General Chatter

 

General Chatter's "Despatches from the Rear"

(General Chatter is residing in a comfy, requisitioned Mansion, half a day's ride from the action.)

There is very little to report on the Hobby Front. Since the end of the last Campaign there has been a severe lack of gaming, due mainly to tedious work related matters, and the continuing over-crowding here at Chez Maudlin (caused by the return of my son due to all things Covid).

I attach a couple of items that may be of interest:

A 50+ Year Old Misconception

It was quite rightly pointed out to me some months ago that I have been using the Airfix ACW running figure incorrectly. For the last  fifty something years, I have assumed that the running figure in both the Union and Confederate sets was an ordinary soldier who, due to a whim of the sculptor, was waving his hand in the air. The misconception was made clear when I was advised that this figure represented a Sergeant as he had a sword.

Looking more closely at the figures it's true that, what I took to be an over long bayonet is a sword! Suddenly the arm waving makes sense; "Follow me men!" Once this had been made apparent, my units of running men seemed to lack something. Fortunately, Jacklex figures come to the rescue with the running infantry men from Jack Alexander's wonderful 20mm ACW range. Please try to ignore the terrible painting / photography!

See the sword? I didn't try to paint stripes on his tunic for obvious reasons.

Some Adventurous Types

Elhiem Figures have started producing a range of Fantasy figures in 20mm. Yes! 20mm, my favourite figure size. I have started daubing paint on some of them as can be seen in the following picture which includes an old Revell 1/72nd figure and a Valdemar figure for size comparison. The idea is to possibly play some skirmish type games with these.

From Left to right we have, Colm the Conqueror (Barbarian Hero), Geoffrey the Green (Wizard), Nobby "Two Knives" Longleaf (Halfling Assassin) all from Elhiem, then Wayland the Wanderer (Ne'r-do-well and teller of tall tales) from Valdemar, and finally Vincent the Valiant (Pantomime Hero) Revell Normans set. Again, please excuse the painting. More to follow in this line, eventually!

End of Communication. Stay safe everyone! 

Links: Jacklex ACW figures, Elhiem Figures

Ghosts of Projects Past #2

 Recent nautical posts by David Crook reminded me of a 6mm project that I started years ago. It was going to be a sort of Victorian Colonial / SciFi affair, some of which was going to take place in Africa, and involved a river war between the British Empire and a sinister foreign power (plus, naturally, some steam powered flying machines). Among the models I started making was this proto-type Iron clad. She was balsa wood with plastic tube for funnels and a plastic plug for a gun turret with a cocktail stick gun. The SS Certain Catastrophe. God bless all whole venture aboard.

Ghosts of Projects Past #1

Whilst searching through folders of old digital photos, I came across a stash of wargaming images that reminded me of some past projects that never really got off the ground. As I'm not getting any gaming done at the moment, I thought I might share these instead! (Sounds a bit lazy, I know!)

I've Labelled these ImagiNotions as they never really got to be formal Imagi-Nations as such.  

The folder that held the following images was labelled Mediochia, which kind of summed up some things.

This project featured a mix of 18th and 19th Century soldiers, and some of these figures were brought out of retirement for the recent Red/Blue Campaign.

Defending a village

View across a ploughed field

Attack!

Army Blue Line Infantry

Triumphal parade of Blue's Guards

The (very) Old Guard

An Unfortunate Oversight leads to defeat

 

The next game on my One Hour Wargames blog - click this link https://btohw.blogspot.com/2020/08/scenario-12-unfortunate-oversight.html

Red/Blue Campaign Turn 8 & The Last Battle

 

Turn 8 was to see the remains of the Bluvian Division C pursue the remnants of the Redinan 2nd Division to the Middle Bridge. Here Army Red turned and gave battle (Game 7).

Red had begun to cross the river but quickly drew up to guard the bridge

Blue stormed forward inflicting casualties from the off

Reds mad cavalry charge attempts to spike Blue's guns

Blue continues to rack up hits on Red's troops..

..and at the end of Turn 4 (!) Red is at Exhaustion Point! Unable to retreat they stand and fight

The battle raged on until..

..at Turn 9 Blue reached EP. Red had stopped the crossing but at a huge price.

The invasion of Bluvia by the Kingdom of Redina had failed. The King was forced to sue for peace. There is talk of Bluvian boffins designing fortifications for the river crossings and the Redinan military investing in pontoon bridges. Both states are hastily building railway connections to the border. How long the shaky peace lasts is debatable.  

Red/Blue Campaign Turn 7

 

Campaign Map - Turn 7

Having been surprised, and defeated, by a Bluvian force whilst probing the way East (see the last blog post), the remnants of a Redinan brigade is falling back to join the battered 2nd Division. Hotly pursuing them are a larger Bluvian force, the Advanced Guard of Blue's Division C. Red has been ordered to give ground slowly and keep Blue occupied to give time for a defense to be pulled together around the Middle Crossing of the Boundary River. Blue is unsure of the numbers of troops in front of them and is advancing cautiously. 

The Scenario is number 5 in the late Stuart Asquith's Military Modelling Guide to Solo Wargaming. To simulate Blue's caution, his force arrives at a rate of 2 units per turn on the Eastern edge of the board. Blue's objective is to either get three units off the West edge or to completely destroy the Red force that is blocking his way. It is highly unlikely that Red can defeat Blue in a straight fight but he can delay him. Game length is 15 turns or when both sides reach Exhaustion Point.

Position at the start

Turn 2 Blue's force slowly arrives

Blue's build up is complete - Red begins to give ground

Blue's cavalry is to the rear of Red's force

Running out of room (and at EP), Red must make a stand

At this point Blue could have got enough units off the table to win..

...but chose instead to destroy the invading Redinan force and win that way. Harsh.

A great scenario and a fun game. 

Red/Blue Campaign Turn 6

 

Campaign Map Turn 6

Whilst Red's Division number 2 attempts to reform what troops it has left after the failed push South, a brigade from Division 3 crosses the river and probes the way East not knowing that Blue is moving Division C Westwards...

The fifth battle in the Campaign just happens to be the next Scenario in One Hour Wargames to be played on my OHW blog - what a coincidence! So to view the battle, please change channels now - here's the link https://btohw.blogspot.com/2020/08/scenario-11-surprise-attack.html (Gratuitous Self-Publicity - Ed.)