Something for the weekend

As I mentioned in a previous post I am a member of a group of like minded individuals called The League of Gentlemen Wargamers and a few times a year we get together to fight really big battles or campaigns and the weekend past was the latest game which I unfortunately missed due to work commitments but Bob Lauder sent me a huge number of pics to let me see what I missed so I thought you guys might also like to see them.

Train arriving for a weekends fun.

Another type of weekend gaming

I think he was kept busy all weekend

Recording the casualties

Stagecoach and Whorehouse both had a busy weekend

Another shot of the train

It wouldn't be a cowboy game without some sneeky Redskins

These ones are getting a bit rough.

The Saturday started off with a series of 6x4 tables with a different scenario on each and every gamer got to fight each scenario to build up their gang rating for the big game on the Sunday which was set in the main town on one large table.  I have no idea who actually won the weekend games but when you get to play with toys like this and a great bunch of guys, who cares.  If you want to see anymore pics send me a message and I will add more of the action.

More of the Alma

Here are an other couple of overall game shots of the allied right flank table which had all the French and Turks on it.

Turks advancing up to the river Alma with naval support.

The French are advancing against the heights held by the Russians with the Turks away in the distance in the top right of this photo.

Another two French divisions are forming up just behind the Alma.



Battle of the Alma

I'm very fortunate to be part of the League of Gentlemen Wargamers, a group of like minded individuals who get together for large battles three times a year and also put on a number of display games at various shows around the country.  Last year our June game was a refight of the Alma fought over a 28x16' table with thousands of gorgeous figures.  What was even more amazing was that most of the figures came from the collection of Bob Lauder from our group with Barry Hilton supplying his collection of Russians to the force and I boosted the French with my collection.  The troops on both sides were laid out in their historical dispositions and the plan of action of the Allies was to hold back the Brits until the French and Turks had advanced onto the high ground on their right flank.  Typically the Brits and French commanders forgot to even invite the Turks to the briefing or mention their plans to the them, but as I was commanding the Turks I had my own ideas anyway.  The Russian plan had been to sit back and see what the Allies were going to do but when they saw the Brits remain stationary for move after move they transferred more and more troops to halt the French and Barry swept down with all the Russian cavalry to tempt the Brits forward.  Here are some pics of the battle and an article by Barry will be appearing in the future.

The Guards Brigade in all their glory except they didn't cover themselves in glory in this battle.

Highlanders and Guards

The Light Division, the only British troops that actually managed to cross the Alma.

The glorious Turks who marched over 30' across the battlefield, routed a Russian Brigade and had one of their own Brigades across the Sevastopol road at the end of the game but were let down by their supposed allies.

Russian guns defending the central position.

Russian lookout postion.

Russian guns bombard the French.

Russian right wing cavalry put up a fantastic fight but don't tell Barry I said that.

I even lent the Brits my Turkish cavalry but they managed to get them blown away.

Despite the result it was a fantastic weekends gaming.

Crimean Turks

Just for Darrell, here is the only shot I seem to have of my lovely 15mm Minifigs Turks that I used to own many years ago but as I couldn't get anyone in the SESWC club interested in the Crimean War these chaps now reside in London.  Thanks to a certain Barry Hilton I have now started to revisit the Crimean War but at the moment I am concentrating on the French which basically means I can just use my Franco Prussian War figures with some of the Foundry Crimean French added in.

19th Century European Wars

Many friends who know me are aware that one of my favourite wargaming periods are all the European Wars of the 19th century such as the two Schleswig Holstein Wars, the Crimean War, the Italian Wars of Unification, the 1866 war and the Franco Prussian War so here is a selection of some of my toys in action.

Austrian artillery in action giving the pesky Prussians a hard time.

The Bavarian army also joined in the fun in 1866 but were 'persuaded' to join with the Prussians in 1870 for the Franco Prussian War.

How can you not love the Austrians in their lovely white uniforms keeping the Italians in line.

They even have lots of lovely cavalry to charge uselessly against Dreyese rifle armed Prussians.

Just like buses where you wait for ages for one to arrive and two come at the same time here is another shot from our Partizan game.  It was very impressive seeing my Russian artillery batteries on a 1:1 scale although 12 guns and all their limbers and caissons take up a lot of space.

When I started this blog I did think it would take me a while to keep it updated but didn't think it would take so long, unfortunately family and a whole new career change has taken up most of my time recently but hopefully things are starting to stabalise so I hope to post more soon.  These pics are taken from a display game that Adrian Howe, Barry Hilton, David Imrie, Toggy and myself put on at Partizan in September 2011.  We were using Barry's March of Eagles rules and a 1:5 figure scale so all these battalions are around 100 figures strong.