Latest painting

Things that have been finished and not photographed recently (excluding the Mortal Gods Greeks and Fantasy that have featured in the last couple of game reports).

First up - Kill Team Chaos Marines. Now I have two painted kill-teams I should probably try and play the game...

These guys are Slaanesh lovers, because shocking pink is the perfect colour for any great warrior.

Next up, a Fantasy Goblin Rock Lobba. This is an extension/option for the Orc and Goblin army.

You have to love the character in these GW models.

Then there is some Byzantine goodness for SAGA.

Cataphracts

Varangians - love those axes!

For the fantasy armies I have some magic users and Elven allied cavalry for the Imperial forces to paint. I've decided that I will use the Silver Helms I've got as an addition to the humans rather than do a full Elven army. I'll have my hands full with Undead and Dwarfs anyway.
The whole Byzantine army is finished and ready now, although their Norman opponents are a little way down the painting queue. Luckily John has finished armies so they may get a run before I create their opponents.
I have 8 figures for Mortal Gods to complete over the next couple of nights and some cart-horses before I get stuck into some Star Wars Legion for Craig, which I want to complete by the end of the week. So hopefully a few more photos next Sunday.

Nate

Anglo-Danes and Martians to begin February

I managed to finish off some painting this week, despite being back at school and the mountain of work that is already beginning to pile up. Just enough time to post the results though.

Anglo-Danish Warlord. He's hefting that double handed axe single-handedly. What a monster!

Axe-wielding loonies... errr I mean huscarles.

Right, some nice sensible spears for these guys.

And a further unit of hearthguard.

Ack Ack Ack!

 I bought Mars Attacks a few years ago. I finally got around to painting some Martians so that I can use them for Clobberin' Time. I have a few Alien races lines up for my superverse.

Homemade SAGA Dice

I bought some blank dice and printed some labels. Unfortunately the Saxon dice were just a bit too dark. They are visible, but not as clear as the Viking version. Luckily Dan accidentally bought two sets of Anglo-Saxon dice, so one of them is winging its way to me now.

I have another point of Anglo-Danes to paint this week, and 6 Hoplites to finish off my first unit for Mortal Gods. Then I have some Rebel Commandos to paint for Craig. Hopefully I can make some decent inroads into this pile over the next week.

Nate

An old friend

Friday night was games night, and for something different we thought we'd pull out a game of Warhammer Ancient Battles. John purchased these Age of Arthur armies off me some time ago, and they have since languished in his cabinet, but for a very good reason (more on that below), I felt like a game of WAB. So Arthur would ride again!

The two armies line up opposite each other, Mordred at the top of the picture, Arthur below.

 I didn't have much time to prepare for the battle and forgot that each unit had a character with it to give it a little more staying power, but as it turned out, we still had a fairly good game. I umpired while Mordred Mike and Arthurian Adam rolled the dice.

The two sides draw closer. Arthur's Teulu just out of picture on the right prepare to steamroll their opposition and outflank Mordred's forces.

The Combrogi see off the mercenary German mounted geoguth on the left, while Arthur's knights round the building, all in accordance with the plan.

Mordred Mike wasn't about to be beaten that easily though. he turned his left flank to meet the Arthurian cavalry and pinned the Arthurian infantry.

Here you see two units of Combrogi decide that they don't want to fight anymore, while Mordred's infantry prove a rather stubborn roadblock for Arthur's cavalry.

One unit of Combrogi rally in the centre, but by now the crux of the battle is on the right where the Arthurian cavalry has been forced to retire behind their infantry.

The last turn sees Mordred defeat and then run down the opposing infantry. Arthur and the last unit of  Combrogi fail their panic tests and the army routs.

 I had forgotten how much fun WAB is. Although I probably won't play it again. More on that soon.

Arquebusiers von Geradefurt

 I've been painting a few figures for my Dragon Rampant Fantasy project. I've also created the campaign background for the battles.

Die Schwarzenritter von Tarnach

 The plan is to paint these guys very simply. Base coats and washes with minimal highlighting. The idea is to get them on the table for battle. Later on I can come back and touch them up a bit if I like.

Close up with Goltz von Tarnach himself

Every base has a hit marker dice.

The only element of Orcs so far painted. This element fits 3 Orcs, but takes 6 hits. This works fine in Dragon Rampant.

 I want to paint a few more Orcs - some Boar riders and the other three chaps for the above unit before I delve back into finishing Craig's rebels.

Then I have these guys:

I love mail!

 This is the bulk of a Marian Roman army for Clash of Empires. Of the successors to Warhammer Ancient Battles, Clash of Empires is the one I've settled on. I had War and Conquest, but sold them a while back.
I've had the urge for a return to a WAB-style game for a while now, and with the plethora of nice plastics out there, it makes it easier to achieve than ever. So I decided that I would do the Roman Civil Wars between Pompey and Caesar. Then I thought again. That would be a lot of legionaries to paint, and two armies that fight in identical ways, which might get a bit boring. But what about my second favourite (after Hannibal) Ancient character - King Mithridates the Great? So using the Seleucid list for Clash of Empires I put together the plan for a 2500 point Pontic army. Now I just need to convince my wife that this would make an excellent birthday present...

The Romans put together and sitting in the cabinet. They need a unit of Numidian skirmishers added and they will be 2500 points. I've already arranged the cabinet so that the Pontic army will sit alongside them on the right - Cretan archers are already in place (French and Indian War collection to the left, as well as a Roman elephant that was going to be for North Africa in the Civil War - now unemployed).

So, as always, plenty going on. Next update should feature a decent number of painted Rebels for Star Wars Legion.

Nate

The Saga of Olav the Bored

 I wrote a narrative mini-campaign for DBA last year that I've finally got around to playing (thanks holidays). It involves a Viking contingent, led by Jarl Olav the Bored, invading England and fighting it's way through to establishing a kingdom. Olav invades for something to do. He can't sit still for long. The script is as follows:

Olav the Bored in full battle cry!

DBA narrative campaign

A Viking lord is raiding the English coast with an eye to setting up his own kingdom there. Because the Vikings are on the offensive and aggressive they have a higher breakpoint than the locals, until they lose a game.

1.       First Battle: The Landing = Terrain is littoral. 6 elements of Viking Blades vs 6 elements of Anglo-Saxons, consisting of 1 horde, 1 blade, 1 psiloi and 1 spears. English breakpoint – 2 elements: Viking breakpoint 3 elements. If the Vikings lose this battle, they pack up and go home.

If the Vikings are successful:

2.       Second battle: Local counter-attack = Terrain is littoral. Vikings occupy BUA Hamlet. Now with 7 elements of blade as reserves arrive. Anglo-Saxons attempt to retake the town with 2 blade and 4 spear elements. A-S breakpoint = 2,; Viking breakpoint = 3

If Vikings are successful in game 2:

3a. Third battle: Conquest = Reinforced as news of their success spreads, the Vikings move inland. They encounter more resistance. Terrain is arable. Viking army now has 8 elements of blade. Anglo-Saxons advance with 6 – 1 horde, 1 blade, 4 spear.  A-S breakpoint = 2; Viking breakpoint =3.

If Anglo-Saxons are successful in game 2:

3b. Third battle: Regrouping = Just holding on, the Vikings defend their foothold. Terrain is littoral. Viking army is whatever was left at the end of battle 2. Anglo-Saxons have 7 elements – 4 spear, 2 blade, 1 horde. Viking breakpoint =2, Anglo-Saxon breakpoint= 2. If successful refight battle 2. If unsuccessful the Vikings pack up and go home.

If Vikings are successful in battle 3a:

4a. Fourth battle: For a Kingdom! = More Vikings appear to reinforce success. The local English have decided that this is serious and muster all available forces to oppose the invader. Terrain is arable. Both sides have 12 elements. Normal breakpoints.

If Anglo-Saxons are successful in battle 3a:

4b. Fourth Battle = Same as Battle 2, except both sides have 6 elements and the Viking breakpoint reduces to 2.

If Vikings win battle 4a – Congratulations.  A new Viking kingdom in England.

If Anglo-Saxons win battle 4a – play battle 4b.

If Vikings win battle 4b they retire to their ships with plunder, but no new kingdom.

If Anglo-Saxons win battle 4b the Viking force is wiped out and a great victory is celebrated in England.

Such was the plan. As you will see from the play-through, I will need to revisit the forces involved as the Vikings never look like being beaten at any stage.

GAME 1

Deployment: Olav chooses the closed ground as their point of invasion to deny it to the defending Anglo-Saxons.

The Anglo-Saxon plan - rush forward and meet the Vikings near the bad going so they don't have the opportunity to deploy from their columns and outflank the Aenglish!

The Viking plan - Rush Forward!

It's hard to fulfil your plans when you roll 1s. Not a Viking problem however...

Contact Olav uses the greater fyrd for axe-chopping practice.

Next turn and the Vikings gang up on the poor little archers. Viking bridgehead secure!

 GAME 2

Not happy with this a local lord comes to liberate a captured coastal village. But the news of Viking success has started to spread, and reinforcements have arrived.

The Vikings move up to the woods and deploy into line. The Anglo-Saxons also deploy into the woods.

Olav divides his force and attacks into the woods. He hopes the Anglo-Saxon left will advance and be outflanked.

The fight in the woods begins to go against the Anglo-Saxons.

With a spear element down the Anglo-Saxon line is looking shaky.

Now the Viking right loses patience and leaps into battle.

But it is in the woods where the decisive moment occurs. Viking victory.

 GAME 3

Moving inland the Viking Horde is confronted by more local defence forces.

Viking tactic - charge!

The battle-line bows with the Olav punching hard into the Aenglish line.

'All shall fall before my axe!'

GAME 4

Now he's done it. The Anglo-Saxon King brings forth a full army. Luckily, Olav has also picked up some more followers.

The lines advance slowly. Everybody is rolling ones. And so a psiloi skirmish erupts on the side of the battle.

The lines close up.

The psiloi grudge match swings back and forth.

The Anglo-Saxons charge first. The battle-line fragments.

On the left of their line the Vikings destroy the greater fyrd.

In the centre an element of Anglo-Saxon blades breaks through. Olav and the Anglo-Saxon king go head to head.

The Vikings who destroyed the fyrd now swing around and take two select fyrd spearmen in the flank. They turn - and recoil into the rear of an enemy formation. As if that wasn't bad enough, the Vikings win the psiloi battle and the great fyrd on the far side is also destroyed. Battle over, and although the Anglo-Saxon King survives, he can't stop the establishment of the Kingdom of Olav the Bored!

I didn't realise that the last photo had come out so blurry. Too late now, I've packed the battle up...

This campaign took more than an afternoon only because I had to stop and go out. It could easily have been played to a conclusion in a couple of consecutive hours. But I would make some changes for next time which would be to give equal or greater numbers of Saxons in the first three battles. The Saxons are at a command disadvantage in having to move hordes, so need something to compensate for it if they are to have a realistic chance of winning battles. I'd look at one more horde element in battle one and a horde and a psiloi in battle 2. An extra horde and an extra blade in battle 3a.

As it was, it felt like a bit of a walkover for King Olav, although their were moments in the last battle where things might have gone either way but for some unfortunate Anglo-Saxon dice rolls. Definitely worth a play-through again with the amended numbers. And of course, the uncertain nature of teh terrain set-up might also favour the Anglo-Saxons in a another game.

Nate