Saint Georges Day.

Does one wish people a 'Merry Saint Georges Day ? , I always find it a bit annoying that the rest of the U.K. make a bit thing of their saints days and the English quietly forget their own , so a 'Happy Saint Georges Day' to you all !. 

Problems.

I am having problems downloading photos to Blogger , so there may be a (hopefully) short break till normal service is resumed.

The Donald Featherstone Memorial Game (Part 2)

 

 

 

On my right flank the infantry advances onto the table

 

 

And comes under accurate Artillery fire !

 

 

'S' counters it by sending his Chasseur's through the woods.

 

 

In the centre my columns cross the river to find their way blocked by 'S's Turco's.

 

 

The forces clash on the hill top and I start to get the upper hand !

 

 

'S' rushes reinforcements to hold up my attack ! - at this point the battle was defiantly going my way !. BUT I then did a series of things that snatched defeat from the jaws of victory !.

 

 

I ignored his lancers and moved my infantry up in column to cut his centre - they charged and my Jaegers and Artillery failed to stop them with supporting fire !.

 

 

Under Don's rules getting charged in the flank is NOT a good thing - they broke and were cut down by the Lancers - Oh dear !

 

 

In the centre my Bavarians lost their last officer, failed a moral test and fled back across the river , the Wurttemberg infantry on their flank then failed their moral test for a flank unit fleeing and broke as well - Oh dear !.

 

 

'S's view of the table - he had started pulling his units back just prior to my debacle now with a grin on his face he countermanded this and followed up my fleeing forces !. 

 

 

The situation on the last move , the Bavarians continue to flee but the Wurttemberg unit is rallied by the Prussian High Command .

 

 

The French Zouaves move forward to control the ridge , urged on by their Cantiniere !

 

 

One of the only rule changes we made was to allow one French casualty to re roll a failed saving throw if a Cantiniere was present - if he was successful she had revived him with her brandy !.

 

 

To add insult to injury 'S' managed to cause casualties on my gun preventing it from firing . It was French victory - due to my mistakes and a touch of bad luck . We both agreed it had been a good and tense game , the rules worked well after 50 odd years and took only 2 hours to play . We hope it was a fitting memorial to a great wargamer . Who knows it may become a seasonal tradition !.

P.S. on seeing the photo of us in the first instalment, 'S' said that it did not make me look fat - only 'portly' - Not sure if he is trying to be kind or it's a pun !?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Donald Featherstone Memorial Game 2013 (Part 1)

 

It was decided about a month ago to do a memorial game in the style of and to commemorate Donald Featherstone and his rules. 'S' set me a challenge to get my Franco Prussian War figures all painted ready for the game - which I manage to do - just !. We decided to dress formally as people in Don's early photos appear - 'S' sporting his fathers cravat and smoking jacket and myself a collar and tie . Here we are toasting Don's memory . I said to my wife "I don't like this photo it makes me look fat !"- she replied "but you are !, Hmm ! 'Et to Bruti' !

 

 

'S' steps back into 1960's mode . I've tried several different types of 'messing about' with photos techniques in this report to try and capture the period - some work better than others.

 

 

We played the scenario from Don's first book but with Franco Prussian figures instead of ACW  ones. The Terrain was set up as close as I could manage to the Platteville Valley . I took the Prussians and 'S' the French (he's a bit of a Francophile). Here is the situation at the end of the second move , my Bavarians and Wurttembergers  move towards the river as 'S's troops move down the road towards the bridge.

 

 

On move Three the rest of the units came onto their respective board edges, my Hussars came onto the table near the bridge and dashed across it much to 'S's consternation ! - my 'Coup D' Elite' !

 

 

On the other flank the main force of my infantry marched on .

 

 

The situation at the end of the Third move .

 

 

'S's troops way is blocked by the miniature bottle of Port.

 

 

'S's left flank with the French Lancers in reserve.

 

 

My Hussars cross the bridge and deploy and in the centre my infantry move over the river .

 

 

My Hussars charge the French line and block the line of sight of my deployed Artillery ! Rats!.

 

 

They take casualties but in a close fought melee they hold the French advance up !.

 

 

The French Mitrailleuse is knocked out by the Prussian gun .

 

 

The much depleated Hussars retire their mission completed - but at a cost !. So far Don's rules had stood the test of time ! . Too be continued ........

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Merry Christmas And A Happy New Year.

 

Here's wishing you all a Happy Christmas and a prosperous New Year and thanks for your support in the last one and here's to the next ! - Cheers Tony.

Donald Featherstone R.I.P.

 

Turned on the computer this morning to find out that Donald Featherstone had died , I never met the man but his book (above) altered my life and sent it down the path of endless painting of toy soldiers and wargaming - for this I feel I am very fortunate indeed . A great man - we shall not see his like again

 

 

 

 

'Messing About With Toy Soldiers' (sic)

 

A half overheard conversation of my wife on the phone to some unspecified friend/relative .... 'Tony must be feeling better, he is messing about with his toy soldiers in the garden' (!?)

Poorly Sickly.

Been under the weather this last week - caught one of those 24 hour summer bugs that lasted about 4 days and so my mind and body have not been to far from the bathroom (not to be too graphic !) . This has left me with lethargy and no appetite (hope this will do wonders for my waistline ) hence the lack of posts of late . Hopefully normal service will be resumed soon !.

A Trip to the Dark Side.

 

Okay so I'm jumping on the 'band wagon' but having read several reviews and seen some of the demo films about it on 'You Tube' I took the plunge and bought a couple of the starter sets of X-Wing - Oh and a playing mat - and some asteroids - you need asteroids don't you !.

 

 

The Rebel X wing fighter with control dial to plot your movement . They come prepainted so you can be playing in minutes , the rules are a refined version of the popular WW1  air-war rules .

 

 

The opposition a Imperial TIE fighter - Boo Hiss !.

 

 

Having plotted your move on the dial you then use a template to move the space ship, here a bank to the right.

 

 

The baddy turns to the left , the counter is a 'action counter' that enables the ship to respond to firing etc - here it is an evade one.

 

 

He opens fire at long range !.

 

 

Dice are rolled - Red for the attack , Green for the defence. The Green evade symbols counteract the one hit on the Red dice - blank being a miss.

 

 

The Rebel ship fires now and is easily evaded .

 

 

The thing that makes it work so well for me playing solo most of the time is a system of solo rules for X-Wing from -

 

 

 

http://www.tynesidewargames.co.uk/xwingrules.html

 

Very clever and well thought out they give you at times a very tough opponent , the above template is used to find out in which segment your nearest enemy is and a dice roll gets you a course to plot and a suitable action counter .

 

 

And of course you HAVE to have one of these !, the only down side is you end up making the all the swooshing and laser sounds to yourself - and embarrassingly to your wife as she peers into the gaming room to see what's going on !. May the Force be with you !.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

An Indulgence

Have add a link to a new blog I have set up to record my retirement . Nothing to do with wargaming but it records my day to day doings out and about with explorations by bicycle and on foot in my local area. There will be lots of pretty pictures (well hopefully), some flora and fauna and observations on local archaeology and landscapes . My constant battle with Horticulture will also be commented on (without strong language hopefully) and maybe comments on what I'm reading at the moment or even excursions to the cinema !. All blogging is an indulgence and this one even more so ! . Apologies before I start , pop across sometime and have a peek !.

The Author at Play.

 

The writer relaxes in his gaming room only to be interrupted by his spouse !

Retire !

 

No I have not rolled a '1' on my moral test and am forced to retire - after 43 years in the same job I have been offered and have decided to take Voluntary Redundancy ! . After years of working outside in all weathers doing a manual job and suffering the aches and pains it brings I must admit I jumped at the chance . I started in 1970 for Westmorland County Council Highways Department at 16 years old and now Cumbria County Council (as it is now) are cutting back on Highway Maintenance personal I thought it time to get out , in the near future I am going to be a 'House Husband' and see how it goes . This will give me more time to wargame but not as much money to spend on it which is not a bad thing I believe . This will mean my wife can get a dog - she already has her eyes set on a Spaniel puppy - so dog walking is on the cards as well !. I have been looking through my 'Lead Mountain' and with so many unfinished projects I have enough to be going on with for quite a while I believe . Oh and there's the jungle I call the garden to sort out as well !.

Spring Cleaning .

 

BEFORE !

 

 

AFTER !

Been having a bit of a clean up , got rid of a lot of old paints and reorganised my painting tray . One factor is that I have started using Vallejo paints , having found that our local 'Boyes' sells them - so no more trips into Games Workshop to be cross examined by some spotty youth on "what are you painting now ?" - and the baffled look when you say - "Seven Years War Hessian Grenadiers !". Plus they are cheaper and seem to have more in the tubes. How long will it remain tidy ????

 

 

Aquarium Scenery

 

Was at 'Pets at Home' the other day and I always look at the aquarium section as there can be things of use for gaming and I came across the above on a 3 for 2 offer so I could not resist them !.

 

 

Was not sure what I was going to actually do with it , but it has Oriental overtones so it will be Fung Shwei's garden of earthly paradise !.I add MDF bases and tarted them up a bit .

 

 

But in this garden there are serpents ! - Bandits !!!. Hopefully this scenery will be featuring in future conflicts !.

 

 

And Now For Something Entirely Different - Again

 

Every now and again I get the felling I want to paint something totally different from the run of the mill stuff I'm doing , Whilst searching under my wargaming table (a dark and potentially dangerous place - head protection should be worn - the number of times I have bumped my head !) I came across a box of 15mm Sci-Fi figures . Years ago I played a lot of 'Laserburn' and  these were purchased cheap off a bring & buy at a show to be reinforcements I think . They had never been out of their packets so I decided to clean them up and base them .

 

 

They are based on 'the little grey men ' of  Roswell fame, not sure what I am going to do with them as I remember 'Laserburn' were rather complex, but there must be some easier modern rules out there to use them with.