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 :-)

The last of the Kyoushuneko Chinese (for now).

Just before the weather got to the point where paint was drying on the brush, the last of the Kyoushuneko prints roll off the paint table production line finishing off - Chinese month for June.

I went for a lighter Khaki for these, which appears to be prominent in the south of the country. Unlike the previous 88th division these are equipped with British & US Kit (or copies)

I had a couple of head swaps to give me a little more variety and pinched a couple of backpacks and water bottles from some warlord supres to give them a slightly different feel to the other troops.

Whilst I am really happy with them, the Chinese in apple green looked great, so now think I need a 'few' extra's to top up the Nationalist forces - Looks like an order is coming Eureka's way.

In total 2 more squads, a second AT Gun, 81mm Mortar and Sniper.

Let's see if these reinforcements can slow the Japanese advance.

Tobruk 1941 - Bolt Action

Wyre Forest Club Day and the Battle for Toburk.

April 1941. The British fortress of Tobruk stands alone on the Libyan coast, held by the battle‑hardened Australian 9th Division, supported by British artillery and a handful of tanks.

Rommel’s newly arrived Afrika Korps, fighting alongside the Italian Ariete and Brescia Divisions, launches its first probing assaults. Dust storms, poor maps, and fierce resistance turn the attack into a brutal, confused struggle across wadis, wire, and minefields.

A 6 player game with 3 Allied Players & 3 Axis Attackers - Forces listed below for those who are interested.

Player A – Australian Infantry Company

• 3× Veteran infantry sections,  1× Vickers MG, 1× 2‑inch mortar

Player B – Australian Infantry Company

• 3× Veteran infantry sections, 1× Boys AT rifle, 1× Vickers MG, 1× Forward Observer (artillery)

Player C – Australian Support & Reserves

• 2× Infantry sections, 1× 3‑inch mortar, 1× AT gun (2‑pdr), 1× Carrier section (2 carriers)

Pooled Troops - British Armour & Artillery

• 1× Matilda II, 1× Cruiser Mk IV, 1× 25‑pdr artillery, 1× Bren carrier with engineers

Axis Attackers (3 Players)

Player E – German Afrika Korps (Assault Group)

• 2× Veteran infantry squads, 1× Panzer III, 1× Panzer II, 1× MMG, 1× Light mortar

Player F – German Afrika Korps (Mobile Group)

• 2× Mechanised infantry squads (trucks), 1× Panzer II, 1× 81mm mortar, 1× Sniper

Player G – Italian Ariete Division

• 3× Regular infantry squads, 1× L6/40 light tank, 1× Breda MG team, 1× Medium mortar

Italian Brescia Division

• 3× Infantry squads, 1× 47mm AT gun, 1× Autoblinda AB41 armoured car, 1× Engineer squad (demolitions)

Axis Objectives

• Primary: Capture at least two Allied strongpoints (bunkers, trenches, or artillery pits).

• Secondary: Exit one unit off the Allied table edge (representing a breakthrough).

• Bonus: Destroy the Matilda II.

Allied Objectives

• Primary: Prevent Axis forces from capturing two strongpoints.

• Secondary: Destroy at least one Axis armoured vehicle.

• Bonus: Keep the perimeter line intact for 10 turns.

On the day a score draw,  the Axis forces were lucky destroying the Matilda in the opening exchange having massed their armour on the right flank, a strong advance from the Italians in the centre was held up by Mortar and Bren fire. 

The Australians continued to funnel troops into the forward damaged bunker, the Italians got close but were unable to break in to it. The German Armour reached the lip of the trench line, but the clock ran down.

A fun game with everyone engaged from the first turn. Thanks to Steve the War Photographer for the excellent shots of the game.

Chinese 88th Infantry Division (2)

It's June and back to the Sino-Japanese conflict.

Opted for the apple green colour for this unit, I had seen it on some 'dress' units but they do like rather different to the other units completed.

The 88th Division was part of the “German-trained” elite units formed in the 1930s, and as such it represented the closest China came to a standardised, modern infantry organisation at the start of the war. While still subject to shortages and battlefield attrition, its structure was more consistent and better equipped than typical Nationalist units.

The backbone of section firepower, was centred on a ZB‑26 light machine gun, the most widely used automatic weapon in Chinese service during this period, together with several riflemen. Although for very early war units I might strip the LMG team and replace with additional riflemen.

I bolstered this faction with a HMG team, swapping heads from some of the original 3D casts.

I am currently sticking together some additional Japanese and figured I might 'borrow' a couple of the knee mortars for the Chinese units, having done some reading they seem to be introduced later in the war to counter the Japanese grenade launcher platoons.