Fred’s 2023 Painting and Gaming Diary

[Duke Speedy of Leighton]

Awesome looking game.

[fred.]

Thanks both

Feel the photos could be better - was using my phone to video share the game - so took photos on the iPad which has a much worse camera. 

[Raider4]

Looks great! Good to see Warmaster still being played.

[fred.]

Looks great! Good to see Warmaster still being played.

Thanks. We are playing a variation of the rules - but it's ultimately a set all my group has played a lot of and has strong nostalgia for. 

[fred.]

Late WWI Engagement - Tank Battle 

I know tank vs tank engagements were very rare in WWI, but what's a wargame with out the possibility of some good old 'what if' battles!

We played If the Lord Spares Us (ITLSU) last night, with a fictional scenario based around the reinforcement / recapture of a trench line immediately following an assault. 

The British, (nearest the camera) had managed to clear most of the German trench line, but had just a company or so left holding it. The Germans also had a single company left on the left flank. Both sides have reinforcements waiting to enter, 2 blinds per turn.



The British (red) have advanced a battalion on the left, and a tank centrally. The Germans have got both their tanks deployed (an A7V and a MkV). They have got an infantry battalion into the ruined village on the hill, and are redeploying their on table company to support the tanks. 



The right flank at the same time, here the 2nd British battalion has moved up to the trench line



A turn or two later, both sides are moving to the left. The German Mk V has suffered a number of hits and a lot of shock and is pretty much ineffective now. The Germans in the village are taking a lot of shock (my 18pdrs were firing from the right corner at both of these, as well as fire from the British tanks).



Close up of the British 3rd Battalion as they approach the trench line



The British 18pdrs with Brigade HQ just behind them. The British artillery was much more effective in this game, even though the Germans had 3 guns available to them. 



The first company of the 3rd Battalion makes an effort to advance on the village as the defenders had been forced to fall back through weight of shooting. But this allowed them to be enfiladed by recently arrived Germans in the wood at the far right. I'd thought this flank was clear, as I'd shot up the 77mm gun in it, but more troops deployed there!

In the centre I held and shot, as the Germans fell back a bit. 



Over on the left flank mixed fortunes. The A7V has been destroyed by the British shooting. But the German infantry gained the trench line and destroyed the 2nd British Battalion. The 4th British battalion had advanced through the woods on the flank and was now taking the trenches. The Germans trying to cross to hear where caught in the open and shot up. 



The right flank. The British attempt to regain the village stalls, as my troops in the open get shot-up. The Germans have managed to rally the troops who fell back from the village, and have now re-occupied it. 

As it was late we called the game here. The Germans felt they couldn't do more in the face of 3 active British tanks, and with a lot of heavily damaged infantry. The German guns had ended up rather masked by the hill (other than the one in the wood that had been shot up by British infantry). The 4th German Battalion never got on the table, as the Blinds card didn't come out the deck in the later turns. 

Another good ITLSU game - even if we were a bit rusty to start with. 

[Duke Speedy of Leighton]

Great looking game

[pierre the shy]

Another good ITLSU game - even if we were a bit rusty to start with.

Thanks for taking the time to write this up Fred, a very readable report.

We use ITLSU and find they're a very good set of rules.

However we haven't played a lot lately for various reasons, in fact my parting comment to Paul R after last night's FK&P game was we should get back to ITLSU soon.

My Cape Helles project is bubbling away slowly at the moment as we're in the middle of other stuff currently, but I now have all the main pieces, just need to bring it all together at some stage.   


     

[paulr]

    

Wot Pierre sed

[fred.]

Thanks chaps - glad you liked the write up. 

Pierre - looking forward to seeing the fruition of your Cape Helles project - but I know what you mean about so many rules and periods - its a challenge to fit them in!

[fred.]

A few more photos taken by my oppo



77mm German gun



A7V Crests the trench line - at this point I decided to fire, but I wonder if close combat would have been a better option - but as my troops were carrying quite a lot of shock it felt pretty risky 



The defenders of the village - the far company is carrying loads of shock but had suffered very few casualties. They would soon retire, but were rallied over a number of turns and got back to their positions. 



Overhead view from the German perspective - this was around the mid-point of the game

[fred.]

Fistful of Lead - Cowboys

The last two Friday's we've played FFoL. Always gives a fun, unpredictable and somewhat chaotic game!



This was a week ago - and I can't recall which of the two games this was!



The first game last night, half my gang were holed up the mine, and had to escape with the bags of loot (brown beads). They did this quite easily as one of my off-table figures came on and was able to kill the enemy figure on the building at the bottom left of the photo, giving me a good route out!



Second game - I was the attacker this time - my gang sprinted up to the mine - loosing one figure in the process who ran straight towards the window with an enemy gang member with a rifle in it!!!

Here the two bosses are on and under the stairs. Both sides exchanged a huge amount of shooting that was fairly ineffectual. In the end I managed to gun down enough of the enemy to grab the loot off them and claim a second win.

[Duke Speedy of Leighton]

Great looking game(s) Forbes

[fred.]

WWI 1914 British

It's been a while, but got some 10mm painted this weekend whilst hiding from the heat 

More BEF, which I think is all my on hand early war British. Which is good. But still leaves plenty of other WWI figures to be painted!


44 more infantry


Next up some late war Germans undercoated and dry brushed




Painted totals for 2023 to  213 figures : 39 cavalry : 6 vehicles : 2 guns

[Duke Speedy of Leighton]

Nice

[paulr]

    

[fred.]

Thanks both - good to have got some more 10mm painted. Couldn't believe how far back I had to scroll to find the last ones!

[mmcv]

Great stuff

[fred.]

Have photos of a few games to post - but haven't got organised to do it!

I've actually been doing some painting the last few days, thanks to the wonderful British summer, of the new Russo-Japanese war range. 

I am struggling to find info online about what flags the units should be flying, best I have found is either white,red,blue stripes, or imperial eagle on yellow, but not sure if these are what infantry regiments flew?

Also what colour would drums be?

I am thinking of using these more for WWI (in case that makes a difference) 

It does feel flags for post 1917 would be much easier!

[fred.]

WWI Russians

I recently received the new RJW Army pack (and some extras) for my birthday - and have made rapid progress on them.

They have painted up well, I've mainly used contrast paints over white / pale grey undercoat (brushed on).

I've got 3 battalions painted now (which is about 60% completion of the figures on hand).





First Battalion - gone with khaki uniforms (Contrast Skeleton Horde)



Second Battalion - khaki jackets / shirts with light green trousers (Contrast Plaguebearer flesh)



Third Battalion - greenish khaki (a 50:50 mix of the above two colours)


Commanders


This gives 138 infantry and 2 cavalry to add to this years totals.

Next up are Cossack cavalry and artillery. With the 4th battalion on painting sticks ready to be undercoated.

Painted totals for 2023 to  351 figures : 41 cavalry : 6 vehicles : 2 guns

[paulr]