Second time in the North West Frontier since 1985

 I started to buy the Ral Partha Colonials back in the '80s when they first came out. No real plan on a rule set or how to paint and organize them it was pretty much piecemeal. Moving ahead I tried out The Men Who Would be Kings back in 2016, This was the first time I had used the figures in a game. Moving ahead another ten years they were back on the table. This time using A Gentleman's War. We're part way through the game. Things are starting to heat up.

The relief column advances 

Pathans moving through the valley.

Massing forces.

The first attack on the fort.

The Gurkhas assault the hill. 

No gaming tonight

A week into March finds the weather too cold to get out and seal coat painted figures or prime new figures. Fortunately I've enough primed and half painted figures to keep me busy. Fifty three figures need coating showing a productive painting month. We squeezed a game in on the 31st and gamed three of the four Thursdays in February. Three games of A Gentleman's War and one of Chainmail Bikini.

The first AGW game takes place in the foothills of the Khyber Pass. Matt held the fort as the British with a relief column arriving from the south. A good run of cards brought the cavalry into the fort reinforcing the garrison but the infantry were held up by the Pathans. Despite gaining a foothold in the fort the Pathans were pushed back and a forey by the Gurkhas pushed the enemy  cannon off the hill ending the attack.

i

The Pathans fire on the fort

The Relief force breaks through the pass. 

The Pathans swarm over the hills.

Reinforcements make it into the fort

The remainder of the relief column fight off the Pathans.

The Gurkhas push the natives out of the fort.

A rearrangement of the fort and replacing Pathans with Madists brings A Gentleman's War to the Sudan. Here Nate defended against the attacking Madists. The cards worked for the natives with Howards troops moving as a group on a facecard and getting in close with out being shot up. I was able to move up a unit and get into the fort but was not strong enough to hold on. Outside Nate's men made short work of my cavalry but were held off long enough that the garrison was overrun.

The gallant defenders await the attack.

A horde of camelry threaten from afar.

Despite heavy losses the Madists gain entry into the fort.

Across the parade ground the British and Egyptian troops are over run.

Making off with a captured British officer.

The last game was an 18th Century AGW  game loosely based on the battle of White Plains played at Toywiz. Howard commanded the Patriots and I the Crowns troops. My artillery opened fire doing little damage. I was then able to bring up both my brigades easily chasing off the skirmishes on my flanks. On the left the Hessians underestimated the Continentals and were quickly dispatched. On the right the British with the aid of Green apples ( a card which causes a negative effect on a unit drawn at the turn of a joker) pushed back the militia defending the fence line.

American militia defending.

Third NY hold the hill.

the British brigade form up for the assault.

The German brigade.

The British move up to the fence line.

Heavy firing on the British right 

The British persevere despite mounting casualties.

The Militia hold as reinforcements move up.

The firefight heats up.

More Americans enter on the left.

Things get tense.

Finally the Americans are pushed off the fence.

The Hessians move up against the Continentals.

More Americans show up.

The Hessians take casualties while closing in and then are crushed in close combat.

A playtest of Chainmail Bikini finishes out the games. Matt set up the table and the scenario. Three groups of Heros set out to find and rescue the Hobbits. Combat began right away and remained steady throughout the game.

Legolas, Gimli and their kinsman prepare to rescue the Hobbits.

Fighting around a pool results in the rescue of Sam.

Goblins appear behind our Heros.

Down in the tombs Gimli fights off a Wraith.

Gandalf & Aragorn are attacked by Warg Riders.

The men of Gondor battle in the tombs and find another of the Hobbits.

A good month for hobby pursuits.

 

More on the last game 

http://saltflats1929again.blogspot.com/2019/02/hobbit-hunt.html

Matt's Colonial game reports

http://saltflats1929again.blogspot.com/2019/01/the-great-game-part-2.html

http://saltflats1929again.blogspot.com/2019/02/once-more-into-desert.html

More on the AWI game on Howard's blog

https://thegatlingsjammedandthecolonelsdead.wordpress.com/2019/02/22/back-to-the-revolution/ 

Motivations.

I haven't been gaming much these last two weeks nor have I completed many figures. I have been inspired by the blogs of others and this weekend saw three that I felt were particularly great. So here the links to them.

 The Grand Duchy of Stollen were the collection is put up for a Grand Review.
https://grandduchyofstollen.blogspot.com/2017/10/more-photos-from-grand-review.html

Next a post from Wargaming Miscellany were Bob reports on a game played by a Father and son.
http://wargamingmiscellany.blogspot.com/2017/10/bens-portable-wargame-battle.html

Over on Grid based Wargaming we have the start of a campaign with hand drawn maps and a simple set of rules to allow games to have a bit more meaning.
http://gridbasedwargaming.blogspot.com/2017/10/french-indian-war-campaign-game-1.html

These are only three of the blogs I follow, about 90 wargame related, but these stood out this week and I thought I would share them. The idea for the share came from Jonathan over at Palouse WargamingJournal

I like the idea of a grand review and plan on doing one for my shiny toy soldiers which was the reason I started this blog until the here's a few pictures of what I finished in the last two months displayed on the board I've made for the Portable Wargame.

Perry Native Americans

Kings Mountain Highlanders

unknown 25mm Colonials