Wednesday 19 July 2017

Syracuse battle the Persians - To The Strongest

The lines of battle start to take shape as the rival units of hoplites prepare to come to grips!


What a wonderful game I participated in last night!


Jeff Champion and I played a superb battle of " To The Strongest", the sensational ancients rules from the very clever Simon Miller.  I must say that for me, these rules have reinvigorated my love for ancient wargaming and I do find them so enjoyable and at the same time a very good simulation of my thoughts and perceptions of what ancient warfare may have been.
I had also been recently inspired by Peter's wonderful battle reports and accounts of his groups games on his excellent blog ""Blunders on the Danube"  If you can spare a moment, pop over a have a look at his wonderful TTS battles.


The battle was a 160 point a side affair with stratagems and the terrain formalities dispensed with so we could get right into the game.  Some random terrain was scattered about the field and each player was able to move a couple of things as he saw fit, which I think neither of us bothered with.


Jeff's central command made up of his collection of lovely Victrix Hoplites I believe.  In the background
Steve and Cookie are also playing in a TSS game involving Romans and Gaul's.

A view across the flank to his dastardly yet inept scutarii.

Slingers and Hoplites make up my the central command.

Scythed Chariots, Kardakes, Apple Bearers and Mardian archers - what a force!

Colonist cavalry, Median mounted and Saka with a tough group of Takabara for good measure in the rough.

I quite like my eastern style camps and baggage made up of some Castaway Arts gear from Gerry Webb.

These scythed chariots are old Naismith models and still look fantastic.

The to and fro in the centre would go on all night.

On the right I narrowly missed my chance to destroy a hoplite unit on the flank with Median Cavalry.  They have
now ominously occupied the hill and prepare to try and squeeze the life out of my left flank.

My Mardian archers could not hit the side of a barn but actually fought well in hand to hand combat.  Go figure!


I decided the rough was important and allocated a hero to my Takabara unit.  You can see my cavalry on the
flank of the hoplites in the background however they would soon be destroyed by enemy lights and cavalry.





A view from the Syracusan lines.

Lovely Vendel miniatures here which I believe are now manufactured in America.

Who doesn't love Greek Hoplite shields?  Theses are all hand painted which is incredible - well done Leroy.


The game finished with a narrow but well deserved victory to the Syracusans.  Jeff, who is an acclaimed acclaimed, published author on the classical period, actually wrote the Syracusan list for Simon and is a great chap to play against.  As a member of the NWS for decades together its amazing how few games we have actually played together in.  I think that these rules will help ensure that many more battles being fought across and alongside the tables edge will be a mere formality.

Tuesday 18 July 2017

Elite Miniatures 1805 Russian Imperial Guard


The six battalions of the Russian Imperial Guard in all their gloss varnished glory!


On the basing desk for quite sometime, these wonderful Elite Miniatures figures are about to get a hefty workout as I commence my General D'Armee phase of my wargaming life.  For those of you who have been following this ongoing project, it is my attempt to play a few games in that particularly interesting period where Napoleon really did have an intense edge over all the powers that went p against him, particularly Russia, Austria and Prussia.


These figures are designed by the very talented Peter Moreby and have been painted for me by DPS quite some time ago.  I decided that it was ridiculous in the extreme for them to not be getting a Guernsey now that I have nearly finished rebasing the other 18 battalions of Elite early war Russians in the collection as well.


Still a little bit of correcting do engage in but all in all pretty pleased with this lot.


As you can see I have returned to the "Gilder WHC" method of basing the officer on a slight apex in front of the battalion.  I will do these for all my Elite 1805-07 battalions.


The Russian Imperial Guard played a pivotal role at Austerlitz and in the end was basically the only reserve formation left purely in that role after the blunders of the column attacks of the allies at the onset of the battle.  They also play an important role in Dave Browns linked scenarios for refighting the battle for the Pratzen in his GdB scenario books.