Colonial Twilight first play

Having been enticed by the COIN system with Fire In The Lake I acquired Colonial Twilight mainly due to it being a 2 player version and the subject matter.
Managed to get a run out with it with my a Dad.
He took the FLN and I the French and another hugely enjoyable game it was.
Of course similar system to FITL but more playable with two unsurprisingly and with several nuances for the different situation.
A lot of decisions to make again and never sure (especially as new to us) what is best option regarding playing the card Events or conducting Operations and Special Activities combined with the initiative Track indicating who has first dibs on cards or actions each turn.
I managed to run out winner with French after a couple of fortuitous events coupled with a spending spree of resources to boost my Support levels in the cities just in time for a Propaganda card to appear and give me auto-win.
Great stuff.

Benefits of retirement

Having taken early retirement at start of August Ifind I now have time to get myself reacquainted with my paint brushes.

Decided to begin with a easy project before delving into figure painting again and so some 15mm WW2 German vehicles seemed a good jump off point. 

Great to a project started and finished in one week especially spending only one or two hours per session.

Mind you it is startling how much my eyes have detoriated in past few years !!

Blucher rolled out for French versus Prussian bash

I re-read Blucher rules over last few days and wondered why are we not using these more as they seem to tick a lot of boxes ??

Simple slick systems, nicely sized forces and a great activity limiting system in the 'hidden' MO dice.

So Stephen and I had a game today with my fielding 1813/14 Prussians and Stephen the corresponding French.

Used army builder system for 300 point sized forces and the basic terrain generation system.

And what a great game it was too with lots of action right across the table top.

Such an enjoyable set of playable rules by the inestimable Mr Mustafa.
We managed 13 turns (might have been couple more as we forgot to move Time marker early on) but not completed as Stephen had to leave earlyish.
Enjoyed so well however our next game is going to be British vs French at Stephens :-)






Prussian set up as attackers using Concealed status cards French in Defence

Prussian Corps moves against Town (an objective)

Prussian Landwehr and Reservists face the might of Imperial Guard Corps

Imperial Guard Artillery  engages advancing Prussians

Prussian Grenadiers (Shock, Steadfast, Skirmishers and Mixed) push back French to left of town

The Guard go in against Prussian 2nd tier Corps

First assault wave about to hit Town garrison

And in they go, note Prussian Reserve Corps (of Cavalry) uncommitted to rear.

This first assault was repulsed but follow up wave of Reservists took the Town

Stalemate at central hill

Guard mauling Prussians

Battle for town

Overview note my Reserve did commit later advancing to flank Guard Corps

Fire In The Lake first play

First try with my first COIN system game ‘Fire In The Lake’ covering the Vietnam War with my Dad.

We tried the short scenario 1965-1967 using historical card deck with a Dad as NVA/VC and I as US/ARVN.

Very interesting system with plenty of decisions to make and varying options for each ‘faction’.

The make up of the card deck is very interesting with great replay value as one only uses half the available scenario cards plus 3 Coup (End Phase) cards, so great replay value and no two games will be the same.

COIN system is intriguing to say the least. K

Military action is abstract but essential as is winning ‘Hearts and Minds’ of the population.

Rules not that complex (but the options/decisions are were complexity as such abides) only real issue we had was recording of Victory Points for each side finding hard to track during turns (just easier to total on each Coup card)

Game was ‘won’ by NVA on 3rd Coup card by having least negative score !

This one should see more play time.

L'Art De La Guerre - 3 games played !

A whooping 3 games played at Stephens today with LADG !!!!!!

First game Stephen wanted to field his Samurai army so I used a Ugyhur Turk army with a Tibetan Ally (Cataphracts) being about as contemporary as I could field.
The Samurai Bow/Sword combo units are tough especially as Elite and they were able to shoot my Mediocre Foot troops up and kill their supporting Light Cavalry.
The mounted Samurai Bowmen are also tough as again Elite and mobile.
I did chase and kill a couple with some Tibetan Cataphracts but lost one in process.
A win for Samurai.



Next two games I used Vikings to try then in system and Stephen used Charlemagne Franks (not a great match up for Vikings).
My Army has a command of Elite Huscarls and two commands with Impetuous Medium Swordsmen supported by a couple of Berserker units (Elite MI) and a scattering of Light Infantry.
First encounter I Stephen chose to defend picked Plains and I placed a coast and then simply advanced in a long line 18 units wide.
Certainly a simple army to use !
But the Frankish mounted Lancer types are anathema to the Viking MI as they cancel their Impact and Furious Charge as well as having superior factors against the foot with Furious charge and Impact themselves.
This saw several Viking units lifted off in one turn as 2 hits sustained increased by 1 for Furious charge killing the weak MI and then the mounted are able to initiate flank attacks.
But it was something of a bloodbath on both sides and I did come within 1 break point of the Franks however I was also teetering on edge of abyss and duly succumbed when 2 units of Impetuous foot conformed into a Flanked position.

Second game the Carolingians used a Saxon warband ally and again chose to defend on Plains.
Again I obtained a coast and again advanced in a solid line as not really much else the foot army can do facing mounted.
Another bloody slog ensued with at one point 20 of my 23 units engaged in combat !
But again the MI simply withered in face of Lancers (nearly impossible to kill these).
Once more both sides bruised and battered quickly but the Lancers just too much for Vikings who where sent packing to their longships once more.

Viking actually quite fun to use as they all get to fight but the MI version simply outclassed facing Lancer types.
A tweak to try HI Swordsmen with Irish warband in the offing as HI more durable and no Impact or Furious charge to lose.

Pics a tad dark


Uyghur Turks with Tibetan Cataphracts

Turkish foot (the weakest link) hide behind a gully

Samurai machine gunners........sorry Bow and Sword units

Viking advance with sea on their left

Warriors faced by unbeatable Carolingian Lancers

More Warriors in center

Huscarls on left

Second encounter (coast now on right) and more of those bloody Lancers

Huscarls in center this time facing Saxons and some Spearmen

Hugging the coast again but those Lancers caused havoc

Overview just before lines clash

L'Art De La Guerre: 2 games played

Two games with LADG today against the 'Dice Demon'.

First was nice historical match up with my Punic Romans versus Carthaginians.
As usual a hard fought match up this one but as ever the extra Cartho mounted units seem to make the difference as Romans always lacking in this regard.
That plus fact my Legions could not out roll the Punic foot expect on two occasions !

Second game I used my Maurikian Byzantine and Stephen used Early T'Ang (contemporary rather than historical opponents).
This one was much more one sided as Byzantines have no real answer (except to run away) to the Chinese foot formation of Spearmen backed by Bowmen as they out shoot my mounted arm and cancel my Impact ability.
My Skutatoi were overrun in quick order by some Chinese 'warband' types and my Cavalry mauled to give T'Ang a rather quick victory.

Both enjoyable games with LADG and always nice to get two games in in one session.





Rome vs Carthage

Byzantium vs China