2023 a year in Review and looking ahead

 The past year has had a number of shifts take place.

It started off great with a whole weekend of games, the peak being a defend the bridgehead battle:

Defend the bridgehead!

My ACW efforts reached a first battlefield ready condition, Bull Run 1861

the whole 15mm force for both sides in the starting battle
of the American Civil War

 

These troops were then put into action on the tabletop in the Bull Run 1861 battle:

 

 Bull Run 1861

 

Some digital image work was done, in progress towards a potential little game ...

The Alpian Wars moves into a new 'realm'?

 

Still more use of the ACW troops and expanding into the "Operational Level" of battle management.

Operational Level of command

 

The full battle can be tracked here:

Then more ACW potential came to light as the Gettysburg Campaign was put into operation for the first time here, and culminated in a number of battles:

some quick troops were assembled to support the others that already existed, so that we could do some really big battles.

bare metal was brought to full paint quickly
to support the needs for more Union troops on the tabletop

Then the campaign took action and an amazing set of a-historical battles resulted:

UTICA MILLS:

Push on the Potomac:

Cavalry action at Bruceville:

Then Autumn arrived, there were many other things I needed to do and focus on, so games took a back seat, though the itch did get scratched a few more times before the end of the year, most importantly in the Bull Run 1861 game and expo at the local community center.

Victory Without Quarter

SHAKO 2

Bull Run 1861, at the Kelcey Center

I now also have a little painting commission, that will need addressing in the new year, so expect some progress photos of that project in the coming months.

The ACW set has Shiloh on deck, with only the Confederates needing to be painted at the moment, they are all up on the painting shelf, ready to roll after the commissions.

At least three other games days at the local community center are slated, in January, February and March.  So there will be some more tabletop images to come ...

Added on all of this are the continuing home operations, a work prospect that keeps me near my phone and computer most days along with Firefighter duties weekly (& whenever the 'tones' drop) and plans for better marketing of the rescue society needs.

Happy New Year everyone!

Solo throwdown ... English Civil War game of Victory Without Quarter

 Found the time to get the ECW collection out onto the tabletop.

Also the new red and blue command tags and commander ID sabot were used, along with some all new teddy bear fur bases.

Combine that with a time-lapse camera and some clip-2-comic images and I had a great little game and show on the go.

I put together two asymmetrical forces: Royalist had 6 gallopers and 5 pike & shot with two cannon, while the Parliament had 4 trotters and 7 pike & shot with two cannon and two field pieces.

I then used my random terrain cards to set up the tabletop battlefield and then started the time-lapse camera.

I decided to go with mostly video for this posting as everything came together so nicely.

Here are a few stills that I did not use in the video

from deployment, the KING

early in the action, the right wing of Parliament

showing off most of the Royalist foot in the village
along with the two 'pieces' firing

wider view of the Royalist right wing at deployment

Parliament center firing in early action on the day

Royalist horse push on the flank, yet cannot muster
up the courage to charge
(read three failed charge morale rolls)

a closer view of those horse
note the 3 of spades tag
I put my 'deck of cards' system to use this game

with these very cards
here is the end of game as the KING for the Royalists
must decide to move or not
(read the fight does not go well, losing 4-1 at that point)

lights are all repaired in my display case

including a close-up of some of the Napoleonic
large models and my own 28mm Bonaparte

Next up will be some new 'frosthaven' models that I have a commission to paint.

Along with the Shiloh Confederates, likely a move upstairs to painting spaces that are warmer as the weather shifts here on the wet coast of British Columbia.

Image processing for a new gamebox

 Once Upon a time I had a plan to put the whimsical bloodaxe miniatures, painted by Jeff Hudelson, into a gamebox set for use by those who perhaps were interested in tabletop minis, yet were unable to have the space needed and could experience something of the game with Cyberboard.

Then we learned that we would have to move.

I did not know if I could even keep the minis, due to storage needs.

This spurred me on into generating a set of photos of these minis.

Then we had a location and all my photo works were put into reserve and the other plans put on hold.

Now I find I have some time to put into the process again ...

a quick image done of the two army CICs

 

The overall summary of the games, so far, can be found at The Alpian Wars.

Each unit and command is getting a full image treatment:

The Yellow Brigadier of Alpia

So far only Alpian forces have been done.

Up next will be Stagonia.

ACW Minis acquired : and a Victory Without Quarter game

 Hello everyone!

I had started an ACW planned game set in 1995 or so, then due to many life changes, the project kept being put off and put off and put off.  In about 2010 or so I finally gave up and gave the remaining unpainted minis to my son to use for a history class of his.  

The project had been abandoned.

Then last year, after moving and realizing that there would be space and possibly resources to re-start the project, an opportunity to re-stock the minis appeared.

We, myself and three or four other gamers, combined to make a donation to cancer and obtain the remains of another game players collection that had been in a partial condition.

There were many hands that have moved the immense container of raw lead and box of painted minis, and just yesterday I was able to see them all and make some reservations for foot, cavalry, guns and officers - so that I could realistically re-start the project!

We then engaged in a little game of Victory Without Quarter, with the 'longer life' modification.

I made an error in the cards, missing an Alpian commander, however given the brutal dice rolling and the unlucky caisson explosion of powder right next to the Alpian CIC, the day belonged to Stagonia!

Stagonian knights with the CIC in support
take out the Alpian knights

Alpian pike & shotte did not fare well in the center
seen fleeing here

Stagonian horse, just stood about for most of the battle

While on the right wing of Stagonia a mixed
brigade had ... mixed results

An error for certain, yet a new form of "Maddening Subordinate" may have been born,

The TOADSTOOL: place brigade commander, then remove his card from the deck for 7 turns.

A good sport though after all.

English Civil War - with new model forests using Victory Without Quarter

 The new model forest got put into action for the first time in a solo-play action battle using some ECW troops (on their new teddy bear fur bases) and Victory Without Quarter rules set.

new layout with forest and 'tufts' to break up the
otherwise flat green spaces

new forest

new forest with an older "weeble tree"
in front to the left

new trees and a village with gravel road

new trees now with a old foam tree in the photo center

the new trees look great

as a massed forest they look excellent

the village comes off looking better with the
rough trees and hedges

a lone copse with a large tree upon a low rise ...

The 'battle' was to see a 4 horse 2 foot force of Royalists coming out from the village against a Parliamentary force of 3 horse and 3 foot with 2 light guns.

overview of table

Royalist lines

Royalist left flank horse

center of the village

Parliament command

 It took a few more minutes to sort out the 'cards' needed to run a game of Victory Without Quarter using the troops given.

opening positions, seeing the Parliament rushing to get
into position to control the river crossing

as with most battles, the early game is
one of maneuver

each 'turn' has a variable number of cards
which determine which units or commanders
move or take action, one at a time

these early moves were simply photographed from
a stationary camera to see the moves

essentially the early 'decks' had more
Parliament moves happen than Royalist ...

though a Royalist horse troop did push
hard into the line ... getting shot away by a pike and shotte unit

this did not work out well for the Royalist plans

now the Parliament lines could move together

Parliament artillery also actually managed to get a hit!

though the tough blew regiment did not flinch

while the horse (seen in the left of the image)
were busy 'rallying' rearward

another deck, limited moves

still another deck, now at least the Royalist left wing
horse were on the move (top right of image)

overall command of the Royalists had made
efforts to stop the routing horse

only just barely stopping them from fleeing
the tabletop

they had halted at the very edge of the village

the lines were facing off now with musketry starting

shotte and pistols in the fore and exchanging volleys to the rear

the Royalist left wing horse took some hits from artillery

this caused a pause in the Royalist plan

Royalist high command re-positioned to be ready to
help both wings

the horse were half destroyed, a decision was needed

meanwhile the Parliament forces were pouring on
the fire ...

the next deck

a horse unit that was only inches from fleeing ...
had turned around

unfortunately the other shaken horse had routed

and routed

so the final remaining horse was going to have to do
the job alone ... with the wing commander attached

Parliament now needed to get victory
before the Royalist horse could reach to the flank

so the fire fights were going to be vicious

now the battle of maneuver had begun

the deck obliged and managed to permit the
Royalist horse to ride deep in the flank

Artillery had been readied ...

while the Parliament commander scrambled
to get foot to support that gun

while at the same time routing the Royalist
blew foot

now the remaining reds were going to have
to hold off twice their number

the Royalist banner can be seen beyond the woods

peek a boo in the trees

next to last deck
(I had decided that 20 was the limit for this battle)

the Royalist flank attack had been hit by artillery

the view was just enough

though the morale check was passed
since the commander was attached

meanwhile the rest of the army was rushing to cover

in the shadow of the hill more Parliament troops
were rushing to the right flank

even as a horse troop of Parliament had failed

scene of three horse clashes, now the reds were
being forced back ...

while the blews were finally routed off the table

other horse troops were managing to hold on

army command were called upon to keep
the reds in the battle

final deck positions

the last Royalist horse attack

held in check by a pike & shotte unit

more foot were coming

the last acts

with Parliament army commander attached
the pike & shotte drove off the Royalist horse

holding at the side of the river ford, the Parliament had
seized the river crossing

a Parliament horse unit could not muster up
enough courage to charge the last Royalist foote

while more Royalist horse fled the field

it took the brigade command's life and a continuing
effort from the Royalist commander to stop the
rout of the reds

the battle's end

my home-made quick game deck

losses

I'll finish off with a few more photos of the table at game's end.