Risk a 1798 Game for Xmas

Traditionally we meet up for a short fun game inbetween Christma and New Year. This year chum Chris Charlton volunteered to organise the game. He was given a few instructions, make it fun, make it easy and ensure its finished by 1.30 so we can go to the Pub. Well he didnt let us down in any department.

Unfortuntaely game regular Howard Brady couldnt make it this year due to illness, I am happy to report to all those who know him that he is out of hospital and in good spirits. Best of luck for a speedy recovery Howard, I look forward to a game with you soon.

Chris has been collecting the Trent Miniatures range of Revolutionary French, Irish and British for the Irish Rebellion of 1798 and has ammased quite a collection all expertly painted by chum Steve Shann. I am pretty sure this was their first time on table.

To make it fun and easy to pick up, Chris based his game on the boardgame Risk.

There were six Irish towns on table each worth variable points and Dublin over the river worth more. The four British commanders, Steve, Malcom, John and I had to defend the towns. The Irish, Chris Flowers, Andy, Richard, Simon and Dave had to take them from us. The team with the most points at the end won.

Each turn occuying a town the British rolled 3 D6 on a six we gained a base of figures. The Irish rolled 6 D6 when occupying a hill, a 5 or 6 gave them a base but a 1 removed a base. In a town they rolled three dice but gained a base on a 5 or 6 and no losses on a 1. We chose to occupy each of the towns but were strongest in those that gave us the most points. The Irish chose to group forces together and take the towns one at a time. Their strategy proved to be the most effective.

Unfortunately for Dave his command was two moves away from three towns occupied by Steve, John and I. As cavalry can move two moves we decided to gang up on him with all our cavalry. We learnt the rules as we went along, my cavalry received an ambush from Dave as they charged in and were wiped out. I never got another stand of cavalry all game. However John and Steve made short work of Daves command, within a couple of rounds of fighting his force was annihalted. Sorry Dave.

My cavalry were the nicest on table but lasted only one move

Malcolm held the important town in the centre of table and Richard, Andy and Simon banded together to drive into him. It was a hard fought battle but after numerous rounds of melee Malcolm was also annihalated. Sorry Malcolm.

Next move and a third of Johns force occupying a town was also pounded on, this time by Simon and the town quickly taken.

As a players force was reduced his command stand was moved in the British case to Dublin to recruit and in the Irish case to the furthest hill to do the same.

Steve marched out from his town to occupy the crossroads so the Irish were unable to use this as a recruitung spot.

Next turn and its me for the chop, Chris, Richard and Andy have massed their troops and are marching on my town.

Fortunately for me Andy is the Irishman nearest to me and his recruiting dice are universally awful. In three turns he loses as many as he gains rolling a 5 a 6 and two 1's. In his first turn he actually lost  a base and gained none!

As they march on my town I open fire and decimate the Irish, but there are just too many of them. Andy is left with a single skirmisher base but they have taken the town, I am annihalted and my command stand is removed to Dublin to recruit.

Two more turns and the last two towns are quickly overwhelmed, both Steve and John and destroyed and their command stands removed to Dublin., Its only 12 o'clock we are not eating for another two hours!

Malcom and I manage to pull together a small force of skirmishers and throw them over the river to try and re-occupy the last town, before we get there though the Irish occupy it in force and receive significant rinforcements, we decide that a strategic withdrawal is in order and runaway.

The Irish have taken a beating too but now occupy the whole table except Dublin, a complete victory, but with nearly 2 hours to kill we play on. The Irish pull their scattered forces toward the river crossing so they can mass for an attack on Dublin.

Andy and Simon storm over the river without waiting for the rest of the Irish, eager to finish us off before we can recruit more troops.

Unfortunately for Andy we have managed to amass a bit more force  and a brutal firefight with the mainly pike armed irish sees their forces decimated.

Steve pulls a blinder at this stage a rolls three sixes for reinforcements, unfortunately the rest of us are just rubbish.

A couple of close ups of Chris;s Trent Miniatures artillery crews, particularly like the Royal Artillery Gunner firing with a pistol to his head!

Our remaining troops are now occupying the outskirts of Dublin itself, the Irish mass all of their forces for one final push and Dublin is taken. A free Irish republic is declared and its happy hour with Guiness two for one in the bar.

Corsican Rangers, lots of foreign troops fighting for the British

A thorough kicking for the dastardly British and right laugh for the christmas game. We even get to the pub twenty minutes early and had a lovely meal. Thanks very much Chris for a great game and everyone else for all the banter.

By popular demand I have added the scenario with some basic rules and a map of the game.

Afghans and Other Goodies

So the basing department was home at the weekend and brought backsome eagerly awaited goodies.

Opening the box always puts a little smile on my face.

This first lot are a mix of Foundry and Perry Afghan tribal cavalry, I intend however to use them with my Sikh Wars collectrion as generic Hill Tribes, both the North West Frontier provinces and the Kashmir were under the control of the Sikhs and these figures will suit those tribes perfectly.

The old Foundry and new Perry go rogether really well as long as you get the horses right. The outer figures below are Perry with the inner being Foundry. All sculpted by Perrys of course but the old Foundry range is 25mm,

Same with the below, Perry horses with the outer figures Perry and the inner Foundry.

The below command base are both Foundry figures, however both are on smaller horses and dont fit quite as well, soem of the earlier figures have these horses so I will try and keep the different horses in different units as the riders actually fit really well.

The first eight will fit really well with the next lot which is a bit of a departure for me.

This next lot are Empress Afghans from Paul Hicks, lovely figures I have had my eye on for a while, these few have been sat in a dawer for a a year or two and I have finally got around to painting them. They will be the start of a small collection for the third afghan war 1919. I might mis a few Foundry figures in and these will take on my WW1 British and Indians who can do double shift for East Africa and Plestine.

Chum Chris Charlton also has a mob of these along with AFghan regulars and the right armoured cars for India. As I ahve most of what I need already adding a small range of tribesmen to open a new thatre seems an inexpensive way to start a new period.

As I was plannign to paint these I had a bit of a look on ebay for appropriate inspiration. I wanted to pick "Yhe Leapard and the Cliff! by Wallace Bream. A gritty story about aan Officer of Frontier Scouts who has to deal with both the tribes and his own mutinous men. As Wallace Bream commanded a similar unit he knows what he is talkign about and it shows.

The second book (Only £3 on Ebay" was "The Pathans, Guardians of the North West Frontier". Now the cover and blurb didnt give much away about the contents. However when the book arrived it was nothing like expected, much better really in many ways.

The book is an enthographic study of the Pathan their culture and way of life written in the early eighties with soem wonderful colour pictures. What it did do was give me a flavour of how they think as well as some great material for the colour of their clothes. The usual white garments wouldnt do the very pale blue grey, Khaki, Buff and pale grey would be better colours as the unit I just painted. A lucky find I think, giving me an idea for a short story I want to write, but thats not for here.

As well as the Pathans I also have a few Russian Civil War figures back from York.

This base of Red infantry will finish a unit off, slightly scruffier than previous figures which is how I wanted them, there are three manufacturers here, Studio Siberia, Copplestone and Company B.

The Cossacks are both from Studio Siberia although one has a Copplstone horse, these are the start of my last Cossack unit Shkiro's Wolves. Just 6 more to go!

These vchaps are Poles for the 1919 Russo-Polis War, essentially an offshoot of the Russian Civil War as the Bolsheviks tried to export the revolution West. The middle figure is a studio Siberia Pole those on either side are actually Woodbine Miniatures Turks with seperate heads. Not so keen on the one on the left but the others look just fine.

The last lot are Polish Lancers, both started life as Renegade miniatures German Cavalry, a head swap with Studio Miniatures seperate heads sorts that out and this base completes anothe runit of Poles.

Thats it for now, busy working on a bunch of  Cossacks for 1812 retreta from Moscow right now and a few more Pathans with Lee Enfields. 

See you next time.

Fortified Manor

I have had my eye on this model for quite some time. Until recently I didn't really have a use for it, it does look particularly English and useful mainly for late medieval through the English Civil War. However I think it is an ideal building for my Elizabethan Ireland project.

Chum Jerry was placing an order with Vatican Enterprises so I took advantage and ordered this beauty.

I reckon I can use it for the proposed 1690's project so hopefully get my worth from it.

I had planned to take pictures of the whole process but got a little carried away and painted it all in one day.

It comes in surprisingly light resin which is an amber colour. With two separate pieces fro the stable roof and the top floor of the manor house.

A decent coat of Halfords black spray, touched up in the corners with some black undercoat and then a good layer of base colours, the rest is pretty much technique. Wet brush, light dry brush and heavy dry brush each progressively lighter in colour and there we are.

I am very pleased with the finished article, even if I say so myself. I was keen to have the house finished in a pinkish colour, they often used pigs blood mixed in with the lime to produce this effect I understand.

The barn is a more ochre colour colour and again I have seen a number of examples of this colour in use.

The final touch is to add some tufts and the odd flower to the corners to lift it all a little bit.

To give it perspective I added a couple of figures which gives an idea of how they scale in to the building. A standing musketeer can just fire over the wall from the firing step so ideal as far as I can see.

I kept the detail on this inside of the hall to a minimum, I doubt I will use the inside very much.

The model does come without gates and that is the only thing I may choose to add at a later date.

I have another couple of smaller buildings coming over the coming weeks so if there is any interest I will document the whole process and each of the paint colours I use. I will only bother though if there is a level of interest.

For now though that's me, happy new year everyone.