russians thought they saw an opportunity. The French right was well forward, and they directed their tardy cavalry brigade onto the table to try and exploit it. The French responded with Initiative, forming four battalions in square and plugging the gap firmly.
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On the Russian right, the grenadiers led the attack-- at the cost of one of their two battalions. They finally had entered the woods, and threatened to split the entire French line. However, on the right, they simply could not gain traction. The Russian hussars gallantly charged the flanks of the artillery, but this led the across the French squares, which drove them off.
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With just that small, hard fought advantage on their right, it wasn't enough for the Russians, who were at zero Army Morale Points. De Tommey could not inspire them to stay for more death and destruction, and they eventually withdrew-- battered, exhausted, but in good order. Dalé's two hussar regiments were unable to pursue effectively, thanks to both the heroic effort of the battered Russian cavalry, and Dalé's down defensive mindset.
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7514296@N05/9541247440/" title="Battle of Morunnin by The Gonk, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7323/9541247440_09191ee81a.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="Battle of Morunnin"></a>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7514296@N05/9538456327/" title="Battle of Morunnin by The Gonk, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7366/9538456327_ee9c2ccfee.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="Battle of Morunnin"></a>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7514296@N05/9541242254/" title="Battle of Morunnin by The Gonk, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5520/9541242254_190fe6b0c0.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="Battle of Morunnin"></a>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7514296@N05/9538454239/" title="Battle of Morunnin by The Gonk, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2826/9538454239_78f9155ac7.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="Battle of Morunnin"></a>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7514296@N05/9541240820/" title="Battle of Morunnin by The Gonk, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7375/9541240820_67308d3c94.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="Battle of Morunnin"></a>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7514296@N05/9538482625/" title="Battle of Morunnin by The Gonk, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2838/9538482625_75f649a3b1.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="Battle of Morunnin"></a>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7514296@N05/9538478707/" title="Battle of Morunnin by The Gonk, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7311/9538478707_f1580b5de7.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="Battle of Morunnin"></a>
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The VIPs of the game were the French artillery on their right, and the Class III woods on their left. Definitely a poor decision on my part. I was concerned about the French being outnumbered, and wanted the woods to really feel like woods. However, the French took a much more defensive posture than I expected, and both the location and density of the woods was substantial. Lesson learned, I hope!!
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Another thing we needed was more command stands, but they are on the painting desk right now, just waiting for some Russian green paint. Also, counters. I have casualty figures to paint up for UI losses, but first I will make some generic rock counters which could be used for any game. Also, some way to mark first fire. We threw pipe cleaners out, but I'm not a fan of the detritus. I suppose the best way would be to mark up a roster, but then that requires marking every unit. I could do generic identifiers, I suppose...something to think about. Also, less common, but I could use Out of Command markers...fallen standards? That might be good.
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All in all, the game seemed to go well, especially considering the short notice. Given that, and all the new figures, I'm looking at running a Theater of War campaign. I've wanted to do that for a while, and finally feel like it's doable.
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And, hey, I figured out how to take panoramic pictures with my camera! Here are some decidedly unimpressive pictures of the post game layout, clutter and all. If you have suggestions on how to spruce up the game table layout, or reduce the table clutter, let me know!
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7514296@N05/9541265896/" title="Battle of Morunnin by The Gonk, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2883/9541265896_fafd612a8b.jpg" width="500" height="200" alt="Battle of Morunnin"></a>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7514296@N05/9541261262/" title="Battle of Morunnin by The Gonk, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7324/9541261262_fc4ff4bf26.jpg" width="500" height="207" alt="Battle of Morunnin"></a>
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Andyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03188043128640438712noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1883467308980359725.post-24275492526177374382013-08-17T02:47:00.001-04:002013-08-17T02:47:21.603-04:00Synchronicity<div style="float: right; margin: 0 0 10px 10px; padding: 0; font-size: 0.8em; line-height: 1.6em;"> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7514296@N05/9529296596/" title="Vikings by The Gonk, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5512/9529296596_5a107cd037_m.jpg" width="240" height="160" alt="Vikings"></a><br /> <span style="margin: 0;"><a href="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5512/9529296596_5a107cd037_m.jpg">Vikings</a>, a photo by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7514296@N05/">The Gonk</a> on Flickr.</span></div>
Right now, I have just finished the first two books of <a href="http://www.bernardcornwell.net/series/the-saxon-stories/">Bernard Cornwell's the Saxon Stories/Tales/Chronicles</a>, whatever it is. They are awesome! The primary protagonists of the series so fare are <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halfdan_Ragnarsson">Halfdan</a>, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ivar_the_Boneless">Ivar the Boneless</a>, and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ubbe_Ragnarsson">Ubba</a>-- the historical leaders of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Heathen_Army">Great Heathen Army</a> of Danes which conquered almost all of England, leaving only a toehold of swamp for <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfred_the_Great">Alfred the Great</a> to stage his great come back from. All three of them were the sons of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ragnar_Lodbrok">Ragnar Lothbrook</a>, the star of the <a href="http://www.history.com/shows/vikings">History Channel's Vikings</a>. I can't believe the "Ancient Nazi Aliens" of the History Channel put out something this good and something this historical-- or, if not historical, at least consistent with the legends. It's not perfect-- of course, the hero Ragnar is at both <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viking_expansion#England">the Lindisfarne and Portland Bay raids</a>, which were six years apart but are represented closely together, in the wrong place, and in the wrong order in the show. But it is still awesome!! I can't wait to watch some more...and get some more Anglo-Saxons painted and run some Dux Britanniarum games!!
Andyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03188043128640438712noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1883467308980359725.post-26516954215817830122013-08-16T23:37:00.002-04:002013-08-16T23:37:46.592-04:00Field of Battle 2 Random Scenario<div style="float: right; margin: 0 0 10px 10px; padding: 0; font-size: 0.8em; line-height: 1.6em;"> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7514296@N05/9528613946/" title="FOB 2cover by The Gonk, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7452/9528613946_c61fd4db52_m.jpg" width="185" height="240" alt="FOB 2cover"></a><br /> <span style="margin: 0;"><a href="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7452/9528613946_c61fd4db52_m.jpg">FOB 2cover</a>, a photo by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7514296@N05/">The Gonk</a> on Flickr.</span></div>
The year is 1807. The Prussians have been humiliated, and the late arriving Russian Army, now under Bennigsen, is trying to surprise the French in a sweeping movement through Prussia.
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In the van is Major General Barclay de Tommey (Tom G.), leading his corps on the Prussian town of Morunnin, where Marshal Francois Dalé's (K. Dale) French corps is assembling to halt the Russian advance.
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De Tommey's plan relied on Flexibility in the face of a wily French foe-- he prioritized his ability to Tactically Adjust over all else. Next would be ensuring that he could arrive with more force than his opponent. What few light troops he could spare would be used for Recon, although of course he knew exactly where the French were. And he gave little thought to his Deployment-- they were catching the French unawares, and the battle would unfold in his favor no matter how he formed up.
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Dalé's plans were largely the opposite. His Deployment would no doubt be the key to his success, as he hurriedly formed up defensive positions around Morunnin. His Hussars and Chasseurs à Cheval were tasked with shadowing de Tommey and providing information about his troops' dispositions. No doubt his defensive posture would compensate for the Strength advantage the Russians would have. And there was little thought to Tactical Adjustment once the battle was begun-- Dalé would be the rock the Russian wave would crash apart upon.
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But, of course, nothing ever goes according to plan.
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De Tommey was forced to deploy from march sooner than he had hoped due to French outposts, which hampered his ability to Adjust Tactically. Those outposts then withdrew, leaving him unsatisfied with his Deployment. And he had yet to receive maps from his Prussian allies, and his inadequate Russian maps hampered what Recon he tried.
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Dalé had his own problems. His well-intentioned Recon plans were largely thwarted by incompetent planing by his staff, and the suddenness of the Russian arrival. Worse, his outposts had withdrawn in the face of the Russian advance, further disadvantaging his Deployment!
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In the end, the Recon and Deployment problems on both forces offset each other. However, the confusion around the disappearing French outposts left one of de Tommey's brigades in a poor position for the battle. And while the French Recon had been largely unimpressive, the information brought back by the withdrawing outposts providing Dalé and his staff all the information they needed about the Russian deployment!
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This is from FoB2's random scenario generator. Here's the background of how it was developed.
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The setup resolves around four areas of competition between the two forces: Reconnaissance, Strength, Tactical Adjustment and Deployment.
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Each force prioritizes those four areas, and gets an appropriate dice based on their C-in-C's leadership dice. For this, I rated by C-in-C's as Average, or d10. This gives them a d10, d10, d8 and d6 in each area, based on their priorities.
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Tom's priority order was Tactical Adjustment (d10), Strength (d10), Recon (d8), and Deployment (d6).
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I couldn't get in touch with K. (sorry for the late notice!), so I simply reversed Tom's priorities: Deployment (d10), Recon (d10), Strength (d8) and Tactical Adjustment (d6).
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Next, each side gets three Fate rolls. These are simple one word descriptions of something out of the C-in-C's hands that modifies the four areas.
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For the Russians, I rolled: Deployment -1 due to "Withdraw," Tactical Adjust -1 due to "Outposts," and Recon -1 for "Bad Maps."
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For the French, I rolled: Recon -2 for "Enemy in Central Position" and "Poor Staff Planning," and Deployment -1 for "Withdraw."
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This left the following to roll off and get a result:
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Tactical Adjustment: Tom's d8 vs. K.'s d6, result 3 to 5, since <= 2, no advantage. <BR />
Strength: Tom's d10 vs. K.'s d8, result 4 to 7, 1 level advantage to French <BR />
Reconnaissance: Tom's d6 vs. K.'s d6, 3 to 1, no advantage <BR />
Deployment: Tom's d4 vs. K.'s d8, 1 to 6, 2 level advantage to the French
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The end result is that one Russian division will be late to the table, and the French will be able to redeploy two units during set up based on what the Russian deployment looks like.
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Throw in a bit of the <a href='https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Mohrungen'>Battle of Mohrungen</a>, and you got yourself a game, baby!
Andyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03188043128640438712noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1883467308980359725.post-54700785402226060662013-08-14T10:18:00.001-04:002013-08-14T10:33:07.756-04:00Joey...you like blog posts about Gladiators?<div style="float: right; margin: 0 0 10px 10px; padding: 0; font-size: 0.8em; line-height: 1.6em;"> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7514296@N05/9505148563/" title="2013-08-11 18.44.55 by The Gonk, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3828/9505148563_c6f74bac79_m.jpg" width="180" height="240" alt="2013-08-11 18.44.55"></a><br /> <span style="margin: 0;"><a href="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3828/9505148563_c6f74bac79_m.jpg">2013-08-11 18.44.55</a>, a photo by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7514296@N05/">The Gonk</a> on Flickr.</span></div>
So I picked up a bunch of <a href="http://www.crusaderminiatures.com/list.php?cat=1&sub=27">Crusader Gladiators</a> at Historicon 2012-- woof, no, make that <a href="http://www.littleleadheroes.blogspot.com/2011/07/historicon-2011.html">2011</a>!! Wow, how time flies, I swear I thought these hadn't been sitting around <b>that</b> long. Anyway, over the <i>years</i>, I also grabbed a few different rules to try out with Number One Son, who-- at twelve-- knows more Roman history than I do. I finally got around to painting up enough gladiators to play some games, as well as a few animals. And Number One Son and I sat down and finally played our first game!
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The Crusader packs tend to come with four gladiators per pack-- so I actually wound up with quite a few gladiators! I didn't want to paint them all, so I just grabbed one of several of the primary fighting sytles:
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7514296@N05/9505145719/" title="2013-08-13 23.32.14 by The Gonk, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3817/9505145719_7e6c163ea2.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="2013-08-13 23.32.14"></a>
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<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hoplomachus">Hoplomachus</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thraex">Thraex</a>, and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murmillo">Murmillo</a>-- believed to be stylized versions of the fighting styles of the Greek Hoplite, the Thracians, and possibly Gauls or even the Roman legionary.
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7514296@N05/9505146755/" title="2013-08-13 23.31.38 by The Gonk, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3825/9505146755_e6e8c9e8ac.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="2013-08-13 23.31.38"></a>
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The <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Secutor">Secutor</a> and the iconic <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Retiarius">Retiarius</a>-- two later styles without apparent historical precedent, but a very popular match up.
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7514296@N05/9507939312/" title="2013-08-13 23.32.31 by The Gonk, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5472/9507939312_294230b483.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="2013-08-13 23.32.31"></a>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7514296@N05/9507938402/" title="2013-08-13 23.32.49 by The Gonk, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2822/9507938402_da9a8c0b5f.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="2013-08-13 23.32.49"></a>
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Men killing men gets old after a while-- let's mix it up with some cinematically oversized bears and hyenas!
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7514296@N05/9505150495/" title="2013-08-10 10.32.50 by The Gonk, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5479/9505150495_2143057ae2.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="2013-08-10 10.32.50"></a>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7514296@N05/9507946064/" title="2013-08-10 02.22.18 by The Gonk, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2860/9507946064_b9f12d5810.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="2013-08-10 02.22.18"></a>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7514296@N05/9505152571/" title="2013-08-10 01.07.51 by The Gonk, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5536/9505152571_25bee2243d.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="2013-08-10 01.07.51"></a>
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When I started reading about gladiators, I had no idea that the fighting style were formalized. It wasn't just two scrappers thrown into a pit with sharp objects. The Retiarius, for example, was a fighting style, a martial art in and of itself. The Retiarius trained in that specific style. And when he fought, it was usually against someone trained and fighting in the Secutor style. It reminds one of sports positions!
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I also have four of the well-known sets of gladiator rules-- the unfortunately out of print Warhammer Historical's <a href="http://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/102741/gladiator-deadly-arena-combat-in-ancient-rome">Gladiator</a>; Two Hour Wargames' <a href="www.twohourwargames.com/redsandbluesky.html">Red Sun, Blue Sky</a>; Flagship Games' <a href="http://www.flagshipgames.com/html/habet__hoc_habet_.html">Habet, Hoc Habet</a>; and <a href="http://www.blackhat.co.uk/online_shop/product_info.php?cPath=131&products_id=1483&osCsid=de4dce61aeddc6669a78c19bcddfa3ff">Morituri te Salutant</a>.
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7514296@N05/9505147523/" title="2013-08-11 23.39.49 by The Gonk, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2838/9505147523_8a9b4eed1e.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="2013-08-11 23.39.49"></a>
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Number One Son and I sat down with Red Sand, Blue Sky. My feelings about these rules-- as with most Two Hour Wargames-- are mixed. On the one hand, they are generally good, fun, and often innovative games. On the other hand, the presentation is distinctly unprofessional. I'm not complaining about layout or lack of color; I mean, the organization of the rules is terrible. I was able to read and play a game of RSBS without too much difficulty, although Number One Son and I scratched our heads about how we could have used beasts in the arena. There are rules for customizing the beasts' stats, but there are no stats to start with. It appears they were left out, and are available in the <a href="http://games.groups.yahoo.com/group/twohourwargames/files/*%20OFFICIAL%20THW%20Rules%20Updates/RSBS-%20Heroes%20of%20Arena/">errata on the 2HW Yahoo group</a>. Things get missed, and this specific (albeit major) oversight is just symptomatic of a pattern with 2HW that goes back many, many years. Given their reasonable success, I don't understand why 2HW hasn't hired a professional editor or at least found a cadre of capable fans to proof read their rules. Anyway, at this point, the pattern is very clear, so at least I knew what I was buying.
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Number One Son took a Retiarius, while I ran a Secutor using the programmatic rules. Ideal for solo play, take note! We rolled some customization-- while the Secutor was bog standard, while the Retiarius was of a slight build (-1 Strength), but had a Second Wind (recovering not the usual one but two bonus dice, which serve as stamina, when he rested).
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The Secutor came out hard and fast, engaging the Retiarius in the middle of the area with aggressive attacks, and giving the Retiarius a minor cut to his head and belly. The Retiarius replied, trying to entangle the Secutor, but was unable to find an opening. Both watched each other in the middle of the arena, recovering their breath, while the Retiarius looked for an opening. The crowd (me) started to boo the lull in the action! Eventually, the Retiarius made a big move and entangled the Secutor, taking him to the sand. Before he could recover, the Retiarius plunged his trident deep in his upper left leg-- a potentially mortal wound!
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7514296@N05/9505148563/" title="2013-08-11 18.44.55 by The Gonk, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3828/9505148563_c6f74bac79.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="2013-08-11 18.44.55"></a>
</CENTER>
<P />
Given that the match was taking place in the fringes of the Roman Empire, in Numidia, the match was not to the death, and I decided the Secutor would surrender. Things looked bleak-- he was Bleeding, so he would lose a Bonus Dice (Stamina) every turn. He was currently Spent (no Bonus Dice), which meant that even resting, at best he could just keep himself from getting any worse. However, any action would cause him to continue to take damage. The Retiarius, though, could recover Bonus Dice and eventually spend them on stronger attacks. Had this been to the death, the Secutor would have been in bad shape indeed!
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We both enjoyed the rules. They're simple, but not too simple. The area is broken up into regions-- wall areas on the inside, the heart areas within them, and the center area in, well, the center, the area of prime visibility. If both gladiators are in the same area, they make a Maneuver test to see who will gain the advantage to attack. This is a little different than most war games, but I didn't have a problem with it.
<P />
I had a few criticisms. Primarily, the gladiators in heavier armor didn't suffer endurance penalties for it, which some people think was an important consideration. Also, there is a mishmash of mechanics-- single die roll with bonus to determine move order, buckets of dice for maneuver and combat, and the usual 2HW two dice REP test for other situations. Despite its inelegance, though, it worked well enough. The Non-Player Gladiator (automated opponent) rules were pretty generic and didn't differentiate between gladiator styles.
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But, all in all, we enjoyed it. There's obviously a lot of room for very detailed combat here. I prefer some simplicity, and felt these gave just about the right amount of complexity. We'll play a few more times, then start trying some of the other rules. The WH Gladiator book is <i>gorgeous</i>, worth the price just for the pictures alone. Plus, it has a lot more period detail...I imagine it will be next up.
Andyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03188043128640438712noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1883467308980359725.post-80016936624650935962013-07-28T12:04:00.000-04:002013-07-27T23:44:24.784-04:00Historicon 2013: Saturday<div style="float: right; margin: 0 0 10px 10px; padding: 0; font-size: 0.8em; line-height: 1.6em;"> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7514296@N05/9369723949/" title="2013-07-20 08.53.19 by The Gonk, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7323/9369723949_5542cc5d71_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="2013-07-20 08.53.19"></a><br /> <span style="margin: 0;"><a href="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7323/9369723949_5542cc5d71_m.jpg">2013-07-20 08.53.19</a>, a photo by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7514296@N05/">The Gonk</a> on Flickr.</span></div>
Stayed up late again, got up early again. Still, no real plan. I wandered around looking at the games, and fortunately was able to hop into one of the best looking games at Historicon-- a speculative game of the Battle of Fort DeRussy, an ACW Brother Against Brother game.
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<BLOCKQUOTE>
<B>S-221 Fort DeRussy, Louisiana - March
14, 1864</B><BR />
American Civil War; 9 AM; Length: 5 hrs; Hosted by: John McConnell;
Scale: 28mm; Rules: Brother Against Brother (Modified); No. of
Players: 12.<BR />
A small Confederate garrison of holds the fortification known
as Fort DeRussy in front of a much larger Union force at the
start of the Red River Campaign. Just a few weeks later, this
same Union army will be defeated at the battle of Mansfield.
What if the Confederates had moved a little quicker, and the
Union army a little slower, and instead the two armies fought
over possession of the fort? Under 15 permitted with an Adult.
</BLOCKQUOTE>
I, unfortunately, didn't take as many pictures of this beautiful game as I should have, but you will have no problem finding others. This huge, fun, beautiful game really stood out.
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7514296@N05/9369730403/" title="2013-07-19 23.12.10 by The Gonk, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3758/9369730403_10c71f7032.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="2013-07-19 23.12.10"></a>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7514296@N05/9369730019/" title="2013-07-19 23.12.31 by The Gonk, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3723/9369730019_b0382872b4.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="2013-07-19 23.12.31"></a>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7514296@N05/9369729691/" title="2013-07-19 23.12.40 by The Gonk, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7410/9369729691_c5a4c408fc.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="2013-07-19 23.12.40"></a>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7514296@N05/9372507486/" title="2013-07-19 23.12.52 by The Gonk, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3767/9372507486_496f61d9b0.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="2013-07-19 23.12.52"></a>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7514296@N05/9372502886/" title="2013-07-20 08.52.52 by The Gonk, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3672/9372502886_7f32cca0ac.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="2013-07-20 08.52.52"></a>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7514296@N05/9369724313/" title="2013-07-20 08.53.01 by The Gonk, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7323/9369724313_31a94eb8c2.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="2013-07-20 08.53.01"></a>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7514296@N05/9369723949/" title="2013-07-20 08.53.19 by The Gonk, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7323/9369723949_5542cc5d71.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="2013-07-20 08.53.19"></a>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7514296@N05/9372501912/" title="2013-07-20 08.53.29 by The Gonk, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3764/9372501912_e162fb37ba.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="2013-07-20 08.53.29"></a>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7514296@N05/9369723215/" title="2013-07-20 09.03.27 by The Gonk, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7332/9369723215_4b064095fb.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="2013-07-20 09.03.27"></a>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7514296@N05/9369721781/" title="2013-07-20 09.03.34 by The Gonk, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3782/9369721781_9c97404670.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="2013-07-20 09.03.34"></a>
</CENTER>
<P />
To facilitate such a large game, the GMs had made a pretty simple rules modification. Instead of an activation card per unit, they had Union/Confederate Red/White/Blue/Green. When a side/color combination was called, everybody typically had a unit designated by that color to activate. It worked really well. The game was large but went reasonably quickly.
<P />
I came out of it a tad discouraged, through no fault of this great game. I have been poking at 40mm FIW for quite a while. I own both This Very Ground and Brother Against Brother to play with them some day. Yet both rules left me a bit unsatisfied this con. I had fun with both and would definitely play both again! But I wondered about the fairness of TVG, and BAB was really written for a much larger figure count than I would be putting on the table any time soon. But, the con wasn't over quite yet. After taking an easy lunch and lounging around the con a bit, I secured a spot in:
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<BLOCKQUOTE>
<B>S-279 Muskets & Tomahawks: <a href="http://tomahawkcampaign.blogspot.com/2013/07/battle-of-bloody-run.html">Battle of
Bloody Run 1763</a></B><BR />
French & Indian War; 6 PM; Length: 4 hrs; Hosted by: <a href="http://tomahawkcampaign.blogspot.com/">Thomas Keegan</a>;
Scale: 28mm; Rules: Muskets & Tomahawks; No. of Players: 6.<BR />
In the pre-dawn hours of July 31, 1763 Captain Dalyell sallied
from the besieged Fort Detroit to punish the insolence of the
Native Americans by burning their villages. Pontiac, well
aware of the British plans, lay in wait for the overconfident
attackers, eager to fulfill a prophecy that the British would
be driven from America. Will Bloody Run flow with British or
Native American blood?
</BLOCKQUOTE>
<P />
More Pontiac's Rebellion anniversary gaming!
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I have held <a href="http://www.architectsofwar.com/pre-ordermusketsandtomahawksrulebook.aspx">Musket & Tomahawks</a> in my hands repeatedly. It's from the maker of <a href="http://www.architectsofwar.com/saga.aspx">Saga</a>, which I enjoy, although they are altogether different games. It's just $40 for the rules, for a game I most likely won't play any time soon! 40mm FIW is definitely one of those "someday" games. I get the figures out and paint a unit every now and then, when the whim strikes. $40 for yet another set of rules I won't play is just a waste.
<P />
And yet...they gave a really great game. I have usually disliked spotting rules, but I thought they worked well here. My Light Infantry could not see the natives in the woods until they were right on top of me! Not just that, but the figure count wasn't really out of line with what I could reasonable accomplish, even in 40mm. And, I probably had half the figures for this very scenario right now! I came out of this game stoked up and ready to buy M&T and a bunch of <a href="http://www.sashandsaber.com/catalog40FNI.php4">Sash and Sabre</a>!
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7514296@N05/9369866103/" title="2013-07-20 17.53.46 by The Gonk, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5499/9369866103_47720d1bf1.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="2013-07-20 17.53.46"></a>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7514296@N05/9372643846/" title="2013-07-20 17.55.04 by The Gonk, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3707/9372643846_5d3e3c6202.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="2013-07-20 17.55.04"></a>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7514296@N05/9369865463/" title="2013-07-20 18.59.49 by The Gonk, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3782/9369865463_5f1d098929.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="2013-07-20 18.59.49"></a>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7514296@N05/9372642942/" title="2013-07-20 18.59.59 by The Gonk, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7358/9372642942_52631f56ec.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="2013-07-20 18.59.59"></a>
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My two Light Infantry and two dummy markers skulk through the corn fields, providing flank security to the regulars marching up the road towards the Indian village.
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<CENTER>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7514296@N05/9369864561/" title="2013-07-20 19.00.05 by The Gonk, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2868/9369864561_a9cc9215e6.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="2013-07-20 19.00.05"></a>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7514296@N05/9372642258/" title="2013-07-20 19.19.28 by The Gonk, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2845/9372642258_648001e9d7.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="2013-07-20 19.19.28"></a>
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All the irregular units started as hidden markers, which made spotting even that much more difficult.
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7514296@N05/9369863945/" title="2013-07-20 19.23.04 by The Gonk, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3744/9369863945_b194692d49.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="2013-07-20 19.23.04"></a>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7514296@N05/9369863683/" title="2013-07-20 19.29.23 by The Gonk, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7411/9369863683_c91620c849.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="2013-07-20 19.29.23"></a>
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<P />
The Light Infantry take cover along a wall and wait for things to develop. Pontiac sneaks to the forest edge and his braves fire a desultory volley. The lights return a statistically highly improbable roll and Pontiac's braves evaporate.
<P />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7514296@N05/9369862669/" title="2013-07-20 20.07.20 by The Gonk, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5505/9369862669_841109ea18.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="2013-07-20 20.07.20"></a>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7514296@N05/9369862379/" title="2013-07-20 20.20.55 by The Gonk, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7365/9369862379_d8d1b93900.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="2013-07-20 20.20.55"></a>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7514296@N05/9369861211/" title="2013-07-20 20.26.45 by The Gonk, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5513/9369861211_112961ae06.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="2013-07-20 20.26.45"></a>
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<P />
Like Last of the Mohicans, the natives burst from the woods and fall upon the regulars. Fighting was tough, but the regulars manage to hold their own. Roger's Rangers received some cold revenge from the FIW with only Roger himself returning to tell the tale.
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7514296@N05/9369862003/" title="2013-07-20 20.23.10 by The Gonk, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5326/9369862003_d91de77643.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="2013-07-20 20.23.10"></a>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7514296@N05/9369861695/" title="2013-07-20 20.24.27 by The Gonk, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3822/9369861695_0b4224afcb.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="2013-07-20 20.24.27"></a>
</CENTER>
<P />
The spotting table. Simple and deterministic, I liked it.
<P />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7514296@N05/9369860903/" title="2013-07-20 21.54.27 by The Gonk, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3736/9369860903_18b65ed7ab.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="2013-07-20 21.54.27"></a>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7514296@N05/9369860189/" title="2013-07-20 21.58.30 by The Gonk, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5350/9369860189_d6beb2ff36.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="2013-07-20 21.58.30"></a>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7514296@N05/9372637410/" title="2013-07-20 22.04.30 by The Gonk, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7387/9372637410_b6cb424bed.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="2013-07-20 22.04.30"></a>
</CENTER>
<P />
In the end, neither side had achieved their primary objectives. Each player had a secondary objective, and the Brits pulled out a narrow victory based on scoring those. Tom, the GM, has <a href="http://littleleadheroes.blogspot.com/2013/07/historicon-2013-saturday.html">his own write up of the game here</a>. Draw?!!? What?!?! It was CLEARLY the Brits by a nose. Harrumph...
<P />
Fortunately, the dealer hall had closed by the time this game had ended. I dithered the next morning about swinging by the hall on the way out of town and at least picking up M&T, but in the end, declined. I need to get more figures painted. I have about 40 more figures left from the initial purchase in...um, wow...possibly 2007. Possibly even before. Wow, time flies when you get old.
Andyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03188043128640438712noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1883467308980359725.post-48384061691800079782013-07-27T16:31:00.003-04:002013-07-27T16:40:57.980-04:00Historicon 2013: Friday<div style="float: right; margin: 0 0 10px 10px; padding: 0; font-size: 0.8em; line-height: 1.6em;"> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7514296@N05/9369747775/" title="2013-07-19 16.55.02 by The Gonk, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5342/9369747775_a237cbb59b_m.jpg" width="180" height="240" alt="2013-07-19 16.55.02"></a><br /> <span style="margin: 0;"><a href="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5342/9369747775_a237cbb59b_m.jpg">Towards Devil's Den</a></span></div>
On to Friday! I suppose technically Friday began Thursday night, as I stayed up late drinking <a href="http://www.yuengling.com/">Yuengling</a> and just hanging out. I then work up early and hit the ground running again, in a hurry to do nothing. I may not have had any plans, but I can sleep at home! I cruised around, taking in the sites, strolling through the vendor hall, and hit the flea market. And in that flea market, I found...more Russians! For some very great prices, I picked up (if I recall correctly) sixteen stands of guns, two and a half regiments of cavalry, and another twelve battalions of foot!! At this point, I'm thinking this is about three, possibly four, divisions of Russians. That's more than I was planning on in the first place!
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Quick pic of the haul:
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7514296@N05/9372537198/" title="2013-07-19 10.38.26 by The Gonk, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5465/9372537198_152509671d.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="2013-07-19 10.38.26"></a>
</CENTER>
<P />
I went back to the hotel, stashed away my wares, ate lunch, then headed back to another event that I was, somewhat surprisingly, targeting:
<P />
<BLOCKQUOTE>
<B>F-220 The Age of Arthur: An
Introduction to DBA</B><BR />
Dark Ages; 12 PM; Length: 4 hrs; Hosted by: Chris Brantley; Scale:
15mm; Rules: DBA rules, version 2.2+; No. of Players: 0.<BR />
It is the Age of Arthur and Vortigern and the fate of Romano-
Celtic Britain hangs in the balance. Take on the role of a British
dux bellorum, Saxon warchief or Pictish toisech. With each
victory and defeat, you can change the map of Britain. This is
a walk-up gaming opportunity designed to introduce players
to the fast-play 2.2+ version of De Bellis Antiquitatis ancient
and medieval rules. Play one game or play a dozen. This is
a walk-up event so c’mon by - no ticket is necessary! DBA
tutors on hand to help introduce you to the game, teach and
answer questions. Experienced players also welcome. Can you
rally the Britains to hold back the barbarian hordes? Or will
the Saxon warbands of Horst and Hengist (and the Picts in
the North) overthrow kings and carve out new lands to rule?
Participants are eligible for raffle prizes including Splintered
Light Miniatures’ Saxon and Sub-Roman DBA army packs.
Unlimited participation over each session. Sit down and play
for just 30 minutes, or try again and again! For NEW players.
Kid friendly.
</BLOCKQUOTE>
<P />
I have owned <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/De_Bellis_Antiquitatis">DBA</a> for just about as long as I have been into historical miniatures, but never played a game of it. I had 15mm Essex New Kingdom Egyptians and Hittites for many, many years, with a pathetic one stand of archers painted, before finally selling them away and turning my back on DBA forever. Well...until Number One Son started taking a big interest in ancient Rome. There's no way I'm going to go big into ancients just because my twelve year old son is interested-- he'd be out of the house before I ever finished! But...twelve stand armies? A twelve stand army or two, that I could do. And then I found <a href="http://infinitythegame.com/store/en/15-corvus-belli">Corvus Belli</a> army packs for Polybian Romans, Later Carthaginians and ancient Britons on <a href="http://www.bartertown.com/trading/">Bartertown</a>, dirt cheap...it just seemed the DBA stars were aligning.
<P />
What can I say, I enjoyed the demo! No, the rules aren't much fun to decipher, nor is the game any great spectacle. Yet, it's easy to get going, fun to play and finishes in an hour or two. I wish there were more miniatures games you could play with so little commitment and cost!!
<P />
I thought the campaign aspect of the tutorial games was a great idea-- I took a province for the Saxons (white), but the Britons (red) held their own, and we divided Britain between us, at the expense of the Picts (green).
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7514296@N05/9372531620/" title="2013-07-19 14.46.05-1 by The Gonk, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5520/9372531620_50d2cee5cc.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="2013-07-19 14.46.05-1"></a>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7514296@N05/9372530292/" title="2013-07-19 16.42.34 by The Gonk, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7328/9372530292_2a96b1a6d9.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="2013-07-19 16.42.34"></a>
</CENTER>
<P />
I didn't win the door prizes. Ah, well!
<P />
I puttered around again until it was time for <a href="http://dinofbattle.blogspot.com/2013/07/vaubans-wars-playtest-at-historicon-2013.html">Vauban's Wars</a>. It's quite a different game from the typical miniatures game-- it covers a <a href="http://www.fortified-places.com/siege_warfare.html">full 18th century(ish) siege</a>, with each turn representing a week's time.
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<CENTER>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7514296@N05/9369744931/" title="2013-07-19 19.01.45 by The Gonk, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3735/9369744931_0132be8125.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="2013-07-19 19.01.45"></a>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7514296@N05/9372522842/" title="2013-07-19 19.02.42 by The Gonk, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2851/9372522842_abce11f0cd.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="2013-07-19 19.02.42"></a>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7514296@N05/9369743475/" title="2013-07-19 19.24.13 by The Gonk, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5474/9369743475_b7ffb4996e.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="2013-07-19 19.24.13"></a>
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Here, you can see us starting the game. The Poles are inside the fortifications, and we Russians are digging zig-zag trenches in from the first parallel. We didn't see a whole lot of good possibly wasting our powder supplies bombarding from long range, so we held our fire for now, until we could move our guns forward.
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7514296@N05/9369722113/" title="2013-07-19 19.33.35 by The Gonk, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3730/9369722113_e4d59a001c.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="2013-07-19 19.33.35"></a>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7514296@N05/9372521424/" title="2013-07-19 19.47.21 by The Gonk, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3810/9372521424_5973582b43.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="2013-07-19 19.47.21"></a>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7514296@N05/9372520792/" title="2013-07-19 20.09.42 by The Gonk, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2831/9372520792_c492375b54.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="2013-07-19 20.09.42"></a>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7514296@N05/9369742039/" title="2013-07-19 20.13.32 by The Gonk, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3802/9369742039_4425f6f402.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="2013-07-19 20.13.32"></a>
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Whoops!! Lucky shot sets off a Polish magazine! The resulting explosion destroyed two supply points of the garrison's power (they started with five, I believe, so very significant), and also damaged the wall section at that location!
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7514296@N05/9372520180/" title="2013-07-19 20.15.12 by The Gonk, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3692/9372520180_a6478e937e.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="2013-07-19 20.15.12"></a>
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Now the Russians have their second parallels started, and have moved some guns forward to open up on Praga.
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7514296@N05/9372519840/" title="2013-07-19 20.35.48 by The Gonk, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3772/9372519840_2b5465e7f0.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="2013-07-19 20.35.48"></a>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7514296@N05/9369740767/" title="2013-07-19 21.03.04 by The Gonk, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7324/9369740767_954cd7bf7c.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="2013-07-19 21.03.04"></a>
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The Poles sortie out to attack the sappers!
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7514296@N05/9372518370/" title="2013-07-19 21.32.17 by The Gonk, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7371/9372518370_b884974f8f.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="2013-07-19 21.32.17"></a>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7514296@N05/9369739283/" title="2013-07-19 21.39.31 by The Gonk, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5442/9369739283_1d8e1d93fa.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="2013-07-19 21.39.31"></a>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7514296@N05/9369738845/" title="2013-07-19 21.51.30 by The Gonk, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2845/9369738845_eb741089ee.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="2013-07-19 21.51.30"></a>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7514296@N05/9372516686/" title="2013-07-19 22.03.27 by The Gonk, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3679/9372516686_e1df571b82.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="2013-07-19 22.03.27"></a>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7514296@N05/9369737653/" title="2013-07-19 22.05.20 by The Gonk, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7289/9369737653_f5bdae82cd.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="2013-07-19 22.05.20"></a>
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Nail-biting finish-- the Russians are ready for the assault, but it is down to the wire before a relieving army shows up and the siege must be halted! If the Relief card turns up for the Poles before the Russian Assault card, they win-- but it doesn't. The Russians assault, finishing this game with a win. However, ideally, it is now set up for a tactical game. Given time, we could continue with a tabletop game from these positions and actually play out the assault!
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7514296@N05/9372515668/" title="2013-07-19 22.31.44 by The Gonk, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7331/9372515668_d23b3908e2.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="2013-07-19 22.31.44"></a>
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</CENTER>Andyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03188043128640438712noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1883467308980359725.post-5405671992885378082013-07-26T14:38:00.000-04:002013-07-27T16:40:30.371-04:00Historicon 2013: Thursday<div style="float: right; margin: 0 0 10px 10px; padding: 0; font-size: 0.8em; line-height: 1.6em;"> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7514296@N05/9369781445/" title="2013-07-18 18.14.50 by The Gonk, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7431/9369781445_ce8801805a_m.jpg" width="180" height="240" alt="2013-07-18 18.14.50"></a><br /> <span style="margin: 0;"><a href="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7431/9369781445_ce8801805a_m.jpg">Little Round Top</a></span></div>
I traveled to Fredericksburg, VA, again this year for <a href="http://www.historicon.org/">Historicon</a>. I honestly have yet to have had a bad Historicon, so if I tell you, yet again, that I had a blast, I'm not sure how you should take it! I will say that I had concerns this year. I typically hunt for games with interesting rules I haven't gotten a chance to see in the flesh and try to get in those. However, this year, every set I could think of that fell into that category-- notably <a href="http://www.sammustafa.com/honour/maurice/">Maurice</a> and <a href="http://toofatlardies.co.uk/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=21">Dux Britanniarum</a>-- wasn't being run. In fact, I only preregistered for two games, and wasn't particularly enthusiastic about either (and, in fact, played in neither). There were a few things I was definitely interested in, though. Of primary interest was the <a href="http://dinofbattle.blogspot.com/2013/07/vaubans-wars-playtest-at-historicon-2013.html">Vauban's Wars</a> playtest, an unofficial game.
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My usual convention companion <a href="http://home.earthlink.net/~bryantbob/">Bob</a> and I drove about seven and a half hours up to Fredericksburg. This shaves about two and a half hours off our old drive time up to Lancaster, which frankly feels like a lot more when you're driving it than it sounds when I write it on my blog. We stayed at the Hampton Inn, which was nice again this year. It was about what you'd expect, but done well. Coffee was ready all day, cookies were laid out in the evening, breakfast was decent and different each day. <a href="http://www.lancasterhost.com/">The Host</a> will always have a sentimental place in my heart, but I'd much, much rather actually stay at the Hamption Inn!! That may change the first con with bad rains-- we'll see how I feel about walking to the convention center then! But this year, the weather was clear and very hot.
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Thursday morning saw me grab a spot in a 250th anniversary of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pontiac%27s_War">Pontiac's Rebellion</a> game of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Bushy_Run">the Battle of Bushy Run</a>. From the PEL:
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<blockquote>
<B>T-425 The Battle of Bushy Run 1763</B><br />
Other; 9 AM; Length: 4 hrs; Hosted by: Cliff Brunken; Scale: 28 mm;
Rules: This Very Ground; No. of Players: 6.<br />
Come experience the 250th Anniversary of this pivotal battle
that ended the Indian rebellion to open the way for western
expansion. Come join Col. Henry Bouquet, the 42nd and 77th
Highlanders with the 60th Royal Americans as they march to
the relief of Fort Pitt and are ambushed by a combination of
North American Indian tribes. After fighting until sunset the
survivors build a make shift redoubt and continue the fight in
the morning. Hand to hand, man to man and bayonet vs. the
hatchet. Scenario designed by Gregory Padilla. Children under
12 accompanied by an adult.
</blockquote>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7514296@N05/9372574268/" title="2013-07-18 09.04.48 by The Gonk, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3724/9372574268_5e67ca65af.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="2013-07-18 09.04.48"></a>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7514296@N05/9372573980/" title="2013-07-18 09.54.25 by The Gonk, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2847/9372573980_d4f9debe72.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="2013-07-18 09.54.25"></a>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7514296@N05/9372573236/" title="2013-07-18 10.09.18 by The Gonk, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3788/9372573236_a1e6acb200.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="2013-07-18 10.09.18"></a>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7514296@N05/9369794771/" title="2013-07-18 10.11.17 by The Gonk, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7302/9369794771_520a317358.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="2013-07-18 10.11.17"></a>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7514296@N05/9372572854/" title="2013-07-18 10.13.42 by The Gonk, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2864/9372572854_5b23952b5f.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="2013-07-18 10.13.42"></a>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7514296@N05/9369794387/" title="2013-07-18 10.18.43 by The Gonk, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7416/9369794387_6988175366.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="2013-07-18 10.18.43"></a>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7514296@N05/9369793341/" title="2013-07-18 11.42.11 by The Gonk, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3672/9369793341_96c88b8556.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="2013-07-18 11.42.11"></a>
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I like <a href="http://store.ironivangames.com/this-very-ground.html">This Very Ground</a>, and own a copy for that far distant day when I have my own FIW figures finished. However, I thought the hand-to-hand combat here was pretty brutal, in the Indians' favor. I talked with another Indian player, and we kind of agreed that the scenario might have been a bit fairer had we not been informed that the game would be scored specifically on how many pack mules the British got off the table. This let us recklessly charge in and kill them. Had our objective been a bit more nebulous-- "Ft. Pitt is down this road. Make sure it doesn't get resupplied," the game might have lasted a bit longer. Still, it was a fun game, and it sounded like it had been played several times without quite such a brutal result. I will chalk it up to superior generalship on the part of (at least one of) the Indian generals!
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And that was it for playing on Thursday! I actually decided that I would rather just take it easy the rest of the day. I wandered the flea market and the vendor hall, and socialized with people, and generally relaxed. The dealer room seemed quite full, a bit more so than last year. I did wind up with a significant purchase from the dealer room. I have been saving my shekels to send off a bunch of 15mm Napoleonic Russians to be painted in Sri Lanka, probably by <a href="http://www.miniaturelovers.com/">Fernando</a>. However, I saw that <a href="http://www.gajominis.com/">GAJO Miniatures</a> had stock on hand, for not a lot more than what shipping to Sri Lanka would have cost. And better yet, they had them <b>NOW</b>. So, I bought up the Russian foot he had-- about ten battalion of line and Jaeger. I bought two units of cavalry, but held off on the artillery. The cost was a bit much, and I thought I could knock that out quickly enough on my own.
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7514296@N05/9369788353/" title="2013-07-18 12.55.19 by The Gonk, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2834/9369788353_ff14396d5e.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="2013-07-18 12.55.19"></a>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7514296@N05/9372566428/" title="2013-07-18 12.55.45 by The Gonk, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7417/9372566428_604e847979.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="2013-07-18 12.55.45"></a>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7514296@N05/9369786725/" title="2013-07-18 15.56.27 by The Gonk, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7402/9369786725_a30b20dfd1.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="2013-07-18 15.56.27"></a>
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Later that evening, I hung around <a href="http://blundersonthedanube.blogspot.com/">Peter Anderson</a>'s <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_M%C3%B6ckern">Battle of Möckern</a> game. Peter always puts on some impressive <A href="http://www.piquetwargames.com/">Piquet</a> games, and this was no exception!
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<BLOCKQUOTE>
<B>T-237 Battle of Mockern October 16,
1813</B><BR />
Napoleonic; 6 PM; Length: 4 hrs; Hosted by: Peter Anderson; Scale:
28mm; Rules: Field of Battle, 2nd edition by Piquet; No. of Players: 6.<BR />
On the opening day of the Battle of Leipzig, Blucher’s attack
from the North prevents Marmont’s Corps from aiding
Napoleon’s main attack in the South. Teens age 14 and above
welcome with a playing adult.
</BLOCKQUOTE>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7514296@N05/9369791697/" title="2013-07-18 12.18.57 by The Gonk, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2854/9369791697_741c4bc5c0.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="2013-07-18 12.18.57"></a>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7514296@N05/9369791371/" title="2013-07-18 12.19.11 by The Gonk, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2856/9369791371_1e6dcef82b.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="2013-07-18 12.19.11"></a>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7514296@N05/9369791051/" title="2013-07-18 12.19.27 by The Gonk, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2827/9369791051_693168d34e.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="2013-07-18 12.19.27"></a>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7514296@N05/9369783903/" title="2013-07-18 18.02.20 by The Gonk, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7441/9369783903_a2e805c45e.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="2013-07-18 18.02.20"></a>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7514296@N05/9369783601/" title="2013-07-18 18.10.30 by The Gonk, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7444/9369783601_bb2957e641.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="2013-07-18 18.10.30"></a>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7514296@N05/9369775759/" title="2013-07-18 20.06.53 by The Gonk, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5339/9369775759_bfdba47879.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="2013-07-18 20.06.53"></a>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7514296@N05/9369775437/" title="2013-07-18 22.31.05 by The Gonk, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7404/9369775437_dfa6625931.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="2013-07-18 22.31.05"></a>
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Andyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03188043128640438712noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1883467308980359725.post-38979694102666287092012-11-02T08:51:00.000-04:002012-11-02T08:51:55.257-04:00D-Day AAR<div style="float: right; margin: 0 0 10px 10px; padding: 0; font-size: 0.8em; line-height: 1.6em;"> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7514296@N05/8104096750/" title="D-Day Game by The Gonk, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8045/8104096750_d4a36b23c5_m.jpg" width="180" height="240" alt="D-Day Game"></a><br /> <span style="margin: 0;"><a href="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8045/8104096750_d4a36b23c5_m.jpg">D-Day Game</a>, a photo by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7514296@N05/">The Gonk</a> on Flickr.</span></div>
So this is a very late game report, but we did actually manage to run our first big D-Day game! This was 2,375 points of Americans run by two players, and 1,345 points of Germans run by me. This still was not a lot of Germans, and I felt fairly thin across my front. However, I probably would have put up a much better fight had my artillery not gotten pinned down in the preliminary bombardment, and refused to unpin for six turns in a row!!
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The first waves were infantry only. A few boats were held up, and the landing was immediately stronger on the German's right.
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7514296@N05/8104097342/" title="D-Day Game by The Gonk, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8045/8104097342_c8549fe4bd.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="D-Day Game"></a>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7514296@N05/8104082007/" title="D-Day Game by The Gonk, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8335/8104082007_1ebe6da784.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="D-Day Game"></a>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7514296@N05/8104096750/" title="D-Day Game by The Gonk, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8045/8104096750_d4a36b23c5.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="D-Day Game"></a>
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It took them, I think, two turns to actually kill the first AT bunker. The Amis then brought their DD and LCT Shermans in at that spot. The comment was, "reenforcing success."
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Notice the flickering smoke markers! I never really got around to making the <a href="http://littleleadheroes.blogspot.com/search/label/led">full on markers</a> like I have discussed in the past-- but the LED under some dark grey wool roving really worked well!
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7514296@N05/8104096450/" title="D-Day Game by The Gonk, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8336/8104096450_ee242d83a5.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="D-Day Game"></a>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7514296@N05/8104080945/" title="D-Day Game by The Gonk, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8334/8104080945_52935fa7fe.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="D-Day Game"></a>
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Six. Turns. My artillery would not unpin for six whole turns. By that time, the Amis had killed the observer watching the beach on the right, and I had not placed them where they could direct fire at anything.
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7514296@N05/8104095570/" title="D-Day Game by The Gonk, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8195/8104095570_f23dc39e5e.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="D-Day Game"></a>
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Once the Shermans got off the beach, things started to look very ugly indeed...
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7514296@N05/8104080321/" title="D-Day Game by The Gonk, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8328/8104080321_549b2e8230.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="D-Day Game"></a>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7514296@N05/8104079959/" title="D-Day Game by The Gonk, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8465/8104079959_c43958e850.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="D-Day Game"></a>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7514296@N05/8104094302/" title="D-Day Game by The Gonk, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8188/8104094302_cd21b6c16e.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="D-Day Game"></a>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7514296@N05/8104079051/" title="D-Day Game by The Gonk, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8054/8104079051_a7dbd67eb2.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="D-Day Game"></a>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7514296@N05/8104078749/" title="D-Day Game by The Gonk, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8189/8104078749_d12847409d.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="D-Day Game"></a>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7514296@N05/8104093494/" title="D-Day Game by The Gonk, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8044/8104093494_a9d6ab4a66.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="D-Day Game"></a>
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The Americans land their 105 battery in great order, but it's unnecessary as the Shermans break into the open!
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7514296@N05/8104077653/" title="D-Day Game by The Gonk, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8190/8104077653_d0f1cb121d.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="D-Day Game"></a>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7514296@N05/8104092348/" title="D-Day Game by The Gonk, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8052/8104092348_58338f5369.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="D-Day Game"></a>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7514296@N05/8104077083/" title="D-Day Game by The Gonk, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8052/8104077083_48e0870999.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="D-Day Game"></a>
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The German CO is machine gunned down and he sprints across the board to try and spot for his artillery. The American objective is theirs to take, and the German objective is defended by a platoon in a hegedrow...directly in front of the Shermans led by one with a dozer blade. Not looking good at ALL. It was late, and we called the game.
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7514296@N05/8104091750/" title="D-Day Game by The Gonk, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8046/8104091750_e5fdbe4569.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="D-Day Game"></a>
</center>Andyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03188043128640438712noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1883467308980359725.post-27912982507931796832012-09-25T00:42:00.000-04:002012-09-25T16:59:48.100-04:004% of the Sand on Omaha Beach? Fragments from D-Day.<div style="float: right; margin: 0 0 10px 10px; padding: 0; font-size: 0.8em; line-height: 1.6em;"><span style="margin: 0;"><a href="http://www.archaeology.org/1209/trenches/normandy_omaha_beach_magnetic_shrapnel.html"><img width=180 height=180 src="http://www.cowell.org/~andy/export/D-Day-sm.jpg" /></a></span></div>
Just ran across <a href="http://www.archaeology.org/1209/trenches/normandy_omaha_beach_magnetic_shrapnel.html">this interesting note</a> about the sand composition on Omaha Beach:
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<quote>"University of Texas geologist Earle McBride analyzed samples from the beach...Further testing revealed the shards to be magnetic shrapnel from the Allied invasion....He and his colleagues also identified iron and glass beads formed by the intense heat of explosions. Up to 4 percent of the sand is made up of this shrapnel, the researchers report...</quote>Andyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03188043128640438712noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1883467308980359725.post-59111875448031126212012-09-24T01:05:00.000-04:002012-09-24T22:48:37.246-04:00D-Day Maps and Groundscale Questions<div style="float: right; margin: 0 0 10px 10px; padding: 0; font-size: 0.8em; line-height: 1.6em;"><span style="margin: 0;"><a href="http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/historical/dday.html"><img width=180 height=180 src="http://www.cowell.org/~andy/export/omaha-sm.jpg" /></a></span></div>
<b>Ed: Fixed links.</b> Not a lot has been going on in my D-Day preparations this week. My brother-in-law has been in town visiting, and I have been covered up with work. Number One Son and I managed to progress one single turn in our game, although it is still set up to be finished! Anyway, I was poking around the web looking for D-Day stuff and ran across some nicely detailed 1:7920 <a href="http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/historical/dday.html">maps of Omaha beach</a>. I don't anticipate doing bluffs for a while, but I made sure and saved copies of this for when I do.
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A nice modern picture of the length of Omaha beach, showing the bluffs.
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<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Omaha_Beach_Nowadays.jpg"><img src="http://www.cowell.org/~andy/export/omaha-now-med.jpg"></a>
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I have ordered some Hotz fields, and bought some thin scouring pads to make small, non-hedgerow fields. I'm considering doing some Utah flooded fields...but the telescoping FoW ground scale is kind of throwing me off. I initially didn't think the game scale would extend into the flooded fields, but I read in the FoW rulebook that 24" in a half mile...what is five feet? Miles? Heck, I may need the FAR side of the flooded fields... Does that make sense? No, because then by width, I'm covering all of Utah beach and then some! Kinda strange. But it would give an excuse to have paratroopers...
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<a href="http://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USA/USA-A-Utah/USA-A-Utah-2.html"><img src="http://www.cowell.org/~andy/export/utah-med.jpg"></a>
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<b>Ed:</b> I think the thing to do is treat it as roughly tank skirmish groundscale, with the scaling only affecting the shooting ranges. And try not to think too hard about it.
Andyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03188043128640438712noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1883467308980359725.post-44310420605611670362012-09-18T16:28:00.000-04:002012-09-18T16:28:39.648-04:00LincolnI bet this movie will be very good! Daniel Day Lewis is an amazing actor, and I'm sorry to see somebody as distinctive as Tommy Lee Jones or even Hal Holbrook in it as well to pull me out of my suspension of disbelief. I will no doubt be hauling Son and Daughter Number Ones to the theater to watch this with me!
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<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/qiSAbAuLhqs" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>Andyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03188043128640438712noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1883467308980359725.post-37599662505113413592012-09-17T13:23:00.000-04:002012-09-17T13:25:20.736-04:00SITREP: D-Day<div style="float: right; margin: 0 0 10px 10px; padding: 0; font-size: 0.8em; line-height: 1.6em;"> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7514296@N05/7996509129/" title="D-Day by The Gonk, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8321/7996509129_bfffd5cb63_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="D-Day"></a><br /> <span style="margin: 0;"><a href="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8321/7996509129_bfffd5cb63_m.jpg">D-Day</a>, a photo by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7514296@N05/">The Gonk</a> on Flickr.</span></div>
Got the German 10.5cm battery done. That was, I think, the worst painting experience from any Flames of War figures I've done! It came with nicely sculpted resin bases, with recesses for the crew. That sounds like a good idea, as hiding figure bases is always an issue. However, getting the gun <i>AND</i> the crew onto a base is a bit of an art. The recesses actually messed with that. I wasn't free to locate the figures in such a way that I could get the gun back on the base after I had completely finished painting and flocking it. So, I had to paint the figure bases separately, trim their bases so they actually fit in the recesses, glue them onto the base with the gun now in the way of everything, then go back and try to fill in and hide the gaps around the figure bases. It actually tacked on a couple of nights to the entire process and started to really irritate me.
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But, the firk ding blasted things are done now! And, they look pretty good. I was glad to get figures with the scissor/rabbit binoculars. I was always fascinated by these as a kid, and the wide rangefinders as featured on the box art of the <a href="http://www.robshobbiesandtoys.com/cart/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=12&products_id=54">Tamiya 88 kit</a>.
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7514296@N05/7996510641/" title="D-Day by The Gonk, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8446/7996510641_7a19ae58a4.jpg" width="500" height="500" alt="D-Day"></a>
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I also grabbed some scale angle iron and started throwing together some very rough <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Czech_hedgehog">Czech Hedgehogs</a> to litter the beach. I didn't get time to spray paint them this weekend, and it looks like it will rain all week, so they may stay white a while.
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7514296@N05/7996515558/" title="D-Day by The Gonk, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8321/7996515558_1640f14bfb.jpg" width="500" height="500" alt="D-Day"></a>
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On Sunday, I laid everything out and set up the rest of the table. It looks to me like I really need some non-bocage fields to fill up the table. Looking at D-Day maps, there were no forests, just nothing but fields. That or houses-- looks entirely possible to come off the beach into an urban firefight. It's hard to tell how much real bocage there was, but there was definitely some, as they marked hedges on 1:25,000 maps! So, I will probably shoot for a combination of hedgerows and simpler LOS blocking borders like bushes and such. Besides, fields are a terrain item I have been seriously lacking for a while, it will do my table good to get some on there.
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7514296@N05/7996508195/" title="D-Day by The Gonk, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8458/7996508195_a600b86153.jpg" width="500" height="500" alt="D-Day"></a>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7514296@N05/7996516048/" title="D-Day by The Gonk, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8446/7996516048_357388faf2.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="D-Day"></a>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7514296@N05/7996516382/" title="D-Day by The Gonk, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8042/7996516382_1c6cc2cbdd.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="D-Day"></a>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7514296@N05/7996509129/" title="D-Day by The Gonk, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8321/7996509129_bfffd5cb63.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="D-Day"></a>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7514296@N05/7996516986/" title="D-Day by The Gonk, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8309/7996516986_79752ce4e9.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="D-Day"></a>
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Number One Son and I took a stab at it yesterday! We only had time for 2 1/2 turns, but it was long enough for him to make his first assault on a bunker-- which I was able to repel, barely. It became pretty clear the Germans could make do with some AA, too. We took a picture of a lost LCVP, which my son stacked hedgehogs in front of, as it was delayed all three of his turns!!
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7514296@N05/7996517218/" title="D-Day by The Gonk, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8436/7996517218_526bf325ca.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="D-Day"></a>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7514296@N05/7996510071/" title="D-Day by The Gonk, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8450/7996510071_1ccbb34dce.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="D-Day"></a>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7514296@N05/7996510343/" title="D-Day by The Gonk, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8172/7996510343_e704771f59.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="D-Day"></a>
</center>Andyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03188043128640438712noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1883467308980359725.post-12983490453250704462012-09-10T11:06:00.000-04:002012-09-10T15:32:40.930-04:00One step forward, one step back.<div style="float: right; margin: 0 0 10px 10px; padding: 0; font-size: 0.8em; line-height: 1.6em;"> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7514296@N05/7970962070/" title="Flames of War D-Day by The Gonk, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8305/7970962070_737664cebf_q.jpg" width="150" height="150" alt="Flames of War D-Day"></a><br /> <span style="margin: 0;"><a href="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8305/7970962070_737664cebf_q.jpg">P-47</a>, a photo by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7514296@N05/">The Gonk</a> on Flickr.</span></div>
I am getting stuff painted for my D-Day game, but I don't actually seem to be getting any closer to running it! But I had a good weekend otherwise...
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On Friday night, we played a <a href="http://home.earthlink.net/~bryantbob/">Might of Arms</a> Renaissance playtest variant game of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henri_de_la_Tour_d%27Auvergne,_Vicomte_de_Turenne#The_Dutch_War">Louis XIV's Dutch War</a>. I played <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henri_de_la_Tour_d%27Auvergne,_Vicomte_de_Turenne">Turenne</a>, and only my personal intervention with my cuirassiers in the center allowed the French forces to win the day. Or so I remember it, anyway! We followed it up with a game of Dominion. I came in third out of five. Glad there were two people there who'd never played before I could beat! :-)
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7514296@N05/7970975418/" title="Game Night by The Gonk, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8306/7970975418_44b715e375.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Game Night"></a>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7514296@N05/7970972484/" title="Game Night by The Gonk, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8452/7970972484_113c5a1420.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="Game Night"></a>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7514296@N05/7970974202/" title="Game Night by The Gonk, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com
/8311/7970974202_49ef6a21ff.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Game Night"></a>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7514296@N05/7970974954/" title="Game Night by The Gonk, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8314/7970974954_dcb7bee5e7.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="Game Night"></a>
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I finished up my first aircraft for Flames of War, a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/P-47">P-47 Thunderbolt</a>. I painted it up as a high-res picture I found on the Internet. I ruined two sets of decals trying to get the side numbering on it. Even the third and last set I tore in half, but manage to align them acceptably, I think. Man, I really, really hate using decals.
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7514296@N05/7970962852/" title="Flames of War D-Day by The Gonk, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8170/7970962852_ee5f8188c3.jpg" width="500" height="281" alt="Flames of War D-Day"></a>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7514296@N05/7970962070/" title="Flames of War D-Day by The Gonk, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8305/7970962070_737664cebf.jpg" width="500" height="500" alt="Flames of War D-Day"></a>
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I also finished the DUKWs. That <i>should</i> have been the last figures I needed for the 1750/1000 point Hit the Beach game! So, I printed out rosters and started assembling troops, thinking I might get Number One Son to playtest it with me over the weekend! Got all the Americans together, no issues. Then I started on the Germans. Let's see...the 10.5cm battery needs a staff team...hmmmm...I'm pretty sure I have never painted a German staff team. How could I have painted the 10.5cm battery up and never have painted a staff team...UGH!! <B><I>I haven't painted my 10.5cm battery yet!!!</I></B> Not sure how I convinced myself that I had. So...onto <a href="http://littleleadheroes.blogspot.com/p/in-queue.html">the queue</a> it goes. I started on it over the weekend, and am maybe 2/3 the way through. Soon...
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7514296@N05/7970983146/" title="DUKWs by The Gonk, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8453/7970983146_bc1ab05e6b.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="DUKWs"></a>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7514296@N05/7970962628/" title="Flames of War D-Day by The Gonk, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8311/7970962628_817367bfe6.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="Flames of War D-Day"></a>
</center>Andyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03188043128640438712noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1883467308980359725.post-11745941912761964972012-09-04T13:10:00.000-04:002012-09-04T23:00:22.024-04:00SITREP: D-Day<div style="float: right; margin: 0 0 10px 10px; padding: 0; font-size: 0.8em; line-height: 1.6em;"> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7514296@N05/7927377190/" title="D-Day layout by The Gonk, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8321/7927377190_32484bc596_m.jpg" width="180" height="240" alt="D-Day layout"></a><br /> <span style="margin: 0;"><a href="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8321/7927377190_32484bc596_m.jpg">D-Day layout</a>, a photo by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7514296@N05/">The Gonk</a> on Flickr.</span></div>
Things are coming along well for my D-Day beach landing game. I finished painting up the water and sand, and I think they look pretty good. Here it is set up on the short (five foot) end of my table-- the grass mat is rolled up on the other end, giving me room to work with my sons. There's a few more inches of water depth hanging off the end. It didn't seem necessary until I put the LCT out there!
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I sat down and started reviewing the scenario and the rules, thinking about putting everything on the table. In doing so, I ran across the Overwhelming Force special rule-- "The Allied force has 75% more troops than the Axis Force." Whoops!! That's a bit of a bummer as my Germans can be used for anything, so I have lots of them. But it's the American forces that will limit the size of this game...
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I'm not in terrible shape. The suggestion is 1,000 points of Axis, and 1,750 points of Allies. I can get to 1,490 Allies no problem:
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<table border=1 cellspacing=2 cellpadding=2 width=500>
<tr><th>Unit<th>Points
<tr><td>Full company-- command, 6x boat sections in LCVPs <td> 790
<tr><td>General Cota <td> 25
<tr><td>DD Sherman platoon (proxies of normal Shermans) <td> 345
<tr><td>Off-shore naval support <td> 200
<tr><td>Priority P-47 support (unpainted!) <td> 130
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1,000 points of Germans just doesn't seem like much, so I feel like I need to maximize my Americans. So, a lot of crap just got added to my painting queue.
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<li>MG and mortar platoons. I had these for a normal rifle company, although it makes sense to paint them now. But should I base them for sand? How were such platoons actually used on D-Day? I'm not sure. But, the good thing about basing on sand is that's easy enough to turn into any other basing scheme down the road. They are primed and ready to paint. And I don't have landing craft for them, although I think that's okay for now. And, I'm pretty sure FoW has rules for attaching the teams to regular platoons.
<li>Over the weekend, I mostly finished my six DUKWs. That will give the the option to land some AT guns or my 105s (both based on grass-- but I have my limits). I need to read the rules on how the 105s would work when landing widely separated.
<li>I got my LCAs assembled; although, after finishing, I noticed I did some parts wrong. You see the roop hook just before the L in <a href="http://albumwar2.com/photo-19391945/35-gallery/5664-english-landing-boat-lca-delivers-troops-to-the-ship-before-landing-in-normandy">this picture</a>? I put it ON that lateral trim, instead of abutting the end. Not terrible, but WRONG. Not sure I'll be able to get the fragile resin piece back off, but I'll try. And, I have their Rangers primed and ready to paint.
<li>M7 Priests-- are they allowed, or not? I bought some Priests on sale a while back, based on the D-Day book. However, looking through Turning Tide, I didn't see them available. Yet <a href="http://www.easyarmy.com/">Easy Army</a> show them as being available on page 233. They would be cool, easy to paint, and free up the DUKWs for something else... (<b>Edit:</b> Indeed, I appear to have overlooked that-- it's pretty clear you may take six M7 Priests and an OP Sherman-- all of which I happen to have)
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Assuming I go one section 3 57mm AT guns and a two gun battery of 105s with the DUKWs, here's what I end up with:
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<table border=1 cellspacing=2 cellpadding=2 width=500>
<tr><th>Unit<th>Points
<tr><td>MG platoon <td> 100
<tr><td>Mortar platoon <td> 120
<tr><td>3x 57mm AT guns in 3 DUKWs <td> 75
<tr><td>2 gun 105mm battery in 3 DUKWs <td> 145
<tr><td>Ranger platoon (allowed 1 but painting 2 for Total War) <td> 135
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That gives me a total of 2065 points. That's...a lot of effort for not a whole lot more points! And would let me use 1180 points of Germans. The Priests would edge it up a couple of hundred points. That ought to be good, though. It seems to me that our group has found games much above 2,000-2,500 difficult to complete in a night, although that may be due to our infrequent play. Plus, another player has, I believe, four boat sections of infantry with LCVPs. That should all be quite large enough and with some variety for a big, multi-player club game. And, I always have the option of making them 1st ID instead of 29th, making the same figures better and thus more expensive.
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I also picked up the FoW German HQ objective, as it seemed fairly apropos for this scenario. Any suggestion for a US objective? I can always use my <a href="http://littleleadheroes.blogspot.com/2010/12/on-road-to-sainte-mere-eglise.html">Airborne objective</a>, which is fairly appropriate for this as well.
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Here's what it looks like on the table. Pretty nice!
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7514296@N05/7927377190/" title="D-Day layout by The Gonk, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8321/7927377190_32484bc596.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="D-Day layout"></a>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7514296@N05/7927375916/" title="D-Day layout by The Gonk, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8320/7927375916_591ac035dc.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="D-Day layout"></a>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7514296@N05/7927372150/" title="D-Day layout by The Gonk, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8452/7927372150_13d9164f5c.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="D-Day layout"></a>
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For my own reference, here are the paint colors I used for the beach and waves. Other than white, of course.
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7514296@N05/7930567038/" title="D-Day paint by The Gonk, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8462/7930567038_7963e6147c.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="D-Day paint"></a>
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Andyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03188043128640438712noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1883467308980359725.post-25254771014403876142012-08-30T23:49:00.000-04:002012-08-30T23:49:29.221-04:00Family Time and D-Day Beaches<div style="float: right; margin: 0 0 10px 10px; padding: 0; font-size: 0.8em; line-height: 1.6em;"> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7514296@N05/7898073540/" title="Family Time by The Gonk, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8298/7898073540_acd931b594_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="Family Time"></a><br /> <span style="margin: 0;"><a href="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8298/7898073540_acd931b594_m.jpg">Family Time</a>, a photo by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7514296@N05/">The Gonk</a> on Flickr.</span></div>
It's been quite the family hobby time lately. Number One Son has taken some real interest in things since getting his Spinosaurus at Historicon, and I've had the gaming table covered up with his stuff lately as much as mine. And to keep Number Two Son, four, involved as well, I picked up some chubby plaster statues for kids for him to paint right alongside us. It has frankly been a blast, as they both have their own little projects to work on, and I can even work on my <i>own</i> stuff a bit. A little bit. The Mumak is now in, and our last two evening have been spent gluing that behemoth together. It's a pretty sweet kit, simple for its size, and pretty accessible to an eleven year old.
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The Mumak is about 5.5" at the back, topping the Spinosaurus by about 3/4". The howdah looks like it will add another 4" or so!!
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7514296@N05/7898059910/" title="Mumakil are big by The Gonk, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8037/7898059910_3791130c99.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="Mumakil are big"></a>
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This thing is ridiculously large. Tonight, we finished up the body and the head, other than the ears.
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7514296@N05/7898060566/" title="Coming along by The Gonk, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8447/7898060566_c96176943f.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="Coming along"></a>
</center>
Number One Son also completed painting my converted firestarters for Tusk. I went back and added the smoke/fire, which is a dark grey blend of wool roving. Pretty cool stuff, although nothing will stick to it. I wound up using the red "fire" paint to adhere to the branches!
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<center>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7514296@N05/7880040204/" title="Neanderthal Firestarters by The Gonk, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8424/7880040204_23c86124b2.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Neanderthal Firestarters"></a>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7514296@N05/7880036554/" title="Neanderthal Firestarters by The Gonk, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8302/7880036554_9d472d8839.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Neanderthal Firestarters"></a>
</center>
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After the kids went to bed, I cleaned up a bit and worked on my D-Day terrain. I took excess cloth and painted it up as I have been thinking about. Frankly, it was more effective than I thought, so I think I will have a go at the real cloth in the same scheme. I simply used a wadded up kleenex to paint on two successively narrower shades of light blue, followed by a big hog bristle brush of white. The beach was just kleenex of two light tans.
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7514296@N05/7898038048/" title="Testing D-Day paint job by The Gonk, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8170/7898038048_234acc8ab9.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="Testing D-Day paint job"></a>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7514296@N05/7898038922/" title="Testing D-Day paint job by The Gonk, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8461/7898038922_7e0d636abb.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="Testing D-Day paint job"></a>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7514296@N05/7898039730/" title="Testing D-Day paint job by The Gonk, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8313/7898039730_a909b79485.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="Testing D-Day paint job"></a>
</center>Andyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03188043128640438712noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1883467308980359725.post-3551895866762622032012-08-27T12:03:00.002-04:002012-08-27T21:28:48.862-04:00Dark Ages History Podcasts<div style="float: right; margin: 0 0 10px 10px; padding: 0; font-size: 0.8em; line-height: 1.6em;"><span style="margin: 0;"><a href="http://www.spreadshirt.co.uk/white-viking-headphones-en-mugs-C4408A11766862"><img width=190 height=190 src="http://www.cowell.org/~andy/export/Viking-headphones-EN.png" /></a></span></div>
I listen to a lot of podcasts while commuting and painting figures. Lately, I have been trying to fill my time with podcasts on the history of the Dark Ages. Saga has been a lot of fun, rules wise, but I can't claim to be very knowledgeable about the period. Rome fell, the Vikings came, Western governments started to be entangled in questionable Middle East wars, and the Normans conquered England. Getting more in depth in the period, though, has really revealed a lot more interesting history. Here's what I have been listening to:
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<b>The History of Rome:</b> I have mentioned <a href="http://www.littleleadheroes.blogspot.com/2011/01/history-of-rome-podcast.html">the History of Rome Podcast</a> here before. It is complete now, and a wealth of material, covering the ENTIRE history of Rome from the mythical origins to the fall of the Western Empire. Most of it obviously isn't directly related to the Dark Ages, but it is almost necessary background material. I'm continually surprised at how much of the Dark Ages still revolves around and is directly influenced by the Roman Empire.
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<b>12 Byzantine Rulers:</b> The natural place to go after the History of Rome, <a href="http://12byzantinerulers.com/">12 Byzantine Rulers</a> is highlights of the Eastern Empire, starting with Diocletian and ending with Constantine XI and the fall of Byzantium to the Ottomans in 1453.
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<b>Norman Centuries:</b> By the author of 12 Byzantine Rules, <a href="http://normancenturies.com/">Norman Centuries</a> follows the founding of the Normans by Rollo until-- so far-- William the Good of Sicily.
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<b>Europe from its Origins:</b> I listened to <a href="http://www.ahistoryofeurope.eu/A_History_of_Europe/A_History_of_Europe.html">Europe from its Origins</a> a while ago, and honestly, it just didn't take root at the time. It's really due for a relisten now that I have a much better context to place it in. Irritatingly to me, this is technically a video podcast, but the video is largely superfluous, making the extra space it takes up wasted. Also, some of the background music combined with the narrator's mild manner can lull you to sleep!
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<b>Irish History:</b> I recently discovered <a href="http://irishhistorypodcast.ie/">the Irish History Podcast</a> on <a href="http://theminiaturespage.com/boards/msg.mv?id=278873">the Miniatures Page</a>. It appears to be very slowly published, but what I've heard so far has been pretty interesting. It also has links to some related podcasts I haven't checked out yet.
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<b>British History:</b> I made note of <a href="http://thebritishhistorypodcast.com/">the British History Podcast</a> a while back, but forgot about it until gathering info for this list! I haven't listened to it yet, but it certainly looks interesting.
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<b>General History:</b> There are some general history podcasts out there, notably <a href="http://www.dancarlin.com/disp.php/hh">Hardcore History</a> and <a href="http://www.summahistorica.com/">History According to Bob</a>. I'm not crazy about the presentation of either of these podcasts-- Hardcore History is ridiculously overdramatic, and Bob's presentation is a little monotonous and irritating. However, it would be useful to scour these for applicable episodes. Also, <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006qykl">In Our Time</a> from BBC4, another regular listen of mine.
Andyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03188043128640438712noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1883467308980359725.post-64379481098383119662012-08-26T00:22:00.000-04:002013-07-27T16:40:58.005-04:00Reworking the Queue!<div style="float: right; margin: 0 0 10px 10px; padding: 0; font-size: 0.8em; line-height: 1.6em;"> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7514296@N05/7861290902/" title="2012-08-25 16.24.26 by The Gonk, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8424/7861290902_e1f8a081ae_m.jpg" width="180" height="240" alt="2012-08-25 16.24.26"></a><br /> <span style="margin: 0;"><a href="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8424/7861290902_e1f8a081ae_m.jpg">2012-08-25 16.24.26</a>, a photo by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7514296@N05/">The Gonk</a> on Flickr.</span></div>
Well, that didn't last long! <a href="http://www.warlordgames.com/">Warlord Games'</a> <a href="http://www.warlordgames.com/home/bolt-action/">Bolt Action</a> is on a lot of people's horizons lately. Our local <a href="http://www.hobbytown.com/">Hobbytown USA</a> ran a bunch of demos today. I wasn't really expecting much from the place, honestly. They run a fair amount of 40k and some Flames of War, but I never get down there for a couple of reasons. I already have plenty of gaming with pleasant people I already know in the comfort of our beer-filled domiciles, and their hours of operations don't really jibe with my own need for late night gaming. Nevertheless, I was curious to take a look at the rules, and had the time today, so Number One Son and I headed over there.
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I won't bother with a real review, since I only played a quick demo game. (More info on Bolt Action <a href="www.boltaction.net/2012/08/bolt-action-three-first-impressions.html">here</a>) More were offered, but I didn't have <i>that</i> much time. They looked like a slick, professionally produced set of rules, as I would expect. My initial impression was that the rules were quick play targeting large forces. There was random side activation-- chits were pulled from a cup, and if your chip was selected, you could move a squad. Shooting was buckets of d6s against a target number. A rifle gave you one die, and the highest I saw on the chart was a 3 for full auto weapons. Count up your squad and roll against the target number, which was a 3 for troops in the open. The target number increased by one for various factors-- having cover, shooters having moved that turn, beyond half range for the weapon, etc... Hits were then confirmed, based on the quality of the target (I <b>think</b>; regulars seemed to have a 50/50 chance of dying). Pistols had 12" range; rifles, 24". Nothing really bowled me over mechanically, but there was nothing objectionable, either.
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The big surprise to me was how well the demo was run. It was themed around <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Market_Garden">Operation Market Garden</a>. They had four tables set up, one of which was the end of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arnhem_road_bridge">Arnhem bridge</a> defended by Paras against the German attack. It was fairly well done, and they had a wide selection of vehicles around. This table was a full fledged game instead of the demos, but I didn't watch much of it. They also had <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Bridge_Too_Far_%28film%29">A Bridge Too Far</a> playing quietly on their display table, which also held a tri-fold display board full of historical information on Market Garden. All in all, it was much more than I expected from a Hobbytown.
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I had hoped to be able to pick the rules up there, but I guess they haven't been released yet. Hobbytown didn't even get the one they were promised to give away. However, the highlight was the prize drawing. They gave away a fair number of prizes, and Number One Son won a Warlord <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sd.Kfz._251">Sd.Kfz. 251/1D</a>. That's pretty cool-- I already have about 30 101st and 30 German paras painted from many years ago, so it can slot reasonable well right into that. And honestly, the rules seemed quite uncomplicated and, not meant insultingly, probably something an eleven year could really get into. And, I mean, I already have the figures, I might as well use them for something!
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<center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7514296@N05/7861290146/" title="2012-08-25 15.46.06 by The Gonk, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8286/7861290146_97a55de683.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="2012-08-25 15.46.06"></a></center>
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<center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7514296@N05/7861289632/" title="2012-08-25 15.53.23 by The Gonk, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8303/7861289632_3ce85b5b21.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="2012-08-25 15.53.23"></a></center>
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<center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7514296@N05/7861289000/" title="2012-08-25 16.07.27 by The Gonk, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8422/7861289000_e9bf33477d.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="2012-08-25 16.07.27"></a></center>
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<center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7514296@N05/7861290902/" title="2012-08-25 16.24.26 by The Gonk, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8424/7861290902_e1f8a081ae.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="2012-08-25 16.24.26"></a></center>
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Anyway, I suppose that puts Bolt Action onto the queue. Plus, I should really have added 40mm French and Indian War, as I have recently been painting those, and am near having enough for a reasonable game. Oh yeah, and cowboys. I bought <a href="http://www.wargamesillustrated.net/Default.aspx?tabid=221&art_id=2638">Wargames Illustrated issued 283</a> on vacation, which included a <A href="http://deepfriedhappymice.com/html/rd_legends_of_the_old_west.html">Legends of the Old West</a> scenario for the Cimarron county shootout in the <a href="http://www.skyways.org/towns/Cimarron/history.html">Cimarron-Ingalls county seat fight</a>. I don't have a courthouse, though...but I do have everything else.
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The newly updated <b>QUEUE</b>:
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<ol>
<li><b>Infinity:</b> Paint four figures.
<li><b>D-Day:</b> Paint bunkers. Touch up beach. Run game. Paint Rangers, LCAs.
<li><b>Napoleonics:</b> TBD, probably paint cavalry, run game, paint for Russians.
<li><b>Lord of the Rings/SAGA:</b> Save cash. Buy Anglo-Saxons, determine what else.
<li><b>Prehistorics:</b> Base Neanderthals. Make fire, burned out counters. Snow cloth. Run Tusk. Run dino hunting.
<li><b>Cowboys:</b> Build courthouse. Run Cimarron counthouse game.
<li><b>Bolt Action:</b> Buy rules. Finish bases on 101st. Run game.
<li><b>French and Indian War:</b> Paint 20 militia. Paint 20 Indians.
</ol>
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The reason I need to save my shekels is that I broke down and went in on the <a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1513061270/reaper-miniatures-bones-an-evolution-of-gaming-min">Reaper kickstarter</a>. It was just too ridiculous a deal to pass by. I will trade the motorcycle Sophie in for some of the extras, and threw a little extra money in for more. Andyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03188043128640438712noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1883467308980359725.post-51432982701787978682012-08-24T16:52:00.000-04:002013-07-27T16:40:57.991-04:00Form a Queue<div style="float: right; margin: 0 0 10px 10px; padding: 0; font-size: 0.8em; line-height: 1.6em;"><span style="margin: 0;"><a href="http://www.art.com/products/p14265896-sa-i2893887/james-a-sugar-cars-queue-up-at-a-tollbooth-on-the-bay-bridge-in-oakland-california-during-rush-hour.htm"><img width=180 height=136 src="http://www.cowell.org/~andy/export/rushhour.jpg" /></a></span></div>
I'm trying to get myself a little organizized, so I am forming a queue of shorter term hobby goals. I'm not really creating firm goals; I'm just trying to keep a little better visibility of what I'm thinking about. I've got a lot of thoughts bouncing around in my head and I could certainly use a bit of direction at times... I may post this list again periodically as items are completed. BWAH HA HA HA HA...I slay me.
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<li><b>Infinity:</b> I have firmly committed to paint up my starting infantry-- that's four PanOceanic Fusiliers, a Croc-Man, and two ORCs. I have three Fusiliers mostly finished, and am about halfway through the last Fusilier and the Croc-Man. Then I'm taking a break because I'm really tired of them. I'm trying pretty hard to paint them well and it's a bit taxing.
<li><b>D-Day:</b> At a minimum, I need to paint <a href="http://www.flamesofwar.com/hobby.aspx?art_id=2425">two MG bunkers, two MG nests</a> and my <a href="http://www.flamesofwar.com/hobby.aspx?art_id=2427">5cm KwK nest</a>. I also need to touch up and magnetize the <a href="http://www.flamesofwar.com/hobby.aspx?art_id=2426">AT Pillboxes</a>. Longer term, my en route Rangers, Tobruks, more defences, and support platoons, but I will be able to run games without those.
<li><b>Napoleonics:</b> It's time to get back to these. A club member, Tom, picked up some Russians, so at the very least, I need to build out my French. I know I really need cavalry more than anything else, but I'll need to sit down and think a bit about what else I need. It gives me a chance to paint <A href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J%C3%B3zef_Poniatowski">Prince Poniatowski</A>, who I've enjoyed what I've read about, and some Poles. Perhaps help with the Russians, too. I'll probably paint units in dribs and drabs until I have a firmer direction here.
<li><b>Lord of the Rings/Saga:</b> TECHNICALLY not a new period, I swear. I painted the Mines of Moira Fellowship party, and have the baddies out for Number One Son to paint. I wanted to play some generic fantasy using GW's LotR with him, especially as that would dovetail into using Legends of the Old West for some cowboy games. Anyway, he got a parental school performance reward, thought about what he wanted for a day, then said, "<a href="http://www.games-workshop.com/gws/catalog/productDetail.jsp?prodId=prod1090149">Mumak</a>." Wow. So...that's on order, and I'm <b>not</b> going to buy LotR forces to oppose it. However, it does dawn on me that I could paint Saga forces and PROXY them as LotR forces against his Mumak and whatever else...
<li><b>Prehistorics:</b> Tusk and some LotR-based dinosaur hunting are pretty much completed and just waiting to be run with Number One Son.
</ol>
Andyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03188043128640438712noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1883467308980359725.post-68236643013830249862012-08-22T15:39:00.000-04:002012-08-27T11:39:49.419-04:00Ranger, lead the way!<div style="float: right; margin: 0 0 10px 10px; padding: 0; font-size: 0.8em; line-height: 1.6em;"><span style="margin: 0;"><a href="http://albumwar2.com/photo-19391945/35-gallery/5702-american-rangers-on-board-the-british-landing-craft-assault-lca-type-in-the-port-weymouth"><img width=180 height=136 src="http://www.cowell.org/~andy/export//uss_lci-s.jpg" /></a></span></div>
Yeah...I had been sitting on some birthday money and it is now away, for a couple of Ranger platoons and two <a href="http://www.angelfire.com/nj4/armamentsinminiature/resin/resin_amphibious.htm">Armaments in Miniature LCAs</a>.Andyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03188043128640438712noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1883467308980359725.post-68174590716576407112012-08-20T22:29:00.000-04:002012-08-20T23:11:59.646-04:00SITREP: D-Day<div style="float: right; margin: 0 0 10px 10px; padding: 0; font-size: 0.8em; line-height: 1.6em;"> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7514296@N05/7827744852/" title="Laying out D-Day by The Gonk, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7120/7827744852_fdc9b28922_n.jpg" width="240" height="320" alt="Laying out D-Day"></a><br /> <span style="margin: 0;"><a href="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7120/7827744852_fdc9b28922_n.jpg">Laying out D-Day</a>, a photo by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7514296@N05/">The Gonk</a> on Flickr.</span></div>
After I finish painting up the Infinity figures I'm working on, I want to finish preparing for a D-Day game. My goal for the year was to <a href="http://littleleadheroes.blogspot.com/2012/01/for-auld-lang-syne-2012.html">run two D-Day games</a>, and it's getting late in the year. I grabbed some beach and water colored fabrics on my way home from work tonight and proceeded to lay it all out on the table, so to speak, and take stock of my situation. Here is what I found:
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Firstly, the basic terrain. It's good enough as is. The fabric is a bit ordinary, but more effective than I thought it'd be. I have a hankering to do some nice terrain boards...but, yeah. First things first. Textured terrain boards can wait. As can bluffs-- I'd like to get the 2" thick foam insulation and a hot wire cutter and go to town, but later. Maybe. I would like to do a better sea wall-- right now, I'm just using trenches.
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A breakdown of painted US Forces:
<table border=1 borderwidth=2 borderspacing=2 width=500>
<tr><th /><center>Unit</center><th /><center>Cost</center></tr>
<tr><td>29th ID HQ <td>10 pts
<tr><td>6x 29th ID assault platoons <td>780 pts
<tr><td>DD tank platoon <td>345 pts
<tr><td>Naval gunfire support (offboard) <td>200 pts
<tr><td>General Dutch Cota <td>25 pts
</table>
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Unpainted US Forces:
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<table border=1 borderwidth=2 borderspacing=2 width=500>
<tr><th /><center>Unit</center><th /><center>Cost</center></tr>
<tr><td>MG platoon, two sections +2 bazookas <td>130 pts
<tr><td>Mortar platoon, three sections +3 bazookas <td>165 pts
<tr><td>Priority Air Support, P-47 <td>130 pts
<tr><td>6x DUKW <td>-
</table>
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Whoops! As usual, it seems, I haven't gotten around to company weapon platoons. I don't have boats for these fellows, either; they make have to ride in on DUKWs!
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Thoughts on where to take the US from here: I'd like to have a Ranger platoon. Probably actual LCVPs for the support platoons to ride in, and an LCA for the Rangers. (I'm guessing the support platoons rode in LCVPs...anyone know for sure?)
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I can always bump the points up a bit by taking them as 1st ID veterans. And I have 57mm AT guns, 75mm pack artillery (to proxy as M3 105mm light howitzer) and M2A1 105mm artillery. It just seems weird to me to have those storming the beach-- never saw that in the Longest Day!!
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A breakdown of painted German Forces, as Festungkompanie from 352. ID:
<table border=1 borderwidth=2 borderspacing=2 width=500>
<tr><th /><center>Unit</center><th /><center>Cost</center></tr>
<tr><td>Company HQ with Anti-tank section, panzerknacker SMG, 3x snipers <td> 215 pts
<tr><td>3x Veteran Festungs Grenadier platoons, panzerknackers <td> 555 pts
<tr><td>Festungs MG platoon, panzerknacker <td>105 pts
<tr><td>Festungs IG platoon (15cm sIG33)<td> 145 pts
<tr><td>Festungs ATG platoon (PaK40)<td> 155 pts
<tr><td>Festungs Artillery battery (10.5cm leFH18) <td> 210 pts
<tr><td>2x Anti-tank Pillbox w/ mines, trench, wire <td> 290 pts
<tr><td>5cm KwK Nest (unpainted) w/ trench, wire <td> 45 pts
<tr><td>2x HMG Pillbox (unpainted) w/ total 1 wire <td> 170 pts
<tr><td>2x HMG Nest (unpainted) <td> 80 pts
<tr><td>Anti-Tank obstacle <td> 100 pts
</table>
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In addition to the unpainted bunkers, I need to magnetize my AT pillbox guns. I need to double check my trenches-- I am using those for a sea wall for now, I may not have enough for all the trenches I bought, although I do have a lot.
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Thoughts on where to take the Germans from here: I think the Germans are good to go! I have just about all the bunkers I could use, and I have some Renault R-35s I could borrow a turret for to make a Tobruk or two. I feel like I should get the company mortar platoon, as well. I could use some gun pits, and I notice that I could also use a second BB104 Battlefield in a Box: Defenses. I also note this product appears to have been discontinued!!Andyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03188043128640438712noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1883467308980359725.post-47229041042164469642012-08-16T10:07:00.000-04:002012-08-16T10:07:35.898-04:00A Little Prehistory<div style="float: right; margin: 0 0 10px 10px; padding: 0; font-size: 0.8em; line-height: 1.6em;"> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7514296@N05/7795104666/" title="Spinosaurus by The Gonk, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8421/7795104666_72996562f3_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="Spinosaurus"></a><br /> <span style="margin: 0;"><a href="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8421/7795104666_72996562f3_m.jpg">Spinosaurus</a>, a photo by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7514296@N05/">The Gonk</a> on Flickr.</span></div>
Here's the latest state of Number One Son's <i>Spinosaurus</i>. Last night we glued it down on a plasticard base and covered that with <a href="http://www.liquitex.com/ceramicstucco/">Liquitex Ceramic Stucco</a>. That basically an untinted "flocking gel." I use it a lot on my bases. He's pretty exited about it and kept want to make fancy bases, but dour Daddy dissuaded him from anything too advanced. Although, it's not too late to put some interesting stuff on there.
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I also converted a couple of non-warrior Neanderthals I bought at Historicon into firestarters for Tusk. The brass wire will be flaming branches when I'm done. The one on the right already has a stack of firewood in his arms and was natural for this. The one on the left was shaking out a fur and is either a little chubby or slightly pregnant...it won't be noticeable once they're painted.
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7514296@N05/7795107044/" title="Firestarters by The Gonk, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8006/7795107044_8876dc60be.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Firestarters"></a>
Andyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03188043128640438712noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1883467308980359725.post-72623911497579836352012-08-15T00:33:00.000-04:002012-08-15T14:00:12.492-04:00Infinity PanOceaniac Fusiliers<div style="float: right; margin: 0 0 10px 10px; padding: 0; font-size: 0.8em; line-height: 1.6em;"> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7514296@N05/7785827058/" title="Infinity PanO Fusiliers by The Gonk, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8016/7785827058_0125c615ca_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="Infinity PanO Fusiliers"></a><br /> <span style="margin: 0;"><a href="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8016/7785827058_0125c615ca_m.jpg">Infinity PanO Fusiliers</a>, a photo by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7514296@N05/">The Gonk</a> on Flickr.</span></div>
A couple of guys in the game group were talking about starting Infinity up. What the hey, I already have plenty of the figures, so <a href="http://littleleadheroes.blogspot.com/2005/12/infinity-has-arrived.html">after seven some-odd years</a>, I have started painting them up. Here is a photo of the first three. I see now that I didn't finish highlighting the blues on the two men. Naturally. They are based temporarily on the regular bases. I'd like to do something more interesting, although I'm not sure what. I also think I'd like something more hefty, as many of the figures will be quite fragile and I'd like the base to strike the floor first when I drop them!Andyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03188043128640438712noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1883467308980359725.post-9122283138043006122012-08-14T13:32:00.001-04:002012-08-29T13:30:46.683-04:00More Saga<div style="float: right; margin: 0 0 10px 10px; padding: 0; font-size: 0.8em; line-height: 1.6em;"> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7514296@N05/7782527116/" title="Playing Saga by The Gonk, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7106/7782527116_6da108a7ca_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="Playing Saga"></a><br /> <span style="margin: 0;"><a href="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7106/7782527116_6da108a7ca_m.jpg">Playing Saga</a>, a photo by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7514296@N05/">The Gonk</a> on Flickr.</span></div>
Last Friday, we broke out Saga again. I was hoping to run the Escort scenario, but the player with all the wagons canceled at the last minute. We fell back on killing each other's Warlords. We set up with six points each this time, and one army of each faction. It wound up going a little long, though, and I think it probably would have been better to have stuck with either four point armies or a different scenario. Still, everybody seemed to have fun. I was reminded to take stop motion video of this game, click More to view it.
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On the left are the Normans (near) and the Vikings; on the right are the Welsh (near) and the Anglo-Danes. When we called it, the Norman warlord had been killed, but the Vikings were pressing in pretty hard.
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<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/pMDZcDQRMpc" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>Andyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03188043128640438712noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1883467308980359725.post-48277519953898275822012-08-05T00:27:00.001-04:002012-08-29T13:31:05.602-04:00Playing Saga<div style="float: right; margin: 0 0 10px 10px; padding: 0; font-size: 0.8em; line-height: 1.6em;"> <a href="" title="Saga rules cover"><img src="http://www.cowell.org/~andy/export/saga-sm.jpg" width="127" height="180" alt="Saga rules cover"></a><br /> </div>
Like most of you, probably, I've been hearing about the Dark Ages skirmish rules <a href="http://www.grippingbeast.com/">Saga</a> lately. I played it at <a href="http://www.historicon.org/">Historicon</a> and was intrigued. It has something of a board game mechanic added to it, which reminded me a lot of <a href="http://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/48726/alien-frontiers">Alien Frontiers</a>. It's not strictly historical, outright attempting to recreate the tall tales of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saga">the Viking Sagas</a>. The leaders stand head and shoulders above the rest of the field, although we're not really talking <a href="http://www.heresy-online.net/forums/showthread.php?t=85869">the excesses of 40k</a> here.
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I was intrigued enough from playing at Historicon that I picked up the rules there. They're not that cheap-- basically $40. The rulebook is full color and very nice looking, though, so there's that. While on vacation last week, I took the rules and read through them, and worked out some 4 point rosters for our club member with Dark Ages figures to put together.
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Lo and behold, on my drive home Wednesday, he's suggesting I run it on Friday. What the hell, let's do it. I don't actually run enough games as is, and if I put it off, I'd just find some other excuse not to run it later. So, last night, <b>five</b> players came out as I scrambled to put together dice, rosters, extra battle board, etc...
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7514296@N05/7714614994/" title="Saga in action by The Gonk, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8293/7714614994_59a4fb34d3.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="Saga in action"></a>
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The game went pretty well. On the left, you have a 4 point Norman band flanked by 4 point Viking bands (nearest are <a href="http://miksminis.blogspot.com/">Mik's</a>), facing a 4 point Anglo-Dane and, nearest, an 8 point Welsh band. They basically slugged it out-- I had only read the Feast of Crows four player scenario, but with five I made teams, and they should probably have just done the basic Clash of Warlords scenario, where the last side with Warlords alive wins. Which, honestly, is about what they did, with the Norman Warlord being the last one alive.
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<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_the_Conqueror">Who says these rules are ahistorical?</a>
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Reactions in our group were mixed. One player stated, "I don't find these rules interesting at all, but I will play them without complaint." Ah well. I expect I'll run it a few more times at least, although it remains to be seen if I will "champion" these rules in our group.
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What I'd <i>like</i> to see happen is Number One Son take up the brush and finish our Romans and Germans. We had been discussing playing <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trajan%27s_Dacian_Wars">Romans vs. Dacians under Trajan</a> with them. On vacation, I picked up <a href="http://www.wargamesillustrated.net/Default.aspx?tabid=221&art_id=3338">Wargames Illustrated 297</a> which includes a very nice article about the Illyrian revolt of AD 7-9-- which included Dacians, and, as WI notes, "skirmishes are great ways to recreate some of the action of the war." <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Falx#Dacian_falx">Falx</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dane_Axe">Dane Axe</a>, what's the diff, right? So, I've just got to get him hooked, get him painting, and convert Saga to Romans.
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Fortunately, the club member whose Dark Ages figures we used didn't want to take them home, so I left them out and ran a game for Number One Son today. So, I took four points of Anglo-Danes to my son's Vikings, and we played a game. You can see me below, on the left, explaining how the battle board works, and using Determination and We Obey to run my Warlord up with a unit of Hearthguard. He responds rather devastatingly by jumping my Warlord with his Berserkers!!
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Okay, heh heh, now that you've <i>learned the rules</i>, let's play a game that counts! We gather six point armies, and played a much meatier game, as seen below.
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That's his Warlord running around in a three sided box of levy archers. I mocked him for hiding behind a bunch of farmers like a woman, but was unable to goad him out. I think we were both surprised at just how effective his archers could be by adding effects from the Battle Board-- he had two units of them-- but we only found that out late in the game. His Berserkers set up at the base of the great Hastingstamford Hill, but my Anglo-Danes had apparently anticipated exactly that and Trapped them repeatedly there. A half-strength unit of Warriors ran the farmer escort off, and the Viking Warlord charged my Anglo-Danish Warlord and Hearthguard. With my Warlord in Shieldwall and Hard as Iron, and his Warlord to Intimidated to rest off his fatigue, he didn't stand much of a chance-- but he went down gloriously, and no doubt the Sagas written of this day will be kind to him!
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Did Number One Son enjoy it? I think so. He has not really been the sort to come back and ask me to play games, though he certainly seems to enjoy painting more. Time to get him some paints and let him loose on the Romans, I suppose, and see where it leads.Andyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03188043128640438712noreply@blogger.com7