DEAR DIARY

 It seems that I have been remiss in updating the blog; I don't seem to have posted since last summer! Fortunately, Uriah, our roving reporter from Cyprus, has stepped in and posted several game reports whenever he's back in Blighty.

That's a shame, as the whole purpose of this blog was as a personal wargames diary; I find that's it really useful to look back and past games and projects as inspiration for current projects. I think there are three main reasons for this lacuna. Firstly, it takes time to put blog posts together. Secondly, we've been playing a lot of games using smaller scale figures, which just aren't very photogenic. Thirdly, I find that in a good game I get so wrapped up in playing that I simply forget to take any photographs.

So, with that in mind, here's 'Wot I did on my holiday'.

My last real post was August 2023, chronicling my solo 'What a Cowboy' campaign. This was followed immediately by a second campaign at the club, narrated by Uriah.

We then moved on to some excellent Anglo-Zulu Wars games, using Firelock Games' 'Blood and Steel'. Once again recounted by Uriah.

With Uriah moving on to the ACW, I continued with the Firelock Games stable and ran some great 'Blood and Plunder' games. Unfortunately, over three games I think I only managed about two photos.

Moving on from the skirmish level gaming we moved on to battalion level WW2, with TooFatLardies / Reisswitz Press 'O Group'. We played this using 10mm figures and ran scenarios in both Normandy and the Western Desert. Unfortunately,  I only took snaps of the terrain for Normandy!

December saw a return to WW1 and a 'big push' on the painting front. I finally gave in to a long held temptation and bought some 28mm figures for Gallipoli and repainted and rebased a moderately large 15mm collection for the same theatre.

Woodbine Turks - work in progress

Woodbine Royal Naval Division - work in progress

15mm Turks - repaint and rebase

15mm Empire - repaint and rebase in progress

Uriah was back for a short Christmas break, so we ended the year with a couple of 28mm Gallipoli skirmish games, using 'Blood and Valor'.

As a Christmas treat, I bought myself two 10mm forces for the Western Desert. They were largely painted by Boxing Day!

Sticking with Firelock Games, we started 2024 with a game of 'Blood and Crowns'.

In January, I got to field my newly revamped 15mm WW1 collection. We played several Gallipoli themed games using 'Square Bashing'.

February was to be naval themed, with 17th century fleet actions. We tried 'General-at-Sea' and 'Rolling Thunder'. Both rulesets use ships mounted in multiples, representing squadrons, giving the potential for some very large fleet actions. 

It was then a return to the Western Desert and I got to field my new Christmas toys in some games of 'Rommel'.

My birthday game this year was a solo game of 'Oak and Iron'. A great game with a very clever system - with the bonus that it fits on the kitchen table.

In March we moved on to some more Sam Mustafa games, with an old favourite - 'Maurice'. We played in 10mm with some Seven Years War figures by Pendraken.

Continuing the Sam Mustafa theme, we moved on to Napoleonics with 'Blucher'. This time in 6mm.

April saw us preparing for the return of the clubs annual TooFatLardies games day - WorLard (our first since the great plague). 

We started with a game of 'Bag the Hun' in 1/144 scale and the USAF over Germany.

Then keeping the WW2 theme - in almost the same scale (10mm) we rolled out 'O Group' for a game set in Normandy.

So, dear diary, that brings us up to date. Hopefully, we'll have some more pictures from WorLard after the coming weekend.

Blood and Crowns at Scratchy Bottom

King of the Hill at Scratchy Bottom.

Lord Farthingdale has advanced from his castle at Bumburg, via Lower end only to encounter the enemy at Scratchy Bottom. 
The forces of Fitz-Quilp, the vile hunchback, obsessive tile collecting  Sheriff of Midshire has emerged from the Nunnery of St Juggs where he was stealing tiles, with his forces and marched straight on Scratchy Bottom.  Whoever can hold the village will win this fight.

The view from the Earl of Waldrige lines.  The Sheriff's men took the objective immediately and we had to fight for it.

The vulnerable left flank.

I prop up the I get with Men at Arms.

Over on our right we face off the Scots archers

And the Scots do well to hold up all of those points oppposite

I admit that I went a little impetuous and charged my retinue in, full throttle!  It went back and forward for the rest of the game.

Lord De Quincy charges his retinue in as well.  The fight over the objective is savage.  

My Noble is captured!  

The Hobelar charge is seen off.

And my spears brace against the Men at Arms.  They ounce, but I'm the first to admit mistakes were made.

After the event I pointed up and discovered that the Scots were seriously outpointed.  We will have to sort that out for multi player games.  For the first run through though I thought these rules were magnificent.  Probably my favourite period.

Great stuff.

Gallipoli: Two Up One Back

The second of our Gallipoli games.  The objective was the double farm building central table, and although we set up the table top randomly the Imperials had some really well located trenches.  Conversely the Ottomans ha s some cover on the approach.

Two up one back refers to the deployment of our platoons here, but also references a fondly remembered Russ Meyer movie.  The barrage of innuendo was relentless.

This was one of the closest games I can remember. 

The view from The Ottoman positions.  The Turks are already infiltrating forward.

But the Imperials filter into their forward trenches.  The first turn is manoeuvre.

The Ottomans advance on the flank.

The view of the Indian Army Regulars as they enjoy a tremendous field of Fire.

Early in the game the RN Division get a section forwards, to attempting occupy the objective.

The Turks also get forward.  The building has two separate sides and one will be Turkish next turn

And The Turks get in, but so do the RN.

The Turks are about to call this "Dead Man's wood." Our Imperial enemies can Enfilade the copse.

The audacity of the Navy!  They come down the gully at me!

A quick scramble and complete the Navy boys run back to safety.

The view from the Turkish Command bunker

The battle for the ruins heats  up.  The Imperials flee and the Turks storm in with the bayonet.

The Mountain gun thumps me!  And I discover that a long exposure shot does a nice little video sequence!

My decimated section of Turks are pushed outsidethe  building by the mountain gun fire.

The Imperials use the opportunity to retake the railway objective.  Again the Turks make a bayonet charge.  The Game is close to ending!

The right flank is still an attrition battle.

The objective changes hands for the fourth time.  The Turks claim a victory but in all honesty that mountain gun would drive us out again in another couple of turns.

A great game with loads of shooting, Close Combat and that damn mountain gun!  Really enjoyable.

Gully Ravine 1915

 

Dawn Raid

0500 hrs 30th April 1915

4 objectives on table.

2 Primary

Boomerang Redoubt, part of British trench line 2VP

The Nest, location of a Turkish Artillery OP. 2 VP

2 Secondary

Twelve Pines 1 VP

The Lone Pine 1 VP

1914 coin toss

Loser deploys first group.

Both sides

Deploy half number of groups in trench line.

Half enter from baseline

Player that occupies  objective for two turns wins. VP.

Empire 

Number 3 gun Jacobs Mountain Battery.

1st Platoon, RN Division, Nelson Bn.

Turks

1st Company 27 Regt 11 Div Turkish Infantry.

Prep for the game.

The Turks crowd into the forward trenches

Limited wire in this battle

Those Indians seem far off

I remanufactUred into !one line and the Nest.  VP held.

The Turks attempt to take twelve tree copse

It's a good looking battlefield

The Turkish advance is battered back

The RN Division come forward

The Indians also begin to push forward and the Turks go defensive.

The Indians suffer.  Pinned up The gully!

And the game ends in stalemate.  Fitting for WW1 but great fun.

BLOOD AND VALOR HOUSE RULES

SHAKEN

Units that receive a Shaken result can opt to 'take cover' (go prone) instead of retreating 4 inches.

TRENCHES

Trenches are grouped into 2 types: shallow and deep trenches.

Shallow trenches are hastily built trenches, scrapes, trenches in difficult ground (e.g. rocky, frozen or muddy ground), ditches etc 

These constitute Hard Cover and are otherwise treated as per the core rules.

Deep trenches

Deep trenches are properly dug entrenchments that are deep enough to conceal a standing soldier.

These constitute Hard Cover. Troops occupying Deep Trenches may opt to use the 'Take Cover' action. When 'taking cover' units are down in the trench and out of line of sight, and hence cannot be targeted by direct fire weapons. (They may still be fired upon by grenades, rifle grenades, infantry support guns, mortars etc.)

Units in Deep Trenches may not fire (including Defensive Fire) unless they are manning the firestep. It takes an action to man the fire step and any cover marker is lost. Whilst manning the fire step, troops are visible and may be targeted.

Troops that are neither in cover nor manning the fire step are considered to be moving about, looking over the parapet etc. As such, they may not fire but may be targeted.

Units may not 'Run' in trenches of either type.

MOUNTAIN BATTERIES

Mountain guns may not move but may pivot with an 'Advance' action. 

It takes 2 actions to mount / dismount the gun from it's mule.

While mounted, the gun moves as infantry but may not 'Run', 'Charge' or 'Take Cover'. Dismounted guns may 'Take Cover'.

Mountain guns have a 'Shoot Skill' value of 4.

If a gun takes more than one hit in a single round of firing, one of the save dice must be of a different colour. If the coloured dice fails the save roll, the mule is killed.

OPTIONAL MOVE RATES

I'm considering this one for solo games.

Replace the 4" move with a 2D6 dice roll. The lower roll is discarded.

The 'Furious Assault' trait adds 2 inches to the move.

Movement dice may be re-rolled by 'Biting the Bullet'.

Further suggestion for Gallipoli.

 A Ravine counts as dead ground unless observing group is on the edge of the Ravine with a direct view down in to you.

Basically in a Ravine you can't be seen!  

This would allow a more interesting game with groups sneaking about.

McPherson's Ridge

Back to Pickett's Charge and some Gettysburg action at McPherson's Ridge.

The terrain and initial dispositions.

The fighting begins

Great looking battlefield

There seem to be a lot of Union boys out there.

The Union mass to our front.  Fighting becomes Fierce.

My dice take a downturn as a command goes Hesitant.

The Confederate left,  under my glorious command push them back.  On the right we hold them. 

Pretty much game over.  Really good looking fight with a Divisional level feel.