Tuesday, September 20, 2011

Battle of Globalweisse

Play-testing continues on refinements to The Final Argument of Kings by Dean West.  Sunday the 19th three players gathered at 1:00 (albeit with NFL distractions) to test them out.  In our game 15 battalions of Russians with six regiments of cavalry and four batteries took on 18 Hanoverian/Brunswick/Highland battalions, with five cavalry regiments and six batteries.  The mostly trained Russians stood on the defensive as the allies attacked.

A view of the left and center of the Russian line.  The brand new Observation Corps battalions occupy the center with a heavy battery in support.  A brigade of infantry on either flank plus one in reserve complete the infantry deployment.  All the Russian cavalry were in the good ground off camera to the left facing their opposite numbers.


Horse Grenadiers in two big regiments on the left with two smaller Cuirassiers regiments getting their combat debut on the right.  Two regiments of virtually useless Hussars are behind this all.  The allies fielded some excellent heavy regiments, dragoons, and von Luckner's Hussars.

Here the Russians await the Hanoverians in double lines, expecting a relatively easy time against the spread out enemy.  But it was not to be.  Despite having an advantage in every contest, the Russians lost every impact.  Usually just thrown back with minor losses, but potentially opening up the flank.


The Allies were eager to close and the Russians equally eager to meet them.  A series of savage firefights went on, often at point-blank range as determination tests were passed.  The tactics seemed to be to fire then charge.  I thought it was the Russians who thought the bayonet was their friend and the bullet their enemy?


Looking down the field you can see the general engagement throughout.  The Allies have a Hanoverian brigade in reserve, though most of the Russians are either committed or very close to the fighting.  What of the cavalry you ask?  The Russian losing trend continued, but they managed to buy time, utilizing the extra regiment to keep throwing a speed bump in from of the Allies.  Slowly they began to re-order and organize but the situation still looked grim on the Russian left.


But success!  Against the odds, and with the record to that point eight losses and one tie, the last Russian unit managed to fend off two Hanoverian regiments.  Meanwhile the infantry fight was going well for the Russians.  Their guns, although mostly out of ammunition, had whittled the approaching Allies down to the point where their inferior musketry could finish the fight.  With much of the Allied army running or eliminated and the left stable, the Hanoverians conceded the field to the Russians.  Though their loss was also severe.  Two generals paid the price for their leadership and became heroes to the Tsar.


After a football delayed start we finished eight turns and picked up in less than four hours.  A satisfactory result for a hard-fought game that included some cross-referencing to make sure we got all the play-test variables included.  Till next time...

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

Back to work!

Well, maybe I should say back to work painting so I can play!  Finally a lull in life's action so I could pick up a paint brush for the first time last night since the end of August.  For someone who habitually turns out 100-150 figures a month, that is a long time.

So what do I have on the paint sticks?  Some Old Glory 15mm SYW Russian Observation Corps musketeers and some Frontier 15mm Union troops for the ACW.  In each case I'm trying something new to get a "wargames level" paint job.  I've primed them with the base color.  In the case of the Russians, Hunter Green, and the Yankees are in some dark blue, I'm afraid I don't remember the title.  Both colors give me a light coat than I would like normally, but in my grand experimental scheme I plan to give them a dark wash so that it just looks like highlights without needing to dry brush them on.  For 15s dry brushing the faces and hands with a flesh tone doesn't seem to leave the underlying green or blue noticeable, so I may be in luck there.  I'm taking some pictures and will post the success or failure when I'm done.

For my Imagi-Nation Litharus Tarus Schvenko is about to get 36 28mm Foundry Cossacks to lead.  I've had the leader, son and Father set painted for some time, but now finally they have a horde to lead.  Again, pictures will be forth-coming.

Waiting in the wings are 15mm Russian Napoleonics on commission from a good friend.  Dragoons, Cossacks and Limbers; oh my!  Something different to break up the routine.

Also waiting their turn are three boxes of the Wargames Factory War of Spanish Succession infantry.  I got one box on eBay to see just how "fiddley" they were, wasn't intimidated, and got two more for a song.  Basically the three boxes for a little over the price of one at retail.  They will become garrison troops for Litharus in 54 figures units, each with six grenadiers.  Of course, I'm sure I will "accidentally" paint them in an obscure historic uniform just in case I want to use them for a regular game.  I've always balked at spending the dough on miniatures that will assume a fantasy identity, but these wonderful plastics make it affordable again.  This will give me 10 Litharusian infantry units; 7 of 60 figures and 3 of 54.

One of these days I'll have to get to the mass of 1/2400 ships awaiting attention.  But for now my short attention span is focused (is that a contradiction of terms?  Focused short attention span?) on other projects.

Good gaming and happy painting ya'll!

Thursday, September 1, 2011

Faces of War

For the most part I am frugal in my gaming expenses to the point of silliness, but now and then I get the urge for some battlefield "pretty-pretties" to jazz it up.  For my Seven Years War era Russians (or imagi-nation Litharusians) I've added these two little Wargames Foundry 28mm vignettes.  Click on the image to enlarge it for better viewing.

Saving the Sergeant


"Easy lads..."
Here we have two valiant grenadiers of the Observation Corps moving their beloved sergeant through the smoke to safety.  He probably owes them money.  

Drunken brawling
After the battle, the fighting continues.

An affair of honor?  Debt owed?


A solid hit staggers Ivan.

Aha!  The cause is women and demon rum (vodka).

Meanwhile, the gentleman reads his Bible and tries to ignore them.
Care for your wallet my friend!















So I will attempt to find an excuse to put them on the game table at some point.  The first is easier since I can put it out as soon as my grenadier battalion takes hits.  The latter may require a bit more creativity.

As you can see I prefer a black primer with layered dry-brushed overlays.  Not museum quality by any means but they work for me.  The donkey is a carryover from my D&D days.  Hope you enjoy them.