Dogfight over Peepinghtohm 1917

Great video from West Tokyo Wargamers of a World War I aerial game using the Wings of War (now Wings of Glory) game and miniatures!

 

Fire & Sword Turn 05: March 1884

After the rather erratic results in February 1884 the Anglo-Egyptian forces were facing some great challenges (and some perhaps unrecognised opportunities) in March. Both Eastern & Western Sudan are only showing very low levels of rebellion and not offering a serious threat to the Anglo-Egyptians – the real fight for Sudan is spread the length of the Nile, from Fashoda all the way downstream to Abu Hamed. In the North the 3rd Company, 19th Yorkshire Regiment headed south from Aswan to Wadi Halfa ready to move into the Sudan in April; where it is joined by a late reinforcement in the form of a company of the Egyptian Camel Corps and a Screw Gun Battery of the British Camel Corps.

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Italeri Church

Following on from my last post (Italeri Country House With Porch) the other model I picked up from Kieran’s cancelled commission project was the Church (Italeri Kit 6129). This includes an attached (custom made) cemetery and is an outstanding model (if somewhat large). Ther design makes this primarily suited to Northern Mediterranean areas (and Southern Europe), such as Spain, Italy, and Southern France, as well as possibly Croatia, Northern Bosnia, etc, and possibly Southern Austria and the like… Continue reading “Italeri Church”

Italeri Country House With Porch

Back at the start of 2013 I posted about my gaming buddy Kieran building some Italeri Kitsets for his WW2 Normandy Games – and that as he did such a great job I might need to get him to build the kits I have in my stockpile for me as well! Well he ended up building some on commission for another AWC member, who then subsequently decided to discontinue WW2 gaming in 20mm scale – and so those completed custom models have ended up in my collection – alleviating the onerous need for me to assemble my existing kits of them! Brilliant outcome if you ask me! The first of them is the Country House with Porch (Italeri Kit 6075). Continue reading “Italeri Country House With Porch”

Blücher By Sam Mustafa

Early this year Sam Mustafa will be releasing his latest game system in his “Honour” series, Blücher, which provides the ability to fight grand-tactical type games in the Napoleonic Wars. One units, stand, or counter, represents a Brigade or Regiment (incorporating multiple-battalions) or a massed Artillery concentration. Also included with the rules is Scharnhorst, a pre-game campaign that determines the manoeuvres of the opposing armies and ultimately how their deployment occurs on table. Continue reading “Blücher By Sam Mustafa”

Marching On Richmond: The Conclusion

Having broken from their 1864-1865 winter camps the armies headed further into Virginia, the mass of the Union forces always looking to outmanoeuvre the Confederates to expose Richmond and end the war. By late March a decisive battle emerged to conclude the Petersburg Siege, and my forces (General Ulysses P. Rickards) were dispatched to hold vital crossroads to the flank of Five Forks to prevent any last ditched effort to raise the siege by General Longman’s Confederate forces and the balance of General Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia under General Pickett. Continue reading “Marching On Richmond: The Conclusion”

Fire & Sword Battle 06: The Gardner’s Jammed & The Yorks Vanquished

As described in Fire & Sword Turn 04: February 1884 Sir Henry’s column continued South towards Dongola, and at the 3rd Cataract is met by the first supply steamer to have made it beyond the 2nd Cataract. It resupplies his column and brings welcome reinforcements in the form of the 2nd Company, 19th Yorkshire Regiment (who are also wearing the freshly issued and newly designed Grey Serge Uniforms intended for the expedition), as well as the 1st MG Section, The Naval Brigade (operating Gardner Guns). The reinforced column is soon in Kerma and quickly continues on to Dongola, conscious of the possibility of European hostages or prisoners being held there. As it finally approaches the town Sir Henry is surprised with a sudden onslaught by the defending Dervish forces!

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Dux Bellorum With Carolingians

Well I’ve been mucking around for sometime planning to do something for Dux Bellorum – and 12 months or so ago decided to do a Carolingian Army, albeit slightly outside the chronological and geographical period nominally covered by the rules (Arthurian Britain 367 to 793 AD). However I have been wanting to do something nominally ‘Charlemagnian’ in a wargaming context for sometime, so while outside of Britain and slightly late period-wise (768-814 AD) it is very much an army in keeping with Dux Bellorum’s ‘genre‘ and it’s historical opponents are identical or very similar to those found in Britain (e.g. Saxons, Vikings/Danes, and Lombards – only the Moors in Spain won’t easily fit the Dux Bellorum gaming model). And so, to bring in the new year of 2015, and my new Carolingian army’s basing having been completed (partially)  to a level suitable for use, they were christened in an initial outing against Kieran Mahony’s Normans (who at nominally around 970 AD onwards are also a bit out of period for Dux Bellorum). Continue reading “Dux Bellorum With Carolingians”

Marching On Richmond: Winter 1864-65

After the action at Virginia Farm both sides moved into winter quarters, setting up cantonments in Virginia. As Spring 1865 approached and we prepared for the new campaigning season my Division received new reinforcements, and smattering of new recruits. Meanwhile the 2nd New Hampshire, 4th “Magnificent” Maine, and 54th “Unstoppable” Massachusetts (Coloured) were all disbanded due to low numbers and the survivors used to reinforce other regiments – my force therefore was thus: Continue reading “Marching On Richmond: Winter 1864-65”

X-Wing Miniatures Game Community

Star Wars X-Wing & Tie Interceptor

There’s a new community blog about for fans of the (Star Wars) X-Wing game from Fantasy Flight Games. X-Wing Miniatures Game CommunityEverything about our passion called X-Wing Miniatures Game from Fantasy Flight Publishing Inc. and promises to deliver fan support for X-Wing. Continue reading “X-Wing Miniatures Game Community”

Fire & Sword Battle 05: Because We’re ‘ere Yuzbashi! Nobody Else. Just Us.

Akhtar Pasha had just spent the last few weeks trekking along the caravan trail from Suakin to Berber. When he left Suakin the Eastern Sudan was quiet and unchanged despite the violent rebellion raging in Northern & Southern Sudan – however things had now changed, the Eastern Sudan had erupted into rebellion behind him and he was now deep in enemy territory, with a column of troops in need of water and supplies, and lacking any mounted force for reconnaissance or foraging! Akhtar’s plan was to march rapidly on Berber, this was the closest reasonable sized town that was both likely to have plentiful stocks of supplies, and be fortifiable once occupied – but it was also small enough that hopefully it would not have a strong Mahdist rebel presence, and they would not have heavily fortified the place thereby making access impractical. Around the middle of February Akhtar Pasha’s force arrived at Berber, and prepared to assault the town…

Continue reading “Fire & Sword Battle 05: Because We’re ‘ere Yuzbashi! Nobody Else. Just Us.”

Fire & Sword Turn 04: February 1884

With January 1884 drawing to a close, the revolt appeared to have been stabilising – however the Eastern Sudan, despite the relative quiet in the region now finally also erupted (or rather simmered) into full blown rebellion – the results were limited however; although Trinkitat & Kassala fell into the hands of dissident Beja Hadendowa Fuzzy-Wuzzies aligned with the Mahdist Rebels, and led by one Osman Diqna, Suakin appears secure – so they aren’t seen as a major threat at this time. Elsewhere no major changes occurred and Akhtar Pasha’s column at Hadiga, and the lone 4th Company of the 1st Egyptian Rifle Battalion on the Atbara River, barely noticed, continuing their journeys initially unaware of what had transpired to the East & South of them…

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