GangBusters - District Map & Family Business

I always love sources that can provide me with as much information as possible to make a campaign.  I came across this map (split in two parts) which provides me with more than enough districts to build a working city.  It shows middle and working classes by ethnicity which really helps define areas where mobs can be located.  I have still to get myself a copy of the RPG, but I'm hoping that I won't have to wait forever.

Ward Map of Lakefront City (1920-1940)

Middle and working class German

City Center Mixed Ethnic and Class Groups

Upper Class Assimilated

Middle Class Assimilated

Working Class Assimilated

Working Class Irish

Working Class Italian

Black Ghetto

Jewish Lower Class (same nationalities as East European Working Class)

East European Working Class (includes Poles, Russians, Slavs, Croats, Czechs, Latvians, Lithuanians, Estonians, Hungarians and Rumanians)

Now I've dug out my copy of Family Business, time for some mob wars!

Gangbusters - 1920's miniature and role playing project

My divergence at present.  I had hoped to have obtained a copy of this game on the weekend, but my source forgot to bring it over.  I think he's afraid I may hang on to it permanently if he does.  Rest assure that it will be in safe hands.

These are the miniatures that I have painted up from the Blue Moon manufacturers (I got mine from Old Glory USA).  They aren't the hottest figures on the market, but they do do the job for what I intend to use them for.

Male civilians

G-Men and Gangsters with Thompson SMG

G-Men and Gangsters with sidearm

G-Men and Gangsters with shotgun

Police

Female civilians

Two Mob Bosses (on right), odd chap has a BAR (I think)

So there you have it.  I know that the Blind Pig has a very suitable table for gaming with these figures and rules.  I hope to have this running next year at the club, or failing that at home.

If anyone has a copy of GangBusters and is willing to part with it for an acceptable price (please don't quote eBay) let me know.

Space Hulk

I enjoyed Space Hulk from the very first release.  Here are some photographs of the second last release of the game. (Really it's the last as the current "release" is only in paper, not contents)

I just have to find the enthusiasm and drive to paint up the Genestealers and other pieces.

Path to Glory - All Warbands done and ready

I now have a warband created for each pantheon and for chaos undivided.

Chaos Undivided
Konrad Blackshield
1 x Champion of Chaos on Barded Chaos Steed; 3 x Chaos Hounds;
3 x Chaos Warriors (great weapon), 4 x Marauders (shield),
4 x Marauders (great weapon)

Slaneesh
Yavandir Longlocks
1 x Champion of Chaos; 5 x Chaos Hounds; 1 x Ogre;
1 x Chaos Daemon (Daemonette); 1 x Chosen of Chaos;
3 x Chaos Warriors (shield)

Nurgle
Leopold Leprouskin
1 x Champion of Chaos on barded Chaos Steed; 4 x Chaos Hounds;
2 x Chaos Warrior; 1 x Chaos Sorcerer (Nurgle);
4 x Marauders (shield); 4 x Marauders (shield)

Khorne
Albrecht Bloodaxe
1 x Champion of Chaos; 1 x Chaos Spawn; 1 x Chaos Warrior (shield);
1 x Chaos Daemon (Bloodletter); 1 x Chosen Knight of Chaos;
3 x Chaos Hounds

Tzeentch
Johanus Mageson
1 x Champion of Chaos on barded Chaos Steed; 1 x Troll;
3 x Marauder Horsemen; 4 x Beastmen (shield);
4 x Beastmen

29 years one more till 30!

29 years of marriage today 12th October 2014.

Yes I may have even been young once.

Finally a win - well he did concede the battlefield!

Not often I get to brag about a "win" in my games of Napoleonics.

This time I ditched the lancers from my list and upgraded as many of the troops to trained regulars, with skirmishers in all units that could have them.

I decided not to take photos for the game as I wasn't feeling particularly confident.  Certainly my deployment was cramped with one flank almost cramped with terrain.  My dice rolls were as usual crap, but it was at least consistent crap.

The photos below show the final turn of play.  Usually my troops never make it across the table, never break enemy units, get breakthroughs. So Andrew conceded the game, I said a win for me, he said "I conceded the field of battle, not the battle itself" - or words to that effect.  Never the less it was nice to have something go my way, if only for one game.

My right flank.  Bogged down by units blocking movement.
My landwhere again did very little.

My second last bound.  Dragoons ready to charge.  French artillery chased off.
Prussians advancing.  Though the square was left there just for the french dragoons.

Lots of unusual things happened.  One battalion followed a routing unit and
moved into contact with the french dragoons.  My lads actually caused
casualities on the fleeing troops and the cavalry, chasing them off.

Prussian Brigade 1813

Headquarters
General staff - 1 x Command Element @ 100 = 100
Brigade Commander - 1 x Prussian staff @ 50 = 50
Grenadier Battalion - 10 Elite line @ 6 = 60; 2 x Elite line trained to skirmish @ 7 = 14  
[224]

Half Brigade
Commander - 1 x  Prussian staff @ 50 = 50
Hussars (2 Squadrons) - 6 x Veteran light cavalry @ 12 = 72
Foot battery - 12 x Trained gunners @ 5 = 60;
4 x Light-medium artillery @ 25 = 100; 4 x Four horse limbers @ 5 = 20
Musketeer Battalion - 10 x Trained line infantry @ 4 = 40;
2 x Trained line infantry trained to skirmish @ 5 = 10
Musketeer Battalion - 10 x Trained line infantry @ 4 = 40;
2 x Trained line infantry trained to skirmish @ 5 = 10
Fusilieer Battalion - 10 Trained line infantry @ 4 = 40;
2 Trained line infantry trained to skirmish @ 5 = 10
Musketeer Battalion - 16 Trained line infantry @ 4 = 64
Musketeer Battalion - 16 Trained line infantry @ 4 = 64
Musketeer Battalion - 16 Trained line infantry @ 4 = 64 
[644]

Half Brigade
Commander - 1 x Prussian staff @ 50 = 50
Hussars (2 Squadrons) - 6 x Veteran light cavalry @ 12 = 72
Foot battery - 12 Trained gunners @ 5 = 60;
4 x Light-medium artillery @ 25 = 100; 4 x Four horse limbers @ 5 = 20
Musketeer Battalion - 10 Trained line infantry @ 4 = 40;
2 Trained line infantry trained to skirmish @ 5 = 10
Musketeer Battalion - 10 Trained line infantry @ 4 = 40;
2 x Trained line infantry trained to skirmish @ 5 = 10
Fusilieer Battalion - 10 Trained line infantry @ 4 = 40;
2 x Trained line infantry trained to skirmish @ 5 = 10
Landwehr Battalion - 12 x Raw line infantry @ 3 = 36
Landwehr Battalion - 12 x Raw line infantry @ 3 = 36
Landwehr Battalion - 12 x Raw line infantry @ 3 = 36
[560]

Cavalry Brigade
Commander - 1 x Prussian staff  @ 50 = 50
Dragoon Regiment - 12 x Trained heavy cavalry @ 10 = 120
[170]

Total: 1598

Star Fleet Battles - The early years and my memories.

I think I first played Star Fleet Battles in 1980.  My school chum Michael M. was at Griffith University and found the University game club - GUTS (Griffith University Tacticians & Strategists).  There he and later I become the compatriots of Shane S., Paul A., Alex M., Owen G., and maybe some others but I can't recall their names (give me a break it was 30 odd years ago).

The Star Fleet from those days was a smaller booklet (like the expansions in the photograph) and not as complex as the game became over the years.  In the early 80's as we left the University some of the lads joined other persons I met and we played at my parents home most Friday and Saturday nights (the fact my mother fed them as well was a bonus).  Quite a few people would turn up on these nights and games could become quite lengthy.  To this end Gary W. (and I think Michael M.) wrote a simple damage allocation generator on the Apple II.  It certainly sped things up.

I also joined Queensland Role Players who also had other games being played besides role-playing.  There were many others who joined in, Greg L., Russel P., Tim B., and many others.  The club magazine included articles and I know that Michael M., was involved in calculating a point system for the early days of gaming.  Creating our own starships was a craze for a period of time.

Some memories that may bring a laugh from my generation:

• Alex M, firing overloaded photo torpedoes, range 0-1, every shot missed.
• Attempting to outrun Romulan Plasma Torpedoes.
• No one liked the Andromedans (except Greg L.) very over powered at the start.

As usual, time moves on, new games and hobbies came along to distract me and SFB has been gathering dust on my shelf.  Sadly the boxes are shells that survived my flood crisis, as did a few books, expansions and counters.  I'm hoping a friend remembers his promise to pass on to me his SFB collection, but it's fine if he doesn't.  He really needs to come back to Brisbane where real gamers live and play.  My generation may be getting old, but there are still a few of us who still enjoy playing games.  Should I reach retirement age I'm hoping more of my old colleagues may stir and rekindle the memory of playing and enjoying games from our youth.

Computer Games - Heroquest and Space Crusade

Oh my god, will they run, can I find an emulator that will allow me to run these old games!
Heroquest & Space Crusade