More Bronze Age Warriors.

 

I have taken some more photos of my North European Bronze Age collection , above a selection of various warriors in combat .

 

 

Skirmishers - skirmishing ! , mainly Foundry but with the odd Warlord figure (I think?) thrown in . I did quite a few conversions as there are not many variants out there.

 

 

Bronze Age Warlords with added plastic skulls and trophies.

 

 

Warlords in chariots .

 

 

A domestic scene- again Foundry figures , the cows are Gripping Beast , I have some pigs as well to paint up for this era . I have found that photographing these figures has got me interested in this period again and I am planning to paint up the few remaining figures I have . 

 

 

 

 

Bronze Age Warriors

 

Quite a few years ago or little group were into 'Warhammer Ancient Battles' rules and I must admit they revitalised or 25mm Ancient collections , this was also the era when 'Foundry' did some amazing army deals - really cheap ! (how times change). This prompted me to purchase 2 Bronze Age European armies , not the most popular choice but at that time I was actively involved in archaeology and this era fascinated me as it still does .

 

 

I did a lot of research into the dyeing and textiles preserved on various 'bog bodies' to get the right colours (there are a series of books by a Danish professor with wonderful name of  P.V. Glob !) and painted them up .Sadly they have not seen action for many years but I still  hold them in great affection, perhaps sometime in the future I will dig them out again and use them.  

 

Napoleonic General De Brigade Game.

 

At the weekend 'A' called around and we set up and played a small Gen d' Brig game to remind me of the rules. In the past we played them a lot using 15mm figures but this was my first time using my 25mm figures and the new edition of the rules. I had 2 brigades a infantry one and a cavalry , set up as above.

 

 

'A' set up his force of late Prussians , we had about 700pts each .

 

 

We had agreed on a simple head to head meeting scenario .

 

 

To start the ball rolling I sent my cavalry to attack his cavalry - from this moment on the game went down hill for me !.

 

 

My cavalry are driven back - then when he follows them up they break and flee the field !

 

 

My infantry advance and a protracted fire-fight begins in which my men don't seem to be able to hit a barn door !- and it gets worse !

 

 

In desperation because my right flank is exposed to his reforming cavalry , I decide to charge him !

 

 

Not only did my infantry fail to charge home but his cavalry charged and caused my flank unit to flee . This meant adjacent units had to take morale rolls - which they failed ! , this meant I had to take a Brigade morale test which my Brigade failed ! - and fled the field !

 

 

A sample of my dice rolling !. Although I had a run of bad luck - even 'A' admitted he was lucky , the game went well and although we were a bit rusty at times with the rules I am keen to have another go at them .

 

 

The victory feast for Generals that do not fear calories !

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

Napoleonic Problems Part 2

On my other blog I was telling of my problems finding a suitable set of Napoleonic rules with which to play games using my 28mm Foundry figures (http://tinsoldieringon.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/napoleonic-problems.html) This has been highlighted by reading 'Incomparable' a regimental history of the 9th French Light Infantry during the Napoleonic wars . I am usually very careful what I read on the military side of things as it can send one off on a tangent ! but I fell into the trap as the book is very good and so I began thinking about my abandoned 28mm armies . Having the weekend to myself somewhat I sat down and listed all the various Napoleonic rules I have tried over the years and scored them out of 10 , to my surprise the rule set that seemed to tick the most boxes was - General de Brigade ! . The only problem was my collection was originally designed for a 'Old School' type system and the individual basing and paint jobs reflected this .

 

So I thought about re-basing them ! - I HATE  re-basing ! , then I remembered the movement trays I had got from 'Warbases' which would hold penny sized figure bases . I decided to do a bit of an experiment so I coated the figure bases and the trays with a fine layer of 'Basetex' waited till it dried and dry brushed it and add static grass.

 

 

Here is the result, I will leave the figures a high gloss but redo the bases as above .

 

 

Another photo of the first French regiment done - 65th Ligne. This is going to take a while but I think it will be worth it in the long run !.

 

 

A group of Generals meet to discuss how they will perform under the rules. I have had the new edition of the rules since they came out a couple of years ago but have not really sat down with them to study them properly , although I played the old edition a lot about ten years ago -a good set of rules but it is important not to let the games get to big as this can slow them down . So myself and 'A' are planning a small game this next weekend to try them out again - I hope to report on a successful game , Too be continued .......

 

 

 

 

 

Blowing up the Bridge (3)

 

The White Russians and Bandits charge across the bridge as the remaining 'Reds' flee !.

 

 

Some more guards are alerted and move towards the bridge.

 

 

D'Anger gives his bearers a shinny sixpence each for delivering the explosives and they scamper off to safety . He sets to wiring up the charges ready to blow the bridge.

 

 

Suzi Wong and her band charge the Russians but fall short and start to take casualties.

 

 

The new unit of guards charge towards towards the bridge but are pinned down by the 'White' Russians and fail their morale roll and flee !.

 

 

At this point D'Anger got very lucky ( he needed to roll a '6' on the first move to set the charge off , a '5'or'6' on move two etc ) and rolled a '6' and was able to set the explosives off destroying the bridge !. This will prevent the Bolsheviks transporting the captured Royal family to Moscow by train and so they will have to use a cross country route . D'Anger has now time to plot a rescue attempt . Too be continued ....

 

 

 

 

 

 

Blowing up the Bridge (2)

 

The game started with the 2 units of Chinese bandits breaking cover and charging towards the bridge , the Bolsheviks opened fire on them killing one figure .

 

 

Hiram Holliday and the 'White' Russians charged down the railway track towards the bridge.

 

 

Hiram opens fire and pins the 'Reds' down .

 

 

The 'Whites' charge and the pinned 'Reds' flee .

 

 

All this shooting awakes the Commissar Ivan Borodin (the Red Hero).

 

 

He alerts the veteran Siberian Rifles and they rush to reinforce the bridge.

 

 

Hiram leads his unit across the bridge under heavy fire losing 3 men (the little groups of pebbles on coins keep track of the suppression's caused on the unit, these reduce the units efficiency, when they equal the number of figures left in the unit they must take a moral test). The bandits also charge across eager for loot.

 

 

D'Anger and his bearers move onto the bridge , things are going to plan - so far ! . Too be continued......

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Blowing up the Bridge (1)

 

I'm ready to play my first game using 'Triumph & Tragedy', each unit has a card with it's stats on it - red for the Bolsheviks , green for the Allies. The others are the order cards issued each move to each unit as it is activated. In the past I've used these rules a lot and found them a easy and fun set to use.

 

 

The table set out , the bridge which the Allies have to blow up to prevent the Royal family being move to Moscow crosses a stream. , Although only a minor structure it is not well guarded and its destruction would take many days to repair in this remote region .

 

 

Captain D'Anger counts as a hero in the rules (one per side) and his 2 bearers carrying the high explosives to demolish the bridge.

 

 

American Hiram Holliday (with his trusty BAR light m/g) and a group of 'White' Russian soldiers in the service of the local Chinese warlord (veterans) who has loaned them to ingratiate himself with the British.

 

 

A unit of Chinese bandits lead by Soh Long loured by the promise of British gold sovereigns and loot. ( untrained and only half armed with rifles)

 

 

Another unit of bandits lead by his enigmatic daughter Suzi Wong (untrained and only half armed with rifles), her reasons for joining the attack  are not yet clear.

 

 

The guards at the bridge (untrained) .The remainder of the force are asleep in the station buildings nearby. It is dawn and they are blissfully unaware of what is going to happen.

 

 

Hiram and his men move forward under cover of the woods ready for the signal to attack the bridge.

 

 

D'Anger 'encourages' his bearers forward - they are less than happy about carrying their loads of explosives into action. Both sides point values are equal (450 point) and about 36 figures aside. Too be continued.......