The Temple of the Golden Guacamole.

It's as hot in the UK as South America so what better than a game set in the Jungles of the new world as Spanish conquistadors attempt to raid a sacred Aztec temple while determined local warriors stand in their way.

The self-proclaimed explorer Don Fernando de la Siesta, having heard rumours of a temple holding piles of gold, leads an expedition inland (But is hindered by being forced to roll to see which side of the river they land.)

Unfortunately for him, the temple is protected by the fierce warriors of High Priest Tlacotzin "The Slightly Irritated", who have no intention of letting a group of heavily armoured strangers walk off with their sacred treasures.

As dawn breaks, the conquistadors march through the jungle towards the Temple of the Golden Guacamole, while drums echo across the valley rallying warriors to block there advance (Also rolled for random entry).

As is the way for random rolls, the Spanish are heavily weighted on the left flank, whilst the bulk of the Aztec Warriors appear on the right.

Breaking the curse of newly painted figures, Spanish horsemen ride down a unit of unbloodied warriors, they were looking for captives such as their way, while the Conquistadors were happy to hack them down in droves... 

The invaders were not having all their own way, despite the bang and flash of gunpower scaring some warriors away, a number of Spaniards were captured, being dragged out of the shield wall for sacrifice later.

The Aztec warriors rushed to defend the temple as the native left flank collapsed, fearful of dogs and horses.

The temple fell to the invaders as the Aztec warriors were routed from the table, having been ridden down, attacked by dogs or shot at by fire sticks. The gold was secure... but 5 men were missing.. feels like a rescue is in order.

A fun encounter and nice to get the extra Aztecs on the table.

Although I do sense I will need a number of extra warriors to hold the Spanish at bay, thanks to David over at I Live with Cats: Quetzalcoatl Rampant who created the first draft of modifications to the Lion Rampant rules.

Chinese Motor Pool - 2nd Sino Japanese War

A few weeks away so little to show on the painting front, fortunately the Sino-Japanese project moves forward thanks to blitzkriegworkshop on eBay who offer a custom print and paint service for 3D printed vehicles. Great value for money when you compare to plastic kits and the construction and paint time.

In this order we have a SDKFZ 222, a Panzer I and a Soviet BA-10, I asked for 'blanks' so I could add my own decals.

One of the things that attracted me to this conflict in the first place was the mix of kit available to the Chinese Nationalists and varied uniform and paint schemes. 

The Chinese armoured forces were few in number and heavily influenced by wider global politics and foreign imports. The main suppliers came from Germany, Italy, Britain, and the Soviet Union:

• German equipment included armoured cars such as the Sd.Kfz 221/222 and a small number of Panzer I tanks. The vast majority were destroyed around Nanjing.

• Italian CV35 tankettes were acquired in significant numbers (around 100). While widely used into the early 1940s, they were lightly armoured and vulnerable.

• British Vickers 6‑ton tanks Deployed around Shanghai.

• Soviet T‑26 tanks became a key reinforcement after heavy Chinese losses in 1937–38. These were among the most effective tanks in Chinese service, valued for their reliability and the ability to recover and repair damaged vehicles.

I have not be able to source any significant engagements between Chinese and Japanese Armour, the Chinese armoured organisation was known to mix different vehicle types within the same units, reflecting the inconsistent supply through out the war.

Whilst largely outgunned and poorly supplied they will at least give the Chinese some options in future games and whilst the waiting time is around 8 weeks from order to supply they are table ready and reasonably priced.

Next up more Japanese Infantry.

Aztec warriors - Wargames Atlantic.

Aztec month is nearly complete and pressure is on complete the latest batch of Mexica Infantry. The limited clothing and equipment allowed me to turn these around within a few days.

I am aiming to cluster these together into the various military ranks with Aztec culture. Individual fighters advancement was not simply on surviving battles, but on capturing enemies alive. Taking captives brought prestige, social advancement, and access to increasingly elaborate weapons, armour, and insignia.

The hierarchy described in surviving sources such as the Codex Mendoza should probably be viewed as a guideline rather than an absolute rulebook which is perfect for what I am after and the Wargames Atlantic sculpts come with enough variety to represent the various classes, but for now pic's of the mass.

Commoners or Yaoquizqueh - The lowest tier of Aztec warriors. These men had yet to capture an opponent and would have formed the bulk of an army's manpower - these will be presented by those in simply a loin cloth, armed with spears, slings and bows together with wooden clubs.

Low-Status Warriors or Telpochyahqui - Warriors who had captured their first enemy, these will be wearing the ichcahuipilli or quilted cotton armour, I have armed this in the main with the macuahuitl, or edged wooden club.

The additional Eagle Warriors might have to wait, they are primed and based but I am running out of days - August is back to the Sino-Japanese War although it would be good to sneak in a game with these extra warriors and the latest Spanish additions.

They it's a wait until Christmas to see if another box appears :-)

Cortez Cavalry - Lion Rampant

According to accounts Cortez took 16 cavalry when he left Cuba in 1519 - so 12 should be more than enough for my needs.

Two units of 6 from Wargames Atlantic designed for Lion/Queztacoata Rampant to strike fear into the hearts of the Aztec warriors....

I broke the units up into a lance and sword unit, following the theme from the foot troops and common colours for each type, I suspect the Jungle and general wear and tear would have meant they would have had less of a uniform in reality but they fit with the broader theme of the Aztec project.

Half way through the month - now for more Aztecs the clock is ticking.... 

02 Hundred Hours - Might as well taken a bell with me :-)

Wyre Forest Club Day and 02 Hundred

My default gaming experience is normally larger and louder O2 Hundred requires a different mind set. Instead of thinking about how many enemy figures I can kill, its more about can I slip past a sentry, plant charges and get out before the alarm sounds.

The answer was a clear no :-)

Lovely looking table from Mike at the club, our mission simple sneak in slip past the guards, plant charges on the Armoured Car, the Bunker (Top Left), flushing out the commander and kill or capture him - Simple.

Some of the guards have a fixed patrol route others wander around listening for noise or other things to investigate.

From the outset things went wrong, at the bottom of the table as the first squad entered the table, one man and his dog wandered to close so had to be dispatched, wasting valuable time.

Hemmed in by other random guards, the SAS Sergeant was separated from the rest of the squad was forced to kill another wandering guard, raising the alarm threat.

Meanwhile at the other end of the table my fellow commando faired not better, the explosive expert was caught in the open creeping towards the bunker entrance, a burst of MP40 fire and he was down. The SAS Captain returned fire killing a number of the defenders, but the bell was now ringing.... and he to was killed having failed to clamber over the stone wall.

With the squad down to half their number, the remaining squad members fled around the farm house as the German garrison spilled out, in a minor victory a small arms dump was destroyed which only served to attract more guards. The last squad member dived into the outhouse and chicken coop only to be hunted down and killed in a flurry of feathers.

Meanwhile the German commander wandered into the open and despite the SAS team in the bottom field getting a bead on him with a sniper missed on 5 occasions, the officer unaware of the bullets whistling over his head simply walked out of range.

With half the attackers killed or captured and the other squad still languishing in the muddy fields time to leave the table.

A very cinematic game, with some great moments or failures, troops caught in the undergrowth when they should have laid low, multiple grenades that missed their target at the arms dump, bumping in to bunker guards who appeared in the doorway at the wrong time. To top it all an explosives man fumbling a charge on the Puma and blowing himself up :-(

Based on the shambolic mission, I worry the remaining squad members might find themselves in a POW camp rather than a back in blighty.

Dogs of War - Conquistadors.

Welcome to July and a change of focus on the paint table - 

Back to the Aztecs the occasional project that tends to grow in size on Fathers day or Birthdays when they get picked from the amazon wish list :-)

These are a nice surprise, as it was a little too warm lately I thought I would get some prep done in the snipping and gluing department, I opened up the box of Conquistador cavalry only to find that there are 8 War Dogs in the box - Wonderful.

A great addition to the Spanish forces as they look to subdue the local population. The Handlers are from Antediluvian Miniatures and are a good fit for the rest of the forces.

Next up cavalry and more Aztec foot....

Breakthrough at the Yangcheng Line – Autumn 1937 Sino-Japanese War

In the aftermath of the Shanghai fighting, the Imperial Japanese Army presses its advantage inland, seeking to exploit shaken Chinese defenses and maintain momentum. 
Another outing for the Sino-Japanese War and the next game using Xenos Rampant.

At dawn, under a low grey sky, Japanese reconnaissance elements identified a weakly held section of the Yangcheng defensive line, Spearheading the attack, a mixed armoured column of light tanks and infantry looked to punch through the frontier defenses with speed and aggression. Chinese forward positions, thinly held and lacking anti‑tank weapons, looked to do what they could to stem the advance.

The Japanese push toward Yangcheng Garrison, a key strongpoint anchoring the region’s defence. Their objective is clear: seize the junction, cut supply routes, and collapse Chinese resistance across the sector. The Japanese move up to the barb wire blocking the road to Yangcheng looking to draw the Chinese into a firefight as infantry spotted an opening in the wire through a pine wood.

Inside the garrison, Chinese forces—comprised of regular army troops reinforced by militia and remnants of frontline units—prepare to make a stand. There only Light AT Gun was man handled into position.
With the main defense weapon committed a Japanese armoured column breaks right and rushes the for the wire in the open ground.

In the centre of the the table the wire road block is breached and Infantry poor through the wood, the Chinese militia are thrown back.

Similarly on the right flank the Japanese armour makes a breach in the line. A solitary Chinese armoured car makes a run for cover to shore up the left flank.

The armour rushed forwards the Chinese infantry fell backwards unable to damage the Invaders armoured thrust. Chinese morale falters and units fell back into the centre of the village.

The Japanese push on.

A comprehensive victory for the attacker, the village Y junction is secure, infantry flood the village and even had the nerve of assaulting the SDKFZ 222 and set it alight by throwing grenades into it.

Another fun outing for Xenos Rampant giving a good result in an evening which captures the challenge for the Chinese of trying to defend against a well trained, well armed, aggressive attacker. The Japanese did not have it all there own way, but the Chinese need a few more options, queue another order :-)