Conflict Of Heroes: Price Of Honour

Arrived today, excellent. Usual high quality components and the scenarios look very interesting especially with the inclusion of the Polish units.


Update: Managed a game at my fathers last week playing through the first scenario. Interesting to see lowly PzII and Sdkfz222 in action. Polish infantry no push-overs in a tough situation for Huns. Really cool bonus to have the replacement unit counters for Awakening The Bear and a new complete and up to date series rulebook.

DBMM Turgesh vs T'Ang

Played Dbmm tonight at Stephen's using Turgesh version of Central Asian Turkish with brilliant general Su Lu against T'Ang Chinese with BwX. A really excellent game that went down to wire (I lost again of course !). Strong winds blowing into Chinese faces helped as it reduced bow range and artillery effect. I used my Tibetans as allied command for first time and they done quite well. I used flank attack with a command of 6 LhS plus a LhS general, which unfortunately arrived on turn 2 before my advancing wing could get to grips with enemy. They caused T'Ang some problems but were overwhelmed. A fair old slog (as Barker intended) across battlefield ensued with T'Ang eventually getting the better of exchanges. A very enjoyable game.
iPhone pics again as mental block re camera continues !!



Flank march arrives before Cavalry wing gets into action

T'Ang BwX and ArtO

Right wing LhS split up by Artillery fire...grrrrr

Tibetans approach the T'Ang centre

Overview of second turn

Turgesh right vs T'Ang left



DBMM East Frankish vs Sicilian Norman

Played Stephen today using my East Franks again (circa 924-933 ie with KnF) against his Sicilian Norman which was bit later with KnO. Two irregular armies meant not much in way of manoeuvre and game decided by combo of his bow (grrrr) shooting my allied Slavs into broken before I could get to grips and then his big Knight command beating my big Knight command. Fun as always with two evenly matched armies.






Initial turn with East Franks advancing (from left)

Sicilian bows on rough hill decimating Slavs

Clash of Knights on left



Sicilian right wing

Sicilian centre (note drunken Norman general)

Frankish left

Frankish centre

Sicilian reserve Knights



DBMM Kushan vs Han Chinese

Used Kushan again against Stephens's Han today. Another fun game but with Kushan suffering very poor Pip dice for first few turns basically nullifying any chance against the Han who had superb Pips at corresponding point. Some initially awful combat dice as well (but evened out in end). Worst was a single Han AxS which survived being charged in rear by Lh and then also survived being charged in rear by KnX !! Skythians used again but this time as flank march which of course.............you guessed it.............failed to appear.....................what did I ever do to Skythians !?




Han right flank

Han patented double fist underhand move

Kushan Elephant corps trundles forward

(Skythians supposed to appear top left)

Kushan right flank



FOG R TYW Imperialist vs TYW French

Played game of FOGR today using Early Imperialist Catholic versus Stephen's French. A great game with plenty of excitement and slaughter (mostly of my lot of course !). We have most of the basics of the rules in our heads now only having to look up new or unusual situations. Couple of things learnt today, Artillery needs support or it can be easily captured, unlike Fog Ancients a unit is supported if another unit is only partially behind it and can be of one morale grade less. My death rolls early in game where awful resulting in a couple of units being shot into auto-break or weakened. French pike & shot units are interesting having slightly reduced firepower but impact foot ability.
A very enjoyable game overall.


Imperialist deployment

French deployment

Currassier engage enemy Horse

French right

Imperialist right

French artillery

Reiters advance to their doom

Tercio's plod forward



Conflict Of Heroes: Storms of Steel! Kursk 1943

Another scenario played tonight against my Dad. FF15 Dance Of Totenkopfs. A big scenario, but using only 2 boards, with piles of Tanks with air power (2 Stuka strafes and 1 Sturmovik) and a Nebelwerfer card. Great stuff with tanks brewing up all over the show. Only problem I discovered afterwards was that the scenario is designed for 2 Ivan versus 1 Hun (although perfectly playable with Ivan conducting 2 separate 'player' operations etc) and in the scenario it is noted that:-

Reminder: Each Soviet player takes a turn for every one German turn!

We done this incorrectly as we allowed Germans a phase in between each Ivan phase thereby restricting the Ivans a great deal and making Hun rather too effective. Still it was a lot of fun and well worth a replay, especially as Germans (ie my father) came out winners.

We both really enjoy this game with its excellent aesthetics and game play without being bogged down with overly complex systems and can therefore accept its abstractions as a trade-off against sheer fun.


T34 (right centre) close assaults a Tiger but fails miserably !!

Deaths Head commander plotting destruction of next T34

Overview of scenario after first couple of phases

Looking forward to release of latest Conflict of Heroes expansion 'Price of Honour' which covers Poland 1939 but also includes updated counters for Awakening The Bear. However despite its imminent release in USA and elsewhere it seems to have no outlet in UK as yet !!! Hopefully in time for Santa to deliver ?

Lasalle rules........projects.........a quandry.................

Lasalle rules ordered despite not having a single Napoleonic figure ! Gave them a brief scan through several months ago at Stephens and thought they looked like a good set of wargame rules. Stephen has played couple of games with them and seems taken with them so am further intrigued........................

However this puts me in a true wargamers dilemma ie what project do I take on as way too many options going through my tiny mind !!

With another trip to Warfare show confirmed (ie paid for) in November I want to buy/look at figures for:-



1. Prussian Napoleonic 15mm. Large number of figures required for Lasalle ?
2. Teutonic Knight army for Dbmm (I have been researching this since having playtest with them) ?
3.  Russian 10mm Barborassa period WWII army for Blitzkrieg Commander II or similar. Possibly a 6mm project instead ?
4. 16th Century Rennaisance army for DBR/FOGR ?
5. 6mm 1980's BAOR army for Modern Spearhead or Cold War Commander ?
6. Great Northern War Swedish in 10mm (Stephen keen on this)

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

Russian Campaign

Russian Campaign by Avalon Hill set up and in motion on game table. Bit of nostalgia as its been years since I played this gem. Considering a foray in Vassal or similar and this might be just the ticket.

DBMM Hsiung Nu vs Han

Dbmm 400 pts played today using Hsiung Nu (LhF version) against Stephen's Han (this time with Chariots). I delayed one Command (but bugger came on first turn) and out- flanked with Kang Chu ally (arrived but too late). I had great Pips bar one turn but combat dice for shooting and melee where too awful to relate (it would only give you the reader nightmares never mind what it did to me !!). Han are very manoeuvrable and tough to flank and as ever the Hsiung Nu lack punch. Several LhF died due to F factor when shot at by Han bowmen. Interesting change from the LhS version I used before. Am undecided which I prefer versus Infantry heavy armies (S good vs mounted) as there were times I lamented being F others was glad not to be S (mainly not being forced to pursue). Good to get back to proper big battle rule set even if it was yet another drubbing.

iPhone pics again (I seem to have a mental block about remembering to bring camera)

 Han Chariots hiding behind AxS

Han Cavalry line GH

Han infantry in SF

Delayed (ha !) Cmd arrives on turn 1 !!!

Overview of compact Han deployment

Thirty Years War Imperialists on parade

Another couple of units finished for my Imperialist/Catholic League FOGR/DBR army so thought it was time to have a parade (inspired by pics on excellent Tagmata Dbmm site - see links).
Figures 15mm mix of Essex and Minifigs. Arrayed in FOGR units (click for larger pic). Used Army Painter 'Tufts' of three varieties (like these) and some stones from garden as base decoration with some very old granulated flock (no idea of maker). Have a bunch of foot to paint to allow another Large Tercio and a few Reiters to allow a third unit or 6 bases in two units but army good to go as is.








Overview of army

Late Tercio (3 Pike 3 Shot)

'Footprint' of Early Tercio (6 Pike 6 Shot)

Another Early Tercio

The sharp end

Light or Regimental guns

Currassier (Heavy Armour & Pistols)

Croats

Bandolier Reiters in FogR terminology behind unit of Muskets

Medium Guns

Dragoons

Generals (Minifig Tilly figure on left and Pappenheim on right)

Strange army choice for an Ulster 'Prod' !!