PBB Game 2 (Zombies?)

I am about to Start PBB game no 2. Having had a couple of false starts I am keeping it small and low key this year, maybe bigger next, who knows.

There are currently 3 slots open for players on a first come first served basis. This will be more roleplay/skirmish than big battle. I will need 3 characters.

1 Troop commander. (yes they will be in charge )
1 Vehicle Driver, (WIMIK)
1 Vehicle Gunner. (40mm Auto Grenade Launcher)

Much like the last PBB game it is all experimental and therefore likely to go wrong so if it does please forgive me. But If you want to play this year you are welcome.

There will be 6 players in all and 3 spaces have already joined.

Cpl. Ian "Coop" (Shelldrake) Cooper, (2ic,)Vehicle Driver
Pvt. Simon "Brum" Quinton 50. Cal Gunner
Pvt. Kasper "Frog" Froberg. (Mechanic or Medic yet to be decided and the Bosses choice, not his!))

I will be using the "TOTAL AR:SE" rules but you do not need a copy as I am happy to give one to you, or they are free on the interweb thingie IF you can find them. (I could not and had to be shown). A couple of rule amendments will need to be made for PBB and Roleplaying, but generally the same rules.

By Roleplaing I am not so interested in every word spoken but in actions of a single figure!

There are some mission clues in the pictures, (nothing at all cryptic) The setting is purely imaginary and is not meant to exist in the real world but some nebulous setting in North Africa or the middle east. IT WILL NOT BE A HISTORICAL GAME

I was hoping to start the game today, but a couple of hand picked players have not managed to get in touch with me hence the open call for 3 more players.

SO If you want to play, Please leave a comment and email me at Clintburnettagain (at)Hotmail(dot) C0m. Please read other comments and if someone before you has asked for a specific role respect them and select another. Every player will be able to try anything maybe just the once though but to a LESSER EXTENT THAN THE SPECIALISTS.

All I need at this stage is 3 players and my first job will be to give you Nicknames suitable for your character and the British army setting.

It is first come first served and I am ready to go. So should start next Saturday with turns each weekend thereafter.

That's it for now. All the best Clint

Naughty or Nice?

Have you been naughty?

Well this year I have signed up to be a secret Santa, actually I have signed up to be two.

 You may know that Ian runs one at http://walladvantage2.blogspot.co.uk/2015/09/its-secret-santa-time-again-secret.html runs an annual Secret Santa Project for poor misunderstood unfortunate wargamers. Well as I am one I thought to join in.


Here are the rules (Taken from his Blog)

Below are the rules in a little more detail.

1. To enter you need to either have a blog or be a regular follower of this blog already. This is to give confidence to all involved that everyone will follow through to the end. If you have a blog and don't follow this one it's OK to join in.

2. The present should be around £15 plus postage (best to buy the present actually in the country the receiver lives in so cutting down postage costs)

3. It's OK to have a wish list but it's just as good to buy something you think the person would like. Blog details of your target are given so you can snoop.

4. Whilst it's not essential it really added to Cath's enjoyment when the SS checked in with her to let her know target had incoming.

5. You should promote the Secret Santa on your blog to hopefully increase the numbers joining in.



6. You should sign up by 1st November so to allow time for picking gifts.

7. Gifts should arrive by 20th December if possible. It's fine to get the supplier to send direct and I would be cheeky and ask them to gift wrap  ;-)

8. Item/s should be wargame related though it's OK to throw in something odd if you want to.

Well that's all I can think of at the moment regards rules etc. You have right up to the 1st of November to sign up but I would appreciate some early birds as it makes organising it that much easier. I will need the blog name and an e-mail address for you (plus your real name)

Something nice to look at. If you are on the Nice list.

9. You can sign up by sending me an email via the gadget to the right of the posts or details in the comments section.  Those returning only need to let me know they are in again and any change of details as Cath has last years details.

 

So you have until November 1 if you are interested. In Joining the fun.

 

Additionally: A second Secret Santa run by Chris can be found Here. http://cstoesen.blogspot.co.uk/2015/09/the-santa-clause-2015.html 

 

And here are his rules..

Rule number 1:

To enter you need to either have a blog or be a regular follower of this blog (or Ian's) already. This is to give confidence to all involved that everyone will follow through to the end. If you have a blog and don't follow this one it's OK to join in. (I would still appreciate it if you did follow)

Rule number 2:

The idea is that each person involved buys a figure or figures to the value of less than £5 and paints them up to fit in with what the target blogger wargames or collects. Best would be some kind of command for the bigger scales but maybe a unit or two of such as 6mm or a building or... you get the idea.

 

Rule number 3:

Please try to send out your items so that they will arrive by December 20th in plenty of time for the big day. I will send out who you have on September 30th.

Rule number 4:

Please post on your blog about your participation. The more we can get on board, the more fun for all of us.

Rule number 5:

This is not intended to be a cheap alternative to Ian's Secret SantaTM. Instead it is a great opportunity to send and receive something that will be special BECAUSE it's a one off from a fellow blogger. Not that you have to limit yourself to something useful, feel free to paint up something that will just sit aside the painting desk or study etc and just give pleasure.

 

So having entered them both I thought to give my prospective Secret Santas a few Hints (Un -subtle).

 

Firstly though If you think of something I would Like that is not on the list, get it I am sure I will like it no matter what and it may be something I would not have thought of.

 

But if you want to be safe and sure I will love it, here are a few suggestions. Top right is a gadget which has the suggestions listed in alphabetical order. I went Alphabetically so not to sway your opinions.

 

 

V= Virgin Project so you are guaranteed to get me something I just do not have.

I have put a picture by each idea so you should not miss any that way. But I know I would no matter what anyone else did! 

 

V Lovecraft Horror. 28mm. I am thinking in the new year of starting some Lovecraft horror Wargaming. As such I would be looking for Deepones, Hybrids, Fishermen, Cultists and the like. http://blackcatbases.com/ sell them all if you did not know where to find them. Takes me back to my youth of playing Call of C'thulhu, Maybe a second childhood is approaching nah I have not left the first one yet!

 

 

 

 

 

 

V Ice Age animals. 28mm. For a while now I have been thinking about LEWIS and CLARKE mapping America and Canada. I had wondered what it would be like if they came across a lost world. can you imagine a game wher Mountain men armed with a Musket would try to hunt Smiladon or mammoths. Gosh that would be a squeaky bum time! But you know some fool (brave soul) would! Dee Zee miniatures have them on eBay on occasion, but as a new project any manufacture would do,

 

V Naval wargames from "Transition Period to Modern Day" I have never really gotten into Naval wargames in the past as I was put of by some bad experiences in my teens. But now I am Older (much older) I am ready to have another try at this style of wargames. As it is a New project I am not fixed on a manufacture or scale (but small is good) or even setting. So feel free to go crazy anything from 1905 Russian Japanese, to Greenpeace anti whaling is good for me. perhaps WW2 Pacific has the widest choice though.

 

Pendraken 10 mm I would look to increase my 10mm Samurai armies(No Peasants though.) As I canalways use extra 10mm Sams Just for continuity I would stick to Pendraken as other manufactures tend not to fit in too well with the armies I already have.

 

V. Pendraken 10mm Mongols. I have none and while they could be used to fight against my Samurai armies they would realistically be slightly too early so I am actually thinking of  using them for "Lion Rampant" or even "Dragon Rampant" as they would be a nice nomadic force  and I have always like horse armies. Even If I am rubbish at using them. So no Infantry please.

 

 

 

V Pendraken 10mmWW1 Turkish. It may seem odd to ask for

WW1 Turkish troops when I have no interest in Galipoli as a wargame. But there is a whole theatre of war that is seldom looked at in WW1 Palestine. I would choose Turkish troops to start with as I am not sure if I will want to start my 10mm Arab revolt force before Christmas or not. But as another club member already has started a Imperial force starting the Turks might be a good idea as I will have someone to fight straight away without having to paint 2 armies!

 

Pendraken 10mm Colonial. I already have enough 10mm Zulus and British. So maybe More Marhdists (I am short of Cavalry and Camalry) but I have no Egyptians if you want to keep it in the Sudan. But I would be very interested as well in the NW Frontier (again no British) Afghani Tribesmen, The dress and clothing of the Afghanis has not altered very much so Afghani Tribesman could be used to fight anything from Napoleonic Battles (1st Anglo Afghan war) all the way through the colonial perion to the 5th Anglo Afghan war ( Not much of a war as it only lasted a few days) and nothing to really wargame all very one sided.

 

 

 

V Van Helsing 28mm. Taking inspiration from the film of the same name, We have werewolves,witches Vampires and Villagers. As well as Heroes and Villains. I would be looking to use the "Songs of Blades and Heroes" rules to create some skirmish games. . Figure wise I would look at vampire wars by Westend Games or perhaps any ECW figures for village militia or town watch. This really is a very open subject so feel free to let your imagination run wild. Maybe a Frankenstein's Monster or a Fu Manchoo  or Crooked Dice Scarecrows, or a gypsy caravan or two.

 

 

V Western Desert WW2. 6mm (Heroics and Ross preferred). I would like to start using FOW in 6mm Western Desert. Italians, British (and Commonwealth) or Germans preferred but US troops were also present. I like the early - mid war period best before the German Big cats come along. £15 would easily be enough for a company with support for any of the three nations listed, 2 companies if you just got tanks! I already have a 6 MM desert board with Terrain and have been greatly Inspired by Big Lee (but don't tell him). So an easy project to start and finish..

 

Anything else. well yes As mentioned I do have a desert board (in 2 different scales, -6mm and 20mm) So Arab Israeli wars or Imperial Rome in the desert or biblical in 6mm or crusades or French foreign Legion (Riff war) or anything you can think of that I would Like. But any of the suggestions above are the easy and obvious choices. Most of the above (but not all) periods have firearms, so perhaps that is another clue. But the choice really is yours as I know I will be happy with any wargame stuff, brushes and paints included! But no underwear please as I still believe in Santa!

 

I hope to have given my secret Santa a few Ideas. Mostly it is about fun and having a good game. So whomever my Secret Santa is I hope they can enjoy my choices as much as I have enjoyed Voicing them. Good Luck to you who ever you are and I hope I have given you more than enough to choose from.

 

Cheers Clint

All together now! (BUF part 3)

Yes here is the British Union of Fascists (BUF) figures I have painted for Matt. They are mostly Musketeer Miniatures as mentioned in previous posts, but there are a couple from other sources.  It is not a competition to find them. see Below.

All painted for Matt and he will get them back on the weekend. then I will only see them when they are on the tabletop fighting against me. I really have enjoyed painting these and would welcome doing more. There are 21 in all but some are hidden behind others so you may have to take my word on that.


In the last picture the central figure is a Copplestone Castings to represent an officer. While the one on the right is a conversion carried out by Matt, and painted by me. Lastly the one on the left is a Musketeer Miniatures.

Right that is it for today More again soon, (Probably Thursday) when I talk about this years Play by blog game. It will be more roleplaying than wargaming and places are severely limited, but more of this on Thursday.

Cheers Clint.

BUF (Part 2)

Well it was going to happen sooner or later, and probably sooner! So here is Part 2 of Matts British Union of Fascists. This time an MG team. As with the previous figures they are 28mm Musketeer Miniatures sold in this Country by Footsore Miniatures.

We have the MG Loader, Gunner and Sargent commanding the team. All nice figures and all well cast and sculpted. Only one of these has bathed in Dettol so you can see when dried of and painted they do not come out to Bad at all.

Overall I am quite happy with them, as always there are things to do differently.

In Part 3, oh yes there will be a part 3 on Tuesday. I will show the other figures, the officers and a group shot of them all together. And then they are all done, unless Matt buys some more.

Thanks for Looking today and the others are nearly done, just some finishing off and tidying up to do! So with luck see you again on Tuesday.

All the best Clint

BUF (Part 1)

Getting back on my painting schedule after the Dettol Fiasco! Long story don't ask but I will confirm the Wilko's BROWN antibacterial solution does also work and is cheaper than Dettol!

Anyway back to the figures. Today we have the first British Union of Fascists (BUF) painted and finished. For those few who do not know the Very British Civil War. The BUF control London and a lot of the South East of England and are currently fighting the Anglican League who hold the rest of Kent (Along with many other places) and waging battles either side of the river Medway.  I personally live about 3/4 of a mile from the river so needles to say it is part of a VBCW that has sparked my interest.

The figures are "Musketeer Miniatures" Sold in the UK by Footsore Miniatures. They are 28mm tall and are very nicely sculpted. The faces all look very young and that is my only criticism. The Flag was sold by Solway and painted by Pete Barfield, who does so many of the flags.

They are of course for Mat and his ever growing collection and I will have 2 more batches to finish. So that should tell you what the next few blog posts will be. And YES I will do a group shot at the end!

Thanks for looking today and with luck and a fair wind more again on Saturday!
Have fun, enjoy your life and I hop to see you back here soon.
Cheers Clint

Eldrich Horror. (and Machi Koro)

Yesterday at the wargames club I played a couple of board games instead of putting any figures on the table.

The main game was of Eldritch horror. It did last most of the day and playing co-operatively we tried to thwart the plans of Shubb-Niggurath and to be honest we did come pretty close, but the "Mother of a thousand young" or the "Black Goat of the woods" or any of her other names was not beaten. Instead a world wide apocalypse ensured and all of human kind was destroyed.

Ah well good job it is only a game. Mind you perhaps it would serve the population right if it were left to a few chubby middle aged wargamers on a Sunday to save the world.  It is a very good game though and one worth playing again and (if time allows) again. The chubby wargamers did manage to beat YIG the only time I have played before but that did involve getting my investigator eaten on turn 3.... opps!

After we had allowed the world to be destroyed! Careless of us I know! we had a "quick" game of "Machi Koro!" Which is very different from the dark brooding horrors of the mythos. It is a game about building a town. First time I have played it and I did like it. Nice to build something after destroying the world I think.

I got lucky and did win the game through the use of flower shops and French restaurants! Ok that is maybe an over simplification but the tactics behind the win were sound in that I always went for a spread of numbers between 1 and 13 on 2d6. So that whatever I rolled something would come up rather than just concentrating on the 6-8 number range. So a good easy fun game and a lot of fun for me as I won and my town had an airport before the other two more experienced players got a radio station! They did explain the game and give me a few hints along the way but somehow I know Ian will start to use my very negative French restaurants tactics to leech money from other players next time.

Sorry no Painting this time, maybe in a couple of days!

Hunting party

 These figures are from Woodbine MIniatures, but sold in the UK by Gripping Beast. I will leave it to you to determine Hunting party or game keepers or poachers or maybe some of each!  They are of course for Matt and his ever growing Very British Civil War project.

As such I have painted them in country clothes colours and tweeds and it helps to make them look like they have been extras in a "Horse and Hounds" photo shoot.  I did enjoy painting them despite destroying a paint brush (Accidently) in the process.

Little more needs be said other than they are all 28mm figures and were well cast and sculpted.

All the best Clint

A couple more!



 

Two more figures for Matts Collection. I suspect the lady is modelled after "Miss Fisher" in the Miss Fisher Mysteries detective series. Not a series I really enjoy, it's ok but nothing oh so special to me! but it is of the 1920's so eminently suitable for a VRCW.

 

While her companion reminds me of a grown up Tin Tin, Matt thinks they are both Copplestone castings but is not sure not that it matters too much.

 

I shall do one more post on Saturday morning as I have a few more that shall be finished by then.

 

Thanks for looking today, have fun from a rather chilly this morning Kent.

 

All the best Clint

50mm Mortar and crew.

Yep another post.
Today a 50mm Vietnamese local militia force Mortar and 2 crew. The Figurers are from Britannia and quite well sculpted and cast.. Nothing special, but these two just round out my Vietnam Collection. I only have 2 helicopters crew and then I really am all ready to go. We can always keep adding to collections and I am sure I will in years to come, but for now I am just about done. As the Helicopters will mostly be making very short visits to the table and I want to do them for the next Analogue painting challenge!

These two are 20mm (or 1/72 if you prefer). And with that back to painting VBCW figures for Matt. And colonial figures for Pete. (Both Club Members)

SO until next time, have fun and take care.
All the very best Clint.

Bounders

 Well both my 86 year old Mother (whom I Look after) and myself have been ill this week. We have both bounced back from 2 very different conditions and are both well and happy now. So no more to be said on that score it's all over and best forgotten!

So back to posting again. Today we have more figures for my good friend Matt and his ever growing VBCW collection. When I asked how he wanted these painted he just said "I trust you so do what you think's best and take the colours from the flag!"

I hope he will still trust me after this! I think he'll like them though (Fingers crossed).

The figures are by "Sloppy Jalopy" (LINK!) and represent a fine English Cricket team (with very loud blazers). There are 18 figures painted in all including a couple of head swaps and other conversions. All of which Matt has done and I just slap paint on them. A typical selection of "Gentlemen and Players" including bowlers, fielders wicket keeper umpire and of course batsman.

The figures are sculpted by  Bill Thornhill I believe and have a very nice feel to them. Very fitting to a summer sport! And possibly one of Britain's best exports ever! A game for gentlemen so not something played very much in less civilised countries like America, France, Spain or Germany.  If you have never played cricket you just do not know the social importance of the game and that how after 5 days it can still be a draw!


 I did try something slightly different with the bases, as I did not want any tufts. (There is a famous one at Canterbury Cricket ground, but I digress). So I tried to create the mown lawn effect by dry brushing a lighter shade of green in one direction on each base. I think it has worked and has saved me putting on tufts and fluff which in turn has saved me a little time and money!  But you may note some grass stains on a few figures as well as where the bowlers have been "Polishing" their balls!


 The Flag is by Pete Barfield. known as Panzerkaput aka "Petal" on his very own blog .

And the final picture is a group shot of them all together!

Bank holiday today so get some painting done if you can.

All the best from Kent!

Battle for the Watermill (A VBCW AAR)

Yesterday at the Club Matt, Bob, Dave and Myself played another VBCW game using the Chain of Command rules. As we were both (The Anglican league and the British Union of Fascists) using the same force composition we altered the lists slightly. Instead of 3 squads of 8 men we went for 4 squads of 11 men each. Each squad with a lewis gun and a junior leader.

Bob rolled to randomly generate the scenario and it was the British Union of Fascists (BUF) commanded by Dave and myself, Attacking and the Anglican league (Matt and Bob) defending. There was a prominent water mill at one side of the board and that was designated as our Objective. Each side rolled 1d6 for assets and the BUF selected a sniper, a pregame bombardment and an Adjutant. The AL rolled badly and only selected  a 2" Mortar team.

Selecting only 3 jump off points and getting some attackers moves we quickly moved up the board. WHen Matt and Bob put there patrol markers down they were frightfully close to getting locked down before the game started. Eventually the jump off point for both teams were established and the game started!

Being Attackers the BUF had first roll of the command dice and as I rolled double 6 we would get the next turn as well. But in the first turn all we could bring on was a lewis gun and the sniper. The second turn we did better and got 2 squads on.

The AL got their first turn but due to our initial bombardment they only managed to get a single squad onto the board. But due to lack of targets the BUF had the sniper and 1 squad on overwatch and as soon as the figures were placed we shot at them. It was not a brilliant result but at least we killed one of the squad and give it 3 points of shock.

Our sniper was not good and barely hit anything worthwile in the whole game. but he did cause 2 points of shock when he did hit. And from experience I can tell you it's not much fun as it is hard to target him back!

The next few Phases it was a case of bringing more stuff on to the board. Matt bought on the Mortar and another squad. While the BUF managed to get everything on the board. Matt and Bob were out gunned at this stage as our barrage was still making it hard for them to bring on troops. But they did a rather good Mortar strike and killed a junior NCO of my main squad which then forced us to bring on our senior leader and join him to the squad that Matt was shooting up.

By this stage though Dave on the left wing advanced and got within 4 inches of an enemy jump off point. So the BUF ended the turn and the jump off point was lost along with some morale. Also one AL squad was forced back due to morale and forced off of the table!

As this made the turn over the AL was able to bring on troops without heed to our barrage. So Matt bought a squad on, as did Bob. Bobs troops coming up from the river bank opened up on Dave's squad in the open. This fire at his squad in the open was enough to break them and from cowering behind the cart they also fled the field.

 As I was firing 2 squads onto Matts single squad. His squad was getting smaller. This resulted in him bringing on his senior leader (Platoon commander) which then joined the squad and managed each phase to reduce the shock I was building up.







Well not quite as I was slowly whittling them down. So Matt was able to bring on his last squad to support them in the same field. I was forced to split my fire and as luck (for me not for Matt) would have it he through bad command dice and failed to reduce the shock.







The result was that his squad was just reduced to leaders and no troops and with 7 points of shock they withdrew.

This marked the game over stage as the defenders morale and command dice plummeted to just a single dice (Instead of the 5 you start with and the BUF was still on 5 command dice!)

The result as another BUF win over the AL.

Overall a quite good game, not as enjoyable as the first 2 we played but this time I was not really in the mood so I think that makes sense.

I am sure The AL will make a come back, to be honest I do wish they had won that game but from the set up the defenders were on the back foot. Our preliminary barrage was very effective in not allowing the defenders to get troops on and I would us e one again when attacking IF I got the chance!

Thanks for reading and today I am enjoying the rain here in Kent!

Cheers Guys!

All together now!

Well as promised here is a group shot of them all together. When I say All I do just mean this batch. There have already been a couple of batches of figures painted up for matt and the Very British Civil War. But seeing them together does make a village packed full of characters.

The back of Mole and the Front of Toad. Clearly a lot of green and brown on Toad just to keep in with the wind in the willows. while Mole is lots of dark grey.

 Then there was an older gent, perhaps fallen on hard times and with a tommy gun behind his back so while at distance he may not be such a good shot close up watch out!

 I am not so very sure about the gent on the right, but he could easily be a conductor on a trolley bus or perhaps he works front of house in a Cinema theathre.

 I did first think of the guy on the right as a game keeper but he  could be a gentleman farmer. The clothes look better quality than a poacher so for me he is a farmer of quite a sizable estate, or the estate manager of a mansion/stately home.

 A dashing game hunter with shot gun (on the right). But preferring a shotgun than a rifle. And with the kind of bleached teeth only an American would aspire towards!

 On the right, I nicknamed this figure "The Major" when I was painting him. The "Pink" hunting jacket might just as likely be an old dress uniform.

 The Man servant, back from the far flung depths of the British empire ready to help "the Major" should he ever need it.

And Finally 2 Ironclad figures from the Raj. Matt wants them to be the owner/operator of Balty Towers an Indian hotel-restaurant so who am I to disagree. And even the flag has three towers on it (but hard to see in the group picture). I am sure Matt will divulge more as time passes.

Thanks For looking. I am slowly getting my act together. So with luck the next blog post will be Monday.

Until then, take care and have fun!

Cheers Clint.