British for Sudan.

I finally completed painting the British Empire's forces involved in the conflicts in Northeast Africa during the late 19th century. This time, I mainly focused on the cavalry but also included the infantry and commanders. All the miniatures are from Perry Miniatures, and the bases are from Warbases.

The original plan was to have one cavalry unit and one dragoon unit, while rebasing the existing cavalry units to the new format, which consists of nine figures per unit, grouped as three figures per base. However, when Caronade came along, I ended up buying a few more figures and then placed an order directly with the Perry brothers. As a result, the project expanded beyond my initial plans. I suppose that's typical!

We'll begin the show with the cavalry. First up is the Bengal Cavalry unit armed with lances. 

The second unit was made up of lance-wielding hussars. I painted three new figures and replaced the lances on the others. During the rebasing process, I also corrected some painting elements, resulting in an entirely new unit of lancers. Additionally, the unit received a new command base. Unfortunately, the officer figure was missing from the set I purchased at one of the shows. I’m not sure if it was lost somewhere in my room or removed from the set during the event. Fortunately, I had an extra hussar figure with a sabre, which I used as the officer.

The third cavalry unit is a rebased Hussar unit equipped with sabres. I made some corrections to the paint used.

The next unit is the aforementioned dragoons, known as the Heavy Camel Brigade. I created a camel-mounted unit, a dismounted version, and an additional group of soldiers guarding the kneeling camels.

We smoothly transitioned to focusing on the infantry. The first unit is the 2nd Infantry Battalion from Bengal. I had two officer figures leftover from my previous painting project, so I decided to purchase an entire unit. This will allow me to create a complete Indian brigade.

I had some leftovers from previous painting projects, including an incomplete infantry battalion. This time, I decided to add a base with commanders, which allowed me to create the 10th Infantry Battalion for my collection. I still have four figures left, so I plan to build one or possibly two more battalions. I'm also considering forming a Scottish brigade!

As my collection expands, I require more commanders to lead these forces. I have added three new commanders to my team.

To conclude this presentation, some additional elements. Journalists. I made myself two bases. They will be an excellent addition to the future games.

Regarding the British Empire forces, I'm taking a long break for now. There will be new figures in this area, including the previously mentioned Scottish Brigade. I've also purchased a few more Mahdist figures, which may make an appearance soon as a diversion between larger projects. For the time being, I’m shifting my focus from land to the sea. Results will be coming soon.

Tripods and Triplanes.

This time, we wanted to keep things lighthearted. Our guest from France and his children were scheduled to visit our club, but unfortunately, the long journey from the south to the north led to some health issues, resulting in the cancellation of their visit. In preparation for this occasion, I had asked Tim to create a game that wasn’t too challenging, and Tripods and Triplanes turned out to be perfect. Since the visit was cancelled and player attendance at the club is limited during the summer, we decided to proceed with the planned game anyway.

SCENARIO: Tim Chant
UMPIRING: Tim Chant

SCENERY: SESWC

FIGURES & MODELS: Tim Chant

1. Forces.

MARS:

EARTH:

2. The Game.

In our game, Tim piloted both Martian tripods. I defended Earth as Goering, while Jimmy played Richthofen, and Ben was Captain Ball. The winner of the game was the side that managed to eliminate the opposing vehicles.

Our planes moved swiftly against the enemy Martian units. Ben and I were heading straight toward the tripods, while Jimmy struggled a bit to steer his aircraft in the right direction. After our last game, Jimmy was determined to improve this time and erase the disappointment he felt from the previous game.

I opened fire first and immediately had some success by damaging the smoke thrower on one of the tripods. At the time, I didn't realise how important this would be. Ben quickly joined the fight, and together we began firing at both tripods. Ben attempted to use his rockets, but this time they were ineffective. Meanwhile, Jimmy slowly started to engage in the battle. 

Seeing our planes split into two groups, Tim sent a weaker tripod against Jimmy and a stronger one against us. As he left, one of the tripods released a cloud of smoke, causing my pilot to fall into it. Goering was wounded from contact with the corrosive smoke.

The wound created some difficulties with manoeuvring and shooting, but my pilot was still in action.  We managed to split the two tripods, and individually, they weren't as dangerous, especially since three planes were attacking a single tripod. We approached our attack slowly but surely, and eventually we succeeded in destroying one of them. That success was on Ben and me.

After destroying the first tripod, it was time to target another. Initially, I considered withdrawing my pilot from the operation, but my thirst for glory prevailed. I attacked the second tripod and successfully reduced its energy level. Unfortunately, my plane caught fire, but I managed to survive. However, the plane was hit again, resulting in Goering receiving a second wound. He lost consciousness, and the plane ultimately crashed.

My efforts, however, proved successful. Ben and Jimmy charged at the weakened tripod, and this time, Jimmy delivered the final blow, destroying the second enemy machine. The Earthlings triumphed, but Goering's serious wound cast a shadow over our victory, as we all know how that turned out...

3. Links.

SESWC:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/631841809210352

FLICKR:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/asienieboje/albums/72177720327880874

Nimitz: 1905 Russo-Japanese War.

The Russo-Japanese War of 1905 at sea was the focus of our recent game. Tim brought his collection of ships from that war, and this time we decided to use the Nimitz rules. These rules are much simpler than the Tsushima we used before, and they are also more enjoyable to play. We had six players, with three on each side, representing a Russian fleet attempting to break through the Japanese blockade. It truly is a classic of the genre.

SCENARIO: Tim Chant
UMPIRING: Tim Chant

SCENERY: SESWC

FIGURES & MODELS: Tim Chant

1. Forces.

IMPERIAL RUSSIAN NAVY

1st Squadron (Bartek)

Oslyabya

Sissoi Veliky

Navarin

Admiral Nakhimov

Izumrud

2nd Squadron (Peter)

Oleg

Aurora

Dmitrii Donskoi

Vladimir Monomakh

3rd Squadron (Alasdair)

Admiral Seniavin

General Admiral Graf Apraksin

Imperator Nikolai I 

Admiral Ushakov

IMPERIAL JAPANESE NAVY

1st Squadron (David)

Shikishima

Fuji

Mikasa

Asahi

Azuma

 

2nd Squadron (Jimmy)

Kasuga

Chitose

Iwate

Niitaka

Izumi

 3rd Squadron (Ben)

Kasagi

Tokiwa

Nisshin

Otowa

Asawa

Yakumo

 

 

2. The Game.

Our scenario resembled the actual Battle of Tsushima. The Russians needed to break through the Japanese blockade. Our plan involved our two strongest squadrons—mine and Alasdair's—sailing at full speed along the long edges of the table. Peter was designated to act as a decoy for the Japanese fleet. We assumed that the Japanese would focus their efforts on one squadron—in our plan, that was Peter's —while the other two squadrons would attempt to breach the Japanese defences.

I had almost predicted the behaviour of the Japanese fleet. Ben and David led their two squadrons against mine, while Jimmy positioned himself in the centre of the battlefield to face Peter. Alasdair remained at a safe distance. The Russians fired first, and my ships caused significant damage to the Kasagi. However, the Japanese soon opened fire, concentrating their efforts on Oslabya, which was the lead ship of my team.

Jimmy had divided his squadron into three teams and primarily engaged in combat against Peter, while occasionally targeting my squadron and Alasdair's. His efforts finally paid off when he successfully launched a torpedo attack, sinking the Dimitri Donskoi. As the game entered its decisive phase, we were unable to complete it due to running out of time. The Russians still had most of their forces afloat, although the Japanese retained the initiative. Despite the Russians having already lost two ships by that point, we concluded that the game ended in a draw.

3. Links.

SESWC:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/631841809210352

FLICKR:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/asienieboje/albums/72177720327654720