Friday, August 13, 2010

It's all about the Hats!

We have been known to take the issue of hats at games seriously. Conrad Kinch has a rather splendid collection which has given gallant service at various conventions over the years.

Though the full-dress uniform of the École Polytechnique of France puts us to shame with its marvellous bicorne - Why was I not informed of this when making my university choice! (Mr. Kinch may scoff at the French from time to time, but even he may be moved to open admiration...)

But for the edification of voters (prompted by Mr. Kinch's comment). Here are some sample pictures (taken from the vendor websites) of the miniatures most likely to be used in the projects:

Elizabethan Adventurers (from Foundry)

Pilgrims (from Perry Miniatures)


Highwayman (from Outpost)


Voting booth closes late Sunday night...

Wednesday, August 11, 2010

Loitering...

"O illiterate loiterer!"
Taken from: The Two Gentlemen of Verona

While I procrastinate over my next project...

You may have noticed a few weeks back in my 100+ post blogging retrospective that I am considering a new small project for the William Atkinson Memorial Build over on The Guild. The theme is simple but broad - "England" - but I don't want to do something that just slots into one of my existing collections.


I was thinking a small selection of miniatures and maybe a scenario/game to go with them...

-Medieval Pilgrims (defending themselves against an unjust toll)
-Elizabethan Adventurers (a bar brawl over some Shakespearean insult)
-Highwayman & Victims (well, a highway robbery obviously!)

There's a poll on the right to see if people have any preferences, but again comments would be welcome with the pros and cons. The Elizabethan option is in the lead (hence the Shakespearean Insult)

Wednesday, August 4, 2010

Town and Country

Some additions to the Afghan collection, mostly colour, but very useful for scenarios.

An EOD Robot (Northrup Grumman Mk.8 'Wheelbarrow' ) advances towards a suspect crashed car
EOD Robot

Dog Handler and Mine Detector sweep the terrain nearby
Dog Handler and Mine Detector

EOD officer in suit briefed by colleague, with robot control team set up against wall
EOD Briefing

Busy checkpoint manned by contractors
Busy Checkpoint

Private Military Contractors
PMC Team

Motorbike with heavily armed men looks for detour
Motorbike

Legendary jingle truck
Jingle Truck

Civilian biker (or is it a Dicker?)
Civilian Biker

Locals having a chat
Civilians having a Chat

Civilian group heading to market
Civilian Group

Sunday, July 25, 2010

Get to the Chopper!

The second part to yesterday's post.

Having pushed the other team in from the wall and into the compound and having wiped out the support team, the fire team in the barn is the only British element overlooking the eastern sector. The Taliban engage them in a firefight, with the rest of their fellows in disorder, but are almost wiped out
Easternmost Taliban settle in for firefight, but are almost wiped out

Talbian team skirt battlezone to bring relief to their comrades at the perimeter wall
Talbian team skirt battlezone to bring relief to comrades

British team at the barricade take fire from farm wall, their return fire has some effect
British team take fire from farm wall

But the fire team in the barn really put the hurt on them
Team in barn put the hurt on Taliban

Combined groups in the western sector stage a mass attack across open ground
Mass attack across open ground

And they have a significant effect, as the British start to take casualties on the ground. Back inside the compound though, the troop RTO has made contact with 'Grim' and he has plotted an extraction point to the east
British start to take casualties on the ground

The command team reaches the out-of-action GPMG team, to find two dead and one just dazed - the GPMG gunner (although he was always a bit deaf anyway!). Dragging their casualties through the compound they get ready to move out
Command team reach GPMG team

Having wiped out the dangerous attack on the west side, the withdrawal begins, starting with the fire-team at the barricades
Withdrawal begins

The Taliban come back out into open to count casualties, and they engage the British in a firefight as they do so
Taliban come back out into open

The command team leads the way, with the GPMG gunner on point (everyone else is helping with the casualty evacuation)
Let's move out

Covering fire from a team at the perimeter wall takes care of the last significant Taliban group
Covering fire

Or so they thought! Fresh reinforcements arrive and the RPK and AKs open up from the trees at the flank of the command team, bringing two of them down
Final ambush

Miraculously, both the troop leader and medic survive with minor abrasions from hitting the dirt (later they reckon that Corporal Williams' dead body took most of the fire
Leave no man behind

Out last, having provided overwatch fire for the final move to the treeline, this fire team finished off Taliban casualties in their path
Making sure

Fresh Taliban reinforcements are too late, having just come in on the road from the eastern sector. They'll never reach the British in time.

Total British Losses: 3 KIA, 2 Serious Wounds
Taliban losses estimated as: 5 KIA, 12 serious wounds, 23 undetermined

Post-Mortem:
The Talbian's plan was to attempt to generally engage the British across the battlefield, in order to then overwhelm the GPMG team, which was placed on the highest point of the compound. The first move was to attack the command team (upon which the greatest hopes of extraction lay) but by a group the GPMG team could still intervene against.
This worked very well, and once that happened the command team, without any support on the northern sector was forced to withdraw.
They failed to capitalise on this though, as the team in the barn acquited itself very well indeed, pretty much keeping the entire eastern sector under its mailed fist.
While the Taliban's reinforcements weren't as numerous as they could have been they weren't terribly low, and the RTO still being around at turn 4 meant that the extraction point was set as early as possible.

A big nod to Jim Hunsinger too! A worthy winner of the 'To the Last Round' competition

Saturday, July 24, 2010

Things are looking Grim


Ambushed by a large force of Taliban and cut off from retreat, an SAS Troop, call-sign 'Dragon' makes for the crumbling remains of an old farmstead, which would provide refuge for the beleagured team. An American CH-57 Chinook, callsign: 'Grim' has been scrambled but will take some time to arrive at the nearest extraction zone.

The British move into the farm compound, it looks suitable as a temporary hold-out.
British move into the farm

Will someone get rid of these goats (Sergeant Evans has had bad experiences with goats ruining hidden positions in Iraq)
Someone get rid of these goats

A Taliban probe from the northeast is turned back by command team
Taliban probe turned back by command team

A fire team sets up on roof top of barn in time to support a second attack on the command team's position
Fire Team sets up on roof top of barn

Taliban move to edge of treeline to fire on that team
Taliban move to edge of treeline to fire on barn

But they come off second best in that exchange
And come off second best

A Taliban team moves through field from the west, using the cover to screen it from any interference
Taliban team moves through field

Meanwhile another team closes in from the northern treeline
Taliban closes in from north

And combining with them is a team from the western sector to put immense pressure on the GPMG team
And from west putting pressure on GPMG team

They take fearful losses, but the GPMG team is down to just the gunner himself
And takes fearful losses

The British fire team behind the barricade reacts quickly to give their mates respite, at least temporarily
British behind barricade react quickly

But the GPMG team goes silent after another fusilade
But GPMG team goes silent after fusilade

Reinforcements arrive from west to bring casualties in the copse of trees back into the fray
Reinforcements arrive from west

The MI6 officer goes down but the return fire wipes out that Taliban squad - this'd better not be serious or the detailed intelligence gained from the mission will be lost...
MI6 officer goes down

Another group of Taliban take a risk to move across open ground in support of the wiped-out group
Taliban move across open ground to support wiped-out team

One survives and is forced back into the trees to see the British command team leg it into the compound
One survives to see command team leg it

The command team gets inside the compound safely and attempts to get 'Grim' on the radio...
Inside the compound

Can the troop hold on until their exfiltration?

See the full scenario here
I'll post the remainder of the game tomorrow [now posted: Get to the Chopper!]

Sunday, July 18, 2010

Another Blog Retrospective (100+ Posts)

Well, I passed 100 posts a few weeks back, but didn't really notice...This is post 105!
I very happy with the blogging since the 50 mark. I'm up to 37 followers (and a total of 53 RSS readers) and have posted fairly regularly over the last year - about once a week. I really appreciate the attention and comments from people.

I'm just about keeping ahead of the project sharks!

My current Project Build over on the guild is going well. I've completed three tasks (and a small bonus task) of the five so far - painting up about 70 25mm Stargrunt figures that have been sitting in storage for more years than I care to admit!

I am also considering a new small project for the William Atkinson Memorial Build over on The Guild. The theme is simple but broad - "England" - but I don't want to do something that just slots into one of my existing collections.

I was thinking a small selection of miniatures and maybe a scenario/game to go with them...

-Medieval Pilgrims (defending themselves against an unjust toll)
-Elizabethan Adventurers (a bar brawl over some Shakespearean insult)
-Highwayman & Victims (well, a highway robbery obviously!)

I've added a new poll on the right to see if people have any preferences, but again comments would be welcome with the pros and cons.

My Pulp Dinosaur Hunting project is more or less complete. I have several hunting parties and loads of dinosaurs in service, and have run games at two conventions in the last year. The rules are pretty much done, I just need to get around to a last edit. I intend to release them as a pdf from here, and hope that someone out there gets some enjoyment out of them.

I did get into Ambush Alley in a big way, and really enjoy the system, not least the banter and support over on the Ambush Alley Games forum (although that's slowed down considerably with a lot of the active members playtesting the hell out of the new editions.

Unfortunately I've not been able to get the Napoleonics project off the ground, time being the biggest constraint. I reckon that a campaign is the only way to go here but maybe that's aiming too high with current restraints...

Speaking of which, we're expecting our second at the end of November so I imagine the gaming will take a break for a few months as we reacquaint ourselves with the rigours of taking care of a brand new infant!