That was close

Finished up a fantasy 15mm battle using my home grown Commands and Colors variant. Need to make some more rules tweaks and add in the magic section. The Elves faced off against the Undead, pulling out a narrow victory on the last few cards of turn 6. The Elven Grove Guard and Unicorn Riding Maidens saved the day by taking back the Portal Orb from the Vampire Thralls.

A look from the Undead right flank.

A small brigade of Skeletons destroyed the Wood Elves on the flank.

Elven Guard make for the sacred portal.

A solid defensive position in the center,

Zombies trudging forward.

The action is hot across the whole field.

Poor Wood Elves getting slaughtered.

Elven Elk cavalry had a hard day too.

Back and forth on this flank with both forces not contributing to the main event,

Zombies have been attritted.

Skeleton Cavalry performed well.

First wave beaten back but with heavy losses.

Unicorn Riders do their thing.

Holding in the center, but the Undead keep coming.

With the Wood Elves destroyed, the Skeletons begin to march to the center.

Unicorn Riders destroyed the Ghosts.

Zombies just won't die!

Both sides trade blows.

Thralls capture the portal!

But are thrown back by the missile fire from the Unicorn Riders and a spirited charge from the Grove Guard.

April 2017

No too much to report this month. Painting was slow but I did finish 4 cavalry units and start 2 more before going away for work. I will need to pick up the pace a little the next two months to meet my July goal of finishing all 17 units.

A lucky turn of events (hitting the right numbers on the roulette wheel) turned into me blowing my budget plans. I bought a bunch of the Panzer Korps scenario books at a discount and then two lots of 15mm fantasy figures I saw for sale on TMP. Good prices all around, but that puts my budget plans in disarray.

PAINTING
4 x 8 figure 15mm cavalry units: 64 points
(will base them up and take a picture when I finish the next set of units)

GAMING
Zero...I even took down the unplayed zombie game I had set up. I think I will set up another fantasy game when I get home.

BUDGET
$593! for the month.
$704 for the year to date. I will need lots of discipline to keep under my $1000 budget for the year (minus Historicon).

The Trees Wept

I finished a game of Bear Yourselves Valiantly tonight. This may be the last game of the year.

The forces of the human City States took on the Elven King's army in a vicious battle over a holy Elven grove just inside the borders of the City States' border.

I did not set a turn limit at the beginning, but after five turns, I decided the game was halfway done. The first few turns did not play out as enjoyably as I had hoped, but I am glad I stuck it out for an exciting finish.

I need to read the rules again, but I think I am getting the hand of things. I also need more command stands.
I forgot to count ammo from the start and the Elven archery almost won the game. My units are double the width of the bases called for in the rules so I need to create a house rule to allow a little more maneuver and passage of lines.

Merry Christmas to all, and to all, a good night.

The Elven grove is in the center just past the two fields. Humans on the left in this picture.

The Elven center...matched pairs of bowmen and warriors with the Grove Guard prepared to advance to defend the trees.

Massed Elven cavalry on elk and unicorns.

Nomadic Wood Elves prepare for a flank attack.

The human center, elephants and mixed swordsmen, axemen, and spearmen; the Ronin are in reserve.

Human cavalry leading hoplites.

The elephants advance rapidly but suffer from the Elven arrow storm.

The ambush is sprung on the human light troops protecting the flank.

The Magnificent Zuron blasts the Grove Guard with magic bolts as they prepare to throw the island slingers out of the grove.

Both sides prepare for a whirling cavalry battle on the flank.

Confusion sets in...the Elves pull back across the stream.

As the human center disengages at the same time.

The humans get the short end of the stick on the flank...losses are severe.

They break and stream to the rear.

Elven cavalry comes out on top at the beginning.

And the Grove Guard scatter some archers.

The counter-attack is fierce.

The Grove Guard is defeated!

But the Elven archers get revenge by emptying many saddles.

With the rest of his command destroyed, General Greco leads a band of horse archers back into the fray.

The Ronin absorb the Wood Elves' volley and begin to slaughter the unarmored Elves at the edge of the forest.

In a shameful display of cowardice, the human commander retreats to a safer position with his best troops.

The Elven center gets the upper hand...but will they prevail in time.

No...the dastardly humans have cut down two sacred trees for their holiday feast screened by the slingers.

Both sides are exhausted on this flank.

The Elves could have succeeded with just one more turn.

The Wood Elves slink off into the forest to lick their wounds.

The field is short a dozen or so units.

November 2015

Good progress on the painting front. I also hit 7 years back in the hobby this month.

PAINTING
35 x 15mm fantasy figures: 35 points
31 x 28mm pulp figures: 62 points
Total: 97 points

On the table: 300 pirates/civilians, 6 pulp figures (on the way)

GAMES
1 fantasy game with "Bear Yourselves Valiantly" rules. Another game set on the table for next month. I also want to get in a Pulp Alley game in December.

PURCHASES and BUDGET
$50 this month--- splurged on some pulp figures and cards for Pulp Alley
Total for the year: $2759
Budget: $584 under budget for the year.
Plan: I am planning to keep remaining spending to less than $100 per month to close the year...down from my original $150/month plan. New target is less than $3000 (originally $3600) total for the year That will be a 40% reduction from 2014! Plus I sold $400 worth of figures.

4th Quarter Plans:
1- Finish 1/4 of the Pirates in October- Done
2- Pulp Figures in November- Done; but I bought 6 more figures to be finished in Dec.
3- Fantasy Samurai in December- Done (in November)
---Remaining December plan: 6 pulp figures and another batch (about 100) of the pirates.

Mercenary Ronin from the City States

News Hounds

Adventurers

More hooded cultists

Gunslingers

Yangtze Pirates