The 18 June 2015 is the 200th Anniversary of Waterloo, the battle – that along with Wavre on the same day – saw the final defeat of Napoleon and ushered in the ’50 years of peace’. Here in New Zealand there’s a couple of historical refights taking place to commemorate the battle. First up in Wellington on Saturday & Sunday 13-14 June there was a large 28mm scale re-fight at the Wellesley Club, then following on from that there was another 28mm refight at the Christchurch Wargaming Club on Saturday & Sunday 20-21 June, and our own re-fight here in Auckland, at the Auckland Wargaming Club, in 6mm scale on Sunday 21 June. Continue reading “Waterloo 200th Anniversary (1)”
Tag: 28mm
Carolingians vs. Vikings
I’m slowly getting through my Carolingian Army, after a delay to add some additional figures – which has delayed completing the basing and such like. However we are almost there and in the meantime over the last two weeks I have pitted them against Roundie’s Vikings (Land Raiders)! Last weeks combat was a bit of a learning experience, but for this week the Carolingians were a slightly different composition to that which fought Kieran’s Normans back in January. Continue reading “Carolingians vs. Vikings”
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.
Continue reading “Fire & Sword Turn 05: March 1884”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!
Continue reading “Fire & Sword Battle 06: The Gardner’s Jammed & The Yorks Vanquished”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…
Continue reading “Fire & Sword Turn 04: February 1884”Fire & Sword Battle 04: Sally at Abu Hamed
As referred to in Revolt in the Sudan Turn 03: January 1884, at Abu Hamed Sayed Bey decides to sally forth from the town and endeavour to temporarily break the siege. While Abu Hamed is now plentifully supplied with resources (it has over 6 months of supplies on hand) Sayed Bey determines to take the opportunity to procure more, and while he has a relatively fresh & strong force available to hopefully inflict a defeat on the local Mahdist forces. Unbeknown to Sayed Bey, he sallies forth only two days after Sir Henry’s victory over the Dervish force at Baqah al-Garbiyyah Oasis, intent on breaking the siege of Abu Hamed…
Continue reading “Fire & Sword Battle 04: Sally at Abu Hamed”Warlord North American Buildings
To supplement my Perry Miniatures’ ACW Buildings I also have a couple of Warlord laser-cut MDF Settler’s Log Cabins – like the Perry buildings these are suitable for most North American eras from the French & Indian Wars & American Revolution through to the American Civil War and turn of the (20th) century – and at a stretch the 19th Century NZ Colonial Wars as well. Continue reading “Warlord North American Buildings”
Perry Miniatures ACW Buildings
These are some ‘in progress’ pictures of my 28mm Perry Miniatures’ North American Buildings – I’m hoping they will be useful for not just the ACW (American Civil War), but also for the American Old West & Indian Wars, some Colonial theatres, and even early 20th Century pulp periods. Included is a simple conversion of the Perry Store kit, into a small Blacksmith & Stables. The conversion and the kit assembly & painting/basing was done by my fellow gamer, Kieran Mahony (6mm Wargaming). I just need to now flock the bases and add all the micro detail… Continue reading “Perry Miniatures ACW Buildings”
Miniature Addiction!
Roundie, from my local gaming group (the Auckland Wargaming Club), has recently launched his own website & blog of his wargaming & modelling work – he’s one of our area’s most prolific modellers & painters and has built some amazing terrain boards and scratch-built buildings & terrain… He’s also running a local SDS (Song of Drums & Shakos) Napoleonic Skirmish Campaign at the AWC. Continue reading “Miniature Addiction!”
Getting My 28mm ACW Underway
With all this ACW Action Going On it’s finally motivated me to resume construction of my 28mm ACW forces – I’ll be building both Union & Confederate Forces to provide opposing armies, and as originally mentioned I was looking at building these forces initially for Fire & Fury (for both Brigade & Regimental level games). However now that Sam Mustafa has Longstreet due as the next game in the Honour series I’ll be looking to build them principally for that but still compatible for Fire & Fury as well (and obviously they will be usable for Black Powder and similar if needed). I started this project about 4-5 years ago and got a portion of the troops painted up but then ground to a halt – however I’ve now started basing the painted troops and have more under-way, so here’s some photos of the initial portion of my Union forces…
Work Begins On Rorke’s Drift
Well its been much longer than planned and to get things along I have enlisted my mate Kieran (6mm Wargaming) to build my Rorke’s Drift Models and Base Board for me. I have been inspired by the SSWG’s (Southend & Shoeburyness Wargames Group) wonderful demo game from several years ago (you can see a full set of photos here, it was at Salute 2006 in the UK and I believe has been at shows prior to that), and they still reuse it regularly today (see this blog post from 2011). So Kieran has completed assembly of the buildings and we’ve done two mock-ups of the layout…