YCW Christmas Do

This festive weekend was the Yorkshire Coast Wargamers Christmas 'do'. Myself, Richie, Peeler and Roger played a rather unexpectedly protracted Zulu war game using DbC (Colonial) rules, designed by our friend and fellow YCW'er Alex Testo.

The game lasted a good couple of hours. The Zulu's steadily advanced on the main British lines and were held back for some time until a flanking Zulu force arrived and forced the British to spilt the line. Despite heroic actions from the British skirmishers and one 'Hooray Henry' NCO the Zulus won grinding down the British lines. Surprisingly ineffective fire from the British infantry and artillery let the side down despite heavy Zulu losses. The remaining main body of British were eventually surrounded, leaving only remnants of baggage and a few skirmishers to escape.

Richie and Roger fieled the Zulu impi's while myself commanded the British, with much needed direction and umpiring from Peeler.

I very much enjoy playing colonials in the Db format, this one works particularly well and simulates the nature of this type of warfare really well without getting bogged down in heavy use of charts and tables. It's very easy to loose with the British if you don't pot enough of the natives early enough on in the game. A well organised Zulu formation crashing into the lines is usually the beginning of the end for the British, as happened here after a lot of reforming and repelling the Zulu attacks.

More of Alex's Db variants here: http://www.dbnwargaming.co.uk/

Be a Man Among Men

Quick pic of my Rhodesian Selous Scouts in 20mm. Light Infantry to follow. Not quite finished yet, need varnishing in matt and groundwork to do.

First 28mm Winter German

I have eased off on the amount of dry brushing I do and it seems to look a lot better. This is the first use of some scenic snow I bought at Newcastle with these Artizan Germans and US Infantry. Looking forward to doing some of the Americans next. The fake snow works really well and even has a glisten to it.

Fiasco II Leeds Wargames Show

Poiniantly the show was in the Saville Conference Centre opposite the Armouries. Sir Jim had passed away the day before so it was moving to be in the place dedicated to him. There were large photos of him and a book to sign in his memory, all tastefully fitting to a great man.

The show was neatly set out with some interesting games. Nothing major but a good couple of hours were spent. I attended with new wargaming pal Roger. We had in tow our WAG's who having had a quick look in and upon realizing it was £4 to get in promptly left to explore the shoe shops of Leeds for two hours. So we were left to do our research without hindrence. 

There seems to be a lot of new basing products out these days which is great, many a good figure paint job is ruined by poor basing so it was good to see what's available. My basing will certainly improve from now on.

This game above really made me want to paint up some Greeks! 

These guys looked awesome! Didnt look at the game much, I think it was a Black Powder game in 15mm.

Some chaps had made a Db variant for the Mayan wars and were using Revell plastics, which en masse looked effective enough. Lots of mob vs mob battling though with few differing troop types. They were using a desert camo cotton sheet as a table cloth, which again looked cheap and effective. 

A good friend of mine fought in the Malayan Emergency and it's great to see that Britannia, now owned by Andy Grubb of Grubby Tanks has a range of figures for this conflict. They seem to be marketed towards the new Force on Force rules players looking for small groups of modern figures. I do have the rules and was tempted but ended up getting a few packs of 20mm Rhodesians from these people: http://www.underfireminiatures.com

Very nice they are too with very well proportioned figure styles and nice accurate sculpting. Just have to wait for them to release the ZNLA figures and find an Alouette kit from somewhere and we have a skirmish.  Pics of those to follow once I've painted them.

28mm WWII Update

Fresh back from the Leeds wargames show. Bought some grass tufts and the Plastic Soldier Company Soviet Heavy Weapons set. Will now get the rest of the Ruskies done. Finished the first artillery piece this evening and added the grass tufts, they are very effective I think but I'll only use them on larger vignette type stands, not on individual figures. Grass tufts can be a bit over used in basing.

Full box set of Crusader Miniatures Early war Germans all done! Really quite pleased with these. I can see the French will be the next box I get from Crusader. Should have picked them up at the show but was a bit purchased out by the time I got back to the stand. That and I still have a lot of Ruskies to finish.

28mm WWII for Rate of Fire

I have been studying the Rate of Fire rules for a while now and will soon have two opposing sides to game with in 28mm, not that you couldn't use 20mm for RoF. So far I have Plastic Soldier Co. Soviets and Crusader Miniatures Early Germans. I have to say for £20 for a bow full of figures the Crusader figures are hard to beat, they are more robust than Bolt Action, which I have found to have flimsy rifles and need a lot more modelling work than Crusader figures. Anyway, here are a couple of shots of some I have done so far. I think I have over weathered the Gerries?

I picked up 20 or so each of winter dressed Germans and Yanks at the Newcastle show last month. I can't remember what make these are but I'm hoping to pick up more at the next show. I even have some basing 'snow' to use when basing them up. They will be for an Ardennes scenario, again for Rate of Fire rules. I'm hoping to have both finished by the Yorkshire Coast Wargamers Christmas do. Some nice bazookas!

Turning to the Dark Side (Games Workshop)

It had to happen sooner or later I suppose. For the past couple of months I've been lurking in the local games workshop and have increasingly felt like I was missing out. The shop is only a few steps away from my work office so all too convinient as well. Anyway, after a friend had inspired me with some fantasty/zombie gaming possibilities I was moved to have a go at some GW figures. I've always liked the Imperial Guard and the Valkyrie drop ship is awsome - if mega expensive. I didn't buy an army box in case I hated them and in the first hour of building the figures I was glad I didn't, I've since got better at putting them togther though. The cost has always put me off, but the availability of other players with other armies means you don't have to worry too much about making two opposing sides. Having said that my other prefered army was the Necrons, I can see me getting those when they are re-released.

I finished the first one today and quickly painted him as I would a WWII figure, quickly with a wash or two, dry brushed, varnished and job done. I'm not up to the standard of most GW figure painters but I'd rather get an army done and ready to game with.



I bought a Citadel carry case too. Compared to what you would pay for a case from a 'historical' type wargames manufacturer they are quite reasonable and very tough. Hopefully I'll be on the move with these figures quite a bit!