Monday, 27 January 2025

AHPC15 - Retreat from Moscow - Meets The Silver Bayonet

For my second entry of the day I've gone all silver Bayonet on ya! I've no real interest in the game Silver Bayonet, but I've been a long admirer of the figures produced for the rules, they're so full of character. So I took full advantage of the recent offer from North Star, where you could buy the figures individually, rather than the unit boxes they usually sell in.


I managed to get this unit finished in time to take some pics and post it up. Sitting them on a radiator to help them dry quicker did help!




I painted the figures at the back first, the chap back o the left was supposed to be for my Haitian project, but Haiti's too hot for him,


The figure on the left, has a greenstuff cloak added


as does the Cuirassier on the right, all the others are as they came in the post. Which is a shame, they're both really nice figures and I've hidden all that wonderful detail under a cloak!!
I'm not sure if these will become a unit of stragglers or command figures if I'm being honest, they'll probably be a bit of both in the end.

Points mean prizes and these bad boys will give me 40 points.
8 figures@ 5pts each.

Teemu gave me a bonus of 2 points taking my total to 42pts, pushing me up to 23rd with 247 pts in total.




Friday, 24 January 2025

AHPC15 - Retreat from Moscow - 24th Legere


Surprise Surprise! Here's more figures for my and Lee's  Retreat from Moscow project. 


These poor chilly souls are painted up to represent a detachment of the French 24th Legere, who fought in Ney's Third Army, 10th Division (Ledru), in Gengoult's Brigade. But in all honesty they could be from any French light infantry unit, or any other Grenadier or Voltigeur unit.


In Sharpe Practice, skirmish units are usually in 6 man units. The figures are from the great range of figures made by North Star for the Muskets & Tomahawks ruleset, and are sold as a 6 man unit, as seen here. I've included a commander, once again from North Star's range.
I hope more figures will be added to this great looking range........not that I actually need anymore figures???
But who am I kidding!


Once again I've included their very own base, which I painted up before the Challenge, when we found out no terrain items were allowed this time round.

Onto the points, nice and easy...
7 figures at 5pts each = 35 pts

These troops pushed me back up to 27th place with a total of 205 points.


Wednesday, 22 January 2025

AHPC15 - Retreat from Moscow - 4th Wurttemburg Infantry

 


The Retreat from Moscow project is coming along nicely. Here we have an 8 figure detachment from the 4th Wurttemberg regiment, that was part of Ney's Third Army, 25th Division, under Brigadier von Hugel.


There are a few companies that make some superb Wurttemberg figures, but alas none of them are in the much needed greatcoats!!


Some some drastic action was required!!!


I bough a few packs of Wargames Foundry French in greatcoats and in true French fashion began chopping off heads!! Replacing them with heads from the old Connoisseur range, now sold by Bicorne Miniatures.


I didn't want to use all the Foundry figures otherwise they would all look the same, so I included 3 plastic Perry figures and one Perry metal figure. I also added a scarf in the 4th facing colours to the only marching figure.

So onto the points...
Pretty simple this one, 8 x 25mm figures at 5 points each
40 points
And if I'm lucky Teemu might give me a few extra points for the conversion work???

Teemu did, he gave me an extra 2 points taking my total to 42pts, putting me in 23rd place at the time of posting on a total of 170 points, (I'm now in 29th as of today)



Thursday, 16 January 2025

ACW Batrep - The Battle of Brownsville 1862

 


The Rejects got together for our first game of the year. a couple of Sunday's ago. Postie decided to put on an American Civil War game, using his own version of Fire n Fury.
It was bloody cold in the shed, can you tell?


When I first started gaming proper more than 30 years ago, I used to love Fire n Fury. Not anymore.
We changed from the 10 sided dice several years ago because I and other were sick to death of the, he threw a 10, I threw a 1 scenario, that although random, struck deep in my soul and enjoyment.
As I've said to the lads before, you can be a tactical genius and still be soundly beaten by a mushroom.

Postie took notice of our whines and changed the rules to 2 D6, which kinda worked, BUT in this game it really showed that it doesn't work. Obviously throwing 2 D6, the result of a 7 is more likely and it was ever so true in this game!

This is a moany batrep I'm afraid, if you hadn't realised already???



The sides were picked out completely randomly, I ended up on the left flank of the Confederate left, with Lee centre left, Smiffy centre right and Steve on our right flank.
Facing me was Surj, in the centre was Richard and facing Steve was Dan.


Smiffy and Steve's troops on our right.


My command facing Surj, in column on the hill.
My 4 units facing Surj's 7 units and we were attacking????


Lee's 4 units attacking Richard's horde in the centre.


At the start of the game, we were allowed a 5 minute chat to try and work out a plan......ha!
We all knew we were doomed before we rolled a dice, we were attacking and were severely outnumbered.
What the hell was Postie thinking?


The only thing we could do was push forward as fast as we could to try and catch the Union trying to set up??


Steve kind of had the easier job on our right flank as Dan's troops were hemmed in between a wood and the river, so it would take him a little longer to get into a useful defensive formation.


I quickly moved up and took control of the woods. While Surg was trying to deploy from column.



I unlimbered my guns by the road, to hopefully stop Surj moving across and attacking Lee in the centre.


Its a race to the fenceline!


Smiffy's 3 artillery were so far back we wondered if he'd ever get them deployed, let alone fire.


Surj came off the hill?


We getting closer.


In a very desperate move, I charged both my units out of the woods into Surg's troops, taking heavy fire as I did, from both muskets and cannister fire.


Surj moved into the open ground, I'm glad I unlimbered my artillery there now!


I moved around the table to take a look at what was going on between Steve and Dan.
Steve has charged in and Dan is still trying to find the room to come out of coloum.


Posties rather snazzy looking fort, lucky for us the guns were pointed out across the river!



Dan and Richard's defence.



Going downhill fast
Steve, Smiffy and Lee




Thinks are looking up?

We got some reinforcements on the table. Jeb Stuart and his cavalry have arrived!



Lee charges in!



So does Steve!!!


Three happy Rejects and the evil one!



Steve wins his melee


Lee takes a battering going in....


With his centre unit getting smashed before he hits the fence!


Unsurprisingly, Lee loses both melee's and is pushed back.


Meanwhile some seriously dodgy movement gives Surj the advantage.


And back I go with big loses too!


It was the end of the turn and also the end of the game, we all agreed to throw in the towel and give up and go get a cup of tea!

Conclusion

Postie set up a really great looking game using a 6 x 15 foot tabletop, but the winning conditions for the Rebs were an impossible task. He set the winner as whoever could cause most casualties, being as we were outnumbered and attacking, it was out of our each......oh well, we live to fight another day!!!

Tuesday, 14 January 2025

AHPC15 - Retreat from Moscow - Limbo Bonus Round - Wagon's not so Ho! 25mm


The Abyss

First Circle: Limbo

This is where previous projects have stalled. Submit something that has been partially worked on from before. Yes, this can include terrain. :)

I've had these wagons for some time, they came to me from Dave Crook, who's friend Eric had passed on. Dave was helping Eric's widow sell on his massive collection. I already used some of the figures from this collection in previous Challenges. Some of my Ottoman's for example.


So here are two abandoned wagons, I'm not sure what make either are, to be honest?


The first bigger wagon, is a heavy lump of metal and include a dead horse and soldiers who sat down exhausted and never got up again.


The soldier is from Perry Miniatures and the horse is from Tiger Miniatures. Myself and Lee raided their bits box for a handful of horses that we could use as casualties. 


The horse needed quite a bit of filing to get him to lay down convincingly!


For the smaller wagon, again I'm not sure of the make? Or to be honest if it fits in with the 1812 period?


I've included another two dead figures, another chap who sat down and never got up, and another who fell.


So to the points....

20 points for the Limbo round = 20
2 x 25mm figures = 10
1 x 25mm dead figure = half points either 2 or 3, lets not do halves??
1 x 25mm horse - again 2 or 3 points?
2 x  25mm Wagons = 40pts 
( I do feel bad taking 40 points for the wagons, though????)

I'll leave the total to you Teemu.

Teemu gave me an extra 2 points!!