This is an all new section – during 2009 I’ll hopefully be building brand new Armies in 28mm for use with the Fire & Fury (both Brigade & Regimental versions of the rules). Previously I played Fire & Fury extensively in 15mm, from when it was released in the early ’90s until about 2000, at which time I sold all my 15mm ACW forces & terrain. I am looking forward to getting back into it in 28mm. Continue reading “Fire & Fury: The ACW in 28mm”
Author: Wargaming.info
Maori Wars: Colonial New Zealand Buildings
New Zealand’s main Colonial Growth occurred in a period before and simultaneous to the American Civil War, as a result many major buildings from the 1840-1880 period closely resemble the same style of construction as was common in North America at the time of the American Civil War and before. By the 1870’s there appears to be a reasonably widespread introduction of corrugated iron (and of course in the main towns construction of large multi-story stone and similar buildings) – but this is essentially after the period we are interested in. Continue reading “Maori Wars: Colonial New Zealand Buildings”
Roundie Town
The following is a brief photo gallery of the Auckland Wargaming Club’s Wild West Town, entirely scratch built by member Wayne “Roundie” Steward and photographed by member Kieran Mahony. It is the scene of many a gun fight by the clubs various “Posses” using Games Workshop’s “Legends of the Old West” rules. Continue reading “Roundie Town”
Kofler “befehle die Marines”
You will recall from the details of Kofler’s last adventure (Kofler “im Hinterhalt auf Kwuzlundi“) we left him bleeding amongst the casualties of his Askari, as the African Tribesmen threatened to overrun the camp, and to add insult to injury half the surviving Seebatallion marines, including Hauptmann Muenst, had fled routing out of the camp… As it turns out the staunch Askari did not disappoint, led by Feldwebel Buergerhoff they managed to drive off the tribesmen inside the camp then reform to guard the perimeter, while Oberst Stuehmer rallied the 3 remaining Seebatallion marines to assist them, and Herr Riedel kept up regular sniping at the surviving Zanzibari.
Seeing this the remaining coalition of Natives quickly dispersed, and knowing the game was up the Zanzibari once more dispersed off into the African jungle…
Kofler “im Hinterhalt auf Kwuzlundi”
After Kofler’s (forgettable) first experience of colonial action in Darkest Africa (Kofler “benetzt seine Hose”), the column had regathered itself and slowly moved further into the hinterland, following the trail of the suspected Zanzibari Sklavenhändler (slavers). The trail led them towards the village of Kwuzlundi, near the edge of the regularly travelled parts of East Africa. Word was that the Zanzibari were due to pass by this way in the next few days heading to the coast with their victims, having stirred up the local tribes enough to preoccupy the Kaiser’s Imperial Forces!
Further assistance had arrived to the column in the form of two experienced and well travelled Hunters & Adventurers, Herr Hans Deutschlaender and Herr Arno Riedel – the latter famous locally for his garishly bright shirts & hunting jackets!
The Sword and the Flame [TSATF]
![The Sword and the Flame [TSATF]](https://wargaming.info/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/The-Sword-And-The-Flame-Revision-1-1986-front-cover-1.jpg)
Larry Brom wrote TSATF in 1979, and 30 years later it’s still going strong with very little changes! Having played TTG’s Soldiers of the Queen* [SotQ] fairly extensively since it was published in 1987 (in my earlier wargaming years) until a long hiatus from all colonial gaming in the early 1990s, I was only introduced to TSATF in recent years for the first time…
* Not to be confused with the Victorian Military Society’s Journal “Soldiers of the Queen“!
Continue reading “The Sword and the Flame [TSATF]”Kofler “benetzt seine Hose”
Arriving in German East Africa Oberleutnant Kofler is immediately summoned, along with his superior, by the Colonial Governor – some Zanzibari slave traders have been stirring up the local tribes in the area of the German Colony, and have stirred them up with stories of the Germans taking all their women! The Governor wants an immediate show of force in the area to settle things down and ensure these verabscheuungswürdigen Sklavenhändler are found and dealt with. No-one casts aspersions on the Kaiser’s newly acquired empire!
Setting out, the column consists of a company from the Seebatallion detachment with a Maxim MG team, and a Deutsche Ost-Afrika Gesellschaft Askari company, which Kofler is told off to, his first command in Darkest Africa! Supporting them is a small river boat steamer which will ferry supplies forward as needed should their expedition take more than the week or two expected.
The Widow at Windsor
Widow at Windsor by Rudyard Kipling
’Ave you ’eard o’ the Widow at Windsor
With a hairy gold crown on ’er ’ead?
She ’as ships on the foam—she ’as millions at ’ome,
An’ she pays us poor beggars in red.
(Ow, poor beggars in red!)
There’s ’er nick on the cavalry ’orses,
There’s ’er mark on the medical stores—
An’ ’er troopers you’ll find with a fair wind be’ind
That takes us to various wars.
(Poor beggars!—barbarious wars!)
Then ’ere’s to the Widow at Windsor,
An’ ’ere’s to the stores an’ the guns,
The men an’ the ’orses what makes up the forces
O’ Missis Victorier’s sons.
(Poor beggars! Victorier’s sons!)
Walk wide o’ the Widow at Windsor,
For ’alf o’ Creation she owns:
We ’ave bought ’er the same with the sword an’ the flame,
An’ we’ve salted it down with our bones.
(Poor beggars!—it’s blue with our bones!)
Continue reading “The Widow at Windsor”
Wargaming The French Revolution & Napoleonic Wars
The Napoleonic Wars (1803-1815) involved Napoleon’s French Empire and a shifting set of European allies and opposing coalitions. As a continuation of the wars sparked by the French Revolution of 1789, they revolutionized European armies and played out on an unprecedented scale, mainly due to the application of modern mass conscription. French power rose quickly, conquering most of Europe, but collapsed rapidly after France’s disastrous invasion of Russia in 1812. Napoleon’s empire ultimately suffered complete military defeat in 1814 (and a failed revival in 1815), resulting in the restoration of the Bourbon monarchy in France.
Meanwhile the Spanish Empire began to unravel as French occupation of Spain weakened Spain’s hold over its colonies, providing an opening for nationalist revolutions in Latin America (you can read more at wikipedia on the specific details). Meanwhile…
Continue reading “Wargaming The French Revolution & Napoleonic Wars”
BC’08 Conclusion: Results & Aftermath
It had been a hard weekend, with all the games being fairly challenging and the last 2 having been particularly hard fought battles. Our final result was 64 VPs, and 2nd Place – probably not bad for a team made up of a first time DBMM’er (Campbell) and a notorious over-aggressive under-achiever (i.e. Me)! Ivan & Andrew did magnificently to win, although I think the huge Warband force (69 German and 14 Gallic Warband elements) may have overawed some people (see BC’08 Round 1: Early German Cimbri & Tigurini Gallic Allies 102BC Report)! John & Lance with their Sassanids and Brett & Lawrence with the Medieval Germans also did well and it was a constant tussle each round with two of these 4 teams in first and second place after each of the rounds (Ivan and Andrew managing to be first in the third round and stay there, being 1st after the most critical one, the last)! Continue reading “BC’08 Conclusion: Results & Aftermath”
BC’08 Round 4: Sassanid Persian with Sabir Hun Allies 463AD
Our (winning) Draw (if you can call it that) in the third round put us on 54 VPs and in 2nd place; 5 VPs behind the new leaders (Ivan & Andrew; whom we had played in the first round) and 8 VPs ahead of 3rd place (Brett & Lawrence whom we had just played). As a result our final opponents were John Calnan & Lance Knighton, who were currently in 4th place with 44 VPs; and were running a force of Sassanid’s with lots of Cavalry(S) and (O), Elephants(O), and Knights(X).
Caesennius had not managed to leave home before the Sassanid’s had wandered into the Eastern regions of the Empire! Continue reading “BC’08 Round 4: Sassanid Persian with Sabir Hun Allies 463AD”
BC’08 Round 3: Medieval Germans with Swiss Allies 1478AD
Our big win in the previous round put us on 39 VPs, and top of the table (1st place) at the halfway mark, our next opponents were Brett Preston-Thomas & Lawrence Antill, who were on 36 VPs and currently in 2nd place. Caesennius decided to venture north and wander into the lands of the Germans (not to mention about 14 centuries into the future as well) – what was this obsession he had with invading Germany?! Anyway in true style he found a suitable area to set up camp, and then proceeded to relax, as was his want, and not be too hasty. However he rather unusually camped amongst some woods and vineyards, in front of a fairly open plain, so left his army with less than ideal terrain to deploy in. Continue reading “BC’08 Round 3: Medieval Germans with Swiss Allies 1478AD”