Friday 4 December 2009

DBA 15-19K Big Base Royalist vs Roundhead

Well posts are getting a bit thin, time is again at a premium.  The hobby has had to take a back seat recently.  Though Amy & I went to Smoggycon the other day, we had a good time.  Amy of course got her own way & she used some of 'the funds' to buy lots of nicely painted Space Marines & a castle.  No doubt these will be added to the hordes of Space Marines Jack used to buy at previous shows, only to sit in some box on some shelf in our humble abode...  Oh the joys of taking your kids to a show.  That left yours truly with the remnants of the cash, I managed to get some nice terrain pieces, some Artillery pieces, 15mm painted French Cuirassiers & Imperial Guard to finish off our Crimean French.

It was nice to see Peeler and the Scarborough wargames gang, they had a snazzy Napoleonic Naval game on the go. I also bumped into an old mate, Mark Kay who has now started his own figure sculpting business, so good luck to him.  He's started a range of 28mm WW2 stuff, you can check them out at http://www.playwar.co.uk/

I tried selling a few things on the Bring n Buy, but had no joy whatsover.  I'll try flogging them on EBay, if I can bring myself to sorting out the selling process. (I have tried before but quickly loose the 'will to live' after going through the process, I must try harder.)

So back to gaming, or the lack of it.  Well I'm up against XBox 360, Playstation 2, Nintendo DS Lite, Internet games, Ben 10 Alien Force cartoons, Jacks Rugby/Swimming/Athletics.  Amy has now joined that elite paramilitary organisation... The Cub Scouts & she loves it to bits, becoming 'Cub of the Month' as well.  Sadly I have now become 'Billy No Mates' and with the run up to Xmas, I can't see anything new being posted.  Seriously though I'm very happy the horrors have a healthy range of hobbies, it's good to see. 

Our last game was a Pike & Shot affair, following on from the Big Base DBA Romans vs Dacians game we ran http://mrfarrow2udba.blogspot.com/2009/11/dba-big-base-romans-vs-dacians.html  we thought we would try it using DBA 15-19K.  Instead of having one base per element, Big Base uses FOUR bases to make up one element.  It gives a better looking game, though you have to increase the table size and measurements.  Our 15mm armies would use 25mm movement ranges.  Amy took the Royalists, a mixed bunch of English and Scottish troops.  I would have the Roundheads.
 

The mighty forces arrayed for battle.


Scottish Cavalry


Roundhead Pistols


Amy pulls a fast one & the Scottish troops pile down the flank.  (We 'split' up the element into column when travelling along a road, then deployed back into a 2x2 element for combat)


Royalist Pike & Shot


Royalist Horse on the other flank


The splendid Roundheads


To create the Artillery, we used two normal units & a wagon.


Wahay! Mass Cavalry battle


My Dragoons are outnumbered.


Nice view down the battlefield.  You can see the 'massed' effect.


My forces advance


Scottish Cavalry


Back & forth on the other flank


The Roundhead guns send the Royalist Pike back


Whoops! There go my Dragoons


I detach an element of Pistols to deal with the Scottish Cavalry


The battle in the centre


The Scottish Light Horse cross the river pinning my Pistols


View from Amy's side of the table


Even match on this side


In they go!


WWWWaarrgghhh!!!


Oh no! The Roundheads are repulsed.


Boo! Amy's Cavalry destroy the Roundhead Cavalry


Then crush the Roundhead infantry


Roundhead Pistols, Pretty.. But no effect whatsover


Big Bad Ollie Cromwell can only look on....



Well, whooped again! I've never won a ECW clash, the horrors have always won the day.  Can't grumble, the plan just didn't work.. again.  Now back to packing away all these troops...zzzzzz.

Monday 23 November 2009

Crimean War French

Here's our French Army for the Crimean War.  Again put together from a variety of sources, different odds & ends.  It would be nice to add some Cuirassiers and Guard Infantry.  SmoggyCon a Game show in our local town is due this weekend, so we'll be looking for those special extra pieces to finish off a few armies. 

Crimean War French
1 General, 8 x Rifles, 2 x Cavalry, 2 x Artillery


Ze French!



 


Ground level view of the French


French  Rifles


Foot Artillery & Limbers


The superb Chasseur d'Afrique Cavalry.


French Line Infantry

Wednesday 18 November 2009

More Crimean War Brits

Our forces for the Crimean War are coming along nicely.  The British are completed, apart from flags (our colour printer has ran out of ink, there's another cartridge for an horrendous amount of cash...ggrr).  The French has been put together, pics of them later.  The Russians are on the paint table now & hopefully will be completed in a couple of weeks.

Here are some pics of the British force, first up personalities from Eureka Minis available from Fighting 15's.  They are 18mm and obviously BIG next to 15mm, but I reckon we can get away with them.  Anyway they are a lovely figure to paint.  http://www.fighting15sshop.co.uk/300cmw41-british-command-set-985-p.asp

The cavalry are shown next, we just need some more Heavy Dragoons to finish off the Heavy Brigade.  Plus there's some artillery, I've been obsessed with collecting limbers for every artillery piece.  Odd as limbers play no part in DBx rules, but there you go & they look nice.


Eureka 18mm Crimean War British Command


Raglan & Lucan 


CARDIGAN! & naughty Nolan


ADC & Scarlett


The Light Brigade in all their glory.
(They've been put together from odd leftover figures).




"NO NOLAN that won't do!" 





Scarlett leads forward the Heavy Brigade.
Royal Horse Artillery provide support.


Royal Horse Artillery looking lovely.


Foot Artillery


The Fine & Dandy Naval detachment.