Thursday 26 October 2017

Ancients, Colonials & Napoleonics


Saturday  October 2017 - WDW
(Mega) Bolt Action WW2 - ended in stalemate.

S & T  Russia v Sweden in Finland - overwhelming Swedish victory.

S & T  Napoleon v Ottomans in Egypt and the Levant - narrow victory to the Ottomans.


Tuesday 24th October 2017

A new update to my early access version of Triumph (0.7) arrived.  A number of minor changes and clarifications.  No doubt I will get around to reading through them - when time allows.  Still wish that Washington Grand Company would just do an update sheet.


 DBA v3.0 - watched some new videos by Tony Aguillar (and company) on YouTube:

(a)  Polybian Roman v Later Carthaginian
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IYThI--o8-8
The Carthaginians achieved a decisive victory (the Roman general threw as badly as me).

(b)  Tang Chinese vs. Nanzhao
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tUfcCcLoCCM
The Tang were blown away by fast pikes - bows are very weak in combat.

Some interesting pointers were taken from these games.


 Army of Egypt 1798 - has reached article 4.  Here's a link to article 1:

http://miniaturasmilitaresalfonscanovas.blogspot.co.uk/2017/10/army-of-egypt-1798-n-4-napoleonic.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+MiniaturasMilitaresPorAlfonsCnovas+(MINIATURAS+MILITARES+POR+ALFONS+C%C3%80NOVAS)

Illustrations of French uniforms of the period - interesting - some of the text in Spanish (which I can just about manage).  I think Strelets or Red Box produce some 1/72 figures for this period and so does BUM (if I could ever source a supplier in the UK). 


Off to Mytholmroyd on Saturday so hopefully a visit to Halifax (model shop) is on the cards!



Thursday 19 October 2017

Life is Not a Bowl of Cherries

 Saturday  14th October 2017 

Got another book to read:

As I am still wading my way through Stilicho  this one will have to wait its turn.  On the positive side there are no papers in my reading pile (whew!).  No fiction either for that matter.



Monday 16th October 2017 - WDW

Of course I wasn't there - no transport - but I do know what went on:

Bolt Action - British v Germans with a narrow German victory

DBM - Ancient Britons v Early Imperial Romans

Hordes of Things (mini competition)

Andrew won 1 game
Tim won one game
Andrew and Ian played a third game

Results / further details when I get them.


Tuesday 17th October 2017

Downloaded a copy of DBC and gave them a quick glance. 

Looks like I need to refer to the DBN rules for clarification on terrain deployment and "shaken" status.  I think I know who has a copy!
Once that's done I intend having a solo scrap - watch this space.



Thursday 12 October 2017

The Black Jacobins

Monday 9th October 2017 - WDW

Bolt Action - Germans v British
HotT (1) - Rats v Zulus
HotT (2) - Goblins v Zulus

DBM - Normans v Communal Italian - I exceeded my personal best on bad dice throwing.  I suffered at least 3 x 6:1 and many more 6:2 or 5:1.  Whenever only a 1 could end in defeat I managed it.  Both of my commands were broken.  Chris could only look on and weep!


Tuesday 10th October 2017 

My copy of Wargames Illustrated 277 (Nov 2010) arrived.  I had shelled out £3.90 for one article - "An Island in Flames - The Revolution in Haiti 1791-1804" by Neil Smith.  The 8 pages were interesting if a little over-burdened with pretty pictures.  The blurb at the end says - "Look out for more Trouble in the Caribbean in future issues when we follow up this article with more on Haiti's Struggle for Independence."  Does anybody know if such an article actually appeared?

I had already read "The Black Jacobins" by CLR James but never thought of it as a wargaming project.  Now that I am sorting out my loft space I am trying to decide what can be used and/or converted and what goes to the next Bring & Buy. 

Given the amount of half-painted Napoleonics I have (mostly Airfix) it seems a pity not to, at least, try to use them. Some have already found themselves fighting in the South American Wars of Independence and others in the 1812 American War.  The first half of the Haitian conflict would need Revolutionary French figures but the latter a mixture of Napoleonic French, Spanish, British and some native 'mash-ups'.  Will I do more than just think about it?

In addition to the above I found two more articles of value:

"Spanish Silver" - fighting in the American SW - Spanish v Indians.
"Ireland's Norman Invasion" by Paul Leach

Otherwise the issue seems to be populated by WW2 articles for which, obviously, there is plenty of information available.  About as captivating as two day old porridge!


Wednesday 11th October 2017

Finished the last of the ERB stories:

11)  "Tarzan and the Land That Time Forgot" by Joe R Lansdale (46p) - plenty of adventure but little character development


My last comment could apply to the entire book, and indeed the writings of ERB himself.  The modern authors have tried to give indivuals more 'life' but in the short story format that is difficult.  To me adventure comics (and stories) of ERBs era were just romping good yarns with stereotype heroes, damsels in distress and crisis after crisis.  Styles and tastes have moved on.


Saturday 7 October 2017

Yes It's Saturday (Again)

Monday 2nd October 2017 - WDW

HotT - (1) Lizardmen v Samurai (2) not recorded
Black Powder - ACW
Bolt Action (WW2) - Japanese v Americans

DBM - Chola Empire v other Tamil Indians.  Regular troops with blades versus (very) irregular warband.  The terrain suited the empire with a steep hill on the left flank and a wood on the right.  The Tamils had a large wood and a steep hill in their central sector.  My central command fell to pieces against the enemy bows (before they even got to the blades).


Wednesday 4th October 2017

The fourth issue of "Wargamer's Notes Quarterly" has just come out. 

"Conington Contraband' - French v Rebels
"Breaking New Ground" - renaissance campaign - the Italians
"Chit Games" - Barnet 1471 - played as a 3-hander
"Making a Fort for the Caribbean" - 18C
"Eureka Stockade" - Australia 1854
"Atlantic Breakout" - WW2 Naval
"Battle of Fehrbellin 1675" - Swedes v Brandenburgers
"Building a Boat" - Australian colonial 'flat irons'
"Combat of Dva Mosta" - Russians v French Napoleonic)

If you want to receive a copy (or even submit an article) contact the authors by email at:  wargamersnotebook@gmail.com


Saturday 7th October 2017 - Gt. Houghton

4 games of DBA v3.0 - started around 13.10 and finished about 16.30.  Clearly we are getting more used to the rules - but I am still making mistakes!

Game 1: Lysimachid v Thracians - my usual dice throwing but managed to lose  only 3 to 4 - time 60 mins.

Game 2: Italiot Greeks v Samnites - I managed to keep a good line of hoplites and the lack of enemy movement dice meant that my flank was not turned. - a 6 to 0 win - 40 mins.

Game 3: Moorish v Maurikian Byzantine (single based Cv) - I almost threw this one away but poor enemy dice prevailed - a 4 to 0 win - 30 mins.

Game 4: Moorish v Maurikian Byzantine (double based Cv) - I used the terrain reasonably well this time (but still forgot about the road movement.  A 4 to 1 win - 40 mins.

The dice gods were definitely on my side after the first game.  I even had 3 x 6:1 results.  I have promised not to gloat (makes a change from my usual losses though).


Home - Two more of the ERB stories read:

9)  "To the Nearest Planet" by Todd McCaffrey (64p) - Poloda and its associated planets - as told by a ghostly typewriter - not a bad yarn at all.

10)  "The Dead World" by F Paul Wilson (58p) - inner Earth - rather long-winded but it got there eventually.