Farewell to 2021 - Not As Strange As The Year Before...

But still not the way it was the year before that; that is before the lockdowns of the previous year. That all said, I was able to get in enough games at small gatherings, as well as at our annual big event, Enfilade, to be satisfied. Granted the convention only had about a third in attendance from 2019 (2020 being cancelled altogether) and pushed back from May to September, but it was still a lot of fun. As far as painting in 2021, besides a brief diversion into large scale McFarlane 40K Space Marines figures and a Sisters of Battle army, I only painted a few dedicated gaming figures. The reason for this was I had already painted a fairly large quantity of figures the year before (during the peak of the lockdown), and they had yet to see any action on the gaming table. I made it a goal to game these untested figures before the end of this year. I was almost able to accomplish this feat, but still have a few that didn't make it. These are mostly the English Civil War and a few Bolt Action figures, which I intend to not only get on the table next year, but am currently working on some additions to give players more units - namely the Pike and Shotte figures.

Here's a quick rundown of the games I played in or hosted in 2021.

Imjin War Naval Battle - At the Height of Battle

The first few games I played and hosted this year were several Imjin War naval games using models by MT Miniatures and rules by David Manley. Both products are quite excellent for their intended purposes. The nicely sculpted ships being in 1/1200th scale paint up fairly easily. I now have fleets for both the Japanese and the Koreans. It's a quick game to set up and simple to run. My buddy and I hosted this at a game day at our local Veterans Museum in July, and also at Enfilade in September.

Franco Prussian War Skirmish - Bolt Action

Around the middle of the year, I hosted a refresher Bolt Action Franco Prussian War game. I ran it again at Enfilade in September.

Battle of Hue - Arc of Fire

Speaking of Enfilade, I also played in a Battle of Hue game and a Lion Rampant "A Viking in the Sun" game. 

A Viking in the Sun - Lion Rampant

As already mentioned, attendance was about a third from the last one in 2019.

Battle of Abensberg, 20 April 1809 - Black Powder hosted by my buddy James with his figures and terrain.

October saw a return to Black Powder. First, an Austrian vs. Bavarian game hosted by my buddy at his place with his collection and terrain. 

Battle for the Farm House - Black Powder

This was followed by a "Battle for the Farm House" game finally getting to use the La Haye Sainte terrain painted up in 2020.

Battle of Gorodetschna - Black Powder

I also ran a Battle of Gorodetschna game at the end of October, using the Russian and Austrian troops  painted up earlier in the year.

EIR vs. Celts - Hail Caesar

In the last month of 2021, I was able to get in two Hail Caesar games - the first an EIR vs. British Celts and then a Successor vs. Successor game. Almost all of the figures for both games were painted last year and used for the first time.

Antigonid Successor vs. Pyrrhic Successor - Hail Caesar

I kept painting projects for actual gaming down as I felt the need to get the ones already painted on the table first. However, I did paint a few in 2021 - not the least of which was a Russian army deal from Perry at the beginning of the year. Here are of some of the my painting projects for 2021 - this will also serve to remind me of the figures that still haven't been on the gaming table yet.

Most of the Perry Russian army deal; completed in January and seeing action for the first time in October.

Warlord Games' Mk IV Beutepanzer and Renault FT-17; both painted in January also - and still needing to see action. I'm actually still waiting on an order of Wargames Atlantic French for some Bolt Action gaming.

These Perry Russian artillery batteries, along with commanders and jaegers, were painted in February.

Perry Russian High Command - they got to see action in the Gorodetschna game (even though Kutusov wasn't actually there) later in the year. These figures along with the below Celt chariots and Victrix Hoplites below were all painted in March.

 The chariots were picked up last year at the Panzer Depots' closing sale.

The chariots and hoplites were used in the recent Hail Caesar games in December.

In April and May, painted some Blitzkrieg 1/48th scale resin tanks (Panzer II & III, M3 Grant) and also a Hobby Boss 1/48th scale KV-1 Beutepanzer. Added some Perry TC's to crew those tanks and riders for a Corgi half-track. 

The Artizan Spartans above were painted in April, and along with the tanks await action in Bolt Action and Hail Caesar games, respectively. The Artizan figures were also picked up last year from the Panzer Depot sale.

In May, I received a copy of the Imjin War naval rules and ships for "At The Height Of Battle". A pack of Warlord Games Fallshirmjager in tropical kit and a 120mm resin ECW pikeman were painted for this month - mainly to keep busy. I think by this time, the urge to game was getting stronger. Up to this point in time, I hadn't gamed since January 2020!

The 1/1200th scale ships from the Imjin War starter set painted and based in June. They were gamed several times soon after. Also painted up in the same month was a small unit of Perry FFL for the Western Desert Campaign to oppose the Fallshirmjager.

A few units of Victrix and Perry Austrians were painted in June and July. They were all successfully gamed in October using Black Powder.

Wrapping up completed painting projects are these McFarlane poseable 40K Space Marines and Sisters of Battle, as well as a 40K Sisters of Battle army. I have no intention or desire to get into 40K, but I did enjoy painting these figures.

Thus ends the report of the painting projects and games I played or hosted in 2021. I shall finish this post by publicly declaring what I intend to accomplish in 2022 (hobby-wise). I hope to finally get a few Pike and Shotte games in with the figures painted over a year ago, and the ones I'm working on right now. Managed to base two regiments of pike and shotte, and a unit of pike with the bases I had onhand. Still awaiting an order from Litko to finish the rest of the figure. I also went ahead and put together two boxes of plastic cavalry and two boxes of dragoons - the latter with 12 each mounted and dismounted troopers in metal.

I also plan to get in some WW1 and WW2 Western Desert Campaign Bolt Action games using some additions to these projects. Not the least of which will be the long-awaited (by me) Wargames Atlantic French. The order is awaiting shipment once the WW2 Italians, which I added to the order, are available. Finally I wish you all an awesome 2022!

Warlord Games ECW Pike and Shotte Reinforcements - WIP +2

Hope you all had a good Christmas. In between several meals of cheer - managed to get the ECW Pike & Shotte block painting done and staining with Minwax Tudor Satin. After a coat of Krylon clear matte, only the faces will get a some attention - a wash of Vallejo Flesh Wash. Waiting on an order from Litko to base them.

They'll be formed into three regiments of pike and shotte (16-man pike, and two 24-man shotte units each). Also, three separate units of shotte of 24-men each. I may add pikes to these shotte units later - possibly Perry metals. 

Wishing you all the best during the closing of 2021 - we're actually getting snow here in Western Washington, so white post-Christmas.

Warlord Games ECW Pike and Shotte Reinforcements - WIP +1

Just a quick update - Painted the muskets, pikes, sword hilts, shoes and hats/caps. 

Next will be some of the pants in various colors, white collars, cuffs and stockings. Also, the command figures will be given a little more attention.

Thanks again for checking out the blog and wishing you all a Merry Christmas - just a few more days!

Warlord Games ECW Pike & Shotte Reinforcements

Thanks to a great deal from a buddy who had some old boxes of foot as well as cavalry, some additions to an ECW Pike & Shotte project are being worked on. So far there are enough foot for two regiments with pike and shotte, and several shotte units as well. I may add some pikemen to the shotte units, or leave them as separate commanded shotte. Wanting to keep this as a quick and fairly simple project, I started with basecoats of spray paint I already had - except for a new can of red.

The flesh, hair, buff coats, armor, leather straps and pouches/bags have been painted over the base colors. I plan to paint some of the pants various other colors for variety.

I hope to start the new year with some Pike & Shotte games. Happy Holidays!

Christmas Rampant! - Last Game of 2021 (for me anyway)

A fair number of us (12 or 13 players) showed up at our buddy Bruce's place (he's the owner/proprietor of Company B) for a multi-player Dragon Rampant game. The last time we did this was in 2019, just a couple of months before the "Big Change." It was great seeing everyone again; most of whom had played in the 2019 game. Although I've been gaming routinely since Enfilade back in September, this was the largest gathering of players for me since then. Luckily Bruce's gaming room is quite big, and although we were somewhat crammed around the gaming table, it still felt roomy. We also were well-nourished with BBQ pork sandwiches which one of the players kindly provided.

The table layout at the start of the game. I used some of my Sisters of Battle figures for my warband. The Junith Eruita canoness in her pulpit being an Elite Rider with mounted missiles and a squad of Battle Sisters as Scouts. I hid behind a tall wall for most of the game taking shots as the enemy (Snowmen and Nutcracker) would expose themselves. My dice rolling was surprisingly good for most of the game. I always managed to activate my units and caused enough hits to help destroy an entire enemy warband and also a dragon (Greater War Beast/leader) from another warband. They survived until the very end of the game - I did a suicide attack with my Battle Sisters (already at half-strength) against unit of heavy foot with predictable results to finish the game and get more refreshments.

Some images of the game - I think we played for about 8 or so turns. With such a long table, with 6 warbands per side, it was surprising each side correctly stayed together for each turn.

My "Sisters" warband taking out enemy with missile weapons from behind cover.

The opposite side of the table where I was playing. That's Bruce's warband made up of Russian (or Finnish?) ski troops.

Missile tossing hooligans.

Evil penguins.

War rabbits mounted on rams.

Might've been due to slipping on their banana peels, but this enemy warband failed to activate for most of the game.

Elves with bows, along with my Sisters providing firing cover on our right flank.

A working Christmas train.

All in all, a nice way to end the 2021 gaming year, although I plan to do one more blog post for 2021 as a wrap up for the year. Until next time have a safe and great holiday season.

Hail Caesar Successor Battle - Antigonid vs. Pyrrhic

Had another great Hail Caesar game today pitting my Pyrrhic army against my buddy's Antigonid army. It was a close run with the Pyrrhic army losing one pike phalanx unit, an elephant and their Companion cavalry, as well as their only two bow units. The Antigonids lost one of their own elephants, two Thracian foot units, a Cretan bow unit and a unit of slingers.

The start of the battle - Pyrrhic forces on the left, Antigonids on the right.

Close-up of the Antigonid battle line. Three towered elephants, one unit of heavy cavalry with lances (xyston), three pike phalanx units, two Thracian foot units with javelins and two-hand weapons, two units each of Cretan archers and slingers (on Rhodian).

The Pyrrhic army. A unit of hypaspist elite medium infantry, a unit of medium cavalry Companion cavalry with lances (xyston), two towered elephants, three units of pike phalanx, two units of mercenary Hoplite phalanxes with long spears, two light cavalry units and two units of archers.

A unit of Antigonid slingers move into the village on their right flank.

The Antigonid right; Thracian foot move up to support Cretan archers.

Pyrrhic light cavalry charge into Antigonid slingers. The slingers able to cause a few casualties prior to being destroyed.

Meanwhile, in the center of the battlefield, Antigonid forces successfully move up towards the Pyrrhic center. The Pyrrhic army failed a few activations early in the game.

Pyrrhic archers in combat with a unit of Antigonid Thracians foot wielding rhomphaias. The archers having no saves were destroyed.

Antigonid scythed chariot charges into a Pyrrhic pike phalanx.

Pyrrhic light cavalry charge into Cretan archer. With the help of another light cavalry unit in support the archers were destroyed - even after inflicting a few casualties from closing fire.

Antigonid pike phalanx units and elephants charge into the Pyrrhic center.

A Pyrrhic phalanx unit attacked to their front by Antigonid pikes and also to their left flank by a unit of Thracians with rhomphaias.

A unit of Greek mercenary hoplites waiting on their turn to charge into the rear of the Thracians. A free move as they are in the 12" proximity rule. Otherwise, the battle rages on in the center between phalanxes and elephants.

The "brave" Antigonid heavy cavalry charge into a small unit of Pyrrhic archers. The archers were destroyed shortly thereafter.

Pyrrhic Companion cavalry counter-charge into the Antigonid heavy cavalry after destroying the archers and making a sweeping advance. For the record, Hail Caesar doesn't have a special rule for cavalry wedge formations. We may come up with some kind of house rule for them later.

The Pyrrhic Companions lost their fight against the Antigonids and broke off the table.

Center of the battle field. The Thracians were soon destroyed by the combined attacks from the two mercenary hoplite units. We called the game soon after this as it would've continued as a slug match between the surviving forces.

All in all, another great Hail Caesar game where we got more familiar with some of the special rules - like elephants and phalanxes. My buddy promised to paint the rest of his command figures - since they might be mistaken for Cleitus. Tomorrow is a holiday Dragon Rampant game which will be the last game of the year for me. Until next time, wishing you all a healthy and great holiday season!