Adventures with Gun, Sabre & Horse: July 2015

Friday, July 31, 2015

WW2: One Hour Wargames Second World War Rules, Scneario #3. Free French Brigade vs German Brigade in North Africa.

I was determined to sit down today and fight out a battle and a OHW battle at that. "One Hour Wargames" by Neil Thomas, has become my go to set of rules for miniature warfare, even over my own written rules. Anyway I selected Scenario #3 from the book and used the army matrix to select the forces for both sides. The only modifications I made was to convert movement over to base depth using the same rates as given in my book "Brigadier General." and change ranges to 12" for all but the lone French Artillery.

Free French Forces:
4 Infantry

1st Bn, 11th Dragoons
C Sq, 12th Cuirassiers

1 Mortar (Artillery)

A Bty, 13th A/Tk Reg.

1 Anti-Tank Gun

B Bty, 13th A/Tk Reg.

German Forces:

3 Infantry

1st Bn, 3rd Motorized Infantry

1 Anti-Tank Gun

2nd Bty, 39th Anti-Tank Reg.

2 Tanks

1st Bn, 5th Panzers

Scenario 3 calls for the control of 2 strategic bridges across a river. Your Commander has called on you to capture and hold these bridges so they may be used as future bases of operation. Turn limits were limited to 15 turns. Red forces always start each turn first.

Deployment was non existent as both forces show up on turn 1. So I used a randomized deployment sequence for the French Forces (RED) 1-2 Left, 3-4 Center and 5-6 Right. Every single unit went center. I then inserted my forces as I desired.

Turn 1. Free French forces split into two wings with each one heading straight for a bridge. Each unit moved their max movement but ended their turn out of shooting range.

My German forces advance and begin shooting putting some hurt on the advancing French.

Bridges Held: None.

Turn 2. Free French forces return fire at give as good as they got while capturing the bridge on the left flank. Seeing German Armor advancing the French Infantry on the right hold back to assault the armor before attempting to hold the bridge. German forces advance up to engage the enemy and achieve one of their objectives by capturing the right bridge.

End of French Turn.

Bridges Held: Left Bridge-French Army

End of German Turn.

Bridges Held: Left Bridge-French Army Right Bridge-German Army.

The Battlefield at the end of Turn 2.

From here on it is difficult to relay the action as I became really engrossed in the battle and forgot to take a few pictures. The battle ended on Turn 6 with the complete destruction of Free French forces in the area.

Allied Aerial photograph showing German forces controlling both bridges.

Tuesday, July 28, 2015

New Project: War in Athas, a Dark Sun Wargames Campaign

The Dark Sun bug has bit. It is grim and dark like the Warhammer Old World. What started it is that I've had this idea in my head for a desert goblin army but it doesn't fit in Warhammer. Also I love the Mantic miniatures but they don't match up well with Warhammer models. So this campaign will fill two desires. Reason to buy some great Mantic minis and complete my idea of a desert goblin force. I intend to run rpg lite dungeoncrawls, skirmish fights and mass battles in this setting.

Sunday, July 19, 2015

Italian War-Time Propaganda

First Four Bases for Orcs & Goblins One-Hour Warhammer Army

I have the first four bases of Orcs & Goblins assembled for my upcoming One-Hour Wargames Warhammer Campaign. Two units of Orc Warriors, 1 unit of Goblin Warriors and 1 unit of Orc Archers. I want some boar riders or a chariot next and then a troll to complete the army.

Friday, July 17, 2015

Stonewylde... A Magical Place

Stonewylde is the name I've decided to give to an upcoming line of fantasy themed modeling dioramas that I will assemble and paint. I am borrowing the name from a series of books from Ms. Kit Berry. See her site here: StoneWylde. Stonewylde is also a small village and sometime town in my fictional gaming campaigns.

28mm Warhammer Sigmarite Liberator

This model came with my copy of the White Dwarf. He didn't turn out well and it was entirely preventable. I took him with me on vacation to paint and while away bought some cheap paint kits from Walmart. Buy cheap get cheap but he is done, for now.

Goblin War Banner: The Great Eye, Lidless and Piercing

I found this cat's eye jewelry image online. I took it and made the evil lidless eye in MS Paint and then printed it out and cut it up for a goblin banner. The banner has tatters on it at bottom but they're hidden by one of the gobbos. BTW the goblins aren't finished yet, there is still some painting and touch up to do to them and their base.

This banner and the image itself will represent the great eye of of the Lord of the Black Tower in the Twin Kingdoms and other bad guys across my other campaigns.

Step 1 Find Art.

Step 2 Modify Art

Step 3 Print, Cut & Attach.

Thursday, July 16, 2015

USCG Auxiliary

I wanted to mention that one reason there is more time between posts is at present I have joined the CG Auxiliary. I am determined to give them a year and at the end of that year I will evaluate my volunteer time spent and see if it is something I should continue and also if they still want me as well. The picture below was taken while on patrol on Beaver Lake in NW Arkansas. The lake has over 500 miles of shoreline.

More Memoir '44 Packs and Slim Down My Hobby News

At long last I finally have added some new packs to my Memoir '44 set. As Bob Cordery once said M44 checks a lot of boxes for me. I'll have some game pictures to show in the coming weeks too.

Now, on a news/update type note. I am forced to concede that I simply cannot have everything, paint it and game with it. Let alone store it. So I've decided it's time to trim back my hobby activities. In the past I've dropped paintball, 15mm moderns, most PC gaming and a few other odds and ends. My current CULLED periods which means my collection in these fields will be going up on eBay are the SYW & Napoleonics. The latter being a hard pill to swallow. You can see the Trade List page for a link.

The other periods that may soon be under the knife are AWI and historical ACW, though I am keeping 1/72 models for use in a AWI mod of Battle Cry (ACW version of M44) also I am keeping a Steampunk Civil War variant. Other possible future culls include 1/72 & 15mm World War 2 though these require much more thought first.

SETI ON THE FLANK BY TOM MCMILLEN

The outlook wasn't hopeful for the Pharoah's troops that day - The draw had been Seleucids, so there wasn't much to say. They had elephants, and cataphracts, cheap levy and the like - And he had copper JIS, while they had steel-tipped pike. And he was stuck with chariots; the enemy could ride. Their horses all had armor and their chariots were scythed.

And Ramses eyed his generals, and hope did not run high -He had the sort of Bozos that could make a great god cry. For Amnon was a coward, and Khaneb was a fool, The former liked to cut and run, the latter liked to drool.And Ramses knew that should he win he'd have one man to thank - For Seti, mighty Seti, was hurtling 'round the flank. For Seti never missed the mark, when arrows he let fly, And always saw the battle with a falcon's steady eye. And Seti never wavered - his units knew no fear... Yes, he'd put up even money now - with Seti in their rear!

With confident precision the enemy deployed,Then sure to win, and firm of tread, set out across the void. And Ramses scanned the eastern sky for telltale wisps of dust, In hopeful expectation of the one man he could trust.

There was an ease in Seti's manner as he raised the dice on high,A cold smile crossed his features as he let the ivory fly.He barely raised an eyebrow as the score was plain to see -Then calmly shrugged, then turned away - the roll had come up three.

The army of Seleucus rolled, their plan revealed no flaws -For nothing dared to stop them, nor even give them pause. The levy and the pachyderms soon blew away the screen,Dread pikemen closed on trembling spears, with nothing in between.

A snarl curled Seti's features as he strutted to his place -His eyes flashed bright as lightning as the dice flew into space. The breathless crowd in silence stood and waited for the score - He dropped his head and stalked away, for fate had dealt a four."Smash the dice! " the maddened gallery cried, "Just smash the dice to bits!" And they would have smashed them too, had not Seti calmed their fits.

Then from ten thousand pikemen there arose a fearsome roar,As they charged in on the spearmen with each unit twelve at four. But Amnon passes his waver test - no, not once, but twice!And gibbering, slobbering Khaneb blew the spots right off the dice! And when the turn had ended, and when the dust had stilled - There was Amnon cross the river, while Khaneb held the hill!

And now the whispers silence and a stillness fills the land,As Seti grabs the fateful cube, and lofts it in his hand - And now the eyes are riveted, to watch his fist unfold - And now the table trembles with the force of Seti's roll!!!
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Oh somewhere in the Eastern world the lotus blossom blooms;And somewhere people laugh and sing, and gaily paint their tombs. And somewhere children giggle, as they skitter to and fro... But there is no joy in Egypt - mighty Seti didn't show.