23 czerwca 2024

Conquest of the Empire again.

Last week, we had trouble deciding on a game to play because no one wanted to organize it. Fortunately, Mike stepped in and suggested playing Conquest of the Empire again. We had played it once before, about 2 years ago, and I distinctly remember getting my forces completely crushed by my opponents. This time, we had the maximum number of players, which was 6.


Six players became consuls of the following provinces: Fin (Macedonia, black), Mike (Galatia, blue), Alasdair (Egypt, red), myself (Carthage, yellow), Tim (Hispania, purple), and Peter (Italy, green). Over several turns, all players slowly expanded their domains, and no one seemed to want to attack anyone else. Of course, this peaceful coexistence didn't last...






I successfully occupied the regions of North Africa, spanning from modern-day Morocco to the Libyan-Egyptian border. Additionally, my fleet took control of the Balearic Islands. To safeguard my borders, I worked on establishing a network of truces and alliances, forming an informal agreement with Tim and Peter. The three of us assembled our armies and made preparations to advance eastward. However, unsettling events began to unfold at this point.




Mike had reached the maximum size he could peacefully take and decided to expand his domain at the expense of his neighbours. He first attacked the Finn, leading to several battles in the Aegean Sea, where the Galatian fleet proved its superiority. This resulted in the first invasion of Macedonia. The Finn managed to retreat and counterattack, reclaiming their province. Mike couldn't stop it because he was simultaneously attacked from the south by Alasdair. In a bloody war, both forces were pushed from one province to another, leaving them greatly weakened. This created an opportunity for the Western domains to take advantage of their weakened state.









Following his central position, Peter took the initiative to attack first. He launched a second invasion of Macedonia and won a major battle, defeating Finn's forces and removing him from the game. I had planned to conquer Crete, but we ran out of time. The outcome of the game was still undecided, but one of the Western factions would emerge as the winner. I believe Tim would win the game because he successfully built the largest army and had a well-developed economy.


It was a great game and we should do it again someday. There will be a brief pause in blog updates with game reports unless I manage to play a Sunday game. This is because for the next two weeks, due to other events, the games will be moved from Thursday to Tuesday. Unfortunately, I work on Tuesdays and won't be able to participate in any game. However, I plan to use this time to paint a few new figures, so be sure to check the blog now and then.

Links.

FLICKR:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/asienieboje/albums/72177720318177384

20 czerwca 2024

Rapid Fire: Ponyri. 9th July 1943.

I recently combined Rapid Fire and Rapid Fire Reloaded when playing my games. I enjoy mixing the two versions and choosing the best solutions from each. This time, I selected the Hill 253.5, Ponyri scenario from the legendary supplement for Rapid Fire, which focuses on fighting on the Eastern Front. This expansion was written by Richard March years ago. I made minor adjustments to the army lists to better fit my collection and speed up the game slightly. Although the game is planned for 12 turns, I anticipated that I needed a faster solution and I was proven right. You might also notice some new terrains on the table, which are ready-made products from Conflix. I found them on sale at my local store, so I bought a few and plan to purchase more.



SCENARIO / SCENARIUSZ: Richard March, Bartek Żynda
UMPIRING / PROWADZENIE GRY: Bartek Żynda
SCENERY / SCENERIA: Michael, Schneider, Bartek Żynda, SESWC
FIGURES & MODELS / FIGURKI I MODELE: Bartek Żynda


1. Forces. Siły.



SOVIET UNION
(Mike, Peter)

1023rd Riffle Regiment

HQ (CO+5 figures, 1 x car)
Gun Battery (1 x 76.2mm IG)
AT Battery (2 x 45mm ATG)
Mortar Battery (1 x 120mm mortar)
AA Coy (1 x 37mm AA, 1 x truck)
1st Battalion
HQ (CO + 4 figures)
1st (SMG) Company (7 figures)
2nd (Rifle) Company (7 figures)
3rd (Rifle) Company (7 figures)
Mortar Company (1 x 82mm mortar, 1 x 50mm mortar)
MG Company (1 x Maxim MMG)
2nd Battalion
HQ (CO + 4 figures)
1st (SMG) Company (7 figures)
2nd (Rifle) Company (7 figures)
3rd (Rifle) Company (7 figures)
Mortar Company (1 x 82mm mortar, 1 x 50mm mortar)
MG Company (1 x Maxim MMG)

Artillery Support

Observer Team (2 figures)
Artillery Battery (2 x 122mm Howitzer, off table)
Rocket Battery (1 x SP BM-13 'Katyusha')

Anti-Tank Regiment

1st Company (1 x 76.2mm ATG, 1 x truck)
2nd Company (1 x 76.2mm ATG, 1 x truck)

Air Support

1 x Fighter Plane (2 x 20mm, 1 x PTAB bomb, 3 moves)



THIRD REICH
(David, Tim)

508th Grenadier Regiment

HQ (CO + 5 figures, 1 x staff car, 1 x Sd.Kfz.250/3)
AA Platoon (1 x Sd.Kfz. 7/1)
Artillery Company (1 x 75mm IG + horse tow, 1 x StulG 33B)
AT Company (1 x 75mm PAK 40, 1 x truck)
Mortar Company (1 x 120mm mortar, 1 x heavy car)
Engineer Company ( 9 figures, 2 flame-thrower, 1 x Sd.Kfz 251/7)
1st Battalion
HQ (CO + 4 figures, Sd.Kfz.250/1)
1st Company (9 figures, Sd.Kfz.251/1)
2nd Company (9 figures, Sd.Kfz.251/1)
3rd Company (9 figures, Sd.Kfz.251/1)
Mortar Company (1 x 81mm mortar, 1 x truck)
MG Company (2 x MG42 MMG, 1 x truck)
2nd Battalion
HQ (CO + 4 figures, Sd.Kfz.250/1)
1st Company (9 figures, Sd.Kfz.251/1)
2nd Company (9 figures, Sd.Kfz.251/1)
3rd Company (9 figures, Sd.Kfz.251/1)
Mortar Company (1 x 81mm mortar, 1 x truck)
MG Company (2 x MG42 MMG, 1 x truck)
3rd Battalion
HQ (CO + 4 figures, Sd.Kfz.250/1)
1st Company (9 figures, Sd.Kfz.251/1)
2nd Company (9 figures, Sd.Kfz.251/1)
3rd Company (9 figures, Sd.Kfz.251/1)
Mortar Company (1 x 81mm mortar, 1 x truck)
MG Company (2 x MG42 MMG, 1 x truck)

654th Heavy Anti-Tank Regiment

Company (2 x Ferdinand)

Artillery Regiment

HQ (1 x Sd.Kfz.250/3)
1st Observer Team (2 figures, 1 x car)
2nd Observer Team (2 figures, 1 car)
1st Battalion (2 x 105mm Howitzer, 2 x truck)
2nd Battalion (2 x 150mm Howitzer, 2 x truck)

Nebelwefer Battery

Battery (1 x Nebelwefer, 1 x truck)

Air Support

1 x Fighter Plane (+1 dog fight, 6 x MG, 4 x 20mm, 1 x medium bomb)





2. The game.

During a recent game, I made a promise to David that he would be rewarded for his accomplishments by being sent to the Eastern Front to engage in a mission to storm Soviet positions. The promise is now coming true. The Germans initiated an air attack on the Soviet positions, but this time the anti-aircraft defence successfully repelled the German planes. The Germans then proceeded with their advance, but one of the battalions faced heavy artillery fire, leading to the loss of command and its temporary stop. In response, Soviet artillery and aircraft launched a counterattack, destroying one of the German heavy gun batteries. As a result, the German forces paused momentarily to regroup...






The German forces were determined to be the first to eliminate the Soviet aircraft from the battle, which they were successful in doing. They then launched an effective attack on the Katyusha's battery. However, their success was short-lived as the anti-aircraft artillery once again took out the German aviation from the battle.





The Germans launched a general attack, using the forces of two battalions and a company of sappers, with the support of all artillery, to capture Hill 253.5 after heavy fighting. By turn 6, they had an open road to Ponyri village, securing the game as the Soviets could not stop the Germans from capturing the final objective. To balance the scenario, I recommend supporting the Soviets with a tank battalion (5 x T-34) once the Germans capture the hill. This game was quite intriguing, and I look forward to returning to Rapid Fire and this supplement soon.







3. Links.

SESWC:

https://www.facebook.com/Seswc.co.uk/posts/863796052444394

FLICKR:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/asienieboje/albums/72177720318097314

09 czerwca 2024

Mahdist cavalry and something else.

I recently made a change to my usual purchase during my visit to Carronade. Instead of buying the regular plastic Mahdist figures from the Perry Miniatures, I opted for some cavalry models. Each of my troops consists of 6 figures. I have two units of cavalry on camels, one with spears and one with firearms, as well as three on horses: two carrying spears and one with rifles. Additionally, I obtained figures of the Mahdi and Osman Digna. To top it off, I used the latest flags designed by Pete Barfield. I'm pleased to announce that as of today, my 28mm Mahdist project is complete. All bases are from Warbases.



Mahdi:





Osman Digna:





Camel Cavalry:








Horse Cavalry:











I also bought two pre-built models of armoured vehicles for the Germans. One is a Ferdinand and the other is a Brummbär, both made by Easy Models. They came pre-painted, so I only did some quick weathering to customize them. Both are 20mm.




I have some fence models from Javits. I initially bought barbed wire at Claymore or Salute a few years back, but I can't recall exactly where. I painted 9 of the models first, but then I visited Wonderland World, a local model shop in Edinburgh, and bought 5 more. I got them all with the upcoming game in mind.




I want to share the details of the last model, which is the ambulance model from Oxford Diecast. I didn't modify it in any way, but I wanted to showcase it as part of my collection. I purchased it in North Berwick at a local antique shop.