Tallarn Raiders : Xeno Rampant ?

Still not had much time for painting but with a copy of Xeno Rampant at Christmas and with a plan for some small sci-fi campaigning later in the year I dug out some of my 40k imperial guard. Turns out I had more Tallarn Desert raiders than I thought and easily enough for a small XR force. A few of these had been partially painted but many were not touched at all. They are beautiful sculpted figures and a pleasure to paint.

A commander and radio operator (the radio is a conversion)

A squad

B squad

C Squad

…and a heavy weapons support team which can be played separately or merged into the infantry squads

I also have some heavier weapons which I am working on and I may even paint some support vehicles as the year progresses.

Next I am working on Napoleonic limbers but I may well get distracted. Hopefully a game later in the week and then our annual trip to Vapnartak, the wargame show at York 😀

Thanks as always for looking 

Matt 😀

Napoleonic Russians Vs French : Valour and Fortitude

This weekend saw the first run out for my Napoleonic French against Martin’s Russians, given the scale of our forces and wanting to get everything on the table we would give Valour and Fortitude a first run out. No particular historical context but a simple scenario as below. Both forces would be split into 3 sections with predetermined entry points unknown to the enemy. Only the rearguard would have a random entry point. The French would come on from blues entry points and the Russians from the red. The woods we designated light woods. Both armies have 4 infantry Brigades and 2 cavalry brigades and 4or5 artillery pieces.

Battlefield about 8x7 feet as an L shape

The French vanguard infantry arrives on the right

The Russian vanguard of Cossacks and infantry have by chance arrived opposite them, in the distance French light cavalry advance

After 3 turns the main armies start to arrive, French heavy cavalry on the left

The French bring a second brigade on to the right with supporting artillery but they get slightly bottled up waiting for the vanguard to move forward

The French light cavalry cover the centre and managed to bottle up then Russian main army who struggle to form up

French infantry reform into attack formations and start to advance

Before the French heavy cavalry can sweep forward Russian cavalry arrive on the battlefield

The French heavy Cavalry now has to choose which target ?

french reserves also advance and deploy into attack column 

On the right some of the french have been forced into square

…by the Cossacks now in the light woods

The heavy cavalry charge against each other, initially the French get the advantage

But then they are recharged by the Russians and although both cavalry brigades are ‘blown’ the Russians roll better and the french cavalry are beaten from the field

French reserve infantry form into line

Russians grenadiers arrive on the left

Although a long shot the Cossacks charge the french squares but are beaten back 

In the centre the French light cavalry have held up the main Russian force, giving time for the french infantry to get into a strong position

French pushing forward on the left as well

They form into attack formation and go in with their bayonets.

Although the Cossacks have been pushed back the Russian grenadiers are attacking down the road

And break through the leading French regiment

The French are now in control in the centre and on the left

At this point we brought the battle to a close a French victory as the Russians are on the back foot. A great run out for the two armies. The rules worked well and it didn’t take long to get the hang of them. We made a few mistakes but nothing significant. A few odd results as we both felt the french cavalry should have won the context but they didn’t roll well enough. Secondly the French light cavalry seemed to hang on too long holding up a lot of Russians but again this might just have been above average dice rolling. A few anomalies around infantry in line getting an advantage in melee but the rules worked pretty well for this scale of battle.

Hopefully some more gaming soon and I have been working on painting but nothing yet to share. Obviously I have an eye to paint lots more Napoleonic stuff especially the artillery limbers which have been prepared.

Thanks as always Matt

Battle of Ascalon 1099 : The First Crusade

A quietish start to the year hobby wise mainly due to family stuff, with my father not being too well I have spent quite a few days in Edinburgh helping him out and arranging for him to move into a care home.  This has allowed me to get some prep work done for figures to paint later in the year. I have also spent some time sorting and selling some unloved fantasy figures, this has created some space and generated a nice pot of  money which I need to spend 🤔 

But never fear I have been painting figures just nothing completed as yet.

So onto the battle from this weekend the final battle of the First Crusade the Christian armies have caught the Fatimid/Egyptian army outside the coastal city of Ascalon in August 1099.

The Christian army approached Ascalon in three separate ‘divisions’ each led by a notable Christian Lord, the battlefield was constrained by the sea to the west and rough higher ground to the east.

Catching the Fatimids in their camp the Crusaders then split into their three divisions, pushing forward with their infantry with knights in reserve.

I now have about enough figures to cover this battle on a 6x5 table. Apart form the constraint to the edges of the battlefield it is open ground.

The Christian forces in line of battle

The Fatimids, to represent the unprepared situation each unit must make a test to activate

With the Fatimids unlikely to take the initiative the crusaders chose to advance while they have the advantage, some of the Arab cavalry and archers failing to activate in the first turn

After a turn to reorganise the Christian knights they charge forward

The Egyptians hold the first charge and push the cavalry back

The battle then starts to breakdown into individual combats

The Fatimids start to take control on the right catching the Christian knights in the flank

But the Christians are taking control on the right and in the centre

The Fatimids are still holding but in a brave/foolhardy attack Robert of Normandy charges through to attack the second defensive line

The Fatimids also have some heavy cavalry which arrives late to the battle they clash immediately with the Crusader knights on the right flank

By this stage the crusaders are getting the upper hand pushing the defenders out the way on the right and in the centre

In the distance the battle is still raging on whilst the rest of the crusader infantry is pushing towards the city walls

Slow to retreat and a caught in the open Robert of Normandy is hacked down in the dying turns of the battle

At this point the battle closed with a crusader win, reflecting the historical outcome. The remaining Fatimids will have to flee for their lives !

A fun battle played in fine spirit, even if the Christian’s tried a number of ruses to get the advantage 😀 looking forward to another game next weekend. And keen to get some painting done this week as well, although my wife has me down to decorate the kitchen this week as well 🫣

Thanks for checking in Matt

Battle for Adlington Corner : Operation Sealion

My first game of the year and back to Operation Sealion. day two and the Germans continue to probe across a number of fronts, with active skirmishes along the main road to Ashford the Germans are probing NW from the Military Canal along the old Roman Road. A bomber sometime in the last 48 hours has caused a huge crater on the road where the unfortunate passengers of the late bus from Ashford have crashed and blocked the road. A force of German Pioneers and rounded up Fallschirmjager dropped in the area the day before have been dispatched to secure the area with a view to opening up the road as an alternative.

The Roman Road runs left to right across the table from Adlington Corner to the wonderfully named Clap Hill. The Ashford bus is evident in the centre near the pub blocking the road. The objective for both sides is to dominate the central part of the battlefield (identified by the small red beads) after six turns. Units attempting to control the area still need to be in reasonable order, so no gamesmanship with almost broken heavily pinned trying to hold the area. Onto the battle….

British infantry push forward from Clap Hill and occupy the first of the terrace houses these are unfortunately outside the objective area, but obviously the houses provide good protection

The Germans push forward on both sides of the road

And setup a light howitzer on the high ground to the North

The German Pioneer squad rush forward in their SdKfz 251 and run into the small white cottage a second unit moves into the pub. Dam both of these buildings are in the objective area !

The British Bren gun relocates to higher ground to start firing into the white Cottage. In the distance a British Mark IV cruiser Tank is providing support and engaged in a long range duel with a Panzer 35(t) and a Panzer II hiden behind the pub, somewhere in the woods to the south there is also a rusty Matilda Mk1 which has been pressed into service.

With the Germans in the building the British start to call in mortar fire a lucky hit kills two of the occupants who after a couple of turns are heavily pinned down

The battle around the cottage is hotting up both sides taking casualties although the Germans get the better of it

The British charge in and successfully expel the Pioneers

The British have managed to take the cottage….

But with one turn to go the Germans get a decisive run on the dice getting the first four command dice from the bag, this allows them to hammer the British caught in the open and then charge their paratroopers across the road to retake the cottage. The British are now ‘blown’ and don’t have enough resources in the final turn to claim a victory

At the close of the battle the British have managed to bring a Bren carrier into the zone and although it is assaulted by paratroopers it survives, I forgot to take a couple of photos so you can’t see the Panzer II, Beaverette or smith gun all of which are burning at this stage 🙂

As is the Matilda Mark 1 knocked out by the 35(t), when we totted up the results it was a reasonably clear win for the Germans, who have not only caused more damage but could claim a slightly better hold on the objective. The British will have to pull back towards Ashford.

As always a fun battle, hard fighting interspersed by laughing at unlikely random events, one of the Germans dropping a grenade on his foot, and the fuel tank on the bus exploding  having been hit by a stray bullet killing another German 🙂 more to come hopefully soon !

The wet weather seems to have finally broken and although we have been hit by damp fog we walked up the Beacon Hill behind our town only to find the fog/cloud below u giving spectacular views across to the Lake District.

The woods at the point the fog began to break up

Our heads out of the clouds 🙂

Thanks as always more to come hopefully soon Matt