Lion Rampant Continues.

Indeed my tarting up of my old Bretomian Games workshop troops continues. In Th "Lion Rampant" rules you are encouraged to have a leader which represents you. So here is mine (For the red and blue force).

A tad overdone you might say, but after all why not! There is a Latin quote on the Lance pendant. As you can't see clearly what it says don't try. Just know my old Latin teacher would be proud! PK I was never taught Latin!

Most of th figure is Games Workshop but it does have converted Wargames Foundry wings. Yes the wings were never intended to go on the figure. But I had them spare liked them and thought why not! I am sure there are 101 reasons why not historically but I will leave that to the boring purists, As I am clearly not one of those.

The downside is I know it will draw a lot of battlefield attention . I will call it jealousy to their faces across the table. I also realise I shall need to make the leader of the Black and White (Sable and Argent) force just as fancy and to be honest it is quite a lot of work. I may chicken out and do all black. BLACK everything including armour! We will both just have to wait and see.

I am a long way from finishing both Lion Rampant forces so there will be more to come. Count that as a threat if you like. Currently on the painting table I do have a unit of foot nan at arms. These are to be painted to fit in either faction. There are also some aeronef and SOON some 15mm sci fi. But that is looking ahead. For now just a single mounted figure. Historically accurate, not a chance. It was done only to look good and not to be historical.


That's it for today.  As you now know lots more painting to come starting with a rather large fat lady.  I will only tease and say no more at this stage.

Thanks for looking and enjoy this Friday. All the best Clint

Imperial skies game aar.

Jon's Carrier was not used,
BUT looks so good I had to phonograph it!

Sundy at the club we had an Imperial skies (aeronef) game. Jon a friend of mine from years ago agreed to tear us the rues as he was a playtester before they were published.

Before we started I suggested 2000 points, Jon cut that to 1600 points. When he saw the play area it was cut again to 1000 points. I am glad he did, it made a better  game.

He also introduced us to a pair of house rules. Again these made sense and did improve the game. Rule1: Small ships could activate in a flotilla of three and a single command pip would allow all sips in the flotilla to gain that benefit. Again this made sense as one ship would have seniority and would signal  the other ships.

Rule 2: When firing if you rolled 3 ones in a row then another d6 was rolled. This roll would on an even score be a magazine hit and on an odd score it would represent the gun overheating and cooking of a round in the breach!

We agreed to both of those house rules and play started.

Here is what happened::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Jon's US fleet at 1600 points!

Matt's 1000 point fleet

Jon's 1000 point fleet

Jon's first turn

End of turn 1.
Matt British fleeton the left
and Jon's US fleet on the right

Veiw from the other end. Turn 2 about to start.

The Us Fleet unleashes 2 flotillas of torpedo boats.
They were very successful and
destroyed one of the British Cruisers
in a single turn.
Matt was not happy!

Most of te US fleet has still to get into action.
The Torpedo boats still have "Steel fish" yet to fire.

Devastated Matt continues to push on. But his Big ships are slow.

Disaster trikes the US fleet and a gun overheats
and his aeronef is destroyed by it's own firing>
Remember house rule 2!

The Us Torpedo boats continue to
launch torpedoes claiming a British destroyer next.

Despite Matt losses He does manage to down
some of the torpedo boats and by the end of the turn
is managing to fight back

Turn 2 ends. The Torpedo boats seem to be doing all the work.

From the other end things do not look any better

Slowly very slowly the bigger ships start to get involved.
Jon moves his battleship forward,
but it is still (at this stage) out of 30" range.
(30" is the maximum range of the biggest guns)

It now starts a war of attrition. As both fleets get in range
with their biggest guns.

Turn 3 ends.
The two fleets now start battering each other.

Some ships are now in short or medium range and they
all start to take damage.
Each ship faces several others and each ship
has several targets

it is a case of who will break first.
then the US torpedoes claim another victim.

It becomes a close in ruction and while the US fleet
continues to do well. glimmers of hope are seen from the British.
The salvation comes in two forms.
Firstly the |Torpedo boats have just about run out of Torpedoes
Secondly the British Carrier  is launching wave after wave of fighters

Turn 4 get underway.
The big ships have lots of guns.
Also they are not shy of using them.
The smaller crsers and destroyers fare the worse.

The US big battleship is matched by an equally big british ship.
Worse yet Matt has 2 of them.

I recall being surprised at how many dice
 the US battleship was able to roll.
But Then the British fleet had just as many in return.

Turn 4 ended and turn 5 started.

The British Fleet digs deep
and several of te US larger cruisers are destroyed.
And then Tragedy struck
Fuel was spilt on the deck of the British carrier
and in a single turn it was
consigned to the burning scrap heap.

The game ended.

 Conclusion: It was a fair fight and either side could have one. The US fleet got some early kills due to torpedoes but in the end the British gunnery was up to the task. While the small ships started the game. the big ships ended it. While I was just observing and not playing boh sides played both with élan and fairness. Both admirals can be proud. So who won? Basically it was a draw! Theer was no clear winner. But importantly I got to learn the rules. Which from my point of view was the reason for the game.

Jon has been looking online fore the cheapest and most effective points cost of vessels to counter torpedoes. Matt has been looking online at tenders and planes that are able to carry torpedoes. While I have started to paint "Brunhilde!" but more of that another time.

The game was a success. all players enjoyed it and all players have spoken to me at least about a rematch. (Different fleets though). So all three of us learned something. And while I was going to do the "Taking of Borkum (123)" a straight even match up was better o the day. perhaps next time it will be Borkum. I have a map and have visited the place (twice as much work if you do not speak German!)

So that was Sundays game.

A new lease of life!

Project B

OK I  struggled yesterday with all hobby related items. I do have a game report to put on HOPEFULLY tomorrow!

On the other hand, totally unglamorous and also totally important. It also take up a fair amount of time. But it does mean I can attempt to crack on today!

Project B
 I have made the bases for 4 boards to be my "Pulp Alley" LOST valley. Firstly let me say it has noting to do with the TV series Lost, which I have never seen. I assure you any similarities are purely coincidental and probably just revolve about the name.

All totally embryonic at this stage and very likely to change. BUT given we only need a 3' square and that I have until February I am good and on target with this. I have gone thought a LOT of different options and as they could well change I am better just doing it than telling you what I have planned. But think Victorian Science Fiction show game using Pulp alley rules. Although it could as easily be 7TV. (Or many other sets of rules)









Project A
Yes return of the moon boards.  2 more boards each 2' square. As I am now in contact with Jon whom I went to university with I shall get my 15mm sci fi going again. I know it has been a few years and I find it easy to start projects and hard to finish them. But Jon has made me feel as if I am NOT banging my head against the wall continually with this.

Following a chat with him I shall be rebasing my SCI FI French! (That's Federal States Europa for all the GZG purists.) All I have to really do is put them all together and repaint the bases so that wil be done quite sharply.

The Two new boards will have a sci fi farm......on one board. Buts as demountable terrain. The other board I have yet to decide on I keep going from small settlement to building site to hilly and back again. So your guess is as good as mine at this stage BUT I have the boards carcassed out now and when I go shopping (Maybe tomorrow) I can start on one or both of them. I shall probably keep the second board fairly open as well and add the terrain as separate pieces.

I know long on promises and short on action.  A Game AAR tomorrow and then get back to what ever normal is. (As long as I am not watching movies at 3am again as I can't sleep!)

Right get some breakfast and up te shed workshop  again fast.

Have a great Day Clint

A Little Late, but crucially not too late!

I finished these two at 8pm last night. As such I decided to photograph them this morning. The are as I am sure you will already know two Foundry Crimean War British Artillery crew. AS such they are painted for Matt and he shall get them this morning, Barring accidents! (Oh why did I say that now I am just tempting fate.

I am sure you know the details by now. Foundry 28mm Crimean war that I still know almost nothing about.

 Bought on eBay, more d6. I know  I know I am quite mad I have enough dice! So why buy more.
1) It's an obsession I can't help it!
2) I am looking for the lucky one. The one that will roll what I need when I need it!
3) Tim Has touched all my other dice! (Sorry mate I could not resist that comment)
4) I have worn all the luck off of my other dice.
5) I liked the pretty colours.
6) I want a set for show games!

Some of the above are whopping lies while other reasons are spot on. We all know that a factory only puts so much luck on a dice as part of the manufacturing process!! (That might not be true|)




Lastly the hot weather Dried up several of my paint colours. And as I do not use metallic all that often I found this guy selling samples reasonably cheap. All 6 colours cost me £5 including postage. So far I have to say they are the best golds/bronze/copper that I have ever used. I only hope that feeling lasts.  That should do for now as I have NO need to buy bigger and more expensive pots of acrylic gold. These were bought on a whim and I am not disappointed.


15mm sci fi. I have (I think) finally settled on my alien force and a quick bank check shows I can afford them (Out  of this years Interest..... JUST) so with a few chats today I hope to send off for them Monday. (Fingers Crossed)

That's it for today (Should have been yesterday) enjoy the weekend and play if you can or paint if you can't. Take care all the best Clint