A Cunning Plan (or two...) for 2025!

Well that was 2024, a year of mixed emotions, the worst being the passing of my gaming mate George at the start of the year. As regular readers will know we played a lot of Rampant games together down Bristol Independent Gaming and had started working our way through 6mm modern rules, looking for the perfect set (not WRG Moderns which he is trying to work out below!) He is missed and it was not for nothing that he was known as 'Gentleman George' down BIG. 

Games wise I've played a lot more than I've managed to blog about including a lot of Lardy games with Andy, Phil and Jenny, got a bit of AirWar 1918 in with Jim, some Force on Force with Andy, Battlegroup Northag with Jimmy and Andy and (though I still have to post about it) participated in a great Billhooks multi-player game refighting Barnet and Tewkesbury over a weekend. A fantastic event organised by Mike (you can read about it on his blog here and here).

So how well did I do with A Cunning Plan (or two,,,) for 2024!? Well not very well if truth be told, the 20mm Japanese are started and half painted but nowhere near ready to hit the table, whilst the First Afghan War and Crete '41 are still sat in Really Useful Boxes... I'll roll them over to 2025 and add a couple more.

First off is painting up the Mutineers for Winter Wonder Lard V on 1st Feb. I've already more than enough British for the game but need to paint up some oppositionr. Today I've sorted out nine groups of infantry and six groups of skirmishers from the Mutineer RUB and started basing them up.

Secondly I do want to do some fantasy and/or science fiction sometime next year and top of the list are the Quar! I've not managed to get around to adding to my Crusader Squad painted earlier this year, but Jim has printed me some tractors (Quar tanks) and they are as lovely as the infantry...

Finally Andy shocked the known universe by expressing an interest in Footsore's Baron's War (history for Andy pretty much starts around 1750) and ordering a set of the rules. I do have a hankering to do something earlier medieval than the Burgundian Wars so might be tempted by a box of the Wargames Atlantic plastics and I've always been fascinated by The Anarchy (1138-53) so might scratch that itch.

Whether these plans will be as successful as 2023, or as bad as 2024 we shall see. I will resolve however to try and remember to blog a bit more regularly in 2025! Happy New Year everyone.

Chariots Rampant: Between the Hammer and Anvil at Millawanda...

Despite the usual pre-Christmas chaos engulfing the home front on the Saturday before Xmas, I managed to sneak out for a quick game of Chariots Rampant down Bristol Independent Gaming with Jim...

We decided to play the Hammer and Anvil scenario from the Lion Rampant rulebook, with the Warriors of the Green, a raiding Sea Peoples warband having been cornered by the Hittite Warriors of Tarḫunna... (a slight FUBAR occurred in my mis-reading the Hittite deployment so we ended up playing a scenario similar to one in The Men Who Would Be Kings with the retreating raiders having to punch through defenders - all anvil and no hammer!)

Having seen Hittite spear in their line of retreat, the Warriors of the Green were initially not that keen on advancing which allowed the Hittite warband leader Muwatalli the Merciless to bring up his reinforcements...

The Sea Peoples advance was extremely disjointed with the right flank pushing forward, with the left standing around admiring the desert panorama.

The Mighty Death-Bringers (Lukka warrior infantry) were keen to get home and pushed up with The Thundering Hooves (ox-carts) moving remorselessly forward behind...

On the right The Death Rainers (archers) advanced, supported by The Wind Runners (Tjekker light infantry.

The Mighty Death-Bringers soon came under arrow fire from Muwatalli's The Eye of the Storm (light chariots), three warriors falling dead to the desert floor.

On the Sea Peoples left, The Anvil of Heaven, a Hittite light chariot unit tries to outflank the raiders...

As the bulk of The Warriors of Tarḫunna form a defensive line in the centre.

I'm not sure what Hittite is for "went tits up" but that's what happened next. Muwatalli the Merciless commanding The Eye of the Storm from the front found themselves just within Wild Charge distance of The Mighty Death-Bringers, who charge the chariots, destroying one and causing Muwatalli to flee the battlefield following a failed Courage test!

The units of the Warriors of Tarḫunna all pass their mandatory Courage test following the rout of their general, and prepared for the Sea People onslaught!

The Warriors of the Green pour forward towards the Hittites.

The Thundering Hooves (ox-carts) (the King Tigers of the Biblical Age ;-) ) trundle into The Stalwart Wall (veteran heavy infantry)...

Followed in by The Lightning of the Sand Sea (light chariots) who wipe them out!

The Sea Peoples continue their attack, The Death Rainers (archers) firing into the Hittite spear who are gradually whittled down...

The Anvil of Heaven charge into The Lightning Legs (Tjekker light infantry) forcing them back, but this was a last hurrah for the Hittites as the Sea Peoples archers picked off spear and a chariot, and the leaderless Warriors of Tarḫunna disintegrated.

A bloody victory for Kubaba the Conqueror and his Warriors of the Green, though many were left for dead on the battlefield, and another good game of Chariots Rampant!

Futbowel: On Christmas Day...

With Christmas on the horizon last week I ref'd a game of Futbowel for Andy, Jack and Phil with a slight twist - the Orcs and Dwarves were replaced with their historical counterparts, converted from Wargames Atlantic WWI plastics...

The rules we played were pretty much 'as is' in the rulebook, though bad 'fowls' were not punished by a firing squad, but the offender made to sit it out until the next time a Joker was pulled out the card deck.

I think the lads enjoyed the game, the score was 1-1 at full time so we played extra-time were, in an uncanny preview of events in 1966, the English team scored the winner! Futbowels coming home...

Hope everyone had a great Christmas, and one of my New Year's resolutions will be to update the blog a bit more often!

Chain of Command: They Don't Like It Up 'Em, Me Babber!

Last month Phil organised a Chain of Command Operation Seelöwe game for Jen, Jim, Andy and myself, with the Fallschirmjäger (commanded by Andy and Jim), having seized Bristol (Whitchurch) airport in a lightning attack, the German paras are now advancing down the Wells Road towards the city. All that stands in their way was Jenny and I commanding the brave (old) men and boys of the Local Defence Volunteers - the Home Guard!

Let's be 'aving yer! A section of the Whitchurch LDV advance towards the German lines - before deciding Nazi para sections sporting two spandaus are not the best thing to attack over open fields - so they retire into a nearby house.

Acthung! The spandau totting Boche hide behind a hedge as the LDV occupy the building.

C'mon lads! Let's sort those Nazi bounders out Bristol fashion!

Vorwärts! Another section of heavily armed Fallschirmjäger advance towards the British lines...

And a third! Blimey, this could be tough on the old boys of the Home Guard!

Boom! The LDV fire a Victorian era museum piece they acquired at the advancing squareheads!

It only had one shot, but it managed to inflict some Shock on the advancing paras. Take that Fritz!

Rat-a-tat-a-tat! The LDV open fire on the Nazis with a Vickers machine-gun hidden in a house...

Fallschirmjäger fall dead and their comrades take Shock, as they pay the penalty for advancing across open ground! Gert lush!

Five runs rapid fire chaps! The LDV open fire on the Nazis who have occupied their local!

Unfortunately the Germans return fire...

Their two spandaus inflicting Shockand a couple of casualties on the brave Local Defence Volunteers!

Their weapons might be as old as their enemy's parents, but the brave boys of the LDV put them to good use, especially this Great War era Lewis Gun which took up where it left off in 1918!

Boche fall to the floor, the Nazi paratroop leader shot stone dead!

Join in chaps! Another section of the Home Guard arrives and they join in firing at the nefarious Nazis!

Who under fire from three sections of the LDV, a Lewis gun and the Vickers start to amass casualties and Shock!

Gott im Himmel! This is too much! One section of the Nazi super-men run away. "Deutschland Uber Alles my arse!" cry the LDV!

The Vickers continues to pour hot lead into the Fallschirmjäger ranks...

Shock and casualties mounting up on the remaining Squareheads. But the two spandaus keep the LDV honest and the British Force Morale is beginning to drop to a worry level.

A burst of fire from the Lewis polishes off two of the retreating Fallschirmjäger - the only good Nazi is a dead Nazi are all, and the German Force Morale plummets to zero!

A resounding victory for the brave old souls and boys of the Whitchurch Local Defence Volunteers, with the Nazi plans to storm Bristol port thwarted before they got anywhere near the city. Thanks to Phil for putting such a great game on and letting Jenny, Jim, Andy and myself play with his toy soldiers (and Jen for us to play with her lovely houses).

Chariots Rampant: The Relic of Parha...

It's been a good couple of years since the halls of Bristol Independent Gaming echoed to the sound of chariot wheels and bronze age warfare, but recently we dusted off Chariots Rampant (the Bronze age supplement for Lion Rampant from Wargames Soldiers and Strategy). 

Umpiring the game for two Rampant newbies, Jim took on the role of Muwatalli the Merciless, leader of the Hittite Warriors of Tarḫunna, whilst Phil channelled his inner Kubaba the Conqueror, commander of the Warriors of the Green, a Sea Peoples warband now in possession of a stolen sacred camel that the Hittites desperately wanted back! 

Kubaba advances as part of a forward screen comprising of him with The Lightning of the Sand Sea (light chariots) and The Death Rainers (archers).

Meanwhile Muwatalli leads The Eye of the Storm (light chariots) forward, supported by The Vengeful Arm (veteran heavy infantry), with The Conquerors and The Stalwart Wall (both heavy infantry) following The Stabbers (skirmishers).

The Sea Peoples spread out with The Mighty Death-Bringers (Lukka warrior infantry) escorting the captured sacred camel, with The Thundering Hooves (ox-carts) moving remorseless forward to support their warlord.

The Lightning of the Sand Sea charge forward, Kubaba the Conqueror killing two of The Stabbers hiding in the palm trees.

Whilst The Vengeful Arm move forward to engage The Wind Runners (Trekker light infantry).

The Lightning of the Sand Sea charge into The Stalwart Wall but are beaten off, losing one chariot!

But The Thundering Hooves show how it is done, mercilessly hammering The Vengeful Arm and The Conquerors and trampling many a Hittite under their hooves and wheels!

Meanwhile The Ferocious Fiends (Lukka warrior infantry) attack The Stalwart Wall, but the Hittites beat them off.

However Kubaba sends The Death Rainers forward to shoot down the Hittite spear.

Meanwhile, their fellow archers, The Sky Blackeners, engage The Anvil of Heaven, a Hittite light chariot unit that was trying to outflank the Sea Peoples and re-capture the scared camel.

Sending the Hittites packing!

The Thundering Hooves (the King Tigers of the Biblical Age in my opinion) continue to trample The Vengeful Arm into the dust...

Before moo-ving in on The Conquerors...

Crushing the Hittite spear under their hooves! Muwatalli the Merciless flees the battlefield as the Ox-carts relentlessly plod forward.

With the Hittite right now just a bloody smear in the desert sand, The Death Rainers moved forward to engage the remaining enemy troops...

Raining death on The Stalwart Wall!

Which eventually crumbled!

Leaving a solitary Stabber alone to carry news of Muwatalli the Merciless's failure to recover the sacred camel to Hattusa and Kubaba the Conqueror's glorious victory...

It's been a long time since Lion Rampant (or the Chariots Rampant variant) had been on the table down Bristol Independent Gaming, and I'd forgotten what fast, furious and bloody fun it can be - even if I was somewhat rusty on remembering some of the rules...