Monday, December 31, 2012

Storm brews in Chihuahua,

I finally happened, we played a game of Disposable heroes set in the 1912 Mexican Revolution. The scenario may be a bit a-historic but it is close enough to get our game on. During the American Intervention in Mexico, a section of US army troops are attempting to control a series of Mexican villages along a main road, while the Mexican Villistas are attempting to stop them.
We used the Harkas Y Arma Blancas, Warfare in the Rif, 1921 -1927, Disposable Heroes supplement for the game. The Mexican infantry were based on the Harka Irregular Riffian Platoon, with Miya support field guns. The Mexican cavalry was based on the Arab Harkas cavalry but wasn't subject to the disbanding rule.
The US army troops were based on the French Foreign legion list, minus light machine guns and grenade launchers and supported by field guns and heavy machine guns.
As another objective each side was given a pack mule supply train to defend.


The forces of the Revolution. Some of you may remember these from our past games as Chinese warlord troops but you were mistaken, these are actually Mexican Federales rallied to defend their homeland. They are supported by three field guns and a heavy machine gun. These are all Copplestone Chinese warlord troops but pass well as Mexican troops too.


Next is the Villista Infantry and the dreaded Dorado cavalry, Villa's most effective striking force. i believe these are all Tiger Miniatures Spanish/Cuban Rebels from their Spanish American war range.


The US army troops form up before they push onto the other villages. The models in blue are Tiger Miniatures American figures from their Spanish American war range, while the Khaki figures are from the Old Glory Pershing in Mexico range.


The Federales guard the Mexican pack mules.


An over view of the battle field. There are four villages along the road. The objective is to capture and hold the most villages while defending your pack train and destroying the enemy pack train.


The Us army scrambles up into the rocky heights over looking the valley, manhandling their guns into position.


American fire bowls over several Villistas as they advance toward the center village.


As the Dorados head for the flank, American cannon shells harmlessly explode beside them.


The Dorados turn and head over the hill toward the Americans.


Four squads of American Infantry head toward the furthermost village.


A group of American infantry debate breaking out of cover.


The Villistas enter forest and a fire on the Americans.


The Dorados come off of the hill and enter the forest.


The out numbered Federales make a stand against as the American gain the top of the hill.


The Mexican guns return fire in the artillery duel.


Direct hit against an American Heavy machine gun, killing two crew but leaving the gunner firing.


After losing his two runners, the Federale Lieutenant join the squad guarding the pack mules.


The bodies of brave Villistas litter the battle field,


mostly caused by the American guns dug into the rocky hill top.


The Dorados make a last charge but are pinned by defensive fire before they can close.

The Mexican forces are forced to retreat because of high casualties, The American move in and sever the road supply line.

It was a fun game. The best part is me being able to finally use my Chinese models as Mexicans for the first time. The forces had about the same number of models but the low guts of the Mexican rifle squads left them with more pinned troops and that cascaded into them losing the initiative almost every round. The American getting several artillery hit and killing half a squad of Villistas at a go didn't hurt them either.

I had a great time and look forward to the next game.

ColKG

Sunday, December 30, 2012

Quantum Gothic Communication dish WIP

Earlier in the year I won a contest and received a Quantum Gothic Communication Dish. It languished in its box for too long and I have finally made some progress.




I epoxied the model's base onto an old compact disc. I wanted the dish to rotate and didn't want it to fall off and break when someone decided to look at the bottom of the base. I drilled out the base and the post of the dish and added two rare earth magnets. now they can pick it up and look at the underside of the cd to see if it is primed to their hearts content. I covered the base with sand and while the sand was still a bit tacky I added several areas of medium sized model railroad ballast to give it a bit more texture.
After a black prime I painted the base with a craft burnt umber. I touched up the prime on the dish and then went over it with some Vallejo Tinny Tin. I haven't glued it together yet, it is just mocked up at the moment. 
I want to get it finished early in the new year.

ColKG

Saturday, December 29, 2012

Tiger, Company B, Old Glory


Hi Kids, Just thought I'd bore everyone to tears with all the latests goings-on here at the Basement of Heaped Miniatures' painting area.  Some of this stuff has been finished for quite a while, but taking pictures is like eating potato chips; once you start it's hard to stop.  First off is a snap of Company B's 1:56 Citreon B2 Halftrack. According to their info, this was one of the first vehicles to cross the Sahara desert. It's the perfect Pulp vehicle.  I really dig this thing.  Maybe I should've added a machine gun for the passenger to operate. Guess it's never too late.
 
 Here we have my newest addition; 25mm Old Glory Americans from the Pershing in Mexico line.  I painted these guys last week for a Disposable Heroes game.  Their uniforms were rather plain so I tried using that Army Painter Stain.  I think they turned out pretty good.  Yes, I still only block in the colors. I refuse to blend, mix, stir, layer, highlight, or use non-metalic metalics.  Since I'm one of two gamers I know who paint at all, my figs still look better than 99% of everybody else's.
 What could this be? Truly, it's a 25mm Tiger Miniatures Spanish Gatling Gun from their Spanish-American War range.  Since this gun looks a lot cooler than the US Gatling I painted this one up as an American one. I'm not sure if I'm ever going to actually game that war, I'll probably just use this stuff in assorted pulp games. So sue me.
 These are the mounted Americans from Old Glory's Pershing in Mexico line.  My first attempt at painting pinto type horses. I think they came out ok.  Once again Army Stain to the rescue!
 Tiger Miniatures' Spanish/Rebel cavalry from the Spam War.  I didn't stain these guys, still thinking about it.  What do you guys say?
 Tiger Miniatures' Mexicans.  For some reason these guys come in bags of ten rather than 5 like everything else Tiger makes.  Oh wait, that guy on the right is a Spanish/Cuban Rebel from the Spam war. No stain here.
Here we have a few more Spanish/Cuban rebels from Tiger. The dude with pink epaulettes is one of the crew from the stolen gatling gun.  Yeah, he looks a little pissed. With his hand positions maybe I should make him into a standard bearer.  I'll have to check and see if the command groups I haven't painted yet already have any.  Once again we have a complete lack of stain.  What say you? To stain or not to stain?

Not pictured are the 10 Pulp Miniatures US Marines in tropical gear I just finished an hour ago.  Then I started up 3 25mm ATG crews and guns for my 1940 French army. French Foreign Legion, of course!  That way we can use them for Pulp!  I still need to match one color to make the guns work, but that shouldn't be too tough. My PollyS "MUD" has gone AWOL.  And I seem to have lost one of my 25mm Irregular Minatures Yaks, just as I was ready to base the four of them!  Crikey!  Look at his beady little eyes!  The yaks could possibly be some of my longest ignored figs, I bought them back when Irregular had a booth at Historicon, gotta be 20+ years ago.  They're so old scale creep has left them the size of goats.  Maybe I'll use them as baby buffalo.

Friday, December 28, 2012

Undead versus Chaos Fantasy Third edition style

The day of days arrived and the much lauded game of Warhammer fantasy battle third edition was played at Gaming Underground in High Point NC. The GameOnGw club was having their annual gamesday and Chuckaroobob and myself broke out the Third edition to show all the whippersnappers and johnnies come lately how Warhammer was played back in the day.



First is the necromancer Gregorochzyk mounted on an undead horse, his vampire consort Etelka, a unit of skeletons with shields and spears, a unit of skeletons with hand weapon and shields, two units of zombies, one unit of Grim reaper skeletons, a unit of skeleton archers and last six carrion.



Chuckaroo as part of his cunning plan used the same army from our last Fantasy Third edition game. it consisted of his Chaos warrior hero on a temple dog, Chaos warrior battle standard bearer on a chaos steed, thug hero on foot, two Minotaur heroes, five units of beastmen, two units of chaos thug cavalry and a unit of four minotaurs.


The battle lines form up and the foul chaos horde loses it nerve and makes the first moves, with a unit of minotaurs moving out ahead of the rest of the chaos army.


The Minotaurs charge into a unit of zombies lead by and undead hero.


After the fighting is done the Minotaurs break and rout away. The Zombie shamble along after them in pursuit.


The Zombies on the right and carrion on the left charge into the chaos line.


The Grim Reapers wheel and prepare to take the charge from the Chaos thug cavalry.


Chuckaroo's Minotuar hero feels the tendrils of foul magic start to surround him,


He makes a willpower test and fails,


The voice of his new master, Necromancer Gregorochzyk, tells him to turn and attack the chaos thug cavalry, who conveniently charge him.


After earlier leaving the skeleton unit Etelka and turns ethereal. The beastmen and Chaos battle standard bearer charge into the skeletons.


The other Minotaur hero charges into the zombie flank as the Chaos thug cavalry charge into the Grim Reapers.


The skeletons take a beating and are pushed back, leaving them unstable.


I roll instability and they recover all wounds. The best thing is how agreeable Chuckaroo was about this result, well I may be exaggerating about his agreeability.


Also pushed back was the zombie unit and their instability roll wasn't so good,


After losing one model in the combat they lost thirteen to instability.


The sword armed skeletons win their combat and the beastmen rout away. As a result the General on temple dog who had passed his stupidity roll, fails a panic test and flees away too.


The last carrion is destroyed after a second instability test.


After the Minotaur hero dueled with the Thug cavalry several turns, Gregorochyzk charges in. The Chaos thug cavalry break and Gregorochyzk chase then off of the board.


The Ethereal Etelka charges into the Chaos battle standard bearer. Because of his and the beastman units chaos attributes he has joined she needs a seven to hit him. She swings and misses and he has no magical attack to swing back.


The battle lines are broken, the Grim reapers and one unit of skeletons charge across the battle field while beastmen hold the rest of the surviving undead.


The Chaos warrior in temple dog makes his stupidity test and fails his fear test to charge the skeletons in the Chaos backfield.


The Chaos thug cavalry reform and fail a fear test to charge the Grim Reapers,


Chuckaroobob ecstatic about his superb dice ability.


The skeleton archers fail their stupidity roll. I didn't include an undead hero in their unit so they spent most of the game stupid.


The Skeleton swordsmen rout the beastman unit off of the board and Gregorochyzk turns and contemplates charging the Chaos General on temple dog. The grim reapers hold their own against the rallied Minotaur unit.


Bad day for the Grim Reapers. The Chaos General on Temple dog, the Minotaur hero and a unit of beast men charge the Grim reapers from two directions.


Twelve Grim Reapers go down. This is when I stated "All I needed to do was roll another six for instability and they would all get back up"  I will have to paraphrase Chuckaroo's response but it was along the lines of, if I rolled another six for instability he was going to whip out chuckaroo junior and water the table.


I rolled and only lost one more Grim Reaper, but the survivors were on borrowed time.


End game. The Chaos battle standard bearer and his unit of beastmen finally crumble the skeleton spearmen unit and Etelka withdraws from combat to fight another day. I only have Gregorochyzk, Etelka, the skeleton archers and the skeleton swordsmen left, while Chuckaroo has three units of beastmen, all his heroes and a unit of thug cavalry left.

Victory to ChuckarooBob's Chaos Minions!

Some things I could have done better is give Gregorochyzk a combat spell. Next time I will probably add in a unit of undead cavalry to give me a bit more maneuverability on the table.  I had a great time and look forward to the next game of third edition warhammer fantasy battle. I think the GameOnGw games day was a success and look forward to the next one.