Adventures on the Wargames Table

As promised here are some photos from the Zero Hour participation game. I’ve added a few notes to some to help make sense of the action, but really I think the pictures speak for themselves! The basic premise of the game is that the French are attacking a section of the line with the aim of capturing the second line of trenches (including a command post) and the nearby ruined village. The French have superior numbers and armour, but the Germans have a Storm Trooper company held off table ready to mount a counter attack if the forward trench line is breached. The French mass in and around the blasted wood on a low hill. And the Germans are waiting in their trenches! On the French left the Senegalese are supported by tanks and big guns. Scarab’s WW1 Rommel figure keeps an eye on things from a ruined building (a Charlie Foxtrot kit). The whistles blow and the attack begins! German artillery begins to hammer the advancing French as they scramble through mud filled craters and along rickety...

A quick post to show some figures I've recently completed for good chum Orange Dave. Some Scarab WW1 French Chauchat teams. The Horizon Blue uniform is actually the Foundy Night Sky triad. Rather enjoyed painting these characterful figures. En avant mes braves!

No, not exploding broccoli ... it's one of Orange Dave's new blast markers! Having seen mine, Dave asked if I could make some for him. These will initially be featuring in games of Great War action. Three smoke "blasts". A couple of sprays of grey primer, followed by a couple of pure white. Three explosion "blasts". A couple of sprays of black primer, followed by a light spray of grey. One poison gas "blast". Spray as smoke the hightlight with some green. This pic might show the green-ish hue of the smoke a bit better. Simply a quick drybrush with Foundry Phlegm Green light. These are the armatures on to which I stick the Woodland Scenics foam, using smelly all purpose glue from (UK) Bostik or Uhu. MDF bases with holes drilled for kebab or cocktail sticks. A trick to help make them slight more durable is to prime the foam with very thin PVA before spraying. Make sure you allow plenty of drying time tho. Thanks for looking!

My good friend George recently invited me to take part in a marvellous naval campaign set at the outbreak of WW1.  I've never taken part in anything like this before so I jumped at the chance!  My role was that of Admiral Souchon, the commander of a small German fleet stationed in the Mediterranean.  My mission was to (a) disrupt the French as they brought troops back from North Africa in preparation for the European war, and then (b) deliver the ships to Turkey at Constantinople as per a secret pact of mutual support.  Two other players (Simon and Rob) would be taking the role of Britian and France. My flagship was the battlecruiser SMS Goeben , shown here. George acted as the umpire, giving reports and map updates as the hours and days passed.  The players would then give orders, course heading, speed, orders for sighting the enemy, etc.  I opened the action by sailing for North Africa with the intent of shelling the ports and sinking whatever ships...

My Charlie Foxtrot Models Brasserie kit is complete! As I mentioned before, my intention was to make a 'tile' with outbuildings, etc. Here it is. The back garden even has a little fruit & veg patch. I've added some signs to both the café and the outbuilding. I've also placed some of the bits and bobs I posted recently. The basic idea is that the tile can be placed on a corner or junction. The tiled area is just good quality printed card with a nice matte finish. Here are a few shots of some of the extra components. First the large shed or outbuilding . Pics of my brasserie can be found here . A couple of signs/adverts give a nice French theme. Add a bit of mould and lichen on the roof! Every café needs a suitable convenience... an outside w/c . Here's the tile without the buildings or clutter. The brick piers and gate are from Charlie Foxtrot but pretty much everything else was scratch built. The walls are foam-core with individ...

Wargames Table chums Rob Broom and Orange Dave put on a rather splendid Somme inspired WW1 demo game for Dave's superb Zero Hour rules at the Worlds show, Donnington (01/10/16). Now, I couldn't make it along but I did supply some scenery and troops so I was kind of there in spirit! ;o)  Here's a few pics... (slightly dodgy lighting made good pics quite tricky) British mass for the attack on the German trenches From the German side New technology makes it's debut ... a tank rumbles into the line! Not to be outdone... he comes the RFC Advance! The French also attack The tank proves useful at cutting through obstacles A shattered farm somewhere on the Somme Every battlefield needs a river The British reach the trench lines! Hurrah! Hopefully this demo game will gradually expand and feature at a few more shows!