My bulging Wargames room

Few pics (playing with new iPad toy) of my games room which with the 7ft x 5ft table I managed to squeeze in is somewhat bunged to its qills with wargaming 'pruc' (better half does not mind the wargaming as long as it stays in one room).
Works fine with max of 3-4 players only real problem being moving past each other to use bathroom facilities.
Of course its better than Mr Wells back breaking knee smashing floor version.
I really need a lottery win !!!!!!!!!!!!

Boardgames and file boxes of figures

More boardgames and figure boxes plus boxes of unpainted lead...........

Drawers full of terrain items and rules (beware for we are Legion)

Reference books and rules array

More boxes of figures

Pics on wall as too lazy to repaint

Of course the whole area underneath the table is used for more boxes of magazines, games etc !!

Also a PBEM game ongoing with West Front from Campaign Series of a scenario 'Crown Of Thorns' covering action around Hill 112 Normandy 1944

White Star Rising another scenario played

Another go with this game at my Fathers tonight with scenario West Of Paderborn (which enticed us both as armour only and my Dad was stationed there in 70's with BAOR and I lived there throughout 1972 !). Another fun game with Artillery Barrages and Smoke new additions we had not tried before. Nasty one this for Germans as despite having 3 Tigers a JagdPzV and a Wirbelwind, they have a tough task stemming the flow of a US combat group without losing too many units themselves (Lost Hun =2 VP lost US = 1VP same if either side can exit units via opposite board edges). Tactical mistake by Germans (ie too far advanced and aggressive) saw them pounded by artillery and blinded by smoke whilst Yanks sneakily flanked them to exit several units. Biggest asset for US (and pain in the proverbial for Krauts) was the P47 that appeared in chit pull from turn 5. It managed to remain on patrol until the end destroying 2 Panzer units and Disrupting 2 others despite the attentions of the Wirbelwind.

Nazi armour advances prematurely

Yanks hiding 

The Napoleonic Wars (1st Edition) GMT

This arrived today after an EBay purchase. Quite cheap and appears to be nearly new (despite being 1st Edition version). I like the map (paper) and the components are of usual GMT standard (ie very good).
Game has a lot of cards (155+) with lots of period flavour but possibly not as dominant as in Age Of Napoleon.
Playable with 2-5 players so as most likely I will play solo it will be a real test of my multiple personalty abilities !!
Game takes up a lot of space around the map itself with National cards (displays in 2nd edt I think) and chits but biggest drawback has to be the rule book. Seems fairly complete but boy is it poorly laid out making it hard to assimilate and garner a sense of the flow/actions of the game. Thankfully there is a second booklet which doubles as a set of designers notes and extended play example. The example is essential reading as it shows the systems on action. Looking forward to have a solo bash at this as either a 2 player or 5 player set-up.

Overview

White Star Rising play

Played a game of White Star Rising with my father last night using the initial scenario that I had tried solo to learn rules. Dad took Germans (as always) and found the system very easy to learn and play. Scenario requires Huns to take 3 particular city hexes and they came close taking one, with another emptied of Yanks and other remaining in Yank grip. We both like the uncertainty of the 'chit pull' system to activate formations which combined with 'end turn' markers generates a nicely unpredictable sequence of activations. We used 'Fate' and 'Chaos' rules. Fate allows dice re-rolls or adjustments or similar whilst Chaos is essentially a random events table which saw the US get a P47 in support but in last turn when it made no difference and the Germans get a Officer chit which my Dad 'Wittmanized' by sticking him on the Tiger platoon !
Great fun.

The scenario (which I probably should not copy !)

Game action trying out camera on my new iPad (a very generous gift from my parents)

No Peace Without Spain 1703 completed

Another year completed in my Vassal game with Norman. I had much better action card draw this time ( 2 x 3 3 x 2 Actions). I had fairly favourable (and some might say deserved) events occur at start of year with my being able to remove one French leader namely Vendomme (put onto turn track for 1704) and Bank Of England card giving me an extra Resource point each turn. Main Campaign actions for year were a renewed Allied siege at Cadiz and at Cologne. Both however held out to end of year before falling to Allies. Cologne had no extra Garrison but still held out, I wish there was a pillage/no quarter rule !! The garrison at Cadiz was given Honours of War, but its fall will allow me to try to bring in Hapsburg Spainiards next year. Lots of reallocation of resources by us both and minor re-deployments throughout year. French fannied about with marching and counter-marching in Northern Italy and were duly intercepted by Eugene who gave them a damn good thrashing despite their slightly superior strength (8 vs 7) but sadly no Famous Victory. Marlborough inactive this year (am pretty sure this is not optimal use) really just facing down nearby cowering French armies whilst Cologne was secured to his rear. So Spainish front opened at last, Eugene holds fast in Italy and minor consolidation in Flanders. Portugal due to join Allied cause next year so hopefully I can develop Campaign here. Need to take some risks with the Duke methinks.
1704 has just begun................................

Flanders at start of 1704 (note new event card just played which reduced 2 Bourbon Corps in Spain)

Portugal part of one true cause and Cadiz invested 

New game PanzerBlitz Hill Of Death

New board wargame arrived today (usual super fast delivery from Boardgameguru).
A game that has garmered mixed reviews but its genealogy and the subject matter is one I could not resist.
Only had time for briefest inspection of contents which all look fine.
The addiction continues.................

No Peace Without Spain - Vassal game end of 1702

Just completed last turn of the opening 1702 Campaign year with Norman. After earlier report events saw Marlborough successfully take the fortress at Liege (freeing its citizens from the tyranny of the Sun King). However the duplicitous and unworthy Elector of Bavaria has taken Ulm, whilst in Italy Vendomme captured neutral Parma before crawling back into Cremona. Eugene was tempted to intercept this move (as being Demoralized after losing earlier battle the French hit at a -1) but declined as he must consider the Electors action behind his back. Bourbons rebuilt several Corps. Allies at Cadiz conducted an all or nothing siege narrowly failing (needed a 6 to generate 2 hits required but rolled a 5!!) and sailed back to London licking their wounds.
Spainish Loyalty still firmly with their Bourbon puppet masters and Winter Quarters Phase will see the 2VP gained for taking Liege negated by Bourbon control of Mediterranean.

Very enjoyable playing via Vassal (nice leisurely pace) just needs a bit of adjustment to using interface. French had decent action cards (couple of 3s) whereas Allies had to struggle with a 2 & three 1s not a optimum deal for important opening year. Had I have had a another action I would have risked Eugene on an intercept at Cremona but that would have meant no chance to take Cadiz. Of course knowing my lowly action count I was rather overstretching to think Cadiz would fall in one attempt.

Now 1703 looms with sizeable French reinforcements inbound. An event card each will also be drawn which will be interesting.

Managed a couple of screenshots.

Overall situation at end of 1702 (2 Vps still to be deducted on VP track)

Flanders with The Duke in Liege and bloodied invasion force back in London

Northern Italy and Southern Germany

No Peace Without Spain - Vassal game

Just started a Vassal game (my first) via Pbem with an ex-pat Ulster chap (Norman) living in England who has a nice blog at http://pcjohnstone.wordpress.com/
He has chosen the dread Bourbons and I the Glorious Alliance.
Getting my head around 'logfiles' etc and learning flow/sequencing of game in Vassal but seems pretty straightforward (despite my re-loading an older file by mistake once !) and NPWS seems very compatible with it.
'Standard' opening with Bourbons going first occupying Madrid and transferring some Corps plus a dastardly attack in Italy on the force of Eugene at Magua.
This was a draw (2 hits each) which caused French to fall back demoralized (defender wins draws).
Marlborough has meantime besieged Liege (after French failed to intercept and then withdrew leaving a Garrison) suffering a hit but reducing fort to 0 initially.
Leader in London has taken his 2 Corps by sea to lay siege to Cadiz without losses on sea voyage.
Still a good deal of first year 1702 to play.

Very interesting to play someone 'live' as it were.

I will likely do a post/AAR at end of each year rather than bits and pieces like this and will try to post some screen shots once I work out how :-)

White Star Rising Operation Cobra expansion arrives

This expansion for my recently acquired White Star Rising arrived today being a bunch of new scenarios covering the Op Cobra breakout and a sheet and a bit of new counters for the game (Includes extra German US & Brit counters with new Canadian and Free French). Nice addition if a tad expensive and a rather 'cartoonish' cover to the booklet.

Also had a quick solo play of a Conflict Of Heroes scenario from the Storm of Steel edition and jolly enjoyable it was too even though the Ivans got trounced (I sort of forgot how potent German units generally in the game especially their single Tiger Tank). I ought to play this one more as such beautiful components and a really good system of Command and Control/Action Points/Cardplay.

Field Of Battle 2 a 10mm WSS action

My younger brother Warren (who resides in Liverpool) over for a few days and so we had a game. As it been years since he played miniatures (Warhammer/RPG background) and so I decided to go with an easy to teach set and Field Of Battle certainly fits that bill. Set up a War of Spainish Succession game using my 10mm Imperialists and French. I set up terrain, rolled up units stats and suchlike and then let Warren pick side. He chose the French who had a bigger (slightly) army but Poor Command and mostly Poor Brigadiers but with several high quality Infantry and Horse units (Irish/Garde Francais and Maison Du Roi) against a mainly Austrian force with Skilled Command several decent Brigadiers but average units. A simple encounter game seemed best with us alternating deployment of Brigades and then setting to !

A great game ensued with plenty of incidents and talking points. Warren had awful dice rolls and cards sequence (Lull cards) in first turn making his army mostly static as Imperialists seemed jet propelled in their advance. He did manage to get first charges of game in with Pistol Cavalry downhill against some Pistol Cavalry of mine but managed to lose one unit instantly destroyed and another damaged !
On my right I hurled some Cavalry into his Brigade of three tough Irish Wild Geese and gave them a proper seeing to. Another Austrian Cavalry Brigade then caught some French Infantry in March Column (trying to move around a wood and marsh) Routing the head of the column but failing to dent the following units which managed to form line. Game not finished but French army Morale close to expired (down to 6 from initial 30) whilst Imperial still healthy (done to 28 from 34). Great stuff from a rule set I really enjoy.

Postscript: finished the game following day and it went as expected with the French failing to recover, in fact things got even worse for them with an abysmal series of dice rolls (several times I rolled 12 on a d12 whilst brother managed a 1 or 2 no matter which dice type he was using !!) seeing their remaining Brigades decimated and losing a staggering 5 Brigadiers (only occurs on a 1 on d12 !!). My brother really enjoyed the game despite horrendous luck (It did lead to some laugh out loud moments) and had no problem understanding the Field Of Battle system. 

Second day I did realize we had played Melee incorrectly previous day. I was recalling 1st edition FOB wherein Melee could last across several initiatives whereas in 2nd edition it is fought to a conclusion once initiated by either side in a single initiative.   

Austrian horse on right wing

French horse Brigades refusing to advance off hilltop

Austrian Infantry supported by Dutch (single rank to signify Platoon firing system)

Opposing Horse clash on French right

Marshall Tallard ruing yet another failed roll

Lines clash 

French Infantry manage to re-deploy in face of Cavalry charge

Dutch Guard engage the French horse Brigade that finally moved off hill