It's beginning to feel a lot like Christmas (well ok my birthday)

Just turned 49 (aaarrrrgggghhhh how did that happen !!!!!) last week and managed to obtain a few goodies to minimise the pain.

What !? can it be true ?? Steiner gets some figures on table..........FOG Ancients: Sassanid vs Late Roman.

After weeks of looooooong hours and extra duties I finally managed to get a miniatures game in today against Stephen.
As it was very last minute affair we decided to play something that needed minimum preparation and went with FOG Ancients with usual 800pt 'pick-up' game.
I chose to use Sassanid and Stephen took contemporary Late Romans.
Really fun game we had too.
Seems like ages since I got any figures into action (beginning of June).
Different 'feel' to games with lead instead of cardboard or pixel warriors.

 

So much for normality !!

Just very little time for much gaming at present !! Have not managed a miniatures outing since start of June............boo hoo.

Only managed this week to start a solo rule learning game of the excellent Paths Of Glory

Thank goodness for Vassal which is keeping me sane (or my approximation thereof) by allowing a couple of game turns per day.

Seems also there is a difficulty posting to Blog since I 'Googleized' it, no surprise there and will have to check settings et al.

Our beloved 'Marching/Bonfire Season' about to kick into higher gear and the hot weather never a good combo with 'hot headed' types so potential for even less time on my hands :-(

Of course none of this has stopped me ordering one or two new games !

Cannot go without mention of 'Dour Scot' Andy Murray and his excellent Wimbeldon win and The British And Irish Lions win 'down under'.

 

No Retreat! The Russian Front Solo System try-out

Obtained the solitaire variant for No Retreat in the excellent Ci3 magazine (Issue 26) and decided to give it a trial today.
Took a bit of getting used to but I found it a nice system especially the 'switcheroo' aspect wherein if the side you are controlling is close to a Sudden Death victory situation there is every likelihood that the Solo cards will force you to change the side you control !!
The mandatory orders for the 'AI' side are fairly reasonable with couple of choices although if you really hate yourself you can cheat a bit. The Stalin chit and the Stavka/OKH orders can be used in a 2 player game and are very like similar rules in Barbarossa To Berlin.
Very enjoyable with a game I like but have neglected of late.  
Nice variant to use rather than usual solo player 'split personality syndrome' style.

Still gaming........just about !!

Despite bloody G8 being over am still stuck in a cycle of looong shifts with very little free time for game related stuff.

However I have managed to get a few boardgame related stints in (have not had a minis game in what seems ages).


Played couple of games ay my Dads with my son Steven also in attendance (back home from Nottingham University for summer).
He bought a copy of game we played at brothers in Liverpool called Small Worlds a very fast, light and fun fantasy themed strategy game.
We realized during first game we were playing things a tad incorrectly but then managed a win each in next three tries.
I forgot to take any pics so here is a stock image or two

I then umpired a game of Twilight Struggle between my offspring and offspringer (?) a tense encounter it was.
Steven had the Commies and went for an all out 'assault' on Europe and very nearly carried the day however his lack of influence and presence elsewhere in the world allowed the USofA to dominiate in several regions and rack up a lot of points with scoring cards.
So much so that on turn 7 Dad achieved an auto victory.
Great stuff with a game that is not strictly a wargame but has nice conflict basis.

On Vassal I am still plugging away with a Pbem games and having great time (very theraputic) against varied opponnents.


Barbarossa To Berlin game (against Greig) in which I am getting thrashed after my self-inflicted disaster in North Africa.
So many cards for Allies vioded by continued German presence in region (no invasions in Med possible).
This has allowed Axis to obtain near parity on Eastern Front especially as my seemingly unending offensives with Soviets seem to yield very little (even virtual dice hate me !!).

Thirty Years War game (against Mike) has gotten exciting with Swedes arriving, Gustavus dying tout suite (damn dice again !!) but with French now coming to aid Protestant cause.

Paths Of Glory game (also vs Mike) has seen Italy cause Central Powers some grief by pushing across Alps into southern Germany whilst Eastern and Western fronts are largely stagnated.
We have had our own version of Verdun a bit further north at Liege which has changed hands several times and cost us both a lot of combat power (ie soldiers).
Still in balance this one

After having lost Kingdom Of Heaven game to Norman we decided for  some lighter fare with a game of Command & Colours Ancients.
I picked battle of Bagradas with Norman as Carthaginians and I as Romans.
Interesting first outing for this game which whilst quite simple to pick up has bit more depth than is first apparent and is fun to play.