Campaign for Kümer – Year Four Spring

The Map

In the south the army of the Sapphic League or Unity and Togetherness marched from Otisburg to Beauvoir and boarded the ships of their mighty navy and sailed for the Isles of the Ilferien. Having no news that they were to be coming for a visit the Elvish sorcerers correctly guessed this to be an invasion and whipped up the seas and sent a full third of the Sapphists ships to the bottom of the sea. Undetered the Sapphists landed intending to lay siege to a fortress – but they found no fortress there and got bogged down in a guerilla war against a fiercely determined foe. The fighting would continue well into the summer…

The Armies of Ronarok stayed in their capitol. Apparently they were trying to learn the maneuvers described in the new drill manual presented to them by their Imperial Overlords; the Orcs of Valishog…

The field army of Valishog deployed in Toctglenn meaning to march on the Elvish held Cognomen. Whether the elves were fleeter of foot, or the Orcs decided defending was easier or the simply didn’t want to leave Toctglenn to be recaptured behind their backs by the Dwarves – cutting off all retreat if things went badly in Cognomen… hard to say… All that is certain is that they did meet the Elves in battle at Toctglenn…

The Second Battle of Toctglenn

(remember; click on the pics to see a bigger version)


The Elves deploy in the rugged terrain of the pass.


The Orcs deploy before the gates of Toctglenn


The Orcs surge forward attempting to meet the Elves before they leave the broken terrain – unfortunately Vlad Kinslayer and his bodyguard are turned into a flock of sheep by the elvish sorcerer and are shepparded to the rear into captivity…. Poof the Orcs are down 4AP..


The Wiley Elves follow this up by flanking the Orcs Line with their riders…


Poof! The orcs are down 6AP…

But, wait… what’s this!?


Vlad Kinslayer returns to the field of battle!?


The Elvish Riders continue to roll up the flank


Poof! The Orcs are back down 4AP again…


The orcs wizard decided to put a stop to this and moved to a position that blocked the Riders, and was, in turn attacked by them.


The wizards sparks and whiz-bangs drove the riders off temporarily.

Meanwhile there was much shoving back and forth between both sides heavy infantry that had met in the middle of the field.


The elvish riders came back and the situation looked a bit more dire for the Orcs Wizard…


But he drove them off a second time!


Vlad Kinslayer reentered the frey directly attacking the Elvish Sorcerer – while the main lines of heavy infantry continued their shoving match.


The Elvish sorcerer was vanquished and things suddenly looked a lot less awesome for the Elves… Both sides now down 4AP!


In a tit –for-tat move the riders once more charged the Orcs Wizard…


…and, driven by righteous fury at the loss of their own Sorcerer, finally did him in! The Orcs are now down 8AP.


Vlad finds himself in a familiar position – back presented to be stabbed – and takes advantage!


The Elves are driven back across the front – unfortunately the Elvish general is driven back into Vlad and his retinue and are wiped out! The Elves are now down 6AP, but have lost their General!


The Elvish infantry finding Vlad and his retinue amongst them turn on them..


…but are driven back!


The Orcs surge forward!


Forcing Elvish infantry back everywhere and destroying another unit… The Elves are now down 8AP –even with the Orcs, but they have lost their general so if they lose one more they are finished…


Here is where a young sub commander took charge! He effectively coordinated the two units of Elvish Outriders to drive on the Orc lines again while the last of the Elvish heavy infantry gave one last charge! (Needed 6 PIPs to pull that off with the General gone!)


The sudden and extreme violence of this maneuver broke the Orc army then and there… the Second Battle of Toctglenn was over and the Orcs retired across their original border to Dolj….

The Dwarves who had also been marching to Toctglenn to aid in its liberation showed up just in time to parade before the fortresses gates and declare the lands free!


Country: Tria Nomina (Vassal of the Ilferien)
Race: Humans
Head(s) of State: Aculeo Bibaculus Mediocrito, Imperator of Tria Nomina
Commander of the Field Army:
Capitol: Praenomen
Other Cities: Nomen, Agnomen
Location of Field Army: Praenomen
Prestige Points: 11
Army Size: 24AP

Country: The Sapphic League of Unity and Togetherness
Race: Mixed – WOMEN!!
Head(s) of State: Myrah the Mighty, Chairperson of the Council of Empowerment of the Sapphic League of Unity and Togetherness.
Commander of the Field Army: General Libby
Capitol: Thatcherton
Other Cities: Bhutto, Beauvoir, Otisburg, Marrow, Crudd
Location of Field Army: Anasterele (siege)
Prestige Points: 24
Army Size: 14AP

Country: The Ilferien
Race: Ilferien (Elves)
Head(s) of State: Consul Rhalasa
Commander of the Field Army: Consul Sundiasen
Capitol: Melitele
Other Cities: Anasterele, Wynstrele, Dyladele, Cognomen,
Location of Field Army: Toctglenn
Prestige Points: 8
Army Size: 18AP

Country: Toctland (Vassal of The Ilferien)
Race: Dwarves
Head(s) of State: King Malaius MacDoogleg
Commander of the Field Army: General Gilgidi MacAuslin
Capitol: Ghillebrae
Other Cities: Weinglenn, Toctglenn
Location of Field Army: Toctglenn
Prestige Points: 2
Army Size: 10AP

Country: Ronarok (Vassal of Transil-Valishog-Atania)
Race: Humans
Head(s) of State: King Claudius Hrosskellsen
Commander of the Field Army: Jarl Thorvald Skardsen
Capitol: Ludharn
Other Cities: Skohln, Marhan
Location of Field Army: Ludharn
Prestige Points: 14
Army Size: 22AP

Country: Transil-Valishog-Atania
Race: Orcs
Head(s) of State: Vladimeag Votostogish (Vlad the Kinslayer)
Commander of the Field Army:
Capitol: Brasog
Other Cities: Gorj, Dolj,
Location of Field Army: Retiring to Dolj
Prestige Points: 12
Army Size: 20AP

Country: Grummsh
Race: Orcs
Head of State: Bolg Skullcrusher
Capitol:
Other Cities:
Location of Field Army: Disbanded
Prestige Points: 8
Army Size: Disbanded

Another Smallish Painting Update

Just a couple new things…

(Remember: click on the pictures for a bigger version)


Now… I have to admit; I had no real purpose for this figure… doesn’t really fit into any of my plans for Savage Saturday at any point in the new future… it’s just a cool figure… It is produced by Valiant Miniatures/Magnificent Egos.


A few more Japanese, that definitely WILL see some action on Savage Saturday at some point in the near future…

Coming soon on Tim’s Miniature Wargaming Blog:

ECW Pike and shot stands then on to the Irish and Anglos… and some more Japanese… and other things… (sigh).

ECW Pike and Norman Army Marker

Hey… eleven foot is eleven foot…

(Remember: click on the pictures for a bigger version)


As mentioned in the Previous Post I’ve been working on this stand of ECW Pike. These are (mostly) from Old Glory (though the officer and drummer, I think, might be from Dixon Miniatures). I got a great load of OG ECW stuff when I traded away all my 15mm DBA armies to a fellow in Edmonton.


The Pikes I manufactured myself out of "jumbo" paperclips - hammering the end flat and then filing to a point.

After (or during) the Great Stock Taking Event I got to thinking a lot about what I’m really going to do with the unpainted heaps I have and did some planning and when it came to the ECW stuff – which I am definitely going to do something with SOMEDAY (hopefully in the not-to-distant future!) - but It was difficult to determine how many stands of this and that, and thus how many armies I might be able to put together (for a campaign, say) when I wasn’t sure how many figures I could cram on a stand. Now the Rafm Successor pikemen will easily fit 8 to a stand – and for pike I’d really like the stand to be dense and bristling with pikes… but the Old glory figres tend to be a bit chunkier than your average 30-year-old “true 25” Rafm figure… so I wanted to paint one stand to see if I could cram 8 of these Old Glory pikemen on there… Of course this means I’ll be able to make less stands with what I’ve got… but looks are more important!

(okay... so, maybe this stand isn't exactly "bristling" with pikes... three of the eight being command types and having no pike at all... but the OTHER stands will be more "bristly"...)

After a little planning last night I have realized I have just about enough to do THREE armies (I’ll have two extra stands of Pike and I’m short two stands worth of Shot )… The armies will be more or less the same:

4x Pikes
4x Shot
2-3x Horse
0-1x Artillery

Alternatively I guess I could just use what I’ve got to field two really BIG armies – or two standard 12 stand armies with a whole lot of “options”!

The Horse will be a mix of Knights (Cuirassiers), Cavalry and Pistols – one of which will be the forces general. The Pike and Shot will be organized into two regiments, each consisting of two stand of Shot and two stands of Pike.

I also have a bag of “Moss Troopers” for when I get around to doing some Scotts armies (which I, of course, HAVE to do at some point!?)

Unfortunately I also have two bags of Pike “at charge” they are not counted in the total as they are utterly USELESS!? “At charge” means the pikes are straight out to the front – how on earth are two stands of opposing pike – or any stand for that matter – to come to base contact with and inch and a half of pike sticking out the front edge of the base (if anyone has a use for these… could be yours… CHEAP!). Maybe I’ll just melt them down as some point… I also have a spare bag of Unarmoured Foot Commmand…

Ideally I would like to eventually have four 12 stand armies (plus maybe a couple of options for each) of English (two nominally for Parliament, two nominally for the King!), as well as a Scotts Covanenteer army and a Scots Royalist army to use for a campaign… at some point…

Just when I was swearing to myself that I’d buy no more plastic figures Warlord Games has come out with a plastic Regimental Pack of Covanenteers… Damn their scaly hides!


Earlier this year I made a couple of Army Markers out of a couple of spare command groups I had lying around. I made one for each army in the HOTT Summer Campaign to move about and mark all the armies positions on The Map that I made… I thought I’d do the same for the upcoming Dark Ages DBA Campaign in February. I already HAVE a Norman one, but there will potentially be two Norman armies in the campaign… (well, one Norman and one “West Frankish”)… and I happen to have been working on Normans recently and so started on these guys a while back… but just finished them up now.


Coming soon on Tim’s Miniature Wargaming Blog:

I’d like to say I’m moving ahead with Saxons and irish… but I’ve been working on a second stand of each of the ECW pike and shot (y’know to finish off the regiment…). After that, however, I’m pretty sure I’ll be done with THAT distraction….

Little Painting Update

Nothing much… just one guy… Not a Saxon…

(Remember: click on the pictures for a bigger version)


This is a Legend of the Five Rings “Kuni Witch Hunter”. I’m not sure who originally produced these, but this one is currently being produced by Valiant Miniatures. I’ve recently picked up a few other L5R Clan War minis off ebay. He’ll probably see some action on Savage Saturday in the near future. I have a few more polluting my workbench – which is supposed to be free of things not Anglo-Saxon or Norse-Irish….


Coming soon on Tim’s Miniature Wargaming Blog:

Not Anglo-Saxons… or even Irish…

I’m just finishing up the basing details of a stand of ECW pikemen!? Short version of a long story I wanted to paint one stand so I could see if I could cram 8 of these Old Glory pikemen on there… It’s for long range planning purposes and determining exactly how many stands of pike – and thus how many ECW-DBA armies I might be able to get out of the vast hoard of ECW-ish lead I traded away all my 15mm DBA armies for…

As mentioned I also have a number of L5R figures I’m tempted to paint a few of… and some other surprises sitting on the workbench…. Hey, I still have two weeks to finish up the Anglo-Saxon AND Irish armies…

Oh dear…

Campaign for Kümer – Year Four Deployment

The Map

Here, finally, is where everyone is starting for the fourth year of the Campaign for Kümer.

Country: Tria Nomina (Vassal of the Ilferien)
Race: Humans
Head(s) of State: Aculeo Bibaculus Mediocrito, Imperator of Tria Nomina
Commander of the Field Army:
Capitol: Praenomen
Other Cities: Nomen, Agnomen
Location of Field Army: Praenomen
Prestige Points: 11
Army Size: 24AP

Country: The Sapphic League of Unity and Togetherness
Race: Mixed – WOMEN!!
Head(s) of State: Myrah the Mighty, Chairperson of the Council of Empowerment of the Sapphic League of Unity and Togetherness.
Commander of the Field Army: General Libby
Capitol: Thatcherton
Other Cities: Bhutto, Beauvoir, Otisburg, Marrow, Crudd
Location of Field Army: Otisburg
Prestige Points: 24
Army Size: 24AP

Country: The Ilferien
Race: Ilferien (Elves)
Head(s) of State: Consul Rhalasa
Commander of the Field Army: Consul Sundiasen
Capitol: Melitele
Other Cities: Anasterele, Wynstrele, Dyladele, Cognomen,
Location of Field Army: Cognomen
Prestige Points: 8
Army Size: 24AP

Country: Toctland (Vassal of The Ilferien)
Race: Dwarves
Head(s) of State: King Malaius MacDoogleg
Commander of the Field Army: General Gilgidi MacAuslin
Capitol: Ghillebrae
Other Cities: Weinglenn
Location of Field Army: Ghillebrae
Prestige Points: 2
Army Size: 10AP

Country: Ronarok (Vassal of Transil-Valishog-Atania)
Race: Humans
Head(s) of State: King Claudius Hrosskellsen
Commander of the Field Army: Jarl Thorvald Skardsen
Capitol: Ludharn
Other Cities: Skohln, Marhan
Location of Field Army: Ludharn
Prestige Points: 14
Army Size: 22AP

Country: Transil-Valishog-Atania
Race: Orcs
Head(s) of State: Vladimeag Votostogish (Vlad the Kinslayer)
Commander of the Field Army:
Capitol: Brasog
Other Cities: Gorj, Dolj, Toctglenn
Location of Field Army: Toctglenn
Prestige Points: 12
Army Size: 24AP

Country: Grummsh
Race: Orcs
Head of State: Bolg Skullcrusher
Capitol:
Other Cities:
Location of Field Army: Disbanded
Prestige Points: 8
Army Size: Disbanded

Anglo-Saxons

Yes, Finally… some Anglo-Saxons. Now, I had been working on some Anglo-Danes (y'know, for 1066 and all that)… and the only real difference between the Anglo-Danish and the Middle Anglo-Saxons (as far as I can recall - don't have the book with me..) is the three Blades (Danish Huscarls) replacing the upper crust of Anglo-Saxon society. So an Anglo-Saxon army requires three more Spear (the old Saxon Thegns/better armed members of the Fyrd). These three slightly-better-armoured-than-the-rest-of-the-Spear stands were meant to be the three additional Spear I need to make the Anglo-Danish into Middle Anglo-Saxons… of course I don’t actually HAVE all of the 8-9 other Spear that make up the bulk of either army (the Fyrd)… so these may actually see action as Anglo-Danes for some time before I finish up the rest of the generic Spear….

(Remember: click on the pictures for a bigger version)


These are a mix of Gripping Beast and Old Glory.


Coming soon on Tim’s Miniature Wargaming Blog:

If I were a sensible person (which very few have ever accused me of and lived to tell the tale) I would probably steam ahead with more of the Anglo Spearmen (following rule#1 – finish enough to field armies before moving on to options or other armies)… but somehow the Irish seem to have invaded my workbench – along with some feudal Japanese and some English Civil War PIKEMEN!? They were all getting primed, so they may be seen off before any paint is applied and the Anglo Spear may make their way on next… but you never can tell in the carnival that is my life… and I'm interested to try out the irish... I already know how games with the Anglo-Saxons and Anglo-Danish are going to work out - it's time to try something new and interesting - Auxilia and Psiloi and a pile of bad going "Come and get me horsemaster!" Irish!

Still No Anglo-Saxons...

Oh, they’re being worked on… They’re just being worked on in large batches... So when they ARE done, there will be a lot done all at once!

Instead here are a few other things I have finished up in the last couple of days

(Remember: click on the pictures for a bigger version)




This is a “Rancher’s Daughter” figure from Shadowforge Miniatures. I picked it up at the same time I picked up some of their Centaur Mares for Amanda’s “HOTT chick” army.


Another Dead marker for DBA (for a unit taken out by archer (so, manybe not going to get so much use out of this one...) - Old Glory


I also re-based a bunch of old Colonial Miniatures to make an Indian Brigade for DBA(E)/HOTT. This is a mix of old Ral Partha figures, RAFM, Minifigs, and some minis my friend John made.

I have it sort of organizes as three battalions of three stands each, plus some attached supporting units. It may not be entirely “historical” as it wasn’t really “designed”, it was just made up of figures I had lying around.

I think I shall call them the 125th Indian Brigade...


88th Punjabi Regiment – These are all Ral Partha Figures. They were all originally painted about 20 years ago..


7th Battalion Queen’s Gurkha Rifles – as above, except I think the British officer is a Rafm Figure.


5th Battalion Seaforth Highlanders – the rank and file are figures modeled and cast by my friend John who gave them to me about four or five years ago to paint. The officer and piper are from Minifigs and were painted around the same time.


Attached supporting elements - British Camel Corps, Indian Artillery, Naval Brigade – more 20 year old Ral partha.

Amazing what a new basing job can do for a bunch of old figures, eh?

Since I don’t have enough of any HISTORICAL opponents to put together an opposing force these may not see much action for a while… I do have some Space:1889 Martians I could paint up… or in a pinch I could use some of my Orcs as Martians! (hmmmmm… I may just do that…).