Saturday 8 November 2014

Turn 15 Results

Yes that time of the week again. So what has happened! Well the turn sequence was a healthy balance between Red and Blue, British and Spanish actions. As always I will start with the turn sequence then the view from the step ladder and then work around from left to right round the table. Nearly everyone is involved now, I think we just have 2 frigates looking to get involved, but they will be soon I think.





 Closest I can get to an Ariel view. Yes from the top step on a step ladder hanging onto a roof rafter. Not few yet so I will wait until snow is on the ground and the shed door open just to make you all say nice things on the blog! (while I recover in hospital) That will probably not ever happen!

 The Spanish Frigate "Meccedes" races into range of the British ships but so far out of arc that nothing should bother her this -next turn. Unless of course you know better!
HMS Inconsistent looses another mast (How careles) from the combined shooting of El interceptor, San Francis and even the Frigate Unicornico.. Three on to one lads hardly fair!
 Unicornico nearly stern Rakes HMS Inconsistent but moves so far in and out of arc that the rake was missed. HMS Agamemnon manages to put a fire out and then it gets restarted by gunfire. An  HMS Cutlass is just out of arc so does not get to shoot at a 64 gun Spanish ship of the line. San Francis fires with great accuracy into HMS Inconsistent but wastes a shot firing at a mast that has just been destroyed.
 The Spanish ships have now mostly burst through the British line scattered as it was. but seem unconcerned with getting away in damaged ships (some very damaged  some UNTOUCHED!) but more concerned with destroying the British fleet. But the British will not sink too easily and their return fire is quite telling.
 SS Guarno's fire is still burning as she heads towards the Spanish ship SS Pina Colada (which has struck her colours) and HMS Challenge which is still in the game but intent on taking the Spanish ship as a Prise, yet for some reason is not engaged in any boarding actions. Both players know the reason for this but the rest of you don't!
 HMS Challenge has sent a signal message of flags into her rigging asking any nearby allied ships for assistance. The closest British ship is HMS Pachyderm and they are sailing away from the encounter and towards Loki's "Revenge of the Mermaid".
Big Lee does manage to fire on Loki this turn, but at extreme range only achieves minimal damage. It might has slowed Lokis quaffing of fine red wines for a moment. Little more.


That's it for today folks. As always if you want more Pics send me an email and as long as they are about the game I should get them back to you within 48 hours. I will try for 12 but you know what life can be like at times.

I will send out individual damage reports this afternoon. But just to say several ships are now in trouble. Deadline for the next turn orders is 8am (GMT) 15th November.

Thanks for having a look today and I hope to see you all soon. All the best Clint.

Friday 7 November 2014

5th Analogue Painting Challenge

And the message is out! Curt LINK has started to accept people on the 5th Analogue Painting Challenge. I was lucky enough to participate last year and have put myself forward again this year.

I have yet to be officially accepted but as I had some fun last year I thought that I should try again. It really is a huge amount of work for Curt as well as his wife and I really do appreciate it. If I am not accepted this year I would at this stage like to rip out the hearts of all the other challengers. Erhm I mean I would like to wish all the other challengers the very best of luck in reaching there personal goals within the challenge. (Ok that bit did stick in my craw!)

The Challenge starts on 5th December (12:01 AM cst). ends at 12:01 Central standard time 20th March 2015. I really did have a Huge amount of enjoyment doing this last year and am now looking forward to it immensely.

The Target.

I am setting a target for myself of 1250 points. And for me that is a lot of points. Higher than last years target as I do want to push myself hard this time. No resting on laurels and I want to wear a brush or two out.

The Hard Way

I am calling it the hard way as I am not accepting any bonus points from the fortnightly bonus rounds. If I entered each of the bonus rounds I could accept extra points each fortnight. But last year while they were fun I am shirking that part of the challenge. I found them a distraction from the real endeavour of painting figures. If by chance I finish something that coincides with a themed bonus round I will delay sending it to Curt just long enough not to be in the bonus round. While this may sound to some of you like some self flagellation I feel it is important to set some rules and then FOLLOW them.

The Hit List

Ok so what have I got lined up ready to paint? Well I have the following that I want to get done.
  •  10mm Zulus. (Newline design and Pendraken mixture)
  • 15mm Sci Fi (Brigade)
  • 15mm Sci fi (GZG)
  • Full thrust ships (GZG)
  • 28mm British 25 lbs (West Wind I think)
  • Possibly a 15mm Ancient army  (Magister Militum) Destined for eBay I think.
  • 28mm Medieval peasants (make unknown)
  • Anything else that takes my fancy! Really could be anything!
Additionally I will need to paint up some form of ANTI HERO or dastardly being for Curt's entry fee. I already have a few ideas, maybe a gangster maybe I'll get a better idea! How knows.

The Above list is not restrictive, I may get some 10mm WW2 or some 6mm Arab Israeli wars stuff or even paint up a blood bowl team. At this stage the only Definite are the first 2 things on the list. As I have a hankering for Zulus!

The Rest of it!

If anyone comes up with a good suggestion for an anti hero they would like to see don't be shy and let me know. No Guarantees I will get it done, but nothing lost by suggesting it!

I think I came 14th last year, so I do not expect or intend to get in the top ten. (Without them all having some kind of accident, which I would not wish on them.). Yes I would like to come 1st but as I have my feet on the ground I had better take my head out of the clouds.

So good luck to you all. Thanks for looking and take good care of yourselves!
All the best Clint





 






Thursday 6 November 2014

10mm Sams

Well long time blog members will remember that I have been painting 10mm samurai on and off for a few years. It has been 10 months since I painted any. So yes here are a few more before I get the Paint Monkey to paint some more 28mm figures for Matt.

So here they are 10mm Pendraken Mounted Samurai armed with Yari. 13 in all and I have yet to do the sashimono back banners. Clearly these are destined for my red army. 4 Bases of 3 figures and a single figure on a 20mm square base to represent a general. I have an equal about to still do for my blue/grey army. They will be about the last of my figures done and there will be 2 armies (or else).

Thanks for looking today. I hope you are all well and happy take care and with luck, see you all soon. All the best Clint

Monday 3 November 2014

Beaten by the potato clan!

At the club yesterday I had my first ever game of "Longship" by Peter Pig. I was playing against Matt (who was very pleased with the figures and not "Content" as I had speculated he would be. He thought that me calling him content was derogatory and It was not meant as such but I do apologise to him for thinking that! Please no one make any comments about this or I'll get an ear bent properly this time). Anyway Matt selected an Irish force, I think it was because they had war dogs), I had a Viking force!

I won most of the pregame and was the raiding force. This was my first mistake. I should have built up more pregame points and then defended! (Insert evil laugh of your choice here). Having now played the rules I now realise this would have been a better tactic! (Bet I will forget that next time!)

So here's how the game went. Yes Matt kept saying Potatoes in an Irish accent even though we both knew that they had not made their way to Europe yet. So the start of the game had most of my army on the board (I had to roll for a random unit to start off table..... yes it was my elite unit rolled for randomly). Matt started with a Random Unit as well as some skirmishers which were a real pain to me as they kept causing minimal but effective casualties on units throughout the game and they were hard to drive away.

My reserve of table unit arrived (which in most Peter Pig games is a feat unto it self). By this time my other units had captured 3 lots of loot. Some Livestock, some women and some strong ale that sounded like a beach party for the lads that night with people to do the cooking and tidy up afterwards.
Anyway my reserve unit started a long way up the table. (Green counters represent possible loot which I would need to search for. My second large mistake was that I set fire to one of the Irish villages. This alerted the surrounding aborigines and then lots more turned up. Lots more. let me say that again LOTS more! Seriously a LOT More.

Matt did bring a unit on close to my reserve unit who managed to beat them of in a single turn and send them fleeing off the board. But the middle of the bard became more of an area to squabble over. I did keep my weakest unit (which had the strong ale0 in the corner and out of the way formed into a shield wall to show that they were ready for action. (They never fought in the game).

 Here we can see Matt's most prolific unit. They were able to make one of my ultra butch Viking units from the field and they had to leave the livestock behind! Drat!


I was able to defeat Matts unit that had a general in it defending a hill. It was a tough fight as I was dragging some slaves along with me at the time and he was on a rough rocky hill. But win that battle I did and kept the slaves in order as well. But his Lord escaped and joined the unit above.
A second Unit came close to my elites (Now down to 4 bases. They did eventually beat me but due to losses we both had to flee the field in the end.

And then the game ended.
Matt and the Irish were declared the winner on victory points. But at the end I had 3 units still functioning and active while poor Matt had just 1. Still victory point calculations are victory point calculations. So just like the RCW game a few weeks ago victory did not go to the side that out fought the other. It's a strange Peter Pig rule so what can you do.

In My defence according to other club members (Graham as it happens) this was the most successful raid so far played at the club after 8 raids tried. Successful as at the end of the day I did have 2 loot counters (I lost the cows and was only left with the ale and the women) and I had a strong raiding force left, so I do wonder how bad the others must have been. Any way Matt won 60 VP to my 42VP.

I did like the way the rules worked. and would be happy to give this another go.

That's it for today all the best Clint.