The Fighting Retreat to Dusters' Drift

Our Colonial game this week was a LOT of fun!  It saw a British Column, led by the 3rd Foot & Mouth Regiment (Major Backsight commanding) conducting a fighting retreat to the small logistics base at Dusters' Drift. Opposing them were the Impis of Zulu noble Oomagooglies (the Zulu King's cousin twice removed, on his mother' side)

I've done something a bit different and stitched together a video BatRep:

"We come on the Orders of the Great White Queen!"

My Imperial Force

As promised, here is the British and Boer forces for the Zulu war.  The British Cavalry bore the worst of the damage to their lances and swords but otherwise this whole thing is a testament to the wonderful Testors' dullcoat - and always use two coats!

The lad helped me build this - my first wargaming video. Its a but self indulgent but it was fun to make




For those who prefer stills, here are the key ones.

24th Foot: The Thin Red Line

The 60th Rifles

Stout lads of the Naval Brigade - with Gatling Gun!

Fire support of the Royal Artillery

Breach loading 9pdr - note the VC on the right most figure (painted on during a game in which this gun, down to the last man, held off and then broke the last Zulu Regiment to claim the day!)

British Cavalry - 17th Lancers and Hussars

Boer Irregulars

Hoping to get them onto a table for some action shortly!

Lord Chelmsford and the senior staff

"Why do you come to the Land of the Zulu?"

Massed warriors (around 350 of them)- how a Zulu Impi should look!

This is a post some 24 years in the making! Some time ago I quite enjoyed Colonial gaming and the Zulu War was my conflict of choice.  Some mates and I put together armies in 15mm and had a great time.  Early in 1994 I had a major life change and the figs were packed away.  I've since moved house some 18 times and the figs have remained unopened; the awful noises that came from the box made me shy away.  Then last week when there was interest at the club abut doing some Colonial gaming and I realised I (might) have all the figures.  Depending on how they fared at least.

Here is what greeted me once I plucked up the courage to open the Zulu Box...

The Horror... The Horror...

And after 23 years this was the sum total of damage - other than bent spears and knoberries which needed reshaping

The vast majority of these figs, if not all, are Essex 15mm colonial range

Usuthu!!!

I love the warrior in the bottom right corner wearing a captured British flag as a trophy!

And if one intends to cross the Buffalo River into Zululand, you need some terrain to fight over right?

Semblance of a small veldt hamlet named after an Irishman

British tentage and a Kraal

Next Up: The British and Boer allies.

AHPC VIII "Ate" - Call of the Wild

The Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge Season 8, will commence on 20 Dec!
The call for nominations is out and you can read all about it here: The Eighth Annual Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge

I've signed up for my fourth appearance in this most excellent activity. This year I am aiming for a more modest 500 points to reflect some real life constraints.  Can't wait!

Scoring:

6mm foot figure = 0.5 point
6mm mounted figure, artillery piece or crew served weapon = 1 point
6mm vehicle = 2 points

10mm foot figure = 1 point
10mm mounted figure, artillery piece or crew served weapon = 2 points
10mm vehicle = 3 points 

15mm foot figure = 2 points
15mm mounted figure, artillery piece or large crew served weapon = 4 points
15mm vehicle = 6 points

20mm foot figure = 4 points
20mm mounted figure, artillery piece or crew served weapon = 8 points
20mm vehicle = 12 points

28mm foot figure = 5 points
28mm mounted figure, artillery piece or crew served weapon = 10 points
28mm vehicle = 15 points

Bonus Rounds:

'Flight' (January 6th submission / displayed January 7th / voting results January 14th) 

'BFG: Big Freakin' Gun' (January 20st submission / displayed January 21st / voting results January 28th)

'Music/Musician' (February 3rd submission / displayed February 4th / voting results February 11th) 

'Childhood' (February 17th submission / displayed February 18th / voting results February 25th) 

'Monstrous' (March 3rd submission / displayed March 4th / voting results March 11th)

Ice Trolls!

Earlier this year during the painting challenge, I painted up some lovely 90s vintage sculpts of Ice Trolls. I just loved these guys and their characterful faces. So much so that I have now painted up another 8 to bring the collection to an even dozen.

A nasty looking bunch to having bearing down upon you and so much fun to paint.
I'm looking forward to unleashing them on the table soon!

Little Wars Canberra

A few of the club lads climbed into the car today for a road trip to Little Wars Canberra (about 3 hrs each way).  A small show in only its third year, it was nonetheless very welcoming and most enjoyable. Unlike most Australian Cons, this one deliberately has no tournaments or competitive gaming and only participation games (more akin to my experience at Fall In actually).  A great setup that I hope continues to grow in the future.

Great to catch up with Bish of Tiny Tanks (http://tinytanks3mm.blogspot.com.au) who was putting on a game with...well, tiny tanks!, Chris of the Moruya Marauders (http://moruya-marauders.blogspot.com.au) who I havent seen for ages, and talented sculptor Mike Broadbent

Also fantastic to see the ever smiling Nic from Eureka Miniatires (https://eurekamin.com.au) and Drew from Slave2Gaming (http://www.slave2gaming.com).  Bought lots of goodies from each.  Loot confession later (maybe) - here is the eye candy

Striking looking Weird WW1 range in 15mm by Slave2Gaming 

Eureka's "Mad" Maximillion's saloon car - more to follow on that note...


Some of the games:

Command & Colours Ancients with models - great stuff!

Trail Ape's most impressive Hougamont Game using Sharpe Practice 2

An awesome table setup indeed!

Large scale ACW game 

We even got to roll some dice - the four us us participated in a fun and quickly tourney with some homegrown rules.  Great setup with fast furious action!

The boys roll off

The Black Knight Always Triumphs!

Blood and Plunder!

Bish's wonderful looking 6mm Modern game in progress - Fist Full of TOWs III

Bish in Action!

Spanish American War battlewagons in Line ahead formation

Whats a boys' day out without an adult beverage?

Great day out - thanks again to Slowpainter John (http://slowp8nter.blogspot.com.au) for driving!

Kings of War: First Game

My Battle Line is formed

Played my first KoW game this week under the tutelage of club buddy Marty.  We played a big 2 v2 game on my new textured Cigar Battle Mat.  I used my Riders of Doom Dragon Rampant army to build a force for the similarly themed Varangur faction.

John with his wonderfully massive legion of skaven ratkin

The games' afoot!

I found the KoW rules very quick to pickup, though its old style I-go-U-go was hard to get used to again after a long time of not using it!  Its clearly a game about manoeuvre and getting into the right position before engaging.  Refreshingly, it also rewards the use of reserves.

Lines clash!

Disclaimer: This was the first time I've played a "rank and flank" style fantasy game

Dave's lovely new Dwarves in action

The battle in full swing

Overall I really enjoyed it and am looking forward to exploring the system's intricacies more.

Centenary of the Bolshevik Revolution

Lenin - the Man, The Myth, The Poster

Welcome to the Revolution Comrades! 100 Years ago today the Bolshevik Guards (directed by one V.I. Lenin) stormed the Winter Palace to topple the post Romanov Interim Government. Good job mobilising the masses and standing up to a really crap regime! 

1930s Soviet propaganda re-enactment of the storming of the Winter Palace

Of course, it tailed off a bit with the subsequent Civil War and the less said about those Soviet Chaps the better (though they were pretty handy Allies against those angry Germans). Dasvidanya Tovarish!

Comrade Kitty, because the internet breaks if you dont post enough cat pictures.