French and Indian Wars

 Hi!

Finally, after 16 days since being despatched my Galloping Major F&IW (gallopingmajor) wars figures have arrived.

American and French Canadian  militia.

Time for some painting!

Tabletop Gaming on the BBC

 Hi!

I just saw this on the BBC News website.

I thought it might be of interest.

It is, in the main, about GW but does include Warlord Games and Bad Squiddo.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-nottinghamshire-57996237

Games Expo UK/Carnevale/Frostgrave

 From TT Combat's Carnevale. 

Queens of the Adriatic.

These are supposed to represent alternative leaders for the various factions. No. I haven't a clue in the main!

These are the some of the figures I bought at the Games Expo UK in Birmingham. I was drawn to them by the first figure, the priest with the book. Ideal, I thought, for Frostgrave. It came in a pack of six and the others didn't seem so unorthodox . Well, not until I actually had a proper look at home! 

I think they are 32mm so a little on the large size but I'm happy with that. We aren't all the size height.

They still need a little touching up in places and a wash or two. Basically, all but done.

Any suggestions as to their use other than as I've indicated in the captions are welcome.

The final figure strangling the victim (actually supposed to be Vampiric) may be a Summoner Or Enchanter. But then again, as a Ghoul Queen! Not the ugly sort, it must be magic!

Summoner/Enchanter?

Illusionist?

Knight/Paladin

Thief/Treasure Hunter

Illusionists apprentice?

Enchanter/Summoner

Thanks' for dropping by.

Demons and Tombstone Tinderbox Cowboys

 Hi!

I completed the painting of Black Goat and LWTV cowboys.

Black Goat is the largest figure I've ever actually painted and I am pleased with the result. It looks malevolent, just like I hoped it would. I think the darker, reddish brown, skin tone helps. I did try it in a lighter shade but it didn't work for me. The palms of the hands are lighter by design. I did try to have the fur in a mottled grey but, again, it didn't look right. Plain black with a blue wash.

The cowboys are 15mm figures. I haven't painted many of those in the past. The 100 Huns from the Black Hat Miniatures being almost a total exception. Years ago I painted a 15mm Mikes Models Alexandrian Successor army, which looked rather nice but sold it to a wargames shop in Aylesbury. Not ONLY a 25mm man now but 15mm isn't my preferred size for wargames.

Armies in 25 & 6 mm and skirmish in 25/28 mm. This Tombstone Tinderbox is an exception. It is a mini-game. No doubt I will extend to the buildings and figures, but not by too much I hope. It is after all, a slight diversion. The cattle are the first I've actually seen painted! I have painted them as American Devon. I will purchase some Longhorn cattle from Irregular Miniatures at some stage. Possibly, a stagecoach from Miniature Figurines also.

I have painted a lot more figures which I will put up before too long. Zombies from the Kings of War and some of those Wizkids accessories to enhance the table. They are plastic, a little small for 28mm but acceptable for what they are. And some Northstar models. Mostly, they are all for Frostgrave.

I'd love to get some early French for my Napoleonics but Heroics & Ros are still not listing them for sale. Frustrating. I need around 2-3,000!

Thank for stopping by

Demons and Cowboys. Frostgrave and LWTV

 Hi!

Just a brief note to say what I'm going to be working on over the next few weeks.

Black Goat from Crooked Dice (crooked-dice)

Wow! What a great figure! 75mm tall and wickedly evil!

Frostgrave soldier for comparison purposes. 

I much prefer this figure to the Northstar bull demon. Much more relatable in a classic sort of way. This will be my major demon whenever I get to that scenario

And best yet!

The Tombstone Tinderbox from Little Wars TV

The box

And inside we have

Rules

Cardboard buildings (15mm)

and 15mm figures

Cows, cowboys and horses (15mm)

Trees

Ephemera

Playing cards, character cards, plastic sleeves for the character cards, dry erase marker pen (good for Bucher too!), glue and washers (as stands for the figures)

And scenarios

and underneath a 2' square of cloth for the battle field.

Last but not least the LWTV Patron medal

So going to wear this with my gearshuman (gearhumans) 95th rifles hoodie at the first wargames show I visit!

Check out Little Wars TV on YouTube (LWTV)

Let's go pardner!

6mm ancients. Sassanian vs Rome

Another 'In Death Ground' game.

The XVI Flamia Firma have been despatched south as Persian forces ravage unchecked. They arrive at a town as Persian cavalry approach. 

The XVIth deploy with a river on the left flank and an open right flank. 

The Persians have 6 units:- 

3 x Light cavalry (4 bases each) 

3 x Clibanarii (7 bases each) 

25 bases in total 

The Romans have 11 units:- 

1 x Infantry (warriors 3 bases)

2 x Infantry (warriors 6 bases each) 

1 X Infantry (warriors 8 bases) 

2 x Infantry (warriors 2 bases) 

2 x Light Infantry (2 bases each) 

1 x Cavalry (8 bases) 1 x Artillery (1 base) 

1 x Cavalry ( General 1 base) 

40 bases in total

Seeing the Romans arrayed, the Sassanians deployed in three battles. Each with a unit of light cavalry ahead of a unit of Clibanarii

The Romans had deployed with Infantry across the frontage with the right-wing consisting of the cavalry unit. They held a units of infantry in reserve with the general.

The battle field as a whole

In this battle I did not dice for rallying off damage to units. As I mentioned previously, it is difficult as it is to inflict damage in the first place. It helped to shorten the game though not the outcome I think. The Persian light cavalry advance to soften up the infantry

The Roman cavalry and Persian Clibanarii cavalry advance, and the light cavalry evade before being caught between the heavy cavalry. The Roman centre unit also advanced, both to protect the cavalry wing and see off the light cavalry. Successful in one, not the other.

The first casualties inflicted but only on the Romans.   

More Roman casualties and the Roman infantry reinforce the centre and the Persian cavalry which evaded joined the centre light cavalry unit against the Roman infantry. 

More Roman casualties and more reinforcements for the centre. But they did inflict some casualties on the Sassanians.

The Persian right-wing was still skirmishing . Having destroyed the light infantry they were not having mush effect on the heavier infantry. 

The left-wing was in a tussle with the Romans but, again, not too much in the way of casualties. They would eventually push them back. 

The  Roman centre has lost 1 unit and another retreats after casualties.

The Roman leftwing stirs into action. The centre holds and the right holds it's own.

The Roman leftwing has success in destroying the light cavalry and pushing back the Clibanarii. The centre suffers more and the right-wing falls back

The Sasanians had several attacks on the right-wing repulsed. 

Breaking through with the light cavalry in the centre they destroyed the artillery, which was abysmal in the extreme! Oddly, I couldn't find any rule for combat against artillery, I treated them as light infantry and they were destroyed very quickly. 

The Roman centre is gone. but time is called due to approaching night. 

The Roman leftwing was mainly intact with the reserve defensively deployed to prevent being flanked. The Roman right was pushed further back and almost at breaking point.

More casualties received, but a Roman win as a viable force was still in the field. 

Besides the rallying change I also diced for priority as opposed to the Romans, being disciplined, having priority every turn. Subsequently, the Sassanians had more priority turns than the Romans.

It was interesting in that the Roman  infantry, warriors, in the centre were destroyed by the light cavalry but those on the leftwing destroyed the light cavalry and repulsed the Clibanarii several times.

The Roman morale held despite losing the centre units, a testament to their good discipline.

Ishtar Gate

 Hi!

In my last post I mentioned that Umbum had an Ishtar Gate which was no longer in production. I started searching for one and, instead, came across this model from Paperlandmarks ( paperlandmarks). It looks a great model. But beware! You have to glue the parts together and the tabs are rather narrow in places. The crenels are VERY difficult to do if following the sparse instructions. After the first section I just folded the parts and cut out the crenels. Another alteration was lowering the roof so figures can be placed  in a good defensive position rather than towering over the structure which wouldn't look right. You can see where the white card starts, that is the height where the roof should be. I did the same for the towers.

The card is rather thin, unlike the Umbum model which is much thicker.

But don't try to build it if you haven't got the patience of a saint!

The figures are minifigs 25mm Persians, 

Surprise your opponents when you need a city model by putting this down!