Monday 31 March 2008

BBDBA 20.Spanish 1560 - 1609

For the Glory of his Imperial Catholic Majesty.....!!
The sinister Spanish Army ready to defeat all enemies of God. Oh dear.. I'm getting carried away. BBDBA version of our Spanish, 36 elements. They have a 'dark' look to them, finished off with Ebony Miracle Dip.

The following army is composed of 3xKn, 3xPi, 3xLh, 3xArt, 12xPk, 12xSh. Plus 3 Generals.

Spaniards!!!




Pistols up closest, Pike & Shot behind.


Mighty Spanish Guns


Knight elements, Pike & Shot, Light Horse at the back.




Spanish Tercio!!!



Nice one... 3 Tercios with Generals & a screen of Light Horse.






Sideview of the Tercios!!

DBA 1500-1900 27.Elizabethan English

Next up, Elizabethan English, just right to give the dastardly Spanish a right good thrashing!
To make the options complete, we need to add some Irish troops.

27. Elizabethan English 1560-1620.
Enemies = 20.Spanish 1560-1609, 25.French Catholic 1562-1598,
28.Scots 1513-1620, 29. Irish 1487-1620

1x2LH, 1x2LH or 3Cv (demi-lances), 2x4Pk, 2x4Sh, 1x4Pk or 4Bd, 1x4Sh or 4Lb,
1x3Kn + 1x4Pk + 1x4Sh + Art or
1x3Bd + 2x3Aux + 1x2Ps (Irish) or
2x4Pk + 1x4Bd + 1x4Pi(Landsknecht).

The Mighty English host to defend the honour of 'Good Queen Bess'


Up close


Demi-Lances & Border Horse


The 'Gentlemen' ride off to battle...


English Longbows


Billmen, Pike & Shot


English firepower, Artillery & Shot


Saturday 29 March 2008

DBA 1500-1900 20.Spanish

The Mighty Spanish! At one point the hardest Army in Europe. This one covers from 1560 to 1609, but with a few extra Cavalry elements it could form the bulk of army list 33.Spanish 1609-1660. We have already used it in one of our battles & it performed very well.
http://mrfarrow2udba.blogspot.com/2008/01/dba-1500-1900-elizabethan-english-vs_17.html

I got a Spanish copy of 'Alatriste' with Viggo Mortensen, English subtitles needed of course! Hhhmmm.... A good film, but I was very disappointed that there weren't MORE battle scenes. You had to wait till the last ten minutes to see the Battle of Rocroi against the French, http://www.saminiatures.com/Default.aspx?tabid=39 The French Cuirassiers looked superb battling away with the ragtag Spanish Tercio. Very nice inspiration!!

What a list of enemies! I fancy a showdown versus the Ottoman Turks, one for the future I think!

20 Spanish, 1560-1609.
Enemies = 24. French Huguenot 1562-1640, 25. French Catholic 1562-1598,
27. Elizabethan English 1560-1620, 31a. Dutch 1568-1590, 31b. Dutch 1590-1660,
32a. French 1600-1640, 67. Ottoman Turk 1512-1570, 68. Ottoman Turk 1570-1718,
71. Berber or Moorish 1039-1700

1x3Kn, 1x4Pi or 2LH (Stradiots), 1x2LH or 1x4Pi or 3Dr or 2Ps, 4x4Pk, 4x4Sh, 1xArt.

The Mighty Spaniards!


All elements included


Flags from Warflag....




Spanish Knights & Pistols, led by the General.


Spanish Light Horse & Mercenary Stradiots Light Horse


Big Spanish Guns


Hmmm.... Don't know if this would work in DBA, but here's a TERCIO.


TERCIO full on. Could work out some House Rules...
Anyone got any ideas??? Comments please.

DBA 1500-1900 31b Dutch

Here's our Dutch Army that we have just finished off. Inspiration due to Wargames Illustrated 242, Dutch Thirty Years War Army Article & free downladable flags. To be honest the troops, 15mm, are whats leftover from other Armies & a few extra figures from EBay. A touch up with the paint job & a coat of miracle dip to bring out figure detail.

Very heavy on the Shot, it will be interesting to see how they perform on the battlefield.

31b Dutch, 1590-1660.
Enemies = 20 Spanish, 1560-1609, 32a French 1600-1640, 32b French, 1640-1660,
33 Spanish 1609-1660, 36 New Model Army 1644-1660, 42a Imperial 1606-1648,
42b German/Danish, 1618-1648.

2x4Pi, 1x2LH or 2Ps or 4Sh or 3Dr, 2x4Pk, 5x4Sh, 1x4Pk or 4Sh, 1xArt.

The Dutchies lined up for battle


Dutch Foot. 2 Elements of Pike & a massive 6 of Shot. Dutch, English & Scots mercenaries.


The Dandy Dutch General


Dutch Horsemen. Light Horse, Pistols & finally Dragoons.


Pistols up close, Cuirassiers & Harquebusiers.


Light Horse & Dragoons


Artillery

Sunday 23 March 2008

DBA Samurai vs Samurai

WWWWAAAAAaaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrgggghhh!!!!!!!!! Samurai Time!

The second game Jack & I had the other night, this time two mighty Samurai Armies.
We used the DBA 1500-1900 Extension List for this one, as it had more Cavalry options.
All the minis had flags from the brill Warflag site, one side would be the Takeda & the other the Uesugi.

83 Japanese, 1543-1615.
2x3Cv/4Bd, 2x3Cv/4Bd/4Lb, 4x4Sh or 4Aux, 2x4Sh or 2x3Bd , 2x4Aux or 4Lb.

A bit more terrain than normal, we set up a hill, two forests & two rice paddies. Jack was the attacker & his die roll gave him the paddy field side. This led him to 'umm & aarr' a bit over where his troops would be placed.

My troops on the left, Jacks on the right.


Foot troops on the hill with the Samurai Lord in the middle, Cavalry on the flank.


Jacks Samurai Cavalry would match up against mine, his General taking the lead


Samurai Camps



Jack plunged for a 'mass' of warriors & moved them quickly at the start through the gap in the rice fields.


View from behind my lines


Jack sees an opening & sends a Cavalry element off on its own.


My left flank, Cavalry clash coming up. I send a sneaky Ashigaru Auxilia around the flank.


I've got elements in support, advantage to Dad.


Ashigaru hang back on my right flank to counter his Cavalry.


The lines take shape, Jack spends an eternity getting his ready.


Lance, sword & bow in action as the Samurai on horseback clash...


He's still tweaking his battle line.......zzzzzz


Out from the woods a lone Ashigaru charges & out flanks the Samurai.
But he's not needed, good dice & I double Jacks score, wipe one Samurai Cavalry!


I'm winning, I'll play Jacks game & match his line.


Jack senses the danger, he backs up the Cavalry.


Are we ready yet....... CHARGE!!!!


He tries to send his Cavalry around the flank again....
Jack is obsessed with capturing enemy camps!


I send out a Ashigaru Auxilia to ZOC his Cavalry.


The Main lines Charge home!


He's running out of Battlefield!


Another Samurai cavalry goes down, EASY EASY EASY!!!


This is the longest Charge in history........


At last, we start the main scrap, but I'm getting too confident.


The most cowardly Samurai Lord ever......


Oh dear the dice rolls turn, Jack wins a few combats.


The 'Dice Gods' shine down & abandon Jack in his hour of need. I win through at the end!


HA HA!! The view from Jacks Samurai Lord!!!


Great fight, the Samurai do look very impressive. Jack wants another fight, but we'll have to leave his revenge for a later date. We don't agree on were it all went wrong, I thought Jack took too long setting up & he didn't use his Auxilia very well. However we do agree that we'll have a BBDBA Samurai clash in the near future!!