Wednesday, September 30, 2015

Chaos Titans

Chaos Titans, they are something I don't like wasting the limited weapons and outfits on the few titan shells I have left.  However when you have access to what people think of as "broken" titans, well I don't mind fiddling with my spare parts to create titans devoted to Chaos or a particular power/legion.




What was used to put this one together.



An Emperor's Legion affiliated titan.  Close combat with
 sonic cannons.

For Iron Warriors

For Khorne

Monday, September 28, 2015

Monday Napoleonics - Another Loss

 
Prussian Brigade





Headquarters





General Staff 1 xCommand Element 100 100

Brigade Commander 1 xPrussian Staff 50 50





150

Half Brigade





Commander 1 xPrussian Staff 50 50

Hussars 9 xVeteran light cavalry 12 108 2 18
Foot Battery 12 xTrained Gunners 5 60


4 xLight Medium Guns 25 100

Musketeer Battalion 10 xTrained Line Infantry 4 40


2 xSkirmish 5 10

Musketeer Battalion 10 xTrained Line Infantry 4 40


2 xSkirmish 5 10

Musketeer Battalion 10 xTrained Line Infantry 4 40


2 xSkirmish 5 10

Musketeer Battalion 10 xTrained Line Infantry 4 40


2 xSkirmish 5 10

Musketeer Battalion 10 xTrained Line Infantry 4 40


2 xSkirmish 5 10

Musketeer Battalion 10 xTrained Line Infantry 4 40


2 xSkirmish 5 10





618

Half Brigade





Commander 1 xPrussian Staff 50 50

Line Lancers 7 xRaw lancers 8 56 1 7
Landwere Battalion 12 xRaw  3 36

Landwere Battalion 12 xRaw  3 36

Landwere Battalion 12 xRaw  3 36





214

Half Brigade





Commander 1 xPrussian Staff 50 50

Hussars 9 xVeteran light cavalry 12 108 2 18
Foot Battery 12 xTrained Gunners 5 60


4 xLight Medium Guns 25 100

Musketeer Battalion 10 xTrained Line Infantry 4 40


2 xSkirmish 5 10

Musketeer Battalion 10 xTrained Line Infantry 4 40


2 xSkirmish 5 10

Musketeer Battalion 10 xTrained Line Infantry 4 40


2 xSkirmish 5 10

Musketeer Battalion 10 xTrained Line Infantry 4 40


2 xSkirmish 5 10

Musketeer Battalion 10 xTrained Line Infantry 4 40


2 xSkirmish 5 10

Musketeer Battalion 10 xTrained Line Infantry 4 40


2 xSkirmish 5 10





618










Points Spent
1600



Scouting Value
43


FRENCH
Commander
Composite Howitzer Battery (2 light medium howitzers)

1st Infantry Brigade
Commander
Artillery (3 light medium guns)
Light battalion
Four line battalions

2nd Infantry Brigade
Commander
Artillery (3 light medium guns)
Light battalion
Four line battalions

Light Cavalry Brigade
Commander
Hussar Regiment
Chassuer Regiment

Heavy Cavalry Brigade
Commander
Carabinier Regiment
Cuirassier Regiment

Two games scheduled for this week.  Monday night for a change.  Another tweek of the list and still no joy.  So another loss.  Andrew will provide a french take on the battle which I will post as soon as is possible.

So here's the battle in pictures.

Italics are Andrews input into this report.

To face the reworked Prussian organisation I turned up with the same list as last time. More of apathy on my part (they were conveniently packed) than any great confidence in the French force structure. Despite taking less cavalry this time around, the Prussians managed to muster enough to lights horse to out scout us. (Again! Damned Huns.) I have to deploy first once more. Terrain gave me secure flanks with a farm on my left and a wooded ridge on my right. My generous opponent also threw in a small knoll in the centre with a less than subtle hint it would provide a vantage point for my general to observe my impending demise. Naturally I chose instead to deploy a howitzer battery there to take advantage of overhead fire, with infantry formations and remaining artillery filling out the front line. Light cavalry brigade provided some depth with the heavy cavalry brigade kept if table in reserve. The revamped Prussians had three Brigades with integral artillery and cavalry. All were missing their Grenadier Battalion and the weaker third Landwehr Brigade lacking artillery, but otherwise looking by the book.

1. Advancing on the left.  Staggered advance for the right.
His left flank advances in two not so subtle Regimental columns with battalions abreast, cavalry left and artillery covering the right. Didn't waste anytime crossing the low ridge separating us so clearly not planning on defending the flank. Tempting spot to launch my cavalry reserve as long as he commits to attacking those to his front.

2. As seen above, staggered approach.  Landwhere occupy farm.
On the other flank another advance. The line brigade adopts a chequer board formation while the Landwehr take possession of a farm. Not sure yet if the Landwehr are transiting through this Saxon B&B on their way to attack my left, but previous behaviour would suggest they will be long stay tenants.

3. 1st turn side shot of Prussian advance.
Contemplating options. My reserves will not arrive for another few turns so I could sit back and wait or close the gap and try to make him commit all along the front. I used to be a decisive player but now I'm not so sure.
4. Trying a staggered approach.  Seemed like a good idea.
Formation textbook but so activity from the Fusiliers. Intelligence surmises there is no distinction between Fusiliers and Musketeers, confirmed by my spies. Ok, confirmed by me asking.

5. Prussian left advance over the ridge.  Staggered approach reforms.
Don't want to discourage his confident advance. We decide to move forward.

6. Column forms a line!  Landwhere lancers cross the bridge.
Hussars wait in rear for an opportunity to attack.
So much for the chequer board. Back to big columns on this side. Landwehr infantry take up a lease option while their cavalry work up the courage to come out from behind the building. Last time they were smashed by artillery fire before contributing to anything but the casualty report.

7. french lights form line, battalion charge the line, only to see the 
french scarper off to safety.
Push a square forward on my right to block his cavalry while we shake out into attack formation - skirmishes forward.
8. Another charge of line to chase the french lights away.  A couple
of failed charges in the usual way. 
Similarly in the other flank we have skirmishes out. Left hand battalion takes heavy artillery casualties and leaving another battalion as Landwehr watching, flank guarding garrison in my farm means I am short of infantry. Happily he comes on cautiously one battalion at a time. Think I could have been part of the pavement if the whole Prussian steamroller has kept going. 


9. Prussian Hussars hoping to catch the french in column.
My hussars cross a saddle in the wooded ridge to try and distract his hussars. Don't want to be pinned in square as his infantry attack.

10. Landwhere hold the farm.  Lancers wait for an opportunity.
Landwehr still cowering away from the action. Probably still a bit gun shy, but they will have to come out eventually.

11. Bad news in the form of the french reserve.  Outcome dire.
Good news in the form of the French reserve. Outcome: impending doom for Prussian light cavalry facing two regiments of Cuirassiers.

12. Engagement, counter charges.  
Piecemeal stacks held off. My hussars leave their Prussian counterparts to their fate and hurry back to support the infantry.

13. Prussian difficulties only just starting.
Better send in the Chasseurs. My three battalions are outnumbered two to one here and more Hussars and Landwehr cavalry are lurking around.

14. Lots of nothing.
Holding off Prussian attacks but taking a few casualties.

15. More negative results.
 Same on this side. It's like watching the Wallabies. Pressure mounting and hoping the opposition makes a mistake.

16. Hussars thrown into the fray.  Little hope of success, but it
was all that could be done.
At least I can point to a quick success here. Rather than delay the hussars go right in. Suckers!

17. More failure to charge, or advance.
Holding on by fingernails.

18. Prussian cavalry flee in terror.  Fail to suck the currassiers
as they move to slow to keep up.
Where'd they go? I'm sure there were hussars here a second ago.

19. Had a successful shooting phase only to result in the gap
allowing the french to press a charge home.
As the casualties mount the gaps appear. Fortunately my Hussars arrive to save the day (assuming we don't get shot to pieces going in).

20.  Nope, nothing happening here either.
Thinking about charging his guns with my Chasseurs but nervous about the two cavalry regiments he has loitering over there. Think I telegraphed it by check-measuring the distance. Hopefully he thinks I'm bluffing.

21. The Landwhere Lancers came out from behind the farm,
lasted all of no time as the french artillery accounted for 4
casualties in one turn.  Though they did manage to just suffer a
halt order.
The Landwehr cavalry set up to cover the guns with a countercharge but disappear in a pink mist (metaphorically speaking) when my guns throw two sixes.

22. french cavalry dominate the left flank.
Heavy cavalry lumber forwards with nothing but open infantry flanks as far as the eye can see. 

23. 2 Battalions gone from the french cavalry charge.  One Prussian
battalion succeeded in a charge and chased the french off and
continued in pursuit (better that than cavalry in the flank).
The Hussars persuade two battalions to fall back at pace. Not looking good for the Prussians on this side.

24. The french cavalry chase off the artillery crew (again - see other
battle from last week).

A charge is enough to encourage the gunners to fall back, 'sans cannon' as we say in Monty Pythonesque Holy Grail accents. We naughty French fellows taunt you a second time etc.

All in all the result belies a very close game. A bit more push from the infantry assaults could easily have seen my latecomer cavalry wandering around the battlefield wondering where everyone else had gone. Don't think my opponent has quite figured out how to close out a game yet. Blucher had the same challenge.

Sigh, it does get depressing to not win a game.  However as part of my therapy it has been suggested that I play anyway, if only for the human interaction.  One day, one day.....

Friday, September 25, 2015

Street Violence - Foundry miniatures



Many years ago and I were drawn into the world of Street Violence, a range of miniatures produced by Foundry.  This dystopian modern world of street punks, government agencies, gangsters and just the out right weird caught my imagination. To be honest though it was the impressive range of female models that caught my immediate and male attention.  Call me what you like, but the female form deserves to be appreciated, either in the flesh or rendered by artistic means in the form of miniatures.

The casts from Foundry were very clean, as is common with most of the figures from this company, though I have not bought anything recently.  My collection I close to a decade old.  With that being said my style of painting from a decade ago or even further back is not what I produce today.  I spent more time than usual when I painted these models, wanting to give them the attention to detail that I was able to devote at the time.

My painting technique is simple enough and not a secret.  I start with a black undercoat, then dry brush on white allowing more white paint to show on the exposed surfaces than in the creases and deep recesses (normally not visible unless you turn the figure upside down or deliberately go looking for it).  I only use colours straight from the bottle/tin/dropper as my capacity to mix consistently colours is non existent, so for my painting deeds I go simple.  By using the white dry brush over black I can achieve a highlighting or sorts without applying another step in producing my figures.  My greatest friend is washes, which I use on all my figures.  Before the arrival of Devlan Mud, I used a watered down black ink, which I think you can clearly see in the figures shown. 

Welcome to the first of many articles that will concentrate on a selection of my rather large (some say impressive) collection that I have accumulated (and still have, I either sold or gave away large sections of it).  Is this ego?  Probably, I'm getting old now and want to share what I do to a larger community than me, myself and I.

Enjoy!

ADDENDUM: I should acknowledge and also thank Paul H of The Emperors Legion who was able to import these models for me.  This was well before I became adept at online purchasing, but certainly thanks to Paul I was able to get a lot of fun miniatures. 
 
SV021 SWAT Team Suppression

SV028 SWAT Team Hammer

SV037 The B Team

SV034 The Mob

SV036 Yakuza Kingpin

SV032 Freelance Assassins

SV025 The Family

SV038 Mistress Medusa's Dominatrix Coven

SV035 Young Plugs

SV022 Fast Lucy's Street Girls

SV033 Alice White & The Slippery Dwarfs

SV024 Sergei's Korporation

SV018 Yossa's Bonehead Skins
 
SV1/3 Scabies Punks

Special pack.

SV014 Mercenary Fire Team

SV015 Mistress Trude's Street Girls

SV017 The Hardwire Troupe

SV1/1 SWAT Team Alpha
SV031 Street Cops