Battlegroup North 2012

Unfortunately I misssed the first day due to still being ill, had a bad week. I dragged myself there today and despite feeling rough had a cracking day. So glad I didn't miss it. We play tested Normandy Firefight, it's good, extremely detailed and you don't want more than a figure each at first. I may end up chopping elements of the system out and making a quicker play game to use with more figures.

Purchase wise I bought more than I did at Triples last week. Met a new trader who sells second hand unpainted (and painted) figures. I came away with more Artizan desert war figures: 16 Italian riflemen, 2 officers, plus 4 unknown make Italians (look like Bolt Action but they don't do them?) and 8 British Comandos. Nearly got an Afrika Corps mortar crew but didn't think I'd use it in a game. Also bought a stunning desert Sherman for the Brits for a tenner, it's a corgi classics 1/50 scale. These things go for £30 on ebay! The seller had other tanks in the same make but I'm trying to be sensible with my buying these days. Also bought a die cast corgi type US jeep for £3, usually these are about £12! Again I could have had two of them but decided to be frugal.
The wargames show was great. Lots of Rapid Fire games, Colin was there with his and won runner up display game. The winner was a group from Manchester I think with an early war game, full of French tanks and lots of scratch built terrain, fleeing civilians etc.
The military show aspect seemed a bit quieter than normal, same traders but it all seemed a bit more cramped and not as well laid out. Same people there as every year plus a few more, more obscure, re-enactors such as Vietnam era US Special Forces. Interesting to see well done re-enactors, the one's with plastic weapons and generic 'army' gear always perplex me, still they seem to be having fun.
Here are some pics of an excellent day!

How we begin the day!

Roger helping me play test Normandy Firefight. (Note the Sherman I had just bought!)

A wargames group from Manchester put this participation game on with their own very simple rules, getting kids involved! The game was a Western Desert airbourne (Fallschirmjager) drop.

One of the Rapid Fire games.

This game took the trophy for best game. Lots of scratch built and improvised scenery!

Colin Rumford and crew with the runner up demo game.

Preparations for Battlegroup North

I was hoping to take a desert war version of our toy soldier rules to this years Battlegroup North weekend but I don't have as many Afrika Corps painted as I should have. However, I have recently bought the excellent skirmish rule set Normandy Firefight, designed for small groups of 3-6 figures a side and aimed at 1/32 scale figures. I'm hoping to play test these at Ayton. It might even be that we do a new version of the toy soldier rules with elements of the Normandy Firefight rules mixed in to add interest to game play and slow down the usual carnage. I bought these amazing Artizan 28mm figs at Triples last weekend. Bought 4 8th army, 4 SAS and 8 Africa corps. Plenty enough for a game of Normandy Battles. First 4 are done. Just need to make sure I get the others done by Friday! I will be using my new desert scenery and buildings on a 3x3 board. Have some nice Pegasus palm trees too! More pics to follow.

Ayton 2012

This year our small wargames group hosted it's second game weekend at West Ayton Village Hall. I only managed to pop along for a couple of hours but played a round of A Very British Civil War, with the Brigadier 38 rule set. This was probably the most fun to play game I have tried in quite a while. It felt like a 40k skirmish, 3 players a side with Bob umpiring. Here are some photos from the game and some photos from the large Imaginations game, umpired by Henry Hyde of Battlegames magazine and attended by anyone who is anyone in the world of 18th Century make-belive!

New Force on Force stuff

I feel like I've been neglecting my wargaming recently. So, newly refreshed after a holiday to Centre Parcs I've been getting on with painting some Ceasar Miniatures moderns for a few games of Force on Force. I dug out these that I bought a while back and had a few undercoated already. I was inspired by Roger's British that he had been painting recently and I thought I'd have a go at copying his painting style of drybrushing on black undercoated figures.

 

I've not quite managed to paint these as well as Roger's but they look quite effective from a distance. The scenery is by Last Valley. I picked a whole load of this great desert scenery up from Vappa last month and I'm looking forward to using it.



The Modern US Army box has some awesome figures in it, there is a great sniper pose. The 'Militia' box has a mix of Arabic and African militia, this is ok as you get to field two different opponents from the one box but you end up with limited poses. You could game scenarios from both the Enduring Freedom and Day of the Rangers supplements from the Force on Force range of books with just these two boxes. I've ordred the Urban Resisters box too just to make up the numbers for the 'Arabic' side. I've also ordered a box of modern Germans in desert gear, which will give a good representation of a NATO force, especially if I get the British and French later. (The French come randomly with Chinese special forces?)

I also picked up this Iraqi T72 from a local shop that was selling off their 1/72 scale pre painted diecast tanks. This one is by Forces of Valor. Hope to win a few ebay bids on various other bits this week.

Love this picture!

Just had to post this. I bought a book on the history of wargaming at Vapnartak this month and it's making great reading. I've always loved the classic wargames books, even if the rules are a bit ropey sometimes. I've always wanted to make a demo game with traditional figures and rules, scenery etc. Hopefully someday!

28mm Middle East

Hoping to play Force on Force with these 28mm Israeli soldiers. These were bought at Vapnartak years ago, one of those 'because they look nice' purchases that you never do anything with. I didn't have a suitable rule set until I recently bought Force on Force but they lend themselves so well to it I had to paint them up. I tracked down the maker and they are by Mongrel Miniatures, who now distribute through Newline Designs. The same company makes Syrians (which I now have 20 of) and PLO to put against they Israelis. They also do Russians/Afghans and various NATO troops and Pakistanis interestingly. Probably for Black Hawk Down scenarios (the Americans were in part rescued by a Pakistani UN force) That and modern day Afghan scenarios.

Hope to play a game soon so will be racing to get the Syrians painted in the next week or so. I have just won a whole 28mm middle east village that I saw on ebay too so just need some desert shrubery and I'm done!

Here are some pics of the village:

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/