Carry on Follow that Camel.

Yes an early post. I'll explain in a bit.

Here however are 6 more Camels and riders for my Arab revolt game. That is a total of 32 done altogether. Only a few more to go! And when they are all together I'll do the whole mob together in one place for you all to see.


 As with all the rest they are IT miniatures 20mm WW1 figures. And they are all on the "standing" pose camel as opposed to the "Walking" pose Camel. I much prefer this pose and have asked Tim the owner just to supply this pose. The Range of Camel colours have resulted in sufficient variation so when they are all together the fact that they are mostly the same pose is not noticed. It helps greatly that there is some greater variety in the riders poses.

So why am I posting early and not tomorrow morning as I had intended. The simple answer is that todays painting for Curt's Analogue Hobbies painting challenge has gone horribly wrong.  I grant you I could work all night on it and maybe get it back to where I want it. Or and this is the option I shall take start on something smaller/easier tomorrow. I have not given up on the figures for the hero/heroic group they will be seen eventually so I'll keep working away at them and eventually they will take a place in the challenge. Maybe in the favourite character Bonus round.

That is probably it until Sunday now. I have a single (simple) figure to paint and bas tomorrow and a game with Posties Rejects on Saturday. So take care paint your hearts out and enjoy what you do.

All the best Clint

A Fist full of Mahdists

 Originally done as part of Curt's Painting Challenge. Here we have 10 stands of Mahdist infantry. 3 random figures to a base all 10mm Pendraken that I purchased many moons ago at a show and never got around to painting. Which is one of the great things about the challenge as it gets you to paint things that have been hanging around for a while.

I did mention on Curt's Challenge that I was not happy with the patches on the Jibbehs. The feedback was that they were not as bad as I had first thought. It was also suggested that I might tome them down if I chose to. I painted a couple more yesterday and have gone for more muted colours and that suits me better.


 There are still more to come though and I will need to buy some British and/or Egyptians to create a counter force.  I originally got these for "Patrols in the Sudan" but following the game on Sunday I am thinking that Black Powder might also be applicable. Either way I will need more and more for an opposing force. But for now I shall carry on with what I own already before even thinking of buying more.

Elsewhere on the painting table I have stuff for the 20mm Arab Revolt game. I have come up with the idea that I can use these as well for A Very British Civil War. But based around the Suez Canal. As needles to say if Pre war Britain Fragmented British colonies, protectorates and other places where we had troops would also be affected. And the Suez Canal would become a hot spot as it was so vital for trade and communication. This is only in my mind at present so I shall say no more.

I am also struggling with my heroes entry. I know what I want, but am struggling with motivation. And have side-tracked myself and started a few more Madhists.... But only a few.

So that's it for today. Thanks for stopping by and next update on Friday. Hope you have a good couple of days and as ever comments are welcomed. All the best Clint

WSS Black powder.

Tims Bavarian Troops advancing up the table.

Yesterday at the club I had a game of "Black Powder" with Tim and Against Peter and Scott. It was mostly an exercise in learning the rules and reinforcing how we thought they worked as none of us had played it very much at all. Tim gave me his French while he took the Bavarians while Scott and Peter controlled the British. Peter played opposite me while Tim played against Scott. As we were playing with 15mm figures we played in CM and not inches.

My remaining Brigade advance and secure the ridge,

Not quite the first dice roll of the game, but within my first command phase I rolled a double 6 and had a command blunder and about 1/2 my force left the table backing off my table edge. They were reluctant to return but did arrive back on turn 4, just in the nick of time!

My troops secure the ridge and take up position to fight against the 3 British Brigades which were approaching. But there is a big hole in the French Centre because half my infantry had already left the table due to my command blunder.

Seeing this hole Peter send 1 of his three brigades as far forward as he can. They ran out of steam a mere 18cm from my table edge. But still left two of His Brigades to assault the ridge I was holding.



Tim on the left tries to plug the gap left by my
 brigade which had retreated off of the table.

Just in time I manage to get my wandering away Brigade back on the table. My two guns were able to pepper Peters Brigade with canister and yet failed to cause any casualties. But my infantry were now here so I could (and did) withdraw the guns.

Peters Brigade close to my table edge.

Knowing the English with their "Volley Fire" could out shoot me. I could either stand still and take it like a man or risk it and charge. I charged and Peter got off his closing fire and my guys went in. It was carnage for both sides. I did come off slightly better than I deserved (all praise the dice gods) and managed to take Peters centre to Battalions out. While he managed to beat me on the wings.  As luck would have it I passed more morale checks than Sir Peter and his Brigade was at half strength and with one battalion falling back.

I also had lost half my Brigade, but my guys had two artillery pieces to aid them and the threat of Tims cavalry taking them in the Flank. Unfortunately Tim Could not motivate his cavalry and rather than closing at the gallop they just milled about looked threatening.



After the battle at the base line.

Meanwhile Back on the ridge. 2 English Brigades took on my single Brigade.  Due to being out numbered and bad initiative making me move first when I really needed to move second and get out of the line of Fire. Peter was able to concentrate fire power on one of my Battalions. This hurt as he was able to enfilade them and thus get double dice. Well they survived one round fairly well taking casualties but refusing to give ground. I was able to concentrate on one of Peters Battalions and force them to retreat with a bad morale check. I was also able to move my horse all the way to Peters base line. Scot sent his horse towards them and turned his guns to face them before they swept into the rear elements of the British army.

The Battle on the ridge.

I was able to turn my brigade on the ridge to stop being enfiladed but Peter was able to charge home and the badly mauled Battalion disintegrated.  Woops!

My Horse Hit the retreating British of Peter who were able to form square, but it did them no good what so ever and my horse rolled a stupidly large number of melee dice and got nothing less than a 3. So his retreating battalion evaporated and my horse were able to do a sweeping advance into another battalions rear. While this worked it was not quite as effective. But they did their job and those infantry also gave up the fight.



Tim Gets involved.

Scot got his cavalry to charge and with a failed command roll mine could not move at all and as a consequence were  both hit in the flank. And that was the end of my horse!

Peter and myself had fought each other to a standstill neither of us was in a position to press any very marginal victories and we had run out of time.

Meanwhile at the other end of the battle field Tim and Scott had not really engaged in the fight. One officer was never able to get control of his spare brigade and as  such they pretty much failed to move all game. While the British were reluctant to push forward and even get in shooting range. But in the last turn they did get involved and Tim was able to charge the British line. It was messy and very bloody and did seem to end in a draw with each force loosing 1/2 a brigade due to morale failures.



Goodies from Tim.

And this is where we ran out of time and needed to pack away. At this stage it was so even it really was anyones game. But at least we learnt a few more of the rules. And a good time was had by all.

I also managed to pick up a few more goodies for the Arab Revolt game, from Tim who owns IT miniatures. Expect them painted next week. Yes two more camels but only 2 more in this batch to replace the two I used for Laurence and the Banner bearer.


Thanks for reading. Hope you had a great weekend and got a shed load of painting done. All the best Clint