Warfare 2011

Attended Warfare show at Reading this weekend with 3 mates (yes I do have that many !) and a damn fine time had by all. New attendee this year was Stephen Pollock who on entry to show on Saturday morning was the proverbial 'kid in sweetie shop', I haven't seen a face of such excitement and delight since my young lad on a Christmas morn of yore !! Usual heady mix of trade stands, demo games (seemed to more than usual ?) and competition games.
Trade area seemed very busy on Saturday (no idea how it worked out for traders)

I of course bought nothing.................................................................................................................(only plausible if you don't check bottom of this post)

Some iPhone pics

Competition area

Armati demo game

Black Powder Napoleonic game in 15mm

Impressive 6mm Battle of Cambrai using Great War Spearhead

Lost Battles demo using miniatures with author

28mm WWII game with impressive jungle terrain

Demo game of War & Conquest Ancients

SYW in 15mm using Warfare In Age Of Reason

Poor pic of a very nice 28mm ACW game

More 28mm Ancients using Clash Of Empires this time

A very nice 28mm WWII skirmish game using Rules Of Engagement

Cant recall details of this, I think a dark age skirmish ? 

Wild West shoot out and nice to see budding gamers

A really nice terrain set up for a Blitzkrieg Commander WWII game in 15mm

A large Pirate game

A big (in every way !) Napoleonic game using 54mm kit and Black Powder on a huge table, I think this may have won best in show ?

Battle Of Newbury in 15mm using FOGR rules (Nice to see these in use for non-competition game)

As per usual the Brittain brothers unable to hack the pace 

My haul hard to believe this is £300+ worth ! I reckon we spent about £1100+ between us four loons  

When I am going to paint the new lead collection is quite beyond me

DBMM Turgesh vs Sogdian

Played a quick Dbmm game today, I used Central Asian Turkish (Turgesh) and Stephen fielded Central Asian City States (Sogdian). Good game but with usual result ie dreadful loss on my part :-)

iPhone pics only

Turk allies on Sogdian right flank

Armies deploy

Turgesh right wing on the move

Sogdian left wing

Tibetan allies on Turgesh left

Central clash developing

Columns deploy on left wing

They shall not grow old..........................

Here we go again.....................I just cant help myself....................oh shiny !!!

Barely two weeks to annual trip to Warfare show in Reading (or Geek-Fest 2011) and am still buying rules !! Justification (har de har de har har) is that I would buy these there anyhow so simply saves having to carry them home ie leaves more space for other stuff :-)
These do look very interesting (downloadable QRS, Army characteristics and OOB sheets available) and as always I simply could not exercise any control over urges and desires in order to resist. I can already smell the fresh print...............................................

Hail Caesar army list booklet

First of the Hail Caesar army lists booklets arrived yesterday (after long period on pre-order) and look rather interesting and usable at first glance. Usual smattering of very nice figures throughout and a broad spectrum of armies included from early Sumerian/Biblical types through to Early Imperial Roman. Nothing surprising in the lists or troop types but very nice to see a nominal point system included to help 'balance' units and abilities. I really must get a game with these rules as they read very well and look to generate a fun/plausible game.
Too little time too much choice.................................

ACW with They Couldn't Hit An Elephant rules

Played another American Civil War game today at Stephens against his brother John. We used the 'They Couldn't Hit An Elephant' rules from Too Fat Lardies which I only read through once prior to game. Quite an interesting set with some novel concepts. As with all TFL rules the use of Blinds and Cards is great generating the chaos/inertia we like in our games. But the rules are rather ambiguous in several areas and we found ourselves head scratching quite often as to what rules meant or how they are meant to be played. That said once we decided how to resolve things they flowed quite well and seemed to give a plausible game. Key concept is the 'Decisive Combat' section which subsumes a lot of 'regular' game phases into one table and set of outcomes. Aggressive Veteran troops can be very potent as lots of pluses if charging with attack orders against lesser quality troops. There was only one such unit in todays game.
Game was based around a Guns Of Gettysburg scenario (Pine Oaks 1862 I think ?) with yours truly set up in defence with a single Brigade of Union regulars on table and John as Rebs attacking. Rebs were slowed by lots of woods but the aforementioned aggressive Veteran unit charged a Union Regt in Adams Farm (soft cover from surrounding fence) and managed to Rout it which caused supporting unit to rear to be routed in burst through and flank support to fall back (both routers were later rallied but took no further part in game as such). Union reinforcements (a further 3 Brigades arriving on successive turns) arrived quickly as we only had a single 'Coffee Break' card in deck initially (we later added a second to extend turns). Union Brigadier Crouch was rated as Inspirational and upon turn of an Inspired Cmdr card he was able inflict revenge upon the Rebs by adding +2 to a charge by one of his Regiments (equivalent for one turn to aggressive charge) which routed a Reb Regt and its rear support. On Union left a Brigade deployed to fend off an arriving Reb brigade and the Union artillery unit with this brigade used aimed fire (2 command Pips to direct fire) to decimate Rebs forcing them to withdraw. Union center was shored up by a Veteran Brigade which deployed behind the Farm then went onto attack orders to try to re-occupy the dwelling. They dealt heavily with the aggressive Reb unit (Texans I think ?) which had become isolated due to their forging ahead alone in Union positions (aggressive troops are forced to charge when within 8" of enemy if under attack orders). On Union right a struggle in the heavy wooded area was taking place with several close combats and fall backs with units on both sides bloodied and with shaky morale (Fightin' and Defeated modes in rules). We had to call time at this point with things very much in balance. Next game with rules (although Le Feu Sacre by TFL as real possibility for next outing) will be smoother and quicker as we now know the quirks of the system and will likely spend much less time discussing rules and indeed what we intend to purchase at Warfare next month !!!

iPhone pics as yet again forgot camera !  

Rebel Brigades deploy

Rebel blind advances

Initial Union Brigade deploys at Adams Farm (arriving Brigade blinds behind)

Union reserves arriving as Blinds

Union left flank secured

The Rebs deploy in woodland

Reb skirmishers screen their Brigade

The aggressive Reb unit routs 2 Union Regts (seen skedaddling in lower pic) at Adams Farm