Perry Miniatures Sudanese Tribesmen - Maghribi Tribesmen

I have a reputation for always picking odd periods and Napoleonics seems to be no different, playing Ottoman Tuks is challanging not only are they quite brittle on the table they are also quite difficult to buy an army straight off the shelf.

I think that tends to be the attraction, I like the fact that I can source from several manufacturers and no two units are the same.

Having been tempted by the latest releases from Perry Miniatures - Plastic Sudanese Tribesman but not really wanting to get drawn into another period....

I figured these chaps could double up as Maghribi Infantrymen for my Ottoman Turk Army.

The Maghribi Tribesmen were described as the most backward and poorest people of the Ottoman empire so they should make great cannon fodder for the Napoloenic Campaign.

Whilst the rifles are far too modern I doubt they will stick around long enough on table for people to notice.

I suspect I will paint the remainder up as Nile Arabs just in case I end up trying out the Sudan....

Demonstartion Game vs Participation Game ?

Just back from Warfare at Reading, over 85 Traders and over 20 demonstration and participation games, it got me thinking about our own club, as a rule my local club is a shy club made up of regular guy's. we turn up on a Sunday unpack our figures, spend 4 hours talking all things gaming and then go home again, however in recent months we have seen a slow decline in numbers which prompts the question how do you get more members...

Several months ago a suggestion was put forward by one of our members regarding our interest in taking part in Gloucestershire MiniCon to be held on the Sunday 29th January 2011.

This is a collaberation of several Clubs from the local area, Evesham, Cheltenham, Gloucester and Redditch was the intention of bringing several games together on one day.

It prompted me to think about what's the best way to promote interest in your own club, having committed to being there on the 29th do we put on a participation game or a demonstration game?

To be honest demonstartion games leave me some what cold, having spent many a Sunday driving several hours to a show and wandering from stall to stall I often find myself drifting by the various games on display. These normally contain some great looking terrain and nicely painted figures with 4 or 5 people patrolling their table and doing everything they can to avoid eye contact with those wandering past.

There often seems very little engagement with fellow gamers and more over very little knowledge of the USP's of the various rules, figures or terrain on offer, on a number of occasions you almost feel you have interupted a regular club game as players.....
What must a member of the public feel?

So it strikes me that participation games must be the best approach, I don't want to go off and grab several memers of the public off the street and drag them into the sports centre and force them into a game nor do I want to become a babysitting service whilst Dad goes off and buys figures, but I do want to make people feel welcome and want to take part.

I want club members to take the time to explain the game, rules, the scenario and what makes it so much fun to passersby.

We need to remember why we are there.

1. To have a day out away from the wife and kids playing Soldiers?

2. A spending spree to save on postage and packaging?

3. An advert for our own club and a chance to recruit?

In order for the participation game to work we should  have details of the scenario available, what needs to happen to win, what rules we are using and what figures are needed to play the game.

We need fliers for our club and details of where and when we play, but perhaps more over we need to interact with those people who pause to look.

So what next - A period that people know well and a game that will last under an hour......

After much consideration we decided on a scenario from the Zulu Wars....
Here's a clue - Scenario details to follow.

Something New - 28mm Riot Police vs Mantic Zombies

A whole day of painting, no kids, no jobs round the house - Just a paint brush and a pile of lead to catch up on. These have been needing a few finishing touches for a while and with a planned Zombie outing at the Evesham Wargames Club tonight I thought it was high time I got them table top ready.....

The Police are from Offensive Miniatures, I have a bunch of rioters to do, but these will do nicely for a couple of early our break games I have planned.

The Zombies are from Mantic Games, I have a bunch of your regular run of the mill wandering dead, but I figured these would do for any period rather than just the 1950's onwards....

Full AAR report to follow after tonights game, as a teaser the survivors will be looking for these guys.....

Something Old - 28mm Japanese

You know those occasion posts that just set you off down a completely different path and distract you from the project in hand..... Well here's one.

Thanks to a posting on our club discussion group at the Evesham Wargames Club where we discussed the correct flesh tones of Japanese Infantry. http://games.groups.yahoo.com/group/eveshamwargames/ 

I ended up unpacking the WW2 Japs that had not seen the light of day for a year or two. My painting style has changed quite a bit a with the introduction of washes and more attention to the basing and the original Japs looked a little below par.

So I thought it was high time they got a revamp, they should not take to long to complete, Devlin Mud wash and some highlights on the face and hands together with a Matt Varnish and some addition basing materials and the first squad is done.

With the introduction of IABSM3 I am hoping to have these hitting the table some time soon.

The figures are mostly Westwind with the occasional Battlehonours thrown in for good measure.

As always comments welcome.

6 Months in the Wilderness

6 Months have passed since we last gave the VBCW an outing so I thought it would be time to dust off the waring factions and the British Civil War in Worcester, over on the campaign blog a full AAR can be found. http://vbcw1938.blogspot.com/

The scenario follows elements of the Severn Riverside Wharf Labours Federation (SRWLF) and a covert operation to receive a consignment of weapons, the scenario was from the Too Fat Lardies suppliment - Triumphant Standards - Scenario Nine - Running Guns to the Rebels.

Ottoman Turks - First Outing

Sunday night saw the first outing for my Ottoman Turk army, I wanted to save them until I had a few more completed but better to get the curse of freshly painted figures out of the way..... :-)

Rather than a stand up fight we used Platoon forward from the Too Fat Lardies to generate the encounter and terrain I am impressed with this booklet as it's a great way of creating a quick scenario.
We agreed on approx 70 figures per side my Turks are slightly smaller at 8 figures per section which should make them slightly brittle when compared to the more westernised units at 10 figures per section.

First up a chance to test the Ottoman's against the old enemy Russia.

The scenario called for me to raid Russian territory and inflict greater losses than inflicted on me.

The random terrain did not fall in may favour a wooded ridge line to the Russian rear and a built up area to my left hardly the perfect terrain for cavalry....

An early success for the Turks they spotted two Russian Sections on the tree line separated from the main Russian body that I suspected were holed up in the town and the large compand to the left.

I got carried away, I think it must have been the varnish or the primer of the unpainted united drafted in to bolster Turkish numbers.
I charged the Mamelukes and Ottoman Cavalry into the Russian Formation holding the ridge line, the modifiers for light cover made it tough going for the Turks and they bounced off having made little impact on the Russians.

I received a number of Cavalry the shock was light. The Turkish Cavalry headed 24" to the rear to regroup.

It begain to dawn on me that I lacked fire power, half my infantry force were armed with sword and spear and the musket unit were poor shots, the Russians unmasked themselves and began to march out from the compond.

 If I could get my swordsmen in to the tree line perhaps I could roll up the flank whilst the Cavalry had another crack at the Russian Infantry before the troops from the Town formed up?

It was not to be as quick as I moved to the right the Russians shadowed me. My cavalry had reformed but I could not tempt the Russians into the open.

My Musket unit was now engaged with the Russian's advancing from the town, but were out gunned and out flanked, in the last throw of the dice they ditched their muskets and closed for hand to hand only for half the unit to stall.

Time to call it a night.....

Still at least the curse of newly painted figures should be out of the way.

Mamelukes & Ottoman Cavalry in Eygpt

As the Evesham Wargames Club, Age of Reason Campaign gathers pace, I thought it was time removed the covers off my Cavalry Arm. Based and painted for my up and coming collection for the French in Eygpt.

The Malmelukes are from Wargames Foundry from their  Napoleonic range - Imperial Guard Mamelukes not my first choice but I figured they would do for both sides.

It's been quite a while since I painted such rich colours and whilst they may have looked rather gordy when putting the paint on, I am really pleased with the results.

Second up Ottoman Cavlary from Brigade Games some great castings, the horses suffer from rather weak ankles but should be ok now based.

I have also finished some Big Men for the the Ottoman Command technically several houndred years to late as they are from Black Tree Design Crusades range, but with a few Victrix Hands and PIstol add on's they seem to fit the bill.

The question is can they fight?????