Another game of OHSW. This time I did the Zulu War scenario from the book. I switched the Zulus for Boxers and the British for US Marines. There's no set turn limit in this scenario. The Boxers win by getting into the redoubt and knocking down all the Marines. The Marines win by holding out until reinforcements arrive. 

The Boxers advance.

The Marines wait to fire.

The Boxers attack in piecemeal.

Concentrated fire takes it toll.

The Boxers continue to press the attack.

Per the scenario the Marines have gain enough points for the reinforcements to arrive.

The game lasted about five turns, just under an hour. Turns went quickly as the Marines burnt through cards while firing and the Boxers never pulled a high enough card to move a large group of troops. 

Since gaming has been ruled out as an activity other hobby activities have been budgeted more time.

My non gaming photos have never come out well so I tried a few other things still not great but I think they're a little better. Last nights test shots. Still getting some shadows.

War of 1812 Delewares by Conquest.

War of 1812 Kentucky Mounted Rifles by Old Glory

Boxers by Scruby

USMC & Boxers by Scruby

Here are a few GNW Figures I shot early one morning.

Karl XII by Holger Eriksson

Russian Grenadiers by Andy Stadden

Swedish Cavalry by Holger Eriksson

The hiking trails are a little more crowded but there's plenty of space for all.

View of the Bear Mountain Bridge from the south.

Random stream.

I actually see more deer in by backyard but this one was about 15 feet away.

Water so clear in my younger days I would have drank it.

Last week Warlord Games held a sprue sale. This sale offers a great deal on many of the sprues produced by Warlord. The first week Gates of Antres and WWII were for offered two periods easy for me to resist but this week Pike & Shotte were on sale with figures costing as low as US $0.38 per figure. Now here's a period I could get behind. I had just finished painting a few of the command figures and feel they are some great figures easy to assemble and paint. I've been looking at doing a small army for sometime now but also I've been trying to control the lead pile and budget. The GNW has been the project that was to be the focus for this year so starting something new wasn't what I wanted to do.

Luckily I was saved by an email from Howard. He told me that some 40mm figures that we had bid on arrived and I could pick up my share. It was just enough to keep me from pulling the trigger on the Warlord figures. 

So here's what I got.

Japanese

The Whole Lot

US Marines

US Cavalry

US Marines

Chinese.

Foreign Legion

Sphais

Arabs firing.

Arabs with Swords.

So not exactly the best way to keep from spending money but as many of you know the temptations are always out there.

We got together for a game of A Gentleman's War this time doing a fictional Franco-Prussian battle. Matt as the French defended the town while Howard and I as Prussians assaulted across the river.

The French along the edge of the village

The square defended with Artillery.

Prussian sharpshooters cover the crossing.

The Prussian Guard trying not to get their white pants dirty advance through the river.

On the Prussian left the Infantry engage the Chassuers D'Afrique.

The French face the Prussian steamroller.

Finally the Guards reach the other bank and engage the Zouaves.

The decisive Cavalry melee mid stream.

Inspired by Alan at The Duchy of Tradgardland I took a few Black and White photos.

Left flank melee.

French cavalry run down the Prussian skirmishers.

Check out the new Facebook page for A Gentleman's War

OK so Kronenbourg started brewing beer before this battle but still it's good.

As many of you know I started this blog as a means to follow and motivate me in my project building forces of the Little Britons figures from Spence Smith. The plan laid out in the first few posts was to paint eight units of Infantry (12 figures each), 4 units of Cavalry (6 figures each) and 4 units of Artillery (3 figures each).  The first game was played in March 2015   using One Hour Wargames. After a few more games of that and one of With MacDuff to the Frontier by Ross Mac Howard was bitten by the Shiny Toy Soldier bug and began painting and working on a set of rules known as A Gentleman's War despite all the distractions, a little over a third of the posts here refer to this project, I finished my goal of forces for the project. Three years in the making. Inspired by Grand Duchy of Stollen I decided to do a review of my troops.

US 10tth Cavalry, RCMP, Hungarians, Bavarians and Generals.

The Artillery, Costa Rica, Switzerland, Austria and, Serbia.

Belgium, Egypt, Greece.

US Marines, Hawaiian Guard, US Infantry, NYS Volunteers.

Spain, Argentina, Canada.

Howard came over for a game of A Gentleman's War using the Colonial variant. I was a coalition force going to the rescue of a unit of Spaniards defending the oasis. Howard was the Moroccans causing what ever mayhem they could.

The figures are a mix of 40mm manufacturers, Little Britons, Scruby, Irregular and unknown 40mm semi rounds that Howard has added putty to to make them into Moroccans.










The Spaniards were able to hold off two assaults while the relief force was able to fend off their attackers but not with out the loss of the Marines and the R.C.M.P.