Mainly concerning wargames and wargaming. Also other stuff such as books, boardgames and films.

Oh yes and my general ramblings as well!

Saturday 2 November 2013

Welcome to my hole! Old west/mexican town

At last my old west town is complete (until I come across something that will have to be added).

Here are the pictures with info on the buildings etc.

For a detail explanation of the walls see my post Quick and slightly cheating adobe walls


The full splendour of Agujero

Town sign with notice to hand in all firearms. Agujero means hole in Spanish!

To the bottom left scratch built watering hole. Centre scratch built coral and lean-to shelter. complete with horse s#*t.

Scratch built blacksmith lean-to. table and tools from unknown manufacturer.

Centre bakers cottage (scratch built from cardboard craft box) and brad oven - see my post 'A bun in the oven?'  With donkey wheat/corn grinder behind.  To the right Marshall's office (scratch built from cheap wooden craft box). Above this is the farmers cottage with animal pen behind.

Inside Marshall's office.with scratch build bars - idea from Dungeon Crafter (DM Scotty) on you tube, check it out.  Notice board at front with wanted posters. All my buildings have no signs stuck onto them so I can use in different settings.


Farmers field to left, scratch built. Local church with priest. Graveyard - top left is original purchase and the rest scratch built expansion. Grave digger shack to the far right, again scratch built from cardboard craft box.

Inside of church. I have added doors and scratch built alter.

Canteena, with fountain out front and loo out back.

Grub up! inside of canteena.


Local store with ruined house to the right

Inside store. Don't think there coming to buy their 5 a day!

Old ruin house with town sign.

The rock formations and tree sections are all hand made.




Tuesday 29 October 2013

Nearly Portable Wargame

For a while now I have been collecting the numerous editions of Portable Wargames from The Portable Wargame Website.

On a visit to a cheap home-ware shop I picked up a cork board, which is actually double sided.
Yep two for the price of one.

One side I have painted brown/green. The other I plan to paint grey for an urban/city game.

Here are some photos of a 6mm Egypt V. Hittite game.


Egyptians at the top face Hittites

View behind Hittites facing Egyptians

Behind Egyptians facing monuments

Egyptians face Hittites, oasis may provide cover for skirmishers

All Change, 20mm WWII game.

British rifle unit (left) face a dug-in Luftwaffe filed division unit.


Tuesday 2 July 2013

"Anyone for a Castle Cornet & a flak?"

A recent weekend cruise found me, my son and a good friend at St Peter Port in Gurnsey. While the ladies were shopping.  We explored Castle Cornet.

Castle Cornet from the sea 

The mid-day salute

Very handy at close quarters!

German WW II flak emplacement 'plonked' on top of an Elizabethan bastion (with cruise ship in background).

A traversing gun. Notice gap cut in background (therefore unable to traverse!) This leads to German machine gun bunker.

Torpedoes, with self explanatory info!

Rifle Company swords and the infamous Baker rifle.

Part of the port and entrance to castle.

Closer view of battery.

Ammo storage for German guns.

Hand drawn range marker of church which corresponds to actual church on horizon (left of centre).

Close up of Hand drawn range marker.

German air raid bunker. Most given girls names!

Inner wall (left), muskateer firing steps (right) & Governors garden (foreground).

 Gurnsey soldiers in WW I.

One dead and one angry German - with an impressive anti-tank gun.

Took this mainly for reference when I eventually paint my VBCW Lewis gunners.

Arty, scenic tower shot.

18th  Century castle barracks.

And very large communal "piss-pot"

Medieval crossbow man.

Elizabethan gun crew.

German WW II flak gun.

Another view.

Love this poster. It's an idiots guide to British uniforms & insignia - for the German soldier.

Finaly to go with the flak gun are some Luftwaffe equipment.

Then of course to round it all off there was the castle shop, where I HAD to buy some books!

Monday 1 July 2013

'Not another ambush?'

This Sunday I found myself alone all day and decided to get up,to a bit of mischief by having a Colonial skirmish.

I tend to use 'God save the Queen' a free set of rules that meet my requirements, easy simple, quick and only a couple of pages.

They can be obtained here. LINK.    Not bad as he was 11 yrs old when he wrote them!

A unit of Royal Marines and Royal Navy make their way to an outpost with much needed supplies from a nearby port.

Waiting for them is the local tribal leader, Omah Bin Atum.
The column progresses slowly.
Even more slowly!

Nearly in range!

All hyped up ready!
Steady there lads!
Ok so the gun is old and held together by the Victorian version of 'Duck Tape', but it could still cause some problems for the column.
Omah's men are on the move.

Cpt Steel (red fez) local guide and all round hero, notices movement & battalion put into firing line.
It's gonna kick off I can tell!
Omah's boys sneak forward.
First casualty to Omah - top of pic.

Return fire causes a casualty for her Majasty's navy.

Omah (the one in the rusty mail shirt) decides to boost moral by raising his personal standard & bring Fatima, the local exotic dancer for all to see!

Spurred on by this appearance, Omah's men rush the RM on the units left flank.
They then run away! In response the Navy poor a deviststing volley into Omah's left flank!
Then charge in!
Casualties are fairly even. Although a deviststing close range canister shot from the gun has taken out most of the RM right flank (hence gap) just missing Cpt Trubshaw RN.

The Britsh form up to give fire.

Unfortunately they are not quick enough & another deviststing close range shot from the old gun takes out most of the remaining ratings.

Right, that's it. Enough is enough and the RM take out the gun crew & silance the gun - 'thank The Lord!'
A final volley from the few remaining ratings finish of Omah and his followers (unfortunately including Fatima - tonight's entertainment now cancelled!). The only survivor is Omah's young son, who vowed to avange his fathers death.

Now the very few remnants can carry on and re-supply the out post. Another costly adventure for Het Majasty's troops!