Ancient Chinese - Song Peasant Militia

A change of pace and scale from the recent spate of 15mm mini's and time to return to the Song Dynasty/Water Margin Projects.

Having painted several of the 12 Dozen Heroes they really needed to be backed by locals rallying to the cause, these are from Curtney's Miniatures they are some what bulkier in sculpt than others on the market but have a hugh range to pick from.

 

 

The source material of period would suggest most troops wore their own clothing so these will double as local militia or rebels depending on the scenario.

Colonial Campaigns - Skirmish on rails.

Several months ago I set my sights on re-fighting all of the encounters in the Boxer Rebellion Colonial Campaign Series, the last outing was over 12 months ago, the recent Martian Empire games, gave me the idea to try another Boxer Rebellion game using the ME rules.

The Scenario.

Admiral Seymour's relief column left Tientin on the 10th June heading to Peking, a few miles outside of Langfang Station they were forced to stop due to damaged tracks, A repair party of British Marines were sent ahead to fix the damage. The Boxers used the opportunity to attack the repair party and possibly the relief column.

The Marines standto whilst a party of rail workers work to replace the broken tracks. No Boxers have been sighted.

Boxers advance on to the table in force, setting their sights on wiping out the Marines before Sailors from the relief column can bring up reinforcements.

Meanwhile a further force rushes the column at the far end of the table, multiple orders put the Chinese within one charge move of the relief column.

A number of volley's from the naval brigade stop the Boxers in their tracks and send several of their number towards the tables edge.

Meanwhile at the other end of the table, the Marines hold their ground but they are under increased pressure as more and more Boxers flood the table.

Caught in the flank "A" coy is forced to retire as the Boxers close in on the working party and "C" Company, several Boxers are felled, but the get ever closer to the working party.

Sailors from the relief column launch a counter attack up the centre of the table and drive the Boxers backwards.

The Allies forced from the rail breach begin to form a solid firing line as the Boxer mass for a further assault on the foreign devils.

As the evening draws to close the Boxers are a spent force, they have forced back the repair party but their losses are many and with the Allies now formed up any chance of victory has long passed.

A great well balanced scenario which was touch and go right to the end.

Martian Empires - Disordered Markers

A slow week on the gaming front.

Not actually required under the Martian Empire rules, I do like to add a little colour to the table, I had several of Peter Pig's casualty figures lying around and figured I could find a use for them for Disorder markers.... 5 Infantry and 1 for the Naval Brigade.

After last weeks encounter it looks like they might be needed.

The postie arrived this morning with a little extra for the campaign....
I am not biased but with the Martians about to take the offensive I figured I better prepare for Martian dominance of the Blue-Green planet.

 

Right back to the brushes....

England Invaded - Campaign Turn 1 - Battle #2 - Fire & Smoke....

Sunday night saw a double header with battles in both Wales and Scotland.

The suggestion was to fight them back to back at 500 points a side so the campaign can move on to the movement phase and bigger builds.......

The reports are in..... first up War Correspondent Morris Chipham from a few miles outside of Newport.

When I sent off my despatch by mail train last night, it was with very different feelings to those with which I have to report this evening.

Had we had a sufficiency of troops, more especially of regular troops, there is not the slightest doubt that the victory would have been mankinds, Major Lewis was obligded to assault the enemy's position with a force judged ill equipped by military experts for the task in hand. 

 

I followed in the path of Major Lewis's Brigade as it marched towards the Cylinder Pit before it was checked by Black Vapour and the Martian Fire Beam from the Martian Scuttlers.
It was plain that the Volunteer Brigade, though it held its ground, could not advance farther.

The men of the 1st Volunteer Battalion - 1st Pembrokeshire's set off in column of March, confident in their training and officers. From my vantage point in the village I was to observe a movement to their left as the men from Mars approached, Giants in armour scuttling from under the cover of Bywin Wood. The Martians sent out a beam of fire towards the men of the 1st Pembrokes, Companies A & B were swept out of existance, charred and distorted beyond recognition.

As I watched in horror at the sight of the volunteers stumbling back from the field of raging fire. The Martians discharged cannisters of inkey black smoke forcing the valiant volunteers to break formation to avoid the clouds of death.

 

Staunchly as the Welshmen had withstood the murderous fire from those out world invaders, the vapours of instant death and heat rays were rather more than such partially trained soldiers could stand. A scattering discharge from their rifles was followed by something very much approaching a rout.

The hammering from the pit could still be heard as civilians and military personnel fled the field and out of range of the Martian weapons.

Meanwhile in Scotland. 

Graham McAllister reports from the Daily Messenger and gave his account of the actions of the Forfarshire's and their attempt to neutralise the Scottish Cylinder.

From senior officer to the youngest piper, our brave boys did more, than could be humanly expected of them.

 

The plan of attack was agreed; the officers led well, their men fought well, the brigade flanked the wood and approached the Cylinder from the East, the Martian invaders had moved from the pit site and formed up on the high ground over looking the battlefield, through my eye glass I could see the ugly brown brutes squirming across the hillside, flanked by glittering white mechanical machines.

On the left the three Scottish battalions had been drawn up behind Sallywick Wood. The Martians fired several rockets of deadly black smoke, which filled the country lane with moaning and writhing wounded as the evil gas struck the men from Dundee down. We remained masters of the wood drawing Martian fire as an assault party ran with charges to the edge of the pit.

With a loud boom and cloud of dust the Cylinder is shrouded in dirt and grim as the view clears, the Cylinder is broken into several pieces, the hugh shell would be providing no further secrets.

At this critical moment a powerful counter-attack was made from the highground, Scout Machines scampered towards our defenders and Octopus type creatures slide forwards, outnumbered our gallant forces gave ground.

 

The field belongs to the alien invaders but their base of operations is damaged beyond repair.

Both encounters had a very different feel to the first encounter perhaps in the tur H G Wells telling and with the Martian build phase and movement, mankind will have to weather the Martian storm before they will have a chance to stem the alien onslaught.

War of the Worlds - Mankind Experimental Weapons.

Campaign's serve serveral purposes for me, not only do they tend to throw up interesting scenario's, which ordinarily would not be fought on a table, but they also serve as a useful driver to get items finished that have been sitting on the paint table for quite a while.

Whilst things went reasonably well for the human forces in game one, they have not seen the Tripods yet and I suspect will need some help if they are to stem the Martian tide.

I picked this up from the AQOTMF range, whilst a little to modern for the period I am trying to recreate, I have classed it as an Experimental Weapon within the Martian Empire rules, with the same classifications as a Heavy Steamer.

In Victorian terminology it will be classified as an Automated HE layer, dropping a single High Explosive Charge for each order given.

Capable of delivering up to three charges per game. Any enemy or for that matter friendly troops who come within 10cm of the mine marker will suffer a Fire Factor 9 hit. The Charge marker will then be removed.

War of the Worlds - Mankind Reinforcements arrive.

Leaving barracks this week are two additional Guard units.

Within the campaign structure and force make up, the human player has the option to deploy a limited number of Guard quality units. I wanted to make these look the part and figured that Grenadiers would give the right feel for the game.

Lancashire Games produce a good range of Crimea Infantry and whilst a little larger and bulkier than Old Glory and Peter Pig figures who make up the bulk of the Crown Forces they will provide an additional punch to the British forces.

Next up more contraptions.