Exterminator Squad

Another Khurasan Miniatures squad. These make for good "space marines". They are supposed to represent the marines from Aliens.

Corporate Marines

A squad of the Khurasan Corporate Marines. My son selected these as his squad so I painted the shoulder patch the blue and grey like his US Infantry for Flames of War (29th Infantry Division).

PAINT
Prime- wolf grey/blue
Armor/helmet- dark seagreen
Guns- neutral grey
Belts/Packs- black and natural steel
Gloves/boots- german grey
Patch- flat blue and london grey

Space Pals Plus

Han, Chewie and Boba Fett from Highlander Studios miniatures. Painted them to match the action figures my son has as best I could. Great character figures.

Other figures are from several different purchases...don't remember what sets.

Four Ursid Mercenaries from Khurasan miniatures. Love these guys with the big guns, glasses, and cigars.Not sure how they fit in my sci-fi world...most likely as mercenaries...also make good companions for characters.

PAINT
Fur- GermanCamo Medium Brown and Leather Brown on the claws/snout
Gear- Cavalry Brown and Brass
Gun- Neutral Grey and Tinny Tin
Glasses- Brass and Pastel Blue
Three other figures...can't remember what sets. Make for more good characters.

December 2011

Not a huge month for painting but I did get in a few squads of sci-fi figures.

39 x 15mm sci-fi figures (mixed lot)

TOTAL: 39 points


Christmas loot included:
-2012 Wargamers Annual
-Wargaming in History V5
-Achtung Schweinehund
-a clip-on painting light

I also got my son the 150th Anniversary version on Battle Cry. Played the first scenario...he took the first victory point but I won 6-4. He did make very good use of the Reinforcement Card by placing an artillery unit near my rear...shot up 2 more units. He played the second scenario with one of his friends and won 6-4.

My son also set up two games this month. The first was a Flames of War beach landing...he got the idea to use the tan cloth.

The second game was Force on Force using a mixed bag of modern figures. He and a friend attacked my defenders in a the buildings. They planned out the set up on the dry erase board.

I have primed four groups of sci-fi figures...about 120 in all. I will try to tackle these in the next two months. I have a batch of GZG figures on hand and that will then finish up the on hand sci-fi figures. There are some more I want to get but not sure if I want to drive hard on the sci-fi project and then start the ancients, or work on both at once.

Peace in Our Time

With the retreat of the Barony of Schluppity-Schlupp's remaining forces and the disintergartion of the rebel Army of Peace, quiet has fallen on the North as Winter arrives.

The Grand Duchy forces continue to round up bandits and monitor the border, but the rebelian has come to an end.

Most of the Alliance forces return home with only a small contingent entering Winter quarters in the Grand Duchy.

Diplomatic envoys from Schlupp arrive after the new year to forge a lasting peace. The exact terms of the treaty are kept secret but surly involve a large indemnity, the hand over of several small trading posts and colonial ventures in Afrika and The Indies, and the expulsion of the rebel leaders.

All eyes turn towards the crowned heads of the victoreous alliance. What's next for the powers of the North?

-----------------
My second campaign has come to a close. I will be focusing on two other projects in 2012, but Katzenstein will always be #1!

Battle of Gwernhoff

15 June- MG Grumm's division advanced on Gwernhoff to attack the enemy rear guard. Grumm's forces outnumber the defenders, but the Schluppity-Schlupp troops are under good leadership and have chosen their positions well. The defenders have a line running from the enclosed orchard, through the central wood to the hill on the left flank with an advanced post in the woods further forward.

---I played this game with the Die Fighting rules. The basic premise is that each forces has a pool of  "resource" dice that are used with "leadership" dice and "free" dice to resolve movement, combat, and C2 (rally). For a first outing, things went OK but I know I missed some things in the rules and I was not sure how to work out a few situations. Just went with my gut or used the "Rule of Six" to add 6 points and move on. Overall, the rules were OK and would be more fun once I memorized all the dice factors. I still prefer Field of Battle so Die Fighting will go on the shelf. I am looking forward to getting the Die Marching campaign rules that will use the same resource dice concept.

Katzian brigades advance on light with the militia on the right and the guards in the center.

Enemy troops using the enclosed orchard as a strongpoint.

The center and Katzian right...enemy advanced post in the woods on the far right.

The broad advance puts lots of pressure on the enemy (and uses up lots of resource dice).

Guns advance to a key position to bombard the orchard. They would shatter the enemy and force them into flight. (Enemy unit rolled three 1's when trying to rally and fled the table).

The Militia Brigade takes on the first enemy unit. They would win out and ultimately put the defending battalion to flight.

Cavalry cover the advance of the Guard Brigade.

The Cavalry Brigade would charge several times to take the hill but are held at bey despite using up many enemy resource dice.

Light cavalry forces back by fire as the dragoons move on the flank.

The victorious Militia Brigade!

Hard luck on the cavalry at the hill.

The enemy center is pierced and the woods fall to the grenadiers supported by Prince Noah's Regiment.

The orchard is taken quickly after.

A last ditch cavalry charge is defeated and the enemy begin to fall back.

Only one battalion and one regiment are in good order to cover the retreat.

The heavy hitting guns adjust fire to the enemy cavalry.

Chewks

The first of the dedicated sci-fi troops. A 38 "man" platoon of Chewks from Khurasan Miniatures. They remind me of Jawas.

Organization

HQ
1 x Platoon Leader
1 x PLatoon Sergeant
1 x Medic
2 x Rifle Chewks

Weapon Section
2 x 2 Chewk Mortar Teams
2 x 2 Chewk Rocket Teams
2 x 2 Chewk Machinegun Teams

3 x Rifle Squads
7x Rifle Chewks

Paint
Robes-Cork Brown
Belts- Chocolate Brown
Skin- Sky Blue
Eyes- Gold
Weapons- Gunmetal Blue
Ammo- Black and Brass
Prime- Brown

Basing
Pumice mixed with brown on brown painted 15mm round wood 1.5mm bases with magnetic bottom.
Woodland Scenics fine ballast
Dry grass
Highland Tufts
Small rocks

November 2011

Painting:

38 x Chewks= 38 points
Cargo Containers= 2 points
Walls = 2 points

TOTAL: 42 points

I have four small sci-fi groups primed along with 6 ancients units. Plan to focus on the sci-fi until the new year.

I also want to prime all of my building so they can be painted in 2012. Half done so far.

Overall November has been a slow month but I did get in some Force on Force games and another game in my main campaign.

End of the End

10 May- Count Wilhelm personally takes to the field and leads a combined force of Hippo-Heimer, Keck, and Doft troops in a final bid to destroy the rebels and invading Schluppty-Schlupp forces. As word of the advance spreads, rebels begin to desert the Army of Peace.

19 May- The Katzian host, fresh from the victory against Poo-Boochen in the South, trecks North to put further presure on the rebels and their allies. Desertions increase and some areas fall into rampant banditry.

1 June- Count Wilhelm announces a general amnesty for all rebels that return to their homes within the week. Over half the rebels desert in the first three days while the remaining ring leaders try to forge the remainder into some kind of fighting force.

9 June- The combined Alliance forces rout a rebel divison along the Iller River road. On the same day, Schlupp forces begin retreating towards the border.

14 June- The Katzain army arrives before Gwernhoff to find the Schlupp rear guard and an odd lot of rebels arrayed for battle. The rebels have taken too the field when they found the dilapidated defenses of the town would not stand a seige.

15 June- Battle of Gwernhoff---to be fought with the Die Fighting rules.

Peace of Hampton's Crossing

MG Grumm dispatched the light brigade and a regiment of hussars to pursue Schwartz's retreating command towards the border while moving the rest of the division to block the enemy lines of communication coming from Farthing Ford at the small river bridge of Hampon's Crossing. Burning the bridge and covering the downstream ford with entrenched troops and cannon, he patiently waited the oncoming Poo-Boochen forces. The dispirited enemy arrived the next afternoon to find their retreat route blocked. Initially deploying for battle, a flag of truce soon appeared prompted by the sounds of combat from the rear guard just a few miles North.

Trapped, Marshal Von Saxe of Poo-Boochen asked for terms and the campaign in the South came to an end.

The Peace of Hampton's Crossing-

- All Poo-Boochen forces would withdraw from the Grand Duchy in seven days.
- The main army would march out with honors of war.
- The border fort would be handed over on the third day.
- All Poo-Boochen forces would be removed from the Groening district along the border except for a single regiment of infantry and two squadrons of cavalry to keep the peace.
- Poo-Boochen would pay an indemnity of six million to the Grand Duchy and a further two million to Katzenstein.
- Poo-Boochen would raise a force of 10,000 men for independant action against the Barony of Schluppity-Schlup within six months.


The campaign in the North is still to be decided.

Battle of Featherstone's Farm

1 May - Poo-Boochen forces took the initiative under General Schwartz's able leadership. His cavalry advanced rapidly to screen the follow on infantry and it appeared the Poo-Boochen forces would be able to move on line with the farmstead garrison. It was not too be...The Prax Prarie Cossacks and Wha Hoo Hussars launched daring charges that caught the Poo-Boochen horsemen unprepared. The Katzain cavalry routed both their opponents leaving many on the field and taking even more prisoners. Supported by the Boober Bay Uhlans, the Katzian cavalry  forced Schwartz to deploy his infantry and guns short of the farm. This gave MG Grumm an opportunity to launch a brigade attack against the farm after blasting the defenders with close range cannon fire. Schwartz had one last chance to stave off defeat by bringing his eformed cavalry back into action. While they did overturn the Cossacks, the remaining Katzian cavalry proved too tough to break. With his cavalry in tatters, the farm lost, and his forces facing overwhelming cavalry numbers, Schwartz reluctantly ordered a retreat.

The river valley.

Forces of Katzenstein.

The light brigade looking for a crossing point...it was not to be.

The first cavalry clash won handily by the Katzian lights.

With the enemy cavalry neutralized, the attack on the farm begins.

Cavalry protect the flank and force the Poo-Boochen infantry to deploy.

Poo-Boochen Cavalry regroup.

The second clash...too little, too late.

The farm attack begins.

Victory!

Prince Noah's regiment fills in the gap in the center.

Time for a retreat.

Terrain

Painted up a few of my new terrain items- cargo containers and desert walls.

Force on Force

Played my first two games of Force on Force with my son. Kept it simple by making them all regulars but gave a TQ and MQ advantage to his forces and they wiped me out twice.

Still getting a handle on the reaction system but the basic game mechanics are fairly simple.