Monday 29 August 2016

Stacks of Sticky Stickmen

Good evening,

A week or so ago Young Dave generously gifted me his surplus HaT Macedonian pikemen. Sweet! So, after receiving a spot of inspiration from George Wyllie and Tony Emery I thought to myself "Huzzah! 8Pk elements!"

And here we are so far.

I've still got three more elements worth to do (I need to get down to Acorn Models for some more 1/32 brass rod), but, after a bit of chopping to get their shields around from their back and sides to their front, as I did with my original ones, I now have enough figures, when combined with the Newline Macs I got a while ago, for 12 8Pk elements!








Huzzah!

I quite like the way the double ranking of the figures gives a better impression of a closely packed body of men than the single rank of, say, your average spear element. And when you double rank them, as befits a Macedonian pike taxis...cool!


Speaking of spearmen...



...these Newline figures look quite good next to their HaT compatriots.

The only downsides that I can see is I'll need another packet of Little Big Men Macedonian shield transfers, and...I've just doubled the number of figures I need to paint!

Drats! :-)

Nick

Friday 26 August 2016

X Wing o' the Deep Blue Sea

Good evening,

A couple of evenings ago I popped around to Young Stan's place for a game of X Wing, and possibly Sails of Glory should we have the time. Hence...X Wing 'o the Deep Blue Sea!

Stan has the two starter kits, so we set up a 65 point game.

I ran Luke and R2 in a T-65 and Poe and BB-8 in a T-70 up against an Academy Pilot and Dark Curse (Curse him!) in TIE/LNs, and Zeta Ace and Omega Ace in TIE/FOs with a couple of sundry cards...including Marksmanship.

We set up across the ocean, and...let fly!


I try to sneak around to starboard of Stan's flank.


It kind of works.


"Brace for impact!"


Poe strips most of the wind out of the Academy pilot's sails.

But not quite enough. He sails past like, well, a ship in the night.

So I haul about while Stan bears down upon my fleet.


Alas...



...Poe gets caught amid drift.

Arghh!

Not to be out done...




...Luke blows Omega Ace out of the water.

Arrrrr!

Which leaves Luke in quite the hot water...indeed the sharks were circling. So much so, one of them circled right about.


Next bound, Stan dials Dark Curse another red manoeuvre. When he was already stressed.


So...


...I dialed him onto a rock!

Arrrr!

Alas, in spite of R2's best efforts...




...you can't win a game running away!

Good game Stan, good game.

Unfortunately, I then had to run off to play Taxi Dad, so we never did get those sailing ships out to play.

Thanks Stan,

Nick

Sunday 21 August 2016

20mm WarHamster Ancients - Marians vs. ABs

Good afternoon,

Yesterday I popped north to visit Dave again, this time bringing out an Warmaster Ancients Ancient Brit army...
  • 1 Fanatic unit
  • 8 Warband units
  • 1 Skirmishing Infantry unit
  • 3 Chariot units
  • 2 Light cavalry units
  • 1 General - Caractacus - in a chariot - @ a command value of 8
  • 2 Warlords @ a command value of 7
  • 2 Chieftains @ a command value of 7







...to go up against my Late Republican Roman army.
  • 1 Veteran Legionary unit
  • 4 Legionary units
  • 1 Light Infantry unit (Greeks)
  • 1 Tribal Infantry unit (Early Germans)
  • 2 Skirmishing Infantry units (Numidians and Spanish)
  • 1 Heavy Cavalry unit (Gauls)
  • 1 Light Cavalry unit (Numidians)
  • 1 General - Caesar - @ a command value of 9, with Portants (one command reroll)
  • 2 Legates @ a command value of 8


We rolled for terrain, rolled for initiative, Dave was the aggressor, and he took the first move. The chariots roll forward...


...as do the flanking warbands.


Thankfully, nothing else does!


In response, I send my veterans 'tween the woods, and my mounted forward on my right.



My thin red line also advances in the centre.


Alas, my bid for the hill was too late, as Dave's Light Cav get there first.



Speaking of hills...


...this turn Dave's dudes descend like a deluge, the Fanatics finally foot it...


...while the Warband wait. Again.

My centre moves up...


...as do my Numidians...


...but, well...


...Caesar blunders...


...and sends the cav in the completely wrong direction!

Right up unto the point where we re-checked the rules.


Generals can't blunder.


Whew!

Back in the centre, the Fanatics scoot around their own wheelie bins to eye up my veterans...



...emerging between the wood, along with some Early Germans.

On my left...



...arghh, how'd they get there so quickly?!

Still, at least now I had the high ground against Dave's light horse.


And in we gooooo...!


My veterans charge Dave's fanatics, while my allied warband can't quite make it into the combat, getting stopped by the chariots.



First blood to me.


Huzzah!


Dave them charges them in...here they come again!



Huzzah, huzzah!

Next round, and...


...oh stink, one of my Legates blunders, and he's down a command rating for the rest of the game.

Stink indeed!

I charge my cav off the hill into the flank of the chariots...


...while the Numidians send back their AB opponents with a hail of javelins.


Not to be outdone, my legionaries also join the stouch in the centre.


However...


...speaking of a shower of javelins...


...my heavy's charge is driven back before reaching contact.

And as for my legionary unit in the centre...


...it inflicts a bit of a Pyrrhic victory against one of the chariot units...


...and decides that discretion is the better part of valour.

Back on the hill, this time the Numidians lose some riders to shooting, and...


...ummm...


...well...


...err...

...my heavies are driven back into impassable terrain (a cliff, no less) by shooting. Including Caesar hisself!

Oh stinkity stink stink!


There goes my right flank.

Poos!

And on my left...



...arghh!


In the centre, Dave finally moves onto the hill.


While those dreaded javelin waggons just pull into firing range.




Run away!


Run away!

Back to the left.


Stink...


...stink...

...stink!

And again I say...


...stink...


...stink...


...stinky...


...stink...



...stink!


Well, at least my legions pushed the smelly Brits back.

So, that's one decisive AB victory!

Well done Dave. I really enjoyed getting the Brits back onto the table. Even if they did table me!

Nick