Out of Left Field

Union Forces Approach the Confederate Line at the Battle of Barnett's Bluff

A few weeks back I agreed to join my group of Longstreet players for another campaign. The talk had been about starting in the spring, which works great for my schedule. That would give me plenty of time to repaint my missing cavalry, destroyed by me in a tragic slip on the ice moment. As I wanted to play an Eastern force this time, I would also have time to get a few new command stands done and add a new unit or two.

 Well, things got moving faster than I expected and the first game has been played. My Union forces lead by Ebenezer W. Pierce, composed of the 4^th Massachusetts, 3^rd and 7^th New York, 4^th Massachusetts Artillery, and the 2^nd US Cavalry (formally the 2^nd US Dragoons) battled Carnot Posey and his Mississippians.

The Battle of Slippery Springs

Yankees Pour Fire into the Faces of the Rebs

As this was the first battle of the campaign both sides had mirror image forces. We fought an Outflanking battle with me as the attackers.

 My trait cards, Artillery & Engineering Officer give me a nice +1 boost to a single artillery battery per turn, and the ability to start with an extra bridge across either a stream or river, or to start with a good section of fieldworks. I also get a +1 to digging in my troops during the game.

 Carnot Posey has European Veteran and Personal Physician giving him a +1 boost to his infantry shooting with a risk of losing cards (1-3 loose that many cards, 4+ no effect). The Personal Physician reduce the risk to only being affected on a 1-2, plus be immune to the most deadly card in the game that removes 1-6 cards from your hand at the start of your play, (you only have a 6 card hand).

 Both sides started the battle headed for the open flank, me to exploit it, the Rebs to fill it. Both of us where lucky and had bonus movement cards, but the Rebs played a card that kept my cavalry from moving for a turn and that would have left my infantry vulnerable if it advanced.

 Having lost my advantage, I forced a Reb infantry unit into range of two of my infantry units, with the intention of shooting it to pieces. The Rebs had the right counter and turned my shooting into crap. So much for best laid plans. 
The battle then turned into a series of charges and counter-charges (Charges gain Epic Point (EPs), and EPs are what the campaign is about). We both made headway, but the Rebs broke through my center, while I only pushed back their flank. The game was close with my failure to cause any casualties on my last turn, despite having four rolls of 50% to do so, being the difference in winning and losing. I lost the real battle of EPs 4-to-9. In the end a moment of hesitation on my part of not launching a charge cost me.

 

Rebs Launch a Massed Attack on the Yankee Line

The other forces of the Army of the Potomac fought in a 3-on-3 game. In The Battle of Barnett’s Bluff, the Union troops were soundly defeated by the Rebs. A combined force of Virginians lead by Charles S. Winder, North Carolinians lead by J. Johnson Pettigrew, and Louisans lead by Harry T. Hays, first stalled the Union attack, then launched a major flanking assault to break the line. The New York Zouaves lead by Romeyn B. Ayres, held the Union center, supported on the left by Israel B Richardson’s Michiganders, and Thomas Francis Meagher’s 2^nd Irish Brigade. It was the Irish that suffered dreadful losses from the Louisans assaults on their exposed flank.

 

Confederate Assault on the Irish Brigade's Flank

This is only 1861 and there are another six battles to go. The Confederates start with all the advantages, but over time that swings to the Union. My big problem is I am in last place with 4EPs with most of the pack way up at 8-12. Time to teach my boys bayonet drill and hope for some great press.

I Have Not Been Idle

Even though I have not posted in a few months I have been regularly painting and witting for my games.

Games Workshop has been my big distraction/bane this summer. I have purchased and worked on four new games, Age of Sigmar, Kill Team, Adeptus Titanicus and The Lord of the Rings. In the case of the later it is not so much new, as a continuation on my collection. So far all I have really done with most is assemble models and terrain. My Warlord Titan did get some basic painting done, with only Lord of the Rings getting figures finished. 

I finished my first mounted knights of Gondor. Hard to believe, but I never owned any before this release, even though the collection started over seventeen years ago. They will serve double duty as both troops for my Good Folks for Lord of the Rings and as knights for my medieval campaign.

Knights of Gondor

My gaming buddy Bob reminded me of another project that I have left sitting for nine years. The Quar. These are best described as World War I anteaters. Yup, you read that right. Anteaters. He finished his troops years ago while mine have hit the painting cue numerous times I never did start them. His threat to sell his off got me off my butt and painting. More on that project later.

Quar 1st Section

Close up of Coftyran Rhyfler

On the writing end I have added more rules for the Medieval Campaign and will be posting them soon. I also had a major epiphany on colonial gaming campaigns. I am creating a whole matrix for operational choices for both natives and empire builders. These will lead to a combination of scenarios and unique victory points. The key goal here will be winning Heart and Minds. I expect to be able to use this in both my 1890s campaigns and Twilight 2000.

 My painting should be moving ahead at a good pace again once I am past the big auction here and my own personal post auction clean up. My painting table is a nightmare of projects and I need to clean space and get myself focused for the finishing projects by the end of year.

Back to No Good

I am finally back from Origins. It was a great show, and outdoing our wildest expectations. With it out of the way all I have left for the summer is planning for GenCon, and lots of painting.

 Having returned I am finding myself fighting NOT to get excited and involved in the new GW Age of Sigmar. This is a real challenge as for the first time in years I really like both armies in the starter set. Wait, I hear you say. But those are undead, and you hate undead. True, but they are wraiths. Celtic mythology and Lord of the Rings both include wraiths and I love these works. So…

This now brings the projects for 2018 up to 4 remaining. Medieval, which I really need to get back to painting, Age of Sigmar 2^nd Edition, (No, no no, but…), Adeptus Titanicus and either my Twilight 2000/AK47, or America Civil War 1968 (I really can only do one of these at most). Medieval I am on the hook for, so just need to refocus and get the paint brush working again. Adeptus is likely unless the Secret project gets accepted. AK47 Twilight, and ACW 1968 are running neck and neck, but are the most likely not to make it. Ancients may sneak in, but that is really my 2019 goal (Wait! Ancients? Where did that come from). I can likely get 2 of these done, if I paint every week. Only time will tell.

Title Picture

What are all those games on the top of the page I hear you ask. Good question. These are several my favorite things to play. 

Slaughterloo

I have a very special place in my heart for Napoleonic uniforms and tactics. I also love the odd and off the wall. Alternative Armies caters to both with their 28mm Slaughterloo game. In this world humans are all gone, but the Elves (French), Orcs (English), Rats (Scotts), and Dogs (Austria) fight on. Some day I may take the plunge into historical Nappies. Well at least paint a few French Cavalry figures. 

Rommel

Strategic WWII by Sam Mustafa via Honor Game. These are 6mm Australians defending against the German Sea Lion invasion campaign I ran. Sam is a name you are likely to see on here a lot. I like a lot of his designs.

Flames of War

Yup, the popular WWII miniatures game. This is a 15mm very late war battle I ran. US forces assault a German occupied town. I have played these rules since first edition. These are the armies that have seen the most time on the gaming field. Over the years the rules we use change, but the troops carry on. 

Toy Soldiers

One of my biggest figure collections are the 28mm Eureka miniature. I have well over 400 hundred of these painted and I keep adding on. Originally designed as my catchall force to play all black powder period games, they have evolved into a period of their own. Using my own rules, the armies of Nodd and Otherwhen are at perpetual war.

Emptying the Bucket

Carthaginian Plastic Pile

Taking the bit between my teeth I am starting to work on the bucket list projects. Today I picked up a pile of figures for my Carthaginian army. I already have a lot of the Pyric and Romans figures, so this is the next force. I have never had a Carthaginian force in any scale, which is very odd since this is my favorite ancient’s army. Once I get around to this project they will be first on the painting table. 

Perry Union Artillery Battery for Longstreet

I have already painted a full Union force for Longstreet, so adding the Confederates is simple project, especially since I have had Perry plastic figures to do just that for years. Of note is the first figure I ever painted was of a Reb. I never have played the southerners, as my personally family history is all about the “Boys in Blue”. Seems natural from a group of folks that lived in Connecticut, Massachusetts and New York. 

Fireforge Archers and Spearmen

The third group is the big thing in my gaming world now. At the beginning of May I started work on my Medieval project. I have a goal of 200 figures painted by September and have made a start. This is all for a campaign I plan to run in October. With that said, it is time to give the keyboard a rest and get back to my painting.

Bucket List

Over the years, and there have been more than a few, there are miniatures projects I have thought about, started, stopped, and completed. Now that I am nearing my golden year, with retirement not to far around the corner, I have been thinking about the projects I absolutely want to finish. All of these are using 28mm figures. 

•      Medieval Armies – Enough to run a good size campaign.

•      Ancients – Carthaginian, Pyric, and Republican Roman. Enough of each to put on multi-player battles.

•       ACW Confederates to match against my Union forces for Longstreet.

These are the big three as everyone of these I have either done in 15mm and now want bigger figures, or more accurately I want more spectacle. I am of the opinion you can always play with more figures.

The problem with all my games is I hate to paint. I’m rather good at it, but I never enjoyed it. I would always rather write rules, create campaigns, or best still, play games. The question then remains, “Will any of this ever get finished?”