Copyright © 2024, Philip Robinson. All rights reserved. This work may not be reproduced, in whole or in part without prior permission of the creator

Saturday 28 January 2023

Recycling and Repurposing

While searching through the bits box I discovered the two chaps painted up as Confederates, it is a piece from the Foundry Indian Mutiny range I had repurposed for our American Civil War demo games. That will make a nice piece to fill up the background in War of the Triple Alliance games thought I, also in the box was a freebie figure from one the Partizan shows representing Mary Seacole, aha, a nurse.
The figures have been repainted representing an Argentinian infantry helping his Uraguyan ally to the rear for medical attention.
I have a WWII game planned for Tuesday a Russo/German clash in mid 1943 using Battlegroup rules.

Until next time..........
TTFN & KBO

Saturday 21 January 2023

Achtung Panzer!

I recently completed this Panzer IV Ausf J early production model for my late war German collection. A 1/72nd scale model from Dragon Models.
Completed using AK ackrylic paints and weathering pencils and Mig Ammo ackrylic washes and filters.

TTFN & KBO

Tuesday 17 January 2023

A Brief Encounter

The first First Carlist War game since last May took place earlier today, would the Carlist forces repeat their success at San Hernandez?
The Carlist are holding the pass to Rawnsla in an effort to halt the latest Isabelino incursion. The Isabelinos are attacking with three battalions while awaiting support from a brigade of the British Auxillary Legion. They will start to dice to arrive on turn two or when all the Isabelinos have all entered the table which ever comes first.
Facing them are a brigade of four Carlist battalions who will be reinforced by a brigade of two newly raised recruits dicing to arrive from turn four onwards.
The Isabelinos all entered the table on turn one and wasted no time in assaulting the Carlists, routing the central Carlist battalion in short order.
The BAL promptly arrive and deploy the attached Royal Marine rocket battery in support.
The Carlist skirmishers hold their counterparts at bay despite taking heavy casualties throughout the battle.
The rocket battery fires!
It hits the Carlist artillery battery the first of three direct hits of four shots.
Back in the centre another Carlist battalion under heavy fire routs!
Things are looking bad for the Carlists but help is enroute the reinforcements are coming.
It may all be for nought as yet another battalion breaks on the left flank hopefully the reinforcements will enter the table there to shore it up.
But no they turn up on the opposite flank with nowhere to deploy fully.
Turn five and one of the Carlist brigades is broken retiring from the field compelling the newly arrived recruits to do like wise.
The pass is open!
A short but engaging game, the dice gods did not favour the Carlists this day, very poor shooting dice and with the exception of the skirmishers morale dice too.
Dave is on a roll at the start of the year with three wins under his belt.
Until next time may the dice gods be with you and if not KBO.

Friday 13 January 2023

Two Thirty

A steady start to the new year on the painting front, first up an American Armoured Reconnaissance Patrol using AB Figures.
Here they are with their bazooka team, 30Cal and transport I did earlier.
Their first discovery are these dragons teeth on the Westwall from Battlescale. Perhaps some engineers are in order?
Next weeks game here at GHQ is a First Carlist War encounter, the collections first outing since last May.
I til then.......
TTFN & KBO

Tuesday 3 January 2023

Stemming The Tide

New years gaming got off to a cracking start today with a game set during the German Ardennes offensive, Wacht Am Rhein.
The US forces are blocking a road, the Germans are tasked with breaking through. Time is of the essence if the Americans are still holding out by turn five the Germans must take a Battle Rating counter at the start of every turn then and there after.
The Germans attack from the top of the picture with a flanking force diced for at the beginning of each turn from four and every turn afterwards.
The German foot patrol work their way through the copse to pin the American defenders ahead of the arrival of the flanking force.
A German squad moves up in support of the patrol who are coming under off table artillery fire.
In the centre the Americans endeavour to pin down the attackers while their vomrades work around the flank.
Having pinned the Germans in the copse American infantry advance supported by a M8 armoured car.
Up ahead the centre German squad is pinned by off table mortar and howitzer fire.
The Germans reply in kind destroying the M36 tank destroyer and pinning the counter attacking infantry.
More luck for the Germans the M8 hits a mine and the crew are forced to abandon it.
Turn four the flanking force arrives, well a solitary Hetzer, drat. It does however make short work of the Sherman guarding the American left flank.
Over on the other flank the Americans continue to work around the German left.
The StuH 42G is targeted and destroyed.

By turn five both sides were in the edge of exceeding their Battle Rating, luckily for the Germans the compulsory chit draw at the beginning of the turn was an air attack counter not adding to their chit total. All they needed to do was force a chit draw on the Americans and a numbered chit would more than likely secure a victory. Alas it was not to be and the Americans did better forcing the Germans to withdraw, the road was secured.

Until next time..........
TTFN & KBO