Friday Night Games - The Valley of the Awakened

Friday 6th November saw Mike W. put on a 28mm 1930s Egyptian Horror themed game where competing teams of archaeologists awaken the ancient God's from their eternal sleep.

A view of the Valley of the Awakened before anything woke up!

Figures are from Mike W's collection, mostly GW skeletons and their Tomb King's range but also including many other manufacturer's products.

The 1930s figures are a combination of figures from Wargames Atlantic and others, recently painted for our club's VBCW initiative. (See recent posts). A number if vehicles were provided from Mark's collection.

John & Mike N's archaeological crew investigating an ancient site

The spectacular rocky scenery is from Mike N's collection supplemented by a lot from Mark. Mike W. Supplied the Egyptian monuments.

Matt & Dave's gang doing something similar!

This was all hosted at Rupert's gaff, the home brew rules were developed by Mike W.

A regiment of Skeleton Archers accompanied by a Mummy

Week one saw archaeological teams run by Nigel & Rupert, John & Mike N and Dave & Matt each scraping away at their sites with varied success revealing ancient sacred objects.

The build up of ancient Egyptian Undead by the German faction led by Rupert & Nigel

Nigel & Rupert we're first to piece together enough relics to activate a high priestess of Isis, so set about the arms race to awaken a number of ancient skeleton units to fight their cause.

A quieter section of the Valley!

Next Dave & Matt were able to activate a High Priest from their ranks who was working for the God Ra.

Mike N & John steadily build up their forces of Ra,
whilst Minnesota Jones stops for a cup of Lipton's Tea!

After a slow start, searching in some unlikely places, John & Mike N. were also able to activate a High Priest, again in the cause of the god Ra.

German soldiers keeping their distance form the conjured Skeletons

In the meantime Steve's character, a roving reporter, toured the battlefield looking to collect evidence of the afterlife and to discredit the supporters of Ra.

Mark, was keeping his powder dry, playing the leader of the Medjed Bedouin, legendary protectors of the ancient Pharoahs.

The first Skeleton Cavalry arrive on the tabletop

Finally Rupert & Nigel were able to raise enough Ankh to summon their god Isis to the table,  the expectation being that she would help drive their enemies from the field.

The Goddess Isis arrives in the German Camp!

Matt & Dave raised enough Ankh to try and summon the god Ra but failed to successfully complete their rituals, leaving the to have to raise more Ankh before their next attempt.

Matt & Dave's camp with assorted Skeleton units

John decided to move his crew to a new location but ended up being ambushed by Mark's Medjed forces who destroyed their truck and killed 4 passengers, failing their morale test, John's team retired away from their Bedouin foes.

A conflagration is brewing between the
Anglo-Egyptian / French crew and the nearby Germans

It is here that we had to end the first weeks play, their are many outstanding questions to be answered next week...

The might of the German force becomes evident,
can they be thwarted by the combined forces of Ra?

...will the god Ra ever be summoned? Will there be reprisals on the Medjed for their attack on Minnesota Jones' crew? Will any ancient Egyptian monstrosities be summoned to the table? Will Steve's character survive insulting Ra to his face? and will Matt's character have to pay for his amorous advances towards the Isis high priestess?

Mark's new Period - 28mm Dark Ages

 Mark has just revealed his new period - 28mm Dark Ages! Figures acquired in a sale last weekend....

Another convert to 28mm gaming, these figures joined Mike W's collection of Normans, Vikings, Anglo-Saxons etc to form a possible faction in a possible Lion Rampant campaign in the coming weeks!

Off the Workbench- 28mm Highland Clansmen and more VBCW

My first post for a couple of weeks, so I need to catch-up on what has come off the workbench! As ever real life has delayed my completion of many of these figures and models - let alone publishing pictures of them....

13 x Highland Clansmen, originally I'd hoped to have these ready for our refight of Pinkie (yes I know these are later style highlanders but used as proxies for the real thing!)

First up is a group of 13 x Highland clansmen, these are Front Rank figures and they have a great level of detail, without over cluttering the models, in my opinion.

Another angle on the completed group

Close-up on the group's piper and a guy with a Lochinvar Axe.

The tartan is hand painted and not aimed to be exact representations of the real thing, rather an impression of different plaids to deceive the eye! I don't have the skills or patience to do the real thing!

Clan leader and a couple of his men.

The use of Army Painter Dark Tone wash helps cover a lot of the gaps in the tartans 

and give a dramatic grubby feel to the clansmen.

Three more of the little guys.

I gave each figure it's own plaid and jacket colour according to my whim at the time!

Hopefully a good representation of the plaids on the figures, at tabletop level these seem to work well, although under closer scrutiny they do show their gaps!

Next up is a group of VBCW 28mm figures to be used as 'tokens' in the back of trucks to indicate that they are loaded with troops. These are 28mm 3D printed British WW2 Tank riders from 'Comrades in Arms' (I believe) - via eBay...

10 British Tank Riders on bases for insertion into trucks etc.

There is no intention to represent a 1 for 1 replication of each squad in a truck, just a quick visual indication that the truck is full. I like these figures and may get some more and paint them up as a different faction - we'll see.

Another view of the tank riders

A Lledo Whitbread 'Days Gone By' diecast truck, suitable for the VBCW. 

I have used cheap Lledo trucks to mount my troops for the VBCW, these can be obtained from eBay at really reasonable prices. Typically, I simply give the vehicles a matt varnish - I don't like the super shiny toy car finish they have straight from th bow. I then add appropriate details where required.

Same truck, with the occupied 'marker' in place. I think it works well and looks better than an empty truck driving round the table top.

 

Another truck, this time given an 'Army' finish. This vehicle had a non period advertising hoarding on its side - so I simply painted over it... 

Controversially I have opted to base my vehicles for the VBCW, The one above is awaiting its base! Why? Well I think it helps take them one step away from their toy car origins.

A group of 17 x local militia men & women plus their transport.

The militia are based upon Wargames Atlantic's 28mm Resistance Fighters, two sprues of male fighters and 1 sprue of female fighters. These have been painted up randomly and deliberately left free of any insignia - so they can be deployed on different sides in each scenario.

The transport for the Holme Valley Militia,
again just a matt varnish and some touch-ups as I saw fit.

It seems Holme Valley is in Yorkshire, so not sure why they might be in Sussex - but lets suspend disbelief for the sake of a good model!

The Holme Valley Woman's section, armed with a variety of weapons 

I tried to avoid using obviously German weapons for any of my VBCW figures, although I do allow the odd one to be used, this is to try and give all the figures a definite British feel.

4 x Militia riflemen

4 x more Militiamen with  rifles plus a guys with an Italian SMG on the right

Another 4 x Militiamen

Last is my group of Albertine Royalists, you can see their truck and flag above, I completed a group of 4 or 5 of these but can't remember which ones these are - so there they all are!

2 x 9 man 'Albertinies' plus their officer, one section has a Lewis gun.
Each section has an NCO with an SMG.

As previously noted the Albertinies are based upon Warlord Games Zulu Wars British Infantry, the latest group were from a Perry Miniatures frame.

The Lewis Team section

The Rifle Section

And the Platoon Captain

Finally my Schoolboy error! Having photographed the Clansmen's Standard Bearer I have just realised that I have put the flag on upside down. Back to the drawing board and I will print another flag and put it on the correct way round. Just a reminder to double check before adding glue..

Standard Bearer with the upside down flag of the
2nd Battalion of Lord Ogilvy’s Forfarshire Regiment

Friday Night Games Pinkie Week #2

Friday 26th September saw the conclusion of our refight of the Battle of Pinkie using Pikeman's Lament rules.  Commanders were the same as Week one, except that Nigel was able to join the English crew and lend his weight to their Command line.

Mike W's command advance towards Pinkie Clough

Fighting picked up where it had left off last week with the Scots left wing continuing to assault hte Churchyard and deny this position to the English. Ultimately Steve's Highland command destroyed the English flank commanded by Mark, whilst Mike W's command advanced to the botton of the slopes of Pinkie Clough its-self.

 

Steve's Highlander's finally clear the St. Michael's Churchyard Hill of English defenders and then set about battering the survivors.

In the centre the Scots pike blocks are met by the combined forces of Nigel & Dave who break a second block with fire power before the remaining block enters a titanic struggle with mercenary German Landsknechts fighting in the pay of the English. This struggle went on the duration of the game and was not resolved when the umpire called time!

Mike N's Scots Pike v Landsknechts as they advance up Pinkie |Clough

Meanwhile of the English left, Mat finally unleashed his horse and disrupted Rupert's Scots battle lines.

Rupert's forces engage with Mat's forces on the Scots right.

Ultimately the umpire called time on the game, declaring a 'winning' draw to the English - the Scots having taken and held St Michael's Churchyard and the English having secured their left flank having battered Rupert's forces. The English line in the centre being too strong to be forced with the remaining enemy forces available before darkness fell.

Rupert's Scots Trotters

Scottish Billmen

Rupert's forces cross the Tweed only to be push back forcefully

English and Spanish (mercenary) horse line up upon the Scot's Billmen

English horse force forwards again

Off the Workbench - Albertine Royalist Infantry

Its been a couple of weeks since I posted any of my Off the Workbench items, I'm afraid real life has got in the way!

As a quick filler here us a platoon of Albertine Royalists with their transport. The truck is a Lledo model, pretty much out the box albeit with a coat of matt varnish apples and fixed to a base.

The infantry are a mix of mostly Wargames Atlantic and Perry Zulu War / Sudan British infantry with a variety of Wargames Atlantic WW1 arms, weapons and heads swapped,  there is also Warlord Games pieces in the mix as well.

I opted for a dark grey unform with purple trim to represent their Royalist affinations.

Friday Night Games - The Battle of Pinkie, 1547

Friday 18th September saw the start of a two week game recreating the Battle of Pinkie, 1547, using figures from the collection of John & Mike W.

Fighting for the Scots were Rupert, Mike N, Mike W and Steve, whilst the English side was commanded by Dave, Matt & Mark. John provided sterling service as the umpire, we used the Pikeman's Lament rule system, which we have found produces results, has simple mechanisms and is playable - albeit somewhat controversial at times with those players that prefer more traditional rulesets.

St. Michael's Churchyard on the Scots' left, which would be hotly fought over.

Highland troops from Steve's command cross the River Esk and head towards St Michael's Church.

Close-up of highlanders from the collections of John & Mike W

Leading Highland units cross the Esk and to their right flank is a Galloper Gun from Mike W's command, heading for the same hill.

Mike W's command of Pike, Archers and Galloper Gun

In the centre, Mike N's attack across the bridge develops,
supported on his right by Rupert's command.

Close-up of Mike N's command, prior to attempting to cross the bridge

Trotters from Mark's English command round the flank of hill upon which St. Michael's Church stands, about to engage Highland foes.

The hotly contested St. Michaels Churchyard, a Scots Galloper Gun deploys whilst Highlanders attempt to force their way into the church. Meanwhile the church has been occupied by English archers and a unit of English Billmen cross the churchyard to attack the gun.

Mike N's pike blocks begin to cross the Esk at the bridge but come under artillery fire.

The English forces arrayed upon Pinkie Clough, awaiting the Scot's attack.

English Trotters engage with the highlanders whilst the Billmen take on the Artillery position

More of Mike N's forces get to cross the Esk

Out on the extreme right flank of the Scots lines, Rupert's forces advance, whilst Mat holds back with his superior mounted force looking for the right chance to strike.

Mike N's forces are largely across the Esk and begin their assault up the hill taking withering fire from the English lines.

First engagements between Mat & Rupert's forces begin

Return to see what happens in Week 2....