March Objective Achieved!

My plan for March was to get a small WW2 skirmish force painted. I have painted a platoon of late-war British infantry with a little extra support. I already had a Sherman and a Stuart painted from before so the lads can have a bit of armoured support. After taking the photos it occurred to me that I had not painted any badges onto the troops. I need to do a bit of research so that they can have proper unit identification and greater esprit de corps, but they are perfectly usable as is. Click the pics as usual for larger images.

The whole platoon

Command section including additional support from battalion (Vickers HMG, Sniper and a PIAT)

1 Section (9 men plus Bren)

2 section (organised as 1 section)

3 section (organised as 1 section)

 So, that's the late war troops ready for action. We did manage to get a couple of small USEME games played this month. I took no photos in the first one, which is probably just as well because it was an ignominious defeat for me, but I managed some photos of the second game and will post a report later.

Figures:
QRF
Peter Pig
Of the two, I prefer the sculpts of the Peter Pig figures, but the QRF figures add extra poses for variety.

Gaining Impetus - Vikings versus Saxons in Hooliganism Shocker

Well, we did no gaming in February, but managed to get a couple of games of Impetus played in March. I am only now getting round to posting about them. I took photos in the first game but most of them were out of focus and unusable. My fault for not checking what setting I had the camera on! I completely forgot to photograph the second game. Probably just as well because the Saxons won!

We really enjoyed playing Impetus. It went slowly as we learnt the rules and had to check everything twice in the rule book, but overall it was an enjoyable experience and we liked the way the game flowed. We shall certainly play a lot more Impetus as and when time allows. Here's the only photos that I thought were worth keeping (click the pics for larger images):

The Vikings in the foreground chose to deploy in one line. The Saxons deployed a flanking unit across the stream.

The Saxons advanced piecemeal from their position on the hill, while the heroic Viking commander tried to keep his line together and only detached troops from the end of the line to secure the flank.

March Objective - 15mm WW2 and SciFi

My primary objective for March is to paint my late war British troops for a forthcoming game or three of USEME WW2 from 15mm.co.uk. I only have a couple of sections plus a few extras to paint, because that is all the figures I actually have and I don't really need many more. If I achieve all of this quickly then I shall move on to my LRDG forces for the western desert. I have more of those, but Steve wanted to do late war because that is what he has figures for. I might have to give him my Afrika Korps figures and force him to paint them for a Rat Patrol style game. Now that sounds like a nicely evil plan!

My secondary objective  for February was to paint some of my 15mm sci-fi stuff for our forthcoming campaign. I managed to slap some paint on some of my troops but did not make much progress really, so I shall continue with this is my secondary objective for March too. My plan is to put together a small battlegroup comprising a battalion of mechanised infantry, an armoured squadron and a scout troop. I don't actually have all the figures needed to complete the infantry battalion but I do have the rest. The infantry currently lack APCs for one company and for the command team. If I complete my objectives for this month then I shall treat myself to the required vehicles.

Bwendi Mechanised Battlegroup

The BMB (I really need a better acronym for this lot) is organised as follows:
Infantry Platoon

• 1 command fireteam (1 platoon commander, 1 LAW operator, 1 sniper and 1 spotter)
• 4 infantry fireteams (1 team leader, 2 riflemen and 1 SAW gunner)
• 1 IFV with 75mm hypervelocity cannon carrying the command fireteam
• 2 IFVs with 20mm autocannon carrying two fireteams each

Infantry Company

• 1 command group (1 company commander, 1 Autocannon with three crew)
• 1 IFV with 20mm autocannon and AT missile launcher carrying the command group
• 2 infantry platoons

Infantry Battalion

• 1 battalion command group (battalion commander and his driver/ADC)
• 1 light scout vehicle with twin HMG carrying the battalion command group
• 2 RAM mortars each with two crew
• 1 IFV with 20mm autocannon and AT missile launcher carrying the mortar teams

Scout Troop

• 2 light scout vehicles with twin HMG
• 1 light scout vehicle with triple missile launcher

The scouts may dismount as two man teams

Tank Troop

• 1 command MBT with hi-energy laser cannon
• 2 MBTs with 120mm hypervelocity cannon

 Tank Squadron

• 1 command MBT with hi-energy laser cannon
• 1 skysweeper anti-aircraft unit on MBT chassis
• 2 tank troops

Infantry: Ground Zero Games New Israelis
APCs: QRF modern South African Ratels with bits from GZG models added
Tanks: GZG Cougar MBT
Scout vehicles: Brigade Models Javelot dune buggy

Primary Objective Achieved - More Vikings

So, I managed to achieve my pitifully small objective for February. Yup, I have added five more stands of Vikings to the army, thus making it possible to field a 300 point Impetus army. Getting painting this month has proven difficult for any number of reasons that I shall not enumerate here. Suffice to say that it was a miracle I found any time to paint at all, and I have not played a single game this month either, which is most disappointing. Click the pics below for larger images.

The New Vikings

The new Vikings comprise three stands of Baccus armoured spearmen and two stands of armoured axemen. I have used some of the mounted Vikings from the character pack to make these two stands of axement distinctive, because I intend to use them as guard huskarls, of which I am allowed two stands. This makes the stands more distinctive and adds a bit of character, as well as making it easier to differentiate the different stand types. Guard have a couple of mounted generals on them; veteran are just axemen; and run-of-the-mill huskarls are armoured spearmen. When I get around to painting the unarmoured spearmen, they will be the hird, as they are called in the lists (Don't get me started on that one!).

A 300 point Viking army for Impetus

17-20 Thaumont 1000AC

After a night in the castle, the group headed back to Threshold. They reported the results of their expedition to Caldwell, who said that he would see if he could find anyone to open the locked door. With that room still unexplored, the group's contract was not yet fulfilled. So, the group decided to heal up and sort themselves out before returning to the castle.

Three days later everyone was healed and Caldwell had returned with a scroll, which he said would open the door. Once this room and any cellars that might be present were cleared, Caldwell would consider the group's contract to be complete, and he would pay their reward for this work.

16 Thaumont 1000AC - Eviction Notice Part 2

After few days in the fleshpots of Threshold the group returned to the castle. The bloated corpses of the evictees were still present in the ground floor, although some had clearly been eaten by scavengers. The remaining treasure that they could not carry had been picked up by someone else too. Time to evict the denizens of the upper floor.

Castle Caldwell - Upper Floor

The group advanced up the stairs in the south-western tower and into the upper floor of the castle. The first room north of the tower was empty of all but rubbish and guano. The next room was occupied by a small group of dog-like humanoids (Kobolds as our heroes were to later learn). Without preamble the group charged in and carved up the Kobolds.

The next two rooms to the north were empty but for the usual mess. The north-western tower appeared empty until a large spider dropped from concealment onto Lacrimos. Its effort to gain a meal was in vain as it was soon carved up by a variety of sharp weapons.

From here on the going was easier. Whatever denizens had inhabited the castle, they were no longer here. Exploration showed that there was a large trophy room containing more treasure hidden behind a secret door in the centre north of the castle, but other than this there was little to be found. The castle was clear apart from the one locked room downstairs.

Time to return to Threshold and report this to Clifton Caldwell.

12 Thaumont 1000AC - Eviction Notice Part 1

After a short delay organising themselves, the group prepared to continue the eviction. Breccia and Vladimir would wait outside with the mule, while the rest of the group continued on into the castle and informed any residents present that they were no longer welcome here.

Castle Caldwell - Ground Floor (Click for a larger image)

The first task was to check out the store room to the south of the kitchen. A quick search showed it to be full of rotting sacks of food, old cupboards and a bloated, blackened body on the floor. As the group searched the room, suddenly Bogdan cried out. A large snake had been disturbed by his rummaging among the sacks. It bit him before anyone could kill it and soon his arm was beginning to turn black. Fortunately, Callinicus was able to suck the poison out of the wound and administer a healing potion that restored Bogdan to full health.

With no other exits, the group chose to head into the western corridor, where they encountered a group of four Goblins. The Goblins were carrying a deer on a pole between them. They eyed the group warily and greeted them. Fortunately, Shalander speaks Goblin, so he was able to greet them and assure the Goblins of the group's peaceful intentions. The Goblins proceeded past the group and into the tower room in the north-west of the castle. The group headed south. Stopping at the first door they were unable to open it by any means so they continued southwards into the next room, where they were attacked by Stirges. The bloodsuckers managed to suck a fair bit of blood before they were crushed under foot.

The next room south of this was a chapel. Its glass windows were shattered and the furniture was old, but the room was otherwise in reasonable repair. A cleric in plate armour was praying here when the group barged in. She was clearly annoyed to be disturbed but did not attack the group. Instead she introduced herself as Olga and led the group in prayers to bless their venture. Then she departed the castle, having been informed that its new owner was making every effort to take it over properly.

Continuing southwards and focusing on the western rooms, the group found a starving giant shrew in the nest room. At first it hid under the beds but then hunger overcame its cowardice and it attacked the group ferociously. All too soon the shrew lay dead and the group was bandaging its wounds before enetering the south-western tower, where they were attacked by a pair of wolves. Once more fortune favoured the now battered group and the wolves became nothing more than rugs to lie before the fire.

The group now headed eastward and explored the entrance hall and dining room in the south and centre of the castle, finding some treasure in the rubble. Moving to the south-eastern room and tower, they heard arguing from beyond the door. Shalander recognised Goblin voices arguing over treasure. Bursting in, the group found four Goblins standing around a table laden with treasure. Their swords were drawn and they were clearly none too happy about what constituted an equitable division of that treasure. In the ensuing fight, the group made short work of the Goblins and then started wondering how they were to carry all this treasure away with them. A lengthy discussion ensued, but finally the group was able to agree to cart back to Breccia and the mule as much as they could fit into the various sacks and backpacks they had with them.

Returning to the scene of their 'crimes' the group then continued their methodical progress northwards up the eastern corridor. The next room up proved to have been a library. The books were not in good condition but the room was occupied by two fire beetles, who were reduced to eating the carpet since they became trapped in here. The fight was short and in short order Elias was soon hacking the beetles up to extract the glands that emitted the glow that gave them their name.

A statue in the next room northwards gave the group pause. The room was empty but the group leaders quickly determined that they would not go anywhere near the statue, so they closed the door and headed northwards to the last room before the tower. Here they found a small group of brigands taking a rest from banditry. The group launched into the assault immediately and were victorious after a short but bloody fight. They tidied up the corpses and put them into the beds in this room, before they searched it and gathered up the bandits' loot. The final tower room proved to be empty, but upon exiting it, they encountered the same group of Goblins that they had met with earlier in the other corridor. The Goblins greeted them warily and unsuspectingly made to pass the group in the corridor on whatever errand they were running. As they did so, the group fell on the Goblins and slaughtered them in a brutal, short and effective ambush.

Everyone in the group was now injured and even though the ambush had been effective, the group had still taken some heavy wounds. This being the state of affairs the group decided to head back to Threshold to bank their loot and heal their wounds before cleaning out the rest of the castle.