Wargaming Fun at Historicon 2013

I had a great time at Historicon this year.  Minimal shopping but got in a couple of big, good games.

One was a Carnage and Glory game run by John Snead.  Wurtemburger's vs. French or something like that.  Anyway, Mike H. had the left flank, Scott B. had the right and I was the Wurtemburg commander in the center.  We had to make a few "off-board" strategic decisions  before and during the battle to get our reinforcements and react to the attack by the evil French.  It was a close game and I'm going to call it a Wurtemburg victory as we stopped French on all fronts, including the right where the town defense and counter-attacks by General Bishop kept the Frenchies bottled up and unable to put in a coordinated attack.

Mike's left flank standing strong on the dyke and able to fire canister from 12lbr's into the French to collapse their attack.  In this shot from late in the game, the artillery has pulled back to cool off their guns.

My center position around the bridge.  My tired artillerymen are moving their gun to a hill to the rear and taking up a new position.  My battalions are forming square as we lacked cavalry and at right-center you can see the French cavalry starting to cross.  They were unable to break the squares.

On the right, Scott fights essentially a lone battle against the French and received reinforcements in the nick of time to hold the village and keep counterattacks supported.

The second enjoyable game was a big three-table battle of the Crete Invasion of May 1941.
The Fallschirmjager force I commanded landed on the hisorical drop sites in the Prison Valley area and despite good air support suffered the historical defeat.  We made only limited progress taking positions around Pink Hill and Cemetery Hill.  Very good game though.  Jake Strangeway was the GM, troops and terrain for the three boards came from various sources.  I had supplied a Fallschirmjager Regiment and Commonwealth Infantry Brigade.  Game use Command Decision rules and 15mm figures.

 Our initial drop in Prison Valley near an orchard.

The second drop and moving out from the orchard towards Cemetery Hill.

The disastrous drop of the AA battalion further up Prison Valley.  The hill in the left background is Cemetery Hill and our main assault by a para battalion is occurring just out of the pic to the left.

Napoleonic British Miniatures

Recently off the painting table are two British 9lber's and three leaders.  Leaders and cannon are AB Miniature and Crewman are Battlehonors minis.  Both lines are 18mm.

Furlough Friday Hijinx

So today was my first furlough day of the Sequestration brought to us by an inept and very dull Congress.  The Executive Branch doesn't fare much better either.  Bugger 'em all.

Anyway, I managed to paint and base a bunch of minis, did housekeeping chores, and set myself on fire.  Yes, I set myself on fire.  Nothing serious but it was momentarily startling.  It was a combination of wearing an unbuttoned shirt (sexy, I know), cooking pasta, and reaching above the stove for the coffee maker.  And viola! My shirt was on fire.  Once that registered, I hopped around and managed not to knock anything over and was in the process of taking my shirt off (still sexy, no?) when the fire was out.

I think I'll stick to painting miniatures on my future Furlough Fridays.

British 9th Regiment of Foot

And next off the painting table is the British 9th Regiment of Foot, 1809 Peninsular.   Figures are AB Miniatures and flags by Flag Dude.

British 5th Regiment of Foot

I've got several British Pennisular Regiments on the painting table.  The 5th Foot is all finished up.  Figures are AB Miniatures 18mm.  Flags from Flag Dude.

Aircraft for the Collection

Photos of some recently completed Zvezda 1/144th scale aircraft

And some of not-so-recently completed Horsa Gliders (15mm from AIM)

The Cornfield at Sharpsburg

Our gaming group is in the middle of playing the fight around the cornfield during the Sharpsburg ACW battle.  Miniatures are 15mm and rules are "Regimental Fire and Fury."

Union advancing through the cornfield from left, Confederates advancing from the right

Big clash at the foot of the hill beyond the cornfield

Confederates are holding but more Union troops arrive to bolster their line

Back and forth close quarters fight continues.  The Rebel regiments are getting thinner.

The worn and spent rebel line along the road collapses and the worn Union regiments occupy their positions.  Rebel still hold the rest of their line.  The mass of troops a the right of the photo are Hood's troops starting their move to relieve the  spent Rebel regiments.  More Union regiments are also moving up.
 

And that's where we left the battle for the day.