Pony Wars - Life is cheap on the plains.

Can it really be the first outing of these rules???

The figures were painted months ago but it wasn't until a club night conversation turned to who had a copy did the nudge occur to read them and get figures on the table. A real gem from the 80's whilst the casualty calculations takes a bit of getting used to, the Indian reaction tables are fantastic and really make the game what it is.

For a change we all played on the same side the fear and dread made us all play nicely together in a single focus of rescuing the homesteaders.... We collectively felt a real need to do the right thing and get the settlers out alive.

Things started so well the column cleared the first pass and came upon the sheep farmers, who instead of coming under orders ignored the boys in boy and decided to hunker down in their farm..... bloody civilians don't they know we were trying to save them.

Elsewhere another group of settlers were set upon by a war party, the white folk grabbed their weapons in an attempt to drive off the hostiles.

Meanwhile the next homestead started to pack up their belongings as they could hear the gunfire from over the hill, a party of scouts raced to help them, just as a wagon train appeared on table, this lot would take some shifting....

The scouts galloped off to help the other settlers but they were too late and the farm was already a blaze and more Indians were appearing from the treelines. The cavalry commander orders the settlers to head for the fort, but they opted to circle the wagons instead..... arrrggghhh.

Elsewhere the main column had run into a problem, looking to push head to the far encampments they rushed to form a firing line as women and children ran for safety with the boys in blue.... The Indians just kept on coming and ammunition was now becoming a problem.

Meanwhile the settlers at the far end of the valley heard the firing and decided not to wait voting to pack up and head to the farm without an escort..... bad news a war party spots them in the open....

As the troopers held back the angry Sioux warriors another settlement is raised to the ground and the settlers killed.

All in all not a good day on patrol for the cavalry, they were forced to beat a hasty retreat to the fort with barely handful of homesteaders. The scouts were left conflicted as they watched the settlers be butchered by the natives.... if they had pressed on they would surely be killed, instead the left them to their fate to ensure others made it home.

The cavalry when kept together were strong but they could not be everywhere at once. But when the ammunition started to run out, they, were forced to strip the civilians of their ammo. That will not look good in the papers back east....

A great fun game, you can see why it stood the test of time and so many people clambered to see if back in print....

You can see why B troop did not make it back.... we must do better next time or their will no one left to protect....

Moroccan Colonial Infantry - Operation Exporter

Back to Operation Exporter and this time Moroccan Colonial infantry to bolster the French Forces.

Frustratingly I had painted several sections of very same figures for when I created a number of sections for the Spanish Civil War that would have been fine, but alas long sold on e-bay, so time to move these to the front of the paint queue.

Great castings from Empress Miniatures, I went for a number of drab Fez's to given them a later feel than the earlier colonial troops. The Officer is a Perry Miniatures Vichy Commander finish off the unit.

Most are rifle armed apart from the LMG team, they are a useful addition to the Vichy or Free French.

Slow progress on the mass ranks of Commonwealth forces, but hopefully these move the project on slightly.

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.