Tuesday 26 November 2019

Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge X


X does indeed mark the spot!
Yes it Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge time once again, infact the 10th.
I've thrown my name in the hat and will join the other 59 Challengers in a painting
frenzy, lasting from the 21st December until the 19th March.
I will be painting up my usual floppy hatted fellows in both 15mm and 25mm, for Donnybrook and Beneath the Lilly Banners so I don't want any of you worrying about that fact.
I will also be painting up a new project in 25mm????

More on that later!!

Good luck my fellow Challengers!



Monday 18 November 2019

Warfare Wargames Show Reading 2019


In the good ol' days way before my blog, way before I had a computer or a mobile phone, way before the Rejects even existed, we used to visit Reading for our annual fix of wargaming merryment at the Warfare Wargaming show.
We can't even remember the last time we went, but it must have been the mid to late 90's. (Fran did you ever go to Warfare?) We decided to was too close in date to SELWG and we'd usually spent all our hard earned dosh there, so had none left for Warfare.
BUT, silly Reject Not so BigLee, went and booked a holiday over the weekend of SELWG, so was rather miffed with himself and needed a last Wargaming fix of the year. Me and Postie agreed that we'd tag along and hold his hand, (gotta admit, we didn't need a lot of persuading!)
So off we went early Saturday morning arriving in Reading 30 odd minutes before the show started. 


We made a beeline for the Bring and Buy see above where I broke our duck for the day, with a purchase of 2 28mm Warlord artillery pieces, for £8! Did I actually need them You ask???
No, but Yes but.........
I did take quite a few photos before I noticed a problem with my mobile. some of the pictures were corrupted???m (Like the last few in the last game we played?) It seemed to be pretty random and was bloody annoying!
So lots of pics didn't come out, including all the close up's I took of this most excellent game below


From Ruperts regt Sealed Knot
They put of a ingenuous interpretation of the Battle of Sedgemoor 1685 


As its a night battle, I've always wondered how to create that Fog of War needed to play the game.
They made small boards to cover the Rebel armies advance on the English camp.


The Camp


As units moved forward, the terrain would become viable.


There were hidden walls, ditches to cross and animals and people, who could make a noise and alert the guards in the camp that somethings heading their way,


All the building were scratch built by one of the guys and painted up in various shades of grey to help with the night effect.




The Red regt makes it unmolested to the camp. 


And set fire to the tents.
What a great looking game, I shall pinch a few ideas from this game!!


Combined Oppos - Wild West





Col Bill & Scotty


Newbury & Reading Wargames Society - Caractacus Strikes Back 45AD



We bumped into blogger extraordinaire Sgt Steiner several times throughout the day.
What a thoroughly nice chap!


Boscombe Down & Amesbury Wargames Club

Cheers Peter!


Huntingdon & District Wargames Society - 54mm Rorks Drift


My pics of Warbases didn't come out.
So this ones pinched from Lee's Blog. 


South Oxfordshire Generals - To the Strongest - Sassanid Persian battle 




Maidenhead Reapers - Panzer 150 - Ardennes Offensive 1944




Aylesbury Wargames Club - Bolt Action - Ost Front 1944


Two pics of the Competition game going on over the weekend.




Skirmish Wargames - 54mm A Very British Civil War



Grid Wargaming - FIW




1066 Group - SYW The Battle of Warburg






Display Models




The 3 Amigos
We had an enjoyable but exhausting day, we will defo be back for more.
Perhaps at the new venue in Ascot if what we heard was true?



Saturday 16 November 2019

Warfare Reading 2019 anyone??



Me, Lee and Postie are on a rare away day today. We're off to Warfare in Reading. Lee's never been before and me and Postie haven't been for years.
Any one else going???
I'll be wearing my new red Posties Rejects t-shirt, hopefully the others are as well, so If you see us say hello.

Wednesday 13 November 2019

Battle of Landsberg (Saxony) October 1813 - A Napoleonic batrep




It was quite packed out at Reject HQ over the weekend. Seven of us got together for an epic Napoleonic bash, including long lost Reject Dave. Who vanished in a puff of smoke some 2 years ago, but has now returned for a game and hopefully he'll return again for another game but next time it'll be shorter than 2 years time!!!
We picked sides out of the hat I picked the Poles along with Surj and our CnC Smiffy!
The Swedes CnC was Lee, along with Richard and Dave.

Lee's report can be found here!

OOB

CnC - Prince Poniatowski (Smiffy)

Polish Division (Ray) in the centre)

1st Brigade - 1st, 2nd, 8th, 14th Line
2nd Brigade - 1st and 2nd 4th Line, 1st & 2nd Combined Vistula Legion
3rd Brigade - 1st Chasseurs a Cheval, 2nd Lancers
4th Brigade - 14th Cuirassiers

French Division (Smiffy) on the right)

5th Brigade - 1st & 2nd 11th Legere, 1st & 2nd 2nd Line
6th Brigade - 1st & 2nd 4th Line, 1st & 2nd 18th Line
7th Brigade - 22nd Dragoons, 25th Dragoons
8th Brigade - 10th Chasseurs a Cheval

German/Italian Division (Surj) on the left)

9th Brigade - 1st & 2nd 5th Westphalian Line, 1st & 2nd Lieb Hesse-Darmstadt
10th Brigade - 1st to 4th 5th Italian Line, 2nd Light Italian
11th Brigade - Westphalian Chevauleger Guard, Hesse-Darmstadt Chevauleger
12th Brigade - Italian 2nd Napoleon Dragoons

CnC - Crown Prince Charles John of Sweden (Lee)

Russian/Swedish Division (Dave) on the left)

1st Brigade - 1st, 2nd & 3rd Permovsky, 1st, 2nd & 3rd Balostaksky, 1st Newu, 1st Petrowsk, 1st Lithuianian, 44th Jagers
2nd Brigade - Life Cuirassiers, Swedish Smaland Light Dragoons
3rd Brgade - Elizabethgrad Hussars

Austrian Division (Richard) on the right)

4th Brigade - 1st & 2nd Kavnitz, 1st & 2nd W Colloredo
5th Brigade - 1st & 2nd Reuss Griet, 1st & 2nd Vogelsang
6th Brigade - 3rd Erzerhog Ferdinand Hussars, 7th Liechtenstein Hussars (Elite)
7th Brgade - 5th Cuirassiers

Prussian Corps (Lee) in the centre)

8th Brigade - 1st 2nd & 3rd Silesian Line, 1st & 2nd 10th Reserve, 1st & 2nd 8th Silesian Militia, 1st Silesian Hussars
9th Brigade - 1st 2nd & 3rd West Prussian Line, 1st & 2nd 7th Reserve, 1st and 2nd 9th Silesian Militia 1st Silesian Militia Cavalry.


The Mega game at the start of play. Postie set up all the troops otherwise It'd take us half the day to set up!


Smiffy as our CnC chose to fight on our right, he was facing Dave. Our plan here was to move forward and play a defensive holding game here.


I was in the centre, facing Lee, our plan here was to move forward and enagage Lee's troops. But waiting until the Cavalry in the rear was on the hill with our artillery.


Surj was on the left facing Richard, here was to be our main thrust, mainly because we had some Guard Cavalry.


We won the choice of going first or second, we gave it to the enemy, who surprised us moving forward???? Hmm? Dave's troops were in quite a solid defensive position, why'd they move?


Lee also moved forward in the centre??? As did I.


Both Richard and Surj pushed forward. Surj made a hole to push his Cavalry up the centre.


In what would prove to be a decisive moment (or was it?) Surj fired his Italin Light troops at Richard's limbered artillery, next to the farm complex. He scored a hit.


As Richard's brigade leader was within 2 inches he had to throw to see if he became a casualty. Richard had to throw a D20. As Surj scored 1 casualty on the artillery, if Richard threw a 1, the officer would become a casualty.
Which he did!!!!!!


At the end of the turn Richard had to throw a morale test for the artillery which he failed and had to move back 1 move, then had to throw for a Brigade check as they'd lost their Officer. Which he also failed. So the whole brigade had to move back 10 inches!
Not a great start for Richard's Austrians!!!!


Surj took full advantage of the Austrians going back and pushed forward as quickly as he could.


With the hole in the Austrian lines, we decided to change the plan of my Cavalry and headed straight for the Austrian lines, to see if I could use my Horse there instead?????


Bit of a stale mate on the right. Smiffy puts his Line units into line formation. And advance his Horse to the hill on the far right.


Dave anchored his artillery on his flank on their far left.


Not sure why but Surj always seems to make a mess.
He pushes forward again, while Richard tries to get into formation.


Lee has a rather formidable line of Prussians there!!!!


There's no room for Smiffy to put everything in line this turn.


Surj's 2 columns charge the Austrian line, who run before they are hit.


Smiffy also declares a charge against the Russian Jagers, who pass their morale and elect to evade.


The thin Blue Line.


I move my Horse over the hill towards the Austrians, both my and Surj's artillery fail to make a dent on the Prussian lines.


What a mess! After his charge which failed to contact Surj chose to move the columns their full move, right into the enemy lines,


He also charged Richard's artillery.


Which fought well but......


was lost, Surj carried on his charge into the infantry behind.


An areil shot from the left of the field.


and from the right.


Surj wind the melee and captures the colours of the Austrian line (the blue marker)


From our left


And our right


Which line units should I aim for?


I had originally decided to keep my Cuirassiers in reserve, but changed my mind and followed my other cavalry up towards the hill.


I hoped Lee would forget to shoot at my Lancers on the hill.
He didn't, luckily he threw bad dice!


Richard's Austrians who fell back on the first turn have started to return to the field. My Cavalry should be able to help Surj and send them running again?


Surj charges the Austrian line, while Richard charges the Hesse-Darmstadt column in the flank.


The bigger picture on the left.
Richard's troops are back in play in the nick of time.
Its gonna be a close run thing on the flank???


Hmmm? After sitting for two turn the whole of Dave's command pushes forward???


And so does Lee's front line
But he's made a school boy error alright!!!!!
I looked at Richard and grimaced at the mistake, he knew what was going to happen next.


We're in firing range now. The white markers are first fire markers, which give you an extra dice.


After the Prussian move I still had my go.
So forgetting the Cavalry attack on the Austrians, I use my go to turn on the spot and face the flank of Lee's Prussian infantry.
Oh Lee.....what have you done?


At this range this is gonna hurt!


It was far too inviting to ignore......



Lee could have moved the last infantry line forward and wheeled to cover the flank?


The lone British unit on the battlefield
The Rocket troop.


Dave pushes his Cavalry forward to oppose Smiffy's


Dave shoots up Smiffy's 10th Chasseur a Cheval


Looking good!


The Enemy
Richard, Lee and Long Lost Dave
And a view of nearly the whole table. my new phone has got a great camera!!!


Another ariel view of the table top


Back to Surj and Richard's melee


And this is how it ended up.
Richard's Austrian unit were routed back, 1 column followed up and hit it in the rear.
The unit dispersed immediately.
Meanwhile Richard had a little more luck and destroyed Surj's column.


Charge!!!!
My original target can be seen to the left of my Lancers. Lee failed their morale test and they ran back, so the Lancers carried straight on and hit the next unit in the flank. I also hit 2 of the Prussian units with 2 of my Polish columns.


Dave's Cavalry are victorious and push Smiffy's back. 


Smiffy pushed the whole French line forward as we'd won the first turn, which also meant we fired first.


I pushed up my back ranks of infantry and my Cuirassiers.


A bit of breathing space for Richard. As Surj lost a unit last turn he had to throw for the Brigade morale. Which he failed!!
The brigade had to fall back 10 inches.


I've had to pinch this photo from Lee's blog, not sure what happened but the last few photos 
I took of the game have vanished???
The photo is taken from the Prussian side of the table and you can see carnage caused by my Poles.
Lee lost 1 unit completely, while the other two are in route. 
With their centre now collapsed they threw in the towel and left the field to fight on another day.

Conclusion

Another great game from the book of Postie, it was probably our largest game of the year, with there being 3 a side, something we've not managed for quite some time.
Lee's mistake cost the allies dear, there was no real way for them to recover. I'm not sure how the game would have gone if Lee hadn't moved forward as he did. I was always going to charge in with my columns, it was just about picking the right time. The addition of the Lancers just rubbed salt into there wounds.
Richard was awarded the best General medal, for his well deserved defence of their right flank. Poor Rich was under the cosh on turn 1 with 1 brigade being pushed back, and technically out of the game for another 2 turns. Surj played hard but couldn't make it count in the end.
Smiffy and Dave both stood firm with neither one gaining any real ground.
Wonder what would have happened if we carried on 1 turn???

Even though the game was already over Postie totted up the points which gave us a rather convincing 24-10 victory!!
Great game and great company. Well done to one and all!