Apologies for the poor formatting of the last post. It was actually written on a private forum and copy and paste obviousley messed it up a tad.
Currently painting up a variety of bits including:
1) Retinue cavalry for my Wars of the Roses
2) Tanks for Vietnam
3) Scots for WW1
4) Queens Rangers for AWI
Also starting to get excited about the upcoming show season. Starting with York on 5/2/12 which is followed the week after by a day in Yeovil with the playtest team for Square Bashing. Contemplating some puchases for Yeork. Probably the last few bits for late WW1.
The trailer for 'Birdsong' on the BBC looks good. Apparently the battle scenes are rather good. I've been put off 'Warhorse' at the cinema by reviews calling it 'Black Beauty' during the First World War. Opportunities to go to the cinema are few and far between at the moment so we tend to go for films we are pretty certain we'll both enjoy so this may have to wait until DVD release.
More soon...
Sunday 15 January 2012
Saturday 14 January 2012
Square Bashing 2 Playtest
The new version of Square Bashing are well into playtest. Sorry if the below report seems vague but I dont want to 'leak' mechanisms for a game not yet released and without permission from Martin. hopefully it is a flavour of what is to come and will wet the appetite enough to give the game a go when they are released later in the year.
3 new players were taken through a game last night. 2 had in their words
'pigged' before, 1 had not.
Early war British taken by Ade and Jim. Early war German by myself and Keith.
Keith did most of our rolling in the countdown to war doing very well with two
top of the three results causing Ade and Jim to put two units back into the
toy box and alot into reserve. We ended up 'attacking along the sector' and
things were looking dodgy before the game even started through depletions with
the Brits having just two professional infantry units, 2 field guns and 4 mgs on
table.
The Brits army had from memory
7 Professional units
1 Regular (actually a French unit just painted up!)
2 Prof Cavalry
5 Mgs
5 Guns (these may be slightly out...)
The Germans
1 Professional unit
8 Regular units
2 Reserves
1 Regular cav
1 Reserve cav
6 mgs
5 guns
A 640pt game but with the new artillery costing of 15pts.
The Germans pushed on from the start and in turn threw a point barrage centred
on some British mgs but deviated and fell on the head of unsuspecting General
Melchett supping Early Grey in a town on the British board edge.
The British never managed to get their Higher command back on the table. They
did make very good use of the suppression barrage and halted the Germans in
their tracks.
On Keiths flank he bravely charged both cavalry units at a British unit and mg
behind hasty works in a wood. Despite me getting the factors wrong for the
cavalry (I gave them 3 dice per unit instead of the 1 they should have had for
attacking troops in a wood/behind works) they bounced off mainly thanks to the
mg.
Reinforcements were slow to arrive for the British intially until they opted for
option C (1 auto, roll for two more, all arrive on the road). The crossroads
objective was in row two and by game end was defended by 3 British Prof units
behind works which saw off assaults from front and flank.
Both sides managed to bring on an aeroplane which was put to good use strafing
ground troops.
The game lasted 5 turns with some high rolls for countdown. The Germans managed
to break through in two squares. Both sides held two objectives. The British
still had inf artillery and cavalry in reinforcements by game end. The Germans
lost 20 odd bases, the Brits only 4!! Professionals saving on 3's was a big
help.
Points tally was British 48 Germans 49.
All three new players thoroughly enjoyed the game. None had played the old
square bashing and Jim being a complete newcomer to Peter Pig games soon got the
hang of how things worked. With lots of chatting and visits into the room from
other club members I would say the game lasted 2 hours start to finish. There
will be a couple of pictures on the blog later and I'll put them on the group
here too shortly.
We used the original depletions system as I had forgotten to take the new one
with me to club. I did use the deduction for units on an objective. Professional
Brits were rolling 3 dice instead of 4 and the two units on the objective rolled
2.
Oh and my new Tablescape trees looked lovely. 4 per wood!!!!
Now some pictures from our official photographer...
The British army (with a newly painted French battalion acting as regular troops) lined up ready for a stout defence.
The view along the British line at game start. The rules create an attack defence game as per usual with RFCM rules. The British were just about in the worst situation they could be.
The Germans lined up ready for the big push. Actually an attack all along the sector.
The unfinished crossroads objective rather sticks out like a sore thumb. Must get some greenery on it.
This is the first barrage of the game from the Germans. Unfortunately it deviated onto the town square hitting the British high command (christened General Melchett...Bah!!!)
Sean
3 new players were taken through a game last night. 2 had in their words
'pigged' before, 1 had not.
Early war British taken by Ade and Jim. Early war German by myself and Keith.
Keith did most of our rolling in the countdown to war doing very well with two
top of the three results causing Ade and Jim to put two units back into the
toy box and alot into reserve. We ended up 'attacking along the sector' and
things were looking dodgy before the game even started through depletions with
the Brits having just two professional infantry units, 2 field guns and 4 mgs on
table.
The Brits army had from memory
7 Professional units
1 Regular (actually a French unit just painted up!)
2 Prof Cavalry
5 Mgs
5 Guns (these may be slightly out...)
The Germans
1 Professional unit
8 Regular units
2 Reserves
1 Regular cav
1 Reserve cav
6 mgs
5 guns
A 640pt game but with the new artillery costing of 15pts.
The Germans pushed on from the start and in turn threw a point barrage centred
on some British mgs but deviated and fell on the head of unsuspecting General
Melchett supping Early Grey in a town on the British board edge.
The British never managed to get their Higher command back on the table. They
did make very good use of the suppression barrage and halted the Germans in
their tracks.
On Keiths flank he bravely charged both cavalry units at a British unit and mg
behind hasty works in a wood. Despite me getting the factors wrong for the
cavalry (I gave them 3 dice per unit instead of the 1 they should have had for
attacking troops in a wood/behind works) they bounced off mainly thanks to the
mg.
Reinforcements were slow to arrive for the British intially until they opted for
option C (1 auto, roll for two more, all arrive on the road). The crossroads
objective was in row two and by game end was defended by 3 British Prof units
behind works which saw off assaults from front and flank.
Both sides managed to bring on an aeroplane which was put to good use strafing
ground troops.
The game lasted 5 turns with some high rolls for countdown. The Germans managed
to break through in two squares. Both sides held two objectives. The British
still had inf artillery and cavalry in reinforcements by game end. The Germans
lost 20 odd bases, the Brits only 4!! Professionals saving on 3's was a big
help.
Points tally was British 48 Germans 49.
All three new players thoroughly enjoyed the game. None had played the old
square bashing and Jim being a complete newcomer to Peter Pig games soon got the
hang of how things worked. With lots of chatting and visits into the room from
other club members I would say the game lasted 2 hours start to finish. There
will be a couple of pictures on the blog later and I'll put them on the group
here too shortly.
We used the original depletions system as I had forgotten to take the new one
with me to club. I did use the deduction for units on an objective. Professional
Brits were rolling 3 dice instead of 4 and the two units on the objective rolled
2.
Oh and my new Tablescape trees looked lovely. 4 per wood!!!!
Now some pictures from our official photographer...
The British army (with a newly painted French battalion acting as regular troops) lined up ready for a stout defence.
Sean
Friday 6 January 2012
For you, John!
A short trip to the club to wish a happy new year to friends.
I have been painting but nothing finished yet. 1914 French for Square Bashing 2. Looking rather spiffing in their red trousers. I may try a small tutorial tomorrow night as Lisa has a friend over from work enabling me to ensconce myself in the office.
I've been following some interesting threads on forums over the festive period. It does amaze me how heated some of these discussions get. A favourite is the message boards on The Miniatures Page (link over to the right). A couple of posters on there have quite a reputation for argumentative posts and downright rudeness at times. Of course the phenomena of the 'internet warrior' is something that has risen noticeably over the years. But why people get so heated over what amounts to armchair history and toy soldiers is baffling.
One particular annoyance for me is the 'opinion stated as fact' posts by these internet warriors. This usually looks something like this....
1. "The figures made by XXXX are rubbish."
2. "The rules written by XXXX are stupid. They dont work and are not realistic."
and such like.
No opinions are like backsides. We all have one. But I do feel some people forget that opinions are just that. A subjective point of view if you will. I have opinions on figure ranges and rulesets. They are mine and mine alone. If someone likes another set of rules or figures and not the ones I like, thats fine. Neither of us is wrong in our opinion. In fact the above two examples would be much more palatable if they read like this....
1. "The figures made by XXXX are rubbish in my opinion because....." or
2. "The rules written by XXXX are stupid in my opinion because...."
My mantra of wargaming being a broad church doesn't seem to be a widely held view as people seem to be happy to entrench themselves in their own little world where only their opinion is valid. And in the case of two contributors to The Miniatures Page, if you happen to disagree with their point of view, you are liable to derision, abuse and ridicule. It leaves a bad taste in my mouth so it does.
In brighter news, Peter Pig have resculpted their AK47 Professionals.
And very nice they look too. I may have to look at a tidy up of my AK47 armies. As ever so much to do and so little time.
I have been painting but nothing finished yet. 1914 French for Square Bashing 2. Looking rather spiffing in their red trousers. I may try a small tutorial tomorrow night as Lisa has a friend over from work enabling me to ensconce myself in the office.
I've been following some interesting threads on forums over the festive period. It does amaze me how heated some of these discussions get. A favourite is the message boards on The Miniatures Page (link over to the right). A couple of posters on there have quite a reputation for argumentative posts and downright rudeness at times. Of course the phenomena of the 'internet warrior' is something that has risen noticeably over the years. But why people get so heated over what amounts to armchair history and toy soldiers is baffling.
One particular annoyance for me is the 'opinion stated as fact' posts by these internet warriors. This usually looks something like this....
1. "The figures made by XXXX are rubbish."
2. "The rules written by XXXX are stupid. They dont work and are not realistic."
and such like.
No opinions are like backsides. We all have one. But I do feel some people forget that opinions are just that. A subjective point of view if you will. I have opinions on figure ranges and rulesets. They are mine and mine alone. If someone likes another set of rules or figures and not the ones I like, thats fine. Neither of us is wrong in our opinion. In fact the above two examples would be much more palatable if they read like this....
1. "The figures made by XXXX are rubbish in my opinion because....." or
2. "The rules written by XXXX are stupid in my opinion because...."
My mantra of wargaming being a broad church doesn't seem to be a widely held view as people seem to be happy to entrench themselves in their own little world where only their opinion is valid. And in the case of two contributors to The Miniatures Page, if you happen to disagree with their point of view, you are liable to derision, abuse and ridicule. It leaves a bad taste in my mouth so it does.
In brighter news, Peter Pig have resculpted their AK47 Professionals.
And very nice they look too. I may have to look at a tidy up of my AK47 armies. As ever so much to do and so little time.
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