Old Guard Day and some Self Gifting

Yesterday the Old Guard met up for a fun day of gaming and ribald humour. unusually for us we played a large number of games instead of one big one.

Pete brought WW1 wings of glory and John got to play with this ridiculously large German bomber, can't remember the name. Compare it with the fighter next to it. I really like this game. John didn't get shot down, but thanks to the valiant sacrifice of me an Stu missed both bombing targets

Cruel Seas, didn't get chance to play this. looks OK but not convinced

Kill Team. Stig ran this and I played twice. It's a good laugh

Pete and Stu also played a To the Strongest game, need to play this

I've also done a bit of shopping. Went into town today to buy Necromunder from Boyes but my nearest one didn't have it. But I did buy some random buildings from the charity shop next door

Random 10mm and 15mm scale but from Lilliput Lane, proper Old Lady ornaments but only £6 for the lot.

And then there is the internet.

 

Battlefront Flames of War British Infantry Co. Bought from Wargames Store for only £28 inc P&P. Not bad for 125 metal figures and bases. These will become 48 Commando, or who ever my Grandad was attached to in WW2 

Couple of books on Classical Indian warfare. These are both very academic and the one on the right is very out of print and I paid £30 for it 2nd hand. Must be Christmas.

Back to the Challenge and more painting

Christmas Presents and news of my Grandfather

So I've spent the last 3 days with my family celebrating a very nice Christmas. Apart from the usual fun and games and a comedy amount of food I got a very nice present, I'd actually bought it myself and them deposited with my family to give to me

It's a complete Classical Indian Army that I got from Col Bill. I've always wanted one and have about 220 foot, 36 cavalry, 5 chariots and 9 elephants. The figures are Essex, not the best but perfectly serviceable once painted up, and the elephants look really good. I added a blister of Xyston Indians to act as command figures. Should keep me busy for a couple of days.

I also did some post christmas internet shopping and am awaiting a couple of books on the indian army and Alexander. I also bought a Flames of War late war British Rifle Company for a knock down price from Wargamestore  (40% off). I bought these because of this.

My Grandfather Harold Cooke died over 20 years ago and almost never talked about what he did in the 2nd World War. We knew he was a Royal Marine Commando and that he lost a lot of friends in the Raid on St Nazaire. We knew he didn't go on the raid as he had caught malaria in Africa and the last thing you need on a Commando Raid is one of the guys coming down with a malaria attack mid raid. About 12 months ago my Dad was going through Grandad's papers and found a diary from 1944 when my Grandad was stationed in Egypt and then in Sicily before returning to UK. The contents were very sketchy but there were comments about meeting with Yugoslav families (don't know if this was in Egypt or Yugoslavia. 

My Dad has been having a further dig around and has found out a couple of things more. My Grandad was in 48 Commando (Y troop we think) and his unit landed with the Canadians at Juno on D-Day, a disaster for his unit as they landed too early and took a beating. Prior to 48 Commando he was in 7th Battalion RM. This unit was generally assigned to naval defence and prior to Egypt he spent a short time in South Africa. This explains the following photo that my Dad found.

My Grandad is seated in the centre, next to the Zulu warrior. This is a very cool photo and is now on my wall. 

With this information now I plan to do more research and will make up a Commando troop for Flames of War.

Also it is the IX Analogue Hobbies Challenge and I am in again. I've made a bright start

Belgian AC troop, support for the paras

Picts

Picts

Picts

Hand made Pict standard

Pict with Tattoos

Sarissa South Sea Dwelling, for the Hammerhead game in March

Right I have some prepping to do

Successor Action little bit South of Troy, off the A684

The Old Guard met today for a massive 15mm battle using Hail Caesar. Me, Stig, Pete, John and Stu brought our armies and Angus rocked up as a mercenary general.
We fought Seleucids vs Antagonids with me, Stig and Angus being on one side and the other 3 reprobates the other side.

It was a fairly large affair. This is our centre, Angus, and Stig's left wing, facing John and Pete. 

Stig's force is very cavalry heavy

Pete is a mix of cavalry and elephants

Over onthe right I'm facing Stu. We both have lots of cavalry and while I have some light infantry Stu has elephants and Galatians. I'm out gunned and out matched. This could be tough

John and Pete discuss tactics. John's will be to sit still and wait for others to do the fighting

I advance and my horse archers open up

Stig and Pete both advance and square up to each other

Stig unleashes and scythed Chariot which does bugger all

Stu advances and i fall back. He has moved his medium cavalry and elephants forward against my light cav. A mistake

Stop the presses. John is advancing. All plans are now out of the window

Stig and Pete get to work with a massive melee

Stig wins and Pete is on the ropes

Stu is moving up his medium cav, Galatians and phalanx against my single unit of light infantry. I am Daffy Ducked

Angus advances

On the right it's become a chaotic scene but I've burst through the elephants  and am about to hit Stu in the flank.Better than that Stu charged my light infantry and not only did the buggers stand they forced him to retreat disordered. Next turn my catephracts will do him over

And they do. 1st the medium cavalry go home. If i can smash his flank then I can stop this

THIS. John has launched is scythed chariots and an entire pike block has melted. Angus has charged Johns elite phalanx with Galatians and Basternae and John killed them all without breaking sweat

I'm round the back, Stu's division has broken but the melee in the centre has been brutal and I'm too late, i turn too late

because John is stomping all over Angus

Mass retreat.

We lost, we made loads of mistakes in the rules but by the end had got to grips with it. A fantastic game and a close run thing.

On the other table James and Dave and ian fought a Falaise Pocket battle, looked good but didn't take a photo

It was supposed to be a double gaming weekend but catastrophic weather on Saturday meant that i couldn't get to Matt's dungeon for the Scottish invasion of Cumbria. Very disappointing indeed

Onwards and upwards

Even more painting done. Really cleaning out the partially painted stuff and have found more to do. In the mood now so hopefully a good weekend of painting, nothing else to do. But for now I have done this
Union ACW regiment. Picked these up at the Border Reiver show couple of years ago. 30 x 28mm Old Glory figs for about £20. Not the best figures but it's another regiment to add to the vast ACW collection (got some limbers to assemble next)

The thing I hate most about Vallejo paints is that I always squeeze out too much paint. Not wanting to waste it I have used it to paint the following modern figs. i had these set aside for the challenge and even for the bonus rounds. Luckily I have more. These are Empress and lovely figs

The search has found some more figs to paint and to assemble. What a bloody annoying hobby!

Air landing Artillery

As Iam still laid up with the lurgy I've finished some more painting. These are Air Landing Artillery unit, well a unit and a half, and are a mix of Command Decision and Battlefront miniatures. There are 6 x 75mm pack howitzers, couple of spotters, and HQ units. These will pretty much complete my para force, I've still got some armoured cars I picked up from James to finish but they have only been undercoated so will wait for the challenge as it's some quick points.

I only have one more unit to paint to clear the decks, a 28mm Union ACW regiment. Right now to get some lemsip and do the marking that has been staring at me for a couple of weeks

Clearing out the painting desk

With the challenge about to start I thought I'd finish off some of the things that had been started, Dave has been doing this and it's a good way to get back into painting.
First up a couple of crappy elephants from ebay, the home of poorly sculpted miniatures. We have a large hail caesar battle coming up and these will be useful. Also my Pontic army will double as almost any successor army so these are a good option

These are different sizes and came in a pretty bashed up shape, had to add a trunk to one of them but they will do. Based up on 40x60 so can be used for Impetus or any other rule set

I have a minor WW2 addiction caused by James. I picked up a load of german infantry from him and have been looking at them for ages. I've just finished by 1st platoon. I'm using them as Normandy based Fusiliers, far too many SS and paratrooper units out there. It often seems to me that the entire of WW2 was fought only using elite troops.

These are 352 regiment and have a lot of MGs, each base is an MG Rifle section. I done a platoon with officer up graded to a Panzershrek . Also done the company commander and 2IC

More still to paint inc air landing artillery support