May 2011

Started off slow this month (again). Seems to be a trend. I started work on the spaceships for Starmada but struggled as I don't like painting vehilces. Took a break from them after the 1st batch and switched to more 15mm figures.

Spaceships: 34 points

Song of the Spintered Lands-
14 x foxes : 14 points

Skirmish Figures:
12 x Russians: 12 points
6 x Police: 6 pts
8 x FBI Agents: 8 pts
4 x Rioters: 4 pts
11 x Militia: 11 pts

TOTAL: 89 points

I have 2 more batches of spaceships, 3 groups of SSL animals, and 4 groups of skirmish figures primed.

My June plan is to finish at least one groups of ships, one of the animal groups, and then some skirmish figures. This may help keep me motivated by mixing it up.

I got in one more battle for the Imagi-nation campaign this month and I took over the finished portion of the basement as the game room.

Rules

I have been collecting and reading lots of rules the past few years but I think I am settling into what I want for each period/genre. I originally thought I wanted lots of detail, but in practical application, it just does not seem feasible.

ImagiNation (Horse and Musket): Field of Battle
---Blackpowder and Carnage and Glory II are contenders.

Individual Skirmish: Flying Lead and the rest of the Songs of Blades and Hereos series

Squad/Team Skirmish: Force on Force and Tomorrow's War for Sci Fi

WWII: Flames of War

Ancients: Clash of Empires
---Hail Ceasar and Piquet are options

Space Ships: Starmada

Pirates: TBD (most likely SOBH variant)

Wild West: TBD (most likely SOBH variant)

Imagi-nation army

A few pictures of the Army of Katzenstein.

I have ordered magnetic bases so I can work a better storage system.

Next year I will terrain the bases and look at expanding the army.



Campaign Progress

15 October- Katzian forces re-open the Iller to traffic after capturing the Glupp battery at the Battle of South Bend.

17 October- Katzian forces lift the siege of Curfu by winning a narrow victory against Poo-Boochen troops at the Battle of Sander's Fork. MG McPhail has commuted the sentances of six members of the Dookle's Deserter Battalion for their valiant service in the recent battle. He also promoted two cadets from the Roover River Academy to replace officer's lost in the Bumm Ridge Flanquers.

20 October- Breaking the string of Alliance victories, Schlupp troops and their allied Hippo-Heimer rebels manauver around the Hippo-Heimer forces near Gwerhof. The Hippo-Heimer forces retreat in good order during the night and march to take up positions on the East bank of the grand canal.

26 October- LTG Von Stroodel sends a small force to occupy the hill town of Potterford in anticipation of a general advance North into Hippo-Heimer.

01 November- The first snow of the year greets the forces fighting in Hippo-Heimer.The sudden storm dumps almost a foot of snow on the land to add to the misery of the campaigning troops and the war weary Hippo-Heimer population. The Spring floods and the disruption to the Fall harvests are sure to make for a long Winter. The engaged forces must now decide to continue the campaign in the freezing weather or to seek Winter quarters.

Battle of Sander's Fork

17 October- A Katzian Division led by MG McPhail advanced to raise the siege at Curfu meeting Poo-Boochen forces for the first time. The Katzian forces consisted of:

BG Cubbins
7- Mount Crumpit Geibergs Regiment
8- Zoomba-Na-Tant Geibergs Regiment
9- Mount Zorn Geibergs Regiment
Mountain Artillery Battery

BG Van Itch
17- Herk-Heimer Fusilier Regiment
18- Terwilliger Tirailleur Regiment
29- Tobsk Tribe Regiment

COL Chan
20- Bumm Ridge Flanquer Regiment
39- Dookles Deserter Battalion
40- Roover River Cadet Ranger Regiment

COL Sanders
14- Lorax Lancers
15- Jivvanese Jagers zu Pferde

Katzian division moves to break the siege.

Poo-Boochen advanced post at the fork in the road.

Line troops with light infantry in the near by woods.

The mountain brigade and cavalry rapidly advance around the flank.

The situation looks grim for the defenders with Katzian cavalry cutting the road.

The storm is about to break on the defenders.

Jivvanese mounted jaeger's fail to close with enemy troops advancing in column.

Lorax Lancers charge impetously and sweep a defending battalion from the field...and pursue them off into the distance.



The light brigade and the reserve brigade their launch attacks after the Bumm Ridge Flanquers screen the attack and suffer heavy losses.



Roover River Cadets earn battle honors by routing their foe.

Dookels Deserter Battalion shrugs off heavy losses to seize the post house.

After an hour of close combat in the dense thicket north of the pond, the light troops finally route the enemy.

The leaderless Lancers continue the pursuit after Colonel Sanders falls.

A seemingly easy victory begins to slip from MG McPhail's grasp as enemy reinforcements arrive on the flank.

The light brigade begins to reorganize in the woods.

After the mountain artilley battery is smashed attempting to unlimber, BG Cubbins launches his brigade in an attack.

The Lorax Lancers finally regroup and return to the field of battle.



Dookel's see off a last ditch attack in the center.

 

While the enemy cavalry charge faced a wall of musket fire with expert shooting by the Tobsk Tribe.

The Mountain Brigade overruns the enemy guns forcing the Poo-Boochen commander to order a retreat.

McPhail lets the enemy retreat while he takes control of the field.

The 3rd battle of the campaign is on the books. Started out to be a quick Katzian victory with double move cards allowing the left flank forces to swing into the enemy rear. Things changed mid-stream with the arrival of Poo-Boochen reinforcements that caught the Katzian artilley limbered. Unable to respond to the artillery fire, things looked bleak for MG McPhail. BG Cunnins took it upon himself to save his honor after lossing his guns and launched a full brigade attack. This succeeded beyond expectations just as the enemy cavalry shattered themselves on the opposite side of the field.

After being down to -1 Morale Points, the pendulum swung back to end with a +5 to -7 Katzian advantage. MG McPhail made up for his earlier poor performance by keeping his troops on the field (passed two Army Morale Tests) until the enemy failed theirs by 10.

Imagi-nation army update

My imagi-nation army is close to maturity. I am calling this Phase I as I do have some items I want to add over time, but they will come along slowly and after I finish some other projects.

Infantry: (60) x 12 figure regiments

Cavalry: (20) x 8 figure regiments

Artillery: (5) x 8 figure/2 gun batteries --- plus (22) extra guns

Leaders: (32) mounted and (15) dismounted officers and personalities

Trains: (4) Casissons, (3) wagons, (4) limbers, (2) ambulances

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Future Plans

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Infantry: (20) more regiments

- Use names from US MoH winners

- units from colonies in India, Africa, and Asia

- staff fusiliers and artillery fusiliers

- black hat egypt campaign

- The Duchess of Barkley's Own Light Infantry, Viva Voltiguers

- Foxin-Soxe

- Hortin-Heersahoo


Cavalry: (8) more regiments

- Doft Dragoons, Keck Kurrassiers, Herk-Heimer Hussars, Ish Irregulars, colonial light cavalry, camel corps, staff dragoons



Artillery: (56) figures and 4 guns
- enough figures for 5 more batteries plus 2 colonial batteries

Leaders: as needed and if I see something that strikes me

Trains: same

Civilians: bunch on hand that can be painted over time...also used with Pirates

Game Room

With the grudging approval of the Countessa Genessa, I have moved the game room from the back unfinished part of the basement to the finished portion.

Closet shelf units are a plus along with better light and environmental conditions.

I have a painting area, the main table, plus 3 other tables...small games, Memior '44, and a spare.

April 2011

Slow start on painting this month as I was not very motivated to paint my baggage train (hate painting horses). Got them done by the end of the month.

Imagi-Nation:
(2) ambulances, (4) limbers, (4) caissons, (3) wagons: 13 points
(17) figures for the baggage train: 17 points
(55) horses for the baggage train: 55 points

TOTAL: 85 points


The Imagi-Nation Project Phase I is complete! Will take a break from it for the rest of the year and re-evaluate early in 2012.

Gaming --- Great month for gaming
-Flying Lead game
-1st and 2nd games in the Imagi-nation campaign
-Flames of War battle

May Plans:
1) Space Ships
2) Splintered Lands figures...4 groups primed
Want to get these done over next two months and move onto finishing my modern skirmish figures in June.

Fighting the urge to paint my ancients. Been reading Simmon Scarrow's "Centurian" series and started playing Rome: Total War on the PC.

Some pictures from the Flying Lead game with my son. He was on the objective (retrieving the oil drums) but ran his HMMWV up to fast and crashed. I then took the building a slaughtered the crew plus retreating fire team. Called it at that point and set up a new game.

Objective in the building with the smokestack.

All female fire team moves up.

The fateful HMMWV acceleration.

A new set up for the next battle.

I have the main table 6'x8' in the back room (unfinished) of the basement, but set up a table in the finished portion for games and a second table for Memior 44.