16th Bengal Native Infantry For Sikh Wars

The latest unit to be finished is the 16th Bengal Native Infantry. These guys have buff facings and as you can see all wear the undress Dhotti trousers, I understand some units wore these on campaign so I liked the idea of having one or two.

The figures are a mixture of Foundry and Empress/Iron Duke and fit really well together. anaotice that the Foundry Indian Mutiny, Foundry Sikh Wars and Iron Duke Mutiny ranges are mixed on the same base in some cases and look just fine to my eye.

In the below picture the command base has a Foundry Officer from the Sikh Wars range, a Sepoy from the Foundry Mutiny range and two Iron Duke Standard Bearers. The next base has two Iron Duke Sepoys, one Foundry Mutiny Sepoy and a Foundry Sikh Wars Native Officer. They really are a great fit together.

The 16th were in the fighting from the start serving in Major General Walter Gilberts 2nd Division at Mudki in a Brigade of their own strangely, whilst serving with the Sirmoor Gurkhas and the Bengal Europeans at Sobroan in McLaren's 4th Brigade.

Again really pleased with how this unit has come out and looking forward to getting them on the table very soon.

Skirmishers and Camels

I decided I wanted a unit of skirmishers for each brigade in the Sikh Wars project. Just six figures that will get a single dice in firing.

I already have one unit of Gurkhas and so the next was the remaining 6 Sepoys in Dhotti. These are all Iron Duke miniatures, one with a head swap as he had a skull cap. Picked up from chum Jerry they had their bayonets knocked off (common for these lovely figures as the bayonets are a little fragile) but I decided that worked well for skirmishers.

These guys are the 16th Bengal Native Infantry, Buff facings and the full battalion is painted and just awaiting basing before joining their skirmishers.

Again these are based by me whilst the Basing department catches up. To be honest I could do with her being back at it so I can get a bit more painting done. But she is shattered bless her.

A pair of Camels, sorry I forget the manufacturer but picked up from ebay. These guys will add to my growing baggage train which is I feel a must for armies in India.

The first two Bengal Europeans or 1st Bengal European Light Infantry to give their full name. A skirmish screen of these is on the way before I then do a full battalion. Foundry Opium Wars figures. These are quite small but I really do like these still.

Lastly a handful more of the excellent Empress Afghans for the third Angl-Afghan War 1919, more modern weapons than the earlier figures I have been painting and I have made their clothing slightly more drab too.

More figures on the way as I work my way through the basing.

Cold War at Legendary Wargames

We were invited to a game at the cabin by Andy and Richard of Legendary Wargames in the Bronte Country Moors above Bradford. A 1970's cold war gone Hot game played across three huge tables over three days with a massive volume of beautiful kit.

The game was being played for some paying customers in the near future and a few of us were invited to play test it for the guys so they could ensure the customers had a great experience.

The game had already got going on Thursday with the initial set ups and a couple of moves in, I was to take over the NATO left flank and some the Russian tanks coming on were already burning. I had a battalion of British troops, a squadron of Stryker anti tank missiles and a squadron of chieftains which actually never fired a shot in anger all game. I would also command the Territorials and East Germans further back on table two if the Russians attacked from our flank.

The Russians had lots of kit and it looked great, the NATO forces had less but generally better quality.

Move one and the Russians advanced through the town my infantry were occupying and up to the edge of some rough ground, in my reserve fire I am able to take out one light tank and one T64 along with about half a company of Russian infantry. The Russians respond in my turn by taking out my too Karl Gustav teams and damaging one of the houses I occupy. In my turn my wombat and Strykers fire again taking out two more Russian the rest of the exposed infantry company then shelling a further unit of foot. Mike is doing nothing wrong but my dice are great and his are awful. Sorry Mike.

On the other flank the Russians are faring no better and in the centre have stalled under pressure from Richard and Brian. Dave decided to lighten the mood a bit for his comrades when he finds a Russian fur hat.

Russian go and they continue to stream forward, Mike gets a strike from a jet fighter which does manage to take out half of my Wombat crew. He attacks on of the buildings I occupy and destroys the company defending it, occupying it with his own troops having reduced it to rubble first.

In our go we get a number of fighters but only cause minimal damage, however I am able to concentrate fire on the two Russian companies in the newly won house with artillery, mortar and infantry fire and destroy two more companies of them. My Strykers have fired their three shots and retire to reload for tomorrows game.

Mikes next jet targets my retreating Strykers but a lucky shot from my Blowpipe team sees it blown from the sky. Meanwhile Dave and Richard L on the Russian left continue to push forward aggressively.

Whilst this is happening Andy is busy bringing reinforcements onto to table 3, a Russian Para drop is imminent and we want to try have something available to contain it should it land in our extreme rear.

We break for a traditional lunch of Pies, Chips and peas with cakes for desert before bringing our steaming mugs of tea back into the lodge for round two.

The afternoon gets underway and Chris flowers starts to push his infantry forward on foot to try flush the NATO forces out.

The system for air superiority is the roll of two dice by both sides, the higher gets greater superiority next go and the gap between rolls decides by how far you are superior. As my dice have been great Rich C passes the roll to me and I roll double 6! The Russians get above average with 7 so we have great superiority but not total superiority.

On table three Andy brings a regiment of armoured infantry on to support his defence in depth. I just love the British vehicles of this period.

Table two gets reinforcements too int he shape of a regiment of chieftains, much to the groans of the Russians and who can blame them.

At this point Mike appears on my flank on table 2 with East Germans, they bump straight into a company of territorials and a company of West Germans and take casualties from reserve fire.

On the Russian left flank Daves armour has driven into the woods only to be ambushed by infantry with anti tank weapons and loose three tanks in succession.

At this point we start to run out of daylight and pack up our things. Half of the team will be returning tomorrow to finish the game but I unfortunately have other plans. It feels like the writing is on the wall for the Eastern bloc so I grab a couple more snaps of the beautiful collection.

Thanks Andy and Rich of Legendary Wargames, your customers are in for a treat.

For anyone interested their website is here https://legendarywargames.com/ highly recommended.