Aztec Jaguar Warriors - Wargames Atlantic.

Next up the last of the Wargames Atlantic box.

I am not sure I will get used to the colour Palette for these Jaguar warriors, lets hope they distract the Spaniards as much on the table top as when I was painting them.....

The Jaguar warriors were an elite military class made up of Aztec nobility and served as shock troops in battle. Their primary mission was not just to kill enemies but to capture them alive for ritual sacrifice.

To become a Jaguar warrior, one had to capture at least four enemies in battle. 

I opted for a mix of colours and will look to add a little more variety on the next batch, perhaps changing the tones to the blues and red's. This is one of the Christmas and Birthday projects when people ask what do you want and you are so difficult to buy for.

You get 10 Jaguar/Eagle Warriors in each box so plenty of choices to make up.

Now to give them a run out on the table using the adapted Lion Rampant rules - Queztacoata Rampant and see how the casualty capture rules work.

It's a good excuse to get the Spanish back on the table, stay tuned for the first run out.....

Tactics II - German Counter Attack - Chain of Command 2

Another game of Chain of Command weaved into the Tactics II campaign, a roll on the scenario table and Allies are having to conduct a delaying action against the might of the German Army.

Located at the T junction to win the game players need to hold this point at the end of game.

The prize is the port city in the Tactic II campaign, where the allies has recently conducted a punchy move racing down the coast road to seize elements of the town. A win tonight would see the British Commonwealth force hold off an Axis counter attack.

Both forces started with a core platoon the allies concentrated in three sections, with the Germans in 4 but only 8 men to a section (yes I tweaked my sections so not the same as in the CoC book). Both players spent their support points having considered the table and mission.

Turn one and the Germans secured a position in a drainage ditch that flanked the outskirts of the town, they were unsure of the allies position but these gave a good jump off point for the push into town.

The Brits has spent their points on a 2 Pdr covering the approaches into town, positioned behind a stone wall they felt pretty good about this position.

The sneaky German player pushes a sniper team up the wadi and can see a number of allied defensive positions. Instead of firing they call in artillery fire on the static gun team.

As HE lands around the 2Pdr the Germans call forward their support option a Pz III they were serious about wanting this dusty outpost back. A 2 Pdr shell bounces off it's frontal armour as it rubbles into cover.

Committing a section of Infantry the allies rushed the last known position of the sniper to clear it away, but caught in the open the MG34's of the German's on overwatched killed and pinned a number of assault team. They sheltered behind the dune to get themselves back into some short of order.

Having stripped the centre of some of the defenders the Germans pushed forward, infantry grabbed the courtyard as the armour and supporting APC pushed up the road machine guns supressing the remaining crew members of the AT gun.

Indian defenders hung on to the low stone wall exchanging fire with the attackers. But they could not stop the German Pz III and 251 from rushing on to the T junction.

A hard fought encounter, with both sides edging forward to try and get to a perfect position, before the armoured punch in the final turns with what some might say a lucky double turns :-)

The Allies are forced back on the map.

Rough losses converted to Bolt Action for the Tactics II campaign. 

Axis forces.

German Sniper Team - 50 Points

Half a section KIA - 50 Points

Allied Forces.

AT gun - 50 Points

Boyes AT - 30 Points

Infantry Sections 1&half 5 - 180 Points

Aztec Warband - Wargames Atlantic

Purchased back in January the Aztec's finally made it to the paint table.

It's amazing what the thought of a new project does to give you a nudge to get things cleared more on that in the coming weeks.

The Wargames Atlantic Aztec's go together really well with plenty of choice on the sprues for the various warrior classes. At this stage I went for a mishmash of types, but will fill out the ranks as the units expand.

The aim will be to use an adapted version of Lion Rampant, their is an excellent series of articles on the - I Live with Cats: Queztalcoatl Blog with a home grown rule set Queztacoata Rampant it will be great to give them a runout in the coming weeks once the last of the box set is complete.

   

First up a group of skirmishers these are commoners, perhaps their first battle or levied troops who have not been involved in action before. Issued with missile weapons to harass the enemy. A skirmish unit in Lion Rampant.

Next up a more experienced class of warrior allowed to carry the macuahuitl as they have proven themselves in hand to hand combat.

Finally a group of Telpochyahqui warriors - young men who have been successful in taking a captive,  a warrior was allowed to wear the ichcahuipilli, a quilted jacket, some carry the Chimalli a shield without feathers.

Just so I remember when the next box appears from the family....

Painting Guide.

Spear Tips - Gun Metal Blue

Tong or padded Jacket - F Raw Linen Light 30C, Boneyard 9B, Rawhide Light 11C, GW Corax White, GW Rakarth Flesh.

Bag & Quiver - Moss Shade 29A

Sling & Spear Binding - GW XV88

Stone - GW Dawnstone Grey

Spear, Arrow - GW Mournfang Brown

Club, Bow Shaft F Bay Brown Shade 42A

Insight of Shield - Chestnut Light 53C

Flesh - South American Flesh Shade 119A, Hight 119C

Wash - Army Painted Soft Tone

Next up 10 more warriors - As a child of the 70's I can't get past Animal Kwackers :-)

Tactics II - Campaign Allied Battle 3 - "Dust up in the Wadi"

Continuation of the Tactics II campaign and a useful way of joining up the odd games. Several months ago the British launched their assault which resulted in 3 games, finally the last game of the set.

On the battle map the allied forces had the choice of Allied Armour as their selection with supports from a veteran Mountain Unit, Up against a German Axis Armoured unit selection.

Using Platoon Forward the scenario was a Point Recon Battle - Not quite the clash of armour I was expecting. 

The random force roll gave the Allies 2 Vickers Light Tanks, an MMG plus a Mortar Barrage not a bad haul but it did give the Axis forces plenty of blinds to position across the front.

The table presented an interesting predicament for the allies on the far left was a string of minefields and wire, with a wadi running through the remainder of the table, plenty of places to hide multiple German units. The main objective was the wadi crossing.

None of the options looked great for the Commonwealth forces so with limited options they decided to go straight down the middle. Under the cover of a Mortar Barrage which pinned a German section.

This allowed the allies to push on to the through the limited greenery still unsure on what they were facing.

They found their way blocked by a fixed MMG which ripped through the Infantry who dived for cover, it took the arrival of a Vickers Light tank to supress the MMG.

The Indians itching to get into the action fixed bayonets and rushed the gun position over running the crew and getting into the wadi.

The Germans had one last roll of the dice a 'C' Class blind in the hope it will be the long awaiting German armour - bad news it was a flaming lorry :-(

Game over.

A short but fun game, easing my opponent into Chain of Command.

The loss of a section and an MMG team for the German's who were forced to fall back on the map, with limited losses for the Allies.

Let's see what the Axis initiative will bring.

Spain in the new world - A new project looms.

Welcome to August and a change from the bouncing between the Crusades and the AWI project.

The start of a new (but planned for as very long time) project and Cortez in Mexico. As I start the snipping and gluing of Wargames Atlantic's Aztec's it gave me the opportunity of dusting off these fine looking chaps from Copplestone.

Lacking for enough clothing for the the battle of Tenochtitlan. They will certainly do for some of the encounters as the Spanish push in land and meet jungle tribes.

 

Clothing was minimal although I did give them a sheath just for modesty purposes.

Now to dig out Aguirre: Wrath of God  to give me the nudge to get the others on the table top.