The Hakuna-Matata Wars

[bigjackmac]

All,

I've embarked on a new project, "The Hakuna-Matata Wars," and established a blog just for it (like I did with my Cuba Libre project).  The concept is a former British colony wins independence in 1946, but then tribal affiliations lead to strife and ultimately the former colony splits into two separate countries, Hakuna and Matata.  The former is Western backed, the latter supported by the Warsaw Pact.

The two countries will fight about a dozen wars between 1952 and the present, upgrading their armies and air forces each time.  I anticipate each war will consist of about ten tabletop battles, played on a 2' x 2' or maybe a 3' x 2' table using Ivan's 5Core Company Command.  Each ground fight will be preceded by an aerial dogfight, with the winner having air support in the subsequent ground fight.

The forces for the first Hakuna-Matata war are prepared, and I plan on starting the fights this weekend.  Here's a look at our antagonists:


The whole shabang: each side has four fighters, two bombers, fifteen tanks, fifteen transports, fifteen infantry stands, three anti-tank vehicles, three recon vehicles, three heavy guns/launchers, and an anti-aircraft gun.


A Firefly and Halftrack from Hakuna.


And a T-34 and truck from Matata.

To see a bunch of closeups of all the gear, please check the blog at:
http://hakunamatatawars.blogspot.com/2016/08/forces-for-1952-war.html

Also, please check the preceding blogposts, where I introduce the concept, the tables of organization and orders of battle, the overarching timeline and equipment upgrades, and I walk you through receiving my order to getting these little guys ready for the table.

Stand by for the beginning of yet another war.

V/R,
Jack

[Leman]

Very nicely prepared campaign. I have really started to appreciate the idea of preparing figures for a battle or a campaign, rather than just painting what I fancy. I should have done this five years ago. Wishing you success with this project.

[fred.]

what a cool idea, and well executed.

T34/85s vs Fireflys is going to end up with a lot of burning tanks!!

[Lord Kermit of Birkenhead]

Course Sherman crews have always beaten T34 crews.

IanS

[Duke Speedy of Leighton]

Cool idea, but which side are Timon and Pumbar on?

[toxicpixie]

Very nicely prepared campaign. I have really started to appreciate the idea of preparing figures for a battle or a campaign, rather than just painting what I fancy. I should have done this five years ago. Wishing you success with this project.

So should we all, he says looking despairingly at his overflowing but somehow unfinished project strewn desk and shelves...

Looks good, Jack!

[Techno]

Nice stuff, Jack.

Cheers - Phil.

[d_Guy]

Well Done, Jack! It appears you are once again having a lot of fun. Looked at your OoB, was kind of disappointed not to find a General Simba or a Field Marshal Scar - oh well. 

[d_Guy]

Cool idea, but which side are Timon and Pumbar on?

Pan-African Concil observers?

Rafiki is probably the UN Judge of the Change.

[bigjackmac]

Holy Cow, seems you fellas are interested.  I wasn't sure how my concept was going to go over.

First, let me say thanks to all that commented.  Then:

Leman - Yeah man, campaigns are all I do anymore.  It doesn't 100% keep me away from the 'ooh, shiny,' but it helps.  And when I do succumb, my first questions is 'which campaign will I slip these into?'

Fred - Regarding T-34s vs Fireflies, that's the plan! 

Ian - Usually, but those T-34 crews didn't have my son rolling dice for them

Lemmey - I haven't decided yet.

TP - It's the only way to go!

Phil - Cheers backatcha.

D - I do my best to maximize my playing time, and campaigns are what motivate me to stick with it, to see how the characters do.  And don't worry about Simba, Scar, and Rafiki (as well as Timon and Pumba).  These wars span 60 years, they'll fit in.

V/R,
Jack

[nikharwood]

Loving this as well
#goodskills

[toxicpixie]

Well, you've got depth and breadth, potentially - now, can you get all that lead done and on table?

If not, then at least we're both stimulating the economy by instilling high velocity money across techical & creative industries

Speaking of which, anyone want a matching pair of 2mm Baroque armies on 60mm base widths

[bigjackmac]

Thanks Nik!

And TP, I agree.  I've certainly done my share to keep various wargaming companies in business.

V/R,
Jack

[Lord Kermit of Birkenhead]

Speaking of which, anyone want a matching pair of 2mm Baroque armies on 60mm base widths

Free

IanS

[toxicpixie]

Sadly, no! Sorry Ian

[Lord Kermit of Birkenhead]

well Ise 'ad to ask.

IanS

[petercooman]

well Ise 'ad to ask.

IanS

[toxicpixie]

He's very trying

[bigjackmac]

All,

Recently I posted about my new blog covering the Hakuna-Matata Wars, a pair of African Imagi-Nations fighting through a series of wars from 1952 to the present, all in 3mm.  Two weeks ago the war began, but it's taken me forever to write the batreps up as work has kept me busy, then I got sick as a dog.  But the first battles are in the books, and here you go.  If you're wondering why I keep saying 'battles,' it's because every ground fight is preceded by an aerial fight to determine who gets air support in the ground fight. 


The aerial fight saw two Corsairs of the Hakuna Air Force and two Spitfires of the Matata Air Force square off; oddly enough, not a single aircraft was shot down.  But the boy managed to damage both my aircraft to pull off the win, so he got ground attack aircraft in support for the ground fight. 

Here's a link to the dogfight:
http://hakunamatatawars.blogspot.com/2016/08/1952-war-dogfight-1.html

This was followed by tanks of Matata pushing hard to cross the Mashandane River, with air support, against a numerically inferior Hakuna force. 


I won't say who won, but there were a lot of burning T-34s   To see the whole thing, please check the blog at:
http://hakunamatatawars.blogspot.com/2016/08/1952-war-ground-fight-1.html

We've played the next two games (air and land) last weekend, I'm working on getting them written up.  The first air fight wasn't as fun as we'd hoped for, so the second one we went with a simplified version of the Lardies' "Bag the Hun," and it was just what the doctor ordered, we had a great time.  On the ground side, the only issue I'm having is, with the amount of vehicles on the board, I'm wishing I'd have element based them rather than single based them (i.e., put 3 tanks on a stand, rather than putting one tank per stand). 

More to follow.

V/R,
Jack

[Techno]

Quote......"My dice were incredible".

You haven't done what I suggested, have you, Jack ? 

Great reports.

Cheers - Phil