Sunday 28 July 2013

To Play Like A Boy

I was surprised to read that H.G. Wells' magnificent "Little Wars" is now a hundred years old!  This led to a celebratory garden confrontation with The Kid earlier today.


Seems that the Red Coats and the Blue Coats are at it again.



And is there anything more beautiful than a beat-up Britains Super Deetail Toy Soldier?



Monday 22 July 2013

When One Life-Sized Poster Of Rick Priestley is Not Enough

Rick Priestley!

The Man is responsible for so much gaming joy!

Just finished a fantastic and fluid modern-day battle between Kislev and The Empire using Bolt Action.  

Wonderful Bolt Action.

Here are some pics:

The Empire scrambles


to meet the Might of Kislev!


Send in the Leopards.  (O the beautiful Leopards!)


Empire T.O.W.s ...


...find their targets.





And more beautiful Leopards win the day!



Bolt Action!

Wednesday 3 July 2013

All Grenadier Uberhammer

In the days following the Battle of the Plain of Crows, Clan Grenadier marched determinedly to the beleaguered Hold of Clan Prince August.


Suddenly, Grondir Black Eye has a vision! 


It is Grendir!!!  Grendir Bagotrix, beloved old Wizard of Clan Grenadier, the Hero of The Battle of the Plain of Crows!!! 


"But Uncle", says Grondir, "you're..."

"Funny thing that", says the vision of Grendir Bagotrix, "I seem to have found myself in a jungle with a group of Dragon Lords Fighting Men, and we are about to be surrounded by a rather large group of Amazons.  I was wondering if you and the Lads would mind helping me out?"


"But how Uncle?", asks Grondir, "we are here and..."

"Time.  Space.  It matters not, young Grondir", chuckles Grendir, "just trust, and you and our noble Clan will be here."

And then they were.



The mighty Clan Grenadier forms itself into battle formation. 


Meanwhile, Ariella Isabella strums her magic lute and leads her Royal Guard into position.


She stops strumming. 

Silence.

And then the air fills with Amazonian arrows.

The battle has begun!

The Dragon Lords Fighting Men charge.


The Elite Amazonian Tiger Riders charge.
 

But the resolute Dwarves of Clan Grenadier will not be moved.  "They are like rocks in a stream that soon becomes a trickle."  (The famous tag line from the well-known and much loved Dwarf Saga Song, "Rocks in A Stream That Soon Becomes A Trickle".  Which was written not long after this glorious battle.)


After much fighting and manic magiking, the shieldwall of Prince Grandir The Quick meets Ariella Isabella's Royal Guard.  Challenges are issued.  And Challenges are accepted.


The Main Event.


And then...

And then the Dwarf Delegation is met with disdain by the defeated Amazons.  But nonetheless, terms of surrender and peace are agreed upon.

 
Bellowing songs of victory, the confident and joyous Dwarves of Clan Grenadier find themselves back on the march towards the beleaguered hold of Prince August.   
 
 
 
A super fun game!  The beautiful Amazons are The Major's.  I had been hinting at/asking/cajoling/begging him to bring these out to play with for months!   They are really wonderful classic figs that the pictures do not glorify as much as they should.   And they have a nice heft.  Especially the Tiger Riders.  
 
The rules ended up a bit of Uberhammer because we started off with First Edition Warhammer Fantasy (which I thought was fitting given the age of the figs), but after a slow going Turn and a half we switched back into our old Open-ended version of Sixth Edition.   A bit of a default choice but it works well and it is our own.