Wargaming Room

Playing about with video function on my camera I shot this quick video a few days ago showing my Wargaming Room and using my dulcet tones.

Bit shaky in parts and sound lowish but watchable, but then so of course is paint drying !!

Eat your hearts out Mssrs Spielberg, Tarantino and Scorsese........................................

No prizes but see if anyone can spot the...um....deliberate mistake during the 'tour' :-)

A day out at Ulster Wargames Club

Managed a visit to the Ulster Wargames Club a venue I am only able to attend at most twice a year.

Arranged to met up with Vassal opponent David Pentland (yes it is that David Pentland of military art fame !) for a WWII game using Battlegroup Overlord rules.

All the most excellent 20mm kit and terrain was provided by David's regular opponent Adam Smith (another local luminary of figure painting and sculpting fame - he is now part owner of Aventine Miniatures).

I partnered Adam in commanding a British force tasked with advancing along a road towards a distant bridge opposed by some dug-in Veteran Fallschirmjager.
We were all a bit ropey with remembering the rules in particular with Indirect fire which slowed things a tad but did make for good learning experience.

Highlights were two Spitfires attacks and Adam rolling 13 hits out of 14 rolls !!
However David then managed 11 saves from the 13 hits !!

Enjoyable game and it was great to meet David and Adam and many other familiar faces at the club that I only meet with occasionally.

Final Argument of Kings rules tried on verdant pastures

Had a quick solo play through of SYW game using Final Argument Of Kings rules.

I have had this set for a while but never tried which is odd as it is based in John Hills (RIP) Johnny Reb in respect of order chit system. 

Bit complicated firing and Melee systems but ok once you perform these a few times.

As per Johnny Reb it's a semi-simultaneous system with order chits for First Fire, Hold, Charge, Move etc.

Did not get finished but did get to try my newly completed terrain sections and the furry fleece as the table mat which I quite liked.

Only downside being bit bouncy at times with some of my smaller based trees none to steady. 

Think rather than cutting up for fields I will keep it as an alternative table covering as the mood takes me.

Some DIY scenery made

Got a pack of pre-cut MDF (great invention this) which I spent the day basing as woods and rough areas.

Lots of flock used.

Also acquired a cheap rug which I bought to use as ripe crop fields as it is fairly light green however now considering using it as table covering as it is large enough to over lap table edges and therefore might work well with hills underneath rather than on top ?

Hmmmm.........

General De Brigade last pics

Played through couple more turns.

Enjoyable stuff with a very good set of rules but tad difficult to cope with solo and therefore really need to get a face to face game under the belt.
Hopefully in not too distant future as Stephen intends to buy these (and Blucher) on his visit to Salute this coming weekend (I am not at all jealous..........well not much).

Did not play to anything near completion but just enough to gain a knowledge of the rules and play sequence.

Great flavour of the period and I can see why these are a popular rule set.











Prussian Infantry Brigade holds (in Support) under pummeling by French guns as their Light Cavalry Brigade plows into Young Guard Infantry in the field

Central Prussian Infantry Brigade changes orders from Hold to Assault to push back Young Guard but OLd Guard Brigade also changes to Assault and is coming forward,

Guard Cavalry clash with Prussian left wing. Grenadiers a Cheval Routed a Reserve unit but were pushed back by a lowly Landwehr square (which was fortunate to form just in time). Dutch Lancers also repulsed but coming back for more.

Prussian Hussars force back a Young Guard unit in the field with Dragoons threatening another unit. The French guns look vulnerable.

Central French assault stopped with unit on right about to reach Dispersal Point and fail subsequent Morale check and quit the field after several bursts of cannister.

The Guard cavalry and Landwehr 'square' up to each other. Square in Unformed (Disordered) status after being burst through by routed Reserve unit

Prussian Grenadiers advance downhill with Musketeers. Note I have redeployed several units into Line formation as the Massed Columns rules made them vulnerable to shooting whilst on hold Orders.

So what will I try next ??????

more Napoleonics as I fancy trying Piquet Les Grognards

or SYW with Piquet Cartouche or Black Powder ??

or maybe Ancients with Sword and Spear or Pulse of Battle ???

of course WW2 beckons as I must try Chain of Command

decisions decisions.......................................

General .de Brigade more pics

Few more photos from ongoing GDB solo game.

Learning as I go and noted that I initially played Cavalry incorrectly in that if in two ranks (in may case 2 bases by 2 bases) they are still in line formation in rules.
They only have Column of Companies (ie a 1 base wide formation) as an column attack formation.
So much less likely to be effected by Massed Column rules than Infantry.

Still enjoying the rules even if quite a lot to remember for solo play.











So these mounted units are in Line not Attack Column.

Field Of Glory Ancients game

Managed to hobble over to Stephens to play a FOGA game (been a while) using my Minoans against his Hittites with 47 Chariots on table between us.
Very nice game it was too.
My spearmen are like a moving wall as tough to defeat when steady but not really capable of attacking steady enemy themselves.
I did manage to paint up (shock ! gasp !) a new unit of 24 medium foot types for the game !
Minoan Chariots are all heavy (and slow) whilst Hittites have nice mix of heavies and lights, some with shooting capability so more flexible.
I had a unit of medium foot archers which are usually fodder but they managed to shoot up a unit of Chariots this time.
However Hittites have a couple of tougher foot units with Impact ability or Swords which outclassed my foot punching a whole in middle of my line.
A dice fest clash of opposing heavy Chariot line saw Hittites come out winners as eventually.
Great game though with two fun to use and dare I say handsome (sounds more manly than pretty) armies.

Another set of crappy photos as only had phone with me

General De Brigade Deluxe solo game

Set up a solo game to try newly arrived General .de Brigade Deluxe rules.
A very nice set they are too hard backed with lovely illustrations and photos throughout.
They are a tad more involved than other sets I have been trying but play quite fast despite having 'more meat on their bones'.
Only real problem I have is with the 1:20 figure ratio as most Battalions are 32 figures in the rules whereas mine are in 24 figure units (based primarily for Lasalle but with 6 per base rather than standard 8 as I thought looked better) although rules do cater for these smaller units.
Use of a rooster/marker system sorts this.
Orders system used (Assault, Engage, Hold, Move, Support & Reserve) which I sometimes forget but after a few plays I suspect this would be fine as fairly intuitive restrictions or requirements for each order such as if Assault your Brigade must advance at least 1/2 move, on Hold you must.....er.....Hold.
Moving and shooting all quick to pick up and its an old school attrition based casualty system (no saving rolls) with hits and figure losses/removal combined with separate morale testing again all intuitive stuff.
A more tactical level game than many other sets have tried and hence the more involved system.
Hope to get a face to face game with these soon.


Usual Young Guard versus Prussians circa 1813 on my table using included points system and table set.