Saturday 21 December 2013

American War of Independance at the NWS


Perry AWI range troops in Doeskin jackets and more than a touch of "over - confidence" about them!

It has been quite some time since my last post as the end of the year rapidly rushes towards us here at home.  Work has been quite busy and the home front is buzzing as we prepare for Christmas and holidays for the family.  I must admit to really looking forward to a small break to get some time in with the loved ones as well as have more than a few wargames with the lads at the club and certainly in the gaming room upstairs.



Slightly different view - lovely figures painted by young Chris H.

 These are some shots of a small game played at the club a while ago using British Grenadier rules from the stable of General De Brigade.  The latter are my absolute favourite wargames rules for Napoleonics and provide wonderful command and control rules which make f or a great game.


Another unit from the talented Mr Holt and now in my collection.



British troops from the collection of the equally as talented Peter Dale
(I think - could be Chris's...will find out soon enough I am sure).

Overview of the battle field.


Slightly out of focus shot of Big Chris's Indians.  Very talented gamer and painter.
 

Thursday 5 December 2013

Mighty Empires - part deux!



Some more pictures from the great Clash of Empires game played at the club earlier in the year.  I have tried to pick out a selection of favourite troops which is very hard when you consider just how well painted these lads have been done by their respective owners.  I do like the Nellie though picking up the poor Roman Hastati and preparing to make a circus trick out of him though!!


















More to follow next time and then a return to some Napoleonics.

Saturday 23 November 2013

Mighty Empires - Clash of Giants!




Some fantastic troops were on display recently at the NWS with a wonderful Clash of Empires game put on by the boys.  The game featured some of the most wonderfully painted 28mm Ancients figures I have ever seen and was a wonderful depiction of everything that is fantastic about our wonderful hobby.





















More photographs a bit later in the week.  Wonderful collections of Big Chris, Guido, Youngy, Marty, Steve and Jake.

Saturday 16 November 2013

Punic Wars


First Consul Carlo with his troops in battle formation


The demise of Warhammer Ancient Battles was quite a kick in the guts for ancient wargaming at our club for sometime.  There is no doubt that we, like many fellow gamers around the globe felt somewhat deceived and cheated by Warhammer Historical with their new WAB rules, army lists and specials only for them to close up shop and provide a semi-professional, hardly finished product in the end.

As a result we turned our attentions to other periods and rule sets.  However we did enjoy some tremendous games with Hannibal, Alexander, Shieldwall and El Cid by their tremendous writers of Curtis, Jonas, Morris etc.

Cookies lovely Gripping Beast Celts from the hand of the great man himself.


Certainly the Punic War games ere great fun with Hannibal and his hordes fighting a series of victorious battles against First Consuls Steve and Carlo over many months and years.

Veteran Spearmen with lovely LBM Shield transfers.

I am sure we must have stolen a victory somewhere along the line however Cookie assures me that we are indeed delirious and have severe memory problems.  As I get older I cannot absolutely challenge that accusation so lets just say that we intended to re fight the games as history has shown us.


Brave Romans prepare to take on the Nellie with some vigour.  All the Romans
are from the excellent Old Glory Republican Roman range and in my opinion are
some of their best work.

Nice view showing the colourful tunics of the Hastati

Mad Spaniards scaring the bejesus out of some allied skirmishers
"I didn't sign up for this Mario!".

Great games with many players, a few drinks and a very light-hearted emphasis on winning the game.  Very good fun in the true spirit of wargaming.

We have since been captured by the very good "Clash of Empires" rules from Great Escape Games and it would appear that Ancients is once again on the ascent at the NWS.

Monday 11 November 2013

Dark Ages in a new light...Gripping Beast at their best!





The Irish on the wrong side of some Viking
payback - "Watch out for the naked bloke with the axe!".
 With the sudden and quite fantastic resurgence of Dark Age skirmish games thanks to the wonderful SAGA rules as well as many other excellent skirmish sets I thought It may be a good time to bring out some shots of the wonderful range of Scots and Irish from the very clever boys at Gripping Beast.

What more do the lads want...a drink, a nice banner to fight under
and a fair few bloody big axes - now where is that Saxon dog?
These were excellently painted by Scott in the Blue Mountains many years ago and are even more lovely in the flesh...lead...metal thingy.


Hope that's a bloody thick blanket around your torso Seamus!

We have started playing a fair bit of Saga at the club in recent times and they really are a lovely simple yet very clever set of rules with some magnificently crafty and subtle variations.  Highly recommended - as are this range of figures.

"You shall not pass...as long as you are armed like the same as us".

Tuesday 29 October 2013

Campaign Newsletters - The Pyramid


The original "Scandal Sheet" - The Pyramid issue 1 page 1

One of the most enjoyable activities in wargaming once one been gaming for a while is playing in an ongoing campaign.  The difference between playing a one off battle on a gaming night where you can throw caution to the wind and simply pile in all forces compared to a strategic fight where losses are critical and the repercussions of defeat can be disastrous are enormous.

I have had the very good fortune of playing in several superbly run campaigns over my years of wargaming and none better than those run many years ago by the effervescent Micheal Hutchinson and the NWS.  Mike had the temerity and discipline to keep a rag tag bunch of often distracted gamers together over several wonderful ancients campaigns and was not afraid to declare disasters upon regimes that failed to govern their forces well (read: did not put their orders in on time!).

The Pyramid - Issue 1 page 2.

One of the most interesting aspects of a campaign is when the participants start to publicise their deeds and their opponents misfortunes in a campaign newspaper/newsletter.  Enter the Pyramid - as the mast head states the voice of "T.A" otherwise known as "The Almighty" (campaign master Micheal that is!)."


The Pyramid - Issue 2 page 1


It allowed Battle Reports (now known as AAR's) to be put together, confidential but somehow leaked strategic plans to be uncovered by the fourth estate, scurrilous lies to be put in the diplomatic zones and downright sledging of opponents lineage and the real status of their parents!  Superb stuff.


The Pyramid - Issue 2 page 2

As you can see these newsletters are well before the modern wonders of electronic computer generated graphic software and easy push of a button cut and paste.  These were labours of love from all who contributed and were superbly illustrated by the graphics skills of good old Youngy.  Well done Paul - they still look as good today as they were then.

The Pyramid - Issue 2 page 3

Hopefully they are not too hard to read and provide a bit of enjoyment to some who participated, and a few other who regularly visit this spot, from all those years ago.

Enjoy!

Saturday 26 October 2013

Successors Mini-Campaign weekend


Eumenes battles Ptolemy upon the desert ruins of Egypt

Something slightly different for this post - an old Successors "Clash of Empires" campaign played over two days at the club some time ago.  Probably more "with pyjamas through a cloud of arrows and the occasional pointy sarissa up the backside" than grapeshot!

The games were based on the magnificent Successor lists by Jeff Jonas and the games he played with his group of gaming companions in the States sometime ago.  Jeff was as always a gentlemen with suggestions, advice and tips on how to run the campaign well.  It was a fantastic tournament for the eight players who participated.


Persians look to gold and glory for the new King of Asia

 The players were to play a series of linked battles over the weekend in campaign situations such as capturing the travelling baggage train to obtain gold to continue to pay mercenaries etc.  Four tables were set up to represent the different fields of battle in Greece, Egypt, Asia and Persia with various camps to defend etc.

Persian cavalry advance towards Ptolemy
Two factions were decided and the teams accumulated victory points, territory and gold after every round.  A leader board and empire map was up so everyone could track their progress and then bid for mercenaries before the next round of battles.  Tremendous fun!


Leader board and maps - another great idea borrowed from Jeff.

Eumenes prepares to lead the Companions in action.


Egyptian battlefield on teh banks of the Nile complete with
hungry crocodiles prepared to feast on broken units within two inches!!

Seleucus battles Chandragupta near the ruins
of the temple - Indians are a long way from home.


Leosthenes battle line of hoplites and peltats.

Eumenes dispatches Demetrius in an attempt to
gain more victory points by killing the other geneeral

Bindasures rides into combat

Gamesh must be bloody heavy baggage for those poor Indians!
There were prizes for all kinds of actions, feats and deeds.  One tactical issue that all the real Successor leaders had to deal with was keeping their Macedonian veterans happy.  This included ensuring their baggage camps rich with the gold of years of campaigning away from home were safe and protected.  More than one general was killed by their own troops or betrayed by veterans to recover lost gold!  So we had a prize for the best baggage camp.

Ptolemy advances

Silver Shields painted by the Lonely Gamer himself
Vinnie for my collection.  Thanks Nathan -top notch work!

Leosthenes battle line of hardened Greek League Hoplites.




Peithon pushes forward his masses


Scythian mercenaries on the rampage through Greece.


Indians clash with Persian Satrpal forces

It was a great campaign enjoyed by all with spoils to the victors and ignominy for the defeated!


Final leader board


Great bunch of players with Cookie, Guido, Myself, Steve, Rob, Youngy,
 Marty, Nigel and son contributing massively to a fun campaign.  Thanks fellas!

The weekend was helped significantly by the massive wonderful contribution of figures from the collections of Steve, Paul, Marty, Nigel and the wonderful assistance of all the boys in general.

Guido was the dark horse of the comptition. Check out his blog
"This aint living" on the links on the sidebar for more of his wonderful collection.