2022 Painting Project

 Last year on an impulse I bought a "grab box" online of SYW figures in 15mm scale.  The seller mentioned a bunch of Ottoman-Turks.  So imagine my surprise when it was about 60% or better Turks.  However, this was something I didn't already possess and had only painted for others in 28mm.  So at the first of the year I dove headfirst into painting up enough to host a game at the Seven Years War Association Convention in South Bend, IN on March 31st-April 2nd.

Doing a little research I chose the Battle of Banja Luka in 1737 between the Austrians and Turks in modern Bosnia.  Small enough that I could match the numbers on table.  The Austrians were already mostly painted so in a few weeks we'll be giving it a go.  I ran a playtest of the scenario and made some tweaks, and I'm anxious to see it played out.  

Click on the pictures to enlarge them.  Comments and additional information is welcomed.

The "Big Picture" with one infantry unit to go.

Our local rules of choice are The Final Argument of Kings by the late Dean West.  The majority of infantry units are 12-20 figures, with cavalry 8-12.  All artillery batteries are represented by one model and four gunners.  The system is an offshoot of Johnny Reb so was a natural choice for our game group.

Eight regiments of cavalry, lights and mediums with
a large number armed with lances.

Two medium and two fancy heavy batteries.

Infantry, ranging from "elite" Janissaries to spear and bow armed levies.

The Ottoman Army wasn't covered in the core rules so I have to go to other rule sets like Warfare in the Age of Reason and my own research and experience to come up with values for the troops.  Just the names are confusing to this westerner.  Provincial levies, Sekban mercenary musketeers, Kapikulu, Akinci, Solaks, Azap and Alti Boluk household troopers.  Instead of regiments they are organized into Ortas.

Exotic Akinci cavalry.

Close shot of the medium guns.

The first brigadier I painted, with his sun shade.

For our game the great Hekimoglu Ali Pasha and his escort.

One of the fun things is that unlike European armies, there was no absolute definitive uniform at the time, so I could be creative.  Reds, especially on the lances, predominated, but also greens, blues, yellows and browns appeared in illustrations.  So while some may question, proving the paint scheme is wrong will be difficult.

I hope you found this interesting or entertaining.  

Batailles de l'Ancien Regimes

 With COVID-19 surging in WI this may be my last game for a while, so I was pleased to gather five others in my garage (all doors opened) on a cool Saturday night for a fun BAR game.  BAR, if you're not familiar with it, is a card-driven "old school" wargame with big battalions.  For us, 48-60 figures each.  In our game a turn of the card allowed the CO to pick a player to move.  It's not uncommon for one side to entirely move first,  Then you start the flipping again for shooting purposes.  Melee is the last thing.  Casualties are dished out in staggering numbers at times, but each casualty gets a saving throw depending on type and formation.  You don't test morale typically till you get to 50% casualties.

Our imagi-nation countries were well represented.  The hybrid Ottoman-Russian vassal state of Vaneria  fielded Russian musketeers and grenadiers, Ottoman Janissaries and Azab regulars, along with dragoons and Sipahis.  Rondovia had three musketeer and one grenadier regiments, along with two squadrons of cuirassiers.

Opposing them were two regiments from Prochistan and a squadron of Polish winged hussars.  Austria provided two musketeer and one grenadier regiments and three squadrons.  France offered the Irish regiment Lally, Auvergne, and the Grenadiers de France, with two heavy cavalry squadrons.  Each side had four medium guns.  Sorry for the poor picture quality, the garage was not well lighted and telling whether it was in focus was difficult.

My French, the stragglers are off table in the column.

The other end of the table.  Charging across the stream
necessitates a morale check to not fall into disorder.

Early in the game we drew a joker.

The joker allows you to later "trump" an unfavorable turn of a card.  Almost always used in shooting situations, it is a big advantage to know that when you really need it, you will fire first.

My orders as the French were to drive on the center.  Cavalry
starts to drift that way in the hopes of an eventual opening.

Our side pushes forward all along the table.  Opening vollies
are particularly devastating.

We greatly reduce their line on our left, but my saves
for the Irish are particularly poor.

My history of saving throws is both storied and sad.  I went through a stretch of nine fails out of thirteen (50-50 chance) and so on and on.

The advantage seems to be with us everywhere.

As the Grenadiers de France push forward, the Russians
risk a charge, while struggling to find fields of fire.

The Russian musketeers rout away, as do the poor Irish, but this
opens the gap the cavalry has awaited.

Progress in the center and another joker is used for our side.

The cavalry charges, but the Rondovian grenadiers are
able to refuse a flank so are not disordered.

Up until this point the turn of cards had evened out and they had been getting a lot of opportunities to shoot first taking a toll on our men.  Both jokers had been played so the run of red cards early on for mostly movement, was balancing itself.

Unable to control themselves any longer, the Sipahis,
Polish lancers and hussars rush to engage.

After routing the grenadiers, the cavalry retires disordered 
to reorganize, having failed to pursue as Auvergne looks to move up.

Amazingly, the hussars beat the armored lancer Sipahis,
while the Polish squadron also routs.

One Russian and two Rondovian regiments have routed and the Janissaries are near gone against one "French" and one Austrian regiment lost.  The fresh Austrians and French are advancing and so the Vanerian and Rondovian side declared a fighting withdrawal and we ended play.  We use BAR for the campaign books written by Charles S. Grant, but there was no need to bitter-end tonight's game.

If indeed COVID-19 forces a suspension of games for a time we ended on a fun note.  Both sides had fun and took the luck factor all in stride.  We're fortunate to have such a mature group to game with.  Till next time, stay happy my friends.

Our redrawn map of Europe to incorporate our Imagi-Nations.

Final Argument of Kings Refresher

After a long delay in getting back to one of our favorite systems I put together a small game to introduce it to new players and bloody some freshly painted Prussians.  FAoK is a simul move game by the late, great, Dean West that uses a Johnny Reb II style.  For our four player game we had 18 French battalions, six guns and five cavalry going against eight Prussian (four grenadier) and four Brunswick with the Lippe-Schaumberg battalion.  Three cannons and four cavalry rounded out the force under Prince Henry.

Initial deployment from the Prussian side of the table.

Looking the length of the table starting positions.

FAoK has a grand tactical system so we were able to get a jump on them.

The new Prussian cuirassiers made short work of their French opponents.

On the right the French sought to use their numbers to turn our flank.

Things got fast and furious in the center.

The pipe cleaner marks the extent of the charge, just reaching the
French rear.

A timely Brunswick flank charge stabilized the right.

Things were confused in the center but superior musketry was
taking a huge toll.

The French artillery had not done much and found themselves flanked.

Yellow pipe cleaners indicate shaken units.

Disordered but the cuirassiers are still very dangerous.

Slowly losing to superior numbers on the right but they lasted
long enough.

So with their center ruptured, the cavalry largely gone and a confused mess on our right the French chose to withdraw precipitously.  Other games have taken the focus because of campaigns, but Final Argument of Kings remains one of our top three systems.  I'm sure 2020 will see more games.

Imagi-Nation Final Campaign Battle

In the culminating action from Charles Grant's mini-campaign, "The Wolfenbuttel War," we engaged in battle this past Sunday.  Now that it is over we can reveal that the campaign is loosely based on the 100 Days.  Sadly, the reference book used has gone missing so I don't have access to the names and details.

The Imagi-Nations of Odessenau and Latveria had come to common cause against the Ottoman-style country of Vaneria and their vassal state of Russians.  Getting wind of the plan, Vaneria launched a preemptive invasion of Odessenau.  They forced the crossing at Charleroi, were stymied at Quatre Bras, were less than fully successful at Wavre and now the main forces met their Waterloo.

Rules are Batailles de l'Ancien Regimes, figure ratio is 1:10, full-strength battalions are 60 figures and squadrons are 12 figures.  Firing is deadly but saving throws negate half the hits.  Sometimes.

The Allies had to deploy first with their six battalions.  Then the Venarians, then some adjustments were allowed.  In total the allies had 12 battalions available, some weakened from previous engagements and the Venarians had 15.

The Vanerian left and center after the first move.

Vanerian cloaked grenadiers and Janissaries lead the way on the right.

Action is determined by card draws.  First for movement then for firing.  For this game we went by brigade with the respective commanders deciding the order of who got the card.  It started inauspiciously for the Allies when the first card drawn was a joker that went to the Vanerians.  By playing a joker you can "trump" an unfavorable card to steal the fire, or rarely, move.

The Janissaries advance with their distinctive look.

The edge of the left brigade and the rapidly advancing center.

My Croats were happy to shelter behind nice sturdy walls and
after plundering everything went to work loopholing it.

It's easier to be brave when you have a joker, or even two!

The Janissaries mix it up with the Odessenau Guards and friends.

The early run of cards favored the Vanerian cause, but that is always balanced later as one works through the deck.  There are no reshuffle cards used, so they are all played first.  We received both jokers, usually a decisive advantage if they come early in the game.

The Vanerians advance in depth as the Allies bring on reserves.

My understanding is that the Allied reserves could be brought on at any time, anywhere on their long table edge.  Knowing their strength we wondered where and when the hammer would fall.

The Allied center begins to look sparse as the Vanerian left
advances in support.

Fresh forces square off on the right.

The Allied center is now held by three batteries.

More reserves arrive on the left, but too late!

The exploitation begins as ammo wagons advance to resupply.

The Vanerian numeric edge becomes even more decisive.

It was a very unusual game in that although cavalry was on table, to my knowledge the only cavalry charge came up 2" short of reaching their target, and no sabre clashes.

Having fallen back disordered behind the structure, we see the
cavalry preparing to charge.

The unfortunate charge that rolled poorly on their gallop bonus.

Final view looking down the table.  

The Allies were in shambles in the center and right.  Only the left held promise but they faced relatively fresh troops as well, plus the galling fire they would take from the built up area.  That and our host store, Adventure Games, was closing so we packed up.  Leave it to the respective cavalry to see whether it was a defeat or a rout.

New units were painted and debuted in the game, along with many proxy units since I'm the only one currently with a dozen or more of one nationality.  But additions are already being planned, as is the next mini-campaign, which will be a bit of a departure.  Game on my friends!