It's Dunsterforce

 Last year i painted up a set of figures for Dunsterforce. Dunsterforce, named after Lionel Dunsterville their commander, invaded Azerbaijan at the end of 1917. With the Russian Revolution the British were concerned with the potential capture of oil rich Baku buy the Turks. So they crossed Persia and then boarded ships to cross the Casptian Sea to Baku and mount a defence of the city. There were many adventures on the way but the force is best summed up by one incident. When it was time to cross the Caspian to Baku the locals wouldn't let them fly the Union Jack as it smacked of Imperialism (which was exactly the purpose of the campaign).The problem was the only other flag they had was the Imperial Russian flag and obviously that wouldn't do. So they turned the Russian flag upside down and crossed the sea under the flag of Serbia!.

On Saturday I drove over to Matt's and we fought a large action of Turks and some Russian vs Dunsterforce. THe aim was to capture the railhead and the trains in it. I was Dunsterforce and Matt the Turks.

Dunsterforce advances towards the railhead, which is lightly guarded by Russian militia

THe railhead with a MMG and a light Howitzer

In the distance the Turkish reinforcements are massing, they are many

THe Rolls Royce AC advances but failss to kill the howitzer

Which takes it out next turn. The buildings are now full of milita and they will slow me down just enough

As the Turks race in

I've cleared one of the buildings but 2 more remain as the 2nd wave of Brits appears

My cavalry have advanced, dismounted and are holding up the Turkish advance

Overhead a British plane is raining down lead

Still stuck in the town but the MMG has gone

Cavalry still doing their thing

At last through the town but I'm inthe open and the Turks are close by in cover

I get the worst of the fire fight

But my cavalry has moved off the threaten the Turkish rear

Still firing, and dying. My artillery is ineffective

But my cavalry charge and take out a Turkish gun

Despite taking heavy fire on the way in the Cavalry then take out the Turkish commander and the machine gun behind

But I can't get here, it's too far, my artillery is too ineffective and there are too many Turks

With the last throw of the dice the Turkish artillery takes out Dunsterville, just not cricket.

This was another great game to play and there will be many more. Back of Beyond is a great period, WW1 but with trenches and no mad good tanks

Ardhammer 2022

 Today was Ardhammer in Gateshead. I've not been before and Matt and Steve were making the trek over to have a look. So I popped down. It is simply a bring and buy sale with about 30 tables in 3 shifts. It is not open to traders and is an opportunity to buy some stuff. Which I did.

Kings of War Fantasy rules

A load of painted gis, mainly dwarfs, all were £1 each. Should have bought more

Some ruins, not a bargain and need to pay more attention when checking out stuff as 1 of the sprues was nearly empty

Paint (£1 each) and some Chindit mule teams. Do love a mule team and will have multiple uses if I base the muleteers separately

Bargain of the day. Reaper bones figs at £1 or £2 each. Bought a lizardman, cowboy and a female warrior plus a couple more were creatures

Generally a good day, although most of the stuff was GW and expensive (cheap for GW) and will be back for the next one in 2 years time

Challenge Update

 The XII Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge started just over 3 weeks ago. This year there are a lot of fast painters and I think there will be a lot of figures painted during the challenge. There was even a write up in this month's Wargames Illustrated buy the dear, departed Noel.

As usual I've loads to paint and I am chewing through it quite nicely, I've top of the leaderboard at the moment but I have little hope of staying there. I had 1 main project, a 3D printed lizardman army (pretty much finished that) and a lot of other figures to top off other collections. I may even paint that 15mm Roman Legion that I've got staring at me.

So what have a painted

Lizardmen

and some more

Brilliant lizardman general

Big jobs, Godzilla style

1st Iguana Lancers

more lizardmen

and more

and more

guess what

The whole army, most of these are from Sundered Studios and I highly recommend

Daugthers of Gaia by Bad Squiddo

Steam punk crabs

Last and not least a Were-armadillo

I've enjoyed the painting, nice to get back into it and i am off to refight the battle of Baku tomorrow with the Dunsterforce.

Disaster at Lutterberg

 Today I went over to Dave's to play a 7YW battle and teach him the Honours of War rules. I decided to fight the battle of  Lutterberg but swap the sides to be Prussian and Austrian from the French and Allies.

Basically the Austrian are on a low ridge to the SW of Lutterberg and are facing a larger Prussian army who have managed to out flank them with a large force. This should be pretty easy for the Prussians to roll up the flank. I was playing the Prussians

The battle field with the turned flank closest

The Prussians advance on the meagre Austrian defenders

The centre, fairly even although the Prussians have a grenadier brigade.

On the austrian left 2 brigades of cavalry face off against each other

The prussians advance and the Austrians throw in a desperate cavalry charge into the Prussian infantry

THe cavalry are annihilated. With another Prussian brigade to the front the Austrians are doomed

Over on the Austrian left the cavalry brigades have clashed and both brigades are blown. No hope for Austrian reinforcements from here. No long now, nothing can go wrong from here

I launch an all out attack. In honours of war each brigade is activated on a D6, throw a 6 and you get a double move but throw a 1 and you can't advance. Over the next turn and a half I threw 8 1s in 11 throws. My advance halted, the flanking brigade and supporting cavalry remained stationary for 3 moves. The consequence of  this is that my brigades advance piecemeal and the Austrians were able  pick off the Prussian brigades with greater localised firepower

This happened across the table

and here. The Prussian centre is smashed

At last the Prussian Cavalry as turned up but it is too late and it is a clear victory to the Austrians

It was good day and a good battle but I am never borrowing Dave's dice ever again