DBMM Avar vs Carolingian

Played a game of DBMM (first in absolute ages) against Stephen last night at my gaff.
He brought Carolingian so I fielded my Avars.
This was in preparation for Munster competition in January at which we both hope to make an appearance.
A good game although we felt that in a competition we would both be less aggressive and good chance of a boring old draw (I never 'suffer' these of course !).
Was good to get back to the inertia of PIP dicing system but after playing FOG so much lately Dbmm seemed rather fiddly with lots of single elements moves and a lot (I never really noticed this before) of micro managing moves.
Rather more 'symmetrical' look to game than the 'firework display' style of FOG.
Of course once we got to grips this is all paled into insignificance as the number of 1s that I managed to roll in majority of combats was as ever totally amazing and hard to fathom !!
Overall good fun and a nice change of system from FOG system.















Armies deployed

Warfare purchases on parade

Fairly poor pics (I really must make an effort) of some of my Warfare acquisitions.

A 15mm church and two European houses from 4Ground 'flat packs' (better not let the wife know or it will be off to iKea !!).

And bunch of 15mm Prussians circa 1813/14. 

The three Landwehr and the two Line units are pre-painted units I bought from a very nice bloke Mark of Stonewall Figures (and I think they are War Modelling figures ?) the Dragoons (Lancashire Figs) were bought pre painted last year ! 

I simply added few brush strokes flags and basing.

But the Grenadiers (Old Glory) are my own brush work (been ages !!!!!!) 

WARFARE 2013 the annual jaunt

Warfare time again (this is my sixth visit in a row and ninth overall) accompanied by Messrs Stephen and John Brittain (the robust Mr P unable to attend this year).
We hired a car at Gatwick this year instead of train and found it a bit cheaper and very much more convenient.
Our now usual gaff at Ibis Reading with standard 'out to stuff oneself on Fri/Sat evenings' at local eating establishments.
The show was usual heady mix of trade stands, demo games (although bit down on previous years we thought) and staring a competition games/gamers.
I went with plan to buy little if any lead which of course was subject to disaster after 'first contact with the enemy' !
Strange breed the visiting (starved of any shows) Ulster wargamer indeed as we always go through the same processes ie

a. Friday evening spent discussing what we plan to buy or not buy or look at and what we 'need' 

b. then Saturday is a whirlwind of trawling the trade stands, purchasing items (for us with a caveat of 'will this fit in hand luggage ?') having arm dislocated by weight of 'must haves' etc

c. Saturday evening is spent fondling said items, thinking 'why did I buy these ?' and 'I must not buy anything more as I will never paint this lot' plus 'but i need just one or two things'

d. then its onto Sunday to a slower paced trawl but just as expensive

e. then back home to abject  poverty and 'I really need some more of these/that' and more online purchasing.

I would not trade the experience for much else :-)



The haul

Some crappy old iPhone pics from show


Stalingrad in 1/35th scale !

One of my highlights Freustadt from Great Northern War

Meggido using Warlord rules (lots of Chariots)

Shiloh in 28mm

Armati games (these blokes play every year)

Napoleon at War rules for this one (nice figures)

LRDG type large scale game

Chain Of Command demo

Competition games ongoing

 

Kalistra displaying new rules with Romano British battle

 

A nice 15mm game using BattleGroup Overlord rules

An ECW game using 54mm figures

 

Two Wings Of Glory games WW2 and WW1 (on nice terrain mats)

The SYW Age Of Reason second day and includes 'contractual pic' of Messrs Brittain (or as it known as 'photo booming' nowdays

Wild West game which seemed to include a cattle stampede

Chain Of Command still going on Sunday

I took several more pics but too crap to use which included a very nice 28mm Samurai game and couple of Napoleonic games one using Age of Eagles, the other using Black Powder and a WW1 East Africa Piquet Field of Battle and Pickets Charge participation game which looked fun.