Battle of Noyers - July 1944. Oh and my 200th Post

I have been running this curiosity for about 2 years and this is my 200th post. It's been a great laugh
Today we refought the battle of Noyers, Staffs attack on a dug in and hidden German force. The battle was organised by James and it was an absolute cracker

Brits attack Bretteville and then Noyers from the North. It tookthe Brits 3 days, could we do it on a single Sunday. The rules we were using were Flames of War, a first for most of us. The German were all hidden and there were many random event counters across the board that would trigger different events.

The layout, cool isn't it. 11ft long. The far end is the North and the British entry point. The objectives are the village to the top, the train station near the woods by the village and the town of Noyers. 4 of us, Me, Dave, Stig and Angus the newbie(he will fit very well with our motley crew had an infantry platoon, 3 shermans and and firefly each. Stu had a load of funnies and John was capo di tutti capi with the slow moving artillery support - very much his style. The random events will provide us with the rest of the division as reinforcements

We advanced in 2 waves, John and Dave in the 2nd wave. I took the left and soon encountered an infantry platoon in the woods. The village was full of Germans. I gave them the cold steel and they legged it. Stu was in the rear practicing parking  and 3 point turns

Stig got the right and advanced taking out a stug (twice) Angus took the middle  and pounded on hte village

My infantry advanced through the woods and met 2 mg42s. Time to retreat and wait for support.

In the centre the Germans are running but a Panther appeared behind the station and took out one of my shermans. General wringing of hands ensued

The Brits have reached the railway line and have started to surround the panther.

Close up action. Many shots, no kills. The Panther retreats

My advance has uncovered an 88. there is only one action - smoke

The British advance down the left and centre, revealing minefields. The panther is systematically taking out the fireflys and we can no longer hit it effectively from long range. Most of our troops are on board now and driving forward

Despite mainly clearing the woods a single pak40 remains and it is creating bloodly hell with an AT unit. Stu has found the forward gear and eventually wipes it out with a crocodile - I think.

The advance continues but we are running out of time. We clear the mines but the panther is still hovering about

Stig charges a sherman right up to the panther and takes it out at point blank range. That was the high water mark. The germans still hold Noyers but the British have a good defensive line to hold against the German counter attack. But that is for another day, we all want to fight the 2nd day, it was so much fun

Painting Challenge Prize

My prize for coming second in the painting challenge to the insurmountable Miles was a £60 gift voucher from the lovely people at Barrage Miniatures. A trawl through their website and an order later, and this arrived

A load of their flexible pavement and some cobbled squares. These are really great

And a large gun emplacement in resin.

Top weekend for pressies at the moment

Death in the Dark Continent

So the postman finally came yesterday. I'd joined the Nickstarter for the release of the Death in the Dark Continent rules. These are a revamped version of the old Chris Peers rules and at 176 pages long it is a beautiful book full of eye candy, army lists and general background reading.

I've only had chance for a quick read but the rules are straight forward and all of colonial era massed battles. I will need to sort out basing but I have a cunning plan for that.

I also purchased the white hunter set, at £20(ish) it was a bargain

You get an elephant

While hunter and a couple of lions

Water buffalo

African villagers

If I wasn't snowed under with work this would have been my weekend sorted

The Postman didn't come

I was expecting 2 parcels yesterday, my prize from the challenge from Barrage and the new Death in the Dark Continent, rules. Neither came. So I had to do other stuff

I finished the first building, it's ok but there is something I can't put my finger on. It's a shop so needs a sign but I think it needs weathering. Need to look at Matt's finished version.

Down at the flea market I found this gem

it's a cracking book chock full of plates and descriptions. 

My holiday so far

I've had a great couple of weeks off after my field course with the 1st years in the Lakes

Overlooking the Eden Valley

I've played a couple of really good games, had a guest for a few days and been to the seaside to eat fish and chips. Generally fab. Nice and relaxed ( there is a storm waiting a work though).

I have bought a lot of stuff, some expected tomorrow but what has arrived are 6 x 28mm mdf houses from ebay. They were a bargain a £22.95 for all 6 and free postage. They are basic but really good and arrived in a couple of days (here). I've spent a couple of days tarting them up with roof shingles

Cornerstones, window sills and a chimney made from foam block and drinking straws

Painted with with a mix of one coat undercoat with fine sand. Will need a 2nd coat with basic white - I am aware of the irony. The other buildings are rows of terraced houses I scratch built a couple of yeara age and need tarting up. Very much a case of the poor and posh end of town (I have some railway tracks to emphasize this. Will post more when they are done

I've also had a delivery from Empress

Drivers for VBCW vehicles

Lewis gun team. one of these guys had better be deaf already.

That's it for now

One man and his brushes.: Partizan 2017 Game and Bloggers meet?

One man and his brushes.: Partizan 2017 Game and Bloggers meet?: I will be running a Sudan game at the upcoming Partizan show with some guys from a local club "The Old Guard Wargames Club". We ar...

The Battle for Iola's hand, and possibly the nicer bits as well

This is what it is all about

Queen Iola about to be "swanned"

After the attempted ambush by by King Pelopidas on his gifts to Iola King Fartous marched his army to crush the measly forces of King Pelopidas. Fartous was determined to prove Pelopidas as eunoch or make him  one.  Prince Tutak met a small skirmishing force on the banks of the river.

Unfortunately Tutak was unable to win this skirmish and it gave control to  on of the 3 objectives to Pelopidas. 2 units of skirmishers were left to harry the Greeks and Tutak left to join the army.

And what armies they were. Both sides had arrived with their full panolpy

The army of Fartous, Persian style with lots of archers, light cavalry, camels, steadfast spearmen and elephants.

The army of Pelopidas was mainly spearmen with some good cavalry

Both sides advance to control the town at the top and the olive covered tree in the centre. Fartous sent out a skirmishing screen whereas Pelopidas just marched forward

The 1st clash was on the hill with a unit of greek spearmen attacking the Immortals on the hill. The immortals withstood the 1st attack and them followed up with a light camel unit launching a flank attack

To the left the elephants with the support of a horde of spearmen and a legion of spearmen advance and threaten the line

The elephants charge home and rock the spearmen

On the right naked Galatian berserkers of Pelopidas attack the 2 pike blocks and a long and bloody fight ensues

Fighting is still going on on the hill and the elephants are being engulfed, but the legion of spearmen in just behind. The legion charges home and catches one of the units attacking the elephants in  the flank. In Kings of war if you charge somebody in the flank you get double the number of attacks. A legion gets 30 attacks so in the flank it gets this many attacks 

I could only just hold all the dice..

The result is a massive hole in the greek right. However one of the elephants had run amok and it spoiled the opportunity

The legion crashes into another unit but the elephants are gone and I'm too weak to exploit the hole

All along the line the numbers are thinning but I still hold the hill in the centre 

However the Immortals eventually run and leave Fartous alone on the hill. Everywhere else the line of his great army is breaking

Fartous and Tutak flee with his cavalry.

This was a fantastic battle that was won and lost about 4 times. The Kings of war rules are brilliant, very very playable and melees are full of ebbs and flows, just as I like them. As always Matt put on a great table and some nice soup. One of the best battles ever. Fartous will be back

VBCW Vehicles

Visitors to this blog will know that I often go down to the local flea market and return with useful gaming stuff. Most often it is cars and trucks but once it was an entire Napoleonic British army by Victrix.
I have had these 3 vehicles for a while now and have given them a basic paint job

1914 Prince Henry with added passengers and a Lewis gun. I've ordered better drivers from Empress. This will make a nice command car for the Anglican Faction

Post office van - I have a post office section

An episode of Dad's army popped into my head the other day, the one where Cpl Jones' van gets ftted with a gas bag  fuel system. Can't find an online image but it looked a bit like this

Seems logical that in VBCW world there would be a fuel shortage

This Boots van has ad one fitted. It's made of dense foam and annoyingly it looks like a sponge. Still it was an idea