Battle Group North Show at Elvington (York)

So, the Yorkshire Coast Wargamers went en masse to this year's Battle Group North and took an array of games with us, mostly Db variants but also our hot of the press 'A Game of Toy Soldiers'. The wargames element of the event (it's primarily a military vehicle and re-enactors show) is held in the large hanger with the Lancaster keeping an eye over everything. It was the first time some of our rank and file had played it and it was great to see seasoned wargamers like Jordan get into it and embrace what it's all about. Throughout the day we played three games of different scenarios, all incorporating a cow field with my newly aquired Britains cows. The game was very popular with kids who were quick to grasp the rules and loved being able to 'play' a game rather than puzzle one out. We even had a kid of 2 years old playing! For some of them it was their first wargame and they loved it. I gave away a few play sheets to exited Dads who thought it was ideal. Some of the other wargamers were interested in buying the rule set so now I'm on with polishing them up ready to be made into a proper booklet. A very enjoyable weekend! I spent some of Sunday afternoon flying over York in a helicopter with a WWII veteran who was there for his 90th Birthday that day. A very special gentleman indeed, he was still as fit as anyone.

First batch of Red Devils finished!

I'm extremely pleased with these! I usually try and avoid figures with camo as I can never quite get it right but these have turned out quite well. A bank holiday Monday well spent I think. There are about 20 more on the painting desk.

A desperate defence

Half track gunner, already badly wounded, tries to hold back hordes of Soviet SMG armed shock troops. The half track guns did a lot of damage in the second game!

2nd Play Test

Today we play tested the Yorkshire Coast Wargamers 'Toy Soldier' Rules for the 2nd time. We had two games both similar with a German convoy getting into a tight spot. The 1st game saw prepared British infantry defeating the convoy quite well. The second game saw Soviet shock troops rushing in with SMG's and much more figures on the table. The second game was almost a draw with the Soviets just about managing it with two injured infantrymen and their officer left standing. Both games quite closely run and could have gone either way.

We tweeked the rules very slightly, limiting the use/effect of SMG's and there is some clarification on multiple wounds to make. Otherwise it ran smoothly and produced two good games.

There are now new rules for mortar fire, which worked really well. The first battle was difficult for the Germans from the first move when the Brits lobbed a grenade into the half track, hampering their use of the mounted HMG's on the vehicle. In the second game the Soviets tossed back a German grenade, which saved them from loosing the area they held.

We used more scenery, note new hedges and barbed wire, which made a better game. There was a lot of jumping hedges that resulted in slower movement over the table and making troops more vulnerable at times as well as providing better cover.

I think these rules will continue to evolve but as they are we are ready for the show now!

View from the bunker!

The First 'Game of Toy Soldiers'

The game itself was simple 10 British Commandos attack a German bunker complex guarded by around 13 Germans. Each side had an officer and LMG with a few SMG's and grenade armed troops. We used old Airfix figures I had won on ebay for a few shillings, a BMC bunker bought from Steve Weston's Toy Soldiers, a few trees, rocks and a couple of 21st Cen vehicles for decoration or for hiding behind. You get a nice view out of the bunker windows! We use d6's only so that the game doesn't require 'specialist' wargames bits.

New Toy Soldier Skirmish Game in Development!!!

This week we began work on creating a very simple set of rules to allow us to play toy soldiers! At a stretch you might call it a skirmish wargame if you're bothered what non-enthusiasts might think but in escence it's a game of toy soldiers.

Thanks to Peeler, Dave and Richie's experience we were able to dive in and start pretty much from scratch playing a game. Movement is very simple, spotting is taken literally so you shoot at what you can actually see and effects of being hit are basic. The game boils down to who is armed with what and how much you can keep your head down before some Tommy pots a round through your helmet. I think there is still a lot of refining to do, especiall concerning the use of automatic weapons, these are pretty devastating at short range compared to a rifle - though they can jam up in a bad dice roll! As happened! Vehicles aren't much more than scenery, there's potential to use trucks, jeeps and vehicle mounted small arms but we didn't want this game to be dominated by a tank on the table. It's all about the firefight!