Thursday 30 May 2019

Blucher Waterloo Game Project - Preparations

This June I want us to game Waterloo with Blucher rules!

I've read up on others Waterloo scenarios and AAR's and attended a local gaming groups day long sessions (Group North). This has been most helpful! I want to use my 6mm figures for this game and get the whole battlefield with extended flanks (to allow for manoeuvre options) for the game. It will be at Brigade level with 40mm x 20mm sized units, having units this size we will track their attributes and strengths on rosters.

I now have the below ready;

Allied Army
French Army
Prussian Army
Unit Labels
Laminated Rosters
Urban bases for all relevant built up areas except La Haye Saint
Wooded Area Terrain
Road Terrain

I am now in the process of building the necessary elevated terrain for the game so I'm pretty close to being ready!

Hopefully we'll be ready to play this sucker on or around the 18th, it will probably take us two sessions to complete the game.

Plancenoit and a 40mm x 20mm Brigade.

Test hill made from what I call foam board, its from an old display sign from my office...

The battlefield with WIP ridges/hills...

Back soon with the OOB's!

Tuesday 7 May 2019

Song of Drums and Shakos AAR # Russians vs Ottomans

This fortnight we played the second Scenario featured in the More Song of Drums and Shakos rulebook, Reinforcements. Al and I took command of the colourful Ottomans and Dave led the Russians. Last time the Russians were given a bloody nose by the Bashi Bazouks in the Convoy Escort Scenario. This time Russians were defending a strong central position with a small force but knowing reinforcements were close at hand. The Ottomans have an advantage in numbers, 22 to 15 but the ill disciplined and untrained Bashi Bazouks would need all their courage to win the day!

The height of the action a crazed Bashi Bazouk tries to tackle the besieged Russians...

The Story;

August 1810
Captain Popoff withdrew toward the Russian Supply Depots after his supply convoy was intercepted. He and Sergeant Putin gathered scattered Grenadiers and Musketeers and formed a strongpoint around a small walled cemetery hoping to halt the advancing Otomans.
Meanwhile Bashi Bazouk leaders Yildiz and Arslan and their men were elated after looting the Russian supply train. They gathered even more Bashi Bazouks and pressed forward knowing more Russian booty was before them!
Pressing forward the Ottomans ran straight into Captain Popoff’s strongpoint, Yildiz and Arslan decided there was only one thing for it…they ordered the charge!

The Forces:

Ottoman Bashi Bazouks Attackers 400pts Fury Trait Morale 11

‘Boluk-bashi’ x 2 Berlin Yildiz, Baler Arslan 45pts ea
Q - 3
C - 2
Weapons - Pistol, Sword
Special Rules - Leader
‘Bashi Bazouk’ 18pts ea
Musket x 8
Q - 4
C - 2
Weapons - Musket
Special Rules -Strong (attack only), Poor Shot, Green and Unreliable
‘Bashi Bazouk’ 14pts ea
Obsolete Firearm x 6
Q - 4
C - 2
Weapons - Obsolete Firearm, Sword
Special Rules - Strong (attack only), Poor Shot, Green and Unreliable
‘Bashi Bazouk’ 15pts ea
Obsolete Firearm x 6
Q - 4
C - 2
Weapons – Pistol, Sword
Special Rules - Strong (attack only), Poor Shot, Green and Unreliable

Imperial Russians Defenders 500pts Stubborn Trait Morale 9
Officer Captain Popoff 60pts
Q - 3
C - 2
Weapons - Pistol, Sword
Special Rules - Leader
NCO Sergeant Putin 56pts
Q - 3
C - 2
Weapon - Musket, Sword
Special Rules - NCO
Drummer 16pts
Q - 3
C - 2
Weapon - None
Special Rules - Musician
Grenadier x 4 32pts ea
Q - 4
C - 2
Weapon - Musket 
Special Rules - Strong 
Musketeer x 8 30pts ea
Q - 4
C - 2
Weapon - Musket 
Special Rules - Steadfast

The AAR;

Turn 1 started badly for the attacking force as Boluk-bashi (Leader) Arslan failed all his initiative attempts and the strongest Ottoman group straggled onto the table. Boluk-bashi Yildiz fighters also affected by poor activations just struggled onto the battlefield! Meanwhile the Russian deployed to face the attackers while a couple of extra soldiers sprinted toward the walled cemetery.

Yildiz's assault force enter the fray...

Arslan's Musketeers straggle into action...

Turn 2 the Ottoman main attack picked up the pace and closed in on the Russians, their fire support finally got organised and would be ready to fire next turn. The defenders fire caused no casualties on the attackers!

Turn 3 saw the action heat up but also saw confusion! A couple of straggling Russian infantry entered behind the Ottomans while the leading Bashi Bazouks out paced their Leader and were unable to act as a united force.

Turn 4 and the Turks after some ineffective fire closed on the Russians and engaged them in hand to hand combat. Initially the Ottomans did well but a Bashi Bazouk was then knocked down and suffered a 3 to 1 loss in the close combat...disaster...being 'green' all the other Bashi Bazouks that saw this event had to take morale checks and most fled! The Russians were jubilant even though they lost their two stragglers and a reinforcement to the Ottomans.

Overall view at the end of turn 4...

Fleeing 'green' Ottomans ran down the road!

The Turkish Musketeers kept up hot fire, the results varied turn by turn...

Turns 5 and 6 saw the OIttomans try to close on the Russians and engage them and at one point there were several Bashi Bazouks inside the walled cemetery...the dour Russians now with all their forces on the table held on and with a mix of fire and close combat took out all the Turks within their defence perimeter...

A series of vicious close combats in and around the cemetery saw the Ottomans beaten...


Boluk-bashi Yildiz with his body guard make a lonely site before the Russians...the Turks realised they had been bested!

Turn 7 saw the Ottomans reach 10 casualties and their main assault force had been successfully been repulsed by the Russian regulars. At this point we called the game over and declared a Russian victory!

The overall view at the end of the game...

A great game played out resulting in a Russian win. The final casualty count was 10 Turks to 6 Russians.

Song of Drums and Shakos will definitely be rolled out again! Al has promised to put together a Song of Blades Scenario soon too and I've started reading the Song of Drums Large Battle rules so we will have to try them out one night. We all enjoy the system these rules employ!

Friday 3 May 2019

1/56 French 1940 Armour FCM 36 & Renault R35 (Completed)

Continuing to build up my France 1940 CoC forces!

Today I completed two French AFV's.

First up is the Renault R35 from Warlord. As previously mentioned I found the fit a 'bit iffy' for the tracks on this kit and the details were just okay (good thing was decals and metal tank figure were included in the price). well I sanded the track section and they now sit fairly upright and also now sit almost within the line of the mudguards. I used a camo scheme based on drawings from the Tank Encyclopedia. It will get some weathering once i complete all my planned France 1940 vehicles.

Finished vehicle...will look fine on the table top despite my misgivings...


Here's a couple of WIP pictures showing the track alignment from above...

...and the amount of sanding involved to improve their camber and try to get them to sit under the mud guards.

Onto the Mad Bob Miniatures FCM 36. Now this is my favourite looking tank of all time, it's Art Deco lines make this the look the most sporty tank I've seen! It is to AFV's what the Chrysler Building is to Art Deco Architecture! I just love it, pity it's a really a crap AFV on the table top! HeHeHe.

This model is a resin cast of a 3D printed original, I believe this as on the underside and on the lower hull you can see what look like the print layers. Anyway the good news is even if the original was a 3D print the top has been cleaned up really well and the surface has a nice texture. There are four parts; the hull, the turret, a drivers hatch and the commanders hatch. This gives some opportunities for the builder to include crew. I found one small air bubble on the surface of the hull so that's pretty good. It was an easy build and again I used the Tank Encyclopedia as a basis for the camo. The decals are Warlord ones from the R35  & Pz 38(t) kits. Again weathering will be done later.

The completed FCM 36...


I will definitely buy again from Mad Bob Miniatures and beside having a good range of vehicles/guns they have a fixed overseas shipping price that is very reasonable!

Mad Bob Miniatures

My mighty French 1940 armoured force so far...