Dispatched from the Front XXXIII - Anything but Arabs.

It's been a while since the last dispatches post. My apologies this entry might be more of a reminder for me to keep me on track.

Chatting during the Cotswold day we shared a listing of half finished projects, we also seem to share one thing in common far to many projects than ever making it to the table. It got me thinking about the need for a clear out or sweep up of the ever going list on the paint table, during lockdown when everyone appeared to have more time I did a full review of projects underway and sold off a number of half finished projects, but things appears to have been building up again with a queue of things that need completing. I can't be the only one that thinks I have two spare figures why don't I buy a regiment to build them out......

So after the mass of figures for the Crusades project a brief pause whilst I clear some of the distractions that need that little bit of focus to get them table ready. My reckoning is that these should be done over 2 weeks - Enough time for a fresh Pendraken order to arrive.

To kick the next two weeks off I found a bunch of spare figures tucked away in a draw for the American Revolution Project. Getting these done will leave me with no spare figures for this project.

Keeping the focus on the AWI I brought a few packs of snake fencing back in March together with some large cosmetic spatula's but they were not wide enough, not wishing to waste anything and gambling that who is really looking in 10mm I straightened them up.  

Not bad basing material for less than £5.00 and these should not take long to get to the table, the sharp sand and I quick spray done over a couple of lunchtimes.

Pretty sure these were 15mm but have been sitting in a box for 25 years!!! Using the same spatula's these barricades were complete in a day, I don't know what took me so long.

Also purchased back in March an extra bunker for the Western Desert a nice piece of kit from Ironclad Miniatures well you can't go to a show and not buy anything. This was half done just needed some extra dry brushing and a light wash. Now ready for the next campaign game.

A package from Studio Historia Miniatures which has been hanging around since the summer. A case of idle hands on a train ride to London and a few clicks later and I am the proud owner of Zombie Camels and the Ramesses II headquarters, I figured the tent would be a good centre piece for my New Kingdom Egyptian forces and the camels for Silver Bayonet in the desert.

They have some great items on the website I can see a few more orders coming their way in the coming months - that damn butterfly.

Hittite Walls and WW2 Greeks - hhhmmm.

A few months ago we gave Xenos Rampant a run out for Chechen Wars, a great game which was really quick to get through in an evening session, it highlighted the need for a few extra heavy weapons, so a quick order from Fighting 15's and there they sat - time to get them done.

That should do for starters 6 different projects to juggle before I even think about projects for next year.

Legends of the Water Margin #2 Clear the Temple

The Heroes of the Water Margin are massing and the local population are rushing to their banner.

The Sung Government send a military force to break up the gathering, a chance for scores to be settled. Kao Chiu was looking to defeat Lin Chung who is bound to be at the centre of the trouble, while his Temple Guard were itching to take on the Palace Guard who had taken the side of the rebels.

In a close and bloody affair - Kao Chiu's forces had the numbers but Lin Chung's troops had stealth on their side.

The massed ranks of the government forces advance up the table, but still the bulk of the rebels did not show themselves.

Only the Palace Guard were on show defending the Temple.

The trap is sprung and the banner men rise from the tree line to block the path to the temple.

A fancy uniform, confidence was high in the government forces as they marched on to the table. A slight problem with there morale, they had not seen combat since being painted 2 years ago!!!

An aggressive move by Lin Chung and infantry and cavalry charged forces sending the cavalry back to group.

As heroes fought for control of the hill, infantry and cavalry ground out multiple melees, the imperial forces were unable to break through the rebel lines, several heroes were heavily wounded but held on as clock ran down.

A fun affair with Heroes on both sides playing their part, Black Whirlwind went down under the hooves of a squadron of cavalry but not before sending two militia units running for the table edge. Wizards on both side swapped incantations looking to prove who's magic was stronger.

Both sides claiming victory of sorts, the sort of outcome that is crying out for a rematch.

Played using an adapted version of Infamy Infamy.

Song Chinese vs Zombies - An Infamy Infamy Encounter

Inspiration for a game can come from a number of areas.... but this one is rather odd, back in lockdown one I went through a spate of watching East Asian drama's on Netflix - a real cracker was the Korean Zombie series - Kingdom. How pleased to see that a further installment had landed in the last few weeks with Ashin of the North.

Next thing you know we are throwing down some terrain to crash together the Water Margin and Elizabethan projects to pit the Song Chinese against waves of undead.... This post is definitely not for the purist in the blogosphere.

The Prefect had orders to escort the Imperial Princess across the table, he had heard rumors amongst the peasantry of  disappearances and brutal killings. He selected the size of his escort in the full knowledge that his opponent will matching him point for point.

A mixed force of bannermen, local militia, Palace Guard and a could of minor heroes for good measure.

A slow start the accompanying Oxen and Grain supplied wandered up the road only to be confronted by a mass of undead.

Steak was on the menu the wagon was unable to turn around and the dead clawed at the Ox flesh, the distraction allowed the escort party to swing right.

Heading east to skirt the village the bannermen deployed in front of the paddy fields as some the dead started to shamble towards them. The dead reached the spearmen and bow men but were quickly dispatched, the living quick to kill anyone of there brethren that had been infected.

More and more of the risen were summoned by the evil wizards blocking the escort parties path.

The Palace Guard ploughed into the decaying mass, they lost several of their number but fought on.

On the right flank the the evil wizards called forward their temple guard who were peppered with missile fire as then entered the open ground.

Black Bull saw his moment and rushed forwards striking down the warlock.

With blood lust he swung his mighty club carving a path through the deceased who were summoned by one of the remaining priests in revenge for their recent loss.

The dead were running out of bodies and the path to the bridge was open.

A really fun encounter and great to get some of the toys on the table, having the undead largely controlled by reaction tests makes it easy to play as a semi-coop type game with everyone on the same side, in groups of 5 they are easily dispatched but like many a good movie plot don't get caught by hundreds or you will be swamped.

This has the makings of a really fun club night game.

Water Margin - Temple Guard

After last weeks basing efforts back to 28mm and a bunch of Temple Guards from Scotia Grendel and their Tales of the Dragon Kings range. Lovely castings to paint up.

I already had their packs of the Chaos Queens Guard but these Chinese Zombies painted up with a similar paint job would compliment the Chaos unit and bolster the government forces.

Armed with glaives, large clubs and huge swords plenty to give the heroes of Laing Shan Po something to worry about. 

Tai-Tsung & Li-Kwei take on the oppressors of the people.

Well that's the last of the metal for the Water Margin.... Back to Egypt as the Pony Wars prep continues.

Water Margin - Heroes

Whilst the prep for the Pony Wars continues I thought I would switch projects and finish off a extra's picked up several months ago.

Having completed the Sung cavalry recently I thought it was time to give the Heroes of Liangshan Po some extra reinforcements. 

Watching the later episodes of the Water Margin TV show, I thought I would pick a number of the leading characters.

The latest recruits, Kung Sung Cheng - Master Tactician, Kuang Sheng - Great Blade (ex-General), Tai-TSung - Magic Traveller and Li - Kwei - The Black Whirlwind.

Meanwhile a couple of bandits nasty fellows preying on travellers and the weak, the type of characters to give Laingshan Po a bad reputation. 

Great castings from Scotia Grendel and their Tales of the Dragon Kings Range.

Water Margin - Sung Cavalry

Another unit of our friends in Orange.

They look better flocked and based than they did up close on the paint table, I suspect lacking historical accuracy they fit the style of the TV show.

Great castings from the chaps at 1st Corps their Ancient Chinese range has a certain charm and fits well with the Scotia Grendel's Tale of the Dragon Kings range.

Can plush uniforms stand up to the men freemen of Laing Shan Po?

Next up more heroes of the Water Margin.

Provincial militia - Water Margin

Having spent the several evenings watching the last few episodes of the 70's Water Margin (again.) it struck me that somewhere during the filming the uniforms of the Army switched from Yellow in the early episodes to Orange.... 

With a number of bare metal units still languishing in the draw It gave me an excuse to get some paint on them and clear some of the last of the Water Margin project. Nice sculpts from the guys at 1st Corp.

I doubt very much that there is any historical basis to the uniforms but they compliment the existing forces really well, I am calling these provincial militia, although the white piping makes them look like flying goggles.

Not a bad match.....

If you thought these looked a little gaudy, wait until you see the mounted units.

Let's hope the lifting of the lockdown in the coming weeks goes to plan as the lack of physical gaming is I am sure sending me slightly mad.

Legends of the Water Margin #1 The Celestial Knights

Saturday afternoon and blimey everyone is out... perhaps the first time in months, so a chance to road test a couple of skirmish ideas and the first encounter in the Water Margin 'Zoom' Campaign.

Hu San Naing (3rd Sister) and Shih Chin (The Tattooed Dragon) with a group of banner man had set off on a mission to the temple of the half moon just outside of Siewku. Their mission to convince the guardians of the temple to join the heroes of the Water Margin.

Meanwhile attachment of militia had been ordered by Gao Qiu Governor of the region to order the knights to side with the government and supress the rebels.

I have been adapting the Too Fat Lardies Infamy Rules for Ancient China and adapted each 'hero' to be a unit and big man all in one unit, figures in a typical unit, become life points, and the close order rules become parry rules when fighting as individuals. The rebels have two heroes and a band of barbarians, whilst the government forces have a lesser hero and two half skirmish units and a missile unit and spear unit.

Both sides rush towards the shrine which is guarded by three Celestial Knights, if a character can contact a knight and roll under their force moral on 2D6 then the knight will join their party fighting as an Elite Unit with a Status II big man.

The bannermen rush forward with Hu San Naing skirting the wood whilst Shih Chin instils fervour in his followers. The three knight remain at the shrine of the half moon unmoved.

The rebels are first out, with Hu San Naing rushing across the bridge to contact the first knight. Meanwhile the governors troops took a more cautious route flanking the shrine and firing crossbow bolts and arrows into the bannermen.

Hu San Naing uses her womanly charms to convince the Red Knight to join the cause, while the militia close in on the knights defending the temple.

The Red Knight wastes no time in joining the fray and charges into the oncoming militia, driving them backwards with the volume of shock.

The leader of the militia being a low level hero had limited command choices and was forced to waste his flags on activating the small spear unit to stop Hu San Naing speaking to the Green Knight, whilst they inflicted a few points of shock, they were dispatched to man and the militia morale fell backwards.

Things were going badly for the government Shih Chin was over the bridge with his banner men, the Red Knight had chased of the spearmen and the Green Knight had come over to the rebels and set about attacking the captain of the guard.

In a last desperate attempt the skirmishers rushed to pour fire into the rebels but were driven off by the bannermen.

Left on his own the Captain and his standard stood their ground as the Green Knight charged home, by a miracle they defended all his blows and forced him backwards.

However the exhausted captain could not stop the Red Knight who charged in striking him several times, his morale gave way and he ran from the table.

A clear victory for the rebels and three new heroes have joined the outlaws of the marshes.

A fun solo encounter, as usual with Lardy rules the chits breakup the regimented approach to the turn sequence, turning big men into units seems to work ok and the defence rules creates a challenge to second guess your opponent, in this encounter I tossed a coin to decide if characters would carry out an all out attack or hold back half their dice to defend.

I might just have accidently ordered a few extra from Scotia Grendel to top up the hero count.

Water Margin - Last of the bare metal

January's television task complete... The entire box set. One every evening unsurprisingly no one else was keen to to watch it. Terrible by modern standards but it has a certain quality to it and it did give me a nudge to finally finish the last of the 1st Corp Chinese.

These odds and ends have been hanging around in the spares draw for a number of years, with a couple of Water Margin 'Zoom' campaigns coming up, a good day on the brushes turning these from undercoat to table and just enough to create another warband.

Meanwhile I finished the last of the old glory casualties, which have also been languishing in the same draw, these shock markers will be useful for Infamy or Sharp Practice. 

Another bare metal project complete... 

Well maybe..... Let's see what the postie brings in the days ahead.....