Kazubushistan 1918

I thought I’d try and organize some semi-monthly game nights on the 1st and 3rd Wednesdays of each month. I missed out on the 1st one this month (as the plan hadn’t fully congealed), but got it together for the 3rd! Last night John and Rick came over and we tried out a mash up of Ever Victorious Armies and Contemptible Little Armies (with a few ideas stolen from Black Powder). What we ended up with seemed to work out okay. We spent the first hour just catching up (I haven’t seen John in months) and didn’t get started until after 8PM and the game was pretty much wrapped up by 10PM or so and in the meantime played a pretty big battle...

I should really write down some of the rules and stuff – beyond the QR chart I have… and I need to sort out tanks and aircraft… among other things…

Kazubul, Kazubushistan, November 1918

SITUATION

A couple months ago Allied forces crossed over from Persia into the Russian territory of Kasubushistan. A Scots Brigade and a battalion of French Foreign Legionnaires have set up a depot in Kazubul for supplying counter revolutionary forces. The situation has deteriorated for the Counter revolutionary forces in Kazubushistan and the Bolsheviks have decided to capture the depot at Kazubul before the allies can pull out.

SCENARIO

The Bolsheviks objectives are the train station and the town itself – both are wharhousing considerable supplies.

The Allied forces objective is to deny the Bolsheviks their objectives.

FORCES

Allied Forces

Brigadier Hamish McBoorden C-in-C
Colonel Pierre Lepeieu – Staff Officer

7th Scottish Rifle Regiment (15)
12th Royal Highland Regiment (15)
2 field batteries Royal Artillery
1 battery Machine-Gun Corp
2/7iemme Legion Etranger (15)
Railroad workers and local militia (10)


Bolshevik Forces

Comrade Joseph Trotsky C-in-C

Comrade Lowelski – Staff Officer
3x Bolshivik Rifle Battlions (15ea.)
1x Machine-gun battery
1x Field Battery

Comrade Bertelinov– Staff Officer
3x Bolshivik Rifle Battlions (15ea.)
1x Machine-gun battery
1x Cossack Squadron (9)

THE GAME


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


Comerade Lowelski plotting the downfall of the imperialist stooges.


The Bolshevik Horde deployed for action.


The Allies prepare to defend their depot against the Bolshevik horde.


Ka-BLAM! The Royal Artillery takes it toll.

A turn or two later the Bolsheviks got their gun set up on a hill in range of the town and for a few turns the guns pounded each other with counter battery fire. Eventually the Russian guns were silenced, but they had afforded the Infantry a few turns of relief… but not nearly enough…

We decided, in general, we need more GUNS on the table for this sort of action!!


The bolshie horde surges forward again.


Onward!


Bolshevik Cavalry tries to charge the town.


…but are cut to pieces by the MGs deployed in the town and the Highlander waiting outside of the town.


One of Comerade Lowelski’s battalions has already been cut down by machine-gun, artillery and rifle fire. The remaining battalions would advance a little further and try to engage the French in a firefight… but they ultimately lost.


The remaining Cavalrymen failed two morale tests and could advance no further. The following turnt hey were finished off by the MGs.


Comerade Bertelinov’s lead battalion was apparently formed of elite marksmen!? The shot the crap out of the Highlanders on the outskirts of town. The Higlanders were down to five figures when the near-full-strength Bolshevik battlion advanced past the shattered Cavalry and were nearly within assaulting distance.

Antoehr turn of shooting took out three more - requiring three morale tests of the highland unit now whittled down to two figures and already having two moral failure markers. They PASSED ALL THREE tests!


They next turn, however, the Bolsheviks assaulted and whipped out the rest of the Highlanders. WE actually rolled for the close combat, but as I was writing this I realized they should have been destroyed on contact (units with two moral failure marker that are contacted by an enemy unit are automatically destroyed) – the outcome was the same, so…


Bertelinovs follow on battalions slowed at this point, unable to keep pace with the elite 1st battlion.


The first battalion pushed through the Highlanders position and assaulted the town. They stuck in the town for a turn or two but were eventually defeated by the Scotts.


The MGs and artillery were starting to take a toll on Bertelinovs battalions…


The last roll I made for my MGs – hitting on 4+… doh! must have jammed or something.

Definitely more guns required... I have three more British/Canadian 18-pounders, Two German Krupp 77mm, and another Russian gun to do... I should pick up a few more for everyone!

Anyway, good fun was had by all (I think...). We’ll have to try it again after the Dark Age DBA campaign weekend. The next two game nights (February 1st and 15th) will probably be devoted to DBA to get people up to speed before the campaign on the 25th. In March we should get back to some Great War and Colonial wargaming and maybe some other stuff… War of 1812? I found a starship fleet combat game based on HOTT that I’d like to have a go at.

For the next five weeks, however, I’m going to have to get busy with the painting of the Dark Age warriors. I have two armies I had planned to have completed before the campaign!?

Coming soon on Tim’s Miniature Wargaming Blog:

Some Norman Crossbowmen!

Royal Artillery 18-Pound Field Gun

A second, early war Royal Artillery 18-Pound Field Gun. (The first on is HERE)

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


The gun and crew are from Renegade Miniatures.


Another view. I have another pair of guns and crews – but with a late war crew. They’ll all probably see more action as Royal CANADIAN Artillery. These chaps might see action as Canucks too.


I think the gunner at the back is holding a High Explosive shell...

Coming soon on Tim’s Miniature Wargaming Blog:

Nothing really on the workbench, I’ve been trying to tidy up a bit and sort things out. I did prime some Normans while watching Paul the other night (and it’s a good think I was only priming otherwise I would have made a right mess of things – laughing my ass off and all…).

Trying to get a regular game night going again on the first and third Wednesdays – so hopefully there’ll be some game reports soon-ish. I’m thinking I want to get all these Great War types I’ve been painting on the table to start with!

42nd Canadian Infantry Battalion (Royal Highland Regiment of Canada)

These chaps are to represent the 42nd Canadian Infantry Battalion (Royal Highland Regiment of Canada). Now those of you who have been paying attention for a long time or delved back into the older posts may be wondering why I’m painting up Great War Miniatures for my Vimy Project when I have figures of my own that I’ve modeled and could cast up for myself… I have no clear answer other than: “I felt like it…”.

I’ve picked up enough Great War Miniatures to do the 7th Canadian Infantry Brigade (Which Included the 42nd and 49th Canadian Infantry Battalions, as well as the Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry and the Royal Canadian Regiment). I also happen to pick up enough Renegade Miniatures to do the 8th Canadian Infantry Brigade. I may pick up Brigades worth of other manufacturers minis… just for the fun of it…

Though I’m not sure how many other manufacturers there are that are doing late war WW1 British…? I suppose there’s Gripping Beast/Woodbine, Old Glory (of which I have nearly two battalions worth already – painted up as battalions from the 1st Division)… Irregular Miniatures…? Any others…?

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


As mentioned these are Great War Miniatures. I really like the minis – lots of character and details (like the picks and shovels and mugs and other sundry items of kit hanging off their packs and webbing– which I have often seen in photos but have yet to see any other manufacturer put on any figures!)

Some are in kilt aprons others are not. Three of them aren't from "Highlander" packs. To make up the fifteen I bought a pack of Highlanders Advancing and a Highland Command pack - each containing six figures. Rather than buying another Highlander Advancing pack and having three spares, I noticed there was a pack of British in Great Coats - so I ordered one of those and it just kind of worked out that I could use three of them in the Highland regiment and three in one of the regular regiments and I didn't end up with any spare figures.

These guys are destined to serve at Vimy . I happen to know there were specific orders issued stating that troops were NOT to wear great coats! The powers that be did not want anything slowing their advance! I figured however that soldiers being soldiers SOME of them would have snuck them along with them during the advance up to the line in the dark - and if anyone were to turn a blind eye to such shenanigans it might be a highland unit (wearing KILTS) in the blowing snow!!

I have no idea if the 42nd Canadian Infantry Battalion wore red hackles on their helmets. They were on the minis and I figured if other Highland units wore them, it seemed likely that the 42nd of Canada could very well have... If presented with eveidence that they very definitely did not, I can always carve them off and touch up the helmet covers...

If I ever game the last 100 days I'll have to convert a Will Bird figure. Bird Served with the 42nd from Vimy to the end of the war. In his memoir The Ghosts Have Warm Hands, he mentions during that last push he'd found an old pair of trews which he had cut off to be shorts and wore those in place of the kilt. I seem to recall a passing filed officer (might have been in a car?) spotted him and stopped to tell him he was a disgrace before carrying on... Have to read that again some time.



They are a bit slighter than the Renegade Minis and as such there were many bent rifles and bayonets when they arrived. A handful of repairs were required and one rifle is more or less beyond repair (thin rifle, broken off at the point where the hand is gripping the stock. I guess I could drill it and put in a bit of wire and build up a new stock around it… at some point…).

52 figures painted in the first week of the year... if only I could keep up that rate for the rest of the year - I could make a SERIOUS dent in the led pile!

Coming soon on Tim’s Miniature Wargaming Blog:

Not sure… While there are a number of items populating my workbench at the moment I’m feeling the need to switch gears and get some work done on some not-so-hobby-related projects… Reading… drawing comics… painting other stuff…

Spartans and Scottish Officer

A couple other odd items I happen to finish up recently…

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


This is a Scottish field officer of some sort from Great War Miniautres. He'll probably end up a Brigade commander in some VBCW game...


A pair of Spartans – the crouching one on the left is from Wargames Foundry and the psioloi on the right is from Crusader Miniatures.

Coming soon on Tim’s Miniature Wargaming Blog:

Great War Highlanders… CANADIAN Highlanders!

Spartan and Signalers

A couple more odd items rolling off the workbench….

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


This is a Spartan Officer (or magistrate or emissary) from Wargames Foundry.


These are late war Canadian (British) signalers from Renegade Miniatures. They came with a “regiment pack” I bought which contained command, signalers and Vickers MGs. I’ve painted them with a grey shoulder patch for the 3rd Canadian Division.

Coming soon on Tim’s Miniature Wargaming Blog:

Great War Highlanders… CANADIAN Highlanders!

Greek Hoplites

For ages I’ve wanted to do a Greek Hoplite army. Heck I’ve dreamed of doing four or five so I could do a Peleponesian War campaign. Jackson finishing up his Spartans got me thinking about it again… and then when I saw some ready made ancient armies on for half price at North Star Figures… well… I had my credit card out faster than you can say “When are you ever going to paint…”

Anyway, here are the first two stands of Hoplites

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


These Hoplites are from Crusader Miniatures. They were part of a Clash of Empires Army… I have no idea what Clash of Empires is like… I will be using these for DBA and HOTT.


A view of their backs.


I should have taken pics of the shields before basing them – you can’t really see the shield in the second rank…


Well, with the two Psiloi (here and here) I finished earlier this is one third of the stands of this army done! (Unfortunately figure-wise it’s only about a quarter…)


MORE hoplites – these are for Savage Worlds Skirmishin’. The figures are from Black Tree Design. A while back they were having a crazy sale and some packs were up to 70% off. These were some of those. Unfortunately more of the packs that were 70% off had no pictures… and some of the BTD figures poses leave something to be desired so I only ordered a pack of each…


These turned out to be pretty good. Had I known I should have ordered enough of these for an entire Hoplite Army!


As it is BTD had another sale around Xmas and all foot were 50% off – including some unit deals – so I ended up ordering enough for ANOTHER hoplite army… Oh dear…

Since I’m working on Hoplites of different manufacturers… I thought I take the opportunity to do a little comparison pic for you:


These are Hopite shirlds from Wargames Foundry, Crusader Miniatures, and Black Tree Design! Quite the difference, eh?

Where I get a few more similarly based guys finished up I’ll do some comparison pics of the figures.

Coming soon on Tim’s Miniature Wargaming Blog:

Well… probably not Hoplites. Though they were fun to do they, as I hope you can imagine, took a crazy amount of time!?

Tomorrow I should have some a Spartan and some Great War signalers. After that it looks like I’ll have some Great War Highlanders. And then…? More Great War stuff…? War of 1812? Dark Ages…? All possibilities!

An Odd Assortment

A few odd and sundry items to kick off the year…

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


Another stand of Psiloi for an Ancient Greek DBA army and a couple spares based individually for skirmish gamin’ (miniatures from Crusader Miniatures)


“Gonville Bromhead: Fact and Film” from Trent Miniatures


Some Great War Canadians. The officer with the shotgun is from Great War Miniautres and the corporal in the great coat with the Lewis gun is from Renegade Miniatures.

Coming soon on Tim’s Miniature Wargaming Blog:

Tomorrow I should be finished a few Hoplites – watch for them over at Analogue Hobbies, Then here the following day.

Despite the Great War not really featuring in my PLANS FOR 2012 I seem to have a lot of them polluting my workbench at the moment. I’ll probably paint a few more to clear that out of my system then carry on with some Dark Ages stuff that I actually DO need to get done! There’s also a few war of 1812 and 20mm WW2 lurking at the back…

Of course I went and saw War Horse a couple days ago… and I have some early war British cavalrymen that just arrived…